Short #2
Part #2
Part 1
Hero turned their back to the bathroom door, a beam of light peeking through the cracked door, the faint, almost muted sound of running water disturbing the idle radio-filled ambiance from before, a jazz song, some they had never heard before playing.
Villain had arrived then, and the routine would follow: silent steps for their blood-stained shoes were left at the door every night, shower, dinner, and after they would pretend to fight the want to lay besides Hero, only for a few minutes of play-pretend, of false stoicism before giving in, opening the covers an settle in bed.
Hero would take their arms in their own grasp after a while, feeling the embrace of the other tighten. To admit the fear they had both felt was senseless, it was only to make themselves look vulnerable and there was no point on that, they could communicate perfectly well though only touch, Hero huffed.
A hand on their shoulder.
"Are you awake?" Villain asked, Hero grunted in response "Come, join me in the shower."
With an opposing grunt, Hero walked behind them to the bathroom.
Hero had had a hard time keeping up with daily tasks after the event, they knew Villain was aware. Eating, showering, getting out of the room were then not so optional suggestions.
They did not think that as per their enemy's words, allowing Villain to do whatever they wanted was going to get them bickering about something as simple as eating an carrot. But it did.
When inside the room, it was apparent that the dirty clothes were already placed away, the steam from the hot water fogging the mirror.
"You already showered," they said.
"I wanna do it again,"
"How convenient."
Yet, despite their protests, Hero allowed themselves to be undressed, clothes two days old thrown to the designated basket.
Water was lukewarm, a negotiated middle ground from Hero's ice-cold showers, and Villain's burning-hot ones. Hero's muscles did distend at the touch of the water, and Villain's hands on their skin felt as a reassurance.
A rough hand, though with a soft touch, brushed over the scar dangerously close to Hero's heart, the middle of their chest, just slightly turned to the left.
"I'm sorry," Villain whispered.
"You’ve already apologised, it’s okay."
"It’s not, I could have lost you, you could have been dea…”
“Villain,” Hero interrupted, the concept of their very close encounter with death was still upsetting, they, some night, were still afraid “it’s okay.”
“What if one day is not, what if one day you wanna go back there, if you want to leave me and go there, what will I do then?”
“Maybe,” hero said, stopping to think about their answer, they did not know, then and there they could not imagine an scenario where they wished to go out, to get further from Villain than arm's length, yet, they knew a wrong answer could condemn them to stay “maybe then we’ll have healed, and you’ll be able to let me go.”
“Will I be able?” Villain answered, turning Hero’s face around with a firm grasp by their chin “Will I want to?”
And then, with Hero’s heart beating faster, abnormally so, why would it? if they knew Villain so well.
Then, they reciprocated a kiss.
_
Masterlist
I saw some requests for a continuation, and I really liked the first part too so I did it :D
