Sunny Nwanda

They sighed, opening the chronicle they'd been skimming for the past hour. The only folio on the history of the area—Hero's last resort to discovering where Villain (as referred to by the townsfolk) came from. Their origin seemed unclear, rooted in history yet unknown. If they didn't know better, they'd assume it had been erased. But what reason could anyone have for erasing the story of their town's repeated misfortune?

The older people said it wasn't the first time the ancient evil awoke. It had come yet and yet again for the past centuries. Some even remembered the last time it happened and how it led to the loss of the last hero their town had seen. It was part of the reason why Hero's grandmother was so grief-stricken when they chose the path of fighting evil. Had Hero been smart, they'd ask for more of her memories. But they were not. Now it was too late. Evil was running rampant in the town, scaring the folk, harming anyone who got lost in the forest, and occasionally fighting Hero.

Hero jumped at the sound of gravel crunching under someone's foot. They turned to full alert, eyes sweeping over the town, only to catch the edge of a shadow. They descended the bell tower and sped along the central street, noticing the shadowy figure of Villain slide into a narrow alley.

Hero followed, short on their trail, and caught up with Villain's retreating figure unnoticed. It was when Villain was about to leave the premises of the town that Hero finally cornered them, slamming Villain's back into the back wall of some unsuspecting family's house.

"What do you want here?" Hero sneered, holding their blade against Villain's throat, ready to fight for life or death to end the age of fear their town had been subjected to for the past year.

Villain smirked, infuriatingly calm for someone in their position. "Good evening to you, too."

"What do you want?" Hero repeated, rage evident in the sharpness of their voice, yet Villain could not help the smile that stretched their lips wider. This was their Hero: the same short temper, explicit righteousness, and stupidly endearing frown.

Villain flipped them in a matter of seconds, and before Hero knew it, their own blade was pressed between their ribs. Villain didn't push it in, didn't so much as scratch skin or cause pain, as if reluctant to kill someone that the town deemed their nemesis.

"I've missed this," Villain murmured, and with one last toothy smile, they were gone, leaving Hero in the back alley with their heart pounding in their throat and mind racing. They couldn't understand what the hell Villain meant for the life of them.

Every encounter after that ended in a similar fashion: with Villain escaping after saying something oddly personal. They got bolder too, attacking Hero in the middle of the day in the town square, out in the fields with nowhere to hide, even sneaking into Hero's house for a tussle. Yet every time, Hero left the fight unscathed, yet deeply confused.

"You're left-handed now," Villain noted once, mid-battle. They were on the forest fringe, the sun already setting behind the trees and colouring the sky bloody red.

Hero hesitated, their eyebrows drawing closer. "I've always been left-handed," they had claimed.

Something strange passed over Villain's face, the corners of their mouth quirking up in a sad smile. "Not always," they whispered before knocking Hero to the ground and disappearing between the trees while they were disoriented.

Villain had the strangest approach to distractions, but they hadn’t even needed one tonight since they had the upper hand in this fight. Hero had walked back home more confused than ever that day.

Their next encounter was even stranger. Villain dodged their punch before Hero had fully thrown it, predicting it based on Hero's habits. At the incredulous gaze of their opponent, Villain chuckled. "You still wrinkle your nose when you're trying to deceive."

"You don't know me," Hero attempted to counter. "You haven't met me that many times to know my tells."

"I've met you more times than you can imagine." Villain's gaze turned intense in a way that threw Hero off. They were about to argue when Villain suddenly leapt back, escaping before Hero could ask more questions.

That night Hero tossed and turned in their bed, unable to get what they had been assuming was banter with Villain out of their head. It seemed off, almost like Villain was trying to throw them for a loop every time they met. But what for? They didn't need an advantage, and if Hero was being honest, it didn't feel like Villain was even fighting them seriously. One of their friends once noted that their battles with Villain were flirtier than nights in the tavern.

Why wasn't Villain trying to kill them? Hero was the only obstacle between them and domination over the town. Hero had a thousand questions and no answers. It was time, they decided one afternoon, to pay their enemy a visit.

They ventured into the forest the next morning, armed with several blades and determination to find out the truth behind Villain's cryptic hints. After hours of wandering through the woods, Hero lost track of time. The thick foliage prevented light from disturbing the musky darkness, creating a mysterious ambience. They made a fire, almost expecting Villain to appear with their sarcastic smirk and always-ready quips. And sure enough, Hero had barely started on their dinner when a voice cut through the damp air.

"Found my den yet?" The question was no doubt mocking, but there was a twinge of satisfaction in Villain's voice, as if they wanted Hero to follow them. The thought sent a chill down Hero's spine: was this a trap all along? A clever manipulation that led Hero straight into Villain's territory?

"Inviting me for dinner?" Hero retorted, putting on a brave face and pulling a pickle out of their bread pie.

"Huh, still devoted to your hatred of pickles?" Villain noted, amused. They rounded the fire, crouching down next to them, and picked the top few leaves off a rosemary plant, offering them to Hero.

"How do you-"

Villain smiled, their features illuminated by the fire. An image flashed through Hero's mind—too fast to catch consciously but vivid enough to elicit a dull ache somewhere deep in their chest, nestled between their ribs like something ancient. They opened their mouth to speak, but paused when a waft of the rosemary scent hit their nose.

