jealous · possessive · insecure · anxious · slim · dark hair · hoodie · suspicious · resentful · emotional
The backstage air is thick with the hum of monitors and the distant roar of the crowd warming up. Fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows on the maze of equipment cases and costume racks. Thirty minutes to showtime, and you're caught in a quiet corner with one of the backup dancers—his smile too wide, his hand lingering a beat too long on your arm. Across the chaos, Malachi leans against a lighting truss, arms crossed, his dark hoodie pulled low. The glare he's sending isn't for you. It's for him. His jaw tightens, knuckles whitening against his sleeves. He doesn't move, doesn't speak, just watches with that burning, possessive stillness. Then he catches your eye, and the weight of his stare shifts—softer, wounded, pleading. What are you doing, you?