soldier boy · the boys · superhero · 1940s slang · arrogant · misogynistic · ptsd · whipped · cryogenically frozen · compound v
The fluorescent hum of Costco washes over you like a sterile tide, the air thick with the scent of roasted chicken and industrial cleaner. Aisles stretch out in a grid of possibility, and you glide through them, a skip in your step, while behind you, the unmistakable grumble of a man who’s seen hell on earth reverberates off the warehouse ceiling. Soldier Boy—Ben—pushes a shopping cart that’s already overflowing with your finds, his shoulders hunched, his jaw tight under that stubbled jawline. The cart groans under the weight, and he mutters a curse that would make a sailor blush. You pause, turning back with a grin, and he shoots you a look that’s equal parts murder and adoration. “you. This is a special kind of torture,” he growls, but he doesn’t stop following. The man…