Their head spinned with flashes of random memories: Hero on the scaffold being forced onto their knees as Villain writhed on the ground, held down by soldiers they recognise as friends; Villain dragging them out of battle into an empty house for a final kiss as war rages around town; Hero up on the bell tower when it was newly constructed with Villain hugging them from behind; Hero next to a fire in the woods with Villain kissing down their jawline like a secret; and... hatred burning Hero’s throat as they drive a blade through Villain's shoulder.

Hero swayed, leaning to the side to remain upright. Villain's arms wound around their torso, grounding and calming in a way Hero did not expect, yet recognising physically. Their vision was blurry, eyes welling up with tears, and something painful they didn't recognise yet.

"What... what is that..?" Hero stammered, struggling to breathe, process, and not panic all at once.

"Memories," Villain answered, their hand rubbing up and down Hero's spine in a soothing gesture. "Lives."

Hero inhaled raggedly, meeting Villain's eyes with an astounded expression in their own. "We..?" They abandoned the sentence, hoping that Villain would understand their meaning.

Villain nodded, reading them. Hero gulped down the conflicting emotions, their brain trying its best to function, yet failing miserably at basic sentence structures. "How many?"

"Six," Villain whispered, rubbing in a circle on Hero's shoulder blades to wind them down like they knew exactly what to do to calm them down. Hero caught it but made no comments.

"I, uh... I remember hating you with a passion," Hero blurted out, their throat felt tight, like the words were acid burning a way out. For some reason, that specific memory was the one bright enough to catch. That particular scene flashed through their mind again and again. The emotions they felt seemed too passionate for simple hatred, too close to love.

Villain chuckled fondly at the memory. "Ah, yes. You drew a knife through my shoulder, then felt bad about it, so you visited me every day to keep me company."

"And we fell in love?" Hero asked, unsure if they were remembering or guessing at this point. For some unfathomable reason, loving Villain didn't sound as scary as it should have, given that they were still the ancient evil Hero was to hunt.

"Yes," Villain confirmed with a wistful smile. "That was our original life. The first one."

The bittersweet nostalgic tone of their voice didn't escape Hero's attention. "What happened?"

"War." Villain's expression hardened. The greatest evil of mankind had caught up with two people in love. "Between our families. We were supposed to fight each other for control over the town."

"We didn't," Hero concluded, nodding their head as more memories resurfaced in the back of their mind, floating forward into consciousness.

"No. We laid down our swords, then fought side by side against both of our families and became the common enemy that united them." Villain took a moment to catch their breath as emotions tightened their throat. "They blessed us to seek each other in every life."

"Our families blessed us?" Hero repeated in disbelief. Judging from what Villain was recounting, that wasn't a likely outcome at all.

"We thought so," Villain confirmed, picking up a twig to keep their hands busy and mind less tense. "It wasn't a blessing."

"Then what?" Hero frowned. That was exactly the answer they feared. Were they ambushed when they least expected it? Killed in their sleep?

"A punishment," Villain elaborated, twirling the twig between their fingers. "We were condemned to reincarnate forever, seek each other in every life, and if we chose each other again, our lifetime would end before we could be together. It was a curse, not a blessing."

"Is that what happened every time?" Hero inquired, sitting on the damp grass with their back against the tree trunk.

"Fighting side by side. Laughing. Falling in love. Dying together. We can either live the way we began—as enemies, or die as lovers." Villain recounted. They knew the drill by heart now, every step that led to their demise. The ineluctability of their fate.

"And you remember?" Hero's voice was quiet in the solitude of the surrounding forest, a whisper of a wind.

"Every lifetime," Villain whispered back, their words carrying more than they could ever express. The agony of losing their loved one in every life, relearning them as a new person, then losing them again, waiting for it to happen every time they gained enough consciousness to understand their memories.

"And I remember nothing," Hero muttered under their breath—more to themself than Villain.

"It's good that you don't," they confessed with a tiny sigh. "It's the worst part of the curse. I'd live a hundred lives choosing to die with you if I didn't have to carry every memory."

"You've watched me die and remembered it through every life." The realisation dawned on Hero like a divine revelation. Oh, that must have been hell.

Villain simply nodded, not sure if they should provide more details on the matter, but Hero insisted. "How did I die? Each time."

Villain tossed the twig aside, running a hand down their face. "In the first life, when we were cursed, it was your heart that gave way, but we had lived a life together. Then plague in the second, you were 28. Jumping from the bell tower because you were to be married off to another in the third, at 17. I didn't get there in time, watched you fall and never climbed that tower again. The next one was in wartime, and you were barely 20. By execution in the last life for fraternising with the enemy, you were 32, we were born on opposite sides again."

Hero let out a long exhale. It was a lot to carry for one person and not to lose their marbles. "You remembered for both of us. Carried it with you from one life to another. And you became colder and more ruthless over centuries."

It wasn't an accusation, more a statement of fact. An inevitability.

"Watching your loved one die time after time changes a person," Villain responded. There was no malice in their words. "People start mistaking your exhaustion for cruelty, and soon you agree with them."

Hero watched them for a long moment, lost in the whirlwind of memories, struggling to process and arrange them into correct lifetimes.

"I've tried everything," Villain continued, "Keeping us a secret, not marrying you, staying away from you and the town, but nothing worked because we always ended up choosing each other. It didn't matter how far I travelled, I always ended up coming back to you."

"We can try together," Hero interrupted their fatalistic rant with determination stemming from a lack of anguish and experience. They were young; Villain looked young, too, but their soul had grown old and weary through time.

