#ashiristic

“That is why your girlfriend left you.”

As if the world stops for a moment, the resounding sound of a fist colliding with the wall echoes through the hallway. It is fast and precise, enough to destroy the villain’s skull. The villain side eyes the fist 3 inches close to his face, and gazes at the hero with nothing on his eyes. His mirth disappears to nowhere as the silence continues. 

“Did I actually hit a nerve?” the villain asks, putting on an arrogant facade. But his fist clenches with his lips, his heart thrumming in his ears like an indiscernible echo of the wind. “She must—”

“Stop,” the hero speaks up, his previously pale lips turning red to how hard he is biting it. “Swallow everything that you want to say, I don’t want to hear it. Hell, don’t even breathe.”

The villain obeys. He watches the hero heave deep breaths as he calms himself. Exhaustion clings to his new wrinkles, and his blazing gaze becomes tame and lifeless. God, what did that girl do to his hero? He slightly raises his hand, fingers vaguely touching the hero’s shirt, but he puts it down once the hero shifts his weight. The hero stays in his place for a while, unmoving.

The villain blinks, feeling a crippling sensation in his throat. He shuffles in his position, looking down. This is the first time he sees the hero up close, and not only that, the hero is looking at him. Probably scrutinizing his every move like he— and he wasn't. The villain raises his head, a grin playing on his lips; and drops when he realizes it. The hero isn't with him.

His eyes are on the villain, but he is living in his fantasies. A fantasy where the person he loves is within his grasp, safe and protected. The reality where her eyes are only on him. The villain now knows that it must be somewhere beautiful where he doesn’t exist. Bitter, he opens his mouth to find the right words.

“So?” 

“So what?” the hero repeats, glancing at the villain. He looks hazy, a person forcefully woken up to the reality he despises.

The villain's demeanor hardens, and he crosses his arms. He massages his elbow, yet his grip only worsens whenever the hero spaces out. He must not let this affect him. He must not let this affect him. He must n...

“You must’ve loved her,” the villain says. He flicks the hero’s forehead, before laughing to himself. “Can’t you just let her go?”

“I do not understand what you mean.”

“She must’ve brought your brain with her, now that takes some skills.” it does take skills to capture the hero’s heart and break it into tiny pieces with a tiny oops as an apology. He crosses his arms, almost apologetic for the hero and himself. Because one, the girl beats him from winning the hero’s heart, and two, she sure is capable of eradicating it with an affair. 

The hero scrunches his eyebrows with his mouth agape, processing the villain’s words appropriately. His eyes then dilate for a second before calming down. And there he is again, traveling deep down into his humble abode like a jellyfish seemingly immortal, yet defenseless. The villain simply stares at the hero, lost again. A lamb of his own mind, that is what he is. And the villain is starting to get enough of it. He bites his inner cheeks, eventually having the drive to kick the hero out of his conjured reality. 

“For fuck’s sake, can’t you stop?”

“...stop?” the hero returns to the world again, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, stop.” the villain combs his hair, pushing the hero off him. “She had an affair so just stop looking for her—”

“It was a mistake.” The hero cuts off the villain. “She didn’t do anything wrong. I left her waiting for so long, it is given that she’ll like someone else—”

“She promised you that she won’t do that— no, stop cutting me— just fucking—”

“Never insult her, villain.” the hero says through gritted teeth, holding the villain down. His hands severely prevent the villain from constantly flying his arms everywhere. “Do not say a word that’ll dirty her name, keep it in.”

“She is a bitch—”

A punch. The hero punches the villain in the face, delivering the blow enough for the villain to drop to the ground. It is weird, it should’ve hurt, that is what the villain must feel. But it is numb. Instead, his heart is the one killing him, clenching in the place of his bruising cheeks. The hero lets out a heavy sigh, shaking his also bloody fist. He brings his fingers to his lips, smearing the blood off as he lets his body grow limp against the wall. 

“What a joke…” the villain smiles, it is plain and holds nothing. His eyes gaze at the hero’s face, he is crying. For the first, the hero cries in front of him. He can’t help but let out a silent scoff. “You are so… blinded by her.”

Silence engulfs them. The hero wipes his fallen tears, setting his foot away. “Goodbye.”

