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"Because I would do it for them," Hughie said after a moment, the words true and his voice steady. Still, Homelander didn't look like he believed him. The supe looked at him with confusion, like Hughies words didn't make a lick of sense but Hughie didn't know what else to say, how to make him understand, which is why he just waited for Homelander to say something else.
"Oh come on," Homelander said at last, letting out a short, dismissive breath as he waved a hand between them. It almost seemed like was trying to brush Hughie’s answer out of the air entirely.
"What?" Hughie couldn't help but ask. What was Homelander getting at? Did he want Hughie to say something else? Did think Hughie would answer differently?
“There’s no way that’s it,” Homelander’s voice was light, almost amused, but there was something underneath it, something probing. His eyes stayed locked on Hughie, unblinking, but Hughie didn't back down.
“Of course it is,” Hughie shot back quickly, his expression changing from somewhat confident to confused when he saw that a smile started to tugg at the corner of Homelanders mouth, thin and disbelieving.
“No, it isn’t,” Homelander answered only a second later, his voice tainted with amusement and his head tilted in a way that made it seem like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
"There's something you're not telling me, but why?" Homelander continued, his tone growing angry at the thought of Hughie lying to him.
“There really isn’t,” Hughie insisted, forcing the words out evenly, even as his stomach tightened in fear. He had no idea what Homelander was thinking, what the supe wanted him to do or say.
His eyes flicked over to the door then, almost hoping someone would come in to look for him just to get Homelanders attention away from him but he knew that wouldn't happen. Not so soon. Not ever, if he was unlucky.
“Of course there is,” Homelander said then, his tone faux friendly as his smile widened slightly, making his expression even more uncanny. Hughie almost shivered when he saw the look on the supes face, knowing whatever he was coming up with in his head would be a problem.
“I can hear it, you know," Homelander continued almost immediately, taking a slow step closer while his voice dropped.
“Your heart," Homelander added after a beat, pointing at Hughies chest lazily while his eyes stayed fixed on his face. Hughie swallowed then, fighting with himself not to step back even as Homelander took another slow step toward him.
“It’s beating so fast it sounds like it’s about to explode,” Homelander continued when Hughie didn't respond, tapping a finger lightly against his own chest, as if demonstrating. Hughie knew the supe was right about that, that his heart was hammering in his chest but he still didn't know what Homelander was trying to insinuate. What he did know what that he couldn't stay quiet for much longer.
“I don’t-,” Hughie started to speak, to defend himself, but the words fell apart before they could fully form. Homelander’s eyes lit up in response, something sharp and intrusive flashing behind them.
“It’s something naughty, isn’t it?” Homelander sounded amused again, his voice low and his eyes practically sparkling as he looked at Hughie who froze as soon as the words registered in his brain.
“Naughty?” Hughie echoed, staring at him with nothing but confusion in his brain. For a moment Hughie couldn't even process what Homelander had said, the word sounded too ridiculous coming out of Homelanders mouth.
It sounded almost childish, but there was something in Homelanders voice that made it sound anything but. It was as if the supe was digging for something specific, something Hughie really didn't want to even think about.
"Why else would they keep you around?" Homelander asked a moment later, when he realized Hughie wouldn't say anything else. He said it like it was obvious, like there couldn’t possibly be another explanation to anyone liking Hughie of all people.
The supe didn't look away from Hughie once, intently watching for a reaction. Hughie knew that, which is why he tried desperately to conceal the surprise that undoubtedly showed on his face. Was this line of thinking hereditary? Did Homelanders whole family think they needed to do sexual favors to be worth something?
“Because they like having me around?” Hughie said after a beat, but the words came out thinner than he intended. He could hear the small sense of hesitation, the insecurity, in his voice immediately, and judging by the flicker of amusement in Homelander’s eyes, so did he.
“Oh, come on. Don’t flatter yourself,” Homelander said, the edge in his voice sharpening as he shifted slightly, gesturing toward the door with a lazy flick of his wrist.
“There are two reasons people like them-,” Homelander nodded in the direction of the door then, as if to emphasize his point “,-would keep someone like you around.”
Hughie’s stomach tightened when Homelanders gaze found him again, sharp and almost angry now. For a second he thought about taking a step back once again, but he couldn't, no matter what, he needed to stay strong.
