He sat down and watched her as she slept soundly in bed. She had a cushion underneath her broken leg, resting on her back with the duvet pulled up to her chest. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow and her mouth was slightly parted, soft breaths escaping her. Propping himself onto his side, he had a hand holding his head up and his other hand moved to her cheek, the backs of his fingers stroking along it gently. She began to stir slowly, eyes peeling open and her lips quirking upwards as she woke up and let her head fall to the side to look at him.

"Good morning," he said, his voice deep and low in the morning.

"Morning," she said back to him and closed her eyes once more, the smile remaining on her face. He kept his thumb moving over her cheekbone as her hand reached over her body to hold onto his forearm. "Where did you go last night?"

"Last night?" he asked, shifting closer to her and she nodded.

"I woke up and you weren't here," she said to him and he moved his hand from her cheek, pushing it under her body and wrapping it around her shoulders. She moved her head to his shoulder, her nose brushing against his neck. "I wondered if you'd gone for a walk again."

"I just needed some air," he said to her. He would tell her about Becca at some point in the future. "And you were sleeping soundly. How are you feeling this morning, anyway?"

"Good," Victoria said to him with a nod of her head. "I quite like the idea of having a few weeks away to heal. I do need to speak with my boss though. I guess I need to push the start date of my job back a bit."

"I would say so," Homelander said to her. "But that is something you can think about later on. For now, I do believe I should be getting up, making you breakfast in bed and doing exactly what you want. It is the birthday girl's prerogative to have her way."

Her eyes opened again and she peered up at him, the smile widening on her face. "You remembered," she said and she hoped he wasn't bothered by her morning breath as she struggled to hold back her glee. She'd told him once when her birthday was. But he'd remembered. Well, either he'd remembered or Vought had told him.

His own smile remained on his face. "How could I forget your birthday?" he said to her. "Daniella and Michelle made me pack their presents for you. I have them hidden upstairs. So, I have a plan to make pancakes for breakfast and then we are going to do anything you want."

"You know, you're the best boyfriend," Victoria said to him and he chuckled at that, lowering his face to hers so that he could kiss her sweetly. He kept the pecks chaste and tender, feeling her hand move along his bare chest and down to his torso. He pulled back after a moment as she dipped to his hipbone and his brow arched.

"You're supposed to be resting."

"Last I checked, it was my leg that was broken and nothing else," Victoria said to him and he inhaled sharply as he felt her hold him in her hand. He tilted his head back and a groan escaped him and Victoria kissed his neck softly. He wanted to tell her that it was her birthday. She was supposed to be the one receiving, not him. But, he didn't have it in him to stop her. He needed it. He needed the relief after nothing for far too long. And so he let her continue as he panted for breath and she remained content knowing that, despite everything, it was still her who he wanted.

…

Victoria's birthday had been pure bliss for her. She had sat with Homelander on the couch, dressed in her grey shorts and a sweatshirt. He had sat next to her, letting her lean against him with her leg propped up. They'd watched old movies together, Homelander getting her anything she wanted. She'd fallen asleep in the afternoon, taking a nap and resting against him. He'd let her, content just to watch her sleep. She had looked so tranquil and peaceful. A part of him wished that could be how it was forever. A part of him wanted to keep Victoria in the cabin, away from the real world where he knew people would never stop trying to break them apart. Life was so quiet and harmonious when they were away from the city.

But he had a job to do. He'd managed to take two weeks away from Vought, ignoring most of the calls coming from Ashley. He didn't care what she wanted, not really. He had promised Victoria his full time and devotion and that was what he gave her. It was six weeks after they returned from the cabin when Victoria's leg was deemed strong enough for her to try and put weight on it.

"You're sure it's not too soon?" Homelander questioned.

They were in the Vought medical centre in the Tower. Victoria had her cast removed and was struggling not to feel too unattractive with her leg being completely hairy. She was acutely aware that whenever she had been with Homelander, she had either shaved or waxed. She would often scoff, wondering just how feminist it was of her to do that for a man, but it made her feel just as good.

"She needs to get going eventually. It's going to take her a few weeks before she's back to normal," Doctor Jacobs commented, a strand of grey hair flopping into his face as he took hold of her ankle and made her bend her leg. "How does it feel?" he asked her.

"Stiff," she said to him. "And it only hurts a bit, not too much."

"As to be expected," Jacobs said and nodded his head. "Right, let's get you moving."

He helped Victoria move to the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off the bed. He moved his hands out to take hold of her, her own fingers wrapping around his forearms. She kept weight on her good leg to begin with before daring to put more on her other one. She took in a deep breath, inhaling sharply and he helped her take a step forwards. She was slow and steady, cautious not to do too much. She'd been doing exercises for weeks to get to this point, but it still felt like she had a long way to go. Jacobs walked backwards, his eyes downcast and focused on her gait.

"You alright?" Homelander asked her, his arms folded over his chest. He stood back and watched intently.

"Yeah," Victoria said to him, nodding her head.

"You're doing well," Jacobs said to her. "Now, I need you to try and walk on your own."

