Jay's POV:

I was standing in the middle of the lounge, my shoulders tense and my jaw clenched. I still got my holster on, the weight of my gun reminding me that I'm on duty. I'm clearly agitated and on edge, my eyes darting around the room as if I'm waiting for something to happen.

Hailey's POV:

As I unlock the door to the apartment, I can sense that something's off. Jay's home already, and I can tell by the way he's standing in the middle of the lounge with his shoulders tense and jaw clenched. He still has his holster on, which tells me he's on edge. As I step into the apartment and see him, I can't help but feel a pang of concern.

I slowly walk towards him, my eyes taking in his tense posture and the way he's gripping the edge of the couch.

"Hey," I say softly, hoping not to startle him. "You okay?"

Jay's POV:

As I hear her voice, I'm snapped out of my thoughts. I turn to see her walking towards me, concern etched on her face. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

Unconsciously, I reach for my holster, my hand gripping it tightly as if ready for a fight.

Hailey's POV:

I watch as Jay moves to his holster, his hand gripping it tightly. My stomach twists with worry, knowing that he's on edge and ready for a fight.

I slowly step closer to him, trying to stay calm and assess the situation.

"Hey," I say softly, putting a hand on his chest. "It's just me."

Jay's chest rises and falls rapidly as he tries to calm his breathing. He looks at me, recognizing me immediately, and his grip on the holster loosens.

"Hailey," he says, his voice gruff. "I didn't expect you home this early."

I can feel the tension in his chest slowly relax as he recognizes me. I can see the stress and exhaustion etched on his face.

I give him a small smile, trying to reassure him. "Yeah, I finished up early."

I gently take his hand and lead him to the couch, making him sit down.

Jay lets me lead him to the couch, his body still tense and on edge. He sits down, his shoulders slumped and his head in his hands.

I sit down next to him, placing a hand on his back. I rub slow, soothing circles, trying to calm him down.

Jay's POV:

The gentle shushes reach my ears, breaking me out of my thoughts for a moment. It's a soothing sound, familiar and gentle.

I lift my head from my hands and look up to see Hailey sitting next to me, her hand rubbing slow circles on my back.

Hailey's POV:

I keep rubbing my hand on his back, trying to soothe him. His shoulders are still tense, and I can feel the stress rolling off of him in waves. I keep shushing him gently, hoping to calm him down even slightly.

Jay's body slowly starts to relax under my touch. He takes a deep breath and looks up at me, his eyes weary and strained.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice hoarse. "I just had a rough case today."

I give him a soft smile, still rubbing his back. "It's okay. I get it."

I move closer to him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. He buries his face in my shoulder, and I can feel his body trembling slightly.

Jay melts into my embrace, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close. He takes a deep breath, inhaling my scent, and feels some of the tension leave his body.

He lets out a shaky sigh, his voice muffled against my shoulder. "Just a shitty day, you know?"

I nod, running my fingers through his hair in a soothing motion. "Yeah, I get it. But you're home now. You can relax."

Jay's POV:

As Hailey runs her fingers through my hair, I feel my body relax even more.

I take another deep breath and pull away from her just enough so I can look at her. Her eyes are full of understanding and concern, and I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. She always knows how to comfort me, no matter how crappy my day was.

I give her a small smile, my shoulders relaxing further.

"You're always the one that can calm me down," I say, my voice still a little rough.

Hailey grins, her hands still holding onto me. "That's what I'm here for, you know."

She gives me a gentle squeeze and a soft smile. "Just lean on me, okay? I've got you."

Jay's POV:

I nod, my heart swelling with affection for her. I lean back on the couch, pulling her closer to me. She snuggles up against my side, her head resting on my chest. I can feel her warmth against me, and it grounds me.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day slowly lifting off my shoulders.

~ Jay's second trigger ~

I'm sitting on the couch in the late evening, watching a war movie that I'd seen a million times. The explosions and gunfire on screen were bringing back memories I'd rather forget.

My finger was idly tracing the edge of the remote control, my subconscious mind tricking me into thinking it was a trigger. My palms started to sweat, and my heart rate started to increase. I took a sharp intake of breath and tried to focus on the movie in front of me, but the memories kept playing in my head like a broken record.