“You’ve either got something on them,” Homelander continued, his tone turning almost instructional, like he was explaining something painfully simple.
“Something they don’t want getting out. Or-,” Homelanders lips curved faintly as he let the word hang for a beat, watching Hughie squirm like an insect burning in the sun.
“,-you’re useful in other ways,” Homelander finished his sentence, looking Hughie up and down as he did so. Hughie couldn't believe what Homelander just said, that he'd insinuate something like that.
“That’s not-,” Hughie wanted to tell Homelander off, to tell him friendships didn't work like that, but Homelander cut him off smoothly, stepping just a little closer as he did so.
“And considering that they’re going out of their way to keep you alive-,” His eyes narrowed, something cold settling in behind them before he finished his sentence, “,-I’m guessing it’s the second one.”
“Oh, fuck you,” Hughie snapped, the words slipping out before he could stop them. He could feel his face getting warm even before he spoke, could feel the telltale anger curling in his stomach as he looked at Homelander whose expression shifted instantly. Hughie could see something like interest flickering behind his eyes before he spoke again.
“Are you offering?” The supe sounded almost excited, his eyes open and his whole body seemingly freezing with surprise.
“What? No!” Hughie recoiled, the reaction immediate, almost instinctive. He did take a step back then, his side almost hitting the bunk bed next to him when the back of his foot caught the remains of one of his former acquaintances.
His eyes snapped to the body on the ground for a second, before he quickly looked back at Homelander. He could see a slow smile spreading across his face, like he'd just found something entertaining, something new he could exploit. And to Hughie, that expression was way more horrifying than the corpses covering the ground.
“I have to admit, I’m curious,” Homelander said only seconds later, voice softening in a way that made him sound almost friendly, something Hughie didn't appreciate at all.
“What?” Hughie blinked, his mind turning blank as the words echoed in his skull. There's no way Homelander had just said that, is there? Hughie must be hallucinating for some reason, that was the only explanation for whatever was going on.
“I mean, think about it,” Homelander started, taking another step closer while looking at Hughie in a way that made it seem like he was inspecting something.
“You’ve got a whole group of people willing to do just about anything to keep you alive so you must be something special,” Homelanders gaze dragged over Hughie again but it felt different this time, more intimate somehow.
“That’s not-,” Hughie tried to defend himself again, to get Homelanders thoughts to drift somewhere else but, once again, the supe interrupted him.
“So come on, show me,” Homelander cut in, tilting his head, the smile on his face growing but never quite reaching his eyes.
“Excuse me?” Hughie spluttered, his head spinning as he stared at Homelander who looked right back at him. He could feel his stomach twist as the silence stretched on, the air feeling heavier by the second.
He hoped Homelander would say something else, that the supe would start laughing and tell him he was making a point, that he was just trying to intimidate Hughie, or to make fun of him, but that didn't happen. Instead the supe inched a bit closer and said,
"Show me what you got and suck me off. Maybe I'll be nice if you do a good enough job," Homelander was still smiling but his eyes were empty, making it obvious that the supe was serious, that he actually wanted Hughie to suck his cock, but Hughie wouldn't. He would never get on his knees for someone like that.
“I’m not sucking your dick,” Hughie shot back immediately, the words tumbling out sharper than he intended. He took another half step back as he said it, like putting even a sliver of distance between them might help.
He thought Homelander would just kill him now, maybe hurt him before he used his broken body to lure out Annie and Butcher, but he didn't. Instead, the supe stilled while something unreadable crossed his face.
Not even a second later Homelanders gaze dropped, slow and deliberate as he looked Hughie up and down once more, his gaze almost curious. Hughie couldn't help but cringe a little inside.
“Oh? That’s not what I expected from you. I’m surprised,” Homelander said softly, a strange note of amusement slipping into his voice as his lips curved slightly. There was something off about the way he said it, it sounded too smooth, too interested, and it sent a flicker of unease through Hughie’s chest.
But before he could respond, before he could make sense of what was happening, Homelander started moving. It was only a few steps, unhurried, but it closed the distance between them completely. And then, suddenly, Homelander was right there, standing just in front of Hughie, close enough that Hughie could feel the shift in the air, the quiet pressure of it.
For a second, Hughie didn’t react, didn’t even think to move. He was still trying to catch up, to figure out what had just happened, what Homelander thought he meant.
