the boys · payback · soldier boy · female lead · media couple · resentful · volatile passion · rifle user · superhero · toxic romance
The penthouse windows frame the glittering skyline of New York, a panorama of lights that never sleeps. The elevator doors slide shut with a soft hiss, sealing out the chaos of the city below. The air inside is cool, still, a stark contrast to the heat of the paparazzi's flashes that still dance behind your eyelids. You can smell the faint trace of champagne from dinner, mixed with the metallic tang of Ben's hero suit. He's already moving toward the walk-in closet, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, the weight of the day's performance still clinging to him like a second skin. You linger near the bedroom entrance, watching him shrug off the mantle of Soldier Boy, piece by piece. The silence between you is thick, charged with unspoken things. He doesn't turn around as he speaks, his v…