Victoria nodded and he moved further from her, her hands leaving his forearms. She stood there, still not putting too much weight on her bad leg. But she knew she had to. She took a step forwards and Homelander was in front of her in an instant, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to do it. His arm went around her waist as she struggled to step and he held her up. She moved a hand to hold onto the arm that had stretched in front of her and he looked to her and then glared over to Jacobs.

"I told you it was too fucking soon," he snapped at him and Victoria squeezed his arm.

"It's alright," she said to him, not sure why he was getting too irate over it. She had to move eventually. "I need to get going."

"He shouldn't be making you do anything that might set you back," Homelander said, looking between the two of them once more, his gaze finally settling on Jacobs and the glare intensified. "I want another doctor."

"Homelander, sir, that's not necessary-"

"-I decide what is and isn't fucking necessary," he snapped back and Victoria almost felt embarrassed by the way he was acting. She didn't need him acting like this, despite the fact that he obviously had her best interests at heart. "And she almost face-planted the floor because of your incompetence."

"Hey," Victoria said, trying to calm him. Her grip remained firm on his arm. He looked down to her and saw how her eyes were scrunched up, frown lines on her forehead. "It's fine. Doctor Jacobs is right. He knows best."

"I'm not convinced on that," he said, but his tone didn't sound as angry.

"I mean, this is bound to be difficult, right? I haven't used my leg in weeks. I need to start somewhere…and I guess it's only logical that I'd nearly hit the deck the first time I tried," Victoria continued to tell him. "I just need practice."

"She's right," Jacobs said quickly. He might be authoritative and commanding in his profession, but he still had a fear of Homelander. Of course he did. The man was quite terrifying. Homelander took him a few more moments before he let out a deep breath.

"See?" Victoria said to him. "It's just a timing thing."

"It better be," Homelander said and then glowered over at Jacobs once more. "Because if you hurt her again then I will make sure you never work again."

"I won't," Jacobs said quickly. "Perhaps that's enough for today? I would suggest going home and trying to practice just walking short distances. Hold onto a crutch if you need, but do what you can to get weight on that leg."

"I will," Victoria said, smiling to him and overcompensating in friendliness for Homelander's rude behaviour. "Thanks, Doctor Jacobs."

He left the large room then. The physio room was practically a large space with a wooden floor, gym equipment dotted around. Jacobs footsteps echoed as he walked away and Victoria waited until the door was closed before she sighed and turned to look up to Homelander once more.

"What was that?" she demanded from him and he shrugged his shoulders as she used his forearm as a crutch to continue walking through the room and back to the bed.

"He pushed you too much."

"But you didn't need to snap at him like that," Victoria said to him, perching on the bed. "He was just trying to help and I know you have my best interests at heart, but the fact is that he isn't our enemy."

"But he is incompetent."

"I don't think going through years of medical school means you're incompetent," Victoria deadpanned with him on that point. "Just lay off him, okay?"

"Fuck sake," he mumbled.

"John," Victoria complained and he rolled his eyes but held his hands up defensively.

"Fine, I'll leave him," he said to her and took a step back. "But only because you asked."

Victoria rolled her eyes, but nodded contently, happy that she seemed to have calmed him slightly. She went to stand up and made a motion with her hands for him to come closer. He moved to wrap an around her waist and let her use his forearm as a crutch for her to walk forwards, giving her some help.

"Thank you," Victoria said gratefully to him. "Now, can we please go upstairs? Because now that casts off all I want to do is lay in the bathtub and soak."

He chuckled at her, but let her take the lead, walking at the pace best for her as he realised that he needed to try and keep himself calm around her. She didn't appreciate his sporadic outbursts of anger. But it was all for her. Everything he did was for her and her best interests. She'd understand that eventually.

…

It had taken Victoria a few weeks to get back to normal. She had practiced walking and then had started walking short distances. Annie would go outside with her, heading around the Tower's gardens and sitting down in the height of summer and talking about everything and nothing. Homelander had been nothing but attentive. He had actually been the perfect boyfriend, supporting her whenever possible and ensuring that she was doing well.

"I trust you know that you are expected to deliver the speech at Translucent's funeral tomorrow?" Ashely said to Homelander and he nodded his head.

They were sat in the meeting room and going over the talking points that were coming up for the next week. Vought had finally gone public with Translucent's death, claiming that he had been killed while on a top-secret mission. Stan Edgar had signed it off and Starlight had even recorded a song for him. Victoria wasn't going to be in attendance at the funeral. She had started her job at Amnesty and had been working most hours of the day. She would work from home some days, Homelander often walking in and finding her perched at his breakfast bar, typing away or involved in meetings.

"I've got the speech, Ashley," he said to her. He hated how she seemed to feel the need to baby him constantly. It was almost as though she thought he didn't know what he was doing. "Noir killed the Super Terrorist known as Naqib and I talk about Translucent's sacrifice for his country, blah, blah, blah. Do I really need to be here? I know what I'm doing."

"Well, Mr. Edgar just wanted to make sure that everything was well prepared. And is it true that Victoria isn't going to be at the funeral tomorrow?" she continued pushing.

"She's working, Ashley, and it wasn't as if she even knew him."

