I wrote this. Hated it. Deleted it. And wrote it again. This is the (hopefully better) result.
This work is inspired by this series by @jumpywhumpywriter.
CW: party, public torture, restraints, blood, burn marks, multiple whumpers
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The new gown was perfect.
Hero turned in the mirror.
They layers of black tulle were soft and curled around her body like smoke. She watched all the tiny crystal shimmer across the fabric like long-forgotten stars, finding their way through the darkness.
It was hard to resist the image of Villain slowly undoing the lace.
She tried to bury the thought deep in her brain.
Hero wished her twisted mind would finally swear off this insanity, but after the bath, it only changed shape. Morphed into something much more ridiculous: napes kissed with soft lips. Heated bodies pressed into each other.
She let out a slow breath and set off. There was a party she had to attend.
Hero was early. One of the first, actually.
She walked under her Agencyâs banner decorated with dark-red flowers, and into the grand hall. There werenât many people yet. She caught a glimpse of Superhero and Olliâthe two lounged in elegant armchairs beside the dance floor, engrossed in a lively conversationâand few others, faces she recognized from conferences and previous parties.
But all she could see was Villain.
He was in the middle of the ballroom, illuminated by the soft golden glow of chandeliers. Secured in a heavy structure that resembled a doorframe. There were no door, though, only metal shackles hanging from all four corners. They held Villain suspended, his arms and legs spread wide, putting him on display for everyone present.
The promised entertainment of the night.
Hero felt a pang of jealousy.
He was hers, and no one else was allowed to see him like this. No one.
His head hung low, chest raising with slow breaths, and the muscles in his arms taut from the strain of his binds.
âVillain,â she spoke and he lifted his eyes, sunken and painted with bruises.
An almost-sneer crept over his face. He looked too exhausted to muster anything more. âDid you come to play, too?â
Hero let her eyes roam over his body. Bright red circles had been painted onto his skin, forming neat rings around his nipples and belly button. Around his groin.
God⌠What did they want to do?
As if reading her thoughts, Villain looked to where Superhero was sitting. âThey said weâll play darts.â His voice was hoarse. âOleander thought that having smaller targets would be more fun.â
Hero made her way to one of the tables. She grabbed a tablecloth and brought it back, then wrapped the white fabric around Villain's hips and tied it between his legs.
Villain stared at her. âThank you. I didnât expectâ Thank you.â
âYou belong to me,â she reminded him, but her heart hammered, as rapid as a hummingbirdâs wings. âI canât have other people looking at you.â It might have been a threat, if not for the softness in her voice.
Villain stared at her and she stared back.
A murderer, voice in her head whispered, and she knew. Of course, she knew. She just couldnât find the will to care. Not when he looked at her like that, with this kind of⌠fondness.
She turned on her heel before temptation got the better of her, before she undid Villainâs binds just to see what would happen then.
Her gaze landed on Olli instead, as she charged toward them.
The other hero rose to their feet. Their eyes flicked over her before dropping away.
âIâm sorry,â they said before she could speak. âI saw you covering him.â Their glance shifted to Villain. âThank you. I know I did overstep.â
Superhero laughed. âI told you no one is interested in dangling dicks.â They grinned at Hero and waved with both hands. âYou look sooo pretty, Bunny!â
Oleander couldnât help a small smile. âYou do look breathtaking.â Their gaze lingered on her, remorse softening their features once more. âWill you forgive me? Please?
Hero had expected their usual smugness, their careless nonchalance they wore oh so effortlessly. But the sincerity in their eyes was hard to miss.
âI have no right to him, really,â she admitted. It was the truth. But it pained her nonetheless. âHeâs hurt both of us.â
Olli smiled again, their familiar playfulness slipping back into place. âWell. Iâve been meaning to ask..." They held out a hand to her. âWill you dance with me?â
She didnât know where she found the courage nor when she became so comfortable with Olliâs hand wrapped around her hip, but it was so freeing to finally forget. To just dance and have fun.
When they finally stopped, pink cheeks and tall glasses of champagne in hand, Hero couldnât help herself and finally looked at Villain. She did quite a good job of ignoring him when they spun around the dance floor, but now, her eyes kept drifting toward his hunched form.
He looked like a man half-dead.
His chest barely lifted and darts stuck from his body in all angles, leaving red traces of blood all over his skin.
âGo check on him.â She felt Olliâs breath brush her ear and shot them an uncertain look. She couldnât have them thinking that she cared.
