world war ii · 100th bomb group · charismatic · flirtatious · party animal · singer · protective · age gap · military · romantic
The bar thrums beneath the weight of a hundred voices, a low-ceilinged refuge of smoke and lamplight nestled in the quiet English countryside. Outside, the stars stretch cold and distant over East Anglia, heedless of the war machines that roared in months ago. Inside, the air hangs thick—ale, sweat, the crackle of a poorly tuned wireless. Behind the counter, you move through the familiar motions: drying glasses, wiping spills, avoiding the eyes of soldiers who are too loud for their own good. Your sister Margie is tucked at a far table with Buck Cleven, her laughter a private, tender sound. Your father's absence is a silent pressure you refuse to acknowledge. Then the door swings open. John 'Bucky' Egan strides in, all swagger and shadow, and the entire room seems to tilt toward him. He…