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...This was so lovely, iv read this all in scholjrwejgvjkewjbkirehjsbxiuhjertjksgnvfjkfadnvcjk entrcxbj,x w4jtd,bmyhb

I wouldve skippe dmy math test just to read this, it was so lovely

Sweet Dreams Epilogue

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine

...

"I brought donut holes," Henchman said, thrusting out the Tupperware as soon as Villain opened the door.

Villain blinked at them, and for a flushed moment, Henchman wondered if they'd just ruined everything. Was it irrational? Yes. But was their heart also on the verge of pounding out of their chest? Also yes.

A sly grin crept up Villain's jaw. "It's nice to see you too."

Henchman blushed harder, but as they started to pull the container back, Villain caught it. Callused fingers brushed cocoa-stained knuckles and suddenly all Henchman could focus on were those shiny beetle eyes picking apart their soul.

"H-hi," they said lamely. It was the only amends they could think to make after not giving a proper greeting, but as soon as it was out of their mouth, they wished the ceiling would come down and bury them.

Villain's grin only grew wider. "Hi. Want to come in?"

They nodded, and Villain caught their arm in a tight, yet surprisingly careful grip. Henchman stared around at the massive apartment, all shiny and warm bathed in a dim orange glow. Was that mood lighting? Or was that truly as bright as the lights went? They couldn't imagine that being the case; it'd get annoying after a while. So did that mean Villain planned this because they were coming over? Because they actually liked--

Villain's hand left their arm.

Henchman blinked dazedly. They'd been so focused on their own thoughts they hadn't even noticed that they'd entered a new room. They were suddenly sitting on, quite possibly, the plushiest couch in the world, the soft brown cushions like quicksand, practically dragging them into deep, fuzzy relaxation.

"Are these homemade?" Villain asked, plopping down beside them and snuggling comfortably into their side.

Henchman barely stopped from flinching. Even being here was baffling and amazing, but this was almost more than they could take. That feeling of Villain's warmth against their own, the brush of breath on their neck, the comfortable solidness of weight on their shoulder.

"Um, is that ok?" they asked. Maybe they would have preferred something from a bakery.

"Of course, my dream."

This time Henchman did flinch. Villain was close enough that they probably felt the muscles leap because they tilted their head down at Henchman and stared at their wide-eyed expression with sharp-edged curiosity.

"What?"

Henchman wrung their hands. "Y-you've never called me that before."

"That can't be right; I call you that all the time."

"Dreamcatcher. You say, dreamcatcher...n-not dream."

Henchman stared determinedly at their knees, unable to look Villain in the eyes as they melted over a simple slip of the tongue. Why were they like this? They'd been furious at Villain a couple days ago, but now they'd laid their entire heart in their hands without hesitation. What happened to all that past carefulness? Maybe if they'd held some of themself back, they wouldn't be such a moronic mess tonight.

"I suppose I never asked if you liked nicknames," Villain said.

"N-no! I do!" Henchman replied hastily.

Villain raised one brow. "Honestly? You're ok with both of them?"

Henchman nodded. They would not squeak. Not right now.

"Good," Villain grinned, winding a lock of Henchman's hair around their index finger and kissing it. "Because you're both. A beautiful dream, and a loyal protector." Their eyes dropped back to the Tupperware on their lap. "What kind are they?"

Beautiful? Loyal? Henchman's brain was already floating away on the praise. It wasn't as if Henchman had done anything particularly noteworthy for Villain, not anything that anyone else couldn't do. Except well, the soothing thing. Was that what they meant? They wished they could get over this nagging feeling that Villain only did this because they needed them.

"Henchmaaan~."

Henchman forced themself back toward the ground.

"Oh, er, glazed chocolate. I know you like fillings, and I was going to do something with cream cheese, but then I didn't have time to go to the store, so I had to work with the ingredients in the staff kitchen, and we had a lot of cocoa for some reason, but maybe you don't like chocolatey things, I don't think I remember you asking for any, but I guess you do like chocolate milk so maybe--"

Villain pressed a finger to their rambling lips, and they came to a sputtering stop.

"I love chocolate."

"O-oh. Good." Henchman's voice mumbled against Villain's finger, and the criminal overlord pressed their lips tightly together, smothering a stubborn twitch in the corners of their mouth. Predatory eyes sparked and almost looked ready to eat them instead of the dessert.

