Sitting at the breakfast bar, Victoria had her laptop open in front of her when Homelander returned from his day of interviews answering the same mundane questions over and over again. He had walked into the kitchen and Victoria had grunted a 'hey' in his direction before she had gone back to focusing on her laptop. He rolled his eyes behind her back. She'd been even frostier than usual since the night at the premiere. He tried to ignore it, knowing that she'd get over it eventually. He found Evelyn in her crib, just about to wake up judging by how she had begun to stir.
"Hey, baby," Homelander whispered down to his daughter.
Victoria shot a look at him from the corner of her eye. He picked his daughter up, cradling her by his chest as she made gentle noises in his arms and woke herself up. He cooed down to her, smiling widely. No matter how bad his day was going, he still had his daughter with him. He held her tight, not wanting to let her go as he moved around the kitchen, rocking her back and forth.
"Can we talk?" Victoria suddenly asked from him.
He arched a brow, intrigued by that. She hardly ever wanted to talk to him. He nodded his head at hearing her and sat down on the stool at the end of the breakfast bar. He watched Victoria lower the lid to her laptop and turn to face him. She was dressed in a black and white striped jumper over dark skinny jeans, feet covered in thick socks. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, strands dropping out from it considering it wasn't tight enough.
"What's up?" Homelander asked from her.
"I've been asked to go back to work," she said to him and he tilted his head to the side. "I've spoken to my boss and the job is back in New York. I'd only need to go into the office one day a week and the other two days are working at home which would mean I can stay here and look after Evie. It's part time at the minute, but eventually I want to go back full time to work."
Homelander considered what he was hearing from her. He had always imagined that she would just be the one who stayed at home with their daughter. He should have known better, however. She had been constantly thinking about her career when they had been engaged. It would only make sense that she would want to go back to work. He nodded his head thoughtfully.
"So…just three days a week?" he confirmed with her.
"At the moment, yeah," Victoria said with a nod, hand resting flat on the lid of her closed laptop. She moved her other hand to the tip of her ponytail, tugging it over her shoulder. She toyed with the ends of it, waiting for him to say something to her. "I just think that it might be for the best if I do this because as much as I love being Evelyn's mum…I…I also loved my job. I loved it a lot and I don't want to pass up this opportunity to go back…not when they're being so flexible."
Homelander looked down to Evelyn and he guessed that he shouldn't be able to talk. He wouldn't give up everything to be a full-time father, no matter how much he loved his daughter. He nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright," he said and Victoria's brows knitted together.
She frowned. "Alright?" she echoed the word back to him.
He chuckled at hearing her and she watched him stand back up as Evelyn started to threaten to cry. He walked with her, rocking her gently once more in his grip to try to get her to keep calm.
"Were you expecting me to tell you that you couldn't go back to work?" he questioned from her.
She shrugged and stood up. Moving to the fridge, she took hold of a bottle of water. Unscrewing the lid, she took a gulp, feeling it cool her throat down. "I never really know what to expect when it comes to you anymore," she confessed to him. "But I'll start next month and I need to go into the office before then just to enrol again and sort out the relevant paperwork."
"Fine," Homelander said with a nod of his head. "I was thinking that it might be nice if you came down to the studio with me next week when I do the Maria Menounos interview. We seem to have gone down quite a storm from the premier…people love that we're married and working through everything. We came out stronger instead of quitting, you know, the true essence of a committed relationship."
"I'll come," Victoria said. She knew that she'd be strong-armed into it anyway. It would be better just to agree and forgo the arguing and complaining. "I thought that you were doing an interview today anyway?"
"I was," Homelander said. "And you wouldn't believe what happened."
"What?" Victoria asked and almost cursed herself for insinuating that she cared even slightly.
But Homelander was going off on one of his rants. She placed her bottle of water down on the worktop and picked out the vegetables and chicken that had been defrosting in the fridge, figuring she may as well make a start on dinner. Homelander stood to one side, not letting go of Evelyn. She seemed to be quietening down, content just to be soothed.
"I went on the Cameron Coleman Hour. Did you see it?"
"I've been out with Evelyn in the garden," Victoria said. Did he think she just sat around and watched him do interviews? She would rather do anything than that. She could think of so much more she'd prefer to be doing.
"Well, he asked me all the usual questions and Ashley babysat me," Homelander complained as Victoria washed and dried her hands. He was growing increasingly tired of constantly being watched. Victoria reached or a knife from the knife block and started chopping up the chicken on the wooden board.
"That's to be expected, right?" Victoria confirmed from him, focusing on dicing the chicken for the casserole. "I mean, they're going to ask you all of those questions, John. It's not like that's new."
"No, but I wasn't even on the first slot. The Deep took that from me with his stupid memoir, as if anyone cares what the fish fucker has to say."
"John!" Victoria snapped at him and he saw her glance between him and Evelyn. He tried not to roll his eyes at her.
Whispering down to his daughter, he spoke in a soft whisper. "Sorry, sweetheart."
Victoria shook her head and went back to the chicken, talking as she chopped to try and keep herself distracted. She didn't entirely want to listen to him moan about how the Deep had gotten a slot before he had on some talk show. But she knew that it would keep him on side if she gave him the attention he craved. She never knew when she needed him on her side anymore, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry when it came to him. She let out a soft breath and closed her eyes.
"Why was he on before you?" she decided to ask.
