Your POV

“She’s a pain in my ass sometimes,” Soldier Boy excuses, chuckling softly as who seems to be his assistant leaves. You can’t help but giggle at the way he subtly rolls his eyes. He really is very handsome, especially so up close. Your stomach is knotting, somersaulting as you feel him sway you. You never in a million years thought that someone like Soldier Boy would even look twice at you. Not only is he a superhero, one of the most famous men in the whole world, but he’s also a lot older than you, not that that bothers you. 

“You’ve not said a single word to me. I don’t scare you, do I, little darling?” he asks, bringing your attention back to the room. 

His green eyes are sparkling at you, wide and soft like he’s genuinely concerned that you’re afraid of him. How could you be? He’s a freaking hero. Your grandfather had a lot of good things to say about Soldier Boy, but when you probed too much, he’d shut off and say he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Your mother always told you that the war was hard for him to think about. But what he did talk about was how incredible Soldier Boy was whenever he had the privilege of fighting alongside him and his other supe friends. So why would you be afraid of him? Nervous and star struck, maybe, but not scared.  

“No, sir,” you finally manage to whisper. Your eyes cast over the party, noticing a lot of people looking your way. You’re well aware that it’s not you they’re looking at, but it still makes you feel a little self-conscious.  

“Would you prefer it if we were alone?” he asks next, and at the suggestion, your eyes instantly widen. “C’mon, I could do with a break, anyway.” 

Soldier Boy doesn’t wait for a reply, he just takes your hand and starts to lead you out of the room, and into what looks like an empty office. He closes the door behind you both and then gestures to the empty couch. You take the hint and take a seat on the couch, tucking the skirt of your dress under your ass so you don’t accidentally flash your underwear at him. You’re undeniably nervous to be alone with the supe like this, especially when he sits beside you closer than you’d have thought. But there’s also a mixture of excitement among the nerves. You’re still finding it hard to believe that someone like Soldier Boy would even look twice at you. 

He smells of leather and tobacco, which somehow only turns you on more, as you start to feel your heartbeat increase, and your skin getting warmer. 

“You really are very beautiful,” he compliments, reaching up to brush some hair out of your face.

It only makes the butterflies worse in your stomach, but you smile anyway, biting your bottom lip and thanking him. 

“You know,” he continues, letting his fingers ghost down your jawline, leaving behind a tingling feeling on your skin. “You were exactly my type before… before I was lost. I know I’m technically older, but I don’t feel it. Still feel as young as you at heart.” You realise that while he’s around the same age as your Grandfather, he’s been gone for almost forty years, so he still looks like the photos of him in the war. The thought of him still feeling as young as you does make you giggle, nodding your head to show you understand him. “Though, I bet you look at me and see an old man, huh?” he asks, a sense of sadness washing over his gorgeous features. 

You don’t like the thought of him putting himself down, especially when you are very attracted to him, and you’d kill for a boyfriend like him, regardless of his age or superhero status. If nothing else, he’s been nothing but sweet to you, treating you well, being gentle and kind. You suppose his good looks are just a bonus. 

“I think you’re handsome,” you find yourself confessing nervously, a slight tremor in your voice. But the smirk that curls over his plump lips makes you feel a lot better about your confession, and you find yourself relaxing just a little. 

His fingers start to tilt your face closer to his. “You do?” he checks. You’re not feeling confident to speak up again, so you just nod. “Well that’s made me feel a lot better, darlin’,” he hums. “Feels good to think I could stand a chance with a girl like you.” 

You try to ignore the hope starting to swell in your stomach. Maybe he’s just being polite, maybe he doesn’t mean you specifically. Why would he? He’s a supe who could have anyone, and you’re just a random teenage girl whose grandfather fought alongside him. You’d never even stepped foot anywhere near Vought before tonight, you’re nowhere near special enough to be associated with a company so prestigious. 

“I’m sure you could get any girl you wanted,” you finally confirm, quelling your own hopes.

“Well, maybe I don’t want just any girl. Maybe there’s only one I want right now,” he speaks up, angling your face to bring your lips closer together.  

“Really?” you instantly ask, the hope once again swelling. You still don’t believe it could be true, but why would he say something like that if he didn’t mean it? It’s not like you’ve been coming on strong and he doesn’t want to let you down. 

