Chapter Text
Homelander didn’t give you a second glance as you started to arrange the paperwork on the table in preparation for a Seven meeting. You’re one of the few underlings he can tolerate, the way someone might be fond of a nice lamp. He accepts you as a part of his surroundings but ultimately your presence doesn’t register as anything important. So, he’s surprised when you gently place a wrapped package in front of him.
“I made some Christmas candy.” You say, voice wavering nervously. He frowns, brows knitted in confusion. He gingerly picks up the package to scan it and what you said is true. It contains a patch of rather mismatched looking chocolates that couldn’t be anything other than homemade. He can smell the sugar through the cheap wrapping paper and his mouth waters. He meets your gaze and he realizes that the anxiety in your eyes is from anticipation of his reaction.
“Why the fuck did you do that?” He was expecting you to ask for some favor from him. He was waiting for the angle. But now it’s your turn to frown in confusion. You open your mouth and close it and he can practically see the gears turning as you think of a response.
“It’s Christmas?” You respond, and he likes the sweet way your voice tilts into the question. He feels something funny in his chest as he turns the package around in his hands. He’s not sure how to process this new feeling so he waves you away. You nod and shuffle out and he watches you leave. He unties the ribbon and takes a piece of candy. It’s absolutely delicious. You managed to balance the richness of the flavors with the sweetness from the chocolate and it’s a treat without being overwhelming to his senses.
The interaction didn’t even take five minutes but somehow you’d transformed into a whole person in his eyes. He was going to be much more attentive to your presence from now on.