But then a moment later, Villain cracked open the Tupperware and popped a donut in their mouth. Then another. Then two at once.

Henchman relaxed a little. They didn't need to hear praise. Villain's affinity for sweets couldn't be measured in words. On the road, they'd been able to tell which desserts were Villain's favorites by how fervently they ate. Apparently, they knew a lot about Villain by now.

"You know so much about me," Villain said between mouthfuls, as if reading their mind, "and I hardly know anything of you. Except that you're a great fighter, a hot temper, and obviously, a good baker. I know why you fight heroes, and I know you have powers, but I don't know the little details. Like what is your dessert of choice?"

Of course, that would be Villain's first get-to-know-you question.

"Probably ice cream."

Villain shot up so abruptly that Henchman's heart gave a little leap. They looked at Henchman as if they'd just said the most shocking thing in the world.

"But you never bought any while we were traveling."

"Well, we didn't have a freezer in any of the hotels, and even if we did, you never mentioned anything about ice cream, so I figured you didn't like it. And I was fine with bakery food, so..."

They weren't sure what else to say. Villain stared off at the wall like Henchman had just struck them over the head. Was it really that big of a deal?

"I don't have ice cream... Should I go buy--"

Henchman took Villain by both their shoulders and pushed a small pulse of soothing energy into their body. The criminal's muscles relaxed almost immediately, and they looked over at Henchman with calmer eyes.

"It's ok," Henchman said firmly.

"I bought a lot of things for tonight," Villain confessed quietly. "Things I hoped you liked. Because I'm self-absorbed enough to have never asked. To have let you dote on me for weeks and weeks. I wanted you to have a nice time."

Henchman's insides went mushy. Before they knew it, they were wrapped around Villain's neck. The blood coursing through their veins felt warm as waves of soothing power drifted off of them. It was an emotional response, and they should probably get it under control, but it was all they could do to share with Villain how much they felt.

"I am having a nice time," the murmured. "I didn't come here for my favorite dessert; I came here for you."

Villain's arms circled firmly around their waist. "There's that bold streak."

Henchman smiled. "Did you get skittles?"

"A big bag. You can have all the grape ones."

"Perfect. Should we watch a movie?"

"Not a slasher."

Henchman chuckled. "See, you're learning already."

***

The credits rolled across the screen, but Henchman basked a little longer in Villain's arms. They smelt like stone and sweet pine, and the steady rise and fall of their chest made Henchman feel safer than they had in the last month. Perhaps it just made everything more real.

After a couple quiet minutes, they finally forced their gaze up to Villain's wall clock and read the time: 11:45 p.m.

"I should probably get going," they said, lifting their head from Villain's collarbone and pushing themselves to their feet. "The buses will stop running soon..."

They trailed into silence, not exactly sure what they were expecting in return. An offer to walk them out? A last embrace? A...kiss?

"Stay."

Henchman hitched a little in their slow backward steps toward the door.

"On the couch," Villain said quickly. "Or the bed if you prefer. I can take the couch."

Henchman opened their mouth to respond, words still undecided on their tongue, when Villain hurriedly continued:

"You don't have to. But it's so late already; you might not make it in time. And I can give you a ride into HQ tomorrow. Next time I'll stay over at your place."

"In the barracks?" Henchman scoffed.

"What? You're embarrassed of me?" Villain grinned, regaining some of their usual composure.

"No overnight visitors in the boarding hall is your rule."

"That's the perk of dating the boss, we can bend the rules."

Henchman rose their brow skeptically.

"I can sleep in the bunk above you and hold hands over the mattress. Like old times. Hm?"

"If you say so." Henchman said it as casually as they could, but their brain was already swimming with images of Villain showing up in front of their whole team, in front of their team leader, and demanding a spot in the barracks. It made them want to smile and cringe at the same time. "I-I can stay."

Villain pinched their mouth shut once again. Wait. Was that their way of trying not to smile? They were so free with their sly grins, why were they so shy with the genuine ones? Maybe they were like Henchman. Scared of giving too much of themself in case it was rejected. Henchman never wanted them to feel that way.

"Then you can have the bed," Villain said, covering their mouth a little as the corners began to creep too far up.

"You...um...you don't have to take the couch." Henchman's stomach did a somersault as the words escaped their mouth.

