It had just gone past nine p.m. and Homelander was still in Victoria's apartment. He was sat on her bed, a gap between the two of them, the laptop still on her bed and playing the TV show. She had gone into the kitchen and made a cup of herbal tea, only nodding at Daniella and making small talk as she made her dinner. Michelle had text them to say that she was heading to the library after her gym class. Daniella had typed into the group chat, informing her that she was missing out on quite the evening at home. Victoria had rolled her eyes at the comment and left her phone in the kitchen before moving back to her bedroom with the two mugs of tea, handing one to Homelander and then moving to her previous position on the bed. She held the mug in between her hands tightly.

"You know that you don't need to stay," Victoria told him and he looked so out of place in his suit, sipping on the tea she had made. She had no idea what she should be doing, but she had a feeling that she could tell him that he wasn't forced to stay with her. "I really don't want you to piss Madelyn off."

"Believe me, she'll get over it," Homelander told her and Victoria bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before she asked him what had been bugging her.

"What's the deal with her?" she asked and Homelander looked intrigued then, watching her take another sip of her tea. She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, like she wasn't that interested. But she was. She wanted to know because she couldn't work her out. "I get she's super important in Vought, but I guess I just don't know about her. Like, Ashley, I get her game. She's manic and work-obsessed. She cares about her job."

Homelander laughed at that. She had Ashley down to a tee. But Madelyn, well, how did Homelander admit to her that he didn't entirely know what went on with the woman who had been his boss for so many years. Not only was she his boss, but she was also his occasional lover, promising to take care of him and he needed that. He needed her to take care of him, but there were times when he wondered if that was what she was doing or if she was just using him for her own gain. He didn't know.

"You've got Ashley's number," he said and placed his mug down on the bedside table before adjusting himself against the pillows, hands resting on his stomach. He looked to her, a smile on his face that seemed almost teasing. "What's your take on Madelyn?"

"I asked you first," she responded.

"Well, I know what I think," he said. "But I'm interested in a fresh perspective."

"You promise that it goes no further than this room?" she asked from him and he held his hand up, the smile remaining on his face.

"Scout's honour."

"Were you even in the scouts?"

"No, but does that matter?"

"Kind of, yes," Victoria said. "So swear on something that means something to you."

"Fine, your life."

"I said something that means something to you." She scoffed at him and he shrugged.

"Hey, my polling is great and, besides, I don't want to see a statue of you outside of the building every time I go outside," he said and he watched her as she laughed at him, unable to stop herself from tilting her head back. He'd gotten used to the noise of her real life and not the fake one she had whenever they were in public. It was loud and tinkling, but she often ended up trying not to snort towards the end. Was this the kind of thing he should be paying attention to?

"Fair enough," Victoria said to him with a nod. "Well, I guess I find her quite unnerving. I just don't know if I can entirely trust her and that if I do something out of line…well…I get the feeling she'd just get rid of me."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Homelander said. "She hasn't got where she is today from being nice."

"Perhaps not, but has she got there through other methods? I don't know, I just think of how she treats you…like you're nothing but a ticket to a high performance for her. This entire fake dating? You never wanted it, but she bulldozed the idea."

"She just looks out for me," Homelander defended her. He wasn't going to turn on Madelyn. Victoria nodded. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wondering if she had misspoken on the matter. She held onto her mug in between her bent knees and her chest. "She does what she can to make sure I stay as popular as I need to be."

"Alright," Victoria said with another sip of her drink. "I just don't think I'd want a boss who makes me do things I don't want to do, and I'm not talking just boring work stuff…but something that impacts how I live. But, you know her better than I do and so if you trust her then that's the most important thing."

"Being a supe isn't easy," Homelander said with a shake of his head. "Being part of the Seven is even harder, so it means we need to make decisions that we're not always comfortable with."

"Fair enough," Victoria said.

"Besides, I wouldn't say that this is the worst thing I've had to do. I've fake dated before and it's been ten times worse than this," he scoffed, recalling back to his early twenties when he had first come on the scene. He seemed to have gotten Victoria's attention though. Her eyes seemed to light up and she moved to kneel on the mattress, making it bounce slightly, the TV show completely forgotten.

"Oh really?" she asked. "You have to tell me what went on there."

"I didn't take you as a gossip."

"Not usually, but I'm intrigued," she responded. "Please, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Swear on something important," he echoed back to her.