“Well? Go on,” Homelander prompted after a beat, tilting his head slightly while his gaze stayed on Hughie who blinked in confusion.
“Show me what we're working with,” Homelander said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The words just hung there for a moment but Hughie still didn't move, he didn't react. He couldn't, really. Everything felt like it was happening too fast, like the conversation had just continued without him ages ago.
He desperately tried to make sense of it, to try to figure out what exactly Homelander wanted, what he was supposed to do now and, most importantly, what would make everything stop and go back to normal. He couldn't think of anything though.
So, he just stood there, tense and frozen, caught between confusion and the growing, unmistakable sense that he was in over his head.
“Don’t make me do everything myself now, or is that part of it?” Homelander said a moment later, voice light but edged with impatience. Hughie wanted to do something, to say something, but he couldn't, he didn't know what he even could do. This situation was too weird for him to think straight, to think at all, really.
So, he just continued to stand there and watched as Homelander shook his head slightly before rolling his shoulders subtly. He didn't even react when Homelander moved without much warning, and he barely flinched when Homelanders hand landed on Hughies crotch, fondling his dick through the layers of clothing he was wearing.
Homelanders grip was firm and invasive, moving like it belonged there while he never once broke eye contact with Hughie. Homelander was watching him, studying every reaction like this was some sort of test and it might actually be one.
Hughie’s breath caught in his throat as soon as he felt Homelanders hand squeeze his dick and his first instinct was to pull away, to shove him off, to do something to make it stop, but his body didn’t cooperate the way his mind wanted it to.
Everything felt delayed, like his reactions were stuck behind glass but, as Hughie continued to stare at Homelander, he realized that that might be a good thing. The supe was obviously trying to figure out what Hughie might bring to the table which meant reacting the wrong way, or not reacting at all, might be a death sentence.
So, he tried to relax, to concentrate on the feeling of a hand on his cock while he tried to ignore who that hand belonged to. Luckily for him it didn't take long until he felt a spark of pleasure in his gut, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief as he did so. He could feel his dick twitching in interest when Homelanders thumb rubbed over a specific spot and let out a shaky breath while his gaze stayed on Homelander.
“There it is. That’s the part I was curious about,” The supe murmured quietly then, sounding almost pleased with himself. Hughie knew he needed to do something soon, to make this into something Homelander wouldn't kill him for. He just wasn't sure what the supe was expecting.
“Go on then,” Hughie said a moment later, his voice not as shaky as he expected it to be. He didn’t even know why he said it, the words slipping out before he could stop them, like his brain had momentarily decided to take a different path than the rest of him. The second they landed in the air, regret hit him hard and immediate.
For a split second, he expected something bad to happen, he expected a shift in Homelander’s expression, a snap of anger, something sudden and violent that would make the entire situation collapse in on itself but that didn't happen.
Instead, Homelanders eyes widened slightly, interest sharpening into something that almost looked like excitement. Then, that slow, unsettling smile returned and, for a moment, Hughie was afraid Homelander might just rip his dick off.
Hughie forced that thought out of his mind as soon as he saw Homelander get on his knees, knowing it wouldn't help to think about something like that right now.
Then, almost as soon as Homelander had situated himself in front of Hughie, his knees landing in the blood he had spilled earlier, the supe began to pull down Hughies pants and boxers, exposing his half hard cock to someone he never even thought about in this context.
“Not too bad,” Homelander said after a moment, his tone almost sincere. Hughie didn't know what to make of it, he didn't have the energy to unpack that comment properly while standing in front of a kneeling Homelander. This whole situation was already strange enough as it was.
“So, what are you waiting for?” Hughie said a moment later, though even he could hear the uncertainty creeping into his tone. It made his voice feel wrong in his own ears.
“Show me what you’ve got,” He continued when nothing happened, his gaze meeting Homelanders once more. He knew it wasn’t convincing, that he sounded like he was improvising but he needed to say something, didn't he?
He couldn't just let Homelander do everything, he couldn't just stay quiet, the supe would definitely be angry at him if he did, and he couldn't even imagine what he might do to him if Homelander wasn't satisfied with Hughie after doing something like this.
“Don’t push it,” Homelanders reply came a few seconds too late, his expression shifting slightly. It seemed like the easy amusement dulled slightly, replaced by something more guarded and less playful, but it didn’t land the way it probably should have.
