#hero x villain story

[amethystpath-writes]

Spare Him

Hello :) Could you do something where the hero and villain were lovers but the villain betrayed the hero somehow and now it’s super angsty and the hero is begging so hard for the villain to not do whatever they’re going to do (maybe getting on their knees to beg too, who knows) and it’s just SUPER ANGSTY :)) Sorry for the long ask, thank you very much and I love your writing!

A/N: As promised, although I feel like I filled this request before, here it is! Thank you for the kind words :)

******

"Why are you here?" Villain's tone was bored and cutting. Hero missed his tone before; soft, like a caress or a smooth fur blanket that Hero couldn't wait to curl into at the end of the day.

"Do they trust you?" Hero asked, and though she had just arrived, she thought she manipulated the situation so well. This was until Villain smiled, his lips splitting ever so slightly to reveal his sharp teeth. Hero never found them fitting until now as she stood below his pedestal.

There was unspoken conversation between the two of them, and Hero felt humiliated, even though Villain was the only person who understood. He had betrayed her and it hurt to say the very least.

Villain remained silent, and Hero knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted her to keep talking, to keep asking questions, and to keep digging her own hole further into the ground at the face of his Council. They were lined up on either side of the throne room, surrounding her as she stood in front of Villain.

She obliged Villain's unspoken request. Hero would embarrass herself if it meant stopping him and his traitorous doings. "What are you doing this for?" She didn't want to say too much, didn't want to say something she would regret. Did his council know who stood before them aside from their own king?

"Elaborate."

But Hero couldn't, and Villain knew that. He knew who she was and why she was here even if she wouldn't state it aloud. He was playing a game with her, but this was dire to her.

Her hands were shaking. "I would like to request a private audience with you." The guard behind her held back a laugh; she could tell by the hot air on the back of her neck. It made her all too aware of how close he was standing. His presence was less threatening, however, than Villain's.

"It sounds as though you trust yourself less than me. You can't speak your mind in front of my council?" He raised a brow and gestured to the grandiose of the room, how everyone was listening, waiting to see why she had shown up- this girl who was alone in front of a king, and too afraid to speak.

Villain tapped his fingers against the arm of his throne. He still bore that half-amused smile. It made Hero's stomach churn, and for a moment, she had to stop herself from crying. His smile widened as if he could see the halted tears in her waterline.

However, his smile fell away in another moment, when he rolled his eyes, seemingly tired of his own game. As Hero concentrated on Villain's eyes, she realized they were no longer focused on her, and instead focused behind her. The guard. "Take her away."

"Villain, wait!" Still, a hand remained on her shoulder. Villain held a hand up and nodded. The hand slid away, but in its place, a weight held her down.

Hero was afraid. She was alive, and as great as it was, she half-expected to be killed when she walked in. It was part of Villain's plan; she was certain given his betrayal. She squeezed her eyes shut thinking about it, gave herself a moment to regain her composure.

The plan was to make a bargain, but not believing she would make it this far, Hero had no bargaining chip- only a plea.

"You killed my brother"- her head twitched and she recoiled at her own memory. Villain. Sword. Brother. Blood...She couldn't finish her request.

"And what? You took it personally?" He tilted his head at her, remarking her as though she were a curiosity, not as someone who he had ever loved, cherished, or betrayed. Villain's lips came to a satisfied close as his council snickered and jeered at Hero from their seats.

"I came to ask you a favor." Her chest was hurting, swelling with the thought of her request. She felt herself swallowing as she heard her own breaths, too loud in her own head. Villain's fingers tapping against his throne didn't help. "I know you plan to kill my last brother. I am sure you have planned to kill me, as well. While I don't ask for you to spare me, I ask that you spare him."

She paused for the briefest moment. Hero couldn't take her eyes off of Villain's hand, its incessant tapping. It reminded her of two things.

It reminded her of humid nights when she and Villain knew the guards in her homeland wouldn't be on standby due to the mugginess outside. They would go off into the woods, find a clearing, and lay down, then peak at the stars through the foliage. Villain would wrap an arm through her own and drum against it with his fingers. They felt warm, always warm.

The tapping reminded her of another moment, one more sinister. Her brother was a good man; he was going to make an even greater king. He would take his armor off, beat it into a sheet, and lay it on the ground for anyone if there were a puddle. And if that weren't enough, he'd walk away and let the armor become a bridge so that no one faced the puddle again. Oftentimes, he didn't wear his armor, and Hero scolded him for it. There was no scolding him as Villain killed him. Hero could hear her own screams echoing back to her now.

Though these memories happened over a course of years, they flashed across her eyes in a moment. She begged Villain, "Please let my last brother live."

"Speak up."