"On your life," she said.

"I said something important."

Her lips picked up into a sly smile. "You're getting me six million dollars, remember?" she teased him and he laughed, the noise deep and echoing through her room. Nodding, he pointed in her direction.

"Very good," he said and she tilted her head, giving him a look with her big wide eyes and he relented. "So, I ended up dating Jennifer Johnson for five months when I was about twenty-four," he confirmed to her and her mouth dropped open even wider.

"The Oscar winning actress?"

"That would be the one," Homelander said. "She wasn't quite as pleasant as the cameras made out and she was also a total drug addict. I mean, she would have coke for breakfast, lunch and dinner if she could get away with it. We lived together at her place, which, I'm not joking, had some secret sex dungeon."

"What?" she shrieked, her voice high-pitched. She almost spilled her tea over the rim of the mug as she clasped it in her hands on her lap. "You have to be kidding? How does no one know about any of this?"

"Well, I think she cleaned up her act," Homelander said. "With the coke, not so much the sex dungeon. She still has massive orgies every year and always invites me still, not that I ever attend. Not quite my scene."

"It makes me shudder," Victoria said. "But glad she got the help she needed. Who else was there?"

"Well, there was Bethany Walters, the model. We lasted about four months, but she ended up cheating on me with some male model in Italy. My poll numbers boosted then when they found out I was the jilted lover," Homelander continued. "And then, obviously, there was Maeve…but that…well…that was a bit more real."

"Yeah, I mean…I'm sorry…Maeve seemed nice when I met her today."

"It's fine," he waved a dismissive hand and made a move to stand up, well aware that he had to get going and see Madelyn and he didn't want to rehash his past with Maeve. "I suppose that I better get going."

"Oh, right, yeah," Victoria said and she moved to her feet, placing her mug down next to his. "I'll walk you out then."

She had to admit that a part of her was deflated at him going. She didn't audibly say that. She just pulled her green dress down her thighs while Homelander observed her. She was a head shorter than he was, giving his a good viewpoint to drink in everything about her features, including the disappointed look on her face. Had she been enjoying her time with him?

"I really hope that you don't get into trouble with Madelyn for staying with me," Victoria said, the two of them leaving her room and she had to admit that she was grateful for an empty kitchen. Daniella must still be in her room, working on her thesis or some brief. "It's been nice, well, I mean I think it's been nice anyway."

"Yeah," was all he offered her and she picked up her apartment keys, not bothering to put her heels back onto her feet. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"So…I guess I'll see you tomorrow? What with it being Saturday and Madelyn having arranged for us to attend some fundraiser together," Victoria said and Homelander nodded. He knew what she was talking about.

"I'll come and pick you up. I'll be here an hour before we have to be there."

"Why so early?" Victoria wondered and they headed down the steps side by side.

"Well, we have one episode left, don't we?" he checked. "May as well finish it off. It would be a waste."

Victoria looked confused as they came to the foyer and she opened the main front door, the cool night air making her shudder as Homelander stepped onto the sidewalk and she remained on the step, holding the door open behind her with her body, not letting it shut. Homelander stood before her, hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"You want to watch Netflix again?"

"I hate the idea of leaving something half-finished," he informed her and she didn't know if he was being serious or if he had some ulterior motive. Had he actually enjoyed talking with her? Was that what had just happened and he wasn't prepared to admit it? "I'll see you tomorrow at five."

"Sounds good," Victoria said with a soft smile that he couldn't stop himself from returning.

"You should get back inside. It's quite cool out here," he motioned back to her building and she waved to him before turning around. He remained where he was, watching her. But before the door closed, she stopped it and looked at him once more.

"Thank you…for tonight," she said earnestly. "I think this might have been the best fake-date we've had."

"And it wasn't even in the schedule," he said and Victoria chuckled.

"True," she said.

"And…good job on today," he said to her and she kept hold of the door, both hands curled around it as she leant against it.

"Is that my compliment for the day?" she asked him and he nodded, the smirk moving to his face.

"Guess I owed you one without being in front of a camera."

"And you're nothing if not consistent," she responded. "Night, Homelander," she said and closed the door, leaving him alone. He watched her head to the staircase again, carrying her keys in her hand. She looked back outside for a brief moment, catching his eye once more and waving goodbye again.

"Night, Victoria," he said to no one, hands on his hips before he took off and prepared to go and find Madelyn, ready to face her wrath because it didn't matter to him; not after the night he'd had.