The threat wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t clean; it almost sounded uncertain. His voice had dropped lower, but there was something unstable underneath it, something almost uncertain. Even his gaze, usually so controlled, felt just slightly too open, too wide, like he was recalibrating on the fly and that mismatch made Hughie’s stomach tighten.
It almost seemed like Homelander himself wasn't sure how far he wanted Hughie to go, what he wanted Hughie to say, what he wanted him to do. That thought alone was almost enough to have Hughie run for the hills but he couldn't leave now. Not when Homelanders gloved hand reached for his dick, wrapping around it before he started to spread precum over his dick.
Hughie could feel the rubber glide across his cock, the movement slow and probably deliberate, causing him to sigh with pleasure. Homelander seemed to appreciate the noise of encouragement, his eyes finding Hughies while his tongue poked out to wet his lips. It was a quick movement, subtle, but Hughie caught it anyway.
Homelander continued to move his hand, Hughies dick getting hard from the continued pleasure, but Hughie tried not to concentrate too much on it. Instead, he thought about Homelanders reactions. Not just the ones he had shown today, but previous ones as well.
Hughie knew it might be a long shot, maybe even completely delusional, but he couldn’t shake the thought that Homelander liked this. There was just something about the way Homelander reacted whenever Hughie tried to sound confident, assertive, even, that didn’t quite line up with how someone like him was supposed to behave.
And then there was the way he kept looking at Hughie’s cock, with that strange, almost lingering focus, like it meant more than it should. It made Hughie wonder, uncomfortably, if Homelander actually liked this in some way. Being challenged. Being talked to like this. Maybe even being told what to do, at least a little bit.
Or maybe it wasn’t that at all. Maybe Homelander didn’t like any of it. Maybe this whole situation was just as strange for him as it was for Hughie, just in a completely different way. But if that was true then why keep going? Why stay here, why push it, why act like he was interested in any of this in the first place?
A moan escaped him then, interrupting his thoughts. He could feel Homelanders tongue pressing flat against the underside of his cock before it slid right up to Hughies tip, licking off the precum that had gathered there once again.
"Fuck, you're surprisingly good at this," Hughie mumbled as Homelanders tongue circled his tip, the feeling of pleasure shortly overriding his common sense. He watched Homelander as he spoke, he saw the way Homelanders eyes widened ever so slightly, and he felt the gloved hand that was now resting against his thigh flex just enough to be noticeable.
Hughie almost laughed when the thought of Homelander having a thing for praise crossed his mind. It felt ridiculous the second it formed, like his brain was grasping at anything to make sense of the situation. There was no way, right? Someone like Homelander didn’t need praise. Especially not from someone like Hughie, someone he saw as beneath him.
Still, the idea lingered in his mind, unyielding even when Hughie tried to concentrate on the feeling of Homelanders warm tongue licking his slit, making Hughie gasp.
The sound seemed to spurr Homelander on, because not even a moment later he suddenly took the first few inches of Hughies cock in his mouth. The feeling surprised him, ripping him out of his thoughts as he moaned, a short and low sound.
Hughie had to admit it felt good, the wet heat surrounding his dick and the firm press of Homelanders tongue on the underside of it as he moved his head up and down, pausing every now and again to circle his tongue around his tip.
Hughie hadn't felt something like that since the shifter, something he tried not to think about at all but even less now, especially in this situation.
And, for a moment, he wanted to just get lost in the feeling of warmth, of pleasure, but he stopped himself. He needed Homelander to like this, he needed him to think this was proving whatever Homelander wanted it to.
So, Hughie buried one of his hands in Homelanders hair while he placed the other one on the shaky bunk bed next to him, before he pulled on Homelanders hair a little, ignoring the scoff the supe let out as he did so.
"Come on, I know you can be better than that," Hughie noticed that he misspoke a second too late to correct himself, but he was glad for it when he felt, more than heard, Homelander let out something like a moan at his words.
And then, before Hughie had the time to process what Homelanders reaction might have meant, the supe took him a deeper, almost his whole length vanishing into Homelanders warm mouth.
Hughie felt his body sack slightly, the grip of both his hands tightening as he felt his dick hit the back of Homelanders throat, not hard but certainly hard enough to make him feel it. He hadn't expected Homelander to react like that, hadn't expected the supe to actually want to be praised, but at least he had an idea of what to do now.
