Falling Too (Tyler Joseph)

Chapter 28

I saw that when Tyler pulled into my driveway that my mom's car wasn't there. When we made our way inside I found a note on the coffee table telling me that she and Noah were going to be in Cincinnati for the weekend.

"I guess it's just us." I remarked.

Tyler just nodded with a yawn.

"You're tired, aren't you? Come on, you can sleep in my room." I tell him as I motion for him to follow me upstairs.

I flipped the light on as we entered the room and Tyler didn't hesitate to crawl under the covers, making himself comfortable. I smiled softly at the sight as I went to the attached bathroom to change into my nightclothes. I slipped on a baggy Blink-182 t-shirt and some gray pajama bottoms. I stepped out, making sure to leave the bathroom light on and the door cracked open in case Tyler needed to get up at any point.

I turned the bedroom light off before making my way to the door murmuring, "Goodnight."

As I stepped out of the room I heard Tyler quietly ask, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to sleep in my mom's room."

He seemed hesitant to speak before saying, "You can just stay in here with me. If you want."

I grinned slightly at his words before reentering my room telling him, "Okay, scoot over then."

He moved over a bit, lifting the comforter for me to slip in with him. Even though it seemed silly, I was nervous to be so physically close to Tyler. None the less, I moved to lay down beside him. As soon as I did, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to his form. I was glad that the room was so dim because when he leaned in to place a kiss on my temple and then rested his head on my shoulder, I felt myself blush deeply.

I traced swirling patterns into his arm and t-shirt covered side as I listened to him drift into sleep. I gazed down at him, observing the details of his face, doing my best to commit them to memory. Just having him here next to me felt like some sort of blessing. How had I gotten so lucky to even know someone like Tyler? I still can barely wrap my mind around the idea that he seems to feel the same way I do about him. It was only a matter of time before his steady breathing lulled me into a peaceful sleep.  

Several hours later, I'm awoken by the sound of panting and quiet groaning. It took me a second to realize that it was Tyler making all the noise. I peered over to him, my eyes still heavy with sleep, seeing that he still seemed to be asleep. His face was contorted into a scowl and his hands were clenched into fists, like he was preparing to fight something. I decided that I had enough of watching him remain in the nightmare he was having and gingerly shook him. 

"Tyler, it's just a dream. Wake up." I murmur to him as I lightly brush my palm over his face from his temple to his jaw.

A moment later his eyes shot open and he inhaled sharply as if he had just been suffocated. Sweat was beading on his brow as his eyes flitted around my room in the faint morning light. 

"Hey, it's okay. You were just having a nightmare. You're safe now." I gently reassure him as he stared up at me and seemed to visibly relax. 

He reached his now opened hands to me, pulling me against his chest and then rested his chin on top of my head. He remained silently for a few more minutes before whispering, "Thank you."

"So, what was it about?"

His chest heaved against me as he let out a sigh, "You'll probably think I'm crazy if I tell you."

"Try me."

He shifted around underneath me, before tightening his grip on me ever so slightly. "I've had the nightmare a few times before, it usually happens when I'm about to get bad again. That's what scares me more than anything else."

"By bad, do you mean your depression?"

He nodded lightly against me.

"What exactly happens?"

"In my nightmares?"

It was my turn to nod.

His fingers combed through the hair on the back of my neck as he spoke, "I'm usually wandering around in the darkness and then in the distance, I see a figure that I know I need to get away from. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them, but it's almost like an instinct to run. Well, when I do start running I can't get away from the thing and it only gets closer and closer each time I nearly escape it. And then I realize something, that this thing looks just like me, except it has red eyes. I stop and stare at it for a long time, feeling this strange mix of fear and sadness. Surprisingly, the weirdest part is this thing's face won't stay in focus, almost like it's a mask and the face it has doesn't belong to it. It's face..."

He trailed off for a moment before adding, "It's blurry."

"Wow, that does sound scary." I remark and then ask, "Why do you think you have nightmares like that?"

"I honestly wish I knew." He tells me before letting out a long yawn. 

"Do you want to try to go back to sleep?"

"Sure, I'll have you here to protect me from Blurryface, won't I?" He asked, seeming to be trying to keep his tone light and humorous, but I was almost certain that I could detect fear as well.

I turned my head into his neck, kissing it softly before murmuring against his warm skin, "Of course you will."

He laughed breathlessly at the psychical contact before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. It wasn't long before we both drifted back off into sleep, both of us still tangled together as if it was the safest place in the world.