I have a request

So, how about a dangerously depressed hero x a really concerned villain. The hero has been dealing with self hatred and so has a self distrustive behaviour such as cutting. Villain finds out by noticing scars they didn't cause and look suspicious. Villain taken aback wants to support them and take them to their place to take care of them. Hero is struggling to feel positive but at least they feel warm next to villain who is showering hero with affection and gentle touches.

Feel free to add anything you think suitable, much love to you <33

tw: self harm!!!, minor blood, mentions of minor character deaths

The villain grips their wrist hard enough to bruise, and the hero winces.

They didn’t know why it felt off; was it because they were aware of Hero’s limits? The fact they knew how far they could go to bruise them, to hurt them, to cause them pain they couldn’t deal with? They knew that violent flinch wasn’t because of their grip.

They knew because Villain cared too deeply to hurt them like that.

“What’s wrong?” came their voice, tumbling from their lips before they could stop themselves. Hero’s sunken eyes instantly glazed over, hiding the pain, hiding the fear.

“You’re squeezing my wrist hard enough to break,” they huffed, but Villain noticed they were making no effort to pull away. If they really wanted to, they could. Why weren’t they making an effort to move?

The villain’s eyes darkened, and they shoved the hero back, pinning their wrist against the wall. Hero released a shuddering gasp as the hard concrete winded them, only held up by the villain’s firm chest.

They pinched their sleeve and tore through the fabric seamlessly, the suit fluttering above their elbow. They heard hero inhale sharply, their head hung low, barely even making an effort to hide anymore.

Villain’s breath stopped. “Oh, sweetheart...”

Their skin was riddled with fine scars, some still fresh and beading with blood. It was red raw, and Villain saw the patch where they had grabbed them, at the most recent massacre. Something dreadful pooled into their stomach, a wedge in their throat.

“Fuck you...” The hero croaked. Their voice was wobbling and tears were in their eyes. “Seriously, fuck you...”

“Hero.” They didn’t know what to say. “Why?”

They let go of their wrist, letting it drop to their side. The unmotivated Hero only seemed to slump against the wall, like all the energy had left them a lifeless doll in just a few seconds.

“It’s hard,” they whimpered. “Okay? This job is hard. I-I can’t save everybody and it kills me. The innocent people that have...have died and it’s my fault. All because I couldn’t save them...”

Villain watched as tears slid down their cheeks. Their beautiful Hero. Reduced to a shell of who they had been; they felt overwhelming remorse that it almost hurt.

Hero let out a strangled cry and brought a shaking hand to their face, covering it up haphazardly. Their other hand pushed against Villain’s chest, as if trying to shove them away – they lacked even a slither of the strength.

“People have died because I’m not good enough. It’s not fair, nothing is fair...i-it’s not...”

They gripped the front of their shirt as Villain leaned forward and placed their hands on their shoulders, sparking the hero’s defensive nature instantly. Their head lifted up, tears glittering like jewels under the moonlight.

Villain remarked hearing something about how ‘beauty is pain’. They couldn’t begin to describe how much they despised those words now.

“Darling, listen...”

“Let go of me,” they weakly pleaded, feet fumbling to get away. Villain pressed their lips into a thin line.

“Sweetheart...”

“Stop it,” they begged, voice cracking. “Stop it, please, why won’t you keep fighting? Please, keep fighting, I don’t want to...”

It wasn’t difficult for them to deter their weak attempts, but Villain felt as though they were so fragile. Every touch would bruise, hurt, discomfort them.

“Don’t finish that sentence,” they whispered, voice wobbling. “Please...”

Hero dissolved into a particularly heart wrenching sob that had the villain engulfing them in their arms in seconds. Their legs instantly went weak and they dropped to the floor, limbs entangled, as the hero finally let their tears fall free. All their pain and all their suffering, harbouring inside of them.

Villain never let them go.

Not for a second.

“Death is inevitable,” Villain whispered, their face inexplicably pale. “Stop shouldering the responsibility of other people’s actions.”

