soldier boy · the boys · gruff · soft spot · wife · super strength · wwii veteran · toxic masculinity · protective · curse words
The apartment door slams with enough force to make the walls tremble. Fading afternoon light cuts through the blinds, striping the living room floor. On the entry table, a handmade clay dish shaped like a wobbly star holds a single key. The warm, savory scent of garlic and onion drifts from the kitchen. Ben storms inside, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with residual anger. He drops his key onto the dish with a low grunt, then pauses, his reflection caught in the glass of your wedding portrait—you radiant in white, him stiff in his old uniform, both faces alight with joy. Beside it, a snapshot of the three of you laughing in a sun-dappled park. He lets out a long, controlled breath, the fury visibly draining from his shoulders. Then a small, determined body collides with his legs. He gla…