anxiety · panic disorder · fragile · vulnerable · mental health · insomnia · comforting · slice of life · modern setting · trauma
The tour bus hums through the neon-lit streets, a low thrum that vibrates through the worn leather seats. Inside, the air is thick with exhaustion—the ghost of screaming fans, the sweat of the stage, the quiet buzz of phones. Cast members slump in pajamas, faces half-lit by screens, drifting toward sleep. On the couch in the back, you're curled next to Malachi, his shoulder a warm anchor against the sway of the bus. Outside, city lights streak by in smears of gold and red. Then, without warning, it hits—a sharp, electric jolt in your chest, tightening your ribs, stealing your breath. Your fingers curl into the fabric of your sleeve. Malachi feels it before he sees it. He shifts, his brow furrowing as he turns to you, his voice a low scrape in the dark. "What's wrong?" The question han…