"Because clearly I'm not as popular as I once was even though I've done everything I have to do. I've gone on every news station in this country and apologised for what happened with Stormfront…I've declared my undying love to you and said that I wanted to be the best husband and father I could be. It's not enough. It just feels like it's never enough and I'm getting tired of apologising for who I am."
Victoria said nothing for a moment, thinking about the response she should come out with and what he was more likely to want to hear from her. She finished with the chicken and went to wash her hands under the tap, squirting soap from the dispenser onto her fingers.
"I guess it might just take some people a while to come round. It's only been a year," she pointed out to him.
"A year is a long enough time to forget," he retorted.
"Maybe, maybe not," Victoria said in a non-committal tone. "I mean, you know you're the most popular man on the planet. You're going to be scrutinised for everything you do and held to a higher standard than other people who are also famous. As time goes on and you do everything you've promised to do…it'll die down. People will talk more about your role as a family man and a supe than your past fascist girlfriend."
"She was never my girlfriend."
"Point still stands," Victoria said, drying her hands and shrugging. She looked in his direction for a brief moment and then picked up the knife, using the blade of it to push the chicken into the dish on top of the stove. Dropping the knife into the dishwasher, she grabbed the antibacterial spray and squirted it on the chopping board before reaching for the kitchen roll.
"So you're saying I just accept it until then? Accept that the fish-"
"-Deep," Victoria interrupted.
Homelander huffed. "He gets the first slot? I'm not sure I'm okay with this."
"I hate to tell you this, but I don't think anyone particularly cares if you're not okay with it," she replied and finished wiping the chopping board, tossing the used kitchen roll into the bin. "I mean, I'm not sure I can give you anything else, John. This is happening and I think you just need to accept it."
"Maybe, maybe not," he muttered and kissed Evelyn on the top of her head. "Well, I should head on down to my meeting with Edgar. I take it dinner isn't going to be for a while?"
"You're going to be here for dinner?"
"If there's enough to go round. I have no plans tonight."
Victoria had wondered if she could have an early night, catch up on some TV she had been meaning to watch. Turned out he might put an end to those plans. She nodded her head once and picked up a carrot and a clean knife.
"Sure," she said to him. "I'll see you in a bit."
"See you soon," he said and she heard him fawn over Evelyn before placing her back into her travel basket that stayed in the kitchen. She turned her head over her shoulder as his footsteps disappeared, the end of his cape flowing out of the door. She waited until she was certain he was out of the building before glancing back over to her daughter and letting out a deep breath, relieved he was out of sight once more.
…
Homelander couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that Starlight had been made the co-captain of the Seven. He had ground his teeth and sat there, listening as Edgar told him that it made sense. Starlight had been more apprehensive.
"Sir, Homelander is the leader of the Seven," she began as soon as Edgar had told the two of them. He had even sat in Homelander's seat. He had taken the one to his left, hands clasped together on the top of the table. Starlight sat to Edgar's right.
"This will be beneficial to you both," Edgar said, keeping his tone light. He looked between Starlight and Homelander, gaze settling on the man who had once been Vought's most popular hero. "You're down, what? Double digits? It's only Victoria standing by your side that has helped your reputation not be quite as tarnished. This could be a real bump for you too."
Homelander's eyes remained wide as he chewed down on his bottom lip for a moment and tilted his head. "That's very thoughtful of you, Stan. When does the board vote?"
"They already did this morning," Edgar continued. "All that is left is for Starlight to say yes."
But Starlight was much more apprehensive. Homelander could hear her heartrate quicken and her pulse race. She was nervous and she had every right to be nervous. He wasn't going to settle for this. Co-captain? He didn't think so. He was leader of the Seven. He didn't need someone to rehabilitate his image even further. He had Victoria. He had Evelyn. They were enough to help him do that.
"No," Starlight said with a shake of her head. "I mean, I'm flattered, thank you, but no thank you. If anyone should be co-captain then it should be Maeve."
Homelander laid his hands out flat on the table, keeping them from clenching into fists. He could hardly stand to look at Starlight.
"Maeve doesn't have a 96 percent approval rating," Edgar said.
"Nobody does," Homelander tacked on, gaze finally landing on Starlight and she could see that he was annoyed. "Except you, apparently."
She let out a fake laugh and Edgar picked up on Homelander's tone. He knew it wasn't the right time to keep him in the room. He would just influence Starlight and he didn't need that. He shifted in his seat.
"Homelander, could you give us a minute?"
"Look, I'd really like to keep discussing this," Homelander said.
"Absolutely. Set up a time with Samantha and I'll fit you in," Edgar said and he saw Homelander's gaze darken even more, the agitation written as clear as day over his face. He knew that he'd be petulant about this. He was nothing but a child in a man's body, after all.
He stood up after letting out a laugh, patting his hand against the table. "Great," Homelander decided on saying, playing the fake understanding guy. "I'll see when I can fit you in because my schedule is so full."
He walked out of the room and the door closed behind him, but not before he turned back to look at the two of them. He heard Starlight say to Edgar how she couldn't do it based on how he had acted. Edgar said that he didn't care. So long as he remained in charge then there was nothing that Homelander could do and he knew that was the problem. He didn't stick around long enough to hear any more of their conversation. He took the elevator back up to the penthouse, the smell of the casserole entering his nostrils. He saw Victoria on the floor, legs crossed underneath her and Evelyn laid on the playmat, Victoria holding her stuffed elephant in front of her face and nuzzling her face with it as their daughter laughed.
"That wasn't a long meeting," Victoria commented when she saw him come back into the penthouse. "Dinner's just gone into the oven. It'll be another hour or so before it's ready."