"But she is your girlfriend," Ashley said to him. "And we need to have a conversation about that too. We ran some polling and you are both still insanely popular," she said, looking down to the sheets of paper she had in front of her on the desk. "However, people are beginning to wonder if you two are okay considering she hasn't done much publicity in the past few months."

"Yeah, because she had a broken fucking leg," Homelander sniped back, a hand going to his forehead and running along it. "She doesn't need to do publicity. She isn't in a contract with me anymore."

"This is true, but people are beginning to wonder about you both…Mr. Edgar…he was wondering if it might perhaps be in your best interest to be seen with her a bit more, you know, just some red carpet appearances or some visits to set when we begin filming Dawn of the Seven?"

Homelander sighed loudly and tilted his head back, glancing to the ceiling. There was a reason why he kept Victoria out of the spotlight. He did it because he felt as though he could keep her to himself for longer by doing that. He knew it wasn't rational. If anyone tried to break them up then he knew what he had to do, but the fact was that he wanted to keep her hidden from cameras.

"I'll ask," he decided on saying.

"And then there is also the fact that Mr. Edgar was wondering when you might be prepared to take the next step?" Ashley said, her voice sounding slightly more tentative at that moment in time. She ran a hand nervously through her hair before glancing to him and seeing how his brows had arched on his forehead. "He just thinks that it might be good if you two confirm that things are-"

"-He wants me to propose to her?" Homelander interrupted.

"Well, we have some great polling numbers on how people would react to it," Ashley said, grabbing hold of her papers and shuffling them anxiously, trying to find the relevant numbers. "Your core base would be thrilled if you did get engaged, you know, that traditional kind of thing…engaged for a year…a big wedding…and then discussion of a family, if possible. But not too soon. You're still doing really well with millennials because of Victoria's strong, independent woman act…having a great job…being well-educated…so we need to consider that as well."

Homelander wasn't going to pretend that he didn't think about proposing to her. He had it in his mind of when he was going to do it and how he was going to do it. But it would be his choice. He wasn't going to let Vought pressure him into it. They had pressured him into so much already, but this was all his. This was what he wanted. He was doing this for him, not the company who he had given so much of his life too but had hardly given him anything back.

"Ashley, I am going to make one thing crystal clear," Homelander told her, voice a low drawl. He held a finger up and noted the way her pulse began to race. "When I propose to Victoria, it will be because I want to. It will be my decision and no one else's. You can tell Edgar exactly that."

"Yes, sir," Ashley said. She wasn't going to argue on that point. Besides, arguing with Homelander never turned out well, as she had seen before.

"Is that all?" Homelander demanded from her.

"That's all," Ashley said to him and he made a move to stand up. "Oh, there's something else, but it can wait until tomorrow. I might have found someone who could be a new member of the Seven."

"Really?" he asked from her, lips curling up and eyes looking to her with a gleam. What did she think she was doing? Did she really think that she had any say who would join the Seven? The Seven was his. It was his decision and no one else's.

"Yeah," she said and she almost looked so proud of herself as she tided things into her document wallet. "But he'll be here in a few days so we can discuss it after the funeral."

"Excellent," Homelander said and walked out from the meeting room, looking to his statue on the wall and then rolling his eyes. He had only recommended Ashley to replace Stillwell because he knew that she would be easy to control. She had no influence over him, not like Madelyn had. He wasn't going to make that mistake again.

Heading back up to the penthouse, he tried not to feel too annoyed with the meeting that had just happened. It was like Vought was trying to take away every decision he could make. When he proposed. Who joined the Seven. Without him, where would they be? They had no idea what he did for them and this was how he was treated? No. He wasn't going to let it stand. Whoever Ashley had chosen to join the Seven, he would veto. He would propose to Victoria when he wanted to, not when they told him to. He made his own choice. He did what he wanted.

Moving into the penthouse, he could hear the TV playing in the kitchen. He smelt the familiar odour of garlic and ginger being cooked and headed into the kitchen. He saw Victoria stood by the stove, stirring a pot of sauce and with pots of spices to her side along with chopped vegetables. But her eyes were fixed to the side on the TV screen. Homelander stood in the doorway and looked to the screen as well.

"People actually made this?" Victoria asked from him.

"You know what they're like," Homelander said to her.

It was a reconstruction of the night Butcher had taken Madelyn hostage. It was badly acted, Homelander wasn't going to deny that. He looked on as the actor playing Victoria shrieked loudly and the one playing Butcher told her to shut up. Victoria shook her head and Homelander reached for the remote on the side and turned it off. Victoria looked away from it and went back to focus on her cooking. Homelander noted the way her shoulders slumped as she added the vegetables to the pan, hearing them sizzle away.

"You don't need to watch that shit, Vicky," he said to her and slipped his gloves from his fingers and went to the fridge. Pulling out the carton of milk, he took a swig of it as she kept stirring, eyes focused on the pan beneath her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not," she said to him and he placed the carton back after a moment. "I just find it pretty horrible that they'd make something like that."

"It's the world we live in," he said to her. "Everything has to be dramatized. Speaking of, there is still talk about a film of us…you know…how we met…what we've been through."

