Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6

Context: Your relationship with your family has never been great, largely thanks to your father. A good ol' boy and ex-military, he convinced everyone your acts of rebellion were good enough reason for all of them to cut you off or assume the worst. Except for Charlie. Ten years your senior and an ex-squadmate of your father, Charlie was able to see through those lies as you started college. He's come to your aid plenty of times, protected you, and encouraged you. It's hard not to appreciate him and all he does for you, or how hot the dummy is. You made your move and kissed him, and he's just as hungry for you. The only problem? Your nightmare family getting involved.

Setting: Charlie's house

Tags: [M4F][Friends to Lovers][Older Man Speaker][Younger Woman Listener][Controversial][Kisses][Protective][Old Friends][History Together][Cuddles][Military Boy][Angst][SPICY][Confession][Comfort][Journal][TW: Implied Abusive Family/SA][CW: Older Man x Younger Woman]

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TW!!!!: This script deals with implied sexual assault. Please read with caution

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Note: Any sentences that begin with ‘ instead of “ are Charlie’s internal reading/thoughts. If they are italicized, the same applies

[Scene opens in the bedroom of Charlie’s home]

[SFX: Boxes shifting]

[While you are preparing dinner, Charlie is moving some of your old boxes into storage]

“Hup! There we go, another crate of books into storage… Let’s see, is this one of the donate boxes or ‘don’t you dare’ boxes?”

[SFX: Charlie sifting through the books]

“Hmm… Damnit, Shortstack was meant to put stickers or something so I’d know… They aren’t molded over, but it’s also a lot of old textbooks… C’mon, crate of books, give an old dog a hint…”

[SFX: More sifting]

“Hmm? This one isn’t a textbook. At least, I don’t think it is… Never seen a textbook with a unicorn on it, anyway. Welp, one way to find out.”

[SFX: The bed creaking / pages flipping]

[Note: From here on, anything Charlie is reading will start with a ‘ while his normal speech will begin with “]

[Pause]

‘April 4th, Hi. Journal? I guess I’ll call you Journal since that’s what you are and all. Mom said I should write my feelings in you so Papa would yell less. He doesn’t like it when I cry, so I guess I… cry here… or something.’

[Pause]

“Fuck, it’s Shortstack’s journal ...This is wrong, Charlie… This isn’t… Prying like this isn’t… Wait, what is this about Preacher Keen…?”

[Pause]

[He continues to read like the naughty boy he is]

‘June 6th, Papa said he’d come to my recital today, but when I talked to him on the phone, he said his head was too buzzy. I cried and he hung up. Preacher Keen saw and offered to take me home. It was cold and I knew Mr. Keen, so I thought it was OK. He was nice but a little weird. He kept talking about his son, Kyle, and how we’d be ‘sweet’ together. I don’t know what that means but boys are gross.’

[Charlie snorts]

“Must’ve been pre-teen, then… Pre-romance novel phase, certainly… C’mon, Charlie, this is wrong… Wait… What does this say here?”

[Pause]

‘July 7th, Papa said that I had to ‘be sweet’ to Kyle cause Preacher Keen has a lot of ‘influence’ on the community. Kyle’s weird, though, and he keeps wanting to see me in different clothes and such. He likes a lot of hugs and backrubs, too… but Papa said I had to.’

[Charlie tenses, voice catching in his throat]

“...No. Please, not…”

[He gulps down the dread and keeps reading]

‘September 9th, Being sweet hurts a lot. Now I have to be sweet to other people, too, and they’re a lot less nice than Kyle. But they give Papa money, and he says he’s proud of me. Kyle doesn’t like it, though. He told his Dad and Preacher Keen called me a word I didn’t know. Sorry, I haven’t written in you in almost a year, journal. Mom and Papa have fought a lot and I’ve just wanted to sleep.’