Hero could only close her eyes and bite her tongue. What she wanted to do, what she wish she had to capability to do, was to scream at Villain. Curse him for the love he gave and the terror he committed after- during. Hero would have never imagined Villain would betray her, would kill her brother in a passing moment.

It was a duel. It was meant to be a duel. But Villain grabbed her brother's shoulder so ferociously, so intently as he pushed his sword.

'First blood?'

Hero had been happy that Villain and her brother got along. Hero could still hear her brother's sword bouncing off the ground as he bled into Villain's chest.

'How about first one to stumble?'

Her brother didn't enjoy fighting and would only swing his sword while training. Hero was shocked he agreed to duel Villain.

And Villain held her cheek afterwards, fingers coated in blood. He told her that he would be leaving now. A brisk murder and an even swifter absence.

"Hero."

A knot formed in her stomach as her attention was recaptured. Villain stood in front of her, and his hand was reaching towards her cheek. Her chest shook with sobs as his hand touched her skin, and it was soft.

"Don't," she said, and she spoke quietly so that no one else could hear, save Villain, and maybe the guard if he were still behind her.

"What would you do?"

Hero hadn't realized she pushed her cheek further into his hand until she was looking up to meet his gaze. Did his love always look like curiosity? Had she been mistaking him all along?

"For my brother?" she asked, and waited for his single nod. "Anything."

He hummed, and his closed lips lifted into a gentle smirk. His thumb ran across her cheek bone, and Hero clenched her jaw. "Your life for his. On your knees."

Her chest quaked again and she swallowed. Without thinking, she dropped. "How will I know you won't kill him?"

It was in the next moment that she knew the guard was still behind her because his sword came to rest on her shoulder. The edge of the blade touched her neck and Hero found herself turning away from it.

"Because you will be alive to stop me should I try."

Looking up, Hero found the same grin Villain wore before as he shoved his sword through her brother. "I want you to kneel there and beg me to marry you." His voice was loud enough for all to hear, and the Council even began shifting in their seats, leaning forward, straightening their spines for a better look.

"Marry you?"

His eyes darted up, and in the same moment they found Hero's again, she felt the blade sink in just a little further. "Villain, please..." ...don't make me do this.

"Continue."

She tried to adjust her shoulder, to make the blade fall, but the guard just pushed it further than before. It took everything not to push it away with a hand. If her arms left her side, she knew the guard wouldn't hesitate to harm her. So she clenched her fists instead. Her breathing was perhaps the least controlled aspect.

"You want to save your brother, don't you?"

"Villain." She couldn't do this. She couldn't-

"Three," he began, "two..."

The back of her head was pounding and her heart was throbbing, beating against her chest like it needed an out as much as she did. Chills spiraled up and down her arms and neck. She shuddered.

"One. Take her outside. I will be there shortly." Villain turned his back and began walking towards his throne once again.

Hero felt the sword cut into her neck as the guard slid it away. She winced and her back caved as she felt relief. Tears streamed down her face and for a minute she thought she was in the clear. Villain let her live.

But the realization hit as quickly as the relief. He would kill her in the public's eye to prove a point. The chills resurfaced, and as she was pulled from the ground onto her kicking feet, Hero screamed, "Villain, no! Please. Let me marry you. Let me be your queen and I will never look back at home or my brothers or anything that you have done. Please, Villain. Let me save my brother."

The room erupted in short snorts and satisfied chuckles. Villain hushed them with a hand before circling back to Hero. His steps were off-beat from the beating of her heart; it made Hero's head spin faster than the memories she relived just minutes ago. Had it only been minutes?

"Tomorrow. You become my queen, and your kingdom receives no word of it. You will not speak to them, and you will not speak of them. Let go of her." This last part was said to the guard, and so he did. Hero was once again a slump on the ground. Villain leaned down to her, and grabbed her arm before yanking her forward. She winced as his lips touched her ear, but she released a breath as he whispered, "There's something you need to know. Follow along."

******

Part 2 here

[the-modern-typewriter]

The villain, who doesn't typically celebrate much anything gets invited to an event (holiday, gala, birthday, etc) by hero with no strings attached.

This is a Secret Santa snippet gift @snowshowerwriting 😊 Have a great one! I hope you enjoy.

---

“…And I was just wondering if, maybe, if you’re not too busy, you’d want to go with me?”

The villain stared at the hero for a long moment, watching the colour slowly creep up the hero’s cheeks and all the way up to the tips of their ears.

Snow begin to drift and eddy lazily on the empty rooftop around them.

“Only if you want to,” the hero said. “Sorry. You’re probably too busy, what with being…you. Forget I asked! It’s not a big deal or anything I just—”

“—You want me to go to the peace ball with you.”

“Only if you want to!”

“Why?”

The villain could think of a dozen reasons why, but none of them exactly fitted with their impression of the hero in front of them.