"Your my lovely guest, dreamcatcher, I wouldn't imagine--"

"I mean...I don't mind sharing... I-if you want..."

Villain froze. Everything on their face washed blank, leaving their expression unreadable.

"Have you had more nightmares?" Henchman probed, mostly to prompt some sort of response from their sudden blankness. Did they hate the idea? Like the idea? Had they made them uncomfortable?

Something like understanding flickered across Villain's features. "Don't worry about that. it's enough having you in the next room."

They did not understand.

"I-it's not just that," Henchman said quickly. They cleared their throat awkwardly. "I...like sharing...with you. Everything feels...safer, I suppose. Better. A-and I like you." Then they added hastily, "Th-though we're already moving so fast. I really don't want to go any quicker, so um, if we did share, could we just..."

"Of course," Villain said, saving them from any further explanation. They smiled softly, this time doing nothing to hide it. "I only want to be near you. Nothing else."

It was like that that they ended up snuggled together in Villain's king-sized bed. No pillow barrier, no awkward terror, simply warmth. Simply comfort.

Henchman rolled onto their other side to face Villain head-on in the dark.

"You didn’t just miss me because of my power, right?” they whispered. For some reason, in this moment, it finally felt safe to ask.

Villain pressed a soft, sleepy kiss to their forehead. “I missed you because of your boldness. Because of your softness. For your listening, your care, and your determined loyalty. I missed your depth. Your understanding. I missed picking out grape skittles and sharing pastries. I missed holding hands and caring about someone more than I ever cared for anyone. And I really missed that adorable stutter."

Henchman sputtered for a reply, but in the end, they just pressed their hot face into Villain chest and let them resituate their arms around them. That protective aura washed over them full force, and in turn, they ardently shared their own soothing energy.

From that day forward, there were no more nightmares.

...

Thanks, everyone for the ride! It was a fun series to write and I only got this far because so many people supported it and motivated me to keep writing! Hopefully, this is a satisfying ending, as I wrote, it felt a little overly sappy, but oh well, I was trying to make the fluffiest fluff in the world with these two. They deserve it.

Master Taglist:

@moss-tombstone @crazytwentythrees @just-1-lonely-person @the-vagabond-nun @willow-trees-are-beautiful @cocoasprite @insanedreamer7905 @valiantlytransparentwhispers @whovian378 @watercolorfreckles @thebluepolarbear @yulanlavender @kitsunesakii @deflated-bouncingball @lem-hhn @office-plant-in-a-trenchcoat @last-ditch-entry @ghostfacepepper @pigeonwhumps @demonictumble @inkbirdie @vuvulia @bouncyartist @lunatic-moss-studio, @breilobrealdi @freefallingup13 @i-am-a-story-goblin @ryunniez

@hollowgast1 @eri-would-like-to-not-thanks

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

okay so:

I had a dream about this one idea where everyone makes fun of villain for whatever reason. Villain starts to believe all those things, still feels terrible of course, but finds it easier to deal with it all when they just accept those "jokes" as truth.

But well, since I'm a sucker for villain x villain stuff, Supervillain swoops in to help them out of their misery

Thanks a lot in advance and have a wonderful day ❤️♥️

*Me reading this ask*

My villain x supervillain heart can’t resist. (May just be my favorite ship, even more than hero x villain. Just something about two crime-hardened people being soft for each other)

CW: Bullying, panic attack

"Smile~," the hero said, the big black eye of their phone camera reflecting Villain's queasy face.

The colors were muted, but even so, their skin was far too pale. Their lips seized somewhere between a grimace and a glare. A scribbled line of a mouth that gated off the burn rising in the back of their throat and anything else that might let it loose, even their own words of defense.

They didn't even know who this hero was. They were just some start-up who jumped them in one of the back allies. What was worse was this wasn't the first time. Not even close. Every hero seemed to have eyes on them these days. Even some civilians got the courage to gang up together and get in on the fun.

"Come on," the hero insisted, pouting their lips like they were talking to a baby. "Just one little smile."

Villain swallowed hard on the bile, wincing at the way it scalded on the way down, and shakily rose the corners of their lips. This was fine. It was just a stupid trend. People would forget about it soon. And maybe it was funny. Villain certainly had never met anyone else with such an...interesting reaction to fear. People liked it because it was weird. It was just a joke.

Villain's eyes burned. They'd been wearing these contacts for too long. The wetness pricking in the corner of their eyes stung like salt in a wound.