“Mhm,” he hums, bringing his face closer. 

You take a shaky breath in, wondering if he’s going to kiss you and really hoping he does. Every single inch of your skin tingles, and you feel your nose brush along his softly, before you blurt out: “But I’m only seventeen.” 

Soldier Boy stops, dropping his hand from your face instantly, pulling away abruptly. 

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” he grunts, anger laced in his voice, his tone a few notches deeper. It sounds weird to hear him swearing. You understand he is only a person, super human, maybe, but still human. And he’s a fully grown man, you know they’re not immune to using curse words. But it still seems out of place, when he’s always seemed nothing but calm and sweet.

You’re suddenly nervous you’ve upset him. It would make sense that he thought you were older. You’ve always been told you look older than you are. “I’m sorry, are you angry?”

“Well, sweetheart,” he sighs, clearing his throat, his anger seeming to disperse just a little. “It’s not ideal that I just tried to kiss an underage girl,” he explains, and you realise just how bad this situation is. This is your fault, you shouldn’t have led him on, you should’ve told him your age from the start. 

But then you’re surprised to hear him seem to blame himself instead. “You probably think I’m a creep now.” A soft blush spreads over his cheeks, and you instantly rush to make him feel better for a mistake he shouldn’t blame himself for. 

“I don’t,” you reassure him. “And I’m eighteen in two months,” you add, hoping your upcoming birthday will ease his mind just a little.

“Well then, darlin’, why don’t we continue this on your birthday?” he asks. That signature smirk that looks so good on him is back on his lips, and you can’t help but stare at it for a moment. That’s when his question kicks in. He’s still interested? He’d be willing to wait for your birthday?

“Really?” you ask, surprised. 

“Sure, but it has to be our little secret for now, okay? All that press, it’s chaos, I don’t want you caught up in it yet.” 

You bite your bottom lip, nodding your head, realising that he’s even more thoughtful and sweet to worry about you like that. Then you think about the word yet. Why would he worry about you being in front of the press or making any kind of public appearance with him, if he wasn’t talking about a real relationship. Maybe you’re overthinking it, or reading into it wrong, so you find yourself asking him, just to be sure.

“Wait, you want to be with me?” 

“Do you see me alone with any other girl at this party? Dancing with any other girl?” he asks, smirking again, once more reaching up to push some hair away. 

You consider his words. He’s right, besides general courtesy, he hadn’t seemed to spend any kind of time with any other female at his own party. Besides getting some photographs with Crimson Countess. Your grandfather had seemed to think they were a power couple back in the day, but whatever has happened since then seems to have ended that relationship. You really are the only girl he’s given this kind of attention to tonight, so he must be interested in you. But how can he be so sure he wants to be with you when you only met this evening? 

“No, but… you don’t know me,” you remind him. 

“I’m an old fashioned man, sweetheart. We always did fall pretty hard pretty quickly,” he defends. He sighs, and shuffles just a little closer, practically pressing himself up against you. “Besides, don’t tell me you can’t feel this between us?” At the mention, you realise you can feel something between the two of you. “Some kind of connection, like we’re meant to be together. I know that sounds crazy, doll, but… I don’t know, maybe I was meant to get lost all that time so I’d find you.” 

Your whole body starts to shake slightly, and you want nothing more than for him to kiss you, tell you he doesn’t care about your age anymore, that this connection is strong enough to overpower it. Fuck, you want him so badly, and knowing he wants you too only makes it worse, quelling your nerves about the potential relationship just enough. You try to make a move, moving your face close enough that he might kiss you, but Soldier Boy sighs and pulls back just a little. 

“I wanna kiss you so badly, sweetheart, but we’ve got to wait, okay? Can you do that for me, baby girl? Can you wait?” he asks, his thumb rubbing along your cheek. You nod, even though you really don’t want to, especially with how close he is. The longer you’re alone with him like this, the more and more you want him. He’s intoxicating and enchanting; maybe that’s one of his superpowers. “Good girl,” he hums, nudging his nose with yours softly. “Fuck, it’s gonna be so hard staying away from you.” 

You hadn’t realised how hot and flustered that small office had made you until you stepped back into the party, and the cool air was welcoming on your clammy skin. Soldier Boy’s hand ends up on your shoulder, a much more appropriate place than where it had found itself on the short walk between the office and the door back to the party; just above your ass on your lower back. He walks you back to your family with a charming smile on his face, and you can see from the relief on your mom’s face that she’d been worried about your disappearance. 