"I've lost my appetite after that fucking meeting," he seethed.
Victoria glowered at him and he waved a nonchalant hand.
"She can't understand what I'm saying," he snapped and Victoria sighed. She didn't want Evelyn around when he was acting like this. She kept the elephant in her hand as she stood up, bending down and picking Evelyn up. She managed to hold her in her arms, holding the elephant in front of her and letting her daughter's hand run over its back.
"What happened?" Victoria decided on asking and he flopped onto the sofa, arms stretched over the back of it. He shrugged his shoulders.
"So apparently Starlight is going to be co-captain of the Seven," Homelander said and he shook his head. "I'm being pushed off to the side just because of what happened with Stormfront. I'm still being punished and you said it would just take time until I'm accepted again, but it's not going to happen, is it? None of that is ever going to happen because I'm being moved to the side. This is Edgar's way of punishing me and I'm getting sick and tired of it. I'm getting so fucking sick and tired of it."
"Alright, calm down," Victoria urged from him.
"My entire life is being fucked over," Homelander complained and Victoria shook her head slowly. She managed to hold up a hand in his direction.
"Can you not yell in front of her, John? Let me just put her down in the crib and we can talk…or I can take her to Annie's-"
"-No," Homelander interrupted, snapping at her. "Starlight's already taken my position. She is not going anywhere near my daughter. In fact, you're to stay away from her. I don't want you anywhere near her."
"John, you can't demand that," Victoria said.
"Why the fuck can't I?" he demanded from her. "You're my wife. You're supposed to be loyal to me…look after me…and this is what I want you to do."
Victoria could feel her grip on her daughter increasing. She clung onto her, admittedly nervous about where this conversation was going. She walked into the kitchen and set Evelyn down, kissing her on the top of her head for a moment and then straightening up and heading back into the living room. She stood in the doorway, arms folded over her chest.
"You're being irrational because you're upset," she said to him and he rolled his eyes, moving to his feet.
"I don't need you to condescend me."
"I'm not," Victoria replied. "I am trying to make you see that what you're asking isn't something I'm going to do. Annie has been my friend since she joined the Seven. She's stood by my side and she's the only real friend I now have. Michelle died. Daniella doesn't talk to me. I have no one else except for her and Billy."
"She's hardly your friend. She's ruined everything for you. She destroyed our relationship."
Victoria shook her head slowly. "I think you had a part to play in that," she said, tone slightly more sarcastic than she had intended it being. "But I'm serious, John. You can't tell me who I can and can't see. I've done everything you've asked of me…I've stood by your side…I've married you…all I ask in return is you never take my daughter from me and you let me see my brother and Annie. Is that too much?"
"I should be enough for you," Homelander grunted and he moved over to the window, looking out over the New York skyline. Victoria watched his back and she shook her head behind it. She didn't know if she could cope with this for much longer. He was so narcissistic.
"You're annoyed right now and I get that, but don't take it out on me," she urged from him. "I'm your wife and you know me…you know that…whatever is happening in Vought…I just want Annie as a friend. Please, John, don't punish me for what they're doing."
He let out a deep breath, chest deflating as he felt himself calm slightly. He remained completely silent but just nodded his head once. Victoria saw the motion and she tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear.
"Thank you," she said to him and he heard her move into the kitchen.
She went to check on Evelyn and then left, needing a moment to compose herself. She headed to the bathroom and returned to find Homelander stood in the kitchen with two glasses of wine in front of him. Victoria tried not to frown as he handed her a glass of the red wine. She took hold of it and she knew that he had slipped her the drug. He was upset and angry. He clearly just wanted comforting and he thought she could provide that for him. She took the glass from his grip.
"I'm sorry for snapping," he said to her and she nodded her head. "You're right. I shouldn't yell in front of Evelyn."
"It's alright," Victoria said and she put the glass down on the worktop, heading over to the oven and lowering the lid. She peered into it, pulling the lid of the casserole dish and looking into it. "I think dinner might soon be ready."
Homelander looked to her back and then to the glass on the worktop. He forced a smile onto his face. "Excellent. You drink your wine and I'll set the table."
"I might stick with water. I think I've got a slight headache."
He kept on smirking as he saw her go into the fridge and grab a fresh bottle of water. She popped the lid off of it and took a drink. He shook his head slowly and wondered if she knew what he'd been doing. He heard her pulse begin to race and he guessed that she must. He took a moment to finish laying the table, winking to Evelyn as he stood by her crib. He folded his arms behind his back, hands clasped onto his forearms.
"It's a speciality," he informed her and Victoria felt her throat clench. She swore she was just going to be sick. "Just have a sip, sweetheart. It might help."
"Honestly, John, I'm not sure that's for the best," Victoria said. He couldn't know that she knew. He couldn't know that she was well aware of what he had done to it because he'd get even angrier. He'd demand to know how she knew and he was already so mad at Annie. She couldn't risk her anymore.
"Sweetheart, it's not like I poisoned it," he chuckled. "Unless you think I would?"
"Of course not," she said with a shake of her head.
"Then just try some. It would be a shame to waste all of it," he said and Victoria watched him hold the glass out to her. His eyes glimmered as she took hold of it and she knew that it was either this or he found out. She took a sip and he kept on smirking as he saw her swallow. He whispered in a low voice.
"Good girl."