…

"Where have you been?"

He had expected the inquisition as soon as he stepped foot in Madelyn's office. The lamps were burning low and she was sat on her couch, laptop open on her lap and her eyes fixed on the screen. She didn't look up to him, clearly making her annoyance obvious with his inability to follow her order.

"With my girlfriend. I thought that would please you," Homelander said and Madelyn looked to him, eyes narrowing and glaring in his direction. He shrugged and dropped down onto the couch across from her, recalling Victoria's words to him earlier about Madelyn.

"Are you sleeping with her?" Madelyn asked.

He chuckled darkly, tossing his head back and his blonde hair swaying on the top of his head. "Wow," he drawled lowly, gaze meeting hers once more. "That's a bit of a personal question, isn't it?"

"It's not in the contract and I don't want any repercussions coming back at us," Madelyn said and Homelander wagged his finger at her.

"I think you're jealous," Homelander said to her and she closed her laptop, slipping it off to the side and leaning forwards, hands resting in her lap. Her face scrunched up and he could tell that she was upset. He mirrored her movements, leaning forwards and watching her, waiting for her to say something.

"Do I have anything to be jealous about?" she queried from him, uncertain on what she was thinking at that moment in time. If his attention was elsewhere then perhaps she might have more space to breathe. But if his attention was on Victoria then that meant she had less control. She had less control over him and that was a worry.

But Homelander didn't answer her. He stood up from the couch and looked out of the window, heading towards it. His silence was even more concerning than his taunts. Madelyn turned her head over her shoulder and watched him. This wasn't going to plan. She had forced him to fake date people before, but he always came back to her. He always came back.

"Do you care about her?" Madelyn pushed him further.

The only time she had felt her grip on him slip had been when Queen Maeve had started dating him, but again, her grip had loosened, but it had still been there. She didn't want to lose control of him and it seemed that Victoria Anderton might be becoming a problem. Moving to her feet, Madelyn sought to regain control of the situation. Heading to him, she stood by his side, looking out over the city before her, a hand going to his shoulder, running down his upper arm as she pressed her front to his side.

"I thought that this wasn't something you wanted," Madelyn declared, her voice dropping lower than usual. "Victoria…it's not real with her, remember? Whatever she might be saying to you, you can't trust her. She's being paid to be your girlfriend. She's a user. She's just getting her claws into you."

Homelander turned his face to the side for another moment, his jaw clenched and eyes closing. He exhaled a sharp breath as Madelyn's hand ran down his torso and he knew what was going to happen.

"It's you and me against everyone, remember?" Madelyn told him. "I've always looked after you. I've always protected you. You know that. You know exactly what we are."

His breath hitched as her hand palmed against his crotch and he tried to relax as he had done numerous times before. But he couldn't. There was nothing relaxing about this situation. He looked down to her and her free hand cupped his cheek, soothing him. She guided his face lower, their foreheads brushing as her lips remained inches from his.

"I have you, baby," she whispered to him. "I always have you," she mumbled before finally kissing him and regaining control.

…

Victoria had spent the following day rushing around and trying to get her errands done before the fundraiser that night. Vought were involved in a number of charities and tonight's was to help raise money for a children's hospital. There was a glitzy gala with an auction taking place, something that Victoria didn't know if she could handle. But it turned out that she had been handling more than her fair share of unprecedented events.

She'd gone and stocked up on food for the week before doing her washing and hanging it over the airer. She'd gone out again to return some books to the library before rushing back once more to the apartment. Stepping into the foyer of the building, she found Michelle by the mailbox.

"Anything for me?" Victoria questioned her, coming up behind her and dropping her chin onto her friend's shoulder as Michelle turned her head around and looked to her.

"Not in here," Michelle said, "but that has your name on it."

Victoria followed her gaze down to the large box against the row of mailboxes. Victoria frowned and bent down, moving to it and checking she was right. That did have her name on it. It was a large, rectangle brown box. She had no idea what it was. She hadn't ordered anything and she definitely would have remembered ordering something as big as that.

"I have no idea what this is," Victoria said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out what it is," Michelle said. "I'll give you a hand dragging it up."

