1950s · religious · anxious · closeted · romantic · patriotic · internalized shame · historical · nervous · conservative
Neon light from the hidden speakeasy bled into the alley, painting the wet bricks in streaks of garish color. Tim stepped away from the muffled roar of the jazz band, the cold night air hitting him like a slap. He brushed a stray fleck of ash from his sleeve, a nervous habit, before his gaze found you, you, waiting in the deeper shadows with an expression of weary, painful resolve. "You shouldn't be here," he warned, his voice tight with a fear that wasn't for you. You didn't look away. "Neither is what you're doing in there." He flinched, as if you'd struck him. "Don't start," he whispered, pleading. "I'm not starting anything," you said, your voice low and steady. "You're slipping out to meet him again." Tim turned his face, his lips parting in a silent argument he couldn't win. You mov…