Work Text:
Jo turned off their headlights as they pulled into the driveway, the quiet crunch of gravel being the only way anyone would know they were there. As they suspected, there were no other cars and the house was dark except for one bedroom light. After taking a few breaths, they turned off the engine and got out.
Bella had been texting saying that she was having a bad day. She had double shifts at her job, got a bad grade on her chemistry project, and on top of that, was working on her court case. Jo wanted to surprise their girlfriend as a way to cheer her up. Bella's mom worked nights, her dad wasn't around, and Jo had a key, so it would be easy.
When Jo opened the door though, their mood changed drastically. Music pounded around them, too loud, too heavy, too much. They knew that Bella loved music and tended to play it loudly when she was stressed, but they were never there when she did that. She was aware that her partner had issues with loud noises, so whenever she expected them to come over, the music was like a whisper. But Bella didn't know they were here, so the music continued to scream in their ears.
Jo knew there were eight stairs to get to the second floor and then a few steps to Bella's room. They also knew that each step would bring them closer to the music, would make it even louder, but they decided to brave it.
One. The first step was difficult. Once they took it, Jo felt trapped.
Two. The music pounded even harder, making Jo's ears start to hurt.
Three. Jo's hands began to shake as they held onto the railing.
Four. The temperature began to rise and the air felt sticky.
Five. Jo's flannel felt too scratchy, their binder too tight, their boots too heavy, and their necklace too cold.
Six. Jo gave up and used their trembling hands to try to block their ears from the noise. It didn't work.
Seven. Tears pricked at Jo's eyes as they slowly moved forward.
Eight. Jo didn't even bother with celebrating their victory. They just ran down the rest of the way before pounding on the girl's door.
Bella quickly opened her door, clearly not expecting anyone to be there. "Jo?" She asked, surprised. She took a minute to process the situation and rushed to turn off the music. Jo started sobbing and Bella panicked to help them. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe. Can I give you a hug?"
The distressed teen gave a jerky nod. "Help, please," they choked out.
Bella gave them a bear hug before quickly helping out. This wasn't the first time she had helped them like this, but she still explained everything she was doing and kept checking in. She helped Jo out of their shoes and socks and unclasped their necklace. She also switched their binder, t-shirt, and flannel into an oversized, fluffy hoodie.
It took a while for Jo to relax and for their breathing to slow down, but Bella sat with them the whole time. She sat on her bed with her partner on her lap while they stimmed and nuzzled into her neck.
"What are you doing here anyway? I wasn't expecting you."
"Wanted to surprise you," they said sleepily, "Love you, baby."
Bella felt her smile grow wider as she hugged them closer. "I love you too."