#hxvsecretsanta

[watercolorfreckles]

Apple Pie // Secret Santa Snippet for @that-storming-writer

If you're a part of the discord server, you probably know that @creweemmaeec11 arranged a secret Santa event for writing snippets! Everyone submitted a request and she assigned people's prompts to each other, to be posted on Christmas Eve. As said, this is for @that-storming-writer! Merry Christmas and I hope that you like it!!

Their prompt request is: Rescue missions are fun, especially if the rescuee is surprised they're being rescued. It's especially great if it's coupled with "My enemy/rival is in danger and I'm going to pretend I don't have these feelings/ignore the feelings I have for them while I save them"

TW: Vague mention of past violence; bruises; imprisonment

"You have an insufferably persistent knack for getting yourself into trouble. I have half a mind to leave you here."

Hero's head snapped up and immediately regretted the way the contents of his brain seemed to swoop and crash together at the sudden movement.

Villain could feel the jump of his pulse as if it were her own. It slashed red across her mind's eye. The two of them, in their thoughts and feelings, were intertwined. Villain's powers craved a host to copy; to mimic. To blur the lines between what feelings truly belonged to her and what only belonged to the person her powers clung to.

She could sense the horrors that had been done to Hero in this cell. The echo of it ghosted over her. Her skin itched with the false memory of it.

Hero's eyes locked with Villain's where she stood on the other side of the bars to his cell. One finger crooked, she dangled a jangling ring of keys in front of her.

Villain sensed Hero's stomach jolt. With hope? Relief? Dread that Villain might instead make a show of leaving him behind after demonstrating she could have helped him?

Hero rose to his feet, slowly as if cautious of spooking her off. In the dim light of the hanging lantern outside his cell, the purple bruises marring his perfect face became apparent. His lip sported a red split down the center.

Villain could taste blood in her mouth.

"I didn't mean to get caught," Hero said, trying for a smile. It shone with all the energy of a golden retriever seeking to please its human (while requesting a tummy rub with those innocent eyes).

"People seldom do, honey," Villain said, pitying.

Hero eyed the keys in her hand, though he didn't reach for them. "You came for me." Even through the edge of doubt lacing his words, his voice was optimistic. The unrelenting beam of sunshine that he was.

(And Villain most definitely did not love that about him.)

Something warm and velvet trickled through the cavity of her chest and she refused to consider that the feeling was her own.

"You are hopeless," Villain grumbled, sliding the key into the lock. The door swung open with a whine.

"But you came for me," Hero repeated, in that soft, adorable voice.

As he said the words, she smelled his surprise, sharp and vaguely sweet. It bubbled up and over her, settling into a blush at her cheeks.

Hero blinked at her. "You're blushing."

"Only because you're blushing," Villain shot back, taking hold of his arm and tepidly pulling him out of the cell.

Hero stumbled, legs folding beneath him. Villain caught him, saving his knees from cracking against the stone floor. His relief was jarring. It whispered against her bones, ringing them into wind chimes.

Villain had no control over who her powers chose to feed off of, nor could she determine how long her physical and emotional senses would be interwoven with theirs. The way those senses manifested themselves to her could be a tad unconventional as well. When her powers latched onto Hero some months ago--her rival, her enemy--it was unexpected, to say the least.

The growing fondness she had for him was a liability. It led her to do stupid things like chase down the lairs of supervillains to free naive heroes.

Annoyingly soft, sunny, and pitiful heroes.

"Are you hurt?" Villan nodded toward the hero's legs. Before she'd even finished speaking, her own legs creaked in answer.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure I can walk," Hero said, fumbling to straighten on wobbly feet. "I may just- need a minute."

His earnest expression, determined and delicate, spilled that heroic and golden hope through her insides. It felt sticky, like melted candy smudging her ribcage.

Disgusting.

She tried not to think about how cute he looked, clinging to her shoulders.

Shouts filled the distance.

"Unless you'd like to be locked back up in that cage, we may not have a minute." Villain swept the hero into her arms, hooking one arm under his legs. He was thin and relied far more on his own powers than his muscles. Which was reflected in the lean contour of his limbs.

His breath caught as Villain carried him out of the room.

His weight only strained her slightly. She focused her attention on dodging henchmen and reaching the exit safely, though Hero's singing heart and burning cheeks were difficult to ignore.

The pink flush of him branded her cheeks in mirror image.

Villain turned a corner and slipped down the final corridor, not looking at the hero in her arms. "Stop swooning."

"I am not swooning!" he squeaked.

"I literally feel you swooning, Hero, it feels like butterflies and apple pie, I can taste the color blue."

Hero's nose crinkled. "Huh?"

"Forget it," Villain snapped, kicking open the final door.

Freedom.

She wasn't sure whether the giddy rush of adrenaline was hers or Hero's.

Carrying him to her car, Villain tucked the hero into the back seat where he could lie down. She draped her jacket over him and reached to buckle his seatbelt.