Victoria placed the glass down and wondered how long it would take before she felt her mind cloud over. Homelander watched her intently, observing her as she went to the oven and grabbed hold of the casserole. She tugged it from the oven and set it down on the worktop, oven mitts covering her hands. She moved a hand to her forehead and instantly felt dizzy for a moment before she changed.
Homelander watched her turn around to face him, a wide genuine smile on her face. His own lips arched upwards and he knew that it had worked. He moved towards her and wrapped her into his arms, feeling her own arms wrap around his neck.
"You alright?" she asked from him.
"I am now you're here," he said and he lowered his lips to meet hers, completely forgetting everything for the rest of the night.
….
Victoria had left Evelyn in the nursery for the day as she planned to go back to work the next day to deliver her paperwork. She was dressed innocuously and intended on taking the subway into the city. Homelander was doing a photoshoot with Annie to officially announce her as the new co-captain of the Seven. Victoria had woken up in her own bed that morning, but she knew that he had drugged her the night before. She'd woken up to the same burn in her thighs she'd had the other week. She had looked down to her legs and seen that there were some bruises there. She hadn't cried, knowing that he was still in the apartment as she heard him in his room cooing over Evelyn.
She'd dressed and quickly left, telling Homelander that she just wanted to go and hand the paperwork in. She had dropped Evelyn off in nursery, kissing her chastely on the forehead before dashing off. She had gone downstairs in the elevator, but she hadn't gotten out of the building when she found Annie. Annie had tried to engage her in conversation, but she was already rushing off. She knew that there was something wrong and Annie suspected it was to do with Homelander.
Doing the photoshoot, Annie wanted to be nowhere near him. She knew her smile was fake, but what else could she do? She just smiled and posed how they wanted her to before she headed on off to American Hero. The show had just entered its second week and the contestants were dwindling down already after the first week was a mass dumping of to get the ratings up.
"So, I saw that you were made co-captain."
Annie was perched in her chair on set, script in her lap. She was reading the lines they had given her for the next episode, figuring that she could try and get a jump on it. Alex had walked into the room off of the main set, dressed in his supe costume. He found her still in her costume too, diet coke in her hand and teeth chewing on a straw.
"Yeah, it came as quite the shock," Annie confessed and he took the chair next to hers, climbing into it and clasping his hands together in his lap, legs spread and feet resting on the footrest of the chair. "I mean, it wasn't exactly a bad shock because I figured that I could do some good by being co-captain, but…well…you know who that means working with."
"He's not here, is he?"
Annie shook her head. "He isn't coming on set until the semi-final of the show. He doesn't deem it important enough to show up to until then," she said to Alex. "I mean, I also think the other issue is that he can't stand you."
Alex chuckled darkly. He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I picked up on that," he said to her.
Annie sipped on her diet coke before tossing her script onto the table in between them. The American Hero set was outside the City. Vought had rented this massive mansion house with fancy furniture and ornate furnishings. Annie quite liked the peace and quiet of it.
"Does he have any reason to hate you?"
"Well, there is the fact that I was the lead of America's biggest boyband with some pretty great songs," he said and Annie chuckled at him as his own lips picked up into a smile.
She finished laughing and shook her head slowly, looking him with a warm gaze. "I guess there is that," she conceded to him. "But I think we both know that's not what I'm talking about."
Alex nodded, lips still remaining tugged upwards before he looked down to his lap, gaze moving to focus on his fingertips. "Yeah, I figured not," he confessed to her and she moved from her chair, seeing that there was a lot on his mind. Placing her can down onto the table, she nodded to the patio doors that led onto the estate's garden. It was pristine, flat grass lawns running along it and flowerbeds filled with wildflowers.
"Come on," Annie said. "I think we need to take a walk."
He followed her outside, the two of them saying hello to the crew members they passed by. They moved onto the lawn and Alex looked down at some of the tulips in the soil. He headed along with Annie, waiting for her to speak first. She folded her arms over her chest and he coughed into his fist.
"You're a great guy, Alex," Annie began. "I think the world of you and I know you want to do the right thing. I know you want to help however you can and we'll need your help because…because things are going to ramp up…but if you want to help then you need to stay away from her…not just for your sake, but for hers too. You heard what he almost did to her."
"And how long is he going to get away with it for?" Alex wondered from Annie. "Because I don't think Victoria has long left in her. You should have seen her in that pub that day, Annie…she was hardly keeping it together. There's only so much someone can go through."
"I know and we are working on getting rid of him as quickly as we can, but until then…I know you want to help her and I get it, but Homelander is already suspicious of you. You don't want to piss him off."
"I haven't seen her since the premier," Alex said.
"But do you want to?" Annie asked from him and he wondered what she was getting at. She sighed and adjusted her headband that was sat in her hair. They stopped walking and Annie turned to face him, satisfied that they were far enough away from everyone to hear them.
"It's ridiculous," Alex complained, feeling as though he could be himself with Annie. He'd known her since they were children. He knew so much about her and he trusted her more than anyone else at that moment in time. "I've met her a handful of times, but she's all I can think about…that day in the elevator when she was in her wedding dress I thought she had it all. I thought that her life was perfect and then I saw behind it. I saw that it was anything but and she…despite all of that…from what I've seen there is a strong, tough woman in there…a woman who has a sense of humour…who would do anything for her daughter even if that includes marrying a psychopath."
"I know all of that," Annie promised Alex. "I know who she is and I know what she's going through. She's my best friend and I love her to bits, but Homelander…as much as he despises me…so long as I remain in the Seven and his co-captain then he can't touch me, not yet. But you're different, Alex. You need to know that."