"Really?" Victoria asked from him and she added in the tomatoes, letting the sauce simmer and turning to Homelander. She picked up her glass of wine and took a sip of it. "I thought that idea was completely shelved. I mean, there is no chance that I am going to act. You know I can't act."

"No one is going to make you."

"But then they're going to cast someone to star opposite you which is just weird," Victoria replied and placed her glass back down.

She folded her arms over her chest, crumpling the white shirt she was wearing on her body that was tucked into her slim fitted black and grey checked trousers. The locket Homelander had given her hung on her chest, the top three buttons of her shirt undone and her fingers tracing over it. Homelander leant back against the fridge.

"I guess so," he said to her. "But it's what's popular. They're saying that you can have your pick of who it is."

"But the fact is that I'm going to have to know that you're off to work opposite some hot, talented woman every day and develop chemistry with her."

Homelander looked entertained then. "You're jealous," he observed.

She scoffed. "Of course, I'll be jealous," she said to him. "I'm not sure what girlfriend wouldn't be jealous if she found out her famous boyfriend is going to be acting opposite…I don't know…Emma Stone…Jennifer Lawrence…whatever. I'd like to think I'm secure in our relationship, but yeah, I'm not that secure."

"You don't trust me?"

"I trust you. I just know that you can do infinitely better than me," she said and he sighed.

Moving to her, he took hold of her by the waist, holding onto her firmly. Moving, he made her place her hands on his shoulders when she had no space between them to keep them folded. His arms were firm around her as he lowered his forehead to brush hers.

"I don't want anyone else," he whispered to her. "And you, my darling, are intelligent, very talented and, despite what you think, exceptionally hot."

He saw her blush at that, but her lips picked up into a smirk anyway and he smiled at seeing her. Nodding her head, she knew that they were good. She had faith in them being good. And yes, she put on a confident act when she was working, but in her relationship, well, it was something completely different. How could it not be? She knew that Homelander was way out of her league, but for some reason he wanted her.

"You're far too charming, you know that?"

"Only for you," he said, keeping hold of her as she smiled and swayed in his grip. "Anyway, how was your day? When did you get back?"

"Just an hour ago. I thought I'd make dinner early and I wanted to see you before you went out on patrol tonight," Victoria said. "Plus, we need to talk."

"Oh?" he asked and Victoria nodded, biting down on her lip. She patted his shoulder before escaping his grip for a moment. She covered the pan with the lid and left the spoon to the side. "What's going on?"

"Want to go and sit down for a bit?" she asked him and he felt he had no choice but to follow her through to the sitting room. She perched on the leather couch, folding one leg beneath herself and holding onto the back of the sofa. Homelander sat down, legs spread and hands clasped to his thighs. He turned his upper body to the side to look to her.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"I've…I've been asked to go to Paris for a while for work," Victoria said to him and his brows creased together. He looked at her with slight disappointment and Victoria wondered what she had expected.

"Okay," he said, trying to get his head around what she was saying to him. "What…for a few weeks?"

"Two months," she said to him and he felt as though he had been winded slightly. Two months? Two months without her? How was he supposed to cope with that? "I know it seems a while, but honestly, it's a great opportunity. It's to work on a new UN Directive on Asylum. I mean, I'll practically be living in an office, but they asked me because they know I worked for the UN before. Plus, you can visit whenever you can. You can get to Paris in no time."

That was true. He could get to Paris in no time. But it wasn't as quick as getting back to the penthouse. He waited for her to say something, but he wasn't entirely certain on what he should say. Victoria waited with bated breath for him to speak and tell her how proud he was of her; tell her how he was excited for her. But that didn't seem to be forthcoming.

"Two months is a long time," Homelander simply said to her.

"Not really," Victoria replied. "You'll have work keeping you busy, plus you can see Ryan when you want to and you know that you can come and see me whenever. I want to do this. I want to go to Paris."

Nodding his head thoughtfully, he tried to do what he thought would make her happy. He watched her for a few moments, seeing the look of longing in her eyes. She longed for him to tell her that it was a good decision, that they would be fine. And he knew they would be. Besides, if she was in Paris then there was no chance Butcher could get to her while he was a wanted fugitive.

"If it's what you want then it's what I want," he settled on saying and she finally burst out into a wide smile, her lips arching and her eyes widening. She moved to him, grabbing hold of him and embracing him tightly as he let her straddle his lap, her arms wrapping tightly around him and her forehead pressed to his shoulder. He moved his hands to her back, pressing his palms flat against her and feeling the warmth from where her shirt had ridden up.

"Thank you," Victoria said to him, kissing him once more on the lips.

"But, I do think that we should think about what happens when you return," Homelander said to her and she looked slightly perplexed. "Well, you know, you practically spend all of your time here…maybe…when you come back…you could move in permanently?"

She was shocked then, her lips parting and her forehead crunching as Homelander smiled at her, trying to make out like it was for the best for them if she moved in. He knew that it was. He knew that it was the next logical step, but he hoped that she would agree with him. And as she remained perched in his lap, her hands massaging his shoulders.

