Quiet is Violent - Twenty One Pilots x Reader (TØP) (TRIGGER WARNING)

3 - Tear In My Heart

Tyler's P.O.V

I rolled up her sleeves only to see a slight strike of panic in her eyes. I looked at her wrists. They were littered with scratches, bruises and burn marks. A tear fell from her eye.
"I'm a goner, aren't I?"
It felt like a huge boulder had just crushed my heart. No one really knew anything about her; perhaps this was why she was so reserved.
"No, no, you're not a goner. It'll be okay. You're okay, I-I-" I looked over at Josh, who was also looking at her damaged skin. He had an unreadable expression on his face.

~

Reader's P.O.V

For the next few days, you spent a lot of time with Josh and Tyler. Mostly you sat and listened to them practising music for gigs, and you joined them at lunch at a secluded table. They both smiled warmly at you and welcomed you to hang out with some of their friends. You had started to recover. The two had kindly wrapped your arms in bandages and treated your injuries. They also invited you to stay with them after school since you lived on your own and sometimes found it lonely. You hung out with them at the library and, thanks to them, you had stayed clean for nearly a month.

One day, Tyler presented to you an elastic band.
"Hey, (Y/N), if you ever feel like hurting yourself, use this. It'll create pain, but won't do any permanent damage." You smiled and put the band on your wrist before covering it with your sleeve.
"Thank you, Tyler. I don't know what I'd do without you guys." You stood on your tip-toes and hugged him around his middle. You heard a chuckle before he completed the hug.

~

The feelings of emptiness and frustration had started when you tried to sleep and you simply couldn't. You knew you couldn't fall prey to the itching on your wrist. You sat up and felt around in the dark for the elastic Tyler had given to you previously that day. Once it was on your wrist, you took the material and pulled it away, as far as it could stretch. For a few moments, you stretched it and pulled the elastic around without letting go of it. Would it really recreate the pain to satisfy you without having to make scars or scorch marks? Again, you pulled back as far as it would stretch, and waited for a moment before letting it go and feeling the small stab of pain that felt quite familiar. You flicked the elastic band again. It felt so real.

Josh's P.O.V

I kept the rhythm of the song playing by beating the drums in time to Tyler playing the piano and singing the lyrics. (Y/N) sat in the corner, quietly tapping her hand against the rough carpet floor to the beat. This was one of her favourites by us. As Tyler reached the final part, he looked over at her and sang as best he could.

My heart is my armour; she's the tear in my heart
She's a carver; she's a butcher with a smile
Caught me farther, than I've ever been...

As the last chord from the piano rung out in the room, (Y/N) smiled brightly and clapped her hands. "That was amazing! I love listening to you perform for me." The light shining in her eyes was enough to make us all smile together.

Sorry for the short chapter again >_> I haven't updated this book in quite a while so I decided to put another short one in but soon enough I may publish a chapter that's longer than usual. I hope you enjoyed this part!

Sidenote: I got the elastic band idea from an actual coping mechanism that therapists and psychiatrists introduce to patients to stop them from cutting their wrists. In year 7 I had to see a school nurse from the NHS and she told me about this idea and it's helped a lot. If you self-harm in real life by cutting, I highly recommend using an elastic band. As said in this chapter, it recreates the pain without causing permanent damage. With this and professional help (which almost everyone you ask will highly recommend), you can overcome whatever's keeping you from living a happy, depression-free life. Just remember that my messages are always free if you want to talk ^^