“Where did you two disappear to?” she asks, a slight laugh in her voice as if to act nonchalant, but you know she’s not just asking out of curiosity. 

“I hope you don’t mind Mrs. Y/L/N,” Soldier Boy speaks up, saving you from having to scramble for an alibi. While nothing happened between you – much to your disappointment – you want to keep your secret with Soldier Boy and your feelings for one another. You’re not sure your parents would understand your instant connection with the older supe. “I took Y/N on a short tour around Vought. If you don’t mind me saying you’ve got a very intelligent young lady, here. I can see her being a valuable member of the team here one day if she wanted to be.” 

Instantly your mother’s eyes widen and she laughs slightly. “Well, thank you, Sir, we are very proud of all of Y/N’s achievements,” she gushes, lapping up the compliment. 

You can’t help but also feel flattered by the compliment, even if it’s a lie, because the supe doesn’t know how smart you are, given that’s not what you talked about. But the way he beams at you like he’s proud of you still warms you through. 

“So you should be, you have a beautiful daughter. She’s very special.” Soldier Boy’s hand squeezes your shoulder, and you smile at him gratefully, feeling your cheeks heat up when he flashes you a wink. “If you’d excuse me, I think I’m going to call it a night, these things are pretty tiring for an old man,” he smiles, “right Arnie?” he adds louder, looking down at your grandfather. “Well, hope to catch up soon.” 

You watch Soldier Boy walk away, already missing him as he makes his way through the crowds, saying goodnight to the people he passes, and your heart flutters when he turns his head to catch your eye one last time before disappearing through the double doors. 

You can’t believe it’s been three weeks since you met Soldier Boy. He’s all you’ve been able to think about since. Your grades are slipping, but you don’t even care. Day after day your mind drifts away to think about the green eyed supe, the way his lips pursed a little, the stubble on his gorgeous face, the way his touch felt on your skin. You think about what it might’ve felt like had he kissed you. You think about him doing more than just kissing you, which only gets you into a frenzy of lust and need, and a Friday night in, laying on your bed staring up at your ceiling is no exception to your new favourite pastime. A knock at your front door pulls you out of your thoughts, and you sit up, wondering who could be calling so late. 

You find yourself heading towards the stairs, curious about the late night caller, and the second you hear his voice, your heart starts to speed up and you rush down the stairs to lay eyes on him. He looks as good as always in his dark green suit, his hair pushed back a little, his beard the perfect length. His eyes land on you as you alert him of your presence with your loud descent from upstairs, and you try to bite back the huge grin that wants to spread over your face that he’s here and you finally get to see him again. 

“Not that we’re not pleased to see you, sir, but what are you doing here?” your mother asks, clearly also excited to have the supe in her home. 

Soldier Boy’s eyes linger on you for a moment longer as he smirks, and then he looks at your parents. 

“Just wanted to stop by, see my old friend again. It’s been quite settling to see a familiar face in this new world,” he explains. 

“Of course, my father will be so pleased to see you, I just settled him in front of his favourite show, but I’m sure he’ll prefer seeing you.” 

Your mother rushes off to fetch your grandfather from his downstairs bedroom, which prompts your father to offer the supe a drink. Soldier Boy agrees to a coffee, and suddenly you find yourself alone with him. You chew your bottom lip softly as you descend the few remaining stairs and step in front of him. 

“Hi,” you whisper, feeling your cheeks heat up. You want to tell him just how much you’ve missed him and just how often you’ve thought about him, but that might seem needy and desperate, and you don’t want to scare him away with your teenage crush, so you decide to stay quiet. 

“Look at you, baby girl,” he hums quietly, his eyes darkening. “I forgot how perfect you are. Fuck, I’ve missed you.” You feel butterflies in your stomach once again as he reaches up to cup the side of your face, and you swallow hard. 

“I’ve missed you too, been thinking about you,” you confess. 

“Me too, baby girl, can’t stop thinking about you. Can’t stop thinking about what I’m going to do to you on your birthday,” he almost growls. 

“Like what?” you find yourself asking breathlessly. 