"You want to move in together?"

"Yes," he said to her with a nod of his head. "Do you not want to move in together?"

"I mean…I've thought about it," she said to him. "But I just thought that we might move in somewhere else, you know, somewhere new…somewhere we both chose."

"Not here?"

"I just was hoping that we could maybe go somewhere away from Vought," Victoria said to him and he nodded his head, seeming to understand what she was saying. The longer he was around the company, the more he was beginning to understand her point.

"I do get that," he promised her. "But for the time being, I think it's important that I'm here. Eventually, we can have that…the house together…away from this…but I really would like you to move in, Vicky. I want to wake up to you every morning. I want you to clutter my bathroom with your toiletries. I want your clothes to be strewn around my wardrobe. I want to see your textbooks dotted around, open at random pages with sticky notes peering out of them. I want all of that."

She nodded her head, her lips arching. She wanted that too. She wanted to move in with him and it felt like the right time. They had nearly been together a year and it felt right. It felt as it should be. Homelander laughed and pulled her closer as she continued nodding.

"Yes," she said to him. "Yes, I want to move in. I want that too."

She laughed loudly as he stood up and kept hold of her, her legs going around his waist as he spun her around and then kissed her firmly, knowing that things were going to be alright. He would see that they were.

…

"Citizen Starlight."

"Oh, don't."

"You do look super hot on those posters though," Victoria said as she walked alongside Annie's side towards the diner where they had found themselves going most Sunday mornings together. Annie hadn't brought up the party again and Victoria seemed content.

Annie began to wonder if Hughie was wrong with the information Butcher had given him. Butcher had blown up Stillwell. He had done that and Hughie couldn't tell her for certain that it wasn't him. He hoped it wasn't, but there was no proof. Plus, Hughie didn't exactly approve of what Butcher had done by going after Homelander. But the way he had told him about what had happened to his wife had been so genuine. Becca had meant everything to him. Hughie wanted to tell Starlight everything. He wanted to tell her what he knew, but he knew that it was dangerous and he had to protect her.

He was falling in love with her. He knew that and so that meant he had to protect her and that meant not letting her go up against Homelander, no matter if Victoria was at risk. But, from what Annie had said, Victoria wasn't at risk with him. She was happy with him. It was like nothing had even happened. It was like Billy had never told her the truth.

"It's too much," Annie said and they entered the diner, leaving behind the large poster that was plastered on the side of the building. Victoria gave her reservation number and the waitress led them to their usual booth at the back of the restaurant. Settling down, they didn't even open the menu, knowing exactly what they were going to eat. It was the same thing every week.

"I know," Victoria promised her. "But how are you apart from filming that? I saw that music video you did for Translucent."

"Christ, singing that at his funeral was a joke," Annie whispered, content that no one could hear her. "They used it as some publicity thing, not something to be taken seriously."

"Well, I mean, it was ridiculous," Victoria agreed with her. "But you do have a great voice though."

"Years of voice coaching," Annie replied. "And I saw that the script for your new film has gotten the go ahead. Any news on the casting decision?"

Victoria rolled her eyes and leant back. She let her arms drop down by her side and her head leant back against the red leather. "I don't know. I'm leaving it all to Homelander. It's not really anything I want to be involved with. It's just that the script…it's so sickly sweet…almost disgusting. And the title: 'Love in a time of darkness'…fuck me," Victoria finished off. "But it doesn't matter because Homelander has promised me that he's not going to let anything happen that makes us look bad and I'll be in Paris for two months so I get to get away from it for a while. But you have Dawn of the Seven to film first, right?"

"Correct," Annie said to her with a nod. "Although, I'm not really sure how we're going to film it considering the Seven is down Translucent and now Deep."

"And A-Train is still ill."

"Yeah," Annie said, not wanting to tell her about A-Train and how he'd had a heart attack by finding her trying to save Hughie and his friends from Vought. "But they're still going ahead with filming some of the scenes and so I need to get back into acting mode."

"You'll be fine. You're a natural," Victoria assured her. "And if it ever gets too much then you are more than welcome to come to Paris."

"I've never actually been to Europe. I've driven coast to coast here, but never actually gone abroad," Annie said. "So I might genuinely take you up on that offer."

"Definitely," Victoria said. "I have a one-bed apartment in the city centre, courtesy of the UN, but we'd make it work. Plus, I can show you all the sights. I did my Masters degree in Paris and I loved it so much…the galleries…food…it was just perfect. I'm actually kind of excited to go back."

"And Homelander? How did he take the news?"

"Supportive," Victoria said. "I think it came as a shock to him, but he said he'd try and visit most weekends. I know that I should be worried…going away…worried about our relationship, but I'm not. I think we can survive two months, especially when I know I'll still see him. Plus, I've agreed to move in with him when I come back home."

"You have?" Annie checked.

"Yep," Victoria said with a pop of her lips. "I've basically boxed everything up in my apartment and it's ready to go. I mean, I spend all my time at his anyway. Michelle is talking about finishing her PhD and going back home to Chicago for a while and Daniella is talking about moving in with Georgina. I think…maybe…everything is happening at just the right time. It's like the next step."

