Dive Deep into Creativity: Discover, Share, Inspire
Hero let out a startled squeal, fairly loud as they felt their body swaying and legs losing every possible understanding they had of the ground . They felt like they were in math class all over again, where their head alone had an affair with gravity and that was fine because the desk was always there to catch them. Now, Hero wasn't so sure if they liked their connection with gravity at all.
They shut their eyes close tight, so tight that it kind of hurt as they waited for the painful impact.
They felt a touch on their arm not even a second later- soft at first and then firm afterwards, grabbing onto them and yanking them towards whatever it was. They then crashed into something solid and warm?! That was enough of an overload of sensory nerves that made Hero blink their eyes open almost immediately.
They were met with a tantalizing smirk, the same one that would follow them around in their dreams every night.
"You'd never have enough lives if you keep tripping over stairs Hero ."
Hero scoffed, trying to pull away and steady themselves from the warmth that was Villain.
"You're there to catch me anyways, so I know I'll be fine."
Now it was Villain's turn to scoff. "If you think that this is going to happen everytime then you're gravely mistaken. God knows how many times you fall for stairs everyday, if they were a person, you would at least have a lover by now."
Hero finally found it in themselves to whisk their wrist out of Villain's hand, walking back towards whatever class that they had next, a pout playing on their face. "Suit yourself."
After Hero's figure disappeared around the corridor, shy chuckles escaped Villain's lips. Oh how fun it was to rile up Hero and watch them dance.
-
Villain was making their way towards their Geography class when they heard that infuriating squeal all over again. They sighed, body moving before their mind could even think- how many times did this happen already today?! For the first time in their life, Villain found themselves regretting ever having super hearing because they couldn't ignore Hero, even if they wanted to- it's like their brain was subconsciously looking out for that stupid squeal no matter what Villain did, and the moment they heard that squeal, they dropped everything and rushed towards it. Pathetic.
But they couldn't stop. The horrifying image of Hero's head bleeding after it hit the sharp edges of the stairs would make them go everytime and they just couldn't understand why.
Judging from the proximity of the sound, Hero was somewhere right below them. Villain peeked to the side of the stairs just in time to see Hero already toppling over, their body so close to connecting with the jagged edges. Shit!! I won't make it if I run down the stairs. I have to jump.
Villain did just that, landing right in front of Hero, somehow managing to catch them and not topple down themselves. It was a miracle.
Hero was wedged into their chest again, chucking this time. Huh, now that's new.
"I thought you wouldn't come because you somehow knew."
Villain stared at them, head cocked to the side, a quizzical expression on their face, "knew what?"
"Knew that I fell on purpose this time."
Villain almost pushed Hero down the stairs themselves after that.
Almost.
"N-no, Villain, please don't." Hero begged even as their voice cracked, eyes desperate.
Villain just stared at them with empty eyes, and their face showed no form of recognition that they had even understood what Hero had said.
"Why do you care?" Villain asked sharply. "I'm a Villain, you have no obligation to care for me Hero."
Hero wanted to reply but they were too lost in the image of Villain that popped up in their head- the Villain who had bright eyes and a sarcastic laugh, who made jokes just to cheer Hero up. That Villain didn't exist anymore.
Villain turned away from Hero, not waiting for an answer. Hero was pulled back to reality when Villain finally took their plunge off the ledge.
"NO-
I'm not numbering the prompts because I just lose track of the numbers/ please feel free to use this and tag or credit me^^
part 1 here
part 2 here
Ash tried their best not to show their disinterest that threatened to seep beyond their poker face. They really didn't want to be here, but supervillain had decided to gather their team because apparently the hero had been captured successfully, at long last.
In the few run ins that Ash had had with the hero, if there's one thing that they knew, it was that the hero was a really competent fighter and was almost unbeatable in battle. Ash would go as far as saying that they even respected the hero's dedication to their work. So that's why it was really weird to them that that hero could be captured so easily. They even felt bad for them, because they had nothing against them really. If life was kinder to them, then they wouldn't even be here, they might have even stood at the opposite side of all of this mess, and maybe could have even been an ally to justice.
They shake their head, ridding it of thoughts about a past that was now impossible to change. Right now, all Ash wanted to do was go home, back to that apartment where Adrian and Alex were waiting for them. Alex did say that they were going to go all out preparing dinner and Ash would be lying if they said that they weren't looking forward to it.
Just then the door to the hide out banged open, and two figures were thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Ash felt their stomach twist and turn when they got a good look at their faces- they began wiping their eyes multiple times, pinched themselves, did about anything that people generally did to check if this was some twisted dream. They wanted someone to tell them that this wasn't real- that this was all just a bad dream, a nightmare caused by over stress. Ash tried pinching a little harder but they still felt pain. Maybe if I pinch a bit more, I won't feel anything?
They wanted to scream their lungs out, because why did the two people that they cared about the most end up here, in the supervillain's hideout. Why?!
This made no sense. Nothing made any sense.
"Well well, looks like you've knocked the hero out cold." Supervillain's the first one to speak, eyes glistening with such mirth it made Ash want to recoil into themselves.
But hero? One of them was the hero all along? But who?
Their question was answered when supervillain stepped forward, bending down and grabbing Adrian's chin roughly with one hand. Ash had to hold themselves back before they ended up twisting that hand in a moment of fury.
Don't touch them! Ash wanted to scream.
Alex was the first one who regained consciousness, squirming around uncomfortably with the binds on their wrists. Ash wanted to rush forward and immediately shield them from supervillain's piercing gaze, but they held themselves back. Neither Ash nor their friends would make it out of there alive if they made a move now.
"Oh, good morning to you civilian. How unfortunate that you happened to tag along with hero when we had planned to kidnap them."
Ash watched as Alex stared at the unconscious form of Adrian in utter shock, clearly struggling to take in that piece of information. Alex's eyes darted, flustered, from the supervillain, back to Adrian, and Ash could literally see the cogs turning in their brain, Alex grappling with the piece of information thrown at them, not knowing what to do with it. So Alex didn't know either, Ash thought. They understood though, after getting to know the both of them better, Ash could confidently say now that Adrian didn't tell Alex because they wanted to keep them away from this world, and who could blame them? Ash definitely wouldn't. They looked at Alex's stunned figure sadly- watching Adrian's effort break down in front of them was heartbreaking.
Plus, the identity of a hero when compared to a villain was especially that of top priority. They've heard that the supervillain had spent years trying to uncover hero's identity- and that was finally revealed today.
Without any warning, supervillain wedged their foot right into Adrian's stomach, making them flinch awake with pain, only to scream. Alex tried to lunge forward but was held back by the henchmen. Ash almost lurched forward, again as Alex started struggling, screaming to get the henchmen to let them go, and Adrian was still out of it, clearly in pain. The entire situation screamed despair at Ash and tore their heart into tiny, pathetic pieces.
"Oh Villain, what's wrong?" Supervillain's attention turned for a meager second away from Adrian and Alex, and that made Ash more happy than they were willing to admit, " you just froze all of a sudden."
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit unsteady on my legs. I'm alright now."
Don't lose your cool. If you play this out nicely enough, you can still get them out. They don't know who you are, this is the perfect opportunity.
Having made up their mind, Ash wobbled forward, stopping right in between Adrian and Alex.
"What's wrong Villain? Do you want to go back home today after all?"
Ash wanted to puke at the fake concern in their voice. "No supervillain, that won't be necessary. I just wanted to make a suggestion, if you would let me."
Supervillain nods their head, signaling Ash to continue.