"I wasn't trying to make you remember because I wanted another chance," Villain confessed, leaning a little closer. Their profile was prominent against the dark woods, illuminated by the fire on one side and submerged in darkness on the other. "I wanted permission. A goodbye, if you will."

Hero blinked, confusion colouring their delicate features. "You've carried this punishment alone for centuries. You have paid the price, five times over, in tears and blood. Let me carry it with you now."

"I'm tired," Villain said, their voice weak and weary like a ghost haunting their own skin. "The curse in our families' chronicle said that once both lovers remember, together we can choose to end the cycle forever. I need you to let me rest. Leave me in this life or the next. Love someone else. Live a life full of chances, not a condemned existence, counting minutes till we lose each other again."

"You thought I would agree to this?" Hero jumped up from their place on the ground, pacing around the clearing. "Let you—what, die? Disappear forever, never to be reborn again? Because you're tired?!"

"You don't understand what I've been through," Villain spoke, the plea evident in the downturn of their brows. "Rid me of my grief. I beg of you."

"I'll burn that book. I'll- I'll find a way. I swear to you." Hero tried, already grabbing their bag to make their way back to the village.

"Hero-" Villain begged one last time, but Hero snapped, whipping around on them with unexpected fierceness.

"Shut it! I don't love you yet! You have nothing to fear, so let me try."

Villain gaped, stunned by their outburst and blinking stupidly. So Hero continued. "You can help, or you can stare at me like an idiot."

Against all odds, that ultimatum made Villain follow them - albeit with a dissatisfied groan that morphed into a smirk despite their will. Hero never truly changed.

On their way back to the village, Villain told them about their first life. After the conflict with their families, they had moved to a house on the other side of the woods. They had built it themselves, at an intentional distance and were happy for the first five years. When famine came to the area, a cropless summer followed by a cruel winter, their families blamed their betrayal for it, and the suffering townsfolk in search of some explanation for the misfortunes came to believe that version of events. Hero and Villain were still happy, through every hardship and despite all the side-eyes, which only confirmed the people's suspicion. How could anyone be happy in times of privation and hunger?

The town survived that winter and many others, but their happiness was never forgotten or forgiven. Every time the crops failed, or shadows lengthened, Hero and Villain were to blame. As time went by and they grew older, the people started referring to Villain the same way that Hero's mother (the governor at the time) did—the greatest evil. The name stuck, and even centuries later, the person living in the woods was referred to as the ancient evil.

Hero questioned why Villain returned to the woods every lifetime, only to learn that it started as a way for Villain to isolate themself in the forest to avoid Hero. The villagers interpreted that as an evil awakening.

Back in town, Hero led Villain to their house, where the chronicle—the only thing journaling the history of their town was now. Villain revealed to them that the history recorded in it had been deliberately rewritten to paint Villain as the monster because their original families wanted to hide what they had done and retain control over the town. What better way than to give people someone else to blame for poor resource allocation and constant conflicts?

"There's nothing else," Villain sighed, watching Hero cut open the pastedown of the book to reveal their curse inside. "No solution. I've checked multiple times."

Hero persisted, revealing exactly what Villain predicted, but still not giving up. "I know what we can do."

"Hero, please, let me go," they pleaded again, looking almost pitiful. Still not enough for Hero to succumb.

"I'll make you a deal," Hero proposed seriously, placing a mug of ginger ale in front of Villain. "Stay for as long as I don't love you. If I fall in love with you, we'll take that choice."

"Don't try to trick me into this," Villain started, not trusting Hero's word.

"I promise," they assured. "I'll take the pain this time around. If I love you, I'll suffer through your death, knowing you'll never reincarnate again. Deal?"

Villain hesitated, watching Hero rip off the cover of the chronicle and toss it into the fireplace. Destroyed.

"You've lived every lifetime waiting for tragedy. I've spent every lifetime walking into the same pattern, blindly. I know this time. Let me do it. We won't repeat history."

Villain nodded with an exasperated sigh. If they knew one thing about their lover, it was that they were relentless. Hero smiled, settling across from them at the table and clinking their mug to Villain's.

Every lifetime, Villain devoted themself to preventing the tragedy. Instead of fighting the town and their parents, Villain left to live in the woods.

Instead of becoming lovers immediately, Villain spent years avoiding Hero.

Instead of sacrificing themselves to the love that was predestined, they chose a life of running and hiding.

Biding their time. Sealing their fate.

Hero was going to face all of it instead. They'd live in the heart of the town. They'd stay together. They wouldn't let their original families' words define them centuries later. They would survive. And they'd tell Villain every day that they don't love them.

After that evening in Hero's house, Villain stayed with them. They woke every morning convinced today was the day Hero died.

Nothing happened.

A week passed. Another.

Nothing.

A month.

Nothing still.

Villain asked Hero every morning if they loved them. Hero said no.

'I like you.' 'You're tolerable.' 'You're not the worst person in my life.'

They built a life together, a home and a family, and through the years, Villain's fear subsided. They stopped asking every day, then every week, and soon didn't mention love at all.

Years passed. Until Villain woke up one morning—the day their eldest daughter was to be married—and realised they had outlived every previous lifetime. Even the first one.

That afternoon, the town bells rang for their daughter's wedding. After seeing the newlyweds off, Hero and Villain walked along the streets of the town they now called their own. Windows were open, letting in the gentle summer warmth. Children were still running around, despite the long shadows cast by the setting sun. The square was lively, with music playing and people bustling around. No one hurried home before dark anymore. No one had to hide.

