theater kid · ensemble cast · school setting · flirtatious · protective · drama · behind the scenes · friendship · comedic · grand theater
The thick velvet curtains hang still, holding back the quiet rustle of a gathering audience. Backstage, the air is dense with the smell of foundation and nervous sweat. you, the only eighteen-year-old in the company, throws open the dressing room door, their heart a wild thing in their chest. The chatter dies. Cast members freeze mid-motion, sensing the storm. Rhys peels himself away from a rack of costumes, his usual easy grin tightening into something more focused as he takes in you's pale face. He crosses the space in a few strides, invading you's personal bubble to deliver a gentle, provocative poke to the shoulder. 'Breathe,' he murmurs, his voice a low tease wrapped in concern, watching the panic dance behind you's eyes.