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"Babe? You okay?" your husband Damon said when he walked in the door. Sometimes the anxiety was unstoppable - you've lived with it for what felt like your entire life, and this was one of your bad days. You didn't know it, though, until tears started slipping down your face because you couldn't find the earrings you wanted to wear today. He took one look at you on the couch in the Salvatore living room, curled into a ball, picking at your skin. Your chest felt like it was on fire, and your hands were shaking.
"It's fine, I just... I think I lost something," you manage to blurt out. Damon put down a shopping bag and raced over to you, shrugging the leather jacket off of his shoulders in the process and revealing a soft black t-shirt underneath - one of your favorites to steal. He crouched down to the floor to get at eye level with you, taking both of your hands in his, rubbing the top of your fingers soothingly.
"What is it? Can I help look for it?" He looked so concerned that it almost made you feel worse. You squeezed your eyes shut, embarrassed to look at him, embarrassed that you were feeling anxious over something this small. "Baby...please talk to me," Damon said softly. You opened your eyes and a few tears fell down. Damon wiped them off with feather-light touches of his thumb, and kissed you on the nose. You would've giggled at how tender he was, if you weren't somewhere else completely in your mind.
"It's just these earrings. They're these big pearls my mom gave me, and I can't find them, and I'm exhausted from my run earlier, and none of my friends texted back to the tiktok I sent in the groupchat..." you began to ramble, and Damon nodded his head, listening intently, still holding your hands. "I feel like I'm going crazy, I really do." You started hyperventilating, shoulders raising up and down, eyes bulging out. Your heart was racing as you felt the crest of your anxiety attack come on. You put your head to your knees and Damon's large hands found your back, rubbing large circles.
"Come here," he said, lovingly but sternly, as he kicked off his boots and joined you on the couch, sitting behind you and pulling your back to his chest. This wasn't the first time you'd had an anxiety attack in front of him, of course, and he knew how to take care of you. He wrapped both of his arms around you and squeezed you in extra tight. You had told him once that it made you feel safe. "Breathe with me," he said, and took exaggerated, deep breaths for you to follow.
"I can't," you choked out. Damon could hear your heart racing with his heightened senses, and kept breathing slowly, placing chaste kisses to the backs of your shoulders. "You can, baby," he said, burying his face into the back of your neck and closing you in between his thighs. "You're okay. I'm here. I've got you." He wanted to make you feel surrounded by love - because you were, whenever you were with him.
"Good girl," he said softly as you finally started to get ahold of your breath. "I'm so proud of you." He adjusted the two of you so you were laying down on the couch.
"Thank you," you said through ragged breath, turning to rest your face on his chest. He kissed the top of your hair without thinking about it. "I'm sorry."
"Now, what do I say about apologizing to me?" he said snarkily, and you smiled a bit.
"To not apologize for getting sick," you replied. Damon knew that your panic attacks were just a symptom of the chronic anxiety that had plagued you your entire life.
"It's not your fault, and it never will be," he said in a serious tone. He looked deep into your eyes, examining yours for a sign of distress. "Being sick... will never be your fault." His words were underscored by anger - anger with the universe that you were in pain and there was nothing he could do to take it away forever. "Got it?"
"Okay," you sniffled, and Damon gave you a squeeze.
"I'm going to tear apart this entire house until I find those earrings for you, you know that, right?" You laughed.
"Really?"
"Really." He smiled. "But right now, I just want to hold my girl." You fell asleep against his chest, knowing you were loved beyond words.