Claustrophobia

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He doesn't remember what the fight is about, but he knows it's petty. Something stupid that they both blew out of proportion. Probably to do with all the furniture they'd been putting together for the past 7 hours.

"Do you ever just shut up!?" Taylor yells, bringing a hand up to the bridge of her nose.

Joe folded his arms, "Do you ever stop saying stupid shit!?" he mocked, getting into Taylor's face with an angry step forward. this would prove to be a mistake, as the second he was close enough to Taylor, the she brought her arms forward to Joe's chest, and push him back, just hard enough to get some space in between each other.

Caught of guard by the sudden action, Joe found himself stumbling backwards, one heel hitting the edge of a box of screws as he failed to gain his footing and ended up flat on his ass inside one of the many closet's. Screws rolled and fell around him with harsh clanging sounds.

Before he could jump up, and throw himself onto Taylor in retaliation, Taylor gripped the edge of the doorframe, growling out a harsh, "I'll get the stupid materials myself!" before promptly slamming the door with all her might, cutting off Joe's harsh 'wait' midway through.

Unluckily for him it as ironically one of their house's "panic closets" incase of intruders so it was 90 percent soundproof. The white noise from the house disappears with the closing of the door, and all Joe can hear is his own breathing.

It takes him a few moments of shocked, deathly silence, before he shakily forces himself to his feet and grabs at the doorhandle.

He jiggles it once, then twice, but it doesn't open. That's not good.

"Fuck." Joe breathes, dread clawing into his throat. He pulls at the handle harder, more desperately, but it doesn't budge. "Taylor?" Joe calls, A short harsh laugh escaping his throat, "Okay, I get it haha, I'll shut up just let me out?"

There's not reply, Joe presses his ear against the frame of the door, straining to hear anything. His throat convulses painful, every breath feels more difficult than the last. "Taylor?!" He tries, hitting the door with a balled fist. "Taylor this isn't funny okay!?"

Finally he heard a faint voice from the outside "Joe, come out. Don't lock the door on me."

Joe heart sinks when he realizes that the electrical lock must've malfunctioned, she must have accidentally locked the door and left him alone in a literal closet that doesn't have enough air. His eyes flickers around the room for something to help open the door, but there's noting but a few boxes of nuts and bolts.

He hits the door with a tightly balled fist.

"Hey! The door is locked I-I can't get out, hey Taylor!?" It's like he's back in the airlock, if he didn't get out he felt like he would die, throw into space, he felt like the lack of oxygen would kill him even though the chances of that were slim to none.

" I'm trying! It won't budge and the code isn't working."

"Jokes over!" The rapid beating of his heart, that he could feel in his throat, would kill him. "The door won't open!"

Silence.

"I can't get out!"

blood roars in his ears.

"TAYLOR?!" Joe howls, his voice cracking on a choked sob. "P-Please!"

Pressed for options, Joe pulls back and slams his shoulder into the door, but it doesn't budge, he tries again, harder and the the impact hurts, throws Joe into the wall in the back, which is barely even a few feet away from the entrance.

" Are you alright! Try the keypad Joe."

Silence

" I can't hear you baby please."

"shit, shit!" Joe manages to get out shakily, despite the way his throat tightens around the words. Tears roll freely down his cheeks as he searches wide eyed, and terrified for anything that might get the door open. Joe presses his hands to either side of the wall in some attempt to keep himself upright through shaking legs and the dancing black spots that fog his vision.

Joe feels nausea welling up and he has to let himself fall, he collapses against the wall, making himself smaller, by curling against himself in an attempt to somehow make the room bigger.

He can hear Taylor trying and failing new pin code options every few seconds.

He knows he's on the verge of passing out, he's not even breathing anymore, just gasping and choking over himself, his vision is a tiny pinhole he fight the urge to vomit all over his clothes, by pressing his hands to either side of his head, and then a loud beep and whirring sounds and the door swings open, light and fresh air rushes into the tiny box of a room.

"Joe- oh my god."

He whips his head up to see Taylor standing in the door frame, wide eyes, mouth hanging open. "Hey-" Joe wastes no time, he forces himself to his feet and brushes past Taylor, who's too shocked to do anything but move aside.

Joe swallows air in big gasping breaths, making a b-line for the hall.

When he get's there he collapses, not able to make his jelly legs go any further, Joe tries to take in the air around him, but it's simply not working. He rasps and chokes, looking for something to ground him but there's nothing to grab onto, so he settles for pressing a palm against the cool flooring.

He puts the other to his mouth, in an attempt to quell the sobs and tears that he can't seem to stop.

Taylor finally catches up, she comes and squats next to him, putting a hand on Joe's back. "What happened?"

Joe waves him off, he can't talk.

"Joe?" Joe doesn't meet her  eyes, "Joe!"

he feels Taylor's warm hands on either side of his face, they softly tip his face up, "Hey, You have to breath okay."

Joe shakes his head the best he can in Taylor's grip, "C-can't"

Taylor's eyebrows pinch together, "yes you can, come on. Look, look I'll breath with you!" maybe it's the panic in Taylor's voice that get's to him. He tries his best to follow the her lead as she counts and breath's and eventually, with the thought that it's for Taylor, Joe manages to take a full inhale. And then a full exhale.

He's completely exhausted. "I'm sorry." is the first thing he says, Taylor looks like she'd just been punched in the gut.

"No no, I'm the one who should be sorry!" Taylor says hurriedly,

Taylor's eyes are watery with stress and frustrated worry by the time Joe finally calms down, his voice is strained as Joe leans forward into her chest, adjusting the both of them so they're against the wall together, Taylor brushes aside Joe's silent tears with his thumbs. "I had no idea you were claustrophobic," She asks questioningly not knowing if she was right, but figures she is when he slightly nods.

"But even if you weren't that was too far. I'll make sure security fixes that"

Joe laughs, grabs at the fabric of Taylor's shirt, "It's okay. It's not like I was blameless."

"But-"

"You didn't know I'd freak out okay, I'm not going to hold it against you." Taylor made a noise in the back of her throat, quelling protest.

"I'm sorry." her said again.

"I know. I'm sorry too."

They sat there for a few minutes until they had both calmed down enough to walk back to their bedroom and leave the half made furniture to finish another day.

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My homecoming (a school dance) is happening and I'm so excited guyss!!!

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