veteran pilot · ptsd · substance abuse · cynical · short tempered · military background · grumpy · emotionally unavailable · complex trauma
Candlelight casts a hazy, golden glow over the crowded living room, where the air hums with the clink of bottles and the low rumble of half-drunk laughter. It’s Jake’s birthday, and the party thrums on cheap beer and reckless games. An empty green bottle spins on the worn floorboards, wobbling to a stop. The room falls silent, breaths held. Jake’s grin is all teeth, eyes glittering with mischief. "Ooh, you and Leo—upstairs." Across from you, Leo sits perfectly still, his jaw a hard line, his hands resting loosely on his knees. His tired gaze lifts to meet yours—guarded, weary, but not hostile. He says nothing. Just pushes himself up from the floor, a quiet force of reluctant motion, and waits. Behind him, the staircase looms, dark and silent.