#nsfw? kinda?? depends where your limit is cause mine for writing it is Not High

[raineandsky]

A Date in Exchange

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

The hero’s parents know how to throw one hell of a party. Even from outside the villain can see the lights turned low, the shadows of people lurking in the windows. They knock on the door—the hero arrived early to help set everything up, but the villain feels a little lonely turning up alone for the first time.

“You came!” the hero’s father opens brightly, wrapping the villain in a hug usually reserved for family unseen in months. “I was so worried my wife had scared you off for good. Please, come in, meet some people.”

The villain steps over the threshold, holding out a small box to him. “Happy birthday.”

The man’s face lights up, the complete opposite to the villain’s own blatant awkwardness. He pries it open to look inside, only getting more ecstatic when he sees the contents—a figurine of a particularly jacked up sports car. “Ah, I love it! How’d you know cars were my thing?”

There’s a series of pictures in the master bedroom of him sitting in various race cars. “Just a lucky guess.”

He ushers them inside more, setting the box down with some of the other gifts he’s received. “[Hero]’s just in the kitchen with their mother,” he says with a smile. “I have some people to entertain, I'm afraid, but we’ll catch up later, okay?”

The villain gives him a smile as he disappears into the swarm of people in the hallway. They take his words as an instruction, and as promised the hero is in the kitchen, carefully arranging snacks on plates and swatting away anyone who tries to nab any. It’s oddly endearing, and they ignore how their mind is faintly screaming DOMESTIC at them.

They lean against the doorframe for a moment, watching the hero and their mother work their magic on the spread of plates in front of them. It’s only when the hero glances up to shout at someone for stealing a piece of cheese that they notice the villain there, their face breaking into a surprisingly relieved grin.

“[Villain]!” they practically announce to the entire party. They beckon the villain over, and they know they have to allow whatever soppy shit is about to happen in front of their audience. The hero wraps their arms around their neck loosely. “I’m so glad you made it.”

Because you had every reason not to come is left unsaid.

“Sorry I’m late. Traffic was rough.” The most traffic the villain faced was sprinting across the road in front of speeding cars, but the hero’s mother doesn’t need to know that.

“That’s quite alright, dear. I don’t suppose you could give us a hand with these plates, could you?” She passes them a pair of plates, loaded dangerously high with tiny foods, and the hero gives them a knowing glare. Eat as few as possible, please.

The plates find their ways to various tables around the house, and they’re demolished almost instantly. “Your father’s friends are goddamn hungry,” the villain comments when they come across the hero again a little later.

“I know.” It comes out as a petty whine, and the villain snorts amusedly. “God, I can’t do this all night. I didn’t come here to be a waiter.”

They pick up some food from the plate next to them—a pair of skewered pigs in blankets, by the looks—and pass one to the villain.

“To our last big rodeo,” the hero says with a laugh, and the villain has to hold back the guilty expression threatening to come out.

“To the last,” they echo a little painfully, and the hero carefully bumps their food against the villain in some incredibly inaccurate toast.

The pigs in blankets aren’t bad. A little crispy, perfectly cooked. There’s a faint taste of herbs amongst the flavours.

“Did your mother make these?” the villain asks after a moment. “They’re really good.”

“She prides herself on her home cooking.” The hero peeks past them and into the hallway beyond. “Speaking of, I bet she’s making more right now. It’s only a matter of time before she comes after us to dish them out again.”

“Never thought I’d team up with you on something like this,” the villain comments, earning a laugh, “but I would like to avoid that too.”

As if on cue, the faint call of the hero’s mother floats down the hall like a warning bell. The two share a look, and the villain follows without question when the hero takes off in the opposite direction.

The hero practically skids to a stop in front of a door, throwing it open dramatically. “She won’t look for us in here ‘cause she thinks we’re somewhat sane.”

The villain glances inside with a disgusted grimace. “Are you seriously asking me to get in a tiny understairs cupboard with—”

The villain barely has time to question the stupidity of the option before they’re butted inside, the hero following with a final slam of the door. It’s nearly pitch black in here, only the lights shining under the door offering any luminosity. The villain can’t really see, but they sure can feel the hero very, dangerously close to them.

