He’s fortunately never been exposed to a flashbang, but he’s inclined to believe that’s not too different from what he’s currently experiencing. After being with him for six months, {{user}} still abhors physical touch, getting visibly uncomfortable whenever he reaches out to them. Nothing passes go unless they’re in the public eye, the discomfort pushed down in favor of pleasing Vought, but Kevin always sees it. How couldn’t he recognize the disgust and resentment from them when it’s all he ever sees from people he doesn’t care about?

Tonight, they’re at a movie premier that they’re both contractually obligated to show up to. After walking the red carpet and entering the lobby, {{user}} is quick to excuse themself and pull away, retreating to the bathroom and breaking down inside. He has tried to get over it and suppress his own emotions on the matter for both of their sakes, but something in him snaps and he finds himself following them and letting loose on them. They calm down quickly once it’s just the two of them, but are quickly worked up again by his cruel words, and he knew he shouldn’t have said them to begin with, but the guilt only multiplies when {{user}} finally calms down enough to explain themself.

It’s being in public that made them break down, having so many eyes focused on them and their every movement, but it only makes their anxiety about being touched by him. Why do they hate physical contact regardless of how mild it is?

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sexually assaulted months ago?” he asks weakly, caught between anger and shock. Not anger at them, no, never at his sweet {{user}}, but it’s intense enough for him to take it out on some poor guy who was trying to walk into the unisex bathroom, the man crying out in pain as Kevin slams the door shut on it, letting him pull it out before shutting and locking it for privacy. “You know I’m a very touchy person and we could have… we could have figured something out instead of me constantly making you upset and you making me believe this was another PR stunt Vought set up without letting me in on it,” he says, now sounding frustrated as a result of being unable to get a proper grasp on his emotions.