"You're doing so good for me," Hughie said then, looking down at the supe who was looking right back at him with glassy eyes and red cheeks. He felt weird saying it, he usually didn't talk like that to anyone, especially not the people he slept with, but Homelander actually seemed to like it.
He could feel the supe moan around his cock as soon as the words left his mouth, he could see his wide glassy eyes staring up at him as Homelander moved his head up and down Hughies cock.
Hughie almost wanted to look away then, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Seeing Homelander like that, on his knees for Hughie of all people, his eyes teary and his chin covered in spit, was almost enchanting. It seemed almost beautiful in a fucked up way.
But, more importantly, he needed to see Homelanders reactions. He needed to see if he went too far or not far enough, which was already hard enough without averting his gaze.
"You can take all of it can't you?" Hughie asked then, his voice calmer than he felt. He couldn't help but feel strange, saying something like this, but he felt even stranger for enjoying the fact that Homelander actually tried to take all of him, that he listened to what Hughie said.
Hughie could see and hear Homelander choke a little when Hughies dick hit the back of his throat once again but the supe didn't stop. He just continued to move his head up and down, both his hands now resting on Hughies thighs as if he was using them for leverage.
Hughie almost keeled over when he felt Homelanders throat tightening around him as he continued to choke every time he took Hughies full length into his mouth, but he didn't stop him. He couldn't even if he wanted to, which he certainly didn't.
He didn't know why, but knowing Homelander was choking on his cock because Hughie had told him to felt good, exhilarating even. Seeing a stray tear run down Homelanders face just heightened the feeling of pleasure building in his stomach.
Without thinking about it Hughie relinquished his hold on the metal and brushed the tear away, his hand resting on Homelanders face after that. Hughie realized what he had done immediately, mortification washing over him, but the feeling vanished almost immediately when he felt Homelander lean into his touch.
Seeing more tears run down Homelanders face while the supe let Hughie practically comfort him was weird. It actually freaked him out a little, if he was being honest with himself, but he wasn't able to think about that for long before Homelander seemingly put more effort into his ministrations.
Hughie could feel Homelanders tongue moving around his cock with a bit more pressure, moving his head down until he hit Hughies pubes each and every time. He could feel the grip of Homelanders hands on his thighs tighten as well, the pain mixing with the pleasure that seemed to grow with each movement of Homelanders head.
"Fuck," Hughie mumbled then, staring at Homelander who was looking up at him through the tears that had gathered in his eyelashes. He hadn't expected to like this so much, hadn't expected Homelander to be so good at this but, no matter how weirdly enjoyable this was shaping up to be, he knew he needed to end this.
Someone might come looking for him, one of his friends might see him like this, and Hughie couldn't have that. Not to mention that he wasn't sure he could endure this much longer anyway. He could feel the pleasure in his stomach tighten, could feel warmth spreading through his whole body and he was pretty sure he'd be coming very soon if Homelander kept it up.
So, in an attempt to make this whole thing end quickly and pleasurable for both of them, at least to an extent, he decided to take a risk.
Hughie looked at Homelander with an almost tentative, caring expression as soon as he made up his mind. Both of his hands were now in the supe’s hair, one having shifted from where it had been holding his face before. He wasn't pulling Homelanders hair however, instead he forced himself to keep his grip light, almost gentle as he spoke.
"Be a good boy and make me come, yeah?" Hughie barely had time to be scared of Homelanders reaction before the supe moaned loudly, the vibration around his cock making Hughie moan in tandem. Hughie smiled a tiny bit, relief washing over him when he realized he had come to the right conclusion.
His smile didn't stay on his face long however, vanishing when Homelander started to move quicker, ignoring the way he choked in an attempt to make Hughie feel even better.
Hughie continued to moan every time his dick was squeezed by Homelanders tight throat and every time Homelanders hands tightening around his already bruised thighs. He watched Homelander move, watched the tears run down his face, mingling with the spit running down Homelanders chin, and hated himself for feeling even more pleasure at the fact that Homelander looked like that because of him.
Hughies eyes dragged across the supe then, his eyes tracing every inch of and for a moment Hughie thought he had seen a bulge in Homelanders suit. But, not knowing what to do with that information Hughie decided to ignore it, his eyes closing as he decided to concentrate on the things Homelander was doing.
