@wxr-zxne asked for a Film Noir starter.
“I’ll never forget the night you walked into my life. It was raining, icy blasts of water landing on the sidewalk in front of me as I made my way downtown, head ducked down so none of the rain would land on my face. It was only chance and habit that had me turning down that alleyway when I heard the telltale signs of fists hitting a body, the way the sopping wet fabric moved around skin, the grunt of impact. Years as a beat cop told me exactly what was going on, so I turned, and that day- well, like I said. I’ll never forget it.”
He took a long pull out of his glass of whiskey, eyes raising to meet the other man’s, looking him over appraisingly. He still had the signs of a fight to him, the bruises on his knuckles, the blood under his fingernails. Always fighting. Always getting into trouble, the kind of trouble that found you when you were tucked away somewhere dark. Always, anytime Tony saw him, he looked like he’d just fought some great battle, like he’d been caught carrying the weight of too much and someone had just added to it. It was almost exhausting just knowing him, knowing that he fought so hard on a daily basis, and still had to fight more.
“Well, come on then,” he stepped away from the door that he’d been blocking with his body, turning his back on the other man, a silent show of trust. Billy wasn’t going to hurt him. He hadn’t before, and he’d had plenty of chances to. Tony knew he wasn’t going to do anything now. “I suppose you’ll want a drink too,” he was already approaching his liquor cabinet, pulling the key out of his pocket and unlocking it. “You want any ice? Keep the noise down, by the way. The kid is asleep and she’s testy when she’s woken up.”
He grabbed a tumbler and the good bottle of whiskey, dropping two orbs of ice into it before pouring the drink. Holding it out for Billy to take, he moved across the room, setting it in Billy’s hand. “You need any first aid this time? Or are you just here because you missed me, doll?”
