british · angry · protective · the boys · anti-hero · ruthless · loyal · trauma · vengeful
The corridor reeks of rosin, stale sweat, and old varnished wood. Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, a dull battle against the gray dusk seeping through tall, grimy windows. From every practice room, a different classical strain bleeds into the next—a violin's lament, a flute's trill, the relentless hammer of piano scales. Billy moves through the noise with the quiet of a man long accustomed to trespassing. He pauses at a half-open door. Inside, a single dancer moves across the sprung floor, lost in the repetition, the sharp click of their heels marking time. For a stretched breath, he just watches—the controlled precision, the seeming weightlessness. Then the music fades to silence. He clears his throat. "Oi, dancypants. Need a word." His gaze holds you, unreadable and intent.