The annual peace ball was a tinsel-strewn, glittering festive affair designed to promote good will across the city by forcing all heroes and villains to join together in a night of absolute truce. No fighting. So help anyone who tried scheming, though of course everyone still did. Good will to all super-powered men, women and others on earth!

The villain had been invited before, in the first few years that the ball was hosted, by a few of the boldest players on either side of the roster. They’d always said no. Never mind that they’d never been much one for making a big deal out of arbitrary times of year. The hero in front of them was not a particularly bold creature, though, heroics aside. Nor were they the sort to want to make some kind of statement.

The hero was bafflingly genuine. Too true to themselves to be of much use in politics, and too powerful for most to want to risk taking a run at them. Powerful enough, certainly, that they didn’t need the villain’s protection or the implication of an alliance between them. Good enough, surely, that the villain struggled to envision a scenario where the hero tried to enlist them over mince pies.

Indeed, as far as the villain could tell, the hero had absolutely nothing to gain by having the villain on their arm.

The hero’s head tilted at the question. “Because I think it would be nice?”

“I’m not nice.”

“Well, no. But it would be nice to spend more time with you. But only—”

“—Only if I want to,” the villain finished.

The hero’s blush deepened. It was possibly one of the most adorable things that the villain had ever seen. Still, the hero stood their ground and waited for an answer, arms folded grumpily against their own overly expressive face.

“Yeah,” the villain said, smothering a smile. “Okay. Sounds…nice.” They kept their voice light. Casual. Their heart hammered in their chest, giving an almost painful squeeze at the bright grin that shamelessly crossed the hero’s face.

“Yeah?” The hero raised their eyebrows. “Nice.”

The villain snorted.

The hero’s grin grew, delighted. “I’ll pick you up at seven? Unless you’d rather meet there?”

“Seven is fine, but I’ll come get you. What address works?”

They made the arrangements, the hero practically fizzing, like they really were looking forward to a night with the villain at their side. No strings attached. It was���well. It was really was so damn nice. There was a rare, warm feeling buzzing in the villain’s chest.

Still.

“You do know you’re going to get hell for turning up with me, don’t you?” the villain asked. “Whatever your reasons.”

“Mm.” The hero made a show of thinking. “I fought a literal mutated snowman last week, but you know what really scares me? Other people’s dumb opinions at the Christmas party.”

The villain found themselves laughing.

“Honestly,” the hero said. “I don’t know how we’ll survive.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“You could get hell for turning up with me. Whatever your reasons.”

“It’s cute that you think anyone other than you dares to give me hell about anything.”

“I could be a terrible, hellish date.”

“Oh yeah?” The villain took a step forward, before they could stop themselves. A belated lightbulb flicked on inside their head. “Is that what you are then? My date?”

“I mean—" The hero’s eyes widened. They floundered. They bit their lip, drawing the villain’s attention immediately, and parties were lame but that mouth was absolutely not. “Only if you want me to be!” the hero said. “We can just go as friends. Long suffering colleagues. I’m not trying to—”

“Oh, no. You’re my date, darling. No taking that back.”

“Oh, thank god.”

That time, the villain utterly failed at smothering a smile.

“Oh, crap. I mean—” The hero scrambled for a more eloquent, less relieved, cooler response. They came up endearingly blank.

“Nice?” the villain offered.

The hero narrowed their eyes, playful. “You’re mocking me. Rude.”

“I would never dream of mocking my date.”

“No?”

“It wouldn’t be very festive of me.”

“Oh, yes. Because you’re such a big fan of festivity and seasonal celebrations.”

The villain blinked, mostly out of surprise that the hero had been paying enough attention to even notice that. Maybe they shouldn’t have been surprised all things considered. The hero was smarter than they let on. “And yet,” they said, “you invited me to a seasonal celebration.”

“Well.” The hero shrugged, mostly managing careless that time. “Limited opportunities to take you out anywhere else. I think people might panic if I just turned up with you for a dinner.”

“We’d be served very quickly. I do tend to clear our restaurants with my presence.”

The hero snorted.

“So what does one do at a peace ball?” the villain asked, voice a murmur.

“There’s food. Drink.” The hero recovered themselves, reaching out and taking the villain’s hand, drawing them a few steps closer, leaving footprints in the snow beginning to coat the roof. Their voice softened too. Liquid caramel. “Dancing.”

“Dancing?”

“You done much of that before?”

“You might have to teach me.”

“Well, we start by you wrapping your arms around me like this…”

The villain might have shivered. The hero might have grinned, humming a made-up tune beneath their breath as they swayed together.

The weeks until the ball flew by.

***

People did stare when the two of them walked in. The villain chose to believe it was because the hero looked absolutely gorgeous, despite their dubious choice of wearing a festive jumper to what was clearly supposed to be a black tie event. The jumper was red and said ‘yule can do it friend’.

