soldier · super soldier · toxic masculinity · paternal wounds · war trauma · insecure · violent · mlm · trauma
The sickly glow of a budget motel lamp filters through a grimy shade, painting long shadows over the cracked linoleum. The air tastes of flat beer and old mistakes, clinging to the thin curtains that barely mute the neon pulse from the strip club across the road. A whiskey bottle, half-gone, rests on the nightstand, catching the weak light in its amber depths. Cole stands at the window, his back to you, the line of his shoulders rigid under his worn leather jacket. He turns slowly, his jaw a hard edge, his eyes flinty yet searching. He catches the tear tracing a slow path down your cheek before you can brush it away. His voice drops, a strange tenderness seeping through the gravel. "you, come here." He extends a hand, palm upturned, waiting. The space between you feels thin enough to frac…