Wait. Wetness? Were they crying?

No, please. Not now. Not here. Not with their hands bound to a back alley waterspout and this vigilante nobody putting them on their live stream for the whole world to laugh at.

"Aww, why are you crying, buddy? You're just fine. I mean, I've barely touched you aside from those bonds. You're not actually frightened already are you?"

Logically, Villain should be fine. They'd won against stronger heroes than this idiot. So why couldn't they move?

“N-no…” Villain choked weakly. They had meant to shout it, but as soon as their mouth was open, they felt any force on their stomach muscles would be their doom.

Their heart pounded in their ears at this point and it was hard to get enough air with their mouth clamped shut. Dark spots flecked their vision, but the alternative seemed much worse.

No, Villain wasn't frightened. They were terrified.

This hero might be a rookie, but Villain didn't know them. They didn't know what they were going to do to them. Whether this joke extended further than their humiliation. What their limits were. And it was the same story with most of their attackers these last three months. Ever since a reporter caught Villain puking on video in response to Other Hero pinning them in a corner and nearly killing them. They should be somewhat thankful for that; Other Hero's shock had given them the few seconds needed to escape. But in this moment, with so many people talking, so many people watching...it was hard not to see that as a catalyst for a nightmare.

It wasn't the only thing of course...there were also the tics: handwringing during monologues, giving up on schemes when it turned out none of the heroes they were used to were coming, etc. Half a villain the media called them. Because some part of them must be a hero for how much they foiled themself.

Yeah...maybe that was funny. Maybe Villain just needed to understand the joke better, and they would stop being so scared. Maybe if they just went along, things would get better.

"Alright, viewers," the hero said cheerily, "what do you say we spice things up a little."

They moved in closer, and Villain huddled back against the brick wall behind them.

"Now, now, don't freak out. I'm just going to ask questions, and you're going to tell us some things. Things we've all been curious about. Like why you do it."

Villain squeezed their eyes shut as if doing so could hide them from the hero's prickling smirk. They didn't want to talk about this. They didn't want to talk about this. They didn't want to--

"Get that phone out of their face before I choke you with it."

Villain wasn't sure who said it, but there was a yelp and the scrape of two pairs of shoes scuffling in the gravel, and then the pounding of one pair running away. When they opened their eyes, the hero was gone. In their place stood a face they'd only seen on television. Well-dressed, unnaturally attractive, and sharp, diamond-cutting eyes boring into their soul: Supervillain.

Villain gaped. People like Villain didn't just run into people like Supervillain. Maybe they were both criminals, but they were in completely different classes. Supervillain was untouchable. They didn't even bother hiding when they went out because not even the heroes had developed a good protocol to stop them. The media compared them to a cat swatting at flys.

And now they were right here. This...this was...

They doubled over and vomited into their own lap.

Nooo.

The shame blanketed them in a hot haze, and their upper lip went cool with a gathering sheen of sweat. Villain twisted away from Supervillain's face before they could see their disgusted expression. "I'm sorry. I--" They scrunched small and pressed their forehead against the cool brick, swallowing the sour taste trapped in the dry of their mouth several times before mustering up a few more words. "Thank you. Thank you, but... Please go."

"That must hurt." Gentle fingers touched their raw wrists where the ropes pinched and scraped. Something cold and metal laid across Villain's forearm and pressed through the small space beneath the bonds.

Villain flinched and whirled their head back around just in time to see the rope slacken and flutter to the gravel. They stared at the mess of frayed cord for several moments before forcing their gaze toward the master criminal.

Supervillain twirled the long blade back into a holster on their side. A moment later, they unclipped their cape and swept it around Villain's shoulders, fussing with the folds a moment before bundling them up in their arms.

"N-no," Villain protested gripping awkwardly to Supervillain's arm through the fabric as their feet were taken out from under them. "You shouldn't touch me. I-I'll ruin your cape."

"I get it dry cleaned twice a week," Supervillain said, voice vibrating low and even in their chest. "It'll be fine."

Their arms squeezed a little tighter around Villain's form, and with a rush of air, the dark alley shrank and dropped out of sight. It wasn't even that Villain lost sight of it as Supervillain jumped; it was like the world literally folded it out of existence, leaving them sailing through dark nothing. Villain tried to make sense of it, but they were already in a daze, and their lurching stomach wasn't making cognitive functions much easier. Most of the journey was a blur. So it was rather sudden when they found themself on their own two feet again in the middle of a bright, cream-colored living room.

