Partying, drinking, smoking. Soldier Boy could be doing literally anything else but this: watching you. It was a Friday night, well into the summer by now. There was an endless list of not-so honorable things that Ben could be occupying himself with right now. Yet, he knew it was no use, he worried to much about you to leave.

Ben had met you when he was picked up by The Boys. You were one of the younger members within the group, forced to join the illegal activities due to Hughie being one of your friends. You were a young, pretty thing, and Ben could hardly hold himself back when it came to you.

You could more than protect yourself; Soldier Boy had seen you in action more than once at this point. He couldn't help but worry about you anyway. His anxious thoughts led him to following you to your home one night, and that's where he's been almost every night since.

The window on the west side of the house looked in straight to your bedroom, and you never closed your curtains. Ben saw it all: you changing clothes, sleeping, calling someone on the phone. He managed to watch over you without being spotted for months now. And he prided himself on the fact that he could still be so sneaky all this time later.

Perhaps it should be considered spying, but he liked to call it 'protectful observation'. He just wanted to make sure you were safe in your own home, to make sure that you never had to worry about anyone coming to hurt you. Who knew what someone could do to you if he wasn't there, he never wanted to think about that. Instead, he camped out in the small tree outside the window and watched with a keen gaze.

This evening was particularly different. He was watching you like usual, eyes on your form through the glass before something happened. You had just gotten off the phone, a saddened look on your face as tears began to slip down your cheeks. Ben's eyes widened in worry as he climbed down from his spot and headed to the front door.

Within seconds, he was knocking on the door with a slightly rushed fist, hoping you'd answer. When you finally opened the door, he caught sight of you: glossy eyes, flushed cheeks, runny nose. You had been crying so much over whatever had occurred on the phone.

"Ben? What are you doing here?" You had sniffled, wiping your tears away with a slightly embarrassed look on your face. His own expression softened, before he stepped into your house without any invitation.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He asks lowly, jaw clenching slightly as he took you in. It felt different to be inside instead of outside. But he wouldn't let this opportunity slip, he was inside, and he was here to protect you, as he had been doing.