"And I do," he said, assuring her of that much. "But I…I like her, Annie. I like her more than I should considering she's a married woman because every time I see her…I get that feeling. I get that feeling of nervousness and longing and I haven't had that in such a long time."
"And it's sweet," Annie promised him. "But you need to know that you can't do anything. If you're seen with her then I don't know what he'd do."
"I know," he said with a nod of his head. "But I just…I just want to know how she feels. I just want to know if she even feels anything for me. We might not be able to do anything, but it might stop me from going crazy if I just met her and found out."
Annie sighed and shook her head. "I might regret this," she said to him. "But we have a meeting place. It's in a secluded spot in the middle of a park…more like a woodland…no one sees us and it's where we go on walks and talk. If I can get her to meet you there just this one time, do you promise me that you'll stay away for both of your sake's?"
"I don't want to risk it," he said with a firm shake of his head.
"And I don't want you to risk anything," Annie said. "But maybe you both need to talk. Homelander's going to be away all day based on our schedule this afternoon."
"You think we could?"
"Just be careful," Annie said and picked her phone out of her pocket. "I really don't want to regret this."
…
Victoria had gotten Annie's text as she finished up in the office. She'd gone to the woodland and started the trek across the path. She was wearing her heeled black boots which weren't exactly the best for the uneven surface. She felt a chill in the air as the leaves kept the sun from the mossy, muddy area. She picked her pleated long green skirt up as she stepped over a tree trunk and her satchel hit against her hip.
Coming to the small clearing where the abandoned wooden bench was, Victoria looked to find Alex sat there and not Annie. He was wearing dark jeans and a light blue short-sleeved polo top. Victoria frowned and Alex stood up as he spotted her approaching.
"Is Annie alright?" she asked him.
"She's fine," Alex said. "I asked her to get you to meet me here."
Victoria frowned. "Why would you do that?"
"Because we need to talk," Alex said.
"Alex, I've told you that we can't do this," Annie said to him. "We can't meet up and we can't talk. I should go. Evelyn needs me-"
"-Wait," Alex said as she turned on her heel. She paused in her movement, looking to him as he held his hand up in her direction. She sighed over to him and he continued staring pleadingly in her direction. "Just this one final time and then I'll go…I'll stay away…but I just need to talk to you. I need to know if I'm not going crazy."
Her eyes widened and she wondered if he was thinking exactly what she was thinking. Cocking her head to the side, Victoria felt her heart hammer against her chest. She let her arms dangle down by her side, shaking her head slowly and watching him.
"You're not going crazy," she promised him, voice a soft whisper and he let out a deep breath that he'd been holding in. He moved towards her then, lifting his hand up and moving his fingers to brush against her cheek. He cupped it in his palm and felt her rest against his skin, seeing her close her eyes, revelling in the moment. He took his time to lift his other hand up, the back of it brushing her hair from behind her shoulder.
"I don't know what to do about any of this," Alex said to her.
"We don't do anything," Victoria said to him with a shake of her head. "We can't do anything. There's…there's an attraction here…but we can't act on it."
Alex frowned. "What kind of attraction are we talking about here? Because if you just fancy me because I was on the hottest-"
"-It's not just that," Victoria interrupted him, opening her eyes and looking him in the eye once more. She moved a hand to sit on top of his that was on her cheek, peeling his fingers from it and letting her hand keep hold of his. "You're…you make me laugh…you're kind…sweet…and I can't explain it but when I'm around you it's like my stomach can't stop flip-flopping. I feel like a stupid teenager on the inside. Besides, yes, you are ridiculous attractive, but I think you'll find my husband topped that poll of hottest supes so it's definitely not just your body I want."
He let out a laugh at that. He liked her humour. He liked how she could make him laugh. He nodded his head at her and Victoria squeezed his hand firmly.
"And maybe if things were different then we could get to know each other. Who knows? You might despise me when you really get to know me or you might fall so madly in love with me that you can't think straight. But we don't have that luxury, Alex. We can't get to know each other because if the latter happened…it'd be worse for both of us."
"I know," Alex assured her on that point. "I guess I just wanted to know if…maybe if…we finish this…there might be a chance."
Victoria sighed at that and she let go of his hand. She walked towards the bench and sat down on it. Alex followed her, perching next to her, keeping his hands on his thighs. Victoria tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at the sun that was trying to peek through the branches above.
"I can't think about what if," Victoria said to Alex. "John is growing more unstable and I don't know how I can stop it. Vought making Starlight the co-captain and constantly making him do interviews about Stormfront…it's tipping him over the edge and I don't know what will stop him. I thought that so long as he had me and Evelyn then he'd be fine and under control, but I don't think that's going to happen. I can dream about what life might be like without him, but I can't dwell on it for too long."
"That didn't entirely answer my question though."
Victoria looked to him and shrugged her shoulders. "If you're asking me if I think that we might make a good team…if I could see myself going to dinner with you…then yes, I can see it," she confessed. "But I don't get why me, Alex. It's not as if you can't get any girl you want. More importantly than that, any girl without a deranged psychopath husband."
"I've never been one to want something easy," he said and Victoria's lips quirked. Alex went back to being serious a moment later. "But, if you must know, it's because I think you're the strongest, most intelligent woman I've ever met. You're funny. You're almost too sarcastic at times. Plus, you're also pretty attractive."
"Oh, shut up."
