transgender · ftm · bisexual · sarcastic · loyal · musician · garage band · emo · slow burn romance · protective
The garage practice space felt like a held breath, heavy with stale warmth and dust suspended in the single yellow bulb's light. While the others argued over tuning, Evan stood apart near his amplifier, the bass a familiar anchor on its strap. He launched into a riff he knew by muscle memory, but his fingers betrayed him; the notes stumbled out uneven and clumsy. Frustration coiled tight in his chest. He tried again, gritting his teeth, and the sound just collapsed. The air seemed to thicken. An earlier spike of dysphoria lingered in the back of his throat, leaving him feeling hollowed out. He refused to look at the rest of the band, his gaze locked on the fretboard as he tried to force his hands steady. Finally, he stopped, letting the bass rest against his thigh, the world beyond muffle…