Hero was struggling to even breathe, yet they jumped at the chance to bring themselves down. “It’s my fault!”

“You aren’t the one who put them in danger,” the villain argued.

“But I could’ve saved them, I-I could’ve stopped it, I should have...”

Villain rubbed their back slowly. They were shuddering and shivering in their arms, reluctant to embrace such a affectionate touches. The hero didn’t want to crumble under their touch. This was Villain, after all—their nemesis. But their body seemed keen on betraying them, clinging onto them like they were the last person on Earth.

“I can’t even be bothered to save the city anymore,” they wheezed, pressing their head into their shoulder. “I can’t leave my house, can’t get up. I-I can’t even be bothered to shower or make food anymore, but...the city, the city will—”

“You are more important than the city,” Villain whispered softly, more genuine than they expected.

“I have to,” they responded shakily, equally as quiet. “I feel horrible for not wanting to do this anymore...”

“You feel like this because you aren’t taking care of yourself,” the villain pressed gently. “You are not less important than the city. Take some goddamn time off, Hero, and please don’t take on one responsibility and burden after the other. It isn’t healthy.”

Hero sobbed quietly. “Isn’t is what I deserve?”

tw: panic attack, minor blood

Hero wasn’t quite sure when everything started swirling, but they were aware the very moment they couldn’t take it anymore. Their knees were weak and the more they stood there, fighting Villain, the more they felt like the ground was sucking them in.

Pain from their injuries made their chest constrict in panic.

They couldn’t fight like this. They just couldn’t.

The villain brushed down the dirt on their clothes and spat out a glob of blood, their eyes searching immediately for the hero. Their fists clenched and they went to attack them, before they noticed something was off.

“Looking a little pale,” they snorted offhandedly, trying to wind them up.

Hero struggled to reply, their mouth opening and closing frantically. “I...”

Villain could see the way their eyes were watering, and the way their chest had started bouncing up and down frantically, their legs shaking. The villain’s expression subtly softened, taking a small step forward.

“Hero?”

The hero gasped for breath, and that was when Villain realised something was definitely wrong. They moved forward quickly and went to swoop them into their arms, but the hero crumbled into a set of choked sobs.

“Hey,” the villain sighed, trying to sound calm as their heart rate picked up. “Listen, Hero. Can you hear me?”

The hero had never done this before. Tears were flooding down their cheeks and their eyes were focused on nothing. Villain cupped their cheek, but the hero acted as if the touch burned them.

Their throat tightened when they tried to speak.

Villain cursed quietly under their breath and tried to steady their thoughts. Hero’s condition was only making the villain become more panicked as the hero grew worse, a daunting domino effect grapsing them.

Their composed, perfect Hero was breaking down in front of them, and the villain was at a loss on what to do.

They guided the hero to the floor as they released a particularly shaken cry, tugging on the villain’s dormant heartstrings.

“Hero, look, I want you to listen to me,” they spoke calmly, but loud enough so they were sure the hero could hear them. “Can you hear me breathe? Listen to me breathe.”

And they did. The hero choked on a distant sob.

“Hear that?” Villain echoed. “Follow my breathing. Okay? Deep breath in, come on, like this...”

They inhaled deeply, and they noticed the hero was struggling to do the same. Their heart squeezed.

“There you go, that’s it, and out like this–” They exhaled slowly. “Do it again. Breathe with me, Hero. Breathe.”

It took a few minutes until the Hero was matching their slow, driven breaths, blinking rapidly with their eyes fixated elsewhere. Villain still wasn’t satisfied and placed a warm hand on their shoulder, watching as they flinched widely.

“Hero...”

“It’s nothing,” they answered quickly, in nothing short of a whisper. They looked disasterously pale.

Villain cocked a brow. “I think you should go home. Why come out if you’re feeling like this?”

“I didn’t...” They watched as the collumn of their throat bobbed. “I didn’t know. I-It just...”

Their words fizzled out on their tongue, but the villain knew what they were trying to say. They clenched their jaw and shook their head firmly.

