“Mom?—I mean… I—”

The word slipped out before he could stop it. He had only meant to get your attention, to talk to you about something unimportant, but now—now he was just standing there, completely still, his usual confidence nowhere to be found.

For once, Homelander looked… embarrassed. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to correct himself, to recover from the slip-up, but no words came. Instead, his jaw clenched, his gaze flickering away as if avoiding your reaction might somehow erase what just happened.

He had called you “Mom.”

And he had no idea how to take it back.