Hero took Villain's hand, leading them up the stairs of the old bell tower. Villain exhaled, glancing over the town, and hugged Hero from behind, pressing their heart to Hero's back. "Still don't love me?"

It was a question Hero hadn't heard in years. They let out a chuckle, shaking their head—amused and teasing. "No."

Villain nodded, their arms tightening around Hero's frame.

Hero smiled. "More than anything," came the whisper.

A content sigh escaped Villain as they pressed a kiss to Hero's temple. They'd finally stopped running from fate.

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you once again to my wonderful reader for this request and to all of my readers for your love and support! I hope you enjoyed reading this <3

P.S. Does anyone get a self-fulfilling prophecy vibe from this?

xo Sunny

The bar was packed beyond belief. Or so Civilian thought, because there were about fifteen other people there, and that was too much. Hero had scoffed at her displeased demeanour the moment they had walked in and chose to ignore the tiny, frustrated sighs her friend let out every now and then. As if the crowd wasn't enough, Hero had put her into an outrageous dress (above knee length) and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, leaving Civilian feeling vulnerable and... alright, maybe she blushed when Hero called her effortlessly hot, and she might have liked the idea of being attractive, but it still felt like she was trying too hard. Hero called her ridiculous for considering a cocktail dress "too much", but given that Hero was wearing a sequin jumpsuit, Civilian thought she had no say in the ridiculousness domain.

They were about an hour into the celebration of Hero's year around the sun (read: five shots for Hero and an already-warm Aperol Spritz for Civilian in) when the atmosphere in the bar shifted. They didn't immediately see who came in, but even the usually oblivious Civilian sensed a change in the ambience of the place. Everyone seemed to be quiet; even the music sounded toned down. Then came the looming figure of Villain, wearing a black suit (not the place, dude!) and his signature cocky smirk. Hero's nemesis, the resident criminal, pain-in-the-ass, call him whatever.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the birthday girl," he drawled behind Civilian's back, making the hair on her neck stand. He was staring Hero down, but she didn't even twitch, smiling the same self-assured smile she always wore. "Celebrating your royal highness?"

Hero chuckled. Confident, bold, carrying herself with dignity in every situation - be it battle or a night at a bar. Civilian mumbled somewhat of a confirmation.

"Congratulations," Villain clinked his glass to hers, then to Civilian's leaning over her shoulder, causing her to squeak in surprise. He raised an eyebrow at that, his gaze lingering for a moment before he left, disappearing in the growing crowd. Civilian exhaled, her hands trembling slightly, and took a big gulp of the drink she was still nursing.

It wasn't until later, when the music was loud enough to dance, that Villain reappeared, swaying to the rhythm as he approached. Hero narrowed her eyes at him the second he stepped into her view. They were still seated because Civilian refused to dance while the lights were still on, claiming she felt like people were studying her. And if there was a pair of eyes glued to her with captivated intensity... well, a certain criminal had nothing to do with it.

Villain tilts his head, his gaze flicking over to Civilian nearby, ordering water before he opens his mouth to speak.

"Not. A. Chance. None, Vil," Hero cuts him off before he can even utter a word. Not because she hates him. Because he's like an annoying younger brother in her mind that she has to babysit, so he doesn't mess up the city.

But Villain looks unfazed. He lets out a huff of a laugh, shaking his head. "Actually, I was wondering if your lovely friend would dance with me." He informs, preventively maintaining a bit of a distance in case Hero goes for an immediate attack.

Except, her eyes don't narrow with suspicion, nor do they widen with sudden rage or offence. They sparkle. With excitement.

"What?" Villain asks, sounding sheepish but utterly adorable (to Hero, otherwise, he's formidable, he swears) at the same time. Hero's face brightens with the widest grin Villain has ever seen on her. What is happening..?

He doesn't manage to finish the thought when Hero claps her hands together. "That is such a great idea! Two of my favourite nuisances together, aww..."

Villain gapes at her excitement, blinking slowly like he has lost the plot entirely.

"But she needs prep," Hero sobers up from her sentimental feelings, turning serious again. Villain still looks confused, so she elaborates. "She's shy and thinks you're a real threat and not just my play partner."

"Excuse you?!" He exclaims, offended beyond belief. "I'm a professional villain!"

"Sure you are, sugar," Hero muses, teasing him for the sake of the blush colouring his ears. "But for our cause, you need to seem noble."

"You stop that," Villain hisses, pointing an accusatory finger at her, but changes his tune once he processes that second sentence. "And tell me more."

When Civilian returns with her bottle of water, Villain is gone, and Hero has a peculiar glint in her eyes. "You know, I'm quite ready to leave," Civilian starts, trying to approach from afar, but Hero sees right through her.

"In your dreams, Civi," she counters, leaning closer. "Have you noticed a certain someone cannot take his eyes off of you since he walked in?" She asks, her tone too coy to be ignored, but Civilian was never that perceptive.

"Hm? Who do you mean?" Civilian glances around, stumbling upon Villain's intent gaze but darting away instantly.

"Mhm. You know who I'm talking about," Hero hums, satisfied with having planted the idea. "You should go dance with him."

"N-no, I- I can't," Civilian objects instantly. Not that Villain isn't attractive - he's gorgeous, quite honestly. Yet she thinks it's inappropriate. Friendship code and his enmity with her best friend aside, it's Hero's birthday. Today should not be about Civilian at all.

"I can't do that," she repeats, attempting to convince both Hero and herself. "And besides, why would he be looking at me?"

