oak trees // misfits

p a n i c

ship: kradio
kryoz x toby
prompt: toby gets lost in a mall and john just happens to save the day
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toby froze, the color draining from his face. he had lost the group in the crowd, in an unfamiliar city.

the group was in boston for pax, they visited a quite packed mall and toby got distracted and was left behind. no one seemed to notice or they would of came back for him.

the panic raised in his chest, his mind suddenly filled with static. all he could hear was ringing and the buzzing of voices around him. he quickly looked around him and realized he had no idea where he was in the mall.

toby started panicking more, his phone had died earlier so he had no way of communicating with the others.

his breathing got shallow and quick, air barely filling his lungs. his whole body was shaking and he felt like throwing up, tears forming in his eyes as he glanced around at the unfamiliar place.

eventually toby was able to stumble outside, but without someone there to help knock some sense into him and calm him down he was hopeless.

the panic started to worsen. toby didn't recognize the entrance/exit he had just walked out of. he didn't recognize anything around him.

it felt like toby was breathing in thick smoke, he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. he located a bench and sat down carefully. toby gripped the bench harshly, trying to keep himself steady but nothing was working. toby couldn't even remember any of the breathing exercises he had looked at.

before toby actually lost his mind, a blurry figure sat besides him. gripping his shoulder and rubbing it lightly. he couldn't see the person, due to the tears held in his eyes. nor could he hear them, everything was fuzzy but he could tell they were talking.

toby tried focusing on the contact. the persons hands were on his shoulder and thigh. their right hand, which was on his shoulder, was rubbing back and forth. the left hand, which was on his thigh, was squeezing lightly.

as toby focused on the contact the panic started going down. the breathing became easier but the shaking still stayed.

the voice he heard started to sound recognizable, it was john's voice. he talked slow and quiet, trying to calm the shorter.

john grabbed tobys hand and squeezed it, his voice still wasn't making any sense to toby but he had an idea of what he was saying.

toby squeezed his eyes shut and tried his hardest to focus on the boy next to him.

"shh, you're okay toby, we're all right here. focus on my voice okay? focus on my hand squeezing yours.."

it was now when toby realized that john squeezed his hand constantly, like a pattern.

"focus on the seconds between the squeezes tobes.."

6 seconds, there was six seconds between every squeeze.

toby looked over at john, who smiled at him softly.

"you're okay toby, you're with us, you're okay."

john ran his thumb over tobys knuckles.

"thank you..." toby whispered, looking at the intertwined hands.

"of course pretty boy, come one lets go. i'll hold your hand all day okay?"

toby nodded as he stood up. smiling at the group of friends that stood a little ways in front of him with concerned and worried looks on their faces.

—

A/N: panic attacks suck

-J