Maybe the hero was bold, in their way. The villain definitely thought, in the last few weeks, that they’d underestimated their sometimes-enemy.

There were a lot of people crowded into the city hall venue. Pretty much everyone. The villain abruptly missed their usual peaceful night of strolling around the city, relishing the way that the streets emptied as everyone bundled away to wherever their festivities were.

No panic. No screaming or nervous looks. No chance of some would-be-hero showing up demanding what the hell they were doing.

The hero set a steadying hand on the small of their back, studying their face, and their easy read of the villain’s emotions should have been alarming. It was alarming. It was also…

“You good? Do you want to go and grab a drink?” the hero asked. “What can I get you?”

“I don’t drink in public.”

“They have hot apple juice and hot cocoa too. Some fancy mocktails.”

“You don’t mind that I’m not joining you on the champagne?”

“Why would I?”

Some people, the villain thought privately, minded. They had specific ideas on what a party was supposed to be like and felt judged should the villain deviate from that pre-determined idea. The hero led them through the party, expertly weaving people.

“So?” the hero waggled their eyebrows. “What will it be?”

The villain retreated from the stand with an alcohol-free glass of sparkling. Easy to blend in, even if the taste was nothing special. The two of them watched the room for a while, trying out the various different canapes in the buffet, chatting.

It felt better with the hero at their side. They so obviously knew what they were doing at a party, smoothly carrying conversation with anyone who came over, but not in a way that made it seem like they were schmoozing. It didn’t make the villain’s skin crawl. The hero mainly got excited about and asked for pictures of everyone’s pets. Whenever anyone tried to comment on the fact that the two of them were there together, the hero said cheerily that it was “nice, wasn’t it?”

They’d catch each other’s eyes as whoever it was left. An inside joke. It had been a long time since the villain had been in on an inside joke. With the hero, it was a little thrilling.

Of course, as the evening wore on, there was dancing.

The movements were familiar, after all of the hero’s ‘lessons’ in the lead up to the ball. It made it easy to ignore the rest of the room, and the gaudy tree, and the awkward feeling that they might destroy their reputation for the sake of a party. The hero didn’t care about their reputation, did they? They just did what they wanted to.

“So,” the villain said. “What else does one do on a date?”

The hero’s eyes lit up, better than any fairy-light or candle. They stroked their fingers along the nape of the villain’s neck. The music took the opportunity to change to something slow and intimate, inviting everyone to press a little closer. It should have annoyed the villain, but with the hero in their arms, grinning at them, it couldn’t possibly.

“Well,” the hero made a show of considering. “There’s hand-holding.”

“Indeed.” Their fingers wrapped around each other as they moved.

“And kissing.”

“Ah, kissing,” the villain said. Their gaze dipped, inevitably, to that mouth worth going to parties for. “You might have to teach me.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve kissed before,” the hero said, amused. “But I’m always happy to provide a refresher.”

“Part of being a good, heroic citizen I imagine. Helping out the needy.”

“Needy, are you?”

The villain opened their mouth. They registered what they said.

“You’re blushing,” the hero said.

“It’s rude to point it out and mock your date.”

“I would never dream of mocking my date,” the hero said. Then, finally, the hero leaned in to kiss them. Sweet, honeyed, and the warm thing in the villain's chest glowed. They dragged the hero closer, wanting more, more, more. The hero laughed with breathless pleasure and nipped at their lips.

The next year, the villain vowed right then, they were taking their hero somewhere private.

[creweemmaeec11]

Reverse Tropes

Soulmates - Your soulmate is destined to be your greatest rival in life.

Amnesia - Instead of losing memories, they start getting memories that aren't theirs.

Forced Marriage - Forced Divorce.

Captured Prince - They think they've captured the prince of the opposing kingdom, but they've actually just captured a normal, random civilian.

Chosen one Prophesy - There is a prophecy about *someone* saving the world, but it doesn't actually say who...

Born with Special Marks - It's actually a mark that tells a person what they *won't* be good at.

True Loves Kiss - True Hates Kiss, good luck convincing someone who truly hates you to kiss you.

Love at First Sight - Hate at First Sight.

Rags to Riches - Riches to Rags

Found Family - You need to find your actual, related family.

Misunderstood Villain - Misunderstood hero. They are trying to be evil, why does everyone like them!?

It Was All a Dream - They thought it was a dream, but it turned out to all be real.

Secret Identity - The secret Identity is the one everyone knows, somehow, everyone has forgotten your normal identity...

Villain Defeated by Friendship - Villain defeated by hatred.

Bad Boy & Good Girl - Good boy and bad girl.

Stalking/Obsessive Love - Avoiding the person they like to try and ignore their feelings.

