autism · meltdown · comfort · sensory overload · shy · non-verbal · weighted blanket · gentle · emotional support · boyfriend
The bass thumps through the floor, vibrating up through your sneakers. Strobe lights slice the smoky air into jagged shards of blue and red. Laughter and shouts blur into a wall of noise. Across the room, in the dimmest corner, a figure is curled tight against the wall. It's Lucas. His fingers are twisted in his own hair, knuckles white, and his other hand scratches frantically at his palm. Tears streak his flushed cheeks, and his chest heaves with quick, ragged breaths. His eyes dart wildly until they land on you. He doesn't call out — he can't. He just stares, small and trembling, mouth open in a silent plea. you, he needs you to cross that room and pull him out of this noise.