"And doesn't that scare you?"

"Oh, it terrifies me," Victoria admitted to her. "I'm scared of us leaving that apartment, but I know that what comes next is exciting. Plus, we'll always be friends. I know that."

"Well, it will be great to have you in the Tower all the time," Annie confessed. "From a selfish point of view, anyway."

"Well, I'm always there. Plus, it means that brunch on a Sunday now continues for the foreseeable future," Victoria said to her and Annie smiled at that as the waitress came to take their orders. At least this way Annie would be able to keep a close eye on Victoria. She knew that was important for her because she still had that niggling feeling in her stomach that something was stirring. She just didn't know how big it would be.

…

"Are you all packed?"

"I think so," Victoria called out to Michelle and Daniella. She was in her bedroom, hunched over her suitcase and making sure that she had put everything she needed for her trip inside of it. She had clothes for when fall hit and the weather turned cooler. She had books that she wanted. She looked to the stuffed bear on her bed and considered what to do with it.

She still hadn't thrown it away. She didn't have it in her to chuck it, despite the fact that Billy had given it to her. She had taken most of her clothes from her apartment, leaving her things at Homelander's. She hadn't touched her tight drawer. She hadn't even gone into it because if she had then she'd have found the note that she'd written to herself. It was still there. It was still waiting to be read.

"And everything in your room?" Michelle asked, coming to stand by the door, a mug of tea in her hands. "It looks so empty, Vic."

"I know," Victoria said, still knelt on the ground with her case in front of her. She looked around at all the boxes. The furniture remained considering that it had come with the apartment. Homelander had assured her that he would get her a desk and a bookshelf for the penthouse. He'd even cleared an area she could use as her own workspace. "John…Homelander…" she corrected herself, often finding that she got mixed up. "He said that someone would be round on Thursday to pick all the boxes up and take them back to the Tower."

"Got it," Michelle said. "I'll be here anyway. I think Daniella might be away."

"Daniella will be away."

Moving into the room, Daniella spoke for herself. She was holding a bowl of cereal in her hands, still dressed in her pyjamas after laying in that morning.

"Georgina's booked us into this spa just outside of the city for a few nights to celebrate me handing in my PhD."

"Well, it's a big achievement," Victoria said to her.

"Yeah, both of you have finished and I'm still writing up the final edits," Michelle said.

"I still have the oral examination to do," Daniella said. "So I still technically don't have my PhD, not like someone in this room."

Victoria smiled widely at that. She'd started her job before gaining her PhD considering her injuries had messed everything up. But, that week, she'd taken her final examination and passed. She was officially a doctor of philosophy and it felt amazing. It had all come together just before she flew off to Paris.

"You'll both get there," Victoria said to them. "I just started a few months before you. But you need to let me know as soon as you get a date for the exam," she pointed to Daniella, "and as soon as you hand in," she pointed to Michelle.

"We will, don't worry," Michelle promised her and moved to sit down on the mattress. Reaching for her stuffed bear, Victoria tossed it into the case before shutting it and zipping it up. She stood up and picked it up, extending the handle and looking around her empty room. Daniella stood in the doorway, lounging against the frame with her arms folded.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Daniella checked. "This is the last time all of us are going to be here together. Victoria's leaving…Michelle might be going home…and I've started looking for apartments with Georgina."

"You've actually started looking?" Victoria checked and Daniella nodded, a sad smile on her face. "That's amazing. You'll have to tell us when you find something. This place…I know we'll have nothing but good memories from being here. I'm going to miss it."

"We're going to miss you too," Michelle said. "Have we ever been away from each other for longer than four weeks?"

"Well, two months is basically just eight weeks. I'll be back before you know it," Victoria said and picked up her mac from the end of her bed. Shrugging into it, she pulled her hair from underneath the collar and let it drop down her back. She moved into her satchel, checking she had her boarding pass, passport and work visa along with her laptop, toiletries and a book.

"I should get going," Victoria said.

"Is Homelander taking you to the airport?"

"I told him that I would be fine getting a cab," Victoria said. "We said goodbye last night. I figured it might be easier, but he's on about visiting me this weekend anyway so it's not like we have a lot of time apart…then again…I know what Vought can be like. Things crop up and it's going to be weird not seeing him every day."

"But this is such a good opportunity for you," Michelle said, folding one leg over the other and tightening up her ponytail. She was ready to go for a run as soon as Victoria had left. "And he knows that. Besides, he's so besotted with you, I doubt he'd stay away long. Just count yourself lucky that your boyfriend can fly and doesn't have to pay extortionate prices for a plane ticket."

"Very true," Victoria said and tugged at the waistband of her black jumpsuit she was wearing with her white sneakers. "Right, I really do need to go. It's quite the trek to the airport."

Her friends nodded and Victoria wheeled her case out to the living room, drinking in the apartment on her way. Leaving her keys on the sideboard, she realised she didn't need to take them with her to Paris. Daniella and Michelle helped her carry her case down to the sidewalk, the three of them lugging it along. Once outside the apartment block, Victoria turned to them and tried not to cry. She was only going for a couple of months. It was hardly anything. Her friends would be there for her when she came back. Sniffing, she shook her head and embraced them tightly to her.