Hero winced as her knuckles brushed an unhealed injury. Villain paused. Flashes of the incident blazed across her mind. It smelled like smoke in her nostrils. "They will pay for this," she said, soft and matter-of-fact.

Gently, she brushed the hair away from his aching temple.

Villain made to pull away to shut the door, but Hero caught her fingers. His touch was feather-light. Electric all the same.

"Villain?" His voice filled her with clouds and warm tea.

She looked at him, lifting a brow in question.

Hero glanced at their hands, as if unsure what to do now that he had it. "I, um- You... You feel like apple pies and butterflies too. I think."

Villain cracked a smile. The effort on his part to connect, to understand, made her pause. Even if he didn't really comprehend what he was saying. She knew what his soul whispered.

I was swooning. I do like you. Thank you. You came for me.

Villain straightened, pulling her jacket up a little more snugly against his chest. Her smile didn't fall. "All in a day's work, honey. Let's take this rendezvous to my place, yeah?"

The skip of her heart, the warmth in her belly, definitely belonged to her.

General Taglist: @pinned-to-the-wahl   , @valiantlytransparentwhispers   , @distance-does-not-matter  , @redbircl  , @lilaccatholic  , @crazytwentythrees   , @thelazywitchphotographer   , @chibicelloking   , @lolafaiy  , @thinkwrite5   , @putridghost  , @tobeornottobeateacher , @sunflower1000 , @bouncyartist  , @feyriddle  , @yet-another-heathen , @silverwhisperer1  , @distractedlydistracted, @pensivespacepirate  , @appleejuicee  , @deflated-bouncingball  @maybe-a-cat42  , @m0chik0furan , @mercurymomentum , @fairysprinkles, @vuvulia, @amongtheonedaisy , @rose-pinkie  , @trappedgoose-in-a-writblr-room  , @scorpio-smiles  , @inkygemuwu , @wolfeyedwitch, @thewhumpmeisterx3000, @ikiiryo , @moonquires , @lem-hhn , @fanastywhump, @smallangryfish  , @ladybookworm, @freefallingup13 , @acaiaforrest , @a-blue-comedy  , @puppyaddict , @a-person-who-likes-musicals  , @talkingsperm  , @qualitychaoslover, @deckofaces ,@7eselt, @annablogsposts, @lunatic-moss-studio, @medusas-hairband

[dmitrinfinite]

Secret Santa Snippet 2022!

This is a gift for @snowshowerwriting, an awesome friend and writer! I’m glad I got your prompt this year, and since this is my first time posting writing on tumblr I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out. Hope you enjoy!

content warning; implied depression, injury, reference and mild descriptions of nerve damage (hands) (i swear this is hurt/comfort we just have to get past the hurt)

Surely three weeks was enough time for Hero to recover after their last fight - wasn’t it? Villain couldn’t say they knew much about medical stuff aside from how to patch themselves up after a scuffle, but they assumed Hero would’ve at least made an appearance by now. Although, their hands did look pretty messed up after being crushed under falling debris... Falling debris that Villain had knocked loose, and that Hero had pushed Villain away from at the risk of his own life. Uncomfortably guilty about the whole situation, Villain had even held off on any major crimes while they waited for their nemesis to heal. Now, though, as they stood outside the recently robbed bank, there was no sign that Hero was coming to stop them.

“Seriously?” Villain shouted at nobody in particular, causing the crowds of terrified onlookers to flinch back. “Is no one even gonna try and stop me? Do I just get to take all this money without a fight?”

“Sorry I’m late,” said a voice from behind Villain, and they turned to see Other Hero, one of Hero’s colleagues, nimbly leap to the ground. She twirled an elegant blade between her fingers.

“What are you doing here?” Villain asked, raising an eyebrow. Normally Other Hero was busy breaking up gang fights or busting shady underground markets, not dealing with high profile criminals. “Where’s Hero?”

“You didn’t hear?” Other Hero snorted, stalking closer. “Boss says we can’t have traitors on our team - Hero almost died to save you, so… y’know. We had to kick him off the squad. I guess you’re happy about that, considering you’ve got one less threat to deal with. Not like he’d be useful to us now anyway, not with those fucked up hands.”

“Shit,” Villain whispered, dropping the bag of money in their hands. Wasn’t that what they’d always wanted? To have their nemesis out of the way? No… not like this. Villain was supposed to take over and sit on a throne while everyone kneeled at his feet, not shove the only tolerable hero on the force to the sidelines. Before they had any more time to think, Other Hero advanced. They dodged her strike and jumped back, summoning a swirl of icicles in their hand. Incensed by his own folly and Other Hero’s sadistic smirk alike, they struck.

-

The thing is, Villain had discovered Hero’s civilian identity a while ago. It was purely by accident, after they’d recognised him entering his apartment while on a little looting spree a while back. They hadn’t felt the need to bring it up, nor did they feel like playing dirty. If it were any other hero, Villain probably wouldnt hesitate - but they wanted a fair fight with Hero. They wanted to share an adrenaline rush with him as they both stood on even ground, powers crashing together in terrific bursts of energy.