Michelle picked up one end of the box and Victoria grabbed the other, the two of them hauling it up the steps and coming to the landing of their apartment. "Well, it's pretty heavy," Michelle continued and they set it down as Victoria pulled her apartment keys from her jean pocket. She unlocked the door and they slid the box into the apartment. Daniella was sat on the couch, a docket next to her, but she was playing on her phone.

"What's in the box?" Daniella wondered as Michelle kicked the door shut with a trainer clad foot.

"Hopefully not Gwyneth Paltrow's head," Michelle called back and dropped her backpack onto the floor by the door, tugging on the loose vest top she wore under her large cardigan and tucked into her black jeans.

"Think the box might be a bit too big for that," Daniella said, tossing her phone off to the side before Victoria went to the kitchen for a pair of scissors.

"Agreed," Michelle said. "I have no idea what it is, but it's been sat in the foyer for the past hour while I've been out. It's for Vic."

"Well now I'm intrigued," Daniella said.

"You're not the only one," Victoria said and she began cutting the tape from the brown box, peeling it back. Michelle helped her and soon enough the brown cardboard shell was gone, slid off to the side. Inside of it was another white box, but this time she knew exactly what it was as it was advertised in large letters on the box. Her eyes widened as they all looked to it, standing back and looking down onto it.

"Shit," Michelle said. "You bought us a TV?"

"Jesus, Vic, how much did this cost?" Daniella said.

"I didn't buy it," Victoria said. "I haven't made a drunk purchase in months. This isn't me."

"Well, is there a note or something?" Michelle wondered and dropped down at the waist to look into the box. She came out victorious with a white piece of A4 paper. Looking to it, she read what it said. "'Because you deserve to watch your shitty shows on a big TV.' What does that even mean?"

"He…fuck…shit…" Victoria mumbled to herself and continued to watch the television as she tossed the scissors onto the coffee table. Her eyes focused on it intently and her hands dropped to her waist. Her two friends seemed to come to a conclusion on what was happening. It took a moment or two before Daniella spoke, saying what they were all thinking.

"Homelander?" she questioned. "Homelander bought you a television?"

"Shit," Michelle said in a whisper.

"He stayed late last night and we were watching that lawyer show on Netflix," she said and went to sit down on the couch, eyes still fixed on the TV in the box. "It was weird, but we just sat there and talked…like he was actually interested in a conversation…"

"And now he's bought you a TV," Michelle said. "Shit, Vic, does he actually, you know, like you?"

"Absolutely not," Victoria said with a firm shake of her head. Daniella came and sat down next to her, Michelle on her other side, the three of them still staring at the box as if it was some big mysterious item. But it wasn't. It was just a TV. "He tolerates me and I think that's as good as I am going to get. This is just him probably…I don't know…"

"Vic, I can't even get a guy to buy me a drink at the bar these days," Michelle deadpanned.

"And that is why I am so happy me and Georgina are going steady," Daniella declared. "But I think if she bought me a TV this early into the relationship…well…I think it might be a sign."

"There's no sign," Victoria said firmly. "He is just being nice, probably because I did so well in the interview."

"You know that's not true," Michelle said. "He's coming here early tonight to watch TV with you again. I think the issue is that he's never had a normal relationship. He's always dated movie stars…models…never some plain, ordinary girl."

"I'm plain and ordinary?" Victoria asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Honey, you're anything but ordinary, but you get what I'm saying, right?" Michelle said. "He doesn't know how to do normal and I think that this is a novelty for him. I think that…maybe…he doesn't entirely hate it and this is his way of showing you that."

"She might have a point," Daniella concurred on that point with her friend. "I don't think he sees you as a novelty, but I do think he might actually struggle with ordinary, even an ordinary relationship, because nothing about his life has been ordinary."

"I don't want to be a novelty," Victoria said, shaking her head. "I just want…I don't know. I don't know what I want."

"Do you like him?"

"No," Victoria said quickly and she shook her head and then flopped further back against the couch, head tilting back. "Yes…maybe…I don't know," she confessed. "I like him when he's not being cruel or sneering at me because he's got some wall up. I like him when we just have normal conversation…but no…I don't like him like that, not really. I know he's attractive and I'm not denying that. I guess, maybe, we could be friends if he just actually let himself have a friend."

"That's how it always starts," Daniella reminded her.

"I just think that it's pointless hypothesising when he won't even admit to me how he really feels," Victoria decided on saying. "And, speaking of him, I really should go and get ready for this fundraising thing. He's going to be here in an hour."

"Just be careful, Vic," Daniella urged her.

