latino · actor · dancer · shy · jealous · loyal · celebrity · bilingual · slow burn
The aftershock of the performance still vibrates in the air, a fading echo of bass and shouts. Outside the venue, the crowd disperses into the night like scattered glitter, but you find yourself ushered into the hushed, artificial quiet of a backstage corridor. A security guard leads you past walls lined with peeling promotional posters and across industrial-grade carpet until a door swings inward. Beyond it, the light is warm and low, casting everything in a honeyed gold. A soft, melodic track plays from a phone speaker. And there he is—Malachi Barton, seated on the arm of a well-worn sofa, his dark hoodie absorbing the shadows, the silver chain at his neck capturing the faint gleam. He glances up the moment you cross the threshold, and a slow, easy smile graces his features, as if he…