𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗢𝗻𝗲

𑁍𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼~𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆𑁍

TW~Social anxiety and panic attack.

Y/N's POV

I clutched tightly onto Matt's hand as we wandered through the Halloween section of the mall, browsing through costumes and decorations with his brothers, Chris and Nick. The excitement in the air was palpable, but underneath it all, I could feel the familiar tendrils of anxiety creeping up on me.

Matt had always been my rock when it came to my social anxiety. He understood me like no one else did, and he knew just how to calm me down when I felt overwhelmed. But even with him by my side, the crowded mall was starting to feel suffocating.

As we made our way through the aisles, a group of fans spotted the Triplets and started clamoring for autographs and pictures. Matt and his brothers were more than happy to oblige, but in the chaos of the crowd, I lost sight of them. Panic started to rise in my chest as I frantically looked around, searching for their familiar faces. I felt like I was shouting their names, but no sound came from my mouth, which made to panic even more.

I felt like I couldn't breathe, like the walls of the mall were closing in on me. I knew I had to get out, to find some space to calm down. Without a second thought, I turned and made my way towards the exit, trying to block out the noise and the people around me.

I finally burst out of the mall and stumbled towards the car, my heart racing and my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. I fumbled with the keys, my hands shaking uncontrollably, and tears blurring my vision as I unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing, but it felt impossible without Matt by my side. I reached for my phone, my hands trembling as I dialed his number, hoping against hope that he would pick up.

Matt's POV

Loads of fans surrounded us, as I lost Y/N, I hope she's okay, I know her social anxiety can get really bad, but I tried to push through it.

The fans just seemed to keep swarming us though, and in between pictures I would try and see if I could spot Y/N in the mix of everyone, but to my disappointment, she was there.

"Guys, Where's Y/N?" I asked Nick and Chris, as they also tried to look for her. I knew her anxiety would be at the worse point right now, so she must of gone to the car or something.

"Hey guys, thank you so much for coming, and you've all been great, but we do have stuff that we need to do, so we are going to leave now, but thanks again everyone, have a great day." Nick said, as he saw my distress of trying to find Y/N.

As the crowds died down, it was just me and my brothers left, and theyn, my phone started to buzz. It was Y/N.

"Guys, it's Y/N... "Hey bubs, what's wrong? Where'd you go?"

Y/N's POV

"Hey, bubs, what's wrong? Where'd you go?" Matt's voice was a beacon of light in the darkness, grounding me in reality.

"I-I-I lost you guys in the crowd," I managed to stutter out, tears welling up in my eyes. "I can't... I can't handle... so many people."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Matt's voice was soothing and gentle, like a warm blanket wrapped around me. "Just breathe, bubs. You're going to be okay. I'm on my way back to the car, okay? Just focus on breathing with me. In... out... in... out..."

I closed my eyes and tried to follow his lead, focusing on the rise and fall of my chest as I struggled to find some semblance of calm. With each breath, I felt a little bit of the tightness in my chest start to loosen.

I heard the rumble of footsteps approaching the car, and then the door opened, bathing me in warm, familiar light. Matt's face appeared in the doorway, a look of concern etched on his features as he reached out and took me into his arms, holding my head to his chest, as he kissed the top of my head.

"I've got you, bub," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I'm here now. You're safe."

I clung to him like a lifeline, feeling the weight of the world lift off my shoulders in his embrace. Chris and Nick climbed into the car, concern written all over their faces as they exchanged looks with Matt.

"Let's get you home, alright?" Nick's voice was filled with sympathy as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, the familiar hum of the engine soothing in its familiarity.

As we drove home, Matt held me close, whispering sweet words of comfort in my ear as I tried to focus on the rhythmic beat of his heart against mine. The panic attack had passed, leaving me drained, tired and ready to sleep. Matt noticed my tiredness, and put my head on his shoulder.

"Go to sleep bubs, I'm here, I'll carry you in, okay?" Matt spoke, his voice calm, like a small wave in the middle of a tempest. So, I nodded, and slowly fell asleep on Matt's shoulder.

When we finally arrived home, Matt took me to bed, tucking me in with gentle hands and pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead.

"I love you, bubs," he murmured, his voice a balm to my frayed nerves. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."