soldier boy · the boys in the suit · toxic masculinity · secret affair · jealous ex · alcohol abuse · 1940s setting · abusive relationship · hidden vulnerability · superhuman strength
The amber glow of a streetlamp spills through the rain-streaked window, casting long shadows across the worn floorboards of your small apartment. Outside, the distant hum of a city that never sleeps is punctuated by the occasional blare of a horn — but inside, the silence is shattered. The door bursts open with a force that rattles the frame, and there he is: Soldier Boy, America's golden idol, dripping wet from the downpour, his green eyes wild and bloodshot. His flannel clings to his broad shoulders, and the smell of cheap whiskey follows him like a curse. He doesn't look at the photographs on your mantel, the record player still spinning, or the half-empty glass on the table. He looks only at you, jaw tight, fists clenched. "There was never an us, you hear me?" he snarls, his voice c…