“Take a break for the night.” The hero peered up at them through teary eyes. “This fight can continue another day. I want you on top form the next time I kick your ass and gloat about it.”

That pulled a dry, sarcastic laugh from their lips, but there was genuine amusement dancing in their eyes. “I always beat you...”

The villain couldn’t help smile. “Go home. Have a rest.”

🫶🏻🫶🏻

tw: drowning

They felt their body smash into the water, knocking all the air from their lungs. The noise from the outside world was plunged underneath, muffled and quiet, slipping away from them.

Hero could feel the icey embrace around them, bubbles tickling their face, but the water was burning their eyes and flooding down their throat like a horrible sickness.

They tried to scream, but it felt like their lungs were being crushed from the force of the water piling ontop of them, circling around their body and yanking them further and further into the darkness.

They couldn’t see.

It was horrible, not being able to tell up from down. Their vision was swirled and when they did open their eyes in panic, they saw nothing but darkness and blurriness. Hero thrashed helplessly, their chest burning with a ferocity that made their mind reel.

Was this it? Were they going to die?

Their clothes tugged down on their limbs, making it harder to even move with the frantic throes of their panic. They desperately kicked their legs, water rushing past their ears, but they couldn’t see. Couldn’t feel.

It was only a pool, but Hero felt themselves losing hope. They felt like the expanse of water surrounding them was opening, wider and wider, nothing below them or around them, and a great distance between them and surface. They felt trapped, and alone, despite the water stretching so far in their mind.

The water crushed harder against their form, and knocked the little air from their lungs when something wrapped around their torso, dragging them through the pool.

Their chest constricted painfully as they breached the surface, hacking up the water from their lungs with a violent fit of coughs. Their hands gripped onto Villain’s shoulders firmly, the water lapping at their neck as they bobbed on the surface, clinging onto them.

The villain was breathing hard and their eyes were darting over their face. “Are you okay?”

Hero shuddered, tears burning their eyes. They couldn’t hold them back as they slipped down their cheeks, their heart pounding in their chest. Their nose was burning and it felt like the water had infected them.

Villain cursed under their breath in exasperation. “Jesus, Hero, you can’t swim?”

Panic was still clawing at their chest. Their feet were hovering in the water, kicking their legs as they tried to find a bottom, grabbing even tighter onto the villain. They were the only thing keeping them afloat. They didn’t want to be on their own in this pool anymore.

“Just...please get me out of the water,” they sobbed, digging their nails into their wet shirt. “Please, please.”

The villain sighed heavily, their brow pinched a little in annoyance. “If you cling onto me like this, then you’re going to drag us both under.”

A shock of terror consumed them and Hero burst into more sobs and tears. “Villain!”

Their frown instantly lifted, and remorse flashed in their eyes. “I was just—”

They decided to get the hero out of the water first. They were clinging onto them like a scared cat, and Villain knew their shaking form wasn’t just because of the cold. They smoothly lifted them out of the pool once they reached the edge, dragging themselves out not a moment later by their side. Hero was hyperventilating and wiping the dripping water from their face, but it seemed to be replaced with tears not a moment later.

Villain’s heart ached, regretting pushing them into the pool. It was just meant to be a joke, but they didn’t realise they were petrified of the water. Their eyes were staring at it like it was full of blood.

They dragged a wet hand down their face, standing on their feet. “I’ll...get you some towels.”

Villain turned to head back inside, but they were stopped by a trembling hand on their wrist, weakly trying to pull them back.

“I want to go home,” the hero whispered shakily, their chest constricting with shallow breaths. “Please?”

tw: wounds, implied assassination attempt

“Oh.” Villain’s eyes snapped towards the trembling figure on the floor, their lips curling into a crooked smirk. “Hello, Hero.” 

Their body jolted as the voice shuddered down their spine, head snapping towards them abruptly. They grit their teeth together and shuffled backwards, their shoes scraping across the floor. 

