PUPPY LOVE¹

{4}

"t-tay," stiles stammered. "tay, something-something happened. something bad. i-i-i-i need to talk to you. i need you to come here, please. please, tay, please." he was stammering all over the place, barely getting his words out through his sobs.

tay sat up from liam's bed, quickly getting her shoes on while being as quiet as possible. "stiles?" she whispered. "wait, wait, hold on. i'll be at your house soon."

"thank you," he cried, hanging up quickly and burying his face in his pillow while he hyperventilated.

tay exhaled, leaving a note and writing fast before she left. she was surprised liam didn't wake up but she was glad.

had to go, stiles was having a panic attack, call you in the morning, i'm sorry - tay <3

𖦹𖦹𖦹

"what's wrong?" tay asked, walking into stiles' room. her heart broke at the sight of stiles sobbing in his bed, his head buried deep into his pillow while his body shook. "stiles, hey. i'm here. what's up, bud?"

he cried harder, flinching when tay barely but a hand on his leg. "do-don't touch me! please, please don't touch me."

"ok, ok." tay retracted her hand right away. "i'm sorry. i should've asked. i'm gonna kneel in front of you, that ok?"

stiles nodded slowly, choking on another strangled sob.

"ok, alright, i'm here," she mumbled, kneeling slowly in front of him. "what's wrong? talk to me."

he took a moment, trying to calm down a bit so he could speak. "yo-you-you can't tell anyone. you need- you need to promise me. promise me you won't tell anyone. please."

"mhm, ok. i promise," tay told him. "what's wrong, stiles? i won't tell anyone, but i can't help if you don't tell me."

he cried some more, gasping slightly while his breath picked up. "i was... fuck! i can't- i can't-"

"hey, hey." tay snapped her fingers, getting him to stop talking. she watched as he lifted his head slightly, just enough to see her. "listen to me. we'll talk in a minute, ok? but right now, i just need you to do this. look around, tell me five things you see."

"um... uh, you." stiles' shook as another sob racked through his body, looking around his room. "the board... my pillow... the window... and, uh. um. my desk."

"good, that's good," tay reassured. "four things you can touch, list 'em."

"my pillow cover..." stiles swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to push his cries down. "my blanket... my-my shirt. and, um, my, uh, my sheets."

"ok, alright, that's good too. ok, stiles?" tay gulped. "three things you hear."

"your voice... m-my voice... um... and a car outside."

"mhm." tay nodded. "two things you smell."

"whatever my pillow smells like." stiles took a deep, shaky breath. his breathing was calmer now. "and... an-and... i dunno what else, my n-nose is-"

"it's ok," tay cut him off softly. "it's ok. what's one thing you taste?"

stiles sighed, gripping his pillow. "the chips i had earlier."

tay chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "chips. what kind?"

"sou-sour cream and onion."

"those are good." tay smiled. "are you ok with me touching you or should i stay down here?"

he shook his head. "stay-stay there. for now, please."

"ok." tay held her hands in her lap. "whatever you're comfortable with. now talk to me. what happened?"