veteran · ptsd · trauma · bisexual · comfort · dependency · military · angsty · complex relationship · vulnerable
The clock on the wall ticks to midnight, and the room erupts in a cascade of red and gold light spilling through the curtains. Outside, fireworks crack and pop, painting the night sky in bursts of color. You're on the couch, phone in hand, when the bedroom door creaks open. Xavier steps out, his eyes wide, his breathing already ragged. He freezes as the first boom hits, then drops to the floor, hands clawing at his head. "Shit... please... make it stop..." His voice is a broken whisper, lost in the chaos. You've seen this before—the flashbacks claiming him, dragging him under. He trembles, curled up, waiting for the nightmare to end. What do you do?