Monster x Hunter - Hunter x Hunter, both thinking the other is a monster, or Monster x Monster, both thinking the other is a hunter.

Hero Gets Framed - The wrong villain gets framed.

Yandere - but it's two going after each other.

[the-cypress-grove]

Prompt: 220

"You've been stabbed, you're going to medical!"

"It's fine. I've been stabbed loads of times. I know what a serious stab wound feels like, this is more of a scratch."

"..."

"Ah."

"You've been stabbed 'loads of times.' "

"That sounded more reassuring in my head."

"You're going to medical."

[writingpromptsworld]

Prompt #65

“You can’t be serious right? You want to fight me just because I took down your favorite bakery shop?!” The villain exclaimed in disbelief, their jaw wide open.

The hero didn’t falter, frowning with their eyebrows and lips. “It had the best banana bread! You can’t just do that and not expect me to come find your ass!” The hero said, defensively.

The villain couldn’t help but find it cute, as they let out a laugh. “How about I promise to buy you the best bakery shop in the world?”

The hero took a step forward. “It doesn’t matter. I want the one that you destroyed.”

“I didn’t know.” The villain sighed, feeling like a helpless parent that had thrown an old toy of their child away, and now the child wanted it back.

The hero jabbed their finger to the villain’s chest, squinting their eyes. “You pay the owner to build it back, and I won’t fight you.” They demanded, staring daggers into the villain’s eyes.

“Fine.” The villain mumbled, after thinking for a second.

“Fine?” The hero questioned, not being able to believe the villain’s words.

The villain nodded. “Yes, fine.”

“You promise?” The hero asked, smiling slightly, as their hand smoothed over the villain’s chest.

“Yes, I promise, hero.” The villain smiled reluctantly as well.

And they indeed did help the owner rebuild the shop, an even bigger one just to see that gleaming smile on the hero’s face when they suggested it.

Oh, and they also had many dates in the shop.

[automeris-io-moth]

Short #5

"Shush, you're okay," Villain soothed, a warm hand running through Hero's hair, mask long ago discarded on the floor, filthy with blood and dirt. 

Hero disagreed, grunting as a half-thought response, still navigating on the frontier of consciousness. Trying, and failing, to slap the other’s hand away. 

“They did quite a number on you, no one would believe they’re supposed to be your friends.” Villain whispered the last part, a hand reaching for Hero’s belt, taking their weapons out, and throwing them to the side. Hero’s hand could only twitch “One can only wonder what would have happened to you if I hadn’t asked for you unharmed.” 

Carefully, Villain brushed a single tear going down Hero’s cheek. They hadn’t noticed they shed it. 

“There’s no need to cry, with me you’re safe.” 

_

Masterlist

[girlwithherheadinthestars]

(Villain drinks drink that he realizes too late says 'poison')

"Oh no. My end is near -- "

"Villain -- "

"I'm going to die -- "

"Villain -- "

"Since I'm dying you should probably know I love you. I love you more than anyone in the world. You're the light of my life -- "

"Villain it wasn't really poisoned."

"Oh. Oh. Then forget that I hate you get out of my sight."

[shy-raccoon]

The villain successfully corrupts the hero to their side and regrets it. Maybe the hero is releasing their repressed anger and they are far more brutal, sadistic and violent then the villain anticipated. The villain has to witness their new "partner" commit atrocities they wouldn't dream of. The line of who's the true leader of evil organization eventually gets very very blurred.

[avvail]

prompt #101

The villain’s fingers closed around the sidekick’s throat, digging so hard into the skin, it was already blooming with red marks. They gasped, choking and grappling uselessly at their wrist, but nothing was working. The hero shakily lifted themselves onto their knees, tongue spitting out words before they could stop themselves.

“Stop!” They blurted, their voice shaking. The sidekick’s eyes were wide with terror. “Stop it, just–just let them go. Let go of them. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

The villain calmly turned their head towards them. The sidekick squeaked when their grip tightened in a cruel, almost mocking gesture. “And what would that be?”

The hero released a shuddering breath. Their pleading eyes met the villain’s, relaxed and unbothered. Their lips quivered.

“Me?” They breathed.

With the way the villain’s lip twitched into a knowing smirk, the hero knew they had given the right answer.

[invalidstories]

Reunion After Suffering Dialogue Prompts

"Is that really you? I thought I’d lost you forever."

"I’ve dreamed of holding you in my arms again. Now that you’re here, it feels like all my wounds are healing."

"I kept hoping, even when everyone else gave up. And here you are."

"The world was so dark without you. Please don't leave again."

"Your absence was a hole in my heart."

"Now that you’re back, I feel whole again."

"All the pain and suffering seem worth it, just to see your face again."

"I missed you every second. Your presence is the greatest gift I could ever receive."