âDonât worry,â they gave her a reassuring smile. âIâm not the jealous type.â
Hero felt that going after Villain would be confessing to her deepest, most twisted truth.
She squeezed between the guests, forcing her pace to remain measured, as she stalked closer to the construction.
This time, Villain didnât look at her.
He remained slumped in his restrains, dark hair covering his face. The strands were matted together with something that reminded her of fluffy cream cheese, and he smelled of red wine and blood.
She took hold of his jaw and carefully lifted his head.
Someone had fastened a bow tie around his neck and Hero couldnât help herself and sneer at the irony. There were new bruises forming along his throat. She wondered whose fingers stole his air and painted his skin in red. Who took the candle and added ugly, bulging blisters to the collection on his torso and thighs.
Villainâs eyes fluttered open.
âPlease,â he rasped. Hero had to strain her ears to hear him. âHelp me.â
She felt a pang in her chest. Still holding his face, she slowly inspected the lock fastened around his wrist.
âYes, Bunny,â Superhero giggled, and Hero flinched. âSave the man that killed your mother.â
She hadn't realized Superhero was standing beside her. Their voice was cheerful, as always, yet she still couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something unforgivable.
But her friend only gave her a wide grin and unlocked his cuffs.
Villain crumpled to the ground.
He was too weak to remove the darts still sticking from his meat. He looked like a piĂąata, used and broken, discarded by the guests who had already lost interested in him as they danced around. Blind to his suffering.
Superhero nudged him with their foot.
âCome on, pet. Donât you see that Bunny came to play?â
Villain was in a horrible shape. Hero watched him struggle to focus. His gaze darted aimlessly from one point to another, dazed and confused. He couldn't seem to hold on to a single thought.
âI canât take it,â he muttered. âI canât, I canât.â
Superhero kicked him again, stronger this time. âFocus, pet. What is your purpose?â
âTo entertain. But I canât. I canât.â
âI donât know, Super,â Hero spoke slowly, as if saying this out loud would make her a criminal, too. âWhen is it enough?â
âWhenever you say, Bunny,â their voice was so gentle. âThis is all for you.â
Hero thought she was going to be sick.
Her stomach twisted, and the room spun around her. âI... can I take him aside?â
She grabbed Villain by the hair and dragged him through the crowd of dancers toward the corner of the room. Ignoring his whimpering protests, she didn't stop until they reached an empty chair.
There, she finally let him go.
Villain sagged to the ground. His hands shook as they struggled to support his weight. âI canât please I canât I canâtââ
âShh,â Hero cupped his head again. âYouâre doing so good. Taking it so well. Youâre such a good boy.â
That seemed to restore some of his strength. His eyes finally met hers for a fleeting moment, and he straightened ever so slightly.
Villain glanced down at his battered body, staring at it for one second, two, three, and carefully wrapped his fingers around one of the darts.
In an instant, she imagined him burying it in her eye.
But Villain made no move against her. One by one, he pulled the darts free. When he was finished, he held them out to her.
âHere. You can play. But I donât know how much more I can take.â
Hero took the darts and set them on the table. She sank down into the chair and pulled Villain closer, placing his head in her lap. With careful movements, her fingers threaded through his hair, lightly twirling a few strands.
Villain closed his eyes. âIâve seen you on the dance floor.â His voice was incredibly weak. âYou danced with Oleander.â
âAre you two friends?â
She slowly massaged his scalp. âI suppose we are.â
This time, Villain was the one to hum.
Silence settled between them.
They remained that way for a while, until Villain opened his eyes and turned toward Hero. Unlike usual, his gaze didn't immediately skitter away.
âI wanted to tell you something...â he said, sounding almost drunk. âYou look really pretty today.â
He couldn't possibly mean that.
And he was the worst of villains. Sharp. Observant. Dangerous in more ways than she could count, so he had to know. He had to notice her weakness for him.
And this was his way to toy with her.
Before Hero could say anything, Villain closed his eyes again. His head tipped to the side, the last of the tension draining from his body. A second later, his weight sagged heavily into her lap.
âHey, Villain.â She gave him a gentle shake. He didn't react.
A knot tightened in her stomach.
She tapped his cheek. When that got no response either, she slapped it lightly.
Her eyes shot to Oleander, and they didnât wait and ran toward her. âWhat happened?â they glanced down at Villain, then froze.
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