"Are you kidding?" Hero crosses her arms over her chest and lets out a disbelieving laugh. Is this girl blind? "Look at him. The guy's drooling."

"Hero!" Civilian can try to protest all she wants, but the way her neck reddens gives away her true feelings. "He's probably just joking... or trying to see if he can get to you through me."

"You take that back!" Hero snaps like Civilian's self-deprecation is offensive on a personal level. Unbeknownst to Civilian, she motions for Villain to come over while she continues laying the ground.

"Hero..." Civilian mutters, voice full of complaint. Hero exhales. Here comes the whine that means 'I want to, but I'm scared and doubting myself'.

She grips Civilian's chin, demanding eye contact. Her expression hardens into unyielding conviction. "Civi, shut up and get up. Now. That's my birthday wish."

Civilian is about to protest again when Villain coughs, gently attracting her attention. Hero shoos her out of her chair before Villain even has the chance to extend his hand. And Civilian has no other choice but to take it, blushing more profusely than Villain Hero winks at him, encouraging him to go on.

Over two hours later, Hero watches them still swaying to the soft music. The bar is empty now, not a soul left behind when Hero nods to the bartender, places her empty glass on the table, and leaves, smiling under her nose as she walks down the empty street.

Today was certainly a good day. For all three of them.

| |

Masterlist

A/N: Hello darling! Thank you so much for this request, I had so much fun writing it! I hope you will enjoy reading this just as much. This reminded me of my first stories here - a little more on the cute flirty side than suggestive or dark.

Let me know what you guys think.

xo Sunny

The first sensation that returns is the cold - one that freezes them out from within, burning its way out to the surface of their skin. Vic feels heavy in a way that they never have, like their limbs are made of stone and their chest carved out of a block of marble. Cold, unmovable, and so utterly still that it starts hurting. Yet they cannot tell if they feel pain or are imagining it. Their fingers and toes twitch, and, right that instant, a warm cloth is pressed to their forehead, someone's tender hand brushing through their messy hair, gently pulling their mind back to consciousness.

It takes Vic a few minutes to peer one of their heavy eyelids open, blinking slowly in an attempt to process. The room is dark, rare candles illuminating the general shapes of the gothic bedroom but obscuring nooks and corners. "Where are we?" They mutter, voice groggy and hoarse, and catch Vampire's gaze in the darkness of the unfamiliar room.

"My place." It's a reply too simple for the setting, and it causes Vic to let out a quiet laugh. "You say that like this isn't a damn castle."

Vampire chuckles, shaking their head, "Only the best for my royal guest." They go through the trouble of standing up just to mock a deep bow, causing Vic to snicker at their theatrics, soon falling silent to get their bearings and process the serendipity of the night. For a brief moment, the realisation sparks terror at the irreversibility of the choice they made on a whim, but there's no panic in their chest. There's no regret in their heart and no hesitation, but curiosity. All they feel is a strange, almost calm, anticipation of an extraordinary life. And getting to share that with the adorably awkward vampire that turned them? Even better.

"So, um... can I get some information on how this works?" They speak up after a while, voice a little weak and hoarse. Their mouth feels dry, a peculiar thirst building in the back of their throat and capturing their tongue. "Like, do we sleep in a coffin?"

"Christ, don't watch those movies, I beg of you," Vampire snorts, caressing their jaw with the pad of their thumb before pressing a kiss there, "You will sleep in my bed, I have to keep you warm."

"Because I was just turned?" Vic questions, attempting to sit up, only to fall back against the cushion when their head spins.

"Mhm," Vampire hums with an unabashed smirk. They lean closer, whispering in a tone that suggests anything but what their words claim, "Solely for that reason."

Vic stares at them for a moment before the penny finally drops - a bit late, but they blame the fogginess of their brain for slow uptake; once it lands, though, the corner of their mouth inches up. They feel too weak to flirt back yet, filing that information for later when Vampire decides to be bolder. "Also, you're allergic to clothes now," they tease in a low murmur, their hand trailing from Vic's jawline down the side of their neck in a tantalising slow descent.

"Excuse me?" Vic's composure breaks into a disbelieving mien, their eyebrows shooting up in the most comical manner possible, and tone turning to exclamation. "You're shitting me!"

Amusement flashes in Vampire's eyes, too soft for the gothic vibe they had going. Vic's heart hammers in their throat, excitement mixing with flustered confusion. "Too much?" Vampire grins, their fangs reflecting the candlelight.

Vic looks positively lost, the flirty banter unexpected from the vampire that was mumbling in the alleyway a few hours ago. Their eyes narrow, studying Vampire before finally pushing themself up, coming nose to nose with them. Vampire's breath hitches audibly, and Vic's smirk widens into a wicked grin. "You were saying..?" They murmur, lips almost brushing Vampire's.

"Fuck..." It's all Vampire manages to mutter before crushing their mouth to Vic's, earning a satisfied groan from their absolute favourite (only) victim of all time. Vic responds to the kiss - eager and hot despite their newly acquired cold-blooded status. Their arms wrap around Vampire's neck, dragging them down onto the bed.

A/N: Hi, sweethearts! The suggestive piece of writing as per the winning category and a part two that a lot of you requested. I hope you enjoy this.

Love, Sunny xo

Masterlist

"Wh- first of all, I never harm anyone unless they deserve it," Villain interrupts, irritation and an unpleasant sort of dread spilling across their chest. They push it down, trying to ease the kid's discomfort by teasing them. "Second, bold of you to assume Hero scares me, Sidekick."