"I carried you in my heart every day. Now that you’re here, it feels like coming home."

"I'll meet you in every lifetime, you can never leave."

"All this time, I felt a part of me was missing. Now that you’re back, I feel whole again."

"I survived by holding onto the thought of seeing you again. You were my strength."

Masterlist

[amethystpath-writes]

Challenge Me

Hello! I had this idea around Halloween time when all the scary movies were playing about, so excuse the morbidity!

Warning for numerous mentions of death and vague depictions of a dead body

******

Villain should have looked more unsettling. Pale, maybe, or even blue. Perhaps it was simply too good to be true. Not that Hero necessarily wished him dead, but the alternative was...her stomach churned and she reluctantly touched her own neck. If she thought about it too long, she'd feel the cold of that knife again.

This wasn't what she wanted, yet she was ashamed to admit her relief at the sight.

"You're debating who the real villain is."

She froze, staring at the body, wondering if she truly watched its still lips actually move.

I'm hallucinating, I must be. Hero stepped closer. Suddenly, the walls of the cell felt much closer. It was just her and Villain's body in this confined space. Leader had stepped away. 'So you can process without influence,' he said. She didn't mind or even acknowledge that he had shut the door until now.

Her hand waivered as she reached down, down, down until her second and third finger rested against the artery of Villain's neck. No beat.

If his heart wasn't beating, surely there was no breath. But that voice. It was so distinctly Villain's. Hero leaned down and held her own breath. Villain, too, held his, as all dead bodies did. That was until-

"Should I watch you convince yourself you've lost your mind?"

Hero was halfway across the cell before the body uttered its third word.

"Are you alive?" It came out as a desperate whisper, one so rushed she barely understood her own words.

"Depends on who you're asking." This time, the voice came from the cell door. Hero released a breath, relieved at the sight of Leader. It wasn't until she'd walked close enough to the bars of the cell door that she cocked her head. Shouldn't he have already opened it by now? Come to think of it, why had he closed it at all? It must have been her. She shut it subconsciously, right?

"I'm glad you're back. I didn't realize I closed the door behind me and you're the only one with a set of keys." She chuckled awkwardly, and tucked a strand of hair back, hoping it might also push away the thoughts of the body behind her, of it moving and speaking.

Leader smiled with closed lips and Hero noticed that, for once, his lips were chapped. He made no move to open the door, just stood there with his fingers tucked in his front pockets.

"Did you step outside while you were gone?" she ventured. Why wouldn't he open the door?

"Can't."

She wrapped her fingers around one of the bars, hoping to signal Leader to the door again. "You said he was dead, right? Surely, it's not HR's rules keeping you prisoner to the body."

The body. She was still in the room with Villain's body.

"Not Villain's. Look again."

Her brows drew together and she tilted her head. It was as if Leader read her mind, but she'd known him for at least three years now; he didn't have that ability.

"Sorry?"

"Look again," he repeated. His voice verged on amused, like he was waiting on someone's reaction to a sweet surprise.

"I'm okay," Hero said. Sweat was forming on the back of her next, against her palms, now squeezing the bars. "I've seen enough. I'm just- I'm ready to go home now, Leader. You have the keys."

"Look."

"Leader-"

He took his hands out of his pockets, and if Hero weren't so anxious, she wouldn't have noticed that it was his left hand which held the key to the cell door.

"I didn't know you were ambidextrous." Leader used his right hand, right leg, right everything for all tasks. Hero would know. They used to play games between missions; Inverted Hangman was the game. They would write phrases in reverse order, start drawing from the feet, and use their less-dominant hand. Hero and Leader were both right-handed.

"I'm left-handed," he said simply as he turned the key. Hero stepped back as the door swung open, but Leader gave her no time to step through. Instead, he blocked the way out. "When I tell you to look, I expect you'll do as I say."

His hand shot out in the next moment and grasped Hero's right wrist before twisting it. Her shoulder twisted with and she yelped as Leader grabbed her once again, this time by the shoulder. He pulled her until he was able to capture both shoulders.

Hero slammed her eyes shut and held her breath as her back was spun, held against Leader's chest. Not Leader. This wasn't Leader, and she knew what sight would be before her if she opened her eyes. A confirmation she didn't want.

Leader was dead, and the body on the table wasn't Villain's.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" There it was- Villain's voice, but this time it came from behind her. The body in front of her was as silent as before, only this time, she knew it would be pale, blue, cold, and unmoving. Dead. "I thought you would have figured it out sooner. This was supposed to be fun! Entertaining!"

Leader is dead. He was more than the leader of the team. He was a friend, and he was kind and fun and...and he didn't deserve this. Hero opened her eyes. "No." Leader wasn't just dead. He was...A whine rose in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut again.

