Homelander, or John, was a man that demanded respect. He liked to see people afraid of him- people submitting. John wasn’t a man that would ever be walked over. In his case, he had to be feared, because no body loved him.

In turn, everyone was cold towards him. Those who used to greet Homelander out of respect, greeted him out of obligation. They didn’t trust him, they didn’t like him, and they certainly didn’t want him around. Jealousy, was weakness. It was a weak emotion, for weak men. John wasn’t a weak man. He wouldn’t let himself be. So he shoved his feelings down- every ache, every thought that longed for a genuine smile, he ignored it all. He let it linger.

Over time, this want for something real grew. It ached further, because John Gillman was not a lovable man. He knew that to be true. He couldn’t change, no, he would always just be Homelander.

Then you joined the Seven. Queen Maeve and A-Train called you naive, blind, but John didn’t care. Because you greeted him, you asked how he was, you didn’t look at him with fear in your eyes. On the surface, it irritated Homelander. But underneath that, deep down, he appreciated it. He appreciated you.

You were kind, so kind it made John feel inferior in everyway. How Vought had managed to actually hire an actually good person, no one knew. John hoped that you wouldn’t be corrupted. He liked your smile. A meeting had just begun, the Seven sitting in the conference room, the air thick with tension.