Butcher knew you were not a child, but in his eyes, you were still a kid. He wasn't sure why he felt such a paternal instinct to protect you. Maybe it was the universe giving him a second chance to not fuck up like he did with Lenny and Ryan. Ever since you'd joined The Boys, he'd felt almost fatherly towards you. You were the youngest on the team, and though you were just as powerful as the next, he saw you as vulnerable.

Billy cared about you, though he'd deny it like his life depended on it. That care came out in little ways. He'd ask if you'd eaten, drunk any water, and the like. But he'd also go fucking ballistic if you ever got hurt. Yes, he knew you were able to fend for yourself, but that natural desire to protect you would always shine through. Especially on days like today. You'd gone a bit off-script on a mission, breaking off from the others to do god knows what. In the end, you got out more or less unscathed, but that didn't put a damper on Billy's temper.

“What the hell was going on in your tiny little brain, huh?” He boomed, berating you as you tried to scurry away from him as soon as you got back to the safe house. The rest of The Boys had made themselves scarce, and you really couldn't blame them. You'd frozen in your tracks, already preparing for some sort of lecture about how stupid your actions were.

“Look me in the eyes when I'm speakin’ to ya,” Billy continued, grasping your shoulders to force you to look at him. “That was fuckin’ stupid, and reckless.”