"He was entertaining, kept bargaining. Leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with this anymore. Please. She doesn't deserve this. Kind of like what you thought, huh? Come to think of it, he was a little predictable. Everyone is."

Villain's voice made her sick. She could feel the bile rise, taste it in the back of her throat. "Is that all you want? Someone to surprise you, say something you haven't heard before?" What could she say or do that would rid him? Was it even worth it? Leader was already gone, and if he were gone, so were the others.

"Probably. Haven't figured it out yet." She felt that smile of his creep against the back of her head, felt the slight pulling of her hair as his lips lifted. "The chase was exciting." Hero hated the way he spoke to her like an old friend having small talk one year after graduating from high school. "They hid you well. I just outsmarted them. It's crazy," he said, "I've had this type of...of access to the mind for years, and yet I still learn new things to do with it." The smile fell, and he whispered, "Can you feel that, Hero?"

The cold. The thin, sharp cold she was too familiar with. A blade. Hero didn't dare swallow, no matter how much saliva instinctively gathered on her tongue.

"What's even crazier," he ventured, "is that there's no knife at all. I just found it in that hazy corner of your mind which you try to keep hidden. You can't forget me, Hero, but I like to watch you try. I like to prove to you in every new way that you can't."

Why me?

"You were the first." He said it so sweetly, as if a body didn't lay in front of them, and a body they both knew to be alive at once. "You were confident. Told me to explore the ability. Told me it could do so much and I was wasting it by hiding. Aren't you just so happy I discovered I wasn't the monster I told myself I was?"

"There are other ways"- she gasped as the imaginary knife dug deeper- "to use your abilities. I didn't mean for you to-"

"Become this?"

She nodded.

"Predictable." He sighed, and the sting of the blade evaporated. "I'm going to let you go, and you're going to run as far away from me as you can, okay?"

"How can I run when you know my every move?" Still, she kept her eyes closed, unable to face Leader, and her arms were stiff as she was held back. She ached to run, but how could she?

"Challenge me, Hero. Prove to me that I'm not the monster I told you I was all those years ago, the monster you tried to convince yourself didn't exist. Prove it." He released her. "Run."

[fleur-alise]

I'm sick of the ever brilliant, diabolical villains. I want a villain that's so dumb nobody can figure out what the fuck he's doing. I want the detective tasked at tracking him down constantly on the verge of tearing his hair out. I want bugs bunny level shenanigans between the two. and obviously I want it to be an enemies to lovers story.

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hiii! Could you please write some hurt comfort hero and villain? Where it has a “who did this to you” vibes! Thanks! No pressure if you don’t want to!

"You look..." The villain's gaze travelled slowly up the hero, taking in the hard lines of them, the uncanny iciness that had replaced a once warm, familiar face. "Different."

"And you look like hell. Let's get you out of here."

Despite the fact that the hero had just blown the villain's chains to smithereens, the villain didn't move. They leaned heavily against the cold concrete wall of their cell, still staring.

The hero's fingers flexed agitated at their sides.

"I can - if you're hurt, I can help you stand. I don't - you're safe now."

It was like an act they didn't know how to play any more. The script was the same, but the tongue behind the words was a sharper thing. A whittled thing. Made hard and venomous with desperation. Like the world had taken an axe to everything that made the hero them and started hacking.

"Who did this to you?" the villain demanded.

"What?"

"You're all..." Their head lolled, as they tried to tilt it customarily to one side. Their broken fingers hurt too much to wiggle them effectively in the hero's direction, but they did their best. "Not you. All..."

"They hurt you," the hero said. Flat. Deadly.

The villain wet their cracked, swollen lips. Their voice came out raspy. "I heard screaming."

"Yeah." Something dark and protective simmered in the hero's eyes. It looked awfully a lot like 'they deserved it'. Like how the villain's eyes used to look, through a mirror darkly, until the pain scorched through everything cold and steely inside them.

"You killed people. You killed...you came for me."

"We need to go," the hero said, through gritted teeth. "We need to get you out of here. Come on." The hero ducked down, only to falter when their gruff tug immediately made the villain's whole world go fuzzy with hurting. The touch turned gentle as the villain flinched. The hero's hands floundered, like they no longer knew the language of caring, but still remembered that they wanted to try.

A stupid prickle of tears stung the villain's eyes.

"Who did this to you? Who-"

"-Please," the hero said. "Put your arms around me. You need to work with me here. Please."

The villain wrapped their aching arms around the hero's shoulders. The hero lifted them up, holding them oh so carefully. Being upright was still enough to make the villain's vision pop and then blacken.

When they regained consciousness, they were walking through a slaughter house. Blood everywhere. As if a hurricane given teeth and claws had ripped through the building.

"Did I do this?" the villain asked.

"No, love."

But that wasn't quite right.

