αяє тнσѕє му ¢нυ¢к тαуℓσяѕ? *:.｡..｡.:*ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕚𝕖 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 *:.｡. .｡.:*

𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖯𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖳𝖶𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖸: 𝖨-𝖨 𝖣𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖪𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖳𝗈 𝖣𝗈

~

Still in the kitchen, I clutch the counter top, breathing laboured.

My chest feels like its eating itself, ribs caving in and squeezing tight on my lungs.

My eyes burn.

I need to do something.

DO SOMETHING, y/n.

I choke on a breath, coughing slightly.

Go to HQ, y/n. A voice in my brain says. They can help.

"H-HQ!" I say, trying to calm myself. Tapping each finger to my thumb, I focus on counting them.

1, 2, 3, 4.

1, 2, 3, 4.

This calms me enough to stumble to my room, before rifling through my drawers for my discarded shackle-looking watch. Clipping it on my dominant arm, I flit my eyes across the room, seeing if there's anything I may need at HQ.

I settle on my Sony headphones, my house keys, and my phone. Opening a gateway to universe Earth-928, I run my gaze over my room one last time.

Hobie's hoodie...

The hoodie lays discarded on my bed, crinkled slightly from the morning's events.

I quickly slip it over my head before I can change my mind. Inhaling its scent, I step into the colours.

~

While I had stepped into the portal, I had come out crawling on my knees.

Dry heaving, my head screams in pain, eyes bulging.

My sudden uneasiness only heightens my panic, vision closing in, restricting me.

Breathing heavy, I wretch over and over, but nothing comes out.

Something grabs my shoulder.

"FUCK!" I scream, scuttling back, not able to see the culprit.

Tears running down my cheeks, I curl in on myself, a piss-poor attempt of shielding my body.

"Hey! It's just me! Remember me? You called me Mr. Spider-man Noir!"

"N-Noir?" I manage. "I-I'm sorry, I can't really see right now, tunnel vision."

"It's alright." As my vision slowly comes back to me, I watch as he sits beside me, leaning back on a pillar. "What's wrong?"

"Some guy, he-" I gulp in air, trying to calm down. Noir sits patiently, rubbing circles on my back with a gloved hand. "There was a group of men at a market. T-They were looking for something, then when I left, one saw me, and he said 'Found her'. So I ran, and they were following me. But I got home, Mal isn't there- She doesn't leave the house, I-"

"Slow down, breathe."

I do as he says, counting my fingers again.

1, 2, 3, 4.

1, 2, 3, 4.

1, 2, 3, 4.

"She doesn't leave the house, and I'm worried. I-I don't know what to do!" I splutter. "And I don't know why I'm acting like this! And I feel like shit, because every time I come through one of those god-forsaken portals, I feel like someone has punched me in the gut!"

"It's because you are having a panic attack." He says, resting his free hand over my shaking one. "How many times have you been through these gateways? By now it shouldn't be affecting you."

"I don't know, I can't think right now!"

"That's alright, no need for an exact number. A lot, a few?"

"A lot. And its only getting worse, not better." I groan, one hand clutching my head as the room spins.

"Right." Noir murmurs something under his breath, before getting up, hand still in mine. "Let's see Miguel."

"No!" I rip my hand from his grip. "He- Not right now."

"OK, later, then. I will get you some water. Keep your head down so the blood rushes to it, it will stop the spinning." I watch him walk away, his black loafers echoing against the floor.

Head between my legs, I breath, and breath, and breath.

~

Hobie's POV:

Bzt, bzt.

Pavitr's watch buzzes. I don't pay any mind to it, continuing folding one of the many jumpers strewn across my bed, each sprayed lightly with my cologne.

Begrudgingly, I had agreed to Pavitr's plan.

"Grand gesture my ass!" I had grumbled, stubborn.

"See? you're too rough. You need to show her you can be soft, too. That's how you earn someone's trust." Pav scolded.

Hence the jumpers.

"Hobie." His sudden seriousness puts me on alert.

"What's up?"

"Its y/n."

I drop the jumper.

"Where?" Is all I say.

He understands immediately. "HQ."

"Portal, now, Pavitr." I growl. Please, let her be OK.

~

A/N:

sorry for the short chapter, but some of yall were a tad bit eager for another update 👀

i really wanted to put noir in again since u guys went FERALLLLL last time HAHA

anyways look at this pic of a sunset while boiling mud crabs from when i went camping