But before he can answer, Soldier Boy steps away, putting distance between you. You’re not sure why, maybe you’ve said the wrong thing, but then you hear your mother approaching, and you realise that’s probably why. You try to regain your composure, especially when your dad also comes back into the room carrying a mug of coffee for the supe. Your mother parks your grandfather in his usual spot when you all sit together in the living room, and your father places the mug down in what has always been considered the best seat in the room. 

“Please, Soldier Boy, take a seat, make yourself comfortable,” your father fusses. 

“Oh please, David, we can cut the formalities. We’re all friends here, call me Ben.” Ben flashes you a wink and you find yourself biting back a giggle. He takes a seat and your father and mother slot beside him, your mother closest to your grandfather to assist him. “You too, sweetheart,” he encourages, patting the space the other side of him on the L shaped couch. 

You take a deep breath, not sure how you’ll cope being so close to him without being able to touch him, and take your seat, almost as close as you’d been on the couch at his party. But this time his full attention isn’t on you, and you find yourself feeling jealous. Soldier Boy produces a flask. 

“Don’t mind, do you? I’ve had one hell of a day,” he laughs slightly. 

“Of course not, why not have some of my bourbon? It’s actually from your era,” your father rushes to his liquor cabinet, reaching for the bottle he has only ever gotten out once before; when his father died. He’s quick to show the supe the bottle, and Ben smiles, nodding his head. 

“Looks great, thanks pal.” He holds up his mug and your father pours a generous amount in, and you watch the supe take a long swig. “I think we’re all going to get along real good,” he nods, flashing you yet another wink. 

Another few weeks pass, and yet again, you find yourself unable to sleep, thinking about Ben and when you might see him again. He’d called in one or two nights since his first visit, but each time you’ve not had a moment alone, which has only made things worse. To have him so close but to feel like he’s so far away. To have to share his attention with the rest of your family is torture. But maybe it’s for the best, it’s still two weeks until your birthday. Two weeks until Ben will officially make you his like he’d promised. You’d always been excited to turn eighteen and become a legal adult, but now you’re counting down the days more obsessively than ever. The longer it goes on, the more you want to be Ben’s and only Ben’s forever. 

You find yourself tossing and turning like most nights, thinking about the supe and what your life with him might look like in ten years time. You think about your birthday and what that means for the two of you, and you find your hand wandering down your body, between your legs slowly. But a knock at your window snaps your hand away, and you jump out of bed. Throwing the curtains open, you find the supe himself clinging onto your window ledge. You open the window and stand back, completely speechless that he’d climbed up the side of your house and knocked on your window like in those romance movies. Once he lands softly on his feet inside your bedroom he smirks slightly, his eyes casting over your room. 

“What are you doing here?” you whisper, the excitement clear in your voice.

“I couldn’t stay away, baby girl, I’ve missed you,” he confesses. You notice his eyes glancing over your body, and you remember you’re only in sleep shorts and a tank top. “Fuck, when’s your birthday again?” he breathes out. 

“Two weeks today,” you tell him, biting your bottom lip, that arousal you’d been feeling only getting stronger with the way he’s looking at you.

“That feels like such a long time,” he sighs, “but it’ll be worth the wait, I know it will.” 

He steps closer to you regardless, and you reach for his hand, daring to place it on your waist. “Are you sure you can’t kiss me before then, just once?” you ask bravely. 

Soldier Boy chuckles softly, leaning down to bring his lips closer to yours. But he stops, just before he can kiss you. “I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself.” 

You feel the disappointment swell inside you. You want to tell him you don’t care if he doesn’t stop, but you realise it’s him taking the risk not you, so you swallow hard and accept his decision. 

“Maybe I should stay away until your birthday,” he sighs. 

“Come to my party?” you ask, sounding more needy than you’d hoped. “Please? We can sneak off and maybe we can finally…” you trail off, not sure on the right words. You bite your bottom lip, knowing that he’ll know what you mean, anyway, and he smirks slightly. 

“Well I do have a birthday gift to give you, so I guess I’ll be here. But I can’t show my face among the other guests. So you’ll have to meet me up here, okay?” He asks. “Don’t tell anyone, I don’t want the press to get here and ruin your party.” 

You nod, smiling slightly at his consideration, and lean into his touch when he cups your face with his hand. 

“Okay, it’s a date,” he agrees, before slipping away and back out of the window.