When the Past Crashes In

The soft hum of voices filled the gallery, the atmosphere light and calm as people continued to move from one painting to the next. Ethan had been lost in thought, still standing near Gabriel's painting, replaying their conversation in his head. It had been a strange feeling, opening up to someone—especially to a stranger—but there was something about Gabriel's presence that felt safe, like it was okay to let the walls down a little.

Just as he started to walk toward the next section of the gallery, there was a sudden, loud crash. The sharp sound echoed off the walls, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Ethan froze, his body tensing as the noise reverberated through him. He whipped around to see a large sculpture on the other side of the room toppled over, shards of glass scattered across the floor. Someone had bumped into the display, sending it crashing to the ground.

The gallery erupted in gasps and murmurs, but Ethan didn't hear any of it. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out everything around him. His breathing became shallow, quick, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. The world around him started to blur, the colors and shapes of the gallery fading into the background. All he could hear was that deafening crash, replaying over and over in his mind.

The gallery was gone. The people were gone. All that remained was the noise—the chaos—and the suffocating feeling in his chest. His vision tunneled as memories flooded back, memories he had fought so hard to keep at bay. The loud explosions, the screams, the panic—it all came rushing back in a wave that threatened to consume him whole.

'Not here. Not now.'

His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts. The edges of his vision began to blur, the room around him distorting. The noise of the gallery faded, replaced by the roaring in his ears.

He wasn't in the gallery anymore.

Suddenly, he was back in the field, the weight of his rifle in his hands, the heat of the sun beating down on his back. The air smelled like dirt and gunpowder, the sound of explosions tearing through the air around him. The chaos of war surged through his veins, the adrenaline, the fear.

His breathing became ragged, his hands trembling as he clenched them into fists, nails biting into his palms. He tried to focus, to bring himself back, but the memories were too strong, too real. His chest tightened, panic clawing at him, his mind spiraling further into the flashback.

"Ethan?"

A voice cut through the haze, distant but familiar. But Ethan couldn't focus on it. His body was locked in the grip of his memories, his heart pounding as if it were trying to break free from his chest.

"Ethan."

This time, the voice was closer. Gentle hands grabbed his arms, pulling him away from the chaos that only he could see. Ethan stumbled backward, his legs weak, the world spinning around him.

"Hey, you're okay? Breathe."

Ethan shook his head, trying to ground himself, but the noise—that crash—kept playing on a loop in his mind. He was shaking all over now, his body trembling uncontrollably as he fought to pull himself back from the edge, but it was too much. He couldn't stop it.

"I… I can't," Ethan gasped, his voice barely a whisper.

Gabriel's eyes widened, filled with concern as he quickly guided Ethan away from the crowd, leading him to a quiet corner of the gallery. They passed through a side door into a small, empty storage room, far enough away from the noise and the people.

"Sit down," Gabriel urged, his voice calm but firm.

Ethan collapsed onto a small bench, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His heart was still racing, his breaths coming in sharp, painful gasps. Gabriel knelt in front of him, his eyes locked on Ethan's, his voice soft and soothing.

"Ethan, look at me," Gabriel said, his tone firmer now, but still kind. "I need you to breathe, okay? Just focus on breathing. Deep breaths."

Ethan's chest tightened painfully. He gasped for air, but it felt like his lungs wouldn't work. His hands balled into fists, and he could feel his nails digging into his palms, the pain barely registering through the fog of panic.

Gabriel's voice was growing more worried now.

"Hey, hey. You're alright, just breathe."

But Ethan couldn't focus. The noise in his head was deafening, drowning out Gabriel's words. His vision blurred again, and his body started to shake. He could feel the panic clawing at him, tearing him apart from the inside. His nails dug into his palms, sharp pain radiating from the cuts he hadn't realized he was making.

"Ethan, look at me," Gabriel said, his voice more insistent now. "Look at me."

Gabriel's eyes widened in alarm as he saw Ethan hurt himself, and without hesitation, he grabbed Ethan's wrists, stopping him before he could do any more damage.

"Ethan, stop! You're going to hurt yourself."

But Ethan couldn't stop. His breathing was ragged, his body shaking violently as he struggled to hold onto reality. His head was spinning, and he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper into the abyss of his memories. The panic was consuming him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't claw his way out.

"I… I can't—" he started, but the words were lost in another sharp gasp.

"Ethan," Gabriel said, his voice trembling slightly now. "Listen to me. You're safe. You're okay. Just… just breathe."

Ethan didn't respond. He couldn't. The noise was too loud, the memories too overwhelming. His fists clenched tighter, his body on the verge of collapse.

And then, without warning, Gabriel did something completely unexpected.

He kissed him.

It wasn't a slow, gentle kiss. It was sudden, desperate—a last-ditch effort to pull Ethan out of the storm that was raging inside him. Gabriel's hands cupped Ethan's face, his lips pressing firmly against Ethan's in a way that left no room for the chaos. It was as if Gabriel was trying to anchor him, to bring him back to the present through the shock of something so real, so immediate.

For a second, Ethan froze, his mind going completely blank. The flashbacks, the panic, the noise—it all stopped, as if someone had flipped a switch. The only thing he could focus on was the warmth of Gabriel's lips against his, the pressure of Gabriel's hands holding his face.

It was enough to pull him back from the edge.

His breath hitched as he realized what was happening. Slowly, almost cautiously, he leaned into the kiss, his hands unclenching as he allowed himself to focus on the present—the feel of Gabriel's touch, the softness of his lips, the way the world seemed to fall silent around them.

When Gabriel finally pulled back, his eyes were wide, filled with concern and something else—something Ethan couldn't quite place. Both of them were breathing hard, the moment heavy with unspoken emotion.

"I'm sorry. I just… I didn't know how else to—"

But Ethan wasn't listening. He was still caught between the shock of the kiss and the sudden quiet in his mind. The memories were still there, lingering at the edges, but the panic had receded, replaced by the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat.

"Are you… okay?" Gabriel asked softly, his hands still gently resting on Ethan's face.

Ethan swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "I… I think so."

Gabriel exhaled a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Good. You scared me for a second there."

Ethan shook his head, still trying to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry"

Gabriel shook his head. "Don't apologize. You don't have to explain anything." He hesitated, then added quietly, "I've seen panic attacks before. I just wanted to help."

Ethan swallowed hard, his throat tight. He didn't know what to say. The panic attack had taken him by surprise, blindsiding him in a place where he thought he might actually be safe.

He looked down at his hands, the faint red marks where his nails had dug into his skin still visible.

Gabriel's voice was soft when he spoke again.

"I didn't mean to… kiss you like that. I just thought maybe… it would help you snap out of it."

Ethan nodded, though he still felt disoriented. "It… it did," he admitted, though his mind still spun with everything that had just happened.

Gabriel let out a small, relieved laugh. "Well, I'm glad it worked. But, uh, I promise I don't usually go around kissing people to calm them down."

Ethan managed a weak smile, though his heart still raced.

"Guess there's a first time for everything."

Gabriel smiled too, though there was still concern in his eyes.

"You want to sit here a little longer? We can stay as long as you need."

Ethan nodded, grateful for the offer. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him feeling exhausted, but the panic had finally receded. He wasn't sure what to make of the kiss, or the way Gabriel had looked at him, but for now, he just needed to catch his breath.

Gabriel sat down beside him on the bench, his shoulder brushing lightly against Ethan's. They sat in silence for a while, the quiet of the storage room a welcome contrast to the chaos in Ethan's mind.