Feel free to request anything!!
TW: Based on my own experience with a severe car crash. Please take care of your health and don’t read if that is triggering to you. So much love, Juneberrygirl.
“You’re no doctor,” Hero remarked, as the Villain’s hand remained over their pounding heart.
“I’m pretty well versed in you,” Villain hummed. “I don’t need a medical license to tell when you’re panicking.”
Hero’s face set into a grimace, watching Villain’s face as their hand traveled from their heart to their chest it, rubbing circles into their burning skin. The constraining tightness on Hero’s throat began to ease. Villain’s other hand reached to Hero’s jacket, peeling away the fabric at their shoulders. Hero took the initiative and shrugged off the rest of it, letting Villain hang it on the coat rack. Their enemy’s hand found their shoulders again, rubbing up and down.
“Go sit down, I’m gonna get you something to drink.” Villain said, disappearing into the kitchen.
It took Hero a minute to find the energy to move, dragging their feet against tiled floor. The Villain’s apartment smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. They plopped themselves onto the couch
The entire place was clean, precise. The model image of perfection and the success of someone who had their shit together. Hero thought it was unfair how sleek and put together their living room was, considering how they put the city into disarray every Friday night.
Hero jolted in their seat as something fuzzy landed in their lap. Their hands coiled around blue blanket as Villain sat down on ottoman in front of them. Hero’s eyes drifted to their legs, how they were slotted against each other.
Villain placed a glass of water down next to their feet. The weight of their gaze fully focused on them always made Hero squirm.
“Can I see the wound?” Villain asked.
Their hands curled around their middle. Months ago Hero had gotten in what the nurses called ‘a brutal and severe car crash’. Not as Hero, with their charming smile and witty comebacks, but as civilian. Civilian who lacked charm in any sense of the word and couldn’t differentiate a disagreement from a fight. It had been a long recovery process, the surgery leaving three open wounds on Hero’s stomach.
It had been several long weeks in the hospital, wandering around empty halls with a walker and debating whether they needed to shout for a barf bag or not. Weeks of laying in the most uncomfortable bed and thin blanket, lodging Cheerios down their throat when they were finally able to eat again.
When they were discharged, they still had one wound at the bottom of their stomach that had yet to close.
It had been an endless nightmare that didn’t end when they were finally able to return home. Their in home nurse came every Wednesday to check on Hero’s wound. Just another time when Hero’s autonomy was compromised. When they heard the same answer again and again.
It’s healing, but awfully slow.
Any acts of heroism had been postponed. Not until Hero stopped flinching at the idea of a blow landing on their midsection. Until Hero’s stomach stopped aching when the button of their jeans slid down onto the wound.
“I know it’s not infected,” Hero rushed, voice raising in volume. “I know it’s fine, I’m not letting you-“
Villain titled their head. “You said no.”
Hero’s mouth hung open in an o, slight shock overtaking their system.
“It’s your choice. I won’t look if you do want me too.” Villain affirmed.
It was strange, being told that they had a choice, that they could decide how they wanted their treatment to go. Hero threw their hands up to cover their face and sighed.
“What happened?” Their enemy asked.
Villain, who was the only one who knew Hero’s civilian identity. They were the first person Hero saw after discharge, lodging on Hero’s family kitchen table with boxes of Chinese takeout in a uniform line, as if Hero was having guests over. Hero’s first meal after discharge had been chow mein and honey walnut shrimp, and a huge serving vegetables that Villain kept shoveling onto their plate.
“I moved back in with my parents for a bit, while I figured out how to pay the medical bills and insurance.” Hero stared at the tv behind Villain’s head. “Um, and it’s just been shit. Like absolute shit.” We just keep yelling at each other. It’s fight after fight. My mom and I went at it pretty bad tonight. She told me to get the fuck out. And I did.”
Villain let them ramble. “It’s not gonna get better. We’ve crossed a lie, and this is it. We’re done. You know, things went from one thing-”
A hand rested on Hero’s knee. Their voice went silent.
“You don’t need to give me an explanation, not tonight.” Villain eyed their suitcase at the door. “I’m just glad you knew you could come to me.”
“I have a guest room, but you’re welcome to stay in mine if you like,” Hero’s eyes flickered up. “You can stay as long as you like.”
They watched as Villain stood, grabbing Hero’s suitcase and moving towards what must have been the guest room. They turned when Hero didn’t follow.
This was a very bad idea. Hero couldn’t burden another person with themselves and all the rot they carried with them. It was their responsibility to deal with their own pain, their responsibility to lick their own wounds and show up in public with a smile.
They were a liar, a manipulator, a horrible person. Words and titles that their mother had labeled them every night for the past week. How funny, Hero thought, they could save lives, put out burning fires, but couldn’t even save their relationship with their mother. It had been their own mother who yelled and screamed at them for being the worst patient in the world all because the trauma from the accident threatened to swallow them whole.
Oh, how scary it had been to be alone there. And yet their mother had left them anyway, because she was tired of their bickering, tired of Hero’s fears and anxieties over treatment.
“I’m difficult to deal with,” Hero stared.
Villain laughed as they paused in the doorway, eyes rolling. “Please. I think I can deal with you wanting takeout more than once a week.”
They stood, following Villain to the door with the purpose to argue. Hero wanted to bite back, but there words died out on their tongue as they peered into the room. Soft and silky sheets with bedding that looked so positively comfortable.
“Mhm,” Villain hummed. “Bathroom down the hall and to the left, and my room is to the right. Holler if you need anything.”
“Yeah, sure.” Hero nodded.
Villain disappeared after squeezing Hero’s shoulder; hand resting right on Hero’s collarbone for just a second too long. Hero found their body turning towards.
“Goodnight.” Villain called from the darkness.
Hero stared into the darkness, as if they could summon Villain back with their gaze alone. “Goodnight.”
Let me know if you want a part 2 :)
