November 12th, Saturday
Nika's P.O.V
I get brought back to the waking world because of the sound of Paige's voice talking to someone on the phone, groggily opening my eyes I squint at the alarm clock on my side of the room.
Who the fuck is she talking to at 3 in the morning and why so loud...
I think with a small groan, moving to turn away from the noise, my back facing Paige's tired voice.
"Baby?" My twin's husky voice comes out, and at the term of endearment I attempt to zone into the conversation more, knowing it was my friend on the other line.
"Are you you okay?" I hear her ask and pause as Maia assumingly responds on the other line, I feel a stare on my back, causing me to tiredly turn around, looking at my best friend who's looking back at me.
Paige rubs her eyes, starting to sit up. "Yeah, Nika is up too, is something wrong with A?"
I start sitting up at that as well, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and going to Paige's as she motions me over, putting her phone in speaker .
"Maia?" I question, I hear rustling come from the phone and quiet sobbing. Maia gently shushing someone before her voice comes in.
"Nika, Lyz needs you. She's having a really bad panic attack, she woke up from a bad dream I'm assuming but I'm barely getting anything out of her." Another rustle and another pause.
"Lyz sweetie, breathe for me hun okay? It's okay, you're going to be okay."
"I'll be there in five." I respond without a beat hearing my girlfriends quick breaths on the other line, the volleyball player pretty much hyperventilating and Maia trying to calm her down. Maia responds with a thank you before hanging up, Paige putting her phone on her bed before getting up with me as I threw on a black Uconn sweatshirt over my sleep shirt. Paige doing the same but wearing a white one.
Rushing to try and find my keys, he blonde just stops me, grabbing her lanyard that was still laying on her iPad from her earlier work.
"I'll drive, let's go."
"You're coming?" I question, Paige loved her sleep something heavy, it took her a lot to even wake up, not to mention not going back to sleep at three am.
"Duh, Lyz is my friend too, and my girlfirends best friend. I'm worried if she's okay too. I want to go check on both of them with you." I nod as I just move to rush out towards the taller girls car, Paige following bejjd with a light jog.
__________
Maia opens the door and I quickly move past her towards Alyssa's bedroom. My twin and her girlfriend saying something in hushed voices back in the living room. My hearing muffled from whatever they were saying as I walked into Alyssa's room. My eyes instantly training onto the girl who was sitting on the bed, knees curled to her chest and head resting on it as the girls back rose and fell shakely.
"Baby..." I speak in Croatian, my voice coming out soft over my girlfriends hiccupped breaths. I honestly don't even know if she heard me because she flinches when I sit down next to her, the bed dipping throwing her off before she looked up, noticing it was me. Her expression relaxing slightly but her breaths still coming out in a semi-hyperventilating manner.
"It's okay, I'm here alright." I speak, my hands instantly going to hold onto Alyssa's knees, rubbing my hands on top of them as I tried to get the girl to uncurl herself before I got an idea, slowly taking her right hand in mine. After grabbing it, I bring both of our hands to my own chest, making sure to hold her palm against my chest, covering her hand with my own.
"Can you feel my heartbeat?"
She nods slowly, her free hand coming to rub away at tears running down her cheeks, my heart breaks at the sight.
"Okay. I want you to breathe with me. Can you do that for me love?" I speak half English and half my native tongue.
"Y-Yeah." Alyssa hiccups, still trying to calm herself down as I inhale and exhale deeply, making sure to keep my hand pressed against hers on my chest. I use my other hand to rub small circles on her thigh.
"In and out... in and out, good girl baby." I speak softly, watching the other copy my movements, her breathing starting to even out as she begins to hiccup less and less. I take my hand form her thigh to her hair, brushing the loose strands behind her ears before taking the sleeve of my shirt in my hand and wiping at her tears gently. When I finish, Alyssa instantly moves towards me, burying herself into me as I wrap my arms around her. I instantly kiss her head, moving one of my hands to her neck to play with the hairs at her nape. Something that I knew depending on the mood would either calm her down or turn her on, this was definitely to calm her down.
The tension in her body begins to relax even more as I continue this for a few minutes, alternating between speaking to her softly and kissing the crown of her head. When I notice her completely stop shaking and her breathing not coming as rapidly anymore I pull away to look at her, her eyes were swollen but the tears were gone.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask in my native language watching the gears turn in Alyssa's head before she just lays her head back in the crook of my neck, turning slightly so I could still here her.
"It was a dream about my mom.... I haven't had one in so long.." I can hear the quiver in her voice and I already start to tell her that she didn't have to continue but she starts to talk again before I could even finish. "Her last few moments she was... she was so weak, and I was so, so young bit that image is literally etched into the crevices of my mind." She shudders into me, I start to play with the hairs at her nape again.
"But this time it just can't like, me seeing her in those final moments you know? It was like her at that time was speaking to a new adult me, and everything she was saying was so negative. I wouldn't make it, I'm wasting my time, blah blah blah." Her arms curl around me at this point, trying to get even closer then we already were, I smile slightly.
