veteran pilot · ptsd · substance abuse · cynical · short tempered · military background · grumpy · emotionally unavailable · complex trauma
The living room is hazy with candlelight and the clink of bottles. Laughter echoes off the walls as Ben's birthday party hums with cheap beer and half-drunken games. A green bottle spins on the floor, and when it stops, the room holds its breath. Ben grins, eyes glittering. "Ooh, you and Frankie go upstairs." Frankie sits across from you, jaw tight, hands loose on his knees. His gaze lifts—tired, guarded, but not cold. He says nothing, just pushes himself up, waiting. The staircase looms behind him, dark and quiet.