"Look after yourself, alright," Daniella said, not caring that she was outside in her pyjamas. "And text us all the time."

"Yeah, you need to keep that group chat going," Michelle said and Victoria squeezed them one final time before spotting a cab. Hailing it, she was grateful when it pulled over and popped the trunk. She picked her case up with Michelle's help and put it in before shutting the lid. Opening the back door, Victoria headed into the backseat, window rolled down.

"I love you both," Victoria said to them.

"We love you too," Michelle said.

"Go and do what you do best," Daniella said with a wink and Victoria blew them a kiss before closing the door behind her.

She waved as she left them behind, trying not to cry until she was out of sight. A few tears escaped her eyes and she was grateful that the cab driver didn't say anything. The drive to the airport took just as long as Victoria had suspected in the traffic. She closed her eyes and waited until they pulled up. Paying the cab driver, she grabbed her case from the trunk and headed into departures. Joining the queue for United, Victoria tapped her foot patiently and pulled her phone from her bag. She checked that everything was still on time and she had the booking for the car when she arrived in Paris almost nine hours later.

"Is that him?"

"Oh my God it is!"

"What is he doing here?"

"He's coming into the terminal, look!"

Victoria heard the whispers grow louder and her brow furrowed before she spotted him. Her brows furrowed and she saw him wave to people, holding his hands up either side of his body to try and keep them away from him as he said hello and smiled. But he had already seen her stood in the queue, a cordon between them. Victoria hardly wanted to give up her place, but she moved from it, apologising to people as she walked backwards and dragged her case with her, hearing the tuts from people as she passed by. Once she was out of the queue, he was in front of her and she shrugged to him, satchel slipping down her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" she asked from him.

"I thought that I could accept saying goodbye last night, but I couldn't," he said to her and Victoria was acutely aware that there were people watching them. It wasn't as though she could go anywhere private in an airport. "And I know that I will be seeing you on Saturday, but it's not soon enough…I wanted to be here…to wave you goodbye through security."

"You didn't need to," Victoria said, but there was a smile on her face. It was sweet. She knew that he was just being sweet. "I mean, I'm already likely to cry as it is."

"Well, how about you cry when I'm gone? Because right now, I think we need to get that thing checked in," he said to her.

"You're going to queue with me to check me in?"

"Not going anywhere until I have to," he said and Victoria laughed, but he took her case from her and re-joined the queue, his free hand holding onto hers. She didn't say anything to him, her arm just brushing his as people looked on in awe. Some asked him for selfies and he obliged, but he kept hold of Victoria's hand. Once they were at the check-in desk, Victoria handed over her documents and Homelander put her case on the belt before it went, the woman behind the desk also seemingly quite giddy.

They walked towards security and Victoria turned to look up to him, knowing that he wasn't getting through without a boarding pass. "This is me, I guess," Victoria said and he nodded. So it was.

"Look after yourself and let me know as soon as you get to your apartment in Paris," Homelander said and Victoria loved how protective he was. It was refreshing after growing up with people who didn't entirely care for her that much. "And I will come over this weekend."

"And if Vought try and ruin that?"

"Fuck Vought," he said and Victoria wondered where this new attitude had come from. "I'm not going to do what they say. You come first."

"God, I love you so much," Victoria confessed.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said and bent down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up of the floor as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He knew that this would be front page news and would look amazing, but that wasn't his first thought. His first thought was how he would miss her, despite her not being gone for too long. He put her down after a moment, hand cupping her cheek tenderly and a smile remaining on his face.

"See you soon," Victoria said to him.

"That you will," he said and he let her go as she walked through security, turning her head over her shoulder to wave goodbye to him before she disappeared from view and he felt a sense of deflation with her gone.

…

Homelander had been being alone and so he threw himself into work. He'd gone to Ashley to see the new member of the Seven before vetoing it entirely, warning her not to think that she had any say who would join them. It was down to him. He was the one who was going to deal with that: no one else. Granted, he had taken his anger out on the supe who Ashley had been interviewing. Without Victoria, he found himself becoming increasingly volatile. And then it had happened. He had been filming with Maeve when the newest member of the Seven had walked in. She claimed that Stan Edgar had personally recruited her and so Homelander had gone to him straight away.

He didn't bother talking to his PA as he entered his office, looking around the large and bright space. The view was nowhere near as good as the one from his penthouse, but he didn't mention that.

"Sir, I'm sorry, he just came in," his PA said, but Edgar shot her a warm look.

"Don't worry, it's fine," he promised her and she sighed in relief as Edgard looked to the supe. "Good morning, Homelander. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, you never come up to ninety-nine so I figured I'd pay you a visit," Homelander said, arms outstretched. "Lovely idea, right?" The smile on his face was fake. He wasn't happy in the slightest, but he wasn't going to let Edgar know that. "After all, you run a superhero company and you never check in with your superheroes," he said, hands on his hips as he looked to the fancy artwork on the walls. "Like, I don't know, you hired that girl without telling us."