"I know she would have never done that, she was my number one friend, my rock, but it felt SO real. " Her voice comes out in mumble, however it easy to hear her when the room was as quiet as it was. "And then after that the dream sort of changed I guess? But instead it was you saying some of the same things."
I blink at that, slightly pulling away again, much to my girlfriends dismay as she whines, trying to curl back into me again.
"You know there's no way I would EVER say anything like that to you right?" She stays quiet, "Right?"
"Yeah.." Alyssa says quietly, the girl moving to mess with the strings of her pants now. I move my hand under her chin, gently making her look at me.
"I am always going to be there for you, you're an amazing athlete, an amazing person and a very, very lovely girlfriend." I say, moving to place a light kiss on her lips, my hand still holding her chin gently as my thumb rubs the side of her cheek.
"You, are so so strong, so much more than you give yourself credit for love."
Alyssa let's out a soft mix between a dry and real laugh. "Strong, yet hear I am crying and panicking like a baby over some dream.."
"Hey, Anxiety is no joke. And that experience overall is tramautic. I couldn't imagine losing a parent, nevertheless at such a young age and in such a way.. " I add, removing my hand from her chin and instead grabbing her own that were still picking at her strings in her nervous habit. I take the time to bring them both up to my mouth, laying kisses on them.
"You are so strong, and when you have your weak moments which everyone will have. You have Maia, Paige, the girls," I state, kissing her hands again. "You have me to lean on, and you're always going to have me okay? I'll always be here for you."
I smile as Alyssa initiates the kiss this time, this one lasting longer than the peck I gave her earlier, but also reflecting the better mood my girlfriend was in. When she pulls way I smile at her, debating on the next sentence I was going to say but fuck it, we just made things official a little over a week ago but let's be honest, we've both been more than friends to each other for a lot longer.
"I love you Lyz." I speak, my thumbs rubbing on the top of her hands gently, her eyes slightly widening at the phrase which causing me to panic internally just a bit, wondering if I had said it to earlier.
"I love you too Nika, so much." She moves to curl back into me, her hold on me tightening slightly as she cuddles into me, causing me to laugh happily.
"You and me against it all my love." My native language flows from me naturally and I can feel Alyssa grinning against my neck at the sentence.
I'd always be there for this girl, no doubt.
__________
"Is she feeling better?" Paige's hushed voice is the first I hear when I carefully close Alyssa's door, the sudden voice making me jump.
"Holy shit. I'm going to put a damn bell on you."
Paige smiles sheepishly, "Sorry."
"Better enough to sleep through the night thankfully.." I respond to her earlier question, Paige and I had stayed over the night, especially signed it was Sunday and everyone was off from everything. I decided to let Alyssa sleep as my girl definitely needed the rest after her anxiety last night.
"Did she ever say what happened..? Maia didn't even really know."
"Bad dream about her mom." I say, keep it short and simple as Paige just cringes slightly.
"Ouch."
"Yeah..." I mutter, looking at the door before we both walk into the living room. Instantly I go to the kitchen, looking in the fridge.
"Damn, just make yourself at home why don't you?" I hear Maia's joking voice, it sounded like she was feeling better if she was cheery at 9 in the morning again. "What are you doing?" She asks curiously.
"I want to make breakfast for Alyssa when she wakes up. You guys hungry?" The two nod, Maia coming over and saying she'll hell while Paige says she'd wash dishes.
About 30 minutes later, french toast, scrambled eyes and a few pieces of bacon adorned 4 different plates.
"Time to wake up your sleepy beauty, twin." Paige says, taking two plates to the living room while Maia takes the other two. I just nod, going back to Alyssa's room.
"Lyz... Babe, it's time to get up." I say softly, putting a hand on my girlfriends shoulder and shaking her gently. I make sure that it's not her injured arm first, especially since she didn't wear her sling to sleep.
"Mmm... what..?" Shs slurs sleepily, eyes slowly opening as I grin at the cute sound of her tired voice. I lean down and kiss her nose, the athletes nose scrunching up and laughing gently when I pull away.
"Time to get up babe, I made you breakfast." I add, watching Alyssa sit up with a small yawn. She stares at me for a moment before blinking.
"Thank you."
"Of course." I grin, thinking she was talking about the breakfast.
"No, well, yes thank you for the breakfast but thank you." She emphasizes the last words, continuing when she sees me tilt my head in confusion. "For last night. I know my anxiety isn't the... easiest thing tohandle, and it was so early in the morning too and I- What?" She blinks when she stops, asking the question looking at my expression.
"You act like I care about any of that. I'm your girlfriend, helping you out during times like that is the least I can do. Easy or not, I knew you had bad anxiety and attacks when I fell for you." I kiss her nose again, "And I love you and everything about you, that included."
She grins back before yawning slightly again, I laugh moving off the bed.
"Wake yourself up a bit, the food will be waiting for you when you're out."
"Thank you!" She says again, already moving to go to her bathroom, wash her face and brush her teeth.
"Be careful with your arm too!"
"Yes mom!" I let out a grin as I exit her room, the playful sarcastic remark making me laugh. Yeah my girl was back.