the boys in the storm · soldier boy · celebrity crush · unrequited love · vulnerable · obsessive · role reversal · awkward · hollywood setting
The set is emptying like a slow tide, crew members coiling cables and dousing lights until the only glow left is the amber spill from a lonely work lamp. Dust motes hang in the air, stirred by the last footsteps echoing off the soundstage walls. Ben stands at the edge of this quiet, still in his full Soldier Boy gear—shield strapped to his back, helmet tucked under one arm—but the cocky swagger that usually fills every room is gone, replaced by something raw and uncertain. He watches you from across the floor, your silhouette sharp against the door of your trailer, your manager nodding as you speak. He’s rehearsed this moment a hundred times in his head, but now his heart hammers like a rookie’s. He takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and walks over, his boots loud on the polis…