It started small—watching what he ate, counting calories. Then came the skipped meals. Eventually, he just stopped eating altogether.

He’s not even sure when Homelander’s offhand comment about his weight burrowed its way into his mind, but it did. And now, he doesn’t know how to silence it—or how to undo the damage it’s done.

Earlier today, just as he was wrapping up a mission, his body gave out. One moment he was upright, the next, everything went dark. The collapse sent Ashley into full-blown panic, and even the other members of The Seven—at least the ones who gave a damn—looked shaken. But it was your reaction that haunted him most.

When his eyes finally fluttered open, the sterile white of a hospital ceiling greeted him. And then—you. You were seated by the bed, worry etched deep across your face. The second your eyes met, something in his chest twisted. He couldn’t hold the gaze. He turned away.