"That's all we're asking," Michelle tacked on.

Victoria forced herself to smile and climbed out from in between them to her feet, spinning around and walking backwards to the bathroom. "Always am," she said, her friends exchanging hesitant looks when she was gone.

…

Knocking on her door at exactly five p.m., Homelander pretended he hadn't just spent the past ten minutes pacing in the foyer, wondering what was going on with him. He had spent the previous night predominately in Madelyn's office, his head on her lap as she spoke to him. But he remembered everything Victoria had said to him. He remembered her words about feeling suspicious of Madelyn and he began to wonder if she maybe had a point. The way Madelyn spoke, trying to warn him away from Victoria, felt a bit too controlling to him. He would do what he wanted and, what he wanted, was to go and see her.

"She's just getting ready. She's been stressing over how to do her hair for about half an hour."

The woman who answered the door wasn't the same one he had met the night before. She was taller with blonde, straight hair that was hanging loose around her shoulders and down her back. She was extremely attractive, he wasn't going to deny that. She was lithe and dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but there was an unavoidable beauty to her. She was like classic Hollywood. She took a moment to step back from the door, holding a glass of white wine in her hand, condensation dripping down the stem.

"I imagine she looks stunning regardless," Homelander said, instantly becoming the self that the cameras saw.

"Oh, you're a charmer," she said and he chuckled.

"Just being honest," he said and she closed the door behind him. "You must be Michelle, right?"

"One and only," she said and offered him her hand. She was confident. He could see that. He shook her hand softly before dropping it. "She said to go through to her room. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I'm good," he responded, holding his hands up and turning on the megawatt smile. "I should go and see her."

"You should," Michelle said.

He began to walk through the apartment, smirking at the TV that had been set up on the cabinet. He chuckled. "Nice TV," he commented.

"Yeah, Vic's secret admirer sent it," Michelle said and he turned his head over his shoulder to glance back at her, the smirk still on his face as she shot him a look. It clearly was a look that told him that she was watching. Her friends were protective, he knew that. He found it quite funny considering he could cut them down in seconds if he wanted to.

Coming to Victoria's door, he knocked once before hearing her tell him to come in. He stepped into the room and saw her sat on the floor in front of a tall mirror that was propped against the wall. She had hair curlers in her hand, pieces of her hair picked up and pinned back. She had on the long plum dress that Vought had sent her. It clenched in at the waist and fell in soft swathes to her feet, pooled around her lap. The neckline was conservative, with white lace detailing on the collar. She turned to look to him, unsurprised that he was dressed in his usual outfit.

"Hey," Victoria said. "I'm nearly done. I just need to finish curling my hair."

"Fine with me," he said to her and headed to sit down at the bottom of her bed, finding the teddy bear that was perched there. He picked it up in his hands, looking down at its matted brown fur and noting that it had an eye missing. "Bit too old for stuffed animals, aren't you?" he checked with her.

"It's the only thing I have of my childhood. My brother gave me it," she told him and he continued watching it.

"Do you not talk to your brother?" he enquired.

Shaking her head, she curled another strand of her hair. "No," she said to him and he picked up on her tone. She wanted that to be the end of it, but he was persistent.

"Is he older or younger?"

"Older," she replied, staring into the mirror. "I haven't seen him in over ten years. The last time I saw him…I was at university…and I told him that I was fine and didn't want to see him again. He's respected me enough to follow through with that."

"Why do you not want to see him?" he continued to push her.

"I…can we not do this right now when we have to go out soon?" she asked, meeting his gaze in the mirror. He dropped the bear to the side once more and nodded politely. She smiled at him then and finished curling her hair, placing the tongs onto the heatproof mat at the side of her.

She stood up, the gown tumbling down her legs and she straightened it out, turning to the side and looking herself up and down, hands running down her stomach as she stood up straight and breathed in. "I should thank you," Victoria said and he wondered when she might bring it up. "You didn't need to buy the TV."

"Well, I figured it was better than watching TV on that laptop," he said, pointing to it on the desk. "You need a new one of those, by the way. Its fan sounds like it's going to take off at any minute."

"I've had that since my undergrad days. There is nothing wrong with it," Victoria defended herself. She picked up her red clutch bag that they had sent her to match the dress, dropping her phone into it and then tossing it onto the bed.