“Villain,” the hero bit out, but it was clear they lacked strength. Villain watched them intently as they forced themself onto their feet, hand pressing firmly against their side. They could see that their clothes were soaked with a red liquid, and Hero’s face had lost all of its colour. They swayed uneasily on their feet, before facing the villain with a scowl. 

“Isn’t this interesting?” The villain murmured, catching Hero’s eyes with their own sharp ones. “You’re looking awfully pale, darling. Everything alright?” 

The hero swallowed, seemingly breathless. “Shut up.” 

Villain took a step forward, and the hero braced themselves, shuddering when another cold chill wracked through them. They were so weak like this; could barely even keep themself standing upright. A cold sweat had broken out across their forehead, and Villain knew it would only be a matter of time before they lost their battle to blood loss. 

“How rude,” Villain chastised, relishing in the way they fumbled idiotically on their feet. “You’re still rather arrogant for somebody who can barely stand.” 

The hero’s expression hardened, and their fists clenched in a tidal wave of animosity. Villain saw the punch coming a mile away, keeping themselves planted firmly into the ground, catching the hero’s wrist effortlessly. They twisted the joint awkwardly, making the hero huff and lose the strength in their legs. 

They hummed, raising a brow. “On your knees already?” 

The hero choked back a groan. “Fuck you.” 

They kicked the hero’s shoulder, sending them slamming onto their back. Hero didn’t have time to register the flood of pain through their body before the villain was on top of them, hand wrapped securely around their throat. Their lips were curled into a frustrating smirk. 

“Who did this?” They murmured against their lips, their other hand sliding down to the blood soaked shirt. Hero stiffened under their touch and lamely kicked their legs across the floor. They huffed, already out of breath. 

“Nobody,” they panted, a dryness creeping up their throat. “And even then, why the hell would I tell you—” 

Villain dug their fingers into Hero’s wound, causing a dizzying wave of agony to slam into them. They choked out, grasping desperately onto the villain’s shoulders. 

“Mugger!” They cried out, tears burning in their eyes. “It was a— fucking mugger, now please—” 

“A mugger?” The villain snorted. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” 

“I promise, please—” The hero’s voice broke. “T-They just caught me off guard.” 

“How shocking.”

“They didn’t take anything.” 

Villain fingers tightened. “Then they weren’t really a mugger, were they?” 

Hero eyes snapped open, a cry of pain tearing from their throat. They tried desperately pushing the villain away, but there was no strength behind it. 

“I didn’t know who it was!” Hero bit out, pushing their head back into the ground and releasing a string of pathetic whimpers. When their eyes started rolling to the back of their head, Villain released their grip, and lazily wiped the blood on their pant leg. They bundled the hero carefully into their arms, patting their shoulder lightly in mock pity.

“Calling them a mugger,” Villain chuckled,” will really bash Assassin’s ego, darling.”

imagine them flirting all the time in school, sharing notes outside of class, studying together, and one day they’re at the library or whatever and they both get a notification that there’s a bank robbery going on and stuff so hero gets up and just says “i have to go” and villain is left dumb founded (before leaving as well to go stop the hero)

“17th Parallel.”

The hero blinked at the sudden voice beside them, trailing their gaze upwards to meet that of Villain’s. “Excuse me?”

A smug smirk lined Villain’s lips, settling themself down at the opposite side of the table. “Vietnam was divided along the 17th Parallel. Korea was the 38th. You mixed them up.”

Hero sent Villain a pointed glare, flipping over their flashcard to read over their answers. Sure enough, what their classmate had said was right, but Hero built up a defence of stubborness and refused to believe that’s what they said.

“No, I didn’t,” they frowned, placing the flashcard carefully on the desk. “I wasn’t even talking. How would you know?”

Villain settled their head in their hands, elbows propped up onto the table. “You were mumbling. You do that a lot when you’re thinking intensely.”

Hero narrowed their eyes. “Lies.”

“It’s cute,” the villain fired back, flashing them a toothy grin. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

Although butterflies were fluttering in the pits of their stomach, Hero refused to let their words affect them on the outside. They were used to Villain’s approach, having been dealing with this for many high school years.