The villain merely raises a finger, acting like he is shooing the hero away. He sits quietly in the middle of the hallway, maybe he is now the one lost in thought. Everything happened way too fast that he couldn’t help but say something. Some crap that will force the hero to stay, at least. 

“Can’t you at least look at me?” the hero stops, standing still in the distance. “You know I’ll do anything for you.”

The hero stands there, so distant from the villain. So close yet so far, like a star in the night sky. When he was a kid, the villain always wanted to fish the stars and give them the utmost care they deserved. He did see a star, shining so brightly, and he ought to catch it; yet he gave it away so easily. And now it is free again, the star is now walking away from him, again. The villain sighs, hitting the wall with his head a few times before hitting it harshly. And tears fell. Maybe he isn’t meant for them at all.

—

Before the hero could open their eyes, pain struck the hero's entire body, leaving them helpless in the gentle embrace of a warm bed and fluorescent light above them. The pungent smell of herbal medicine and the metallic scent of blood mixed permeated the air, helping the hero distinguish that someone helped them after bleeding out in the dark corner of the street.

They silently groaned as the pain continued to travel down their body as if dominoes of misery were pushed down every time they shifted a finger or two. The hurried footsteps and shattering of glass on the floor indicated a sign of life in the room; the hero cannot help but feel relieved as the person began soothing them while injecting an unknown liquid into their body. The said liquid eased the pain, enough for them to open their eyes. 

"Does it still hurt?" the familiar voice said, it was playful yet worry laced in its tone. The hero sighed, glancing at the person sitting at their bedside. They don't look like a doctor or a specialist, and they are someone nobody would trust; especially with their life. But they couldn't deny the villain's docile face would change a person's mind, instead of a smirk— they would look attractive with a gentle demeanor. Though the villain wanted to embody a confident mad scientist trope, they look like an overworked scientist on the edge of insanity.

"Why am I here?" the hero dodged the question, ignoring the frown on the villain's face which immediately dropped when they noticed the hero glimpsed at them. 

"Obviously, as always—" the villain snapped their hand, playing a small holographic image of the hero saying, "My job as the hero is to serve and deliver Justice for everyone!" and grinned, "— everything for justice, you even sacrificed your own life for the supervillain's destruction."

The villain sighed, "If it wasn't for me, you're probably ashes dusting around the atmosphere now." They said while mixing a few vials with the pure water, shrugging. 

If it wasn't for the villain. They are speaking the truth. Even without the hero's mind reading, they could see the trembling in the villain's hand after they mentioned them turning into ashes. The hero can't help but smile, watching the villain focusing on the medicine in hand.

Nobody knows the hero could read other people's minds. It was their secret even the top secret files do not know for he never told a single soul about it. All of those evil and corrupted plans from citizens and villains alike are an open book in the hero's eyes. Even the villain's infatuation growing into love was known by the hero, they cannot help but also fall in love with their villain little by little. All of those clumsily executed plans, the capturing of the hero's heart system, and little theatrical play inside the villain's mind are known by the hero.

They could never doubt the villain of hurting them or betraying them. The villain's title was like a display, holding nothing but the privilege of meeting the hero employing clumsy evil tactics. 

"You look at me funny," the villain said, suspicious of the hero's soft smile. They cannot help but stop what they are doing and walk near the hero, touching their forehead with an intense gaze. "You don't have a fever though…" 

"You're gorgeous today, did you buy a new perfume?" the hero grabbed the villain's hand, but instead of pushing them away— they intertwined their fingers with the villain. "I wanted to say thank you for saving me." they internally laugh, and the villain's head continues rambling with just a simple act of gratitude (and shamelessness.).

"What is wrong with them today? No, actually— why are they holding my hand? Oh dear, no! Don't look at me with those eyes. Did they just wince? Are they hurt? Is the drug not taking any effect? I have to finish the medicine but their hands are too warm— Oh my god! They are holding my hand!"  Those thoughts ran into the villain's hand within a few seconds while a smile was still gracefully intact on their face.