"No, you were actually in the top one hundred of hottest supe's partners," he promised her and she laughed at that.
The noise was carefree and she moved a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. Looking to Alex, she noted how his eyes continued to light up. He watched her as her laughs died down and she slumped back against the bench behind her, folding one leg over the other.
"Where did I come?" she asked him.
"You were top twenty. You were pipped by Deep's new wife though."
"Shame," Victoria simply responded with.
"I'd have put you at number one," Alex promised her and she felt her cheeks redden at that. He smiled, unable to stop himself. "How did we get here, huh?"
"A question I ask myself every day," she said to him. "Because it wasn't always like this with Homelander. At the start…you know we faked our relationship?"
Alex's brow arched. "You were faking it?"
"Vought paid me a pretty nice sum to fake date him for six months," Victoria said with a nod of her head. "I agreed to it because the money was too good to pass up and Vought…they always made you feel like you couldn't say no. I didn't like him at the start. He was arrogant and so self-centred…but then…things changed. Everything changed and I saw another side to him…a side that still exists. He's insecure and he craves a family who love him. He didn't have a childhood that was happy. He didn't have the all-American family like Vought pretended he had. He was raised in a lab without a mother or a father. And I…I guess I got where he was coming from because my childhood was fucked up too."
Alex watched as she continued talking, her fingers playing with the engagement ring on her finger. "I heard that you were estranged from your parents," he raised with her.
"My father beat me and my brothers," Victoria said to him with a nod of her head, looking down and reaching for the sleeve of the black blouse she wore. Undoing the cuff, she rolled it up her arm and he watched her, drinking in the faded burn scars on her arm. He gulped, jaw firmly set as he shook his head, unable to understand how anyone could hurt a child. "And…our landlord…he…he raped me," she said and Alex's eyes widened, mouth drying out. She looked to him and saw how his mouth hung open.
"What?"
"I was a teenager at the time," Victoria said. "He would go out drinking with my dad and they'd both come home. Dad passed out on the sofa while Eddie came into my room and raped me. Mum never knew because she worked nights and dad…he said nothing. Our rent was cheaper than everyone else's in the block. I never told anyone until a teacher at school noticed my grades drop and I just broke down on her. I was scared of going to the police because he'd convinced me that no one would believe me and I was a child. I was a scared child."
"Fucking hell, Victoria," Alex said, letting out a deep breath, hand going through his hair. He took his time to think of what to say to her before he said the only words he could think of. "I'm so sorry."
She shrugged her shoulders, trying not to let emotions get the better of her. "I coped. Eddie went to jail and I got a new identity. I went to university…got my Masters degree and my PhD. I escaped them and when I met Homelander I genuinely thought that things couldn't get better. We both had shit childhoods. We both went through things no one should have gone through and for a long time I told myself that it was fate…me and him…but when I found out what he was and what he'd done, I despised him. I hated him and, even worse than that, I hated that I loved him."
Alex shifted in the seat, his arm going over the back of the bench as Victoria turned her upper body to face him. She looked him in the eye and he stared back at her, drinking in her pale complexion and her dark eyes. He placed his hand onto his thigh, squeezing it firmly.
"And now?" he dared to ask her the question.
"I…I spent a long time struggling to come to terms with how I felt. I still loved him to some extent. I still loved the man I had met because he was always him with me. I did things I'm not proud of. I let him comfort me when Evelyn was born prematurely. I clung to him when I had nightmares of him taking her from me and I…I slept with him on the night of my best friend's funeral because I just wanted something…something to take away all of the pain I was feeling. It was like a crushing weight in my chest. It was like I was drowning and sinking…and he was always there. I hate what he is, but I also hate what I've done with him despite knowing it."
Alex feared the worst then. He feared that she was going to tell him that she would always want Homelander. Had he really gotten his claws so far into her that she couldn't see beyond him?
"But now…I can admit that I loved him, but things are different. I don't love him like I did. I don't want him. I don't want to be anywhere near him. If I had the chance to leave him right now then I would. I would get away from him quite happily."
He took a moment to consider what she was saying as she looked to him and she moved a hand to his cheek. Stroking it softly, she felt his warm skin underneath her cool palm. She smiled sadly and shook her head.
"And maybe we could have explored whatever it is this is," Victoria said to him. "But we can't, Alex. We can't explore it. We can't risk meeting in private like this. We can't do anything while he's around and so you need to keep your distance, okay?"
"You know that's the last thing I want to do, right?" he asked from her.
"You and me both," she confessed, "but it's what we have to do. I'm married. I have a daughter who comes first. As much as I would love for us to be able to meet in public…spend time together…we can't. He'd kill you and I don't want any more deaths on my conscience."
"I know," he said to her. "But if we get rid of him…if you were to dream of that happening…I'm taking you on a first date anywhere of your choosing."
"You might not want to hold me to that."
"I think I'd be fine," he promised her and she moved her hand from his cheek, letting it sit on top of his arm over the back of the bench. She smiled at him, her lips curving up teasingly.
"Even if I took you to a karaoke bar and asked you to sing Rock My Kiss?" she checked with him.
"If that's what you wanted," he responded. "I mean, I'd question your taste, but I'd do it."
She laughed at that, head tossed back before she shook her head slowly. "Luckily for you Super Sweet were never really my thing."
"Let me guess…more of a One Direction girl?"
"Fleetwood Mac, actually," she corrected him. "And the Spice Girls too."
He laughed then. "That's quite the difference."