Homelander scoffed. "Believe me, there is everything wrong with it," he responded. "But at least that TV is a start. You need to spend Vought's money better…besides, if we are fake dating for another six months then I'm not watching those shows on a tiny screen."

"Well, lucky for you, Michelle and Daniella set it up while I was getting ready," she said to him and began to head to the doorway. "And we still have fifty minutes before we need to go so that means we can get the final episode done."

Homelander watched her throw him a smile over her shoulder and he dutifully followed her out to the sitting room, ready to try and spend another fifty minutes figuring out his own mind.

…

"I still can't believe that the husband did it," Victoria said.

They were stood on the upper platform of the sixtieth floor in Vought Towers by the window, overlooking the entire city that had been bathed in darkness, the lights beneath twinkling. Homelander passed Victoria a glass of champagne that he had picked up from a passing tray. He had been on the full charm offensive that night, laughing and joking with people who spoke to them. Victoria remained by his side, following the entire script and trying to be charming. After an hour and a half of socialising, Victoria had snuck off to the bathroom and had returned to the upper level, needing just another moment of peace.

"It was so obvious it was him," Homelander retorted to her, arms folding across his chest. "Why would it not be the husband?"

"Because he was so convincing," Victoria said, pushing her hair behind her shoulder and sipping on the champagne. "I honestly didn't understand how it could have been him. Did you see how he acted in court?"

"The key word there is acting," he retorted to her and she scoffed. He had a point on that. She rolled her eyes and nodded. He was right. "Anyone can be convincing when they're acting. Look at you, you've managed to survive a gaggle of people fawning over you all night without rolling your eyes once when I know you'd rather be working in the library."

Victoria nudged him in the ribs with her elbow as she turned to look out over the city. Homelander chuckled and stood slightly behind her, his arm brushing against hers. She was acutely aware of him being so close, knowing that if she leant back slightly she would be pressed up against his front. He knew she knew it too, judging by the way her heart was hammering in her chest.

"Is that all you think I do?" Victoria wondered, sipping on her drink once more. "Work and sleep and watch TV?"

Homelander shrugged, eyes set down on her. "I don't know," he said to her.

"Because…I mean you're not entirely wrong some weeks," she replied. "But I do other stuff. I bake. I run. I actually enjoy going around museums and art galleries too. There's more to me than what you think."

"I never said there wasn't," he said.

"Just like I know there's more to you," she replied, "and I'm not getting into it tonight, but if you ever do want to, then you know where I am."

Homelander continued to watch her as she stared straight out of the window, almost as though she was worried about looking at him and seeing his reaction. But she shouldn't be because, for once, he wasn't actually annoyed with her. For once he didn't mind what she was saying because a part of him had wondered if he could have it all: if he could have what he craved more than anything else and it wouldn't make him weak: unconditional love.

"You know," Homelander said, "in my life, all I've ever known is people who want something from me to help themselves…never to try and help me."

"I get it," Victoria promised him and she turned her gaze up to meet his. He slowly picked his hand up, wondering what he was doing before his gloved hand swept into her hair. He pushed it back from her face, his fingers holding her cheek as he kept them there and she wondered precisely what he was doing.

"You're an enigma to me, Victoria Anderton," he confessed and he found himself wanting to do nothing more than lean down and inhale the rose scent of her perfume even more. He wanted to figure her out. He wanted to know everything about her. And, judging by the way her breathing grew even more shallow, she wanted it too.

"Not interrupting, am I?"

Homelander stood up straight and Victoria took a step away from him, the warmth of her body leaving him feeling cold. He forced the smile onto his face as Madelyn made her presence known, dressed in a halter-neck silken red dress. He noted how Victoria tugged on her own dress then. She felt so inferior compared to most of the people in the room; like she didn't belong there and she most certainly didn't belong on Homelander's arm.

"Of course not," Homelander lied, his words terse despite being polite.

"The auction is about the begin and so dinner should be served shortly," Madelyn said. "Homelander, they're asking for you to join the rest of the Seven for a few group snaps before it begins."

"Right," Homelander said.

"I'll bring Victoria down to your table," Madelyn said and he knew that he should go. He remained where he was and Victoria moved a hand to his arm, squeezing it gently and nodding to him, the smile resting on her face.

"I'll see you down there," she said.