[Pause]

[All of the certainty in Charlie’s voice has died at this point]

‘October 12th, Mom left early this morning. Papa said she isn’t coming back because of me, but he won’t tell me what I did wrong. I hope he’s wrong… I hope she comes back…’

[Pause]

“Jesus Christ… Poor Shortstack…”

[Pause]

‘May 28th, Kyle dumped me. During prom. I guess part of me is happy and the other part of me feels hurt… I did everything Papa said to do, even when it hurt. I didn’t have a ride home, and I was about to walk to the lake, but then he sent someone from his old platoon to pick me up named Charlie. When I told him what happened, he punched Kyle in the face… he’s super cute, but I can tell that he thinks I’m a brat like the rest of Papa’s army friends… Still, if he hadn’t been there, I think I would have…’

[Pause]

“Would have… Would have what? No, she can’t mean…”

[SFX: Pages flipping]

‘Papa grabbed me by the neck at the party earlier. Can’t remember the date, too dazed. Charlie immediately jumped in while everyone else watched. He defended me… He’s nice to me, and I don’t understand why. He’s never made a move, Papa’s never asked me to ‘be sweet’ to him… I don’t understand…’

[Pause]

[Charlie’s voice breaks the more he reads]

‘October 31st, I told Papa I’m going to college out of state. He said ‘Good riddance’. I asked him one more time about Mom and he said he’d kill me if I ever asked again… I don’t know where he buried her, but I know she’s dead. She loved me, once, no matter what he says, and I know she wouldn’t abandon me. Charlie took me out for ice cream to celebrate getting into the school of my dreams. I wanted to tell him then that I liked him, but I knew he’d reject me, and I don’t… think I could handle being abandoned by the only other person who ever cared about me… He deserves better than used goods, anyway. It’ll stop hurting, in time’

[At that, he breaks fully, holding his face in his hands and weeping]

[Pause]

“...Jesus, my poor sweet girl… All this time, all of this pain… and you suffered it in silence…”

[SFX: The journal being shut and Charlie standing/walking into the kitchen]

[You greet Charlie as he walks into the kitchen, midway between frying up some potatoes when he grabs you in a tight embrace]

[Pause…?]

“Hey, angel...I know I’m huggin’ tight… I’m sorry. I can’t let go, not just yet… OK?”

[Pause…]

“...I am crying, yeah…”

[Pause??]

“No… I ain’t OK. I love you so much, baby girl… You know that?”

[...]

“I do… I have for a long time. For as long as we’ve truly been friends, I’ve loved you earnestly, even if I didn’t know it. Even if I fought it every second of my damned life because I thought I was wrong…”

[He takes in a shaky breath, still holding you]

“...I just… I didn’t want to be… I didn’t… I didn’t want you to feel like you had to submit to whatever I wanted just because I’m older…”

[Pause…]

[He laughs a little bit through his tears]

“Look, me being 6’6” is irrelevant, I know you can throw a mean punch to places someone of my gender might not enjoy… I didn’t want to take advantage. I’m still terrified that I’ll cross a boundary, that I’ll hurt you on accident… Lord knows I don’t want to…”

[Pause…]

[You cup his face until he’s looking into your eyes]

“...If I cross a boundary, you trust me enough to tell you? You promise?”

[Pause <3]

“OK, good… Cause you left your old journal open and I… I saw some concerning things and I kind of kept reading…”

[...]

[He smiles sheepishly]

“Hey, you promised!”

[Pause.]

“Aww! I can’t have any fried potatoes? That’s just cruel!”

[Pause?]

[He pouts]

“No… I’d rather be denied potatoes than kisses, yer right… I’m sorry.”

[Pause <3]

“Still no potatoes? Damn. You’re a harsh mistress, you know that?”

[Pause <3]

[He smiles, good-natured]

“Yeah, yeah… I crossed a line, I know… At the very least, I know more about what was goin’ on, now… And I’m glad I do, truth be told. I don’t want you feeling like it’s you versus the world anymore, Shortstack.”

[...]

[He cups your face in turn, earnestly]

“...Listen to me, alright? You’re the love of my life… I know it in my bones. We’re a team, now, and you will always have me in your corner. But I need to be kept in the loop, baby girl, OK? Can you do that for me?”

[...Pause <3]

[He smiles and kisses your forehead]

“Thank you… I love you, Shortstack. I’m here.”

[You assure him that you love him, too. And that maybe he can have some fried potatoes. Maybe]

[SFX: Fade out on oil frying]

[To be continued]