Now, though, as Villain slipped through the window in the late afternoon, they couldn’t care less about keeping their discovery a secret. They had to see Hero - he would certainly be down in the dumps after losing his job and suffering what was without doubt a painful injury.

“What are you doing here?” Hero’s voice asked from the dark, and Villain cursed themselves for not checking if Hero was in his bedroom before using it to sneak in. “You need to go, I- we can’t fight anymore. I don’t work for them.” As he spoke, Villain realised just how hoarse and shaky Hero’s voice sounded. He turned on the lamp and looked at Villain with tired, searching eyes.

“I’m not here to fight,” Villain said quietly, “I came to apologise. You know, about your job. That was really my fault.”

“Oh,” Hero replied, glancing away. He got out from under the covers and trudged across the room, motioning for Villain to follow. “I’m not all that hung up on the job.” As he walked, his clenched fists were shaking violently. Was he angry? No, wait - Other Hero had mentioned his ‘fucked up hands,’ maybe they were jittery from the injury. That seemed to be the case when Hero reached up to flick on the light, fumbling with the switch for a few moments. He crossed the living room, Villain following cautiously behind.

If they were in Hero’s apartment under any normal circumstances, they’d probably be teasing them to hell and back about how it was small and messy - more like cute and cozy, but they wouldn’t admit that - but today they fought the urge. Something was very wrong.

“Here,” Hero said flatly, sitting on a black stool in front of an elegant upright piano. It was probably the most expensive thing in the room. “Between fights, after a bad day, when I was overwhelmed… I played. I’ve been taking lessons for ten years now, and I bought this piano after saving up for ages.” His face brightened a little as he spoke, and Villain felt their chest buzz with warmth until Hero looked at them, eyes wet and hands trembling as he gripped the piano lid.

“I can’t do it anymore,” he whispered, a shake in his voice, and Villain’s heart sank. “I don’t care about my job, I- I’m not even mad at you, and I don’t re- regret saving you, not for a moment!” He stood up, clasping his hands together, desperately trying to still them. “But I… I can’t do this. I can’t write, or type without having to redo every word a dozen times, and I can’t play anymore. I can’t distract myself from the fucking mess my life is right now.”

Wordlessly, guilt swelling in their chest, Villain moved to sit on the stool beside him and opened up the piano.

“I don’t remember much,” they said softly, “But I used to play a little too.” They guided Hero to place his unsteady hands on the keys and rested their own on top. Buried deep in Villain’s muscle memory was a classical piece they’d learned years ago, back when life was simpler and they didn’t have to fight and steal to survive. Back when they didn’t have ‘allies’ and ‘enemies’, when they didn’t have to pretend the one person they looked forward to seeing each day was their nemesis in a bitter rivalry.

Pushing those yearning thoughts away, they looked at Hero for permission. He nodded, still looking at the keys, and Villain tried to remember the piece. The muscle memory was still with them, and for that they were thankful, but they’d never exactly had to play it with an extra pair of hands under their own. Though the sweet melody occasionally peeked through, the song was mostly a jumble of wrong notes and fumbled chords. Villain tensed, worried that their attempts to be cute and comforting had only made things worse. To their surprise, though, Hero turned his hands over and laced them with Villain’s, which put them in what was without a doubt an awkward position, but Villain felt a pleasant flutter in their stomach.

“That was awful,” Hero remarked, but he was smiling. Smiling, so softly and knowingly in a way only he could. “But it… it helped, I think.” Villain averted their eyes as if it’d help hide the embarrassingly obvious blush on their face. As they looked across the room, it dawned on them just how cluttered and dark the apartment really was.

“Have you been sitting alone in your apartment all this time?” they asked, and Hero’s smile dropped a little.

“I don’t have anyone to visit, much less anyone who’ll visit me,” he replied, and now it was his turn to sheepishly glance away. “Not since the team labeled me a traitor.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Villain said. At Hero’s hesitant nod, they continued, “And, since you’re already apparently a traitor to those ‘heroes,’ it’s not like we have to pretend to hate each other anymore.” They offered a mischievous grin, which Hero weakly returned.

“Would you mind, then, um… would you mind sticking around for a while?” He asked before Villain could make the offer. All they could do was nod, slowly untangling their hands and putting an arm around Hero’s shoulders. He rested his head in the crook of Villain’s neck and let out a slow sigh, hands shaking again as he placed them in his lap.

“Thank you for saving me back there, by the way. I-I’m sorry you got hurt in the process. I wish I could go back and… Hell, maybe I’d stop you from doing it.” Villain whispered, anxious and guilty at the thought but elated by their close contact in equal measure. Hero simply shifted in a little closer, and Villain could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

“Nothing could stop me from keeping you safe. Not even you.”

