Chapter Text
“I cannot believe that I have to go to fucking trial.” Homelander paces in front of Willow. He’s been rambling on for almost an hour. Acting as though what happened on live TV wasn’t that bad. “He had it coming. I had to protect Ryan.”
Willow’s phone is face down on the desk in front of her. If she even glances at it John will have a meltdown.
She sighs resting her elbow on the desk and her cheek on her fist.
“Now all of a sudden these liberal idiots want me to be in a court room.”
Earlier this morning, she was out on a coffee run. Something that the other assistants could have done but Willow insisted. That was around the time that the news broke. She relished the few minutes to herself as she stood on that winding line inside of Vought Bucks. No sooner did she return and take the elevator up to the office floor did she step out into chaos. A conference room with broken furniture and black singe marks on the walls. Two security guards lying still out in the hallway face down.
Against her better judgment she walks to the corner and peers around. John stands in the hallway with his back turned. The American flag cape hanging down. No one else is around .
“Willow,” he says cracking his neck on both sides. “You’re back.” There’s a hint of surprise in his voice as if he didn’t just kill two people.
“I decided to go get coffee for the floor.” She’s holding on to the carrier for dear life.”
He whips around and approaches her. “You didn’t have to and you know that.”
She nods and explains that the others have done it numerous times. “ I know. I just wanted to help.”
A smile forms on his deranged face. “As usual you are so thoughtful.” He leans over and kisses her forehead.
The coffee is left in the office break room. Meanwhile, she follows Homelander into his office.
“What do you think?”
Now all of a sudden he asks her opinion. She has to tread lightly. “I’m not surprised , John . You have an extreme amount of support on one side but don’t forget how people feel on the other side.”
“Ashley said that my numbers in the black community are high.”
They are high because of the fact that he’s dating Willow. Yet, some of those people are starting to question why she’s dating him.
Willow sighs. “They are but you killed a man. Even if it was to keep Ryan safe, John.”
He blew out a breath and walked over to the glass window in his office. His arms crossed over his chest as he stares outside.
”This is why I’m glad that you are by my side. Despite the fact that we don’t agree you understand me more than anyone else.”
Willow’s phone pings.
She does to an extent but isn't foolish enough to believe that he would never turn on her. The plan to leave is on ice at the moment. Marvin called her a few days ago to check in. Willow took his call on the roof while John was sleeping. His voice filled with worry as he revealed a scenario where he could help her escape. “I can’t I told you John will destroy New York if I go. He won’t rest until he found me. But I’m fine, Marvin. I’m okay.”
After the phone call ends she comes back inside. Then she tiptoes down the steps and slowly shuts the door. Her heart beating fast. As she’s about to walk to the steps leading up to the second floor , she can feel someone watch her. John sits in the dark on his living room couch with his legs spread. “Who called you?” A lie is what she could have told. Instead, Willow replies, “Marvin, my cousin.”
Even in the dim light of the living room as darkness framed John’s face she could see the storm brewing. “He just wanted to check in. He’s been worried about me.”
John sighs. “I guess he still assumes that you are my prisoner or that you have Stockholm syndrome.”
Willow doesn’t answer him. No matter what she says it will piss him off. “Are you sure that you weren’t planning on leaving me?”
A plan that she put on ice. “No.”
He smirked. “ Are you sure?”
“John , if I wanted to leave I would not be here.”
“Really? Then explain why we haven’t fucked in a month.”
Willow honesty didn’t want to. She didn’t want him to touch her but she doesn’t say that either.
“John. A lot has happened.”
He beckons to her with his hands , patting his lap. “Come on, Willow. Is it wrong for me to want some alone time with you?”
It is wrong for him to make someone be your girlfriend when she doesn’t want to. But, that’s another story. Willow walks over and takes a seat side ways smoothing her skirt down before she sits. “There aren’t many things that you can hide from me,” he says placing his hand on her knee. “Though you try really , really hard.” His hand patting her knee after every word.
“I think everyone was expecting that they would see a softer side of me. That somehow you have made me into your puppy.”
As if she has even a modicum of power enough to even do that.
“ But the truth is I haven’t changed at all. Not in public anyway. We can’t have Homelander pussy whipped and henpecked.”
Willow looks at him in confusion. “I wasn’t even trying to do that at all.”
She feels him wrap his hands around her waist. This hug feels tighter than usual.
“I know but you know how perception is. Not to mention the comments about me and you.”
Black Twitter was in an uproar after the video of John vaporizing that guy was posted.
How can she date him?
“Willow must really hate herself.
Braids or not she’s a sell out.
Bedwenchery at its best said someone named MeGamynd42. A name that stood out to her. Two days ago a man was found dead in his apartment. His body seated on a couch rigid . Eyes two smoking gory blackened caverns. The news story about it was brief. Even online there were no further details. She spent that morning typing up memorandums. Ones specifically pertaining to the Seven. Some things were mundane like a list of things that they have done in the past few weeks. However, Homelander’s memo required a few more pages than usual. A file labeled “cleaned up” detailed the people he killed.
That random troll on the internet had a name Emory Washington Hayes. A name that sounded odd but never the less all of his information was there.
Willow was privy to quite a few files but she had never seen anything like this. Not with pictures of the man alive and smiling. He’s standing with his arms around some older people. A shorter man and a woman with deep wrinkles on their faces and big smiles. Page after page of information until, she reached the pictures of the man’s dead body lying on a slab. Twin cavernous blackened holes are all that is left of his eyes. She shut that file and placed it underneath the pile continuing on.
As she sat beside Homelander on his couch , her stomach turned. He was laughing a little bit too loud at a joke some late night talk show host told. Ryan left the room a few minutes ago . He said that he was tired. Homelander didn’t interrogate him which seemed strange. He waved him away and went back to watching the show as if it was that important. Yet, another monologue about him. Not one to mince words the host really went in. They all did.
Willow scrolled through the trending hashtags seeing Homelander as number one. She didn’t even show him the screen. It’s like he knew. She didn’t say anything to him but noticed the tension in his jaw and the deep furrow in his brow as he leaned forward. Todd had a viral tweet. Homelander owned a Lib that’s why they are mad at him. The same guy who she met once at a BBQ a few years ago. Someone who took the place of Marvin so to speak. How the hell he managed to attract Marvin’s wife is a mystery.
He was the one who cheered first after Homelander’s spectacle. A number one fan more like a Stan. Either way Willow rolled her eyes in disgust.
A few tweets down there’s a tweet from someone known as BuchieBaby. Homelander is a twat. He needs to be six feet under.
Willow is about to scroll when she sees a hand reach over and take her phone.
She looks over to find Homelander staring at her.
“What?”
“You are glued to this thing. I just wanted to see what you are looking at.”
“You could have asked me what I was looking at .”
Homelander shrugged his shoulder and smirked as he started scrolling.”
“Now where is the fun in that.”
Willow crossed her arms over her chest turning her attention back to the TV.
Her face plastered as some news story. Nothing new but still annoying.
“Is Ryan okay,” she asks him.
“Yes,” he answers distracted. “Why?”
“I mean after everything that he’s seen.”
Homelander waved his hand in dismissal. “He’s fine. He’s going to have to get used to this, Willow. Just like you have had to.”
As if she has a choice.