"I am finishing your medicine so you wouldn't whine like a freaking dog later, hero." the villain said through gritted teeth, speaking the opposite of what is running inside their head. The hero only hummed in response, ignoring the plethora of begging echoing in the villain's mind.

"If you promise to let me hug you from behind after I am healed, then I'll let you continue that."

———————

Sorry if this didn't make sense- English isn't my first language ;u;

The savory scent of the coffee beans permeates the air with the whiff of chocolate and vanilla. The stirring of coffee with the taps of nails on the laptop, and the small chatter and laughter of the people, were the only sounds heard inside the coffee shop. On such a peaceful day, nobody knows that a certain hero and villain are talking at the back of the restaurant. Fighting?

“Isn’t this the so-called respectable hero?” the villain said, rolling their eyes when the hero responded with an annoyingly bright, smug smile on their face. They are outside their work right now, with no suits or masks to cover their faces. Fully exposed to one another.

“Oh yes, it is me. I feel delighted for such a gorgeous villain to recognize me with one glance,” they replied, eyes twinkling in amusement as he brought his hand to his mouth–covering a chuckle. The villain’s brows furrowed and relaxed, then they turned their head away with their arms crossed. A visible pout was on their lips and the hero would be lying if they said that the villain doesn’t look adorable.

An angel would gobble up beauty pills, and it wouldn’t be enough to compare with the villain’s beauty. Their cherry-red lips looked so tempting to kiss, but their eyes remained sharp and cold despite their facial expression. They fluttered their eyes on the hero, a tender glint sparkling behind those eyes eventually faded after they noticed the hero’s stare.

The peaceful coffee shop grew heated, especially in the back, where they are. A civilian glanced at them, curious about the events occurring, but the villain’s icy eyes are enough to make them tremble and look away. How could someone look so innocent with such an indifferent eye? Yet those eyes are gentle in the hero’s gaze.

The hero intimately grabbed the villain’s hand, bringing it up to their lips as they muttered, “You look adorable. How could someone like you be called the devil, Sloth?” They kissed the villain’s ring finger, claiming their treasure. The villain snatched their hand away, clearly embarrassed and excited by the hero’s gestures. But their expression remained indifferent.

The villain looks like a cat with flattened ears, as if disappointed by its owner’s actions. They cannot help but grin wider, not knowing how that smile almost gave the villain a heart attack. “I thought you’d look like an old man with arthritis without your suit,” the hero revealed their thought, resting their head on their hand as they traced the villain’s cheeks–unexpectedly, caressing the villain’s jaw with their finger. “I never expected you to be this adorable. Your suit never deceived me.”

The villain sat rigid in their chair as their lips cannot form any coherent words from the shock. If they were red earlier, they are bloody red right now from blushing like they are having a heart attack at any given moment. The only action they can create is raising their hand and mouthing the word waiter.

“What can I get for the both of you?” the server asked, clearly aware of their ministries or flirting. The hero frowned, glancing at the server with displeasure. “I apologize for destroying your moment. Shall I go away for you both to continue your—”

“No, I’ll have the usual plus a glazed donut,” the villain pushes the hero’s hand, nearing their arms again. The server looked at them both with a weird expression before smiling again.

“I’ll have an Iced Latte.” they glared at the server, wishing for their attempt to scare them off to work. “That is all,” crossed their arms, red flickering in their eyes as if a second was enough to kill the innocent employee. The server left without another word. Leaving the villain with their hero, alone.

“You scared them.” the villain said, trailing their gaze on the sweat dripping down the server’s side. And how the cashier reacted when the server flinched and almost cried, trembling. Oh god, are they that scary? The hero bit their inner cheek, distracting themselves from the truth.

“I never scared him,” they retorted, ignoring the small frown on the villain’s face. They cannot deny that it bothers them. The way the villain reacted to the server’s reaction was unexpected. It bothers them. They are willing to pull the villain’s chin and make them only stare at the hero.

“You are annoying,” the villain rolled their eyes. Though they expected the hero to react harshly, the hero only let out a light laugh, almost giving reasons to live for those who heard it.

“I know,” the hero said, and leaned against their table and caressed the villain’s forehead. “But you love me too much to hate me for that.” they flickered their finger, removing the tracker in the villain’s hair.