Madelyn watched the exchange. Her eyes moving from Homelander's face to Victoria's, seeing how the two of them looked to each other. What was going on in his mind? What was he thinking about? She didn't know and she didn't know how to bring the subject up, knowing how temperamental he could be. He left them alone, cape swinging behind him. Madelyn moved over to Victoria who placed her empty champagne flute down on the table next to her.

"You know, I hear you delayed him last night," Madelyn said to her and Victoria looked slightly sheepish.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," she responded. "We were just talking and he said that you wouldn't mind."

"Did he?" Madelyn queried, the silk slinking around her body as she moved to stand next to Victoria, overlooking the skyline with her. "Well, you know that your relationship with him…it doesn't mean you have to feel like you get involved all the time. You just need to follow the script."

"I know, but I don't mind spending time with him," Victoria promised her on that point.

"Well, just be careful," Madelyn warned her, tone light. She was trying to come across as caring and nurturing, but she hoped that there was some understanding there that she was a serious woman and her word was law. "I don't want either of you catching feelings when this ends in six months' time."

"I'm not-"

"-He's Vought's prized star," Madelyn interrupted and Victoria's eyes widened, wondering exactly what was going on here. What was Madelyn's issue? "He has a job that needs to be done and he really doesn't need any distractions. I just hope you know that."

"I know," Victoria said to her, understanding what she was saying. Madelyn's lips turned up into a forced smile.

"I'm glad you understand," Madelyn said and began to turn around and walk away. But Victoria spoke, unable to stop herself from questioning her. Victoria usually knew when to hold her tongue. She usually knew when she should be quiet. Living with her father had taught her that. But, as things stood, she couldn't. She couldn't stop herself.

"But he's not a puppet," Victoria continued and Madelyn turned back around to look at her, struggling to believe that she was being questioned by her. "Yes, he might be a supe, but I meant what I said in that interview. There is more to him than that and if you don't see that…if he continues to believe that he has no flaws…humanity…then that's dangerous."

"And you think that you're the one to help him?"

"No, probably not," Victoria responded. "But someone should and, if I can do anything to help him, then I want to...because I know…somewhere inside of him…he's desperate for someone to offer him what he's never had in his life."

"And what's that?"

But Victoria shook her head. She began to walk away. "I think you know," Victoria retorted. "But I don't want to talk out of place. I just want you to know that I have his best interests at heart, like we both do."

"Of course," Madelyn agreed.

"I'll see you down there," Victoria said and she headed down the steps, wondering if she might have just ruined the contract, but a part of her didn't care about that, not when there was someone's feelings at risk.

Heading towards the table where she'd been put, she sat down in her seat. It was still empty, all of the Seven on stage and posing for pictures, Homelander in the middle of them. He was beaming, the cameras flashing on him. When he had finished, he raised a hand and jogged down the steps to the table to find Victoria checking her phone. He sat down next to her, an arm going over the back of her chair. She put her phone back in her bag and pushed it to the side of where her cutlery lay. Looking to him, she felt his fingers brush against her shoulder.

"Everything alright?" he asked from her, longing to know what Madelyn had said, but he hadn't been able to hone in on it with his hearing.

"Fine," Victoria promised him. "She just wanted to make sure I was okay with everything."

"And that was it?"

"Yeah," she said, but he knew she was lying. He could see it from the way she was avoiding his eye contact. He moved his other hand to her chin, a finger curling underneath it and tilting her head up, making her meet his eye.

"You can tell me the truth, Victoria," he said to her and he noted the way she swallowed and the smile fell from her face. She nodded and moved a hand to his wrist, pulling it from her skin.

"Later," she simply promised him and he nodded, seeming to be content with that. He kept his arm around the back of her chair as she leant back and Maeve took to sit next to her, talking to her and asking her how she was, being as charming as she could be.

But Maeve continued watching Homelander over Victoria's shoulder as she talked to her animatedly about her research as food was served. She took in the way his arm remained firm around her shoulders, her hair dangling over the back of his limb. His thumb ran around in circles by her shoulder and he would occasionally interject into the conversation. Maeve knew that, at some stage, the time might come when she had to do something to help Victoria because she was acutely aware that she would never survive him in the long run. No one ever did.

….

A/N: So here's another chapter - we're getting a bit deeper into things now and much more to come. I am loving writing this, but there will obviously be more drama to follow. Thank you so much to everyone for their reviews and I hope the updates aren't coming too quickly for you. If they are, just let me know! As per usual, love to read your thoughts/anything you want to see!