I could feel my muscles tensing, my body going into fight or flight mode as the memories of the war flashed through my mind. I started to tap my foot anxiously, my finger still tracing the edge of the remote as if it was the trigger of a gun.

Hailey's POV:

As I walk into the living room, I immediately notice something off about Jay. He's lounging on the couch, his eyes glued to the TV, but his body language tells me he's anything but relaxed.

His leg is tapping anxiously, and his hand is gripping the remote as if it was a lifeline. I'm immediately worried, and I quickly walk over to him.

I quietly sit next to him and rest a hand on his thigh. He jumps at my touch, startled, but quickly relaxes when he realizes it's me.

I can feel the tension through his body, and I can tell he's on edge. I look at the TV screen and see that he's watching a war movie, and I suddenly understand what's going on.

I reach for the remote and pause the movie. "Are you okay?" I ask softly, not wanting to startle him again.

Jay's eyes are glued to the TV, but I can tell he's not really watching it. He's in a trance, his mind stuck on whatever flashback is playing in his head.

I reach for the remote and turn off the TV, but he doesn't even seem to notice. His eyes are wide and unfocused, and his body is tense.

I place a hand on his arm, gently shaking him. "Jay?" I call to him softly. "Can you hear me?"

As the TV abruptly shuts off, I snap out of my trance and look over to see Hailey sitting next to me, her hand on my arm. I blink a few times, trying to focus on her.

As I crouch down in front of him, I gently take his hands in my own. They're shaking slightly, and I can feel the tension in his body. I hold onto his hands, trying to keep him grounded in the present.

I look up at him, meeting his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. You're here, you're safe." I try to reassure him, running my thumbs over the back of his hands.

As I reassure him, I can see his body tense even more, and his breathing quickens. His eyes widen, and suddenly, tears start to stream down his face like waterfalls.

Jay's POV:

The moment Hailey says "you're here, you're safe," something inside me snaps. The dam holding back my emotions breaks, and a wave of tears cascades down my face. I struggle to catch my breath, gasping for air as the tears fall like rivers down my cheeks.

Hailey's POV:

As Jay starts to sob, I gently lower him onto the couch, carefully guiding him into a lying position. I sit down next to him, still holding his hands in mine. I rub my thumbs over the back of his hands, trying to soothe him as he cries.

I keep talking to him, my voice soft and soothing. "It's okay, let it out. I'm right here, I've got you." I bring his hands up to my chest, placing them over my heart so he can feel the steady beat.

His breathing slowly starts to slow down, and his sobs turn into shudders as he struggles to control his tears. I keep talking to him, reminding him that he's safe and that I'm here with him.

I reach up with one hand and gently brush away some of the tears on his face, my touch tender and caring. I keep holding his hands, intertwining our fingers together as I stroke the back of his hands with my thumb.

His sobs slowly subside, and he looks at me with red-rimmed eyes. I give him a small smile, just happy that he's starting to relax and calming down a bit.

I move closer to him, bringing my free hand up to run my fingers through his hair. "You're okay," I say softly, still holding onto his hands. "Just take some deep breaths. I'm right here with you."

His body starts to relax even more as I run my fingers through his hair and keep my hold on his hands. He takes deep, shaky breaths, trying to steady himself.

As Jay's body continues to relax, I scoot closer to him on the couch. I slowly guide his head into my lap, letting him rest against me. I run my fingers through his hair, continuing to soothe him as he takes deep breaths.

I look down at him and gently say, "Maybe it's time for you to have a little nap."

His eyes start to flutter shut, his body finally exhausted from the emotional release. He lets out a sigh, and his grip on my hands loosens slightly as he starts to doze off.

I continue to brush my fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp and hoping that he'll be able to find some rest. I keep my other hand firmly holding his, letting him know that I'm still here with him, even as he drifts off to sleep. And eventually, he fully relaxes and falls asleep in my lap.