"We only need the hero right? If a civilian was to go missing, it would cause unnecessary issues and the police will begin to investigate-
The sound of skin against skin could be heard reverberating throughout the entire room. Supervillain had just slapped Ash so hard, that the force caused their head to fall sideways. From the corner of their eyes, Ash could see worry swimming in Adrian's eyes and they heard Alex gasp. Even in such a situation, even without knowing their true identity, these two still cared. That simple fact made Ash's heart warm.
"A-are you okay?"
Ash looked over to Alex and simply smiled, hoping that was enough of a response to the question. It hurt a little too much to talk right now. That slap had messed up Ash's disguise, their mask out of place, just enough to show their hair and eyes.
" Now now villain, you know better than to question my plans hmm?" Supervillain spoke with a voice that could cut.
Ash took a shaky step back, visibly flinching at the tone. This was the first time they'd seen the supervillain face to face and they were as cruel and heartless as the rumors said that they were.
"Your answer Villain?"
"Y-yes, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Adrian's breath hitched in their throat as they took in the Villain's appearance- raven tresses that stood on the thin line between wavy and curly, those honey orbs, and that silky voice- there's no mistake. Even though the villain was only showing their back to them, Adrian knew. But Alex beat them to it.
"Ash, is that you?"
Shit. Ash visibly tensed, realizing that their voice changer was knocked out of position by that cursed slap.
"Ash, it's you isn't it?"
Alex called out again, sounding surer this time and Ash just stood there, like a deer caught in headlights, unable to decide whether to lie or tell the truth. If they said the truth, they would be killed by supervillain, and if they lied, they would have to fight but in the end still be killed by supervillain. It really didn't matter either way.
Ash looked back at Adrian for a small second and the recognition in their eyes was the final straw.
If they've already figured it out, then there's no point in keeping secrets anymore.
Ash stepped forward, taking off their mask completely. Alex gasped, the same shock crossing their facial features once again, looking like a fish out of water, completely lost and desperate. Adrian just looked at them and sighed. Ash couldn't decide if they sounded relieved or disappointed- they desperately hoped that it wasn't the latter.
Supervillain cackled, clapping their hands together almost maniacally, their rough voice echoing inside the tiny room. They looked like someone who was having the time of their life, enjoying an unexpected plot twist to their favorite TV drama.
While supervillain was distracted, Adrian struggled to get back up on their feet, only to be kicked harder this time, right where they'd been kicked earlier. They fell to their side, coughing sharply, a copper like taste springing to life in their mouth. Everything ached and there was just so much pain-
And then a gentle touch, slowly pushing away sweat slicked blond locks, and then a strong arm holding them close. Another arm clutched onto their shoulder, spreading warmth everywhere. Adrian opened their eyes to see Alex and Ash by their side, both of them looking like it was the end of the world.
And for the first time in a long time Adrian didn't feel scared. They had the two people that they trusted their life with by their side. And that wasn't going to change now, knowing that Ash is a villain. All of that didn't matter. At the end of the day, Adrian is Adrian and Ash is Ash, they're just two college students struggling to complete their degree in peace, forced into hero and villain costumes.
"This is all just so touching, isn't it?" Supervillain drawled, a hand coming up to wipe fake tears as the other villains and henchmen all nodded their heads, like petty little puppets. "A villain, hero and a civilian, all trying to have their happy ending."
Supervillain sneered and Villain felt a chill run down their spine.
"But I'll be damned if I let you have it that easily!"
A blast shot out from Supervillain's hand and Adrian had just enough time to push Alex away to the opposite side, clutching Ash in their arms and rolling over to the other side, missing the blast by a hair's breadth.
Ash felt Adrian groan against them and their blood froze. Adrian is hurt, and I have to get them out of here.
"Take Alex and leave Adrian, I'll take care of this." Ash said in the most menacing voice that they could muster.
But Adrian wasn't backing down, giving them a death stare and Ash thinks that they have never seen them this angry before.
"You're dreaming if you think that I would abandon you and save just myself and Alex." Their voice threatened, like pines and needles.
"But I'm a villain, I don't deserve any of this!" Ash wailed, their voice a mix of anger, sadness and desperation and it hurt Adrian's ears to hear Ash's sweet voice sound like that.
"Adrian, Ash, look out!"
This time it was Ash who saw the blast coming first, pulling Adrian flush to their chest and rolling away to shield them from the blast. It scraped away a little bit of their costume on the back and they flinched at the sharp, burning feeling on their spine.
Adrian tensed in their arms, eyes darting up to scan Ash's body for any more injuries. Upon finding no new ones, they sighed in relief, pulling themselves up and then Ash. They hid behind a wall for a moment of rest and looked into Ash's eyes softly.
"I'm a hero and I protect people, so let me do my job okay?"
"You'll protect me, even though I'm a villain?" Ash sounded so unsure of themselves and it made Adrian's heart tug painfully. They slowly brought their hand up to Ash's cheek, fingers gently circling the bruise that was forming there. Ash sighed unconsciously, feeling safe and content, all in one moment. They didn't know it was even possible to feel that way.
"I don't know what you're talking about, you are only Ash to me. Besides, I'm sure you had your reasons, just like I have mine." Adrian smirked.
And suddenly, Ash could breathe more easily. They at least had enough fight in them to roll their eyes at Adrian's antics, "Way to ruin the moment, idiot."
They moved together, movements in perfect sync as they made it across the room to reach Alex, while dodging the supervillain's attacks. Alex looked like they were just about done with everything. Ash couldn't really blame them. Adrian chuckled playfully at the sight.
"So it takes a hero, a villain and a supervillain to finally shut you up huh Alex?"
But Alex wasn't an idiot, they knew that while Ash showed their emotions more freely, Adrian would hide them and begin to joke away their worries. So Alex stared back at Adrian resolutely, with a determined gaze.
Adrian let out a knowing sigh and ruffled their hair a little, glad that Alex was safe more than anything. Being a normal civilian in a room filled with humans who possessed superpowers was dangerous as it is. Adrian never wanted to feel so helpless again, just thinking about how they couldn't do anything when Alex was threatened with a knife to their throat made their skin scrawl.
Ash bent down, gently bopping their nose with Alex. They definitely preferred the noisy version, seeing them quiet was just unsettling. Alex smiled up at them.
"I'm going to protect you two, no matter what." Adrian said suddenly, putting an arm around each of them, giving them a slight squeeze. They were met back with the brightest smiles they'd ever seen. Adrian felt like they could win this battle with just that encouragement. Being a hero was a lonely job and you always had to look tough on the surface, no matter what you were feeling on the inside.
And that's why Adrian treasured Ash and Alex so much, because they knew that they would stand by their side, no matter what.
"Ahem" Supervillain coughed obnoxiously, "It would be nice if you three didn't forget that I exist."
-
It was a tough battle, and by the end of it Adrian and Ash sported many bruises and many more scars, a few of them bleeding more than the rest. But supervillain was defeated, and Alex felt like crying out tears of relief at that fact alone. Because that meant that Adrian and Ash won't be in harm's way anymore.
They ran up to a staggering Adrian, being supported by Ash, holding them both as gently as they could. The other two chuckled softly, returning the hug. The three just stood like that for who knows how long, just basking in the fact that they were all safe, alive and warm, and their hearts were still beating, just like they're supposed to and didn't just give up halfway. Alex was the first one to break the embrace, looking up and down at Adrian and Alex as if they were deciding on what wedding attire to pick.