They fixed their gaze back onto the notes on their flashcard, chewing on their bottom lip quietly. It didn’t help that Hero had missed this section of their history paper due to their criminal-catching side job, and had underestimated just how much time they’d had off.

“Want me to quiz you?”

Hero raised a brow and glanced at them through their eyelashes. They noticed Villain had been staring at their lips, without a care in the world, and they quickly stopped chewing on it.

“I haven’t got any questions prepared,” they replied back. The villain gave a nonchalant shrug, their burning gaze travelling back up to their face with an all-knowing expression. Bastard wasn’t even ashamed knowing they’d got caught oggling them.

“I know my stuff.”

Hero scoffed sarcastically. “How thorough.”

“Want me to show you how thorough I can be?” Villain grinned back without missing a beat. The dark look surrounding their eyes made Hero flush from head to toe. They wrinkled their nose and quickly looked away.

“You’re all bark, and no bite.”

“Is that an invitation?”

Hero closed their textbook and tried shaking off the nerves wracking through their bones. “Hurry up and quiz me already.”

The villain barked with laughter for a moment, before tilting their head smugly. Hero swallowed the lump in their throat and tucked away their flashcards as Villain started firing question at them.

“Give me...” Villain paused to think. “...two Vietcong tactics.”

Hero eyed them, folding their arms across their chest. Their eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Just two?”

“Just two.”

Hero filed through their brain. Although they hadn’t been present for the lessons, they’d collected the information their own way. Page 142 of the textbook, spider diagram. There were plenty.

Hero clenched their jaw. “Hanging on the belts.”

Villain’s smirk widened. “Aren’t you supposed to be smart? Come on, elaborate.”

The hero rolled their eyes and stubbornly looked away. They knew Villain loved an academic power play, and considering they were the reason Hero had missed so much of school, they were absolutely reveling in it.

“The Vietcong would stay as close as possible to the Americans. It allowed them to ambush troops and avoid air attacks. The Americans couldn’t bomb them, or they’d risk killing their own people.”

Hero could feel Villain’s eyes on them. “You’re so hot when you know what you’re talking about, you know.”

Their ears burned red, jolting in the chair like they’d been burnt. “Fuck you.”

Villain grinned. “I want to.”

Suddenly, two loud electric beeps cut through the air, and Hero felt their pocket vibrate violently. The two of them stared incredulously at each other as they pulled out their phones, glancing at the screens.

The hero rose from their seat, gathering their things. “I have to go.”

The tucked their work away into their bag with just enough time to see Villain rising from their seat too, tucking the chair under their table. Their gazes were both fixated on each other, before Villain broke the stand off with a smirk.

“If I get there before you, you have to let me kill one of the hostages.”

Hero cracked a grin. “Oh, you’re on.”

tw: blood, blood drinking

The hero figeted nervously in the alleyway, hidden in the shadows. They were nibbling softly on their thumb, eyes darting down the alleyway and back.

The stream of moonlight didn’t reach them, but through the irregular patterned darkness they could see somebody, or somebodies, approaching.

Villain released his hold on the body, letting it slump against the bricks unceremoniously. Hero’s eyes lifted up, pushing off the wall, shuffling towards him.

“Evening, my love,” Villain smiled. “Hungry?”

The hero released an exhausted sigh and gladly fell into his arms, feeling warmth encompass them instantly. They hadn’t fed for a few days now and it was starting to take a toll on them. Villain had said he didn’t like how pale and sickly they were becoming, and insisted feeding more than ever.

“Who is it this time?” They murmured, pressing their face into his chest. Villain hummed softly, and they could feel it vibrating.

“The man behind the Blithe Street murders. They found the dead college students in his house, and he’s been on the run ever since.”

Hero released a shuddering sigh and peeled away, their eyes flickering silently to the slumped and unconscious body. Villain kissed their temple and removed his arms from around them.

“Take your time.”

