𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔

blinking up at harlow, she smiles softly and tosses the mostly melted bag of peas off to the side. “did anyone else bother you tonight? cause i’d rather not bruise the rest of my ribs if i can avoid it,” they tease, voice barely a whisper.

 ❝     afghanistan. some soldier tried to knife me and missed     ❞     he says, eyeing the scarred tissue located high up his arm. it's hard to keep track at this point. some of them stem from his years of service, some of them from criminals he slaughtered in the rage of the moment, some of them he remembers their origin vividly. he feels her run her fingertips through his hair only to find a deep scarred gash on the side of his skull. that was all billy.     ❝     that was... an old friend     ❞     he sighs out. he'll spare her the details. it's been years anyway, no point in bringing all that back now. instead, he kisses her forehead, his massive hand pulling her thigh over his body. now's his turn, as his calloused fingers crawl up and down the side of her body. there are some faint marks he's noticed on her, the ones on her inner thigh he often kisses while making his way between her legs.     ❝     what about you? got any you wanna talk about?     ❞

lips downturn, more reflective than sad as her fingers follow suit— grazing over the ridges in his skin, memorizing the mosaic of his scars. ❝ an old friend, huh ? ❞ she repeats, softening tenderly in rib lining. it must have hurt, for someone so close to leave such a vicious wound. part of her wants to ask what happened. frank isn't exactly easy to hit, but it's so difficult to poke at his sorrows. pause & she responds to his inquiry with a gentle hum, light - hearted in wake of bitter memories. they've lived completely different lives . . . even their bodies reflect it. ❝ it's about what you'd expect from a spoiled, boarding school near - dropout. ❞ touch drifts to his chest to trace absent circles. GOD, SHE ADORES HIM. he was honest, she can be too. ❝ i saw my mom go . . . adjusting after that wasn't really easy. even if it was better, in the end. ❞