comfort fics

finally safe (Joel Berghult)

Some comfort fluff because I'm feeling really shit rn. Enjoy!

TW//ABUSE

I can't stand this anymore, I have to get out of here. The abuse has become too much. I can't ever please him anymore, no mater what I do, and it's been like this for too long. I should have left ages ago. He makes me feel pathetic and useless, and then drinks himself into oblivion every night before he comes home and blames me.

It's too much.

I have to leave.

He came home plastered again. I successfully avoided all his advances on me. Thank god he was wasted enough to not care as much, usually he hits me. His breath smelled worse than ever, and he was sweating like a pig. In an attempt to climb up the stairs, he fell on his ass instead and vomited all over them, demanding that I clean it up as he stumbled the rest of the way. Needless to say, I didn't.

I stayed silent all night, and didn't respond to his snarky comments or rude remarks about my changing appearance. I just bit my tongue and tried not to cry while I waited for him to fall asleep.

As soon as I knew he was asleep for the night, I started packing a bag with clothes and my most important belongings. Anything that I left he would surely destroy or throw away. I was able to shove most of them into a duffel, and then filled a backpack with the rest and grabbed my purse. I threw the bags into the backseat of my car and hopped in the front, digging the keys out of my pocket, turning the engine over and pulling out.

Then I just started...driving. It felt like hours, but by the time I had stopped, only about thirty minutes had passed. I hadn't realized where I was driving to until just now. As I realised, I put the car in reverse and started to pull out, but I got a message. Thinking that it was my abusive - now ex - boyfriend, I picked it up cautiously. But it wasn't.

•••

Joel

hey, why are you in my

driveway? it's after midnight

it is, so why are you awake right now?

i could ask you the same
thing

i was working late, don't
mind it

come inside

•••

I gave in, deciding that he would probably chase me down anyway if I didn't listen, and parked my car in his drive way. I guess if I have to crash anywhere, I'd rather it be here. With my bags still in the car, I walked up to his door, and he opened it before I even got there. "What's going on?" Joel asked in a concerned tone.

The words couldn't even work their way out of my throat. I sighed deeply and tried to respond but tears welled up in my eyes and my shoulders began to shake. Joel stepped forward to pull me into his arms as my hands covered my face and I sobbed. My face pressed into his chest.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he ushered me inside. I didn't even finish saying his name before I felt Joel's arms tense up in anger around me. He stiffly lead me to the couch and walked into the kitchen.

When he came back, he set a glass of water on the coffee table and sat beside me with his hands on my forearms. "He didn't...hit you...did he?"

I choked down a sob and sniffed. "N-no, not this time," I managed. He was trying to be comforting but I could see the anger flash in his eyes. Joel had always hated my choice in men, and so did I most of the time.