Villain felt like a newborn deer blinking in their first surroundings. It was beautiful. Like something from a home decorating show. Suede sofa, plush rug, tall ceiling...

Supervillain stood to the side, steadily drinking them in, and Villain pulled the cape tighter around them, as if it could shield them from Supervillain's view and hide their obvious displacement . One worn shoe tread halfway over the cream rug and when they edged onto the hard floor, it left an ugly, gray smear.

Villain's eyes leaped up to Supervillain's in a panic, but the master criminal simply looked down and up again. They smiled.

"Why don't you take a shower? Make it as long as you want. I'll leave some clothes outside the door. We'll talk when you're done."

Villain stared.

"Bathroom is straight down this hall. Use any of the products you find; I have a lot."

Villain nodded numbly and unsure what else to do, followed Supervillain's pointing finger into the master bathroom.

It was beautiful too. The bath looked more like a hot tub and the shower was like a walk-in closet. The mirror covered nearly the entire wall and only then did Villain realize how truly pathetic they looked, especially beside the rich, deep blue of Supervillain's cape. Hair a mess, eyes sunken, dirt all over their face, lips bloodless, and just overall small.

Villain broke eye contact with themself and began stripping away the dirty clothes, carefully folding the vomit stains inwards before gingerly piling them on the toilet. The air conditioning from the overhead vent sent a shiver down their spine, but it was nothing compared to the goosebumps still prickling their skin from the incident.

They turned the faucet up to nearly the hottest setting and let all that cold fear and alley grime wash down the drain. Steam gathered comfortingly around them in humid lavender and mint as Villain busied themself with lathering their hair.

It took a long time for their uneasiness to fade, but once it had, they wrapped themself in one of the bathroom's plush towels and peeked outside the door to find a neatly folded pile of clothes: a fleece long-sleeved shirt and a pair of baggy drawstring sweats, all roughly their size.

They dressed quickly, and a little poking under the sink led them to a bottle of mouthwash that rid them of the sour bile taste lingering in their mouth.

Feeling significantly better, Villain padded out to the living room, clenched hands sunk deep into their pockets. They found Supervillain sprawled out across the sofa, a book pinched between thumb and forefinger. They looked up at the sound of Villain's footsteps.

"Ah," Supervillain swung their legs to the rug and waved Villain toward the pillow-covered arm chair across from them. "Please, sit.

Villain did so, hunching their shoulders and staring at their knees. "Um, so, thank you again for um…well…all this, but...what did you want to talk about?"

Why did you bring me here? That was the real question knocking around in Villain's head, but they didn't dare say it loud.

"I haven't introduced myself," Supervillain said, tone as if they'd truly only just realized. "Excuse me, I'm--"

"Th-that's ok," Villain interrupted peering up from under their lashes. "I know who you are."

Supervillain smiled, even looked somewhat flattered as they leaned their elbows on their knees. "Good. I'll be blunt then. I can change your image. That is, if you want."

Villain swallowed. “How?"

"The media is fickle," Supervillain said. "They drop the old for whatever's hot. It may not be exactly what you want, but if you present them with another story, one that overshadows your current image, it will be like all this other stuff never happened."

"And...what would that other story even be?" Villain asked, trying to feel out Supervillain’s angle. There was no way they were doing this out of the kindness of their heart.

Supervillain scooted onto the very edge of the sofa. They clasped their hands, unclasped them, laid them flat on their knees. "Perhaps your new relationship with me?"

Villain choked on their own breath. "My... my what?"

“Think about it! It’s the perfect solution! I’m the biggest name in villainy this city has ever seen, and that’s not my ego talking. No one would dare touch you knowing that you’re associated with me. And with a presence as strong as mine, after a few months, you’ll only be thought of as my partner. This ‘half a villain’ nonsense will fade away.”

Villain had a lot of things on their mind but the first thing that burst out was, "What if it backfires? What if I ruin your image?"

Supervillain chuckled like Villain had something silly. "Not gonna happen."

"So...we'd pretend to date?" Villain said slowly, still trying to figure out why Supervillain was doing this.