Hero didn’t need to be told twice. They could hear the rush of the man’s veins and it was making all their senses go crazy. They slid down to their knees and sat against the man’s thighs, winding their fingers through his hair and exposing his throat.

They could think of nothing but the sweet taste of blood and the fact that this man was a horrible person, and sank their fangs without hesitation into his neck.

They hummed quietly and fed quickly, gulping down mouthfuls of rich blood, unphased when it slipped down their chin and onto the collar of their shirt. Villain watched his lover with hooded eyes, his lips curling into a pleasant smirk.

“Straddling another man like that. Are you trying to make me jealous?”

Hero’s eyelashes flickered upwards and they moved back from their feed, glancing up at Villain with pleasured eyes. The criminal couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath, crouching down to cup Hero’s cheek in his hand. He went to pull them in for a kiss, but they hesitated.

“I...taste like blood,” they murmured softly.

Villain tucked some hair behind their ear. “Blood doesn’t alarm me.”

Hero sighed quietly when they pressed their lips together, eyes fluttering closed prettily as the villain pressed them closer. He moved further down, taking the blood off their chin, and licked it off their lips. Hero watched with a pink blush on their cheeks, blinking when the villain tapped their nose.

“Full?”

The hero nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

Villain helped his lover up, wrapping an arm around their waist. “I’ll have some of my men come up and dispose of him.”

that lollipop was on purpose wasn't it???

tw: non-con touching (not sexual)

Civilian pressed a hand against their mouth and squeezed their eyes shut.

Tears rolled down their cheeks as a result, hot and wet against their skin. Silence wound through the air, the only sounds background noise, like the occasionally gusty breeze or birds chirping in the night sky.

Civilian bit down on their lip, hard, and snuck out into the alleyway. Their body felt weighted and heavy as they tried to make as less noise as possible, nerves stabbing into them with each passing second.

Their footsteps sped up, and Civilian was making a dash for safety before they could stop themself. That rush of adrenaline pumping feverishly through their veins exploded.

A blurry figure dropped down in front of Civilian, and they desperately skidded to a halt before they crashed into them. Villain’s eyes glinted in the moonlight, blocking Civilian’s only exit.

“Cute little mouse.”

Civilian bolted back where they came, but slammed into another hard figure before they could escape. Hands reached out and grasped Civilian’s wrists, tugging them into a firm chest.

“Look at them. They’re adorable,” Other Villain purred, their strength completely unmatched against Civilian’s. They thrashed as a sob tore from their throat, panic wrenching through their heart.

“L-Let me go! Please—” Civilian begged, trying to pull themself out of Other Villain’s grasp. The criminal cooed softly and propped a gloved finger under their chin, tipping their head back. Civilian stared into those mischievous eyes, and Other Villain stared into those glassy wide ones.

“Baby. Look how scared they are.”

Civilian felt a stinging hot presence behind them, and Other Villain tipped their head back even further until they were staring up at Villain’s face. Their hand crept down Civilian’s hips, circling around them softly.

“Mm, very beautiful,” Villain murmured, their pupils dilated and eyes half lidded. “Are you afraid of us, little mouse? Do we scare you?”

Civilian blubbered, their tears still streaming uncontrollably. “I don’t want to die...”

A bark of laughter came from Other Villain, who tucked a strand of Civilian’s hair behind their ear and gently brushed away the tears on their cheeks. Their skin was soft and the civilian winced at the contact, but they were too afraid to pull away.

“Did you hear that? They’re cute and funny.”

Villain chuckled lowly. “Shall we keep them? Another little toy for us to play with?”

Civilian released a shuddering breath and felt terror smack into them. They tried to squirm away, while the two villains spoke with each other, but their grips became firmer and Civilian squeaked as the two pressed closer to them.

“Let’s bide our time,” Other Villain smirked, their eyes still fixated on Civilian’s pale face. “I want to play with this one.”

The villain smiled, glancing at the Other Villain with a dangerous look in their eye. “Oh, you know I love a game of cat and mouse, darling.”

Hero hadn’t meant to see it.

