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As the clock struck noon, the sun beamed down upon the bustling cityscape of New York City, casting its golden rays over the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets below. Despite the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze swept through the city, dancing through the streets and rustling the leaves of trees lining the sidewalks.
Standing on the balcony of John's new apartment at the tower, Annie cradled their newborn girl in her arms, her gaze fixed upon the panoramic view before her. The skyline stretched out before her, a majestic tapestry of glass and steel expanding beyond the horizon. Sunlight glinted off the windows, creating a dazzling display of reflections that danced across the buildings. Below, cars zipped through the streets like tiny ants, their movements orchestrated in a symphony of urban life.
The wind tousled Annie's hair as she leaned against the railing, her heart filled with awe and relief at the sight before her. John certainly had the best view in the tower.
Not long after, the balcony door glides open behind her, eliciting a smile on her lips. A set of warm hands glides up her shoulders and then down to her arms, drawing her gently closer to his chest. As their bodies meet, a sigh of relief slips from Annie's lips.
"How we doing?" He whispers into her ear, his voice brimming with affection. Annie slightly turns her face to catch a glimpse of him. “I’m still getting nightmares at night,” she answers, her tone tinged with sadness. The events of the past few months have significantly affected her, leaving her still reeling from the trauma. Homelander sighs, tenderly caressing a finger on the baby’s face. He plants a soft kiss on Annie’s cheek and whispers, “It’s okay. It’s all over. I’m here now,” reassured by his presence.
"Mmm," she murmurs softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispers to him.
John then lets her go and extends his arms to cradle the baby. Annie gently passes their child into his embrace. A radiant smile brightens John's face; he's noticed lately that he's been smiling a lot more around their children. It's inevitable; being with them fills him with an indescribable joy. After what seems like an eternity, he finally feels complete, with a profound sense of purpose.
"Annie... I..." He begins, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "I've been meaning to ask you something."
Annie's curiosity piques. "Yeah? What is it?" she inquires, her eyes searching his face.
Taking a deep breath, he struggles to find the right words. Annie's scrutiny intensifies, and she places her hand gently on his jaw, her concern evident. "Hey, what is it?" she probes softly, "Everything okay?"
With a click of his tongue, he steers the conversation in a different direction. "On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to forgive me for kissing the other Annie?" he blurts out sheepishly, a grin playing on his lips.
Annie arches an eyebrow, sensing his diversion tactic. "Hmm, I don't know," she responds jokingly, "I might end up biting off your junk. I'm pretty vengeful, you know," she jests.
He chuckles at her response. "Let's test how strong your teeth are. Would you like to try now?" he teases, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Annie laughs, playfully slapping his arm in response.
"No, seriously though, I could use a BJ right about now," he jokes, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Why?" Annie counters, a playful smirk mirroring his own, "The other Annie didn't give you one?"
Homelander feigns a pout. "Nah, she saved it for Black Noir," he responds sarcastically.
Annie bursts into laughter at his retort. "Gosh... how did I end up with you?" Annie shakes her head, still finding it surreal to be in his embrace, holding their child together.
"I think what matters here is that you ended up with me. Doesn’t matter how. And now you’re stuck with me," he teases, elbowing her playfully. Annie snickers. "What a misfortune," she teases back.
The sliding door glides open once more as Ashley peers through the gap. "Alright, lovebirds. Time to get ready. People are waiting for the big announcement!" she says excitedly.
The two straighten up from their relaxed positions and walk inside with the baby cradled in John’s arms.
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Ashley asks eagerly, holding the apartment door open for Annie.
John and Annie share a glance of confusion and amusement. "Not really," he responds.
Ashley rolls her eyes. "It’s been a week, guys."
"Only a week, Ashley. You need to chill," John retorts, deflecting from the fact that they’ve been circling around while choosing a name for the baby. They’ve been referring to the baby girl as simply ‘baby’ so far.
Ashley sighs in response, guiding them to the elevator and then straight to the 5th floor where the makeup room was. They are greeted by their respective makeup teams who usher them into their own makeup rooms. John carries the baby with him, allowing Annie to get ready without worrying about the child.
Once the duo had been impeccably styled into their superhero suits, Ashley escorted them backstage to the auditorium. A crew member now cradled the baby while John grasped Annie’s hand, guiding them through the bustling backstage area. Peering out from behind the curtains, John's expression soured upon spotting A-Train set to make today’s announcement. "Who appointed him for this?" he muttered, his frustration evident in his furrowed brow. Annie stifled a laugh, relishing in this sassy side of him.
