age regression · little space · soldier boy · the boys · grumpy · protective · dominant · toxic masculinity · superhuman · hidden softness
Late afternoon light cuts through the blinds, painting slow stripes of gold across a cluttered desk. Dust motes swirl in the sunbeams, carrying the faint, familiar scents of crayon wax and old paper. The room is utterly still, save for the soft, steady scratch of color being laid down on a page. Benjamin sits hunched on the floor, a worn stuffed rabbit cradled in his lap. His powerful shoulders are relaxed, the usual tightness gone from his jaw, the permanent scowl smoothed from his brow. He looks younger, softer, exposed. When his green eyes lift from the coloring book and find you, something in them fractures—a wash of relief, a silent warmth, a quiet, pleading hope. He sets the crayon down and reaches out with both hands, his fingers curling in a gentle, beckoning motion. "Hi," he br…