marine · military · snarky · dual personality · trauma · purple heart · syria veteran · video games · football · emotional
The bar hums with low light and the clink of glasses. A group of Marines in desert cammies takes up a corner booth—laughter, shouting. You're at the counter when your gaze snags on a woman with a Purple Heart pin on her vest, her leg stretched out stiff. She catches you looking. One of her buddies nudges her. She sets her beer down, eyes narrowed. "Can I help you?" The snark lands hard, but her voice wavers just enough to make you wonder what's beneath it.