Edgar watched him, stood by his desk, dressed in a crisp grey suit with a white shirt and dark blue tie. "You wish to be consulted on Stormfront?"

Homelander turned to him then, arms outstretched and smile dropping from his face. "Well, why not? I signed off on all of the rest. I am the leader of the Seven."

"For which you have my undying respect," Edgar said.

"You see, I don't think I do," Homelander said, wagging a finger in his direction, tilting his chin up. "No, not even Madelyn would have dared to try and pull this."

"Oh, you know how important you are to everyone involved-"

"-No, no," he interrupted, not listening to his weak praise. "No Stan, I am Vought. You show my photo to anyone anywhere and they know who I am. They know that I am Homelander. And you know what, my contract is up at the end of this year," he said and settled down in the chair at the end of the room, picking his feet up and resting them on the coffee table, showing no respect in the room. "Maybe it's time I move on? How do you think your shareholders would feel about that?"

Edgar looked to him then, face completely unreadable. The silence stretched between the two of them, a smirk remaining on Homelander's face.

"What do you know about Frederick Vought?" he questioned and Homelander frowned.

"Frederick Vought?" he echoed.

Edgar removed his glasses, placing them down onto his table. "Frederick Vought, our esteemed founder," he motioned to the painting on the wall.

"I don't know," Homelander said, tone nonchalant. "I only read his autobiography…what…five times?" It wasn't as if they gave him much other reading material considering that he was part of Vought. Edgar moved closer to the painting, studying it intently.

"Not the self-serving bullshit we feed to she shareholders?"

"Enlighten me," Homelander said, but he didn't sound bothered.

"He got his doctorate from Munich ahead of his time in genetics. He was the rising young star, so much so that Hitler appointed him and he enjoyed a ready supply of human subjects on which to test his earlier iterations of Compound V, which we condemn in the strongest possible of terms. Early in '44 he felt the winds change and he got spirited by the allies. He already had Compound V ready and created heroes like Soldier Boy," Edgar said and turned back around, heading to his desk once more. "And we embraced him as though he was a born and bred American."

"Well, this is a truly fascinating, if not slightly condescending lecture," Homelander said, the smug look back on his face. "But I don't think I see the point."

"The point is that you are under the misconception that we are a superhero company and we are not. We are really a pharmaceutical company," Stan said to him and turned back to face him. Homelander shifted, slightly uncomfortable in his seat. "And you are not our most valuable asset, that would be our confidential formula for Compound V which you, man child that you are, released into the wild."

Homelander shook his head, moving his feet from the table and folding one leg over the other. His head shook and he looked away. "No idea what you're talking about."

"You slipped Compound V to terrorists all over the globe to get you and your cronies into national defence, but maybe at the cost of the company."

He stood then, tired of being spoken to like he was inferior. Moving closer to Edgar, the smug look was gone from his face, replaced entirely with annoyance and anger. "I don't think I like your tone, sir," he snarled. "I don't think I like it much at all."

"And I don't appreciate that the FDA now knows about Compound V and it is only a matter of time before the public finds out. So while you're out making grand gestures at airports, we're busy running around like maniacs trying to clean up the mess that you made," Edgar said. "And so I don't have to consult you about anything that we do because you work for us. Plus, if your contract isn't renewed, then I suspect you can go somewhere else, but good luck being the symbol you are here."

Homelander's jaw tensed tightly. He wasn't appreciate the way Edgar was talking to him, but he knew that he held no power over him. It was ridiculous. Edgar was the only man who he was slightly apprehensive of and he could cut him down in seconds without breaking a sweat.

"I also know everything that happened with you and Victoria Anderton, including her fake kidnapping."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Does she know about your son?" Edgar questioned from him, moving to sit down behind his desk once and Homelander's hands dropped to his hips.

"Yes."

"Then I suspect she only knows a version of the truth and that is why she looked so happy to have you turn up at the airport as a grand romantic gesture," Edgar said. "I actually approve of this relationship. She is good for your image and is popular. I am happy to support it so long as you are happy not to continue pushing our buttons or creating chaos for us to clean up."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am simply offering you a transaction. You can keep your girlfriend and you can stay in love…or whatever it is you are in...stay in complete bliss…so long as you stop causing trouble for us," he said to him. "Now, I suggest you leave me be. I have work to do. Ashley shall be in touch with you soon about the next steps in your relationship."

"I don't need her to tell me what to do," Homelander snapped. "This is my compromise. My relationship with Victoria is my own business. It is nothing to do with Vought and that is the end of it."

Edgar didn't bother to respond. He watched Homelander storm out and wondered where he was going to go. He had his suspicions, but he waited to see if they would be confirmed. He would either go to Victoria or his son. He needed an outlet. He needed to be around someone who would be a calming presence. But he knew that Homelander was going to cause him trouble. It was all he did and he wasn't going to change, no matter what Edgar threatened him with.

...

A/N: So into season two now and I have ideas, but as always would love to know what you think! Not entirely sure if I am updating too fast/you guys have lost interest, but would love to know if anyone is still reading and what you think/any ideas you want to see come to the page!