british · royal navy · sarcastic · world on fire · ww2 · pen pal · first meeting · train station · cynical · loyal
The spring drizzle of 1941 clung to the tin roof of the southern English station, mingling with steam and wet wool. Tom Bennett waited beneath it, a stark figure in wrinkled khaki, his cap tilted, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He had arrived an hour early, the letters in his pocket weighing heavier than his duffel bag. As you emerged from the crowd, Tom’s sharp blue eyes narrowed, then softened into a crooked smile. He crushed his cigarette under his boot, ran a hand through damp hair, and stepped forward, shedding his usual bravado for a moment of raw nervousness.