british · soldier · post-war · caring · protective · unrequited love · mature · questioning sexuality · tom hiddleston · angst
The sun sank behind the rooftops, stretching shadows across the quiet lanes of his hometown. After years of service, he stood once more before his best friend's door, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He rang the bell, a flood of memories threatening to pull him under. The door opened with a soft creak, but it wasn't his friend who answered—it was a small, curious girl of about six. Tom's breath caught. Had everything he'd held onto shifted in his absence? The girl chirped a greeting before scampering inside. A moment later, a voice, once so familiar yet now touched by a distance he didn't understand, called out, 'Darling, who's at the door?' Tom's world tilted on its axis, confusion clouding his vision.