"No, I mean - I was gone," the villain said. Their head felt so fuzzy with everything they had been given, but the sharp edges of the hero were so clear, if only they could find the words to paint the picture half as well, let the knowledge swirling inside them settle. "You were on your own. How long have you been trying to rescue me?"

"It's going to be alright, okay? I've got you. You're alright."

"Are you?"

"I'm not the one who's been tortured!" It came out a snap, and maybe the villain should have flinched after an eternity of raised voices and raised weapons, but they didn't.

"You don't do so well on your own," the villain said instead, softly. "You never have."

The hero's throat bobbed as they swallowed, convulsive, choking something down. "Don't."

The villain raised a hand, rubbing their thumb over the gaunt line of the hero's face.

The hero flinched back.

"It's going to be alright," the villain said. "You're going to be alright. I've got you."

"You -" The hero laughed then, a broken thing. They jerked their head to the side but it didn't hide the tears glinting in their eyes. "Maybe let's not focus on me right now. You were - what they did to you - they told that they - I should have got here faster."

"I'm sorry they used me against you."

"Don't."

"Tell me their names?"

"They're all dead."

"Tell me anyway."

"I killed them."

"I know, love. Tell me anyway."

The hero swore, but the villain could practically watch some life creep back into those icy eyes. Some horror. Some thing that wasn't a stranger. Their hero. The hero held them a little tighter, cradling them a little closer against their chest.

"Just - later. Let me get you help. You need help."

Well, the villain couldn't argue with that. Still. Their own body didn't feel half as perturbing as the way the hero's eyes iced over again, determined to see through the job, to not shatter no matter what they'd done to get to where they were. To get the villain back. To save them.

They tucked themselves closer to the hero's chest, to their heart - thumping proof of life, proof of hope, proof that maybe they hadn't entirely lost the thing they cared about most of all.

Who did this to you?

But the villain didn't really need to ask.

The answer was always their own name.

[creweemmaeec11]

Why is asking permission for certain things, both romantic and platonic, one of the cutest, most heart-fluttering things ever?

"Can I hold your hand?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Would you like me to carry your jacket?"

"Can I hug you?"

"Would it be alright if we cuddled?"

"Can I play with your hair?"

"Might I walk you home?"

"Can I tickle you?

"Is it okay if I kiss you goodbye?"

"Can I hold onto your arm while we walk?"

"Can I rest my head on your shoulder?"

"Is it okay if I call you (nickname)?"

"I'd really like to kiss you right now, if that's okay with you,"

"Would you let me take care of you?"

[the-cypress-grove]

Insults (Fantasy Edition)

They're as useful as a wet blanket in the middle of winter

I could talk to my horse and have a better conversation

She did love her family, but she'd rather have an ocean between her and them.

He was the kind of man to stumble across rational thought quite by accident and dismiss it as absurd

'Quite frankly, I'd rather eat Hemlock.'

I know the gods do not exist, because if they did, they would've struck you down by now.

Well, you're clearly got some troll ancestry.

That's probably the wisest thing you've ever said and yet still you are wrong.

Do you just sit there all day and hope some sort of sentient through floats in your direction

She was tolerable. From a distance.

They were often wrong but never in doubt.

[writingpromptsworld]

Prompt #79

It was almost three a.m. when the hero’s phone rang. They groaned loudly before reaching across the night table, and fetching it. They had no idea who could be calling right now, and honestly, they couldn’t give a shit. Because, they had come home around two in the morning and went straight to bed, exhausted and bone-tired.

They brought the phone to their ears anyway, without checking the caller ID. “Hello?”

“I miss you.” Were the words spoken in an almost a slur of a tone. The hero’s mind seemed to not process the words for a moment.

“What?” They asked.

“I miss you.” The person repeated a little more loudly. And the hero made out who it was. The villain.

“I—what?”

The villain whined, and a slump could be heard, followed by a grumble from them. “I miss you, hero.” They draw out, and from their voice, the hero could make out that the villain was drunk.

The hero pressed their lips. “Do you know what time it is? Where are you? Are you drunk?” They questioned, sitting up.

“I’m home…I think.” The villain slurred, and then sighed. “Are you home?” They asked dumbly.

The hero frowned. “Of course I’m home.”

“Can you come to me? I wanna see you.” They mumbled, and even though the hero couldn’t see them, they could imagine the villain was pouting.

The hero sighed. “Stay where you are. I’m coming.”

“Okay...can you stay on the phone?” The villain asked.

The hero got out of their bed, “No. I’ll be driving. But I’ll be there in no time.”

The villain grumbled something under their breath about hero being all goody two shoes and never breaking the laws before hanging up.

When the hero got there, the villain was sleeping peacefully, and they got in bed with them, the villain instantly cuddling up to them.