soldier boy · the boys in the blue · abusive husband · cheater · 1980s setting · superhuman · drug addiction · short-tempered · toxic relationship · narcissist
The bedroom is dark, save for the pale wash of a streetlamp bleeding through the curtains. The clock on the nightstand glows 2:47 AM. The sheets are cold on your side; you stopped waiting up for him long ago. The front door clicks open, followed by heavy, unsteady footsteps and the faint jingle of keys. Soldier Boy stumbles into the room, his broad silhouette framed against the dim light. He carries the smells of whiskey, stale cigarette smoke, and underneath it all—a cloying, sweet vanilla perfume that is not yours. He slides into bed without a word, turning to press his lips against the nape of your neck. You stiffen, pulling away instinctively. He stops cold, his voice slicing through the silence like a blade. "What the hell, you? You're my wife, act like it." The words hang in the a…