They swore on their life, they had meant no ill intent. Mentor’s office had been just around the corner and Hero needed information. They hadn’t meant to accidentally drop that folder, and they hadn’t meant to see the contents inside.

They couldn’t stop once they’d started reading.

“Hero.” Mentor’s voice perked up from the doorway, and the hero felt their blood go cold. “What are you doing?”

Hero struggled to find the strength to speak. Their knees had gone incredibly weak and it was a miracle they could still find themselves standing on two feet. They swallowed their rising fear and turned to their mentor, backing away from them instinctively.

Mentor’s eyes seemed to flash with hurt, before they hardened. They took a step into the office, hand lingering on the doorknob.

“Get back—” Hero snapped, but their was no conviction in their words. The terror was pulsing through their body was making them weak. Mentor slowly clicked the door shut, lingering in front of the office door.

“Hero.” Their voice was different this time. “What’s the matter?”

The hero’s back pressed against the desk, their fingers scraping along the wood. Papers slid beneath their hands, and their eyes darted about frantically.

“You’re...” Even the words tasted like ash on their tongue. “...you’re Supervillain.”

Mentor seemed to digest the words with an expressionless face, their eyes sweeping up towards the ceiling with a tired sigh.

“Was Supervillain, Hero,” they corrected with a hint of annoyance. “Was.”

Hero cursed under their breath from the stress, fumbling to step around the table. Their heart was pounding in their ears, blood rushing straight to their head.

“You lied to me,” Hero spat, bracing themselves on the other side of the desk. Mentor smiled under their breath, but it lacked amusement.

“I didn’t lie about anything,” they spoke, but Hero wasn’t having it. A mix of anger and terror and betrayal was ripping through Hero’s chest. Right under their nose, the city’s most renowned criminal had been committing crimes and leading them on.

“You said you were going to train me," they snapped, their voice breaking. “You—You said you’d look after me.”

“Yes? I wasn’t lying about that.”

The hero released a shuddering breath, watching their mentor approach them intensely. “Was this a trick? Were you—you just doing this so you could keep an eye on me? Use me to get away with your crimes?”

Something in Mentor’s eyes softened, and they took another step forward, in front of the desk. “Of course not. I care about you.”

“Bullshit,” Hero snarled, leering away from the desk like Mentor would grab them. “Bullshit. You’re lying, you’re just lying. You’ve been lying to me this whole time, you don’t care about me.”

“Hey,” Mentor frowned. “Don’t raise your voice.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Hero glowered, slamming their hands over their ears. “Stop it!”

“Hero, you’re getting yourself worked up—”

“—shut up—”

“You’re going to be sick if you keep flitting about like this.”

Hero’s back hit the cabinet behind them, the glass clattering against the wooden frame. A small sob tore from their throat as they desperately shook their head from side to side.

“Stop it, please...” They couldn’t keep their voice from cracking. Mentor’s heart clenched, and guilt flashed over their face. “You’re a liar.”

They closed their eyes for a brief second while they took a deep breath, walking silently around the desk. Hero’s eyes had pooled with tears, and a crippling weakness took over their knees. They slid down onto the floor as the tears rolled down their cheeks, keeping their hands pressed firmly over their ears.

Mentor couldn’t bear hearing them cry, and sunk down onto their knees, pulling them into their arms.

“You’re going to kill me,” Hero shook, struggling to steady breathing. Mentor shook their head.

“I’m not a supervillain anymore.”

Hero sobbed quietly. “But all the stuff you did, I-I...”

“It’s a hard business to get out of. I’m sorry, Hero.”

Was this it? Hero had uncovered Mentor’s deadly secret, and what they had between them was over? They would be tossed over to Superhero and forced to become one of their underlings. They didn’t want that. Mentor meant too much to Hero, and their heart was being torn apart for being so terrified of them.

“I care about you. That was never a lie. I want to see you grow, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you rise to the top, and that will never change. My past is irrelevant to me — I only care about you.”

Hero clutched onto their shoulders desperately, their heart hammering widely. “...you promise?”