"I'm not a sidekick!" They protest, taking the bait - Villain had enough experience with younger siblings to know which buttons to push in a teenager.

"You are now," Villain grins in response, finally letting them go. "So, what happened?" They ask, sitting down on the concrete parapet of the roof with their legs crossed. Sidekick eyes them with unmaskable alarm at the recklessness of sitting with their back to the free edge.

"Hero's gone. They went out last night after a call for help and never came back. I figured you took them, but when you challenged them to duel again today, I realised it wasn't you and-" Sidekick cuts off, their bottom lip trembling. Oh Christ, they really are a kid, aren't they?

Villain sighs, running a hand down their face. This sounded serious, because Hero of all people would never abandon their family and their city. "Any idea who called them?" The kid shakes their head, causing the uneasy feeling in the back of Villain's mind to rise. "Do you have any other family?"

Another shake from Sidekick. Another rough exhale from Villain. "Alright," they mutter, getting up and hovering over the edge of the roof so the police can hear them when they announce in a woe-is-me tone to the crowd below. "You win again, Hero! I'm disarmed and shall retreat, if only for now."

Sidekick gapes at them, mouth falling open in the most comical way possible. Villain turns toward them, chuckling at the reaction and reaching out to slam their jaw shut. "Let's go, kiddo."

"Go..? But I- go where?" Sidekick stutters through multiple thoughts, failing to form a more or less complete sentence. So much for pretence, Villain thinks. Sidekick seems to grasp their thoughts, coughing for a more confident voice. "I'm not a kid!"

Villain groans at the bombardment of questions, shushing them with a single gesture like they're talking to an ill-behaved puppy. "I'll take you somewhere safe. Then I'll save my idiot of a heroic nemesis. Questions?"

Sidekick had a lot of questions concerning the nature of their sibling's relationship with Villain, but that would have to wait as they failed to ask anything in their stunned state, confused and blinking up at Villain like a fool. The embarrassment of the moment would have burned them alive had they not been in desperate need of help to find Hero first.

There were many things Hero expected from Villain if they ever found out about their sibling. Kidnapping for ransom, blackmail, threatening - anything that would warrant using Hero's only weakness against them. What they did not expect was for Villain's protective instincts to kick in; even more shocking was the fact that Villain took Sidekick to their family home, leaving the kid in the care of their younger siblings.

It did not take long for Villain to locate Hero either - they knew the dimwit and their thinking process - or lack thereof.

"So you're saying they put my uniform on and - what, hoped for the best?" Hero asks while Villain patches them up for the road. Their 'enemy' hums, a twitch of amusement touching the corner of their lips. "Idiot."

"Reminds you of someone?" Villain teases, earning an eyeroll from Hero, who can't help wincing at every other touch to their wound. Villain frowns, trying to distract them, "Which one of your two brain cells made you think disappearing was a great idea?"

"I didn't want them to see me like this, had nowhere else to go but here," Hero tries, but it sounds weak even to their ears. The abandoned warehouse provided little comfort. When Villain scoffs, they glance up again, "What?"

"Could have come to me," the criminal mutters under their breath, but Hero catches it, grinning smugly at the invitation. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" They laugh, groaning shortly after, "Fuck, this hurts."

"No shit, dumbass," Villain grumbles, finishing up with the makeshift bandages. "Alright, you should be good to go. We'll take care of the rest once we get home."

"Home? Don't tell me my favourite moron led you to our hideout as well!" Hero rounds their eyes in mock horror despite taking Villain's offered hand to be pulled up to their feet.

"No," Villain snorts, shaking their head at the assumption, but can't help revealing, "Bold of you to assume I don't already know where your apartment is."

"You- really?" Villain nods in response to Hero's flabbergasted question. "You're good."

"At what, blindsiding you?" They ask, allowing Hero to lean on their shoulder as they walk them to their car for the drive. Hero takes a sharp inhale, each movement causing a bolt of pain to shoot through their torso. "No, maintaining a moral code for villainy."

Villain snickers at that, trying to distract them from the pain. "There's no such code, I can be absolutely despicable in every way I please."

Hero's eyes light up at the joking remark. "Can you now? Is that why you're saving me?"

"Mhm," Villain sets them into the passenger seat before rounding the car and getting in. "I'm taking you to my place where we can get your wound treated, and you'll see Sidekick."

"You left them at your place?" Hero's eyebrows shoot up when Villain nods in confirmation. "Alone?"

"No, with my younger siblings," they respond vaguely, swerving through city traffic with masterful precision. Hero blinks, surprise colouring their features yet again. "Siblings? As in, plural?" They feel stupid, especially now that they know Villain had more intel on them than the agency ever had on Villain's past.

"Yes, Hero, plural," the criminal admits begrudgingly, like they did not just reveal that information themselves. They take a turn out of the city centre into the suburban area, the skyline changing from glass skyscrapers to private houses with red tin roofs and small green gardens.

"Oooh, so you're the eldest kid in a big family?" Hero murmurs knowingly, looking out of the car window at the neighbourhood to hide their smile. "No wonder you're evil," they add, not exactly mocking.

"Excuse me?" Villain raises an eyebrow, but their fingers drumming on the steering wheel give away the lack of anger.

Hero throws their head back against the seat, laughing heartily. They glance at Villain after a moment with a new level of familiarity. "So, you have a high schooler too?"