"Great music is still great music," she assured him and he moved to tuck her hair behind her ear. "I should get going, Alex. I need to go and pick Evelyn up…definitely shower before Homelander gets home because I don't want him to smell you on me."
"He can?"
"He knows everything. That's why this is too dangerous," she replied. "So…just go about your life, Alex. Forget about me, okay? Find a nice normal girl…because we can try and stop him, but I don't know if we're going to be able to anytime soon."
"We'll do what we can," he said.
She nodded, smiling sadly. "I know," she said and moved to squeeze his hand before standing up. He kept hold of her hand, not letting her go. She turned to look down to him, but he stood up. He moved to stand in front of her and Victoria shook her head. "Alex."
"Be careful," he urged from her. "Promise me you'll be careful, okay?"
"Always," she said to him. "But you need to let me go."
"Finding that difficult to do when I'd rather just spend the entire rest of my day here in this muddy wood than go back to American Hero."
"I didn't know you had a thing for woods."
"Perfect places to commit bad deeds…hide bodies…"
"Talking from experience?"
"If I tell you that then…" he left the threat trailing off and Victoria laughed again, finding it so natural whenever she was with him. He took a moment to consider his next move, but he knew she was likely to say no. "You can tell me no and to get lost, but right now…all I'm thinking is that I want to kiss you. I have done ever since we-"
She cut him off, standing on her toes and bringing his head down to meet hers, kissing him sweetly and tenderly. She kept the pressure light, her hand cupping the back of his head and he moved an arm around her waist, his other hand tangling into her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his chest pressed to hers. He was tender in the kiss, letting her take the lead. Pulling back, she didn't dare deepen it, despite longing to.
"That was a one-time thing," she said to him. "No matter how much I'd rather it wasn't."
"Then how about we just give it one more go…to make sure we make the most of it."
Victoria knew she should say no, but she let him pull her back to him and kiss her once again.
…
Victoria had showered as soon as she had gotten back to the penthouse. Homelander was still working and she had two hours before he got home. She'd brushed her teeth repeatedly and changed into her long-sleeved plaid cotton pyjamas. She had left Evelyn in her cot in the bedroom as she showered, the door wide open and the monitor on the vanity unit. Once she was changed and hair hanging damp down her back, she picked Evelyn up and went downstairs. She decided on ordering dinner in instead of cooking. Vought had an onsite restaurant that proved to be quite handy.
She was sat on the sofa, Evelyn on her lap as she read her a story from one of the books they'd brought her. It was about a girl who wanted to travel the world. Homelander came in just as she was doing the voice for a giraffe the girl had met.
"Great impression," he commented.
"It's my giraffe voice," she said to him. "Been working on it for months."
"I guess it takes a lot of practice," he said, a deep chuckle leaving him. He sat down on the sofa next to her, arm going over the back of it. She could feel his hand near her shoulder, but she didn't move. His other hand reached over his body and he stroked along Evelyn's arm. "When did you get back?"
"Not too long ago actually," Victoria confessed to him. "I spent longer at work than I thought. How did the photo shoot go with Starlight?" she deflected straight back onto him. He liked talking about himself.
"As well as it could," he complained. "She's been on American Hero for the rest of the day so I haven't seen her. I've started making plans for my birthday celebration though."
"Is it still going to be televised?"
"To the world," he said with a nod. "And as much as you hate those things, I need you there. I was also thinking it might be a good time to show the world our daughter too."
"We've done magazine shoots, John. She's too young to be on television."
They'd been strong-armed into posing for photos with Evelyn when she was out of hospital. It had been one shoot in the nursery, Victoria sat with Evelyn in her arms, Homelander next to her with an arm around her shoulders and looking down at their daughter tenderly. But Victoria refused to do anything else. Evelyn wasn't even one. She was premature. The last thing she needed was to be paraded around.
"Yeah, but it'll be a small crowd."
"John, please," Victoria tried to reason with him. "She's still a baby and…she's the one thing I don't have to share with the rest of the world. We spend days giving the public everything of ourselves and I just want to keep Evelyn to us. She's ours. She's ours and not theirs. Can you not understand that?"
He could. To an extent, he could understand it. He watched as Victoria looked at him, eyes pleading. He softened and nodded his head once. "Maybe not this year," he said, agreeing with her. "But eventually we need to show her to the world."
"Not while she's so young," Victoria replied. "And thank you for understanding."
"I kind of get it. It's nice having something just for us," he confessed. "Anyway, what are we doing for dinner tonight?"
"Well, I have to confess that I haven't prepared anything. I was thinking we could order in? It's been a long day for both of us so maybe just dinner…TV…unless you had plans tonight?"
"None at all," he said with a shake of his head.
"Alright then," Victoria said.
He watched her stand up and grab her phone, looking at the menu at the in-house restaurant. She ordered for both of them as he held Evelyn, reading with her and letting her settle down in his arms. She finally fell asleep and he laid her down in her cot upstairs, taking the baby monitor with him back downstairs. They ate dinner together and engaged in pleasant enough conversation before Victoria confessed she was tired after a long day. She slunk off to bed and left Homelander alone with his thoughts. He would prefer to have stayed up and talked with her more, but that wasn't an option. She had no desire to talk with him and he could hardly use the serum on her when she had insisted on going to bed.
Sighing, he'd stood up and realised that he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. He had no idea how he'd found himself stood on the rooftop outside of William Butcher's apartment. He landed harshly, hands behind his back. He used his x-ray vision until he saw William moving towards the window. His heartrate was steady and he expected a certain level of snarky comments from him. He remained where he was, keeping his gaze steady as William opened the window. He was wearing one of those printed shirts and dark jeans, boots still on his feet. His apartment was dimly lit too, sparsely furnished.