[creweemmaeec11]

Chilly Interview

This is my Secret Santa Gift for @watercolorfreckles ! I hope you enjoy it! <3

A very short journalist/photographer is among the crowd of press clamoring at villain for photos/a statement/etc., and they are too small to reach Villain or see past the crowd. What happens when villain notices them and pushes past the rest of the paparazzi and news reporters to offer them a personal photo/statement?

It was often hard to see through the bright camera flashes and microphones shoved in her face. This was certainly the least enjoyable part of this whole fiasco, but sadly, the media was also the fastest highway to the heroes, so Flash Freeze put up with it.

Currently, however, there were so many questions coming at her so fast it practically made her head spin, and given that she was known for her speed, that was saying something.

"How would you describe the success of your last crime?!"

"If you could steal anything, what would it be?!"

"Do you have any other hobbies?!"

She sighed. The villain didn't answer any of the questions; of course, this was normal. The media knew that. They were lucky she was letting them take so many photos and getting so close in the first place. Most villains didn't extend even that much courtesy. She was just using them to get the attention of the hero agency, though, and the media also knew this.

It was a symbiotic relationship, in theory.

In reality, the media were bloodthirsty gulls, and it was like her silence only encouraged them. Every single reporter competing to get one of the rare answers she did offer. Typically short and curt, but as valuable as they were rare. Worth fighting over.

"What do you think of the city's newest hero programs?!"

"Stupid," she deadpanned, disinterested, "and useless,"

She was hoping an answer might satiate the crowd a bit, but she should have known better. A drop of blood in the water only attracted the sharks.

"Why do you think that?!"

"Could you elaborate on that?!"

"What would you say to someone who was thinking about enrolling?!"

The villain sighed again, checking her watch. Hero sure was taking his sweet time.

When she looked back up, that was when she first noticed him, even through the bright flashes.

A lone reporter, who had seemingly given up on trying to fight through the crowd, and she could see why. To say he was pretty short would be an understatement, but he was also on his own, lacking the camera crew that would have helped him push through the crowd.

But... it was more than that. Sure, his height was one thing, but that wasn't the whole story. He was a competent reporter, based on the nice suit jacket and professional recorder hooked on his belt. He was wearing a look of disappointment, not in himself, but in the lengths he would have to go to get a statement. He'd chosen not acting like a savage animal over getting a possible promotion.

There was a certain respect she felt for that, to not stoop below your own morals.

Not that he had much of a choice anyway, with his height and all...

She watched the reporter as he idly stood back, looking as though he was contemplating leaving, before he glanced back at the circus before him, causing their eyes to meet.

He seemed to freeze in place, sucking in a sharp breath of surprise, which was pretty damn cute, in Villain's humble opinion.

She smirked, still holding his gaze before vanishing in a blur. It only took a millisecond with her super speed to whizz around the crowd and appear next to him, startling him so much he nearly dropped his microphone. The sound he made wasn't quite a squeak... but let's just say he was probably lucky his recorder wasn't on.

The villain's ice-blue eyes glinted dangerously, like the light of a sharp icicle, just waiting to fall.

"I'm sorry; what was your question?" She asked innocently, a stark contrast to the mischievous amusement on her face.

His eyes widened, staggering, before he quickly fumbled to click his recorder on.

"I- right- uhm," He took a breath, composing himself, "I was wondering-"

He wasn't even able to get his question out before the rest of the bloodthirsty mob had reswarmed them, shoving the microphone back into villain's face while their million questions overlapped each other.

She glared.

All of a sudden, a loud crackling or fizzing-like sound could be heard emanating from below as Flash Freeze's eyes began glowing. The reporters and camera crews gasped as a thick layer of frost began spreading across the ground.

"I don't believe..." the villain began, voice suddenly echoing and haunting as frost danced from her breath with every word, "I was talking to any of you,"

Suddenly a large ice spike shot up out of the ground, causing the hoard of reporters to jump backwards. More and more began erupting, pushing the whole crowd back with an orchestra of cries.

Everyone except the reporter she actually wanted to speak to right now, who had been separated by the ice pyres.

"Simple human decency," the villain sighed, "so rare nowadays," she turned back to the reporter, who looked pale enough to be made of the ice that surrounded him, "You were *trying* to say?"

He swallowed, but nodded, "Thank you, I uh, I was wondering how exactly you pick your... uh... targets,"

After asking, he extended his microphone over, hand definitely not shaking slightly, holding it a respectable distance away from her.

"Oh look, you're not trying to force me to eat the microphone! How polite!" She fake gasped, her tone full of sweet mockery as she glared at the cameras that still peered over her ice spikes.

"As for my targets... I guess it depends. Sometimes I'm going for something because it has materialistic or monetary value, sometimes strategic value, other times, it's just caught my interest. There's no one determining factor,"

That was the single longest statement she'd ever given the tabloids. And the reporter's wide eyes confirmed he knew this as well. The villain smiled sweetly, causing him to blush.