“What?” the little tracker evaporated, but before they could say something — the hero pressed their finger against the villain’s lips, silencing them.

 CW. Blood

“You are the hero's comrade.” the villain sneered, pointing the edge of the blade against the sidekick's neck. The sword was imbued in a bloody red aura, cracking after it grazed the sidekick's skin; whose blood trickled down without the wound healing. The villain's gaze darkened by the sight of the blood, cutting the wound deeper while ignoring the winces leaving the sidekick's throat. They wanted this person's cut off, but wouldn't it make the hero sad?

They raised their sword, preparing the blade to cut the sidekick's neck with graceful control and precision. But before their blade reaches the sidekick's skin, a shimmering yellow aura halts them, knocking the blade out of the villain's hand. The hero came to save the day, kicking the sidekick away from their enemy's reach, and slashing strands of the villain's hair. Their blade was close to cutting their enemy's neck, but crimson red energy halted their sword. All they could do was grit their teeth in annoyance, pulling away their swords and swinging on the other side of the villain's neck.

But this time, the villain created a vicious crimson sword with black and red edges fighting in dominance; in which, defending the hero's second attack. “Long time no see, hero,” they snickered, their black robes swinging with the breeze while dodging the hero's impending attacks. Their swords clashed together at a speed no human could see, and despite having power— the sidekick could only grit their teeth for not being able to watch them fight. Even if they try to help the hero, they'll die in a single incision, without mercy.

The fight never ends as the dust continues to cloud around them, their powers fighting in a lightning strike for every clash of their blades.  Gold and crimson dance inside the globe of dust, and it is clear none of them desires to give up. The sidekick watched the fight , waiting for the hero to come out with the villain's head in their hand. The swords meeting together finally come to an end, then the globe of dust fades.

The villain's sword breaks into pieces, but recreates again with a single snap of their finger. Their hero, yet, only wiped their sweat and raised their hand— pulling the invisible thread they tied around the villain— their nemesis came flying in front of them, kneeling like an obedient dog with a leash on their neck.

“Fascinating,” the villain said, dropping their sword on the ground and dissipating into the air. “I never knew you had such a playful trick,”

“Of course, you knew.” the hero stared at the villain's grin, but why does the sidekick feel betrayed rather than excited? The hero has the villain's life on their hand, this is worth celebrating! They stood up but fell on the ground as if they were limp. Confusion played on their faces, they were about to shout for the hero's help but stopped when no sound came

out of their mouth.

What the hell is happening?

“You tried to kill my sidekick.” they ran their thumb on the villain's lips, gazing at their villain like how a lover would stare at each other. “And you've fallen in love with my thread like a dog feeling a sense of belonging, how could I not suspect that you want to experience it again?”

Those words sent heat down on the villain’s body, acting like this is indeed worth it if the hero is going to treat them in this way. They intentionally covered the sidekick’s presence, even if the hero is well aware their comrade is watching with an open eye. Both chose to ignore the surprised sidekick, covering their eyesight with fog for them to stop peeping. The hero gave a side way glance on their helpless sidekick staring in nowhere, then returned their gaze at the villain on their knees.

“What experience?” the villain asked, batting their eyelashes as a faint breath escaped their lips after the hero pulled the thread up— blood trickled on the golden thread, grazing the villain's skin like a scalpel. Rather than wincing on the pain, a leer draws on their lips, gazing at the hero with hazy eyes. They reached at their neck, feeling the dull thread on their neck and the blood decorated on it. “Oh this?”

“… Exactly,” the hero muttered under their breath, their aloof gaze unalterable, though there was a faint blush flushing on their ears that the villain noticed. The villain cocked their head, extending their hand to stroke the blood on the hero’s cheeks, down to their lips. A smile ran on their lips, staring at their hero with daring eyes. They stopped their hand on the hero’s chest, clutching it, and ripping it apart, revealing the fresh wound they marked yesterday. The fresh wound scarred into the villain’s initials, their eyes flashing red when the blood on their hand marks it again.

“I wonder who is the real dog right now,”

“For such a cute little kitten to want a leash, you are really daring.” the hero breathed out, “I may be your loyal servant, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t tie you up in a bed.”

———————