"Oh. Oh, no, no, I was thinking more of the real deal,” Supervillain said quickly. “I'm not really into confusing personal feelings with work. But hey, if you're not comfortable, I can see about giving you a job instead. It may take a slower course, but it should still do the trick."

Their smile remained pasted on, but their forehead creased and the nonchalant wave of their hand seemed stiff. They preferred the relationship idea. Not a fake one. A real one.

"Why would you want that?" Villain said.

"Um, because you're adorable?" Supervillain said without hesitation. "We have the same ideals, same job, there must be tons of other things we have in common. And you've got this defenseless vibe around you that I can't resist. I saw you in that first video, and I knew right away: that villain is going to be mine."

"I don't get it."

Villain’s voice cracked without warning. They clenched their fists, but they were already trembling. Was Supervillain in on this too? Was there a hidden camera somewhere amongst all this finery? Ready to broadcast Villain's gullibility? That had to be it. It was the only thing that made sense. There was no way Supervillain—Supervillain!—was interested in them of all people.

“What about that video could have appealed to you? The whole city saw what happened, maybe the whole world. Everyone saw what a joke I was. It's hilarious how bad I am at being a villain. And all those weird things I do, fidgeting and throwing up and all the rest, they must be funny too because I'm a trend now. Why would you involve yourself with that? I'm a total embarrassment!"

Without warning, Supervillain's warm hand slid over their cheek and cupped the left side of their face. Villain wasn’t sure when they crossed the room, but here they were crouched in front of them. They tipped their head up at them, and those shiny eyes drilled earnestly into their eye sockets, maybe saw right through them. Their faces were still a couple feet apart, but it felt as if Supervillain was whispering straight in their ear.

"I want to protect you."

"W-what?"

"Let me protect you," Supervillain said.

Villains mouth had gone completely dry. This whole situation was strange, but a part of them wanted to believe it was true. They were just so tired of hurting.

"Prove that you really want to,” they finally said. “If you can…then ok.”

“That should be easy enough,” Supervillain grinned. They leaned in closer, hands bracing on either armrest. The heat of their breath ghosted against their cheek.

Villain squeezed their eyes shut and tried to steady their trembling. They weren’t prepared for this!

Supervillain’s forehead knocked against Villain’s, the tips of their noses just shy of brushing and… And then they stopped.

Villain cracked open their eyes. Supervillain stared straight through them, irises alive with a deep fire. Gone was the sharp, measuring look they’d maintained most of the night. This was hungrier, more destructive. Without breaking eye contact, they gently rubbed their forehead back and forth against Villain’s.

“I’ll start with the one who hurt you tonight.”

Part Two

Girlie pop, this is banger

Short Prompt #56

Ping!

Villain slipped their phone from their pocket and glanced briefly at the pink banner stretched across their screen before turning back to their work.

Wait.

They tore out their phone once again.

You matched with Supervillain! the notification congratulated ecstatically, a little confetti emoji dogging each end. Send them a message!

Villain’s stomach lurched.

No. No no no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. When Supervillain’s profile popped up on their dating app, it had been funny. They’d never expected to see the master criminal on something so…civilian. And maybe it had also been a little sad because their superior had never even hinted at wanting a relationship. And yes, Villain found them attractive, and maybe that also played a part. But ultimately, they had only swiped up because they knew the master criminal would never find out. Both parties had to swipe up in order for a match to be made, meaning Supervillain would have had to see their profile too and…and… Maybe this was prank account. Yeah. That had to be it.

“Villain,” Henchman said from behind their shoulder.

Villain nearly dropped their phone on the floor, but somehow they managed to keep their voice calm as they swiveled around. “Yes?”

“Supervillain wants to see you in their office right away.”

My Part Two

This is lirjvijIVKWVKWEDSVJKlvk

I love it when a villain's behavior starts to soften cutely in their intimidating look.

I love the prompt, the characters, and the aggressive kissing. Like danm assistant you can give a straight answer, but ain't it so entertaining for us.

Ok, so since my first response to this post kinda went its own direction, I decided to give this prompt a second try. The prompt is originally by @gingerly-writing (I will write it in purple to separate it from the rest of the text).

"Oh," said the supervillain. Quietly. Too quietly. "I see. Kissing me was just a distraction."

"No! Well, yes, but...it's not like that!"

"Oh? So explain how it is. Quickly."