Ashley raised her eyebrows in surprise. Clearly caught off guard, she quickly scrolled through her screen. "Ugh," she groaned, "Looks like he self-appointed himself."
"And who allowed him to make this last-minute change?" John pressed, his disappointment palpable.
Annie placed a reassuring hand on his back. "Oh, come on, calm down. Just let him do this, okay? It’s alright," she murmured affectionately.
John rolled his eyes in response “I guess this is going to be a regular thing now, you talking me into going along with shit like this” he sighs. Annie and Ashey chuckled silently after exchanging a look.
Meanwhile, on stage, A-Train seized the microphone, striding forward to capture the audience's attention. The cheers and applause swelled as he stepped into view. "Good afternoon, everyone," he greeted with a wave.
"Today," he continued once the noise had subsided, "I am beyond excited to announce the official return of our beloved Starlight to The Seven!" His proclamation ignited a frenzy of excitement and cheers from the crowd.
"Please welcome to the stage, Starlight!" A-Train beckoned to Annie, who emerged from backstage to a cacophony of whistles, applause, and cheers.
Approaching A-Train, Annie accepted his outstretched hand, allowing him to escort her gracefully to the center of the stage.
"Starlight, everyone!" A-Train proclaimed once more. "But, but, but..." he motioned for the crowd to quiet down, "This is not the only announcement today. We have another surprise for you," he declared, fueling the audience's anticipation even further.
Exchanging a forced smile with Starlight, A-Train proceeded with his announcement, “Please welcome Homelander and the newest addition to our Vought family, baby Aurora!” His voice brimmed with excitement, but Annie's frown betrayed her displeasure at the chosen name, prompting her to shoot a questioning glance at A-Train.
"Huh?!" Homelander exclaimed, his frustration evident. "Who the hell named her Aurora?" he demanded of Ashley.
Ashley swallowed nervously, her voice trembling as she responded, "Must be a dumb mistake. I swear we'll fix this, okay? It's your turn now, go, go, go." She urged him onto the stage, her anxiety palpable.
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, John took the baby in his arms and proceeded to the stage. The audience murmured with curiosity at the sight of a newborn in Homelander's embrace as he waved at them while suppressing his urge to retaliate against A-Train.
"Homelander, Starlight, and their adorable newborn, baby Aurora!" A-Train announced before retreating to a spot behind the podium.
Leaning slightly toward Annie, Homelander whispered, "I'm going to kill him."
Annie sighed, her voice barely audible as she muttered, "Not if I do it first."
A staff member hurried onto the stage to hand the microphones to Annie and John, quickly retreating once the task was complete. "Thank you. Thank you, everyone," John acknowledged the crowd with sincere gestures and waves. "Today, I'm beyond honored to be able to introduce you to my family, which is, of course, incomplete without my son, Ryan, and my beloved father, Soldier Boy. Unfortunately, he's dropping off my son at school today," he added, delivering the last line in a playful tone.
The crowd cooed and whistled for the couple, their excitement erupting into cheers.
"Homelander, we thought you two broke up. What happened?" A reporter inquires.
John chuckles, "Well, she came back. What's meant for you will always come back," he shrugs. People around them let out a collective "aww," dabbing napkins on their eyes to wipe away tears. While Annie typically found these displays of emotion cringeworthy, today's felt genuine. For the first time, they weren't faking anything on stage.
"Starlight, how are you feeling today?" Another reporter inquires.
"I feel amazing!" She responds with a wide grin.
"Homelander, when did you realize Soldier Boy is your father? How are you handling the situation?" Another voice from the press interjects.
"Well, that's a long story I'll save for another time. Let's catch up on that later," he says in a promising tone, though in truth, he's not eager to discuss it at all. He then wraps his arm around Annie while holding the baby in the other arm and proceeds to field the barrage of questions from the press.
As night settles in, the atmosphere in Homelander's apartment at the tower transforms into one of familial warmth. Gathered around the table are Ben, Ryan, Annie, John, and the baby cradled in John's arms. Butcher had already departed with the boys earlier this week.
Initially, the discussion at the table centers around the events of the press conference and the future of their superhero team, as well as recruitment strategies. However, as the adult topics wind down, a temporary lull descends upon the table, leaving behind a sense of quietude broken only by the occasional clinking of utensils and soft murmurs of conversation. Ryan, alternating between eating and entertaining the baby, finds himself growing restless amidst the grown-up conversations. He can't help but feel a twinge of longing for Frenchie and Kimiko, knowing that their interactions would become less frequent. Yet, the presence of Annie, promising to be around more often, lifts his spirits.
