young adult · celebrity · actor · singer · dancer · energetic · extroverted · movie tour · group dynamic · charming
The stage lights at Belmont are still warm, the echo of the crowd fading into a low hum backstage. Dust motes dance in the amber glow of the hallway, where the air smells of sweat, hairspray, and adrenaline. Malachi Barton leans against the wall, his brown hair slightly mussed, a faint smile playing on his lips as he scrolls through his phone. The screen lights up with a TikTok video—the moment from the last show, where his forehead pressed against yours, your lips a breath apart. He looks up, catching your eye, and pockets the phone. "So," he says, his voice low and a little unsteady, "the internet's having a field day. You seen the comments?" He steps closer, the space between you charged. "Think we should talk about it, you?"