"Yeah, one of them," Villain admits, the expression in their eyes shifting imperceptively. They cannot help turning soft when talking about their siblings, and Hero finds that absolutely adorable.

"Should we get them on a playdate?" Hero grins just as they turn into the driveway of a neat two-storey house with an overgrown garden in the front.

"Over my dead body!" Villain snaps as they step out of the car, eyes flaring up with strong protectiveness when they spot Sidekick rush out of the house and into Hero's arms, one of their siblings following in tail. "Better yet, I'll murder your sibling if they try dating my-"

"Are you sure?" Sidekick chimes in before Hero can utter a word, immediately catching the topic and letting go of Hero as a shit-eating grin blooms on their unmasked face. "It could warrant double dates."

With a wink at Villain's younger sibling, they bolt away before Villain has time to process and choke the life out of them. Once they do, though, Villain unceremoniously starts after them across the garden to the house, yelling at the top of their lungs. "Get back here, you little shit!"

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A/N: Hi sweetheart! I know this is very (very!) late but I still hope you'll see this and will enjoy it. There is a bit of a deviation from the original idea. Let me know what you think, loves!

xo Sunny

Hero figured it was a defence mechanism - her mind protecting her from something that was out of her comfort zone. Her next attempt at intimacy ended up just as ill-fated. This one was very familiar to her - a colleague from her agency, someone she had seen every day for three years and had had relatively interesting conversations with. Alas, when his nose brushed the side of her neck, Hero all but launched him across the bloody room.

Broken ribs and a concussion should have been warning enough for everyone, so the next time a guy hit on her, Hero was caught off guard. Still, she gave it a chance, still hopeful. Then came the city hall gala. Hero went with him as her plus one, because it was expected and because he had been her boyfriend long enough. Big mistake. The dude decided to press her up in a dark corner, assuming she'd be too embarrassed to cause a scene at a public event. His assumption proved painfully wrong. Needless to say, that relationship ended with the siren of the ambulance taking him away.

The last one - her current ex-boyfriend swore to be patient. In all fairness, he took his time with her, warming her up over numerous dates. Hope had sparked up in Hero's chest again, and this time, she made an effort to prepare herself. Meditations, exposure building from holding hands to lingering hugs, and a warm bath before the date today. She even had camomile tea, which tasted like regret, but she ignored the taste in favour of finally getting past her inhibition. But the moment his hand shifted on her thigh, it all went to hell.

She reeled back. He tried grabbing her again. She pushed him away, shutting down completely. And then he blew up on her, patience running thin after three months of dating. Now that she thought about it, Hero hated herself for feeling guilty and apologising when he blamed her for wasting his time.

She groans, lifting her hand to her lips to take another drag of the cigarette, when someone plucks it from her fingers. Her head whips to the side, catching sight of Villain, perched up on the railing like a damn cat.

"What the hell-" She starts, but Villain unceremoniously interrupts her. Not that it was a new occurrence, since Villain had a habit of mysteriously appearing anytime she was in desperate need of company.

"Smoking doesn't suit you, darlin'," he drawls with an infuriating smirk, taking her cigarette into his mouth. "Since when do you indulge my vices?"

Hero rolls her eyes, returning her gaze to the horizon. "Good evening to you, too. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to my evil lair, planning my wonderfully evil deeds for tomorrow, when I noticed a pitiful sight - my dear nemesis, smoking all alone on the balcony. Figured I should drop by and say hi," he shrugs, putting the cigarette out and grinning at her, "So, hi."

"Idiot," Hero snorts despite herself, folding her arms and leaning on the railing. She'd be lying if she said the company wasn't welcome. For some reason, the bantering with Villain put her at ease at times like this. "Hello to you too."

"May I ask why you're out here? Bad date again?" Villain questions, his gaze shamelessly trailing her bent form. Hero catches where his eyes are going and straightens up with a pointed look in his direction. "Hey, don't ruin my view."

"Oh, sod off," she grumbles, but the corner of her lips curls up treacherously. She coughs to hide it, not bothering to ask how he knew. "You're staring."

Villain grins, the gleam in his eyes turning wicked as he drawls. "I know." There's something unabashedly open in him that makes Hero's skin crawl in the sweetest way possible.

She crosses her arms under her chest and raises a brow in a challenge, not sure if she wants him to stop or keep going.

Villain tilts his head to the side at the gesture, his expression pensive when he mutters. "That's hot," he pauses, struggling with himself. He's a breath away from pouncing on her. "Don't do that if you don't want me doing more than ogling you."

"W-hat?" Hero almost stutters. Almost. She catches herself before her voice can waver, swallowing thickly at the intensity of his gaze and angling her body toward the skyline to avoid looking straight at him.

Villain jumps off the railing, stepping closer. He's much larger than Hero - not that she ever had trouble overpowering him with her wits - but he towers over her. He takes another step, his dark figure ominous in the dark.

Hero doesn't glance at him for the sake of her sanity. She's riled up from her unsuccessful date and, fine, maybe she was flirting a little, just to feel a little normal again, but this... this is dangerous. It's a matter of time before it gets out of hand, and Hero knows it will get nowhere with her issue.

"I think it's time you left-" She starts, but Villain's hand grabs her chin, interrupting her attempt at diffusing the tension.

He tilts her face towards him, thumb brushing over her bottom lip. Hero registers her breath hitching audibly on the peripherals of her thinking, not quite present in her mind when his fingers slide down the side of her neck, halting where her pulse is spiking into a crazy drumming rhythm.