"I'm definitely going to need a lot of first aid kits tonight."
Adrian and Ash laughed together as Alex pulled them both forward, one hand in each of theirs.
All of them stepped inside their apartment with warm smiles on their faces, knowing that they belonged with each other and they weren't going anywhere.
Okay this is the final part / this snippet is finally over / and this became long as usual / hope you all enjoyed this!! / I think it's fun to think that supervillain secretly shipped all of them so I'll leave this here
part 1 here
The morning light peeks in through the slightly ajar curtains, the rays making Adrian's blond hair look almost golden. Ash just woke up, then trudged half asleep to the kitchen for a glass of water when the sight made them stop in their tracks.
"Good morning!" , Alex announces, coming out of their room sporting a big yawn and the moment just breaks. Ash is just... standing there, in the middle of the hallway, doing practically nothing, staring at Adrian's sleeping figure which only just now twitches a little because of the sound. How were they supposed to explain this?
Ash decides to start with a "Good morning", taking quicker steps to the kitchen and hoping that Alex did not notice the tiny stutter in their voice.
"So, did Adrian finally complete their work?" Alex asks, aggressively poking the sleeping figure on the chair. Ash winces at the sight- that's definitely not the way to wake someone up.
Ash clears their throat with a low hum, "Not really, but they only have one more page left to complete. I was thinking about waking them up in another fifteen minutes-
"WHAT?! THEY STILL HAVE A PAGE LEFT!" Alex screeches, successfully waking up Adrian who jolts awake in their chair, staring at nowhere in particular, a hand coming up to rub their eyes. Ash just sips their water, staring at the scene taking place in the living room from the kitchen. Alex sure was lively in the morning, a little too lively for their personal taste. Adrian didn't seem to mind though, as they patiently answered to any of the questions that Alex had regarding their work. I guess this is a way of caring too, Ash thinks. I wouldn't know, since no one cared for me like that.
Adrian's eyes flicker to theirs for a moment during the conversation, and their face breaks into this bright grin and Ash feels like they're seeing the morning sun all over again. They're too bright, but I can't look away. No... I don’t want to.
"Hey Ash, good morning!"
Ash chokes on their water a little but somehow manages to utter a coherent "Good morning" in return. They make a mental note that Adrian’s morning voice has super high destructive powers - those husky undertones to that already attractive voice didn’t help calm their erratic heartbeats at all.
"What, since when did you both become such good friends?!" Alex asks, sounding almost jealous.
Alex’s voice is nice too, a little high, but calming all the same, Ash notices.
"Since last night. " Adrian replies, winking suggestively, earning a punch to their shoulder.
"Ow!"
Ash swears that they tried, tried to keep in the laughter that threatened to tear out of their throat, but they knew that they failed miserably when the first syllable of a chuckle tumbled out of their lips. That chuckle multiplied and soon they're full blown laughing, hand clutching at their stomach.
Adrian and Alex stop their playful banter, all attention trained on their new friend who seemed to be having a good time.
Laughter is a contagious thing, and soon enough, the three of them start cackling, and it's a start to a pleasant morning.
Well, at least until Adrian remembers that they still had their essay to complete.
"Oh shit-
-
Adrian put each of their arm around Ash and Alex, in an attempt to give them a group hug. Alex seemed like they didn't mind for a whole minute, and then they pull away, spouting something along the lines of, "Don't think you can pay me back with just a hug Adrian, this is not going to happen every time-
But Adrian and even Ash, who had just properly met the two of them yesterday can literally see the same situation happening again, like deja vu, but in reverse.
"Well, do you also expect anything else other than a hug from me?" Adrian asks Ash with a cheeky smile, who has been silent for the most part. They could understand that Ash was a person of few words, unlike their noisy roommate.
Ash chuckles, "It would be great if I could hang out with you both more often, if that's okay with you both of course."
A chorus "Of course you can!" is the next thing that Ash hears, making their spine tingle pleasantly.
"You both are so loud, you know that?" Ash says, faking annoyance.
"Well, that's kind of our specialty." Alex grins.
"More like your specialty Alex." Adrian teases.
"Okay, you're going to pay for that Adrian!"
Ash just snorts, watching their first friends ever bicker happily.
Maybe if I'm with you both, I can forget that I'm a villain. Just for a little while.
-
It's been a jolly few months after that, both hero and villain not having much on their plate. But that instead only succeeded in causing immense worry for both the sides (from the villains side, probably only Ash was worried), because not having much to do could only mean one thing-
The villains were planning something big.
Adrian wished that this was like the other jobs, where getting less work was actually a good thing. They find themselves growing restless, looking down at their sweaty palms, even though the night breeze is pretty chilly.
"Adrian, thanks for waiting! Let's go home."
Adrian had come to the grocery store to accompany Alex on a small errand. They said that they were going to buy ingredients for dinner and Adrian thought that it was only right for them to come along, since Alex was cooking for them and Ash. Ash had said that they would drop by later.
It was pretty late in the night, but they weren't worried for themselves, they were the hero, they could manage if anything were to happen. They were however, concerned for Alex's safety. They were a normal civilian and thus had no idea of their other hero persona, about the world of violence and bloodshed that hero was a part of. And they wanted it to stay that way.
Heroes and villains always wore a mask to protect their identities, so there was close to no way for their enemies to find out about their real identity.
At least, that was what Adrian had believed, up until then.
But before Adrian can understand what’s happening, they feel something hard connect to the back of their head, making their vision swim.
No... no... stay awake!
Alex screams their name out, and Adrian suddenly feels so helpless.
Why is all this happening?! Why are they hurting Alex? They have nothing to do with this!
Adrian's ears ring painfully and they just want all of this to stop. They want to stop hurting.
"Stop it... please!"
The last thing they see before everything goes black is a knife pressed to Alex's neck.
Here's the second part / *slides some drama in here* / a little more drama in the next part / ash is still waiting for dinner and they have no clue, the poor thing / adrian knew that grocery store trips were tiring for a reason, but boy were they not expecting this / alex is in for a ride
Note : Adrian, Ash and Alex are all unisex names, so you're free to imagine your preferred gender in your head ^^
Adrian groans, staring at the blank notebook in front of them. They were supposed to write an essay which is to be submitted tomorrow but they can't seem to find the thing called motivation for the life of them. They've just been feeling so lazy and they can't figure out why.
Even though they may just look like any normal college student who's struggling with their classes, they had another, quite major role to play in society- they were the Hero, and as the title suggests, their job description consists of fighting off villains, rescuing normal civilians, smiling, and more smiling. Adrian wouldn't admit it, but it did get tiring at times. And recently, they've been having to go to these night escapades a lot, since their nemesis, Villain, true to their job description has been causing mischief the entire past week, making Adrian bite off more than they can chew. Thankfully they weren't any serious crimes and most of the time, Adrian felt like they were dealing with a child seeking attention.
And thus here they are, tired of being productive and procrastinating like tomorrow doesn't exist. Oh how they wished that being a hero gave them some leverages in college, but their superiors would bite their head off if word got out. Being a hero was sworn to secrecy, kind of like a secret agent, except in this case, Adrian has to play an entirely different persona.
They groan again, just in time as their friend /roommate walks into the room. "Hey, what's up? Did you get that homework done?"
Adrian gives them a look like they're staring into the void, "You think I'll look like this if I did?"
Their roommate Alex sighed, clearly to them it didn't look like Adrian was going to be done anytime soon and it was already 12 am. They just wanted to sleep, without having to listen to Adrian's groans of agony throughout the night.
