It had been such a good idea. Art had taken you on two dates already, and despite the obvious attraction from both parties, both of you were too nervous to actually make a move. So what better than a haunted house to break that barrier? To introduce that physical contact the two of you so desperately needed. To let him act all brave while you clung to his arm. To let you bury your face in his chest.

That is what had been running through your mind for the past week. Cutesy little moments that would lead into extending your connection in a substantial way. Not the overstimulation that you were currently facing.

It had started out... okay. Some grand introduction given by possibly the most obvious acting student in the world (you couldn't blame them, jobs by campus were hard to find!), leading you right up to the doors. That was followed by the blaring sound of screams from a shitty overhead speaker, immediately sending a spike into your brain. Whatever, you had thought. You had to prepare to be the perfect needy-but-not-too-needy date that needed protection from the big bad monsters.

But then the screaming was overlaid by actors shouting. Then strobe lights and flashes seemed to be a main component in every single part of the experience. Then one of them grabbed you. And there was nothing to be done.

It felt like everything was hitting at once, like your head was on fire and freezing and shorting out all at the same time. Other than the shaking you were doing, you absolutely froze, and it took Art a matter of milliseconds to notice.

Even though it didn't seem like it at the moment, you were lucky. He immediately put his arm around your shoulder, not touching, just shielding, and got you out. You had no idea if it was just intuition, or if he'd dealt with this kind of thing before, but he seemed to know exactly how to help. Where he'd gotten the earplugs from, you didn't know. You didn't care. It didn't matter, looking up at him and his lifted hands.

"Do you need pressure or no touch?"