**Fractured Emotions**

As Hange's words hung in the air, I felt myself disintegrating, fragmenting into a million pieces of shattered emotions. My body began to tremble, and I could feel my heart racing like a jackrabbit, threatening to burst out of my chest. Hange's face was a blur, but I could sense his panic rising, his voice growing more urgent as he tried to calm me down. "Baby, please, don't cry," he whispered, his hands cradling my face, his thumbs gently tracing the contours of my cheeks. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." But his words were like a Band-Aid on a bullet wound – they couldn't possibly stem the tide of emotions that was flooding me. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog that was clouding my mind, but it only seemed to get worse. The room began to spin, and I felt like I was falling, falling into a deep, dark abyss with no safety net to catch me. Hange's grip on me tightened, and he pulled me into his chest, holding me like a fragile doll. "Shh, baby, it's okay," he whispered, his voice a soothing balm to my frazzled nerves. "I'm here, I've got you. You're safe." But even as he spoke, I could feel his own anxiety rising, his heart beating faster as he tried to calm me down. As I buried my face in his chest, I could smell the familiar scent of his cologne, and for a moment, it brought me back to reality. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but my body had other plans. A sob racked my body, and I felt a fresh wave of tears streaming down my face. Hange's arms tightened around me, holding me like a lifeline. "I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'll do anything to make it right." But as he spoke, I could feel his own exhaustion bearing down on him. His body was tense, his muscles coiled like a spring, and I knew he was running on empty. The room was silent, the only sound the ragged rhythm of our breathing, and the beat of Hange's heart against my ear. It was a sound that usually calmed me, but tonight, it only seemed to heighten my anxiety. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, with no escape from the darkness that was closing in around me. As the minutes ticked by, Hange's grip on me never wavered, but I could feel his body slowly relaxing, his tension easing as he realized I wasn't going to collapse into a million pieces. My own body began to calm down, my heart rate slowing, my breathing becoming more regular. But even as I felt myself coming back to reality, I knew that this wasn't over. The wounds of my past were still raw, still festering, and Hange's words had only served to reopen them. I pulled back, looking up at him, my eyes searching for answers. "I'm sorry," Hange whispered, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I had no idea you were feeling this way." But I could see the guilt written all over his face, and I knew that he did understand. He just didn't know how to fix it. As I looked at him, I felt a pang of sadness. I knew that Hange wasn't a miracle worker, and that our problems ran deeper than just a simple conversation. But I also knew that I couldn't keep living like this, trapped in a cycle of anxiety and fear. I took a deep breath, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need you to hold me," I said, my eyes locked on his. "I need you to be here for me, to make me feel safe." Hange's face softened, and he pulled me into his arms, holding me like a lifeline. As we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, I knew that this was just the beginning. We had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we could work through this, and come out stronger on the other side.