Jay's POV:

I slowly open my eyes, groggily becoming aware of my surroundings. I'm in bed, and it takes me a second to realize that I must have been moved from the couch into the bedroom. I look down and see that I'm tangled up with Hailey, our limbs intertwined underneath the covers.

As I feel her gentle massaging on my shoulder, I slowly turn my head to look at her. Her eyes are closed, and she looks like she's fast asleep.

I watch her, still a little dazed and disoriented from just waking up. I'm amazed at how she's still taking care of me, even in her sleep. I slowly turn my body so that I'm facing her, careful not to disturb her. I prop myself up on one elbow, just watching her for a moment, taking in her warmth.

I reach out my free hand and gently brush a strand of hair away from her face. I can't help but smile at how peaceful she looks. I'm suddenly struck by how much I love her, and how lucky I am to have her in my life. She's my rock, my best friend, and the one person who always has my back, no matter what.

Hailey's POV:

As I feel the bed move slightly, I slowly wake up. My eyes slowly flutter open, and I realize that Jay's propped himself up on one elbow, watching me. I give him a small smile, still half-asleep.

I roll onto my back and stretch, groggily taking in my surroundings. I notice that we're both tangled up together in bed, and I can feel Jay's eyes on me. I turn my head to look at him, meeting his gaze.

I reach out a hand and gently touch his cheek, my fingers tracing his jawline. "Hey," I say softly, my voice still hoarse with sleep.

He smiles at me, his eyes full of love and tenderness. "Hey," he whispers back, his voice just as quiet.

I sit up a little, propping myself up on the pillows. I reach out and touch his shoulder, gently massaging the muscles there. "How are you feeling?"

He lets out a contented sigh and leans into my touch.

"Better," he responds, his muscles relaxing under my fingers. "Thanks to you."

I know from experience that Jay often gets headaches and fevers after a PTSD episode. His body is so exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster that it triggers these physical reactions. I gently continue rubbing his shoulder and ask.

"Headache setting in yet?"

He nods slightly, grimacing a little as he does. "Just a little," he murmurs, his eyes drooping slightly. "And the fever, too. I can feel the chills coming on."

I nod in understanding. I've seen him go through this before, and I know what to expect. I lean in a bit closer to him. "I'll go get you some pain meds and a warm flannel for your forehead," I whisper, gently disentangling myself from him so I can get out of bed.

He nods again, already looking tired. "Thanks, Hail," he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper.

I give him a soft smile and get out of bed. I head to the bathroom and grab a bottle of painkillers and a flannel, dampening the cloth under some lukewarm water. I then head back to the bedroom and find Jay sitting up in bed, rubbing his temples.

I walk over to him and sit down next to him, holding out the painkillers and the flannel. "Here you go," I say softly, handing him the painkillers first.

He takes the painkillers and swallows them with a few sips from the water bottle on his nightstand. Then he leans back against the pillows and accepts the flannel from me. He places it on his forehead, sighing at the soothing coolness against his hot skin.

As I watch him, I notice that he's starting to let out these small, scared whimpers, almost like he's fighting against a nightmare. It breaks my heart to see him in this state, and I gently lay a hand on his chest, trying to soothe him.

He flinches a little at my touch, but then he relaxes again, his eyes still closed. I sit down beside him, still holding the flannel on his forehead, and gently rub his chest, hoping to give him some comfort.

I lean in a little closer, speaking softly to him. "Hey, you're okay," I murmur gently. "You're safe. You're here with me."

I gently pull Jay closer to me, wrapping my arms around him and guiding his head to rest against my chest. I hold him tight, gently stroking his hair and whispering soothing words to him.

He clings to me, his body tense but slowly relaxing into my embrace. I keep talking to him, telling him that he's safe and that I'm here with him. I can feel the heat radiating off his skin, and I know the fever has set in.

I grab the warm flannel from his forehead and gently re-wet it with some cool water, then place it back on his forehead, hoping it'll bring some relief to the headache and fever.

I hold him, rubbing soothing circles on his back and hoping that he'll be able to find some comfort in my embrace. I know it's going to be a tough night, and I'll be here with him through it all.

This is going to be a book about how Hailey comforts Jay through his PTSD and Army Background!