Warmth is practically dancing between them, and the villain flinches back when the hero’s bare arm brushes their own, bumping them against a table behind them. It’s only then that they put together the fact that the hero is very purposely leaning over them. Their body presses into the villain’s ever-so-slightly, and the villain is almost certain they can feel how hot they are from the proximity alone.

“Uh, [Hero]—” they start nervously, and they know the slight shake in their voice has given them away instantly.

“Sorry,” the hero says, not the slightest bit sorry, “there’s no room in here.”

Their breath is warm on the villain’s face. “Maybe we can talk about things properly whilst we’re here,” the hero continues, getting an amused snort in response.

“Right now? In this dark cupboard with no room?” the villain asks in disbelief.

“Yeah, it’s a bit awkward, isn’t it?” The hero laughs shortly this time, the sound drowning out the murmur outside and most of the villain’s other senses. The hero’s hands find their face—if they couldn’t feel the heat radiating off the villain before, they must do now. “Maybe that’s why it’s good.”

The feeling of someone touching them setting off all sorts of feelings, and the villain’s usual defence mechanism kicks in full force. “Ha, yeah, I bet you’re right in your element, you absolute fucking—”

The hero doesn’t let the villain finish whatever insult they were forming, closing the gap between them. The hero has to lean down slightly to meet them, and the way their lips connect is like fireworks.

The villain has thought about this moment before, but that can’t compare to the actual feeling of it. It’s like they’re on fire. They can feel the hero’s hands drifting through their hair, and their own are roaming without thinking. The hero’s clearly been nicking little bits of food all night, from the lingering mix of flavours the villain can taste on them. Their lips part more without thinking, and the hero takes full advantage—they laugh into the villain’s mouth at the startled yelp they produce.

“Sorry, I can’t help myself,” the hero mutters against them. The villain can feel them straying, trailing light kisses down their neck. “I’ll save that for later, shall I?”

The hero’s hands are wandering dangerously low. The villain’s own hands are balled in the hero’s shirt in anticipation, and they know if they don’t stop them now they never will. “Maybe,” they say softly, careful to keep the shiver of their own thrill out of their voice and still failing. “We have plenty of time later. I mean, like, there’s a bunch of people around. We’re at a birthday party. We’re probably meant to be—”

A well placed kiss against their jaw and a deft hand between their thighs is enough to shut them up. “You talk too much,” the hero mumbles, and the villain can feel their stupid fucking grin against their skin.

“Surprised you didn’t know that already,” the villain practically has to choke out, and the hero hums in innocent amusement at their overly forced nonchalance.

They’re getting dangerously, dangerously close to not stopping the hero. The hero lets out that dumbass laugh between the moments of their lips grazing the villain’s skin—they know exactly what they’re doing, the little shit. Their hand is gentle on their face, careful, sweet, a world away from what their other hand is promising at the same time.

The hero’s lips find the villain’s own again, soft, like they’re afraid they’ll break them. “I’m in love with you, [Villain],” they whisper into the silence, and despite everything happening this is somehow shocking news. The villain pulls away from them slightly, letting their fingers tangle in the hero’s hair as they do.

“You mean that? This isn’t part of your little song and dance?” It comes out a lot more hopeful than they meant it to, and from the way the hero lays a seemingly endless stream of kisses on their face they already know the answer.

“I’ve known it for a while, I just didn’t know how to say it.” They laugh slightly, the sound tickling slightly against the villain’s skin. “So, now that it’s out there, I have to ask. Can I take you on a real, actual, serious date?”

The villain wishes the hero could see the victorious grin on their face. “I’d like that. We can go to the cinema or something. Do it properly, instead of pretending to date and accidentally catching feelings.”

“It notoriously never goes well, does it? My bad for suggesting it.”

The hero leans back a little, and after a moment a dull light clicks on. The villain’s eyes take a moment to adjust, but once they do they gasp in mock horror.

“There’s tons of room in here, you liar!” they accuse, and the hero laughs.

“Could’ve sworn it was smaller,” they say innocently, earning a slap on the arm. “We should get going anyway, before my mother freaks out. Like you say, we have plenty of time.”

They go to turn the light back off, but the villain catches them. “I– I think it’s worth noting that I’m in love with you, too,” they announce after a moment of deliberation. “Have been since the start, really.”

The confession makes the hero light up like the sun, and a future with them suddenly doesn’t feel so life-ending. Maybe they can work with this afterall.

Taglist: @criohfreeze