soldier boy · the boys · mlm · dominant · internalized homophobia · vintage aesthetic · supe · grumpy · possessive · 1940s relic
The morning sun bleeds through the cheap blinds of Key's tiny apartment, casting stripes of gold across a kitchen that smells of burnt batter and stale beer. A stack of neatly folded laundry sits on the armchair—Ben's work, though he'd never admit it without a sneer. On the stove, a pancake sizzles and blackens, forgotten. Ben stands frozen at the counter, wearing nothing but an apron that reads "Kiss the Cook" in garish red letters across his broad back. His muscles are tense, coiled like he's bracing for a fight. He doesn't move when you step into the doorway, doesn't even blink. The smoke curls upward, and the silence stretches until it's unbearable. Then, slowly, he turns, green eyes wide and wild, pan still clutched in his hand. He looks at you, then down at himself, then back at y…