Villain's eyes are dark when she meets them, his hand on her neck scorching against her feverish skin. His gaze flickers to the pulse point under his thumb, rubbing the spot before his hand trails down her neck, slow and sensual on a level that feels new to Hero. His touch is tender and, to her surprise, doesn't cause her to spiral yet. "You'd better stop," she mutters, her fingers wrapping around his wrist.

"I can't help myself," Villain murmurs, looking into her eyes for confirmation that he's not the only one losing his mind, under the spell of the tension brewing between them.

And then his arm is wrapping itself around her waist, and his lips are on hers in a fervent kiss. Hero gasps into his mouth and, before she knows it, she's melting into him, kissing him back with equal fervour. That's all that it takes for Villain to lose all control, pressing his body against hers so hard it rattles the railing behind her. His hands slide down her body, mapping her silhouette in their descent, before grabbing her hips with both hands to pull her tighter against his body.

Hero's head is spinning, her hands clenching into his costume. It's much more contact than she's ever allowed any of her dates, but she doesn't process it yet, her mind occupied with the sensations of Villain's hands and mouth. He breaks away from her swollen lips, trailing his open mouth along her jawline, kissing and nipping at the base of it where he murmurs into her skin, "You're mine."

Hero would love to protest, she really would. Part of her is protesting on the inside, banging against the bones of her skull because he's a nemesis, an enemy, but it's silenced damn quickly when his mouth attaches to her neck. Any objections she had dissolved into a breathless whisper. "Villain..."

"Shh," he hushes, his hold on her like a vice, "been drivin' me insane, runnin' me in circles," he mutters against her skin like a confession, tongue dragging a line along one of her collarbones. "Makin' me hunt you down."

"I wasn't," Hero tries to counter, one of her hands coming up to the back of his head, tangling into his hair and tugging to make him look at her. "Don’t think I can escape."

Villain chuckles at that, the sound low and hoarse from arousal, then pulls away, earning a sound of surprised protest from Hero. "I don't see you trying," he growls, turning her around and pressing the length of his body against her from the back. He bends her forward over the railing, his chest pressed to her back to keep her in that position, when his hips rock forward against her ass. His arms wrap around her middle in an iron hold, and his mouth finds her neck again, sucking on the skin until it's red and close to bruising. He knows it will leave a mark, and Hero suspects that's the plan.

"You're mine tonight." It's not a question - he's stating a claim, and Hero huffs to put up a semblance of a fight despite not minding in the slightest. Villain grins in response to her half-hearted attempt, dragging his nose up her neck until he reaches the sensitive spot below her ear, "You're not going to want an out, baby."

Before she can say anything else, Villain has scooped her up in his arms, carrying her inside her apartment. The dim light of the night sky barely illuminates the room, but Villain doesn't need to see; the floor swallows their clothes in mere seconds, his skilful hands peeling off layer by layer until Hero's bare and shivering in his arms. He lays her down on her cold bed - one he intends to keep warm all night - and when he finally loses himself in her, Hero can't remember what it felt like to not have him touching her.

It's hours later, when the morning light filters through the thin curtains of her bedroom, that Hero remembers she had issues with physical contact. Villain's arm is still around her, holding her back against his chest securely, his face nuzzles into the back of her neck, pressing a kiss there before mumbling in a rough voice, "You're thinking too loud."

Hero laughs, shaking her head and covering his hand on her stomach with her own, "I never thought it could be this easy," she mutters, not quite comfortable with voicing her previous problems, "to let someone touch me."

Villain nods, his hand rubbing soothing circles against her skin, "You needed the right person." He says it with such conviction that it catches Hero's attention, prompting her to think of how they ended up here, "Hold up, you knew?"

"Oh, baby," he quirks an eyebrow at the simple question, smirking as he leans over to plant tiny kisses over her cheek, "Your troubles with intimate dates or our sexual tension?"

"Both," Hero's response is instant - curiosity and slight annoyance with his perceptiveness sparking into a steady flame of suspicion.

Villain knows she already knows the answer, but responds anyway. "Yes. Why do you think I knew exactly when to drop by your place for a chat?"

She turns her head on the pillow, narrowing her eyes at him, which Villain, unfortunately for her, finds adorable. Villain continues, his expression a bit too cocky for her liking, "Besides, I wanted to see how long it would take for your smart ass to figure out you aren't wrong or broken, you're only mine. That's why no one else could get you to accept them."

"Oh, so you mean to tell me you were waiting for me to - what, jump you?" Hero retorts, though it lacks any fire whatsoever. If anything, she's glad to be finally relieved of her concerns.

"Ideally? Yes," He grins, making her groan at his smug response and pull away to get up, but Villain laughs, dragging her back into him and turning her over so she is facing him. "I might have thought about taking you right then and there on that balcony more than once."

"Shut up!" Hero covers her face with both hands, mortified and aroused at the same time. Villain chuckles again, pressing a kiss to her forehead before choosing to add fuel to the fire because he can't help himself, not when she looks this cute in her flustered state.

"Still happening, you know? You'll look gorgeous bent over that railing- ow!" Hero slaps his shoulder, shutting him down and earning a shit-eating grin from the worst nemesis of all time, who still cannot control his damn mouth for the life of him. "Alright, alright, I'll stop... for now."

A/N: Hi loves! Ugh, it's so good to be back! I'm not going to talk much, just hope you enjoy this :) Let me know what you think!

Love,

Sunny

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