"Well...you see..." The supervillain's assistant fumbled for the right words. Which proved rather difficult when there seemed to be no right words to come by. How did one even begin to explain this dangerous, messy, swell of feeling expanding in their chest right now? A feeling that they still weren't sure should be encouraged or stamped out.

They'd never thought so much of themselves to imagine a relationship with the city's greatest criminal. They had been perfectly content standing on the sidelines, taking notes and fetching coffee with cream. They probably would have kept doing such, an important but unnoticed cog that kept their superior's life going smoothly. That is if it weren't for their stupid, idiot, ditz of a brother.

Their sibling had never been the brightest, sacrificing their own needs for others and putting silly morals ahead of good sense. Unlike the protagonist, who knew when to bluff and when to sell out, their brother was always so desperate to be right. As if there was even a true right in this crooked world.

And of course, they just had to go into hero work. Just had to go up against their boss of all people and put the protagonist's neck on the line. It wasn't like they were going to let the supervillain see them. Thinking back, there were probably a thousand less compromising things the assistant could have done for a distraction. Maybe that was a sign they'd been interested long before that messy, tooth-clashing first kiss. Could they sell that to the supervillain?

"Well...I did enjoy it."

The supervillain sighed, raising a crooked finger to the ever-present guards against the back wall.

"W-wait!" the protagonist cried. "I lied one time! One! As if you've never done the same!"

"My lies usually don't include so much tongue."

Their assistant blushed. "I was going for alluring. If it helps, the second kiss was more my style."

A sweet, soft thing that tasted of vanilla creamer, so much sweeter because it was alone and after hours. A coffee order that usually wouldn't have happened if the supervillain hadn't been intent on getting them on their own.

"A half-truth meant to appease me," the supervillain said with bitter-tipped nonchalance.

Maybe. The protagonist had walked into that trap willingly to keep up the pretenses of the first kiss, but they'd never planned any further than that. They certainly hadn't planned on the supervillain's clumsy small talk, or the way they held them so gently. Criminal overlords weren't supposed to be like that, were they? They were supposed to beat nobodies like them senseless for their audacity. Or use them up until they were a hollowed husk of their old self. They weren't supposed to be...cute.

"But still true," the protagonist argued. "I didn't know you would actually start to like me."

Not just cute. Soft. It was apparent within the first month that they were far more vulnerable then their villainous persona let on. 

Were they hurting a lot right now? Did the protagonist actually mean that much to them? Or was it simply the humiliation of having an employee play their feelings so effortlessly for an advantage? Had to be hard to face up to with the entire organization staring at them. They'd probably have to deal their assistant an especially hard hand to patch all the open wounds in their reputation.

"I was just trying to save someone close to me," the protagonist said, not certain whether the explanation made the situation any better. "After that, I was just trying to survive.''

"The hero."

Ah, so they did know. Probably shouldn't be a surprise seeing how they'd come to the truth in some way or another. The tone was a little strange though. They weren't quite certain whether it was jealousy or general disdain.

"How--"

"Security cameras," Supervillain said coldly. "You might have kept me from seeing them with my own eyes, but you didn't keep them off film. I didn't notice for a while; I was...otherwise diverted, but yesterday... But perhaps that was your plan all along."

The assistant couldn't hold back their scoff. "You really think I'm the type of person who can cling onto someone for literal months to hide a little recording?"

"Well, I think we've established that we don't really know each other. Apparently, you think I'm the type of person who wouldn't have taken a simple, 'I'm not interested' for an answer. You could have done it right at the start. You still would have been caught, but you would have benefited from me not feeling like this."

"How do you feel?"

Stupid. Stupid. Was that really important when the protagonist was simply trying to walk out of here alive? Why should they even care? Like the supervillain said, it wasn't like any of it was real enough to stake feelings on anyway.

They felt the the two suited security guards hovering at their back, looming and dicomfortingly close. They had paused uncertainly as the back-and-forth got started, maybe not quite sure if the signal to take the assistant away still stood. Now, finally, the supervillain gave them an unquestionably clear order.

"Go." Their voice dripped with a venom not intended for them. "I'll call if I need you."

The guards seemed almost relieved to comply, letting out held breaths and moving quickly but crisply toward the exit. 

For some reason, as the door clacked gently shut behind them, the assistant felt more nervous. Especially with the criminal's eyes burning into them like hot coals.

“You want to know how I feel?” the supervillain said.

The protagonist shifted uncomfortably. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me…”

"I'm angry.”

