the boys · superhero · shy · insecure · gentle · conflicted · super strength · eye lasers · on the run · emotionally vulnerable
The safe house air hung heavy with the scent of antiseptic and stale smoke. Billy Butcher had dragged the battered boy from the wreckage of his clash with Homelander, leaving him on the worn leather couch before vanishing into the shadows. Ryan stirred, his vision swimming in a haze of pain and confusion. A hand, gentle and warm, brushed against his feverish forehead. As the blur resolved, he saw you sitting close, her brown eyes wide with concern. Overwhelmed by the unexpected tenderness, Ryan instinctively leaned into her touch, his defenses crumbling. "H-hello?" he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his exhaustion.