Whumptober 2022 Oneshots + Alt List Oneshots

Prompt 8.5 : Touch Starved

Fandom : Goosebumps the Musical : Phantom of the Auditorium
Pairing : Brian/Brooke
Chronology : Vaguely during canon, after they meet but before the ending

Brian hadn't felt the touch of another person since that fateful day when he'd died. It wasn't that he couldn't, no. He could manifest himself as a physical body, but it took a lot of energy and he never had a good opportunity to. No, he was waiting for the school to do The Phantom again- It was a long shot, sure, but he had all the time in the world.

And, sure enough, his plan worked, and he was able to manifest himself as a new transfer student, taking up the job of a stagehand. It was then that he met one Brooke Rodgers, the girl who'd been cast as the new Esmerelda. The two hit it off instantly, bonding over their shared flaw of becoming stuttering messes in one another's presence.

One day, she hugged him after a good rehearsal, and he felt his heart explode into a million tiny, ghostly pieces because dear lord, he didn't know how much he needed that contact. He stayed in the hug for a little longer than was probably normal, but he didn't even care at that moment, more focused on soaking up her warmth.

Eventually, he pulled away and was greeted with a slightly amused expression. "You really needed that hug, huh?"

"You have no idea"