𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥 | the boys 2

𝘹𝘪) 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊, 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

"You're late. Where's the boy?" Butcher stood upon the muddy bridge surrounded by trees in the early morning, watching his beautiful wife emerge from her car, eyes shining in the sunlight,"Babe, we gotta' get in the truck before we loose our chance."

"I'm-I'm not coming." He'd missed her voice so much - that was why last night had been so utterly beautiful. The release of how long he'd yearned for Rebecca's hands pulling at his hair, the longing for her bright, enthralling eyes to make him forget his own fucking name. "You don't really want Ryan to come with us." It was hard to deny - every time she brought up the boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, his thoughts were consumed by another child. He didn't like referring to Ryan as a 'kid' because it felt like betrayal - there was already one kid here and there wasn't the room for another one. That, combined with the fact he had Homelander's blood in his veins was what was making this situation even more difficult. 

"Of course I do, I said I take him, didn't I?" 

"And I wanted to believe you." Becca let on a weak smile.

"Then believe me," Butcher pulled his wife closer,"Now, come on, we gotta' get a shift on."

"Listen, if the three of us leave, you're gonna' find a way to get rid of him." She sighed knowingly,"I know it... it won't be in an obvious way and it won't be right away, but you will!"

"No, Becca, no!"

"Billy, I know you better than anybody and I saw it in your face last night and I see it now." She continued to press as his eyes wandered away from hers.

Butcher murmured as softly as he could,"He's a million dollar piece of Vought property. They ain't gonna' let him go. But you and me, Becca, we can get out. It's Ryan they care about not us. We grab Rowan and-"

"Yeah, and then what?" The two of them had talked about the girl Becca had watched being dragged away the night before. She had explained what a sweet boy Ryan was and Butcher explained what a diabolical girl Rowan was in return "And then Vought raises him without a mother and there's two fucking assholes in this world!" She commented frustratedly, attempting to push past her husband.

"We could disappear, alright? Just start again, start a new family-"

"I have a son!"

"Yeah, well you ain't the only one with a kid, and he's a fucking supe freak!" The intensity blinded him again - it was always little remarks and actions like that which sent his good relationships with people down the fucking drain. "Fuck... I'm... listen... I didn't mean that. Becca, please come with me."

"You were wrong about me, do you know that?" She smiled sadly,"You put me on this pedestal and the truth is I never knew how to save you. You were always one bad day away from pounding someone to death in a parking lot."

"That's not true." Butcher whispered, eyes fixed to the floor.

"Billy." Becca's jaw clenched,"He raped me. And when I found out I was pregnant, I went to Vought - not you." He felt a sharp pain to his chest as she sobbed,"Because I was scared that you would seek revenge and chase after him and it wouldn't be good for anybody!" It was true - he made shit so much worse for Rowan by letting her stick with him. 

"I love you." He murmured gently.

"I love you, too." Rebecca wept,"But the hate that you carry... and the warpath that you're on... it started so long before me."

____________________

Rowan couldn't help but stare at Hughie as they stumbled out of the car, all regaining the feeling in their legs. Under her leggings, ripped, black jeans, untied, messy boots and a denim, green infantry coat covered in faded blood stains, she was aching, exhausted and constantly ready to vomit.