He drew the microphone back, "What are your favourite parts about being a villain?" He questioned, adjusting the glasses on his nose, before returning the microphone to her.

"Oh there's so many things," she mused dreamily, one arm across her stomach, the other elbow resting atop it with her hand under her chin, thinking, "I'm my own boss; no day is ever the same, the payout..." her eyes drifted over the civilian in front of her, "and the cute reporters are always a plus..."

The reporter immediately went bright red, but before anyone could respond further, the hero's voice echoed through the streets, "Flash Freeze!"

"Oop, that's my cue!" The villain quipped, before she abruptly reached forward, hand slipping under the reporter's jacket. Said reporter went statue still, sucking in a sharp breath, eyes wide as he felt her ice-cold fingers exploring.

She quickly found the inner pocket of his jacket with his business cards, pulling one out and twirling it between her fingers as she began stepping back.

"We'll have to continue this conversation during our interview later," she winked.

Then, there was a sudden blur, and just like that, she was gone.

[onlywhump]

Captivity and Some Spice

Secret santa gift for @epiclamer ✨✨✨

Originally I was going to do a spice thing between a captured hero and captor villain but I hit a dead end halfway through then I got the idea of hero/sidekick captured together and, well…. ✨✨✨enjoyyy

Cw// hero thinks bad thoughts, mentions of past torture, slight unreality, inevitable future torture

Hero laid shivering in their cell. Across the room laid Sidekick, curled in a ball. Hero could see their own breath.

“Side.. sidekick…” They cringed at their voice. It was weak. It quivered. Sidekick whimpered in response, squeezing their knees to their chest. “Sidekick?” Hero rolled over, exhaling sharply and gasping as their stiff limbs screamed in pain. They stretched, wincing at the cracks that echoed around the room as they did. “Sidekick.. are you awake?”

“I..” Sidekick struggled to speak. “‘M fine…” they were definitely not fine. Their voice was as weak as Hero’s, maybe worse. Hero had to go to them. They had to save them. They were a hero, it was their job.

“Side-“ Hero groaned as they heaved themself up to their elbows and knees. They were too weak to lift themself any higher. “Sidekick, I’m coming.. coming for you. Just-“ as they reached forward, as the chain attaching their ankle to the wall began to drag across the floor, their legs gave out. They collapsed in a shuddering heap, scraping their knees and hands against the frozen ground. “Fuck- hold on!”

…

Hero reached out, straining for Sidekick. Just a little farther. Just a little farther and they would be safe. “Sidekick…” their fingers stretched and swiped for Sidekick’s limp figure. “Side-“ pain flashed across their wounds and their arm fell hard to the floor.

They burst into tears, every shaking gasp causing the pain in their wounds spike. “Please,” they begged to nobody in particular. “I’m sorry.. I’m…” they trailed off into body-wracking sobs, unable to find the energy to drag their knees to their chest.

They had failed. Their only job was to keep Sidekick safe. And they couldn’t even do that. Villain’s voice echoed in their head. Hero felt sick thinking about it. They failed. They failed. They failed. They knew what would happen if they failed. When they failed. Failing was inevitable in Villain’s lair. And they would pay. Them and Sidekick both.

…

A hand ran through their hair, shaking them from their thoughts. Softly nudging them back into reality. No… it couldn’t be real. There was no comfort in Villain’s lair.

Their head was lifted gently, and from the cold floor, they could see Sidekick staring down at them. Their expression, while concerned, was twisted with pain.

“Sidekick..” Hero protested, pulling them down with a weak hand. “D-don’t strain your-yourself… you’re injured.”

Sidekick chuckled sadly, their face wincing as they did.

“You and me both, Hero.” Sidekick laid down next to their partner, taking their hands. Hero shied away at first, but they insisted. “We… we need to… conserve heat. You’re freezing.”

Sidekick was burning. It felt good. Hero pressed their body against Sidekick’s, burying their head in their chest.

“You’re.. you’re so warm, Sidekick…”

“Yeah, yeah. Just… just get in here.”

They huddled together for what felt like hours. With no blanket, they used what flimsy clothing they had for cover.

“If.. if we fall asleep… we’ll die.” Hero nodded, defeated. As tired as they were, if they fell asleep… well… they didn’t want to find out what would happen. They didn’t want to wake up to different surroundings. The showers. Villain’s bedroom. Being dragged through the white hallways. Or god forbid the lab. If they were awake, they couldn’t be caught off guard.

“I can help keep you awake.”

That was somewhat of a false statement. They were never truly awake in Villain’s lair. It was a blur of torture and bumpy moves from room to room. It was sedatives if they fought and stimulants if Villain wanted them awake. “Awake.” Hero scoffed quietly. There were no questions. There were never questions. Hero came to realize early on that Villain didn’t want information. They wanted fun. That scared them more than the torture did. They wouldn’t stop if Hero “broke.” They wouldn’t stop until Hero was dead. And knowing Villain, they’d find a way to bring them back to life, just so they could do it all over again.