"Understandable." The assistant flinched back a step from the furvor, though it proved pointless as the supervillain mirrored their retreat with a stalking step forward.

"And confused." 

"Of course."

"I want to tear my heart out of my chest. And yours."

The assistant blinked. That was...a reaction.

They tried shoving down some the sharp regret stabbing up through lungs, making it suddenly painful and hard to breath. So the supervillain had liked them that much. That was sort of a shame. Under other circumstances perhaps...well, it didn't matter now. They'd messed it all up. Actually, they hadn’t even really began. So they really shouldn’tbe worrying about the supervillain, they should just be worrying about themself.

"I don't know if I'm worth all that. We could just end this like two mature adults, starting with you letting me out of the building."

The supervillain narrowed their eyes. "You still haven't said it."

"What?" 

"I don't know why I expected any different. You always give me everything but a clear answer."

"I wasn't aware you asked me a question?" the assistant said, glancing over their shoulder and estimating just how quickly they could make a run for the door. 

The supervillain stepped forward, bringing their shiny black Derbys toe to toe with the assistant's ragged loafers. Nimble fingers took them by the chin, turning their face from escape to their burning carbon eyes. "Do you like me or not?"

The assistant could only stare.

"You say it was just one lie, and the way you talk doesn't close any doors, but then there's your hero and the infuriating fact that you can't come up with an ardent, overdramatic speech to salvage the relationship. I can't figure you out. Do you want out or not?"

"Wait..." the assistant held up their hands in front of them. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you not trying to kill me?"

The supervillain spluttered incredulously. "Kill you?"

"What?" the assistant cried, thoroughly confused by this point. What were the security guards and the ominous call to their office in the middle of the workday if it wasn't their life on the line?

"We kissed! I still have feelings for you! I can't kill you now. Maybe later up the road, but not anytime soon."

"You’re throwing me in secret prison then?"

"I'm only firing you."

"Oh." The protagonist took that in for a moment. "I suppose that's fair."

"Yes. The question that remains is do we continue seeing each other after I fire you? So please be explicitly clear. You like me. Yes or no?"

The protagonist hesitated, wetting their lips a moment before hesitantly wrapping their arm's around the supervillain's neck. "I thought that much was obvious."

"Clearer."

The protagonist pressed their lips softly to the supervillain's mouth.

"Clearer," the supervillain murmured, breath tickling sweet against their lips.

"I like you an extremely dangerous amount. To a point I'm afraid to say out loud. If you never say it, it never happened, right?"

The supervillain sighed. "You're the most infuriating, noncommittal... Your hero?"

"My brother."

"Your..." A burst of spontaneous laughter escaped the master criminal's previously tight lips. "I think that's the best news I've heard all day. Well, aside from that first bit."

Their hands settled warm and familiar against the small of the assistant's back, holding them firmly, yet carefully in place. 

Was it really over that fast? Could ugly, terrifying things like this actually happen and turn out ok? Hero would probably say yes. They believed in forgiveness and conquering love and all that nonsense. That wasn't what the protagonist chose when they joined this side. They chose cold, hard truth.

They pressed their palms against the supervillain's shoulders, pushing slightly back from them. "I hurt you."

It wasn't a real question, but nevertheless, the supervillain seemed to understand.

"And I'm still mad. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the moment." Their smile faltered and their voice quieted again. "You...are telling the truth, right? Honestly?"

The protagonist's insides twisted uncomfortably, a mixture of guilt and aversion to such unfamiliar openness.

"Yes."

The supervillain nodded, enfolding them back in their arms. "I might check in with you every once in a while. Just to be sure.” 

“Yeah,” they agreed, still dazed. They pressed their face into the criminal’s shirt, breathing in the scent of fresh linen to assure themselves this was all real. “You’re really letting this go? How can you do that? How are you ever going to trust me again?”

Supervillain kissed the top of their head, a little more aggressively than normal, but still probably kinder than they deserved. “With time.”

Maybe in time they could learn to trust too.

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Short Prompt #52

“A jewel for my jewel,” Thief purred, coming up from behind to drape the sapphire pendant around Villain’s neck.

Villain grinned, whirling in their seat and immediately holding out their cupped hands. “A bug for my bug!”

“…” Thief grimaced. “Ok, you’re weirdly adorable, but get that thing away from me right now.”