"You want to watch me have a wank, it'll cost you a tenner," William said through the open window.
Homelander arched his brows. He didn't rise to the bait. "May I come in?" he questioned.
Billy was apprehensive. He'd prefer to be nowhere near Homelander, but he knew that turning him away wasn't an option. If the supe wanted to talk then he'd have to talk. "Is it Victoria?" he demanded, not letting him before he knew that much.
"Your sister is sleeping soundly," Homelander said. "I'm not going to hurt her."
"Not what I'd heard last time I spoke with her."
Homelander ground his teeth together. Of course she'd have told Billy what had happened even if he hadn't done anything. Billy left the window open, moving back into the kitchen and finishing making the cup of tea he had been brewing. Homelander followed, keeping his hands behind his back and his eyes darted around the apartment. It was depressing and dark, pretty much like the man who lived there.
"Where's Ryan?" Homelander questioned.
"He's at six-seventy three nosh my bollocks avenue," Billy said, picking up his mug and moving over to the table, settling down on the wooden, rickety chair he usually occupied. "You want a pen and paper?"
Homelander shook his head slowly. "You know I could just pull you apart limb by limb…make you tell me."
"Nah, that'd be worthless. The victim always goes into shock. You've got to start small…fingernails…toenails."
"He's my son, William," Homelander said. "My family. I'm going to find him sooner or later and I'm going to bring him home where he belongs."
Billy eyed Homelander with suspicion. He rubbed a hand over his beard covered chin. "Look," he said, voice lower. "I don't mean to be rude, but can we just skip to the part where you laser my fucking brains out."
Homelander let out an exasperated sigh. "Christ's sake," he complained and moved to take the other chair across the table. "Where's the sport in that? Look at you…it would be like putting down a wounded dog." He moved his cape to the side as he lowered himself into the seat.
Billy's eyes lit up slightly. "You're one to talk," he said. "They've got you going on all those talk shows with your tail between your legs and then they make Starlight co-captain." He tsked lowly and Homelander's lips arched, his face a mixture between annoyance and amusement. "That's got to sting."
"Touché, William…touché," he conceded.
"What are you doing here anyway? If it's not Victoria then what's the point?"
Homelander's jaw tensed, face scrunching up. "Vought," he spat out from between his clenched teeth. "The fucking bureau. The wheeling and the dealing…the giving and taking…just to keep everything exactly the same. You and me? They treat us like old playthings and put us up on the fucking shelf. Hm? Treat us like we're obsolete," he continued. Billy remained still and calm, Homelander hitting his table for a brief moment. "Doesn't that make you angry?"
"Yeah," William admitted, looking him in the eye, "it does."
"What if it doesn't have to be that way?" Homelander suggested. "What if you and I…well…what if we share a different destiny. Something a little more scorched earth…shock and awe…blood and bone…in the end, only one of us left standing." Billy took a sip of his tea as Homelander looked closer at him, amusement forming on his face. Billy leaned in closer, eyes also glimmering. "Isn't that what you want?"
His chair creaked under his weight moving. "Too fucking right," he agreed. "More than anything because I know that I'll win."
Homelander chuckled. "I appreciate the delusion, but I look forward to it," he said with a nod of his head. "And once it's done…once you're out the picture…there will be no more meddling in my marriage because I know that she knows."
Billy took another sip of his tea. "No idea what you're talking about."
"The serum I give her to make her forget. I know she knows I give it to her and I suspect Starlight told you and you told her. Starlight's much too in love with Hughie to risk him. She got you to do her dirty work."
Billy shrugged. He wasn't going to deny it. This was between him and Homelander now. "She had a right to know what you're doing to her," Billy replied. "What you're doing to her is no different to what Eddie did to her."
Homelander's lips curved upwards in a dark snarl. "Do not compare me to that piece of shit."
"You're sexually assaulting my little sister without her consent."
"She consents."
"Because you've drugged her."
"I've made things better between us. I make her happy. I can make her so happy and she just needs to let me. I am nothing like that monster who hurt her."
"Keep telling yourself that."
"I wasn't the one who left her to him," Homelander said and Billy's grip on the handle of his mug increased. He kept it sat on the dining table. Homelander heard his heartrate increase slightly.
Billy shook his head slowly. He wasn't going to take this from Homelander. He knew what he'd done and he lived with regret every day of his life. He said nothing for a brief moment and Homelander chuckled, shaking his head slowly.
"My wife and daughter are going nowhere, William," Homelander continued. "Yes, Victoria will be upset by your death, but in the long run…with no one to stand between us…I can get things back to the way they were. No one is going to stand in my way."
"Keep telling yourself that," Billy said.
Homelander chuckled. "I'll see you around, William," he finished the conversation and Billy barely saw him go. He took another sip of his tea and looked to the open window.
"You're going down, cunt," he muttered and looked to the jar where the temp-v was hidden. He knew that there was no other option but to take it now. It had to be done if he was going to take on the man he despised more than anything.
...
A/N: Next up is the birthday celebration and we all know how that goes...as always, things you want to see, let me know! Would love to know if people are still reading. As always, bit thanks to sansondonisha398 and HomiesLazer (hope exams went well!) for reviewing the previous chapter. Please do let me know if you're reading and what you think might happen!