Still, they were hopeful. Maybe, with Sidekick’s help, they could pull off an all-nighter. “How?” For once.

“Um… we could talk about.. talk about stuff.”

“Yeah.” Hero didn’t have the energy to talk. All they wanted to do was sleep, but if they slept, they would surely die. They bit their lip. What was there to talk about?

“Villain’s going to hurt us again tomorrow,” they said after a long silence. Sidekick sighed.

“If they do, I’ll be here for you. Um…” they kissed Hero’s forehead. “I’ll always be here for you.” Hero looked up at Sidekick, their face flushed red. Even in the dark, Sidekick could see it.

“Sidekick…”

“Yeah?” With seemingly all their strength, Hero threw their arms around their partner, clinging to them with all their strength.

“Kiss me again. Please.”

[yourheartonfire]

For the hero x villain Secret Santa, this is for: Lumi! @the-luminol-writer

The prompt request is: a hero and villain that both like civilian, and civilian ends up dating villain bc they genuinely like them, and hero getting super jealous and kidnaps civilian because of it.

Here’s your snippet, Lumi - enjoy!

CW: delusional thinking, and kidnapping of course

"Oh, here's [Villain]," said the civilian in entirely the wrong tone of voice. It was far too relieved. Happy, even, happy to be interrupted despite all the work the hero had put into making this perfect Christmas Eve - the cabin, the music, the candles, their special homemade peppermint cocoa that the civilian had said just last year was the best they’d ever tasted... 

But the civilian was right, that was definitely the villain flying up the mountainside right towards them. The hero shoved that thought away for later and stood, careful to position themselves in front of civilian.

The cabin door exploded open in a burst of snow and splinters and the villain skidded in. "[Civilian]!" they cried.

The hero was definitely not getting their deposit back.

"I'm fine, everything's fine," the civilian said immediately. Their voice was still so strange and pitchy, not like them at all. "[Hero] just wanted to, uh. Talk. Catch up. Okay! This was nice, but I should go..."

The civilian tried to move past the hero, towards the door. Hero’s arm snapped out, catching civilian before they could put themselves in danger. More in danger. 

“[Civilian], you don’t have to go with them,” the hero said again. “I’ll protect you.”

The villain, balanced on the balls of their feet between attack and defense, gaped at the hero. "Excuse me?" they said.

They had the nerve to look genuinely baffled. As if the hero hadn’t figured out what was really going on. What must be going on.

"You heard me," the hero said coldly to the villain. "Undo it. Whatever you've done to them - blackmail, mind control, whatever! - undo it. Now."

"[Hero], stop it." The civilian grabbed for the hero's face, trying to turn their gaze back towards them, away from villain. "I told you, [Villain] hasn't done anything to me."

The villain’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, wow. That’s your play here, [Hero]?”

"It’s not a play!" the hero cried - too loud. They wanted to throw villain back out into the cold, grab civilian by the shoulders and shake them out of it. They rounded back on their mortal. "Do you know who [Villain] is? What they've done? Who they've hurt?"

“You’re hurting me,” the civilian tightly.

The hero looked down, and let go with a guilty start. The wacky blue and white holiday sweater they’d gotten for civilian (civilian hated green and red) was wrinkled where hero’s hand had squeezed too tight. “Sorry,” the hero gasped. “But-”

“Stop! Both of you stop! Do you remember our deal?” the civilian snapped, rubbing their arm. The hero’s breath caught again at that helplessly fragile, mortal body. So goddamn easy for the world to break if hero wasn't there to defend them. To save them.

“You agreed you’d abide by my decision. Both of you,” the civilian added, shooting a look to villain. “No gloating. No envy. We were all going to be adults about this.”

“Yes, but-” The hero cut themselves off.

The civilian’s beautiful mouth twisted. They looked a little scared - of course, with the villain so near! - but mostly they looked so, so disappointed. “But you thought I would choose you?” they finished.

“You’re so kind and caring and good,” the hero whispered. “How could you choose them?”

“Step away,” the villain said softly, knuckles lighting up in frosty blue light. “[Civilian], they’re not going to hear reason.”

“Okay, you can go screw yourself!” the hero snapped at their old nemesis, their own power flaring red and gold. They grabbed civilian by the waist, hardening themselves to the startled yelp, the frantic twist trying to break away. One problem at a time - get rid of villain first, then back to trying to make civilian see the truth. They were definitely not getting that deposit back. “You knew how I felt about them and you had to swoop in-”

“That’s not what happened!”

“-and steal them from me!”

“[Civilian] is not a thing to be stolen!”

“Enough, stop!” the civilian screamed. “I’ll stay!”

