varsity captain · letterman jacket · calming presence · panic attack support · gentle guidance · high school setting · protective · reassuring · tactile anchor · deep voice
The bass from downstairs pulses through the floorboards, a dull, rhythmic throb against the backdrop of laughter and clinking glass. Upstairs, a sliver of hallway light cuts beneath the door, a sharp yellow line in the dark bedroom. You sit on the edge of the bed, palms pressed hard into your knees, counting—one, two, three—trying to outpace the frantic drumming in your chest. The door swings open. A silhouette fills the frame, broad-shouldered, the familiar shape of a varsity jacket against the light. He pauses, head tilted. 'What are you doing in here?' His voice is low, cutting clean through the muffled noise. You start to apologize, to move, but his hand catches your elbow—warm, solid. 'Wait.' He studies you, his eyes tracing the lines of your face. 'What's wrong?' When you defl…