"You're doing so good, fuck," Hughie barely registered that he was talking, concentrating more on the vibration on his cock as Homelander moaned again. His hands tightened in Homelanders hair again when he felt himself start to tremble; he needed something to keep him upright and he knew the supe wouldn't feel pain from it. Not that it mattered now.
"I'm gonna come now, yeah? You're such a good boy for me," Hughie kept talking, his words mumbled as he kept praising Homelander while he tried to keep his gaze on the supe. He could feel his focus slipping however, his gaze growing fuzzy as he felt the pleasure tightening in his stomach finally snap.
He closed his eyes briefly when the feeling overtook him, warmth spreading into every inch of his body. He barely felt surprised at the fact Homelander was still sucking his cock, making sure to swallow every drop of cum.
"Such a good boy," Hughie mumbled then, his body shaking more than before and his eyes now back on Homelander who closed his eyes at the words. Hughie had hoped Homelander would stop then but he didn't. Instead, he just continued to suck his cock, moaning when Hughies grip in his hair tightened once again.
Hughie wanted to tell Homelander to stop but, looking at the way Homelanders eyes were screwed shut and the obvious tension in the supes shoulders, he decided against it. Instead, Hughie continued to mumble praises while he let out broken moans and noises that sounded suspiciously like whines.
Just as the pleasure started to get painful, just as his words started to get high pitched and breathy, Homelander let out a loud moan, his body shaking just like Hughies was.
For a long moment after that nothing happened. Hughie was just standing there, his breath shallow and his hands in Homelanders hair as he tried to come to terms with what just happened. Homelander on the other hand was still kneeling in front of him, his hands gripping Hughies thighs tightly and his eyes still closed as he breathed around Hughies now flaccid cock.
Then finally Homelander leaned back and let go off Hughies cock, causing Hughie to let go of Homelanders hair a moment before the supe stood up. Hughie couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he put his cock away awkwardly, embarrassment and horror now replacing the painful pleasure from before.
He wanted to grab the metal railing next to him again as he stood there, his body trembling with aftershocks and a renewed sense anxiety, but he didn't. He just stood there and watched as Homelander wiped the tears and the spit off his face.
“You know what happens if you tell anyone, don’t you?” Homelander said a moment later, his voice raspy and deeper than usual, a reminder that this actually did happen and Hughie hadn't just completely lost his mind.
“Yeah,” Hughie replied quickly, his eyes tracing over Homelander who looked at him as if nothing had happened.
“Good,” Homelander said simply, smiling at Hughie in a way that made his skin crawl. Hughie felt a new wave of anxiety wash over him as he stood there, his dick tender and his thighs burning while neither of them said anything.
The silence started to stretch between them then and Hughie desperately wanted something to happen, wanted someone to come in and interrupt them, but no one came.
Then, after at least a minute of nothing but awkward silence, Homelander finally decided to speak.
“I get why they keep you around now, at least a little. If you survive this whole thing, we might do this again. I’m sure there’s more I haven’t seen,” Homelanders eyes traced over Hughie who felt horror and shock burn in his chest as the words registered in his brain.
“But-,” Homelander paused after the word, smiling at Hughie while he clapped his hands once before he continued, “,-we have more important things to deal with now.”
And just like that, the moment snapped forward again. Hughie didn’t really process the transition. One second he was still stuck on what had been said, trying to make sense of it, and the next he was being moved, guided, handled.
Suddenly he found himself next to Frenchie, his mouth covered in tape and his hands taped together in front of him. Even then he couldn't think of Annie or Butcher or what was going on, no, his thoughts stayed on what had happened earlier, focusing on what Homelander had done, what he had said after.
Later, after he had been freed, his mind continued to replay what happened. Even when he hugged Annie he thought of burying his hands in Homelanders hair, when Homelander grabbed him by the neck to kill him and even when A-Train saved his life he thought about Homelander on his knees in front of him.
And even after all of that was done, after they had left the camp and Homelander behind, Hughie couldn't help but think about Homelanders words, about what they meant. He couldn't help but think about the fact that Homelander had told him that they might do something like that again, that it wasn't over just because they'd done it once.
Maybe it would've been easier for Hughie if A-Train hadn't intervened, if he had died, but A-Train did show up. Which meant that Hughie had to deal with this one way or the other. No matter what that might mean.