"Okay, you clearly need a change of pace so I'll call up this other friend of mine who's great at studying. I met them during a group project and they're like so good!"
Adrian scoffs, but allows Alex to do whatever they want to. It's not like they were bad at studying, they just didn't feel like doing it right now.
Adrian almost dozes off when they hear a loud knock. Alex literally skips over to the door, opening it and eagerly welcoming their new friend into the room. Adrian manages to sit up, still groggy and shakes their head, trying to get themselves to wake up. Once their eyelids cooperate enough, they look up to find two pairs of worried expressions thrown towards them. They immediately whirl around, facing the opposite way, embarrassment eating up their cheeks.
"Uhm, are they okay?" A voice that Adrian has never heard before speaks up. They guess that they're the friend who studies oh so well.
"Well, they're generally better than this, just on lower spirits today." Alex tries to speak up for their roommate.
After explaining the situation to the newcomer, Alex disappears into the quarters of their room with a friendly, "just call out if you need anything!"
Adrian sighs, wanting nothing more then to curl up in their blankets and fall asleep while watching something on their laptop. They were so inside their head, that they failed to notice soft footsteps approaching them and nearly jumped out of their skin when they felt a gentle touch on their shoulders. The said person immediately took a few steps back, clearly flustered by Adrian's reaction.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you." They speak out, voice sincere.
Adrian immediately felt guilty. They were here for their sake, to help them finish their assignment and here they were, being most possibly the rudest person on the planet. "No no, it's my fault, I wasn't really paying attention."
The newcomer smiles at that and Adrian feels their chest tighten in a way that it has never done before. What the hell?
"I'm Adrian, by the way," they say, desperate to keep the conversation going, "and you are?"
"Ash. I guess Alex didn't tell you much about me?"
"Not much except for the fact that you study really well and that's why you would be the perfect inspiration for me to finish this essay."
Ash laughs at that, "I do handle my studies okay, but I don't know how good of an inspiration I can be, but I'll try my best."
Adrian looks at them, face soft, "You're really a nice person you know?"
Ash almost chokes on air, "Huh?"
Adrian realises that that was probably a really random thing to say, voice spluttering as they try to figure out a way to make this conversation less awkward than it already is.
"N-no, I just meant that you really have no reason to be here, you don't even know me and here you are, willing to help me with my essay and everything. "
Ash chuckles shyly and Adrian has to mentally punch themselves to remind them not to stare at how fine they look, standing under the yellowish lighting of their dorm, the shadows painting their face just right. And not to mention that silky voice... oh God.
" -ping people."
"Huh?" Adrian has to ask, as they just returned to reality from inside their head.
Ash just smiles, repeating again, "I guess it doesn't feel so bad helping people sometimes, and that's why I'm here."
Now it's Adrian's turn to smile, and they tell Ash to sit down and get comfortable, while they pop into the kitchen to make two cups of hot chocolate, Adrian and Ash falling into easy tunes of conversation soon after.
-
It's almost half past two and Ash is staring at Adrian, who is peacefully dozing off on their desk. They sigh, eyes fluttering close for a brief moment, just enjoying this tiny moment of peace. Life is anything but peaceful for Ash because of their other secret identity- they were a villain, and its been days since Ash has felt so at peace. It was getting harder to just stay alive every day, and it didn't help that the other villains around town just keep getting greedier, making them take part in reckless missions. A distressed sigh leaves their lips, as they force all the depressing thoughts back down. They didn't want to think about that right now. Right now, they were safe. For some reason, staying like this besides Adrian made them feel some sort of a familiar warmth settle in the pits of their stomach, though this is the first time that they've met them. It made Ash feel good.
I'm just overthinking this whole thing, as usual, they sigh, giving their head a little shake. They stand up from the couch and tiptoe over to the table where Adrian's sleeping to check on how much they've completed. They still have a page left, their eyes flicker to the clock that reads 4:45 am, so it'll be fine if I let them sleep in a bit more right? Ash did walk over to Adrian's desk with the intention of waking them up but after seeing that peaceful smile, and the way they're sleeping comfortably even on an arm chair, Ash guessed that maybe they really did need their sleep.
Okay, I'll wake them up a little later, and with one last glance, Ash walks back over to the couch, deciding to get some sleep of their own.
This is going to have two more parts I think / so stay tuned! / I was procrastinating so decided to let hero procrastinate too lol / well at least they have villain helping them out / I'm soft / also I played around with tenses for this snippet (you'll see in the upcoming parts) / I hope you all like it anyways:)
Villain is just having a nice time, leaning on a railing and staring up at the stars when he sees a silhouette blur past him and land on a rooftop about three buildings away from him. Instinct kicks in and he immediately hides behind the wall, because getting into some scuffle with another Villain would do him no good.
He hears no noises that sounds like a brawl, so he peeks out slowly from his spot behind the wall and catches sight of a blue costume that looks pale in the moonlight. He squints his eyes, trying to discern the figure further. The silhouette moves a little bit into the moonlight and Villain's eyes widen like baseballs.
Hero?! What the hell is he doing here, at this time of the night? Villain whisks his head back to hide away behind the wall, his brain running a mile per minute. Did he perhaps somehow figure out that I'm here? Am I being tracked? But wait, I'm not doing anything today so there's no reason to track me- Villain spends a good fifteen minutes racking his brain up but no matter what, he can't seem to arrive at an answer for the Hero's appearance. He peeks out again- and he’s still here, great. Furthermore, Hero had settled down nicely on that roof , pulling his blue cape further on himself.
Villain lets out a distressed sigh. He doesn't look like he's here to fight. Villain spends a few more minutes looking at Hero, and for some reason the longer he looks at Hero, the more he realises that Hero just looks incredibly lonely, sitting there all alone, curled up on himself, the pale moonlight making him look paler than usual. And Villain immediately makes a decision- he decides to go and give Hero some company, ignoring the warning bells going off in his head.
-
Hero jumps at the sound of footsteps behind him and looks just about ready to bolt after recognizing Villain's form behind him. Villain can literally see Hero's brain working, and so he stops, raising his hands up in a peaceful motion, hoping that the stubborn Hero understands that he’s not here to fight.
Hero's tense muscles calm down at the sight of Villain's hands raised up, and he sits back down, abandoning his instinct to flee. Villain plops down next to him, not making any other movement. Hero gives him a sideways glance, only to look back at the sky after.
"What are you doing here? Did you track me down?"
Villain tries to answer the question with a level voice, his internal self currently in chaos because that was exactly what he had thought around twenty minutes ago.
We're just so stupid aren't we?
"Don't flatter yourself Hero, I have other things to do."
"Like?"
Villain thinks for a moment and then answers, "like stargazing."
Hero whisks his head sideways so fast, Villain momentarily worries if his neck is okay.
"What?"
"You heard me, stargazing. And rooftops are the best spots for that."
Hero wants to laugh but something in Villain's voice tells him that he's not joking.
"Yeah, the stars look beautiful tonight."
It's silent again for a few minutes before Villain decides to speak up.
"So what is the Hero of justice doing here? Don't you guys have like a strict schedule to stick to? Wake up at 6 am and sleep by 9 pm-
He's cut off by Hero's chuckling. Villain just shrugs his shoulders, waiting for him to finish and give him an answer.
"We do have schedules, the waking up part at least. The sleeping part, not so much."
Villain turns to look at Hero and notices dark bags under his eyes. He turns back and stares at the sky.
" Are you on night duty or something?"
Hero chuckles again and Villain finds himself becoming slightly self conscious. What the hell's so funny?! , he screams internally.
"No, it's just that I can't sleep."
"Insomnia?"
"That too, but mostly nightmares."
Villain's heart tugs with a feeling of familiarity. Nightmares was definitely something that he could relate to. But he never imagined that Hero, the person who was the reason for peace existing in this town would get nightmares, and even more so, stay awake at night because of them. He had just assumed that the very fact that the Hero was fighting for all the good things would let him sleep easily at night. So he was wrong.
"And you're not able to sleep because you're scared of them?"
Hero turns to face Villain, giving him a look as if saying "duh."
Villain stammers, throat clammy and heart thundering in his chest. It had been a while since he had a normal conversation with anyone so he really wasn't sure if he was doing a good job. And for some weird reason, he cared.
But Hero understands and qualms his fears with just a few words, " It's fine, I'm not really offended, just confused." He says, and Villain stares at him, jaw dropping in amazement.
And Hero just smiles, and Villain is reminded of the honey words and sunny smiles that Hero showcases on his patrols every day. He suddenly feels sad? He wants Hero to smile only for him, if that even makes sense- and the words leave Villain's mouth before he can stop them,
"Don't smile like that. I'm not one of your precious civilians."
Hero stares back at him, horror and shock written plainly on his face.
(Oh, jealousy was such a dangerous thing. And if Villain was actually jealous, he's screwed, because Hero has thousands of people who love him. And whom does Villain have? None.)
Hero then chuckles once again, but this time it sounds lifeless and dry and Villain hates it.
"Sorry, I got lost in the moment. It has been a while since I smiled for real, I didn't even realize I was doing it."
Now it's Villain's turn to stare at Hero, all shocked and tongue tied.
It seems like Hero understood again, because he answered to the question that Villain wanted to scream out. " Well, it's kinda an embarrassing thing really," Hero mutters, " I smile at citizens because I have to, it's part of my job, not really because I want to."
Villain still seems to be in shock, so Hero just continues, " I- I mean, not all of my smiles are fake you know, I'm not heartless," Hero counters, " it's just that I have to smile even if I don't feel like smiling sometimes and I hate that, because who would want to see a Hero who's just about done with this society right?"
Hero turns to look at Villain and for the second time that night Villain wants to run, not because he's scared but because he's feeling so many emotions that he's never felt before and he doesn't know what to do with them- he feels like he’s going to be swallowed whole.
And more importantly, he can't hide away from Hero's gaze and it looks so heartbreaking. Villain would have cried, if he didn't have a reputation to maintain.
"So, what about the honey words?"
Hero looks at him like he's pleasantly surprised that that's the impression Villain has of him.
"Oh, those are just formalities again, you know, to gain public favour."
Just the thought makes Villain cringe. He definitely can't see himself telling people things that he doesn't mean.
"Then what about fear?" Villain begins, hesitant, " you do get scared right?"
"Of course I do!" Hero laughs, so tender and Villain is left to figure out whether it's real or fake.
Hero understands again, "it's real this time."
Villain is just baffled by this point, " are you psychic or something?!"
And Hero has the time of his life, alternating between chuckling and full blown laughing, clutching his stomach because he's been laughing too much and Villain just wants to disappear into the ground.
"Like I said, it's all a part of the profession. When you're on rescue missions, you have to judge people's mindsets so that you know what to say to them. Otherwise there'll be full blown panic everytime. "
Villain listens intently, finding every word that falls out of Hero's lips incredibly interesting and thought provoking. He had never imagined that being a Hero was such an intricate and delicate job.
"It's just that I've never seen you look scared before," Villain begins, "and all these things that you're telling me, it's all so new..."
Hero smiles and after listening to him, Villain can see the tiny difference. The 'sunny smiles' are usually stiff, where the Hero's lips just form a thin line. This one is more free and natural, making his cheeks pull just right and what the hell am I thinking-
"Well I've never really shared this with anyone." Hero says. " I guess it's more exact if I say that no one has really bothered to ask me about all this, so I never told anyone."
Villain feels his chest constrict because the more he listens to Hero, he feels like his own life is being told back to him, in another voice, and it's not just him talking in his own head, for once.
"You can share anything you want to, if you're okay with me."
A villain trying to offer a hero some solace, how ironic- Villain's mind sings to him.
But the grateful look that crosses Hero's face clears Villain's mind of any previous doubt, if only just for a moment.
"You know, heroes are never allowed to show fear on their faces. It's one of the things that I find hardest to do."
Villain tips his head sideways, as if pondering, "But why? Every human feels fear right? It's a pretty common emotion. Why hide that?"
Hero laughs but it sounds more like a wheeze, "Because according to my superiors, heroes are the symbol of peace. And a symbol of peace is not supposed to show raw despair on his face."
At that moment, Villain desperately wanted to whack Hero's superior hard on their head- whoever they were.
" The other day I was fighting downtown, there was this Villain who could control fire, and it was right in the middle of a pedestrian street."
Villain noticed that Hero's hands began to twitch slightly. It's not because it's cold right?
"I tried my best but I couldn't stop the Villain in time before the fires reached an elementary school right across the street, and there were children still inside the building...
Villain stares at Hero, his heart twisting and clenching in weird places as he sees him breaking down in front of him, his 'hero' mask crumbling.
He looked so much like a normal civilian now, crying for the lives that he couldn't save- except that no normal civilian would have to bear such a heavy burden.
"Even now, i- I can hear-
Hero doesn't speak after that, the sobs that wreck his frame don't let him speak. Villain inches closer to him- slowly, patiently, putting his hands on Hero's trembling ones and looks into his tear stained eyes, as if asking for permission-
"Can I hold you?"
Hero nods and it takes barely an instant for Villain's arms to engulf Hero's trembling figure, picking him up and cradling him close to his chest.
Hero chants, "I'm sorry, please forgive me, I'm so sorry," hands tightly clutching Villain's inky black shirt. Villain rocks back and forth gently, remembering that that's what his mother used to do for him when he was still a child.
Looking at Hero, Villain finally understands how vulnerable a human can be, it doesn't matter what they are, a hero or a villain. At the end of the day, they feel the same things. Loss. Pain. Guilt.
It's okay Hero, you've done enough.
Let me protect you from now on.
And throughout the whole conversation, Villain's mind was berating him, telling him that this was such a stupid decision.
And Villain knows that this may be stupid, that his intervention alone cannot protect the Hero from all the despair and fear that he has to face.
But it doesn't change the fact that it feels right.
And for once, Villain wants to do the right thing.
Lol I really can't write short stuff / I tried to make this more conversational /hope it makes sense/ villain definitely doesn't keep track of the hero's schedule nope / who am I kidding / he probably knows the best spot to watch hero's patrols from/ heroes have to handle so much mental baggage it's sad/ villain finally realizes that they're not so different at the core after all / this villain is not evil btw, doesn't kill people or anything /my writing tends to get so introspective xD
" What are you waiting for?" Hero chuckled and it sounded dry and lifeless- it almost hurt Villain to listen.
"You have me in a chokehold and I clearly have nowhere to run." , they continued, as if taunting.
Villain opened their mouth, prepared to spit out a sarcastic retort but the next thing Hero said shut them up, the words dying in their throat.
"Go on, stab me." Hero said, their eyes daring them to.
And Villain would have believed them if not for the way their shoulders slumped against the cold wall, as if they were tired of standing and just wanted to fall down, tired of carrying the heavy weight on their shoulders and just wanted to let go.
And that's when Villain realized that these words were Hero's attempts at provoking them- like a devil whispering in your ear, Hero wanted Villain to listen to them, wanted Villain to stab them, to take their life, to relieve them of whatever it was that they wanted to get away from.
And there was no way Villain was having any of that. If the world didn't want Hero anymore, if Hero themselves didn't want them anymore then Villain would give them something to live for, because losing Hero wasn't worth anything.
So Villain stared back, gaze hard and firm, refusing to break eye contact, daring them as if saying "make me."
sorry this is short / just wanted to give you all something to read hehe / planning a series which I'll get to work on asap / poor Hero is just tired and Villain wants to help / hope you enjoyed:) / feel free to use as a prompt, but please tag or credit me
The night breeze whisked past Villain, caressing their cheeks and making them feel colder than they were a minute ago.
"Ugh..." they groaned, pulling their red scarf further up so that it covered a better part of their chin. The fabric felt soft and warm against their cold fingertips, and it reminded Villain of Hero's cape. They had never thought that they would admit to liking how warm the cape felt, when Hero had covered them with it during one particularly cold night, quite like this one, and they were sitting on a high roof, facing the skyscrapers- Villain hadn't expected it to be that cold, so they hadn't worn any clothing that were designed to keep them warm. They were extremely grateful for that warm cape, much like it's owner and ended up buying a scarf that had the same shade to remind themselves about it (they would never tell Hero that though).
They smiled, the memory making them feel a little warm as two shadows zipped past them in a speed that didn't belong to a normal human. From the corner of their eyes, they caught sight of something red before it disappeared around the street corner. And who else other than Hero would wear bright red like that in the middle of the night , moving at a superhuman speed? It was definitely Hero, and they were chasing someone who wasn't them? That fact alone didn't sit well with Villain so they decided to follow them.
There have been new villains popping up here and there around town, not to mention the Supervillain as well... Villain mused, I'll just go take a quick look and then leave, it's not like I'm worried or anything... (Villain was dead set on denying it).
They turned a street corner there, and one more, leading to an alleyway with a dead end. It was pitch dark and the only source of light was a dilapidated lamp barely hanging onto the wall. Villain looked up to find some moonlight but nope, it just had to be a new moon night. They sighed, straining their eyes to spot even a glimpse of the two blurry figures that they had seen earlier and heard a loud crash to their left. They turned towards another lonely alleyway and followed it, heart hammering in their chest.
They hid themselves at the corner and peeped in, definitely not interested in getting involved in some unnecessary scuffle. They could see a figure slumped against a toppled trash can, trash littered eveywhere- so that's where the crashing sound came from. There was another figure looming over them, and even from there, Villain could feel bloodlust washing over their senses, making them freeze on spot. They pitied the person on the ground, unable to imagine the terror that must be coursing through their veins.
This alleyway had better lighting so Villain was able to see their faces a little better- the looming figure was definitely the Supervillain, that bloodlust was a dead giveaway. The slumped figure looked up and glared at the supervillain, eyes defiant and fierce, a symbol that they weren't going to give up that easily and Villain could feel their throat closing up, anxiety flaring up and burning their insides.
Hero... they knew, from the glimpse of red they knew from the start, a tiny inkling that it could've been Hero rushing through the streets in the dead of the night, chasing some terrible foe. Villain knew... but right now they wished that they were wrong, so wrong, because never did they really expect their foe to be the Supervillain. Villain had seen their powers firsthand and it had made them shiver, tremble to their bones. Never had they felt anxiety slap them in their face like that before. And now Hero was there, facing that devil with defiant eyes and a brave heart and Villain's chest almost felt full with something alien to them... was it pride?
Villain was jolted out of their thoughts by a scream that shattered their soul- it sounded so painful, wrecked, and hopeless and with every passing second, Villain thought that it sounded like Hero. They stared at the scene in front of them, immediately wishing that they didn't.
Red... why is there so much red?
To the Villain, red had become something that they associated with Hero- red cape, crimson cheeks, fiery passion, a warm heart, kind touches, sunny smile, and finally, the way they loved -it would put even Aphrodite to shame. Villain knew that too well, after all, they were the only recipient of that love. Hero was their lover and always will be.
Which only made their heart twist and turn with increasing agony because Hero's costume looked redder than usual and Villain refused to accept that it was blood- Hero's blood, their lover's blood.
You shouldn't do this.
Don't lose your cool.
If supervillain finds out that you've betrayed them, and worse, that you're in a relationship with their mortal nemesis, you're done for.
Don't worry, Hero will be fine.
They will be fine.
They-
Villain looked at Hero once again- bruised cheeks, a huge gash in their gut, bleeding out, shallow breaths, their head now leaning completely against the wall for support and Villain waited a couple more seconds, but Hero made no move to get up. And now there's more red, red... red... red... everywhere.
Before Villain could even think about reasoning with themselves again, their limbs moved and in a flash they stood in between their lover and Supervillain, whose face switched from surprise to amusement, as if they couldn't decide on which emotion to portray.
"Well well, Villain. What a pleasant surprise." Supervillain drawled and dread settled into Villain's veins- cold, gripping, merciless. They heard slight movement from behind them and glanced back coyly. Hero was looking at them, surprise written all over their face. Then they smiled (or at least tried to), to Villain, it looked more like a grimace. But they looked more alive than they did just a moment ago, and that single fact was enough to wash away the pooling dread and replace it with something else- courage.
Now, Villain was never a person who would do something so reckless, they were always the brains of their duo while Hero was the power, brains and power. That's how they had always worked together- and thanks to that, Villain got to know that Hero did not possess a single shred of self preservation whatsoever. It made their stomach crawl to think about how many times they had saved Hero from imminent death and Hero would just smile, all sweet and sunny, like they hadn't just almost died a second ago- and that's what they were doing now.
Ugh, the things I do for love, Villan mused, rolling their eyes at Hero.
"Ahem Villain, you alright there? You've been staring intensely at our nemesis for quite a few seconds now."
Villain heard a wheeze from Hero, which was probably meant to be a chuckle.
"Oh sorry, I was just distracted thinking about the numerous ways in which I could kill him."
Careful me. Supervillain cannot know about us- that would be like digging a grave and burying ourselves six feet deep in the ground. Careful.
Supervillain laughed out loud, acting like Villain had just told them the joke of the century and Villain had to hold themselves back from rolling their eyes at them.
" That's my Villain, always thinking about the best possible ways to kill someone."
Hero coughed abnoxiously and Villain wanted to smack them in their face- now is not the time to be getting jealous, idiot.
Supervillain glared at Hero and Villain subtly moved so that they were now blocking Hero completely from Supervillain's view. "I don't see why you have to think that much though, Hero looks like they're going to kick the bucket any minute."
The colour red flooded Villain's vision, making them stagger on their feet. How many more times did they have to see their lover dyed in red before the world would be satisfied?
"V-villain?" Hero croaked weakly and Villain flinched, feeling physical pain as if somebody had stabbed them. They stood back up straight, hoping that Hero got the message. They were okay. Now was no time to be getting distracted, they had to get Hero away from here, away to a safer place.
Supervillain crooked his head at Hero lying behind Villain, suddenly curious. Villain tensed, mind racing to bring back all of Supervillain's attention back on them. Look at me, don't look at them. Look at me, only me.
" Supervillain, I don't appreciate you giving that lowly Hero more attention than to me, you act as if I don't exist." Villain sneered, making their voice sound as deadly as they can. They desperately hoped that their voice didn't tremble.
"Oh, forgive me, I didn't mean to do that." Supervillain said but there was not a single ounce of sincerity in that. Villain simply glared, gaze sharp and cruel.
"Ouch, if only gazes could kill, I would certainly be dead right now Villain, I'm hurt." Supervillain mocked and Villain's brain was working overtime, trying to comprehend the change in Supervillain's attitude- why are they acting like they know something that I don't, they seem cockier than usual.
Villain decided to take a chance, "Why are you acting like this Supervillain, are you perhaps, hiding something from me? Some part of a plan that you don't want me to know about?"
Supervillain chuckled dryly, and Villain felt the temperature drop a few degrees at once, bloodlust making itself known once again. Hero whimpered from behind them and Villain's heart cried out.
"You tell me who's the one hiding things, Villain."
Villain barely had any time to react, their mind knew what was happening, but their body was too slow to comprehend.
A huge blast of power left the Supervillain's palm- right towards Hero.
Move... move... MOVE!!!
Villain was never in their life more thankful for their superspeed as they turned around, grabbed Hero in their arms and zipped past the blast, just as it connected with the concrete behind them, blasting it into pieces. Villain ran as fast as their legs could carry them, trying not to jostle the hurt Hero in their arms too much. They were going to turn around the next corner when they felt something digging into their side. They refused to acknowledge it, continuing to speed away, the only thing on their mind being getting Hero to safety.
Supervillain's coarse laughter echoed from far behind them, as they sped away.
"Llain... Villain... VILLAIN!!!"
Villain was forced to stop, crashing into a concrete wall. They made sure to turn around in the last second, so that their back came into contact with the wall and not Hero who they held in their arms.
Villain gasped out loud, any air residing in their lungs evicted, suddenly feeling more tired than they have felt in ages. They heard shuffling and peeked an eye open to see Hero crawling up to them- all bloody and bruised. Just stay put, idiot, you're hurt, they wanted to say but their voice refused to work.
"You're bleeding!" Hero wailed as loud as they could in their current state, but it sounded more like a whisper to Villain- am I becoming deaf?
Hero finally made it to them, hands clutching onto their leg and slowly pulling themselves up, touching everywhere and spreading warmth with their fingertips. Villain looked up at them from their bed of concrete, "You're so warm, Hero."
And Hero cried and cried and cried, fat tears rolling down their cheeks, just like the way they would cry after waking up from a nightmare (and oh how badly they wished that this was just another bad dream). Villain smiled at them and they cried more. Villain didn't want them to cry.
"S-stop crying, s-silly", Villain somehow managed to wheeze out, their body aching everywhere. Hero bent down, warm fingers touching their eyelids, cheeks and then lips. The next thing Villain could feel was a pair of lips on theirs, Hero's lips, warm just the way they remembered, kissing them like it was the last time they would ever get to do it. Hero pulled away, looking into Villain's eyes and began muttering strings of "sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" and Villain wanted to keep staring at them but they just felt so tired.
They wanted to bring up their hand and wipe away those tears that had no business on their lover's face but their hand wouldn't move. They couldn't do anything.
"G-go and get yourself checked *cough cough* at a h-hospital okay?" Villain wheezed out, struck by another coughing fit.
And Hero just smiled, looking like the happiest person in the world which Villain scrunched their nose at because they were bleeding and this was no time to be happy.
" I will *wheeze*, I love you Villain, so so much." They burst into tears again.
"I l-love-
Villain closed their eyes.
Hero finally let themselves fall on their lover's bloody body- cold, lifeless, unmoving. They couldn't hear the heartbeats that they fell asleep to every night anymore. They knew that they themselves were beyond saving, and so they cried and wailed, wanting to spend the last moments of their life grieving- grieving for the only person who loved them and saw them for who they really were, not just as a hero.
"You kept worrying about me till your last breath huh? You were always too good for me Villain, you loved me too well, too much."
"Maybe if you didn't love me, you would still be alive."
Tears mingled with blood as Hero's warm hands found Villain's cold ones, interlacing their fingers together.
"So this is what they mean by being together until your last breath huh? I never really thought that it would happen to me because love just seemed like too good of a dream to be true."
Hero smiled, heart feeling full because they knew that they had the best lover that they could have ever asked for. And everything that had happened between them was true in every way.
"At least now, we don't have to see each other bleeding out and fighting to stay alive."
T-T
hero and villain really just wanna live life / but no, I had to go and make it angsty / I swear though, this was not how it played out in my head/ why do I do this to myself- /me playing with the word lover because it sounds so good / also let me know if you guys want an alternative HAPPY end for these two in the comments/ if you're okay with this, that's cool too.
"You know," Villain mused, "You're definitely the kind of person I want to spend my 3am(s) with."
Hero plopped down comfortably next to them and turned to face them, a smirk dancing on their lips, " is that your idea of a confession?"
Villain was now a blushing mess, trying to hide their rapidly reddening cheeks with a scarred hand. Hero was quick though, and grabbed the same hand, slowly bringing it towards their lips and the whole time, Villain's heart threatened to jump out of their chest.
Hero waited for a chaste moment, staring into Villain's eyes as they kissed along the scars on their palm- gentle, dedicated, firm. Villain felt like fainting under their touch.
"If you didn't already notice my dear Villain," Hero mocked playfully, "we've been doing that almost every night now- staying awake at ungodly hours that is." Their eyes gestured down to their wristwatch for a tiny moment to further emphasize their point.
Villain rolled their eyes, already used to Hero's smart mouth and they can't seem to decide for the life of them, whether to shut that mouth up or let them ramble, because they loved both and -
"Woah woah, I can literally see you running inside your head. Calm down." Hero tried, terribly amused by Villain's reactions.
Villain decided on the first option as they pulled Hero flush to their chest, taking all the breath out of them as their lips finally met. Hero didn't miss a beat, deepening the kiss the next instant.
And when they broke apart, eyes glazed, hand in hand and chest heaving, Villain was the personification of a tomato and for once, Hero faltered for words, tracing their lips with their index finger as if reliving the kiss.
Hero looked at Villain with a passion that made them weak.
"Wanna try that again?"
Villain met Hero halfway- they had always found it difficult to deny Hero and they didn't think that was ever going to change.
Just hero and villain having a good time/ this ended up being sweet and kind sexy somehow? /still very much adorable.
Thought #2
Prompt:
"I did- I didn't know." Villain mumbled.
Hero lay at their feet. Villain wasn't sure if they were dead or alive yet.
"You didn't know what!" Sidekick yelled at Villain.
Villain reached down and picked up Hero's mask.
"That Hero was the one fighting me."
How the Turns Have Tabled
Hero approached the cell with all the feet-dragging reluctance of someone who was in way over their head. They dug through their pocket for the key, mumbling something about stupidity and youth mortality under their breath. A quick glance through the small window nestled in the door revealed a form unmoving laid out in the corner.
To their minor relief, it appeared their guest was still out cold.
The hinges squeaked as Hero slowly pushed open the door. They watched closely for any movement and saw none, so they continued.
Once inside, they dropped a bundle of fabric at the feet of the sleeping figure and left a plastic bottle and an aluminum package on the ground. They were back out the door quickly and the lock clicked back into place just as fast.
Hero turned away from the door and let out a quiet breath as they moved away.
A few steps in, a creak sounded from behind them.
Shit.
Hero froze, then spoke calmly into the stale air,“The exits out back.”
Lowly, a gruff voice responded, “Not that easy.”
Hero winced.
“Worth a shot.”
By the time their hand shot to their belt and they made to spin around, Villain had already closed the distance. Their knife was knocked from their hand the second it was drawn. The villain kicked it away in the same move he used to grab the hero’s wrist. Hero used their free hand to punch him in the face, landing a hard hit before Villain used his leverage to twist, forcing their arm behind their back and shoving them face-first into the wall.
Hero groaned into the cinder block, “Fuck my life.”
They would not have even realized that they had said that aloud had it not been for the confirmation of a deep but quiet chuckle.
Fingers curled lightly into their scalp as Villain spoke, “Other hand.”
Hero squeezed their eyes shut and offered up their free hand into the borderline-painful grip behind them.
“You want to tell me where the ties are?”
Hero turned their cheek against the wall so their jaw was free to move with the words.
“Second shelf from the bottom, other wall.”
They were lifted from the concrete and pulled backwards to the opposite side of the room. A plastic tie soon zipped into place, pinning their wrists together before the villain shifted his grip to their arm to lead them forward.
“In.”
They stepped through the door into the dimly-lit cell, and Hero scowled at the lock hanging broken off the latch.
“Sit,” he ordered with a shove towards where the crumpled blanket rested on the stripped down cot.
The hero stumbled but did as they were told, settling with their back against the wall and feet planted firmly on the floor.
They watched as Villain dragged in a folding chair, flipping it around in front of him to plant a leg on either side and sit backwards, conveniently blocking the doorway.
“Kidnapping, huh?” The villain begun to question, “Is that what you do now?”
Hero leveled their eyes on the blank sheet that was the adjacent wall in lieu of a response. Villain tilted his head at the silence and leveled a disappointed glare at the hero.
“Don’t make me come over there.”
At that, Hero dragged their gaze slowly to the man in the chair.
“I don’t suppose you’ll believe you walked in here of your own free will?”
“Right,” the villain leaned forward, placing his elbows on the seat back and planting his chin on his palms. “And the lock was for decoration.”
“Obviously, given how easily it broke.”
The distaste shown on the hero’s face suggested that they would be having more than a few words with Masterlock customer service.
Villain grinned almost imperceptibly.
“I must say, this is giving my style, not yours.”
“Yeah, well,” Hero bit their lip and averted their eyes again, “shit happens.”
They took the time to notice all the numerous cobwebs in the room before Villain opened his mouth again.
Oddly enough, he wasn’t moving his tongue to push for an explanation.
“You know, they say mimicry is the highest form of flattery.”
Hero, taken slightly aback, could only find the highly dignified words, “Fuck off.”
Instead of lashing out like the hero had predicted with muscles tensed, Villain simply pointed out, “You’re the one who brought me here. I think I might just stick around and find out why.”
With that, he stood. The chair slid across the floor and into the wall as he pushed off.
“It’s in your best interest to answer, so I’d suggest doing that.”
Hero did not dare take their eyes off his form as he approached. He towered over the low-lying cot, and Hero may or may not have forgotten to breathe as he leaned in.
“Or have you forgotten your position here, now?”
Hot breath warmed their ear and Hero bit their tongue.
“You thought you could lock me up?”
“I…made an error in judgment.” Hero spoke carefully, suppressing a shiver.
Another chuckle had Hero silently begging for a Time Machine. An arm was planted on either side of them, leaving them feeling like a bird in a cage, or an ant under a microscope.
“I sure hope the five minutes of success didn’t get to your head,” Villain spoke with faux pity, lips slightly pouted in obvious mockery.
“I think they took five years off my life, actually,” Hero admitted, figuring it was probably clear at this point how they felt about their decision to… well, abduct the villain.
“It sure sounds like you’ve learned your lesson, then.”
Hero almost cheered when Villain rose back to his full height, out of their immediate personal space. That was, until he continued.
“But really, it is best to be certain.”
“How, exactly, do you plan on being certain?” Hero inquired carefully, not that they really wanted to know the answer. Their heart beat a rapid warning inside of their chest.
Villain tapped his chin thoughtfully before a familiar grin spread slowly across his face.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got just the idea.”
Worrying did not even begin to cover the fear that sparked in the hero’s chest at that statement.
“Sit tight,” commanded the villain as he sauntered out the door, not bothering to replace the lock or even so much as close the door.
The hero was left to gawk at his abrupt departure from their place in the corner, unable to gracefully rise and follow him with arms stuck behind them as they were.
A few seconds passed, and they slumped as the adrenaline finally started to drain out of them.
They breathed out into the quiet air as the villain’s footsteps receded, “I am going to die so young.”
Too Many Beds
(Reverse Trope: Too many beds, as seen on @out-of-jams )
Context: Hero and Villain forced to work together and need a place to stay for the night
Hero had been sent back to the car to gather their things while Villain booked them rooms for the night. Refusing to use a readily available luggage cart, Hero pridefully piled several bags across their body. They held two in each hand, two more were strapped crossbody–one resting on each hip for balance–making them so wide they would have had to step through the lobby door sideways. That is, if they could open the door in the first place, considering their hands were full and this hotel was sketchy enough to be skirting the ADA.
When Villain came back outside with only one room key, Hero could only hope that there would be two beds awaiting them behind shoddy wooden door.
Image their surprise when they unlocked the door to find not one, not two, but three beds clad in all-white linens.
Villain, ignoring the gobsmacked hero, pushed all the way into the room and made a bee-line for the bathroom. In a rather fittingly-villainous move, Villain had refused to relieve Hero of any of their cumbersome stuff during the trek up to their second-story room. The hero finally gathered themselves and their bags enough to step into the room, throwing villain’s bags on the far bed, placing their own bags on the bed closest to the wall, and sitting themselves on the bed in the middle. Immediately feeling their aching joints relax, hero fell back into the plush dramatically. They contemplated the merits of stealing some of the extra pillows to transfer to their bed before a light bulb lit up over their head. After a moment’s consideration, they stood up and started pushing the center mattress towards the one on the wall.
Mega Bed. First come, first serve.
“Hey! I got that one for me,” yelled an incredulous voice behind them. Apparently, Villain was back from the bathroom, and they were very very jealous of Mega Bed.
“You don’t need two beds!”
“Neither do you!”
“Sure I do!”
To punctuation their point, hero belly-flopped dramatically onto their claimed, enlarged sleeping arrangement.
“If you wanted more room to sleep, then you should have booked a room yourself!”
“What kind of motel has rooms with three beds anyway?!” Hero’s question was muffled by the comforter as they held their ground starfished face down over the blankets.
“This one does,” stated the villain from what sounded suspiciously far from his allocated regular-sized bed on the other side of the room.
“Obvishushlee,” the hero mumbled in reply.
“…”
The hero recognized this as a dangerous silence. The silence of plotting.
“Look, we can be adults about this-“ Hero was cut off with a yelp as they were dragged by the ankle out of Mega Bed and onto the questionably-clean carpeted motel floor. Villain attempted to step over them, presumably to claim Mega Bed for themselves, but Hero caught onto their ankle in a grand feat of revenge, thus preventing Villain from crawling into the rumpled sheets.
Hero would not give up Mega Bed without a fight.
As Hero and Villain tumbled on the ground, knocking over the lamp and accidentally turning the TV to the Spanish channel in the process, a stroke of genius hit. Hero grabbed Villain by the back of the shirt, stalling their scramble for the bedpost, playground-king-of-the-hill style.
“Stop! Stop-,” Hero shouted, then added placatingly, “I have an idea.”
And thus the Super Mega Bed was born.