To dispel the silence, Ben clears his throat and steers the conversation in a new direction. "So, did you say yes?" he queries Annie, his expression a blend of curiosity and nonchalance.
Annie's chuckle fills the moment with a hint of confusion. "Huh?" she queries, her curiosity piqued.
John's eyes widen in panic as he shoots a sharp retort at his father. "Dad, shut up," he snaps, drawing surprised looks from Annie and Ryan.
Ben pauses mid-chew, his smirk growing as he looks up at John. "You haven't asked her yet?" he teases, enjoying his son's discomfort.
John groans with desperation, pleading for silence from his father. He steals a glance at Annie, who now watches him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. His cheeks flush red as he squirms under her gaze, feeling increasingly awkward.
"Don't look at me like that," he urges Annie, his discomfort evident.
Annie's confusion deepens as she presses for answers. "John, don't be weird. What's going on?" she inquires.
"Not now," John deflects before she can finish her question.
"Why not? We're all here," Ben interjects, continuing to tease his son. John rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, that's exactly why not," he retorts, quickly finishing his meal before abruptly excusing himself from the table. "I gotta run. I'll be back later," he mumbles awkwardly as he hands the baby to Annie. With a swift movement, he heads for the balcony, lifting off into the sky and leaving behind a puzzled Annie.
"What's up his ass?" Annie demands, her tone tinged with anger at John's sudden departure.
Ben and Ryan share a silent exchange, struggling to contain their laughter. Annie fixes them with a questioning stare. "Guys, what's going on?" she presses, sensing their amusement.
The two shrug innocently, feigning ignorance. Annie rolls her eyes, fully aware that they're hiding something. With a sigh, she finishes the remainder of her food in silence before rising from the table and heading out of the apartment, leaving Ben and Ryan chuckling behind her.
Annie goes straight to the rooftop of the tower, a familiar destination whenever John is troubled. It's a space of solace for him, away from the bustle of the world below. Ashley had briefed them earlier in the morning, so Annie knew John's schedule was clear today. As she reaches the rooftop, she spots him standing near the edge, his silhouette framed against the vast cityscape. He appears lost in thought, his hands clasped behind him.
Approaching quietly, Annie clears her throat to announce her presence, though she suspects he's already aware of her arrival by her scent and the soft echo of her footsteps. John turns slightly at the sound, a smile gracing his features when he sees their daughter cradled in Annie's arms. With practiced ease, he shifts his stance and descends to the floor, his movements fluid. Gently, he brushes his fingers across the baby's cheek, his smile warm and affectionate.
"John," she murmurs softly, breaking the silence that hung between them, "Are you trying to propose to me?" Her question is direct, catching Homelander off guard. He freezes, his expression betraying his realization that his intentions had been too obvious back at the dinner table. After a moment of awkward hesitation, he finally sighs, "Well? Will you?"
Annie arches an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips.
Shaking his head in disbelief that she was teasing him again, Homelander mutters under his breath, "Unbelievable!" Rubbing his forehead nervously, he summons false confidence and meets her gaze, "Will you marry me?" But before she can respond, he raises a finger, signaling for her to hold her thoughts. Delving into his glove, he retrieves something from within. Then, much to her surprise, he kneels down, presenting a ring to her. Annie gasps in shock, momentarily dumbfounded. She had suspected it, but the reality of Homelander proposing catches her off guard.
"Well?" he prompts, awaiting her answer.
Annie smiles coyly, nodding, "Get up, silly." She helps him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his neck while cradling the baby in her other arm. John reciprocates the embrace.
"So, is it a yes?" he asks once more.
"Yes, yes. It's a yes," she giggles, tears of joy finally streaming down her cheeks. The two share a tender kiss for a long moment before pulling away, their gazes locked.
Finally, John breathes a sigh of relief, "Let's get you inside," he says, leading her away, their newfound commitment sealing their bond.
Before stepping through the door into the tower, Homelander turns to Annie, a casual air about him. "Oh, Annie, there's one more thing I wanted to ask," he says.
"Mhm?" Annie responds, taking a step inside.
"Where is Maeve hiding?" His tone remains casual, but there's a subtle undercurrent of vengeance in his voice.