Both supers snapped their heads over to the civilian. Their powers settled and the light in the cozy little vacation cabin dropped back down to the soft glow of the embers in the fireplace and the flicker of candlelight, dancing off the civilian’s hair and their wide, scared eyes. They slumped in the hero’s arm. “Please, don’t fight. I’ll stay, just for tonight, okay?”

The hero’s heart leapt. The villain looked stunned. “Civilian - ?”

“You heard them,” the hero said. “[Civilian], you’re making the right choice-”

“Trust me, this is what needs to happen,” the civilian said, voice strained but staring at villain with an unblinking gaze. They leaned over to pick up their cocoa cup, straightened back up into the hero’s side. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready. Oh,” they blinked down into their mug. “This has gone cold.”

“I got it.” The hero grabbed the ceramic, careful not to overheat it. A moment later steam wafted off the top - flawless! “There. Now, [Villain], will you leave or do I -?”

“Ready,” said the civilian and flung the steaming cocoa into the hero’s face.

The hero yelped and sputtered - and let go of civilian. A flash of cold and a hard blow sent them sprawling backwards over the couch. In the moments it took them to pick themselves back up - the fire had gone out and the civilian and the villain were gone into the night.

The hero stood there in the dark and the growing cold, peppermint cocoa soaking into their sweater, Bing Crosby singing Christmas carols in the background.

“Okay,” they said out loud, very calmly. “If that’s how you two want to play it. We'll do this the hard way."

[deckofaces]

Party For Two

(A Secret Santa Snippet)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This year I chose to participate in a Secret Santa snippet exchange! I got to write for @kitsunesakii this holiday season! I really hope you enjoy your snippet! I hope I did it justice haha 😊

Prompt: A hero that is hated by the community after they find out that they are secretly a vampire and a villain that confesses that they knew (and that they love the hero even though they are a vampire)

Hero looked out the window of the café that they sat in, it appeared to be just after dusk outside. The little coffee shop was empty of people except two of the baristas, in which Hero could hear their whispers as to whether or not they should kick them out. They just wanted a relaxed start to their evening with no trouble, they could not even drink the coffee, but it looked like they would have to leave soon.

 Many of the customers made their way out as Hero walked in. Despite their status of being a hero, they were all afraid. It hurt Hero’s heart to see the civilians they strived to protect for years quickly turned their backs on them. 

They sat in the café, watching the sun go down. The other heroes were wary of them as well. As soon as their secret was discovered, they suddenly were not included in activities and hangouts anymore.

Their head turned to look around when they heard the bell ring for the door of the coffee shop. To Hero’s surprise, Villain walked in. And even more so when they did not look scared or hateful, rather they just looked politely surprised as well. They did not turn around to leave, rather they walked over and sat down at Hero’s table. 

“Hero? What are you doing here at this hour? I heard there was a party tonight for a lot of the city's major heroes. I’m surprised you are not there?” Villain looked genuinely concerned, it almost felt endearing to Hero, they have not seen that in a bit.

“I don’t want any funny business tonight Villain.”

“None to be had, it was a real question.”

A silence fell between the two for many moments before Hero spoke again. 

Hero sighed, “You are not exactly welcome to parties anymore when you can’t have the party food.”

“Because of um, the blood thing?” Villain asked hesitantly, hoping they did not overstep. 

“Exactly because of the blood thing.. I’ve been like this for years, and now when it suddenly comes out,” Hero waved their hands in a dramatic fashion, disdain filled their voice, “I’m no longer wanted like all my effort and time I’ve put into helping citizens in this city is for nothing.”

Villain sat there quietly, listening to the hero talk. Hero sighed again, putting their head in their hand. “I apologize, you walked here probably for a coffee and I’m dumping this on you,” they laughed nervously. 

Villain shook their head, encouraging Hero to continue talking. “Don’t say sorry, it sounded like you needed it. Please go on.”

“But anyways, my point was you don’t get invited to parties when they think you will eat the guests.” Hero did not understand the audacity of people to think such things. They had more sense than to do that, they would never want to do that. 

Villain reached across the table and took Hero’s hand in theirs, ignoring the fact it was ice cold. “Well.. for the record.. I knew, and I didn’t care.”

“Everyone knows now, Villain.”

“No, no,” they shook their head, Hero misunderstood them. “I knew you were a vampire while it was a secret. I didn’t tell anyone. I saw you uh, feeding on some animal. I never brought it up because you never mentioned it or tried to bite me.”

Hero’s eyes widened, how had they been so careless? “How long have you known?”

“A few months,” Villain answered. 

Hero fell quiet again, trying to think of an appropriate response. They looked outside, it was completely dark now. Their head rushed with thoughts and questions, but they eventually landed on one to ask. “Then- then why did you not hate me like everyone else?”

Villain could see Hero’s conflicted expression as different thoughts flew through their head. They squeezed their hand reassuringly. “Hey, remember to take deep breaths okay? I’m not like those other shit heroes. I can see in your everyday actions that you just want to help people despite being a vampire. I know you don’t want to feed on me or anyone else.”

Hero nodded, taking deep breaths like Villain said. 

“And well.. this last part is a little silly.. but I really do care about you, a little too much. Yeah we fight because I commit crimes and you have to stop me, but even if you think your heart is cold, I see so much differently. It is so caring and kind..” Villain started to ramble, they looked away sheepishly when they caught themself in the act. 

“You think that?” Hero asked.

“You being a vampire means nothing to me. You are still the same Hero, and I love you, especially for who you are, vampire or not,” Villain admitted on impulse. 

“Oh wow.. okay.. um haha yeah, love you too then.” That was one way to get Hero to stop talking bad about themself. 

“You said you couldn’t go to that party? Let’s just go have a small one at my apartment, you and I. We can just watch movies for the rest of the night for that matter,” Villain said, standing up, gesturing for Hero to do the same. 

“That sounds.. that sounds like fun,” Hero smiled nervously, their fangs showing through slightly, standing up. 

“It will be, I promise you.”

Villain took their hand in theirs again and walked out of the coffee shop into the cool evening air. Hero felt happy for the first time in awhile as they walked with them to their apartment.

————

[laffy-taffy-creations]

Presence and Presents

Secret Santa Snippet for @hufflepuffwritingstuff2! I'm sorry it took a bit longer to get out, but holy shit was this a long piece.

What the fuck do you mean it was 2618 words???

My prompt was: fluffy hero gets "kidnapped" by Villain because they've been sick, and Villain wants to take care of them <3

Which I may or may not have slightly strayed away from? Unsure

Anyways, here you go!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was rough on them.

Hero was sick, they knew it. They also knew that they definitely weren't going to get better with how they were treating themselves, but they had to keep trying because they didn't want to be caught slacking over something as minor as the flu, especially not during the holiday season.

The crime rate always goes up into its yearly high right around the end during Christmas, this was no time to try and take a break over a small sickness, though they probably should be taking a bit better care of themselves in general to help get through.

"Hey Hero! Ready for our patrol tonight?" Other Hero asked.

"Yeah!" they responded, trying to keep themselves looking on the bright side.

At least they would have some company, and the agency was nice enough to enforce a district-wide mandate that all the heroes have a costume change in the winter to new suits that not only covered more than their spring through fall ones, but also had built in heaters to help with the chill.

As they set out on their path that would likely be checked at least 20 times throughout the night, Other Hero once again started up some conversation. "So, I heard from the coach over seeing our training area that you tried lifting some of the heavier weights today?"

Hero had been hoping they wouldn't bring that up, but it seemed pretty obvious they weren't in their best shape recently and today was definitive proof.

"Uhm, yeah, I did," they replied.

"They told me the amount but it seemed like what you usually do… are you doing okay? They mentioned you had some struggles, but that's not like you…" they said.

"I'm fine, just haven't been feeling that good recently is all, it'll pass." Hero tried deflecting their statements.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just need to be a little careful."

"Okay…" Other Hero didn't seem convinced but they moved on from the topic anyway, the conversation continuing as they finished making their first go-round.

On the third time though, something was off. There were small traces of preparatory activity of a villain now in the area, a few things that if used right could access roofs were out of place, glass showed security cameras being wiped out at random in their general vicinity, and there were at least three nearby jewelers that were potential targets for a robbery of some kind, so the two split to find the culprit.

This turned out to be a bad move, as when Hero turned a corner to check down a street something hit them in the back of the head, and suddenly they were waking up in…

A house?...

Yeah, they were in someone's house, waking up in presumably the guest bedroom.

It seemed like a normal place, there was nothing to suggest this might be anywhere other than a civilian residence, but they still had no memory of how they got there.

"Hey sleepy-head, are you finally awake?" a voice came from the doorway. Hero squinted as they tried to see the person's face. They could make it out pretty clearly, but something felt…off.

Familiar, somehow.

"Y'know heroes are meant to be able to take care of people, not the other way around, right?" they said as they got closer.

That was when Hero realized they were probably still in uniform. "Right, uhm… Mx…?" they questioned.

"You know me as Villain, but for right now, just call me Civilian. I don't want to confuse my family," they stated, leaning in close and turning their voice down to a whisper.

So that's why they felt familiar.

"Villain? What, was standard kidnapping not enough, you wanted to get your family in on the action?" they accused.

Villain arched a brow. "Are you kidding? We both know I don't do things without reason. Why would I risk involving my family if all I wanted to do was kidnap you? I may be a criminal, but they're innocents who don't know anything about my double life. Much like they don't know about yours, so I'd suggest keeping your conversation about work low, [Hero's Civ Name]."

The use of their true identity startled them.

"How the fuck do you know my name?" they questioned.

"Don't worry about it right now. Just stop talking about work, okay? And get out of bed, breakfast is ready."

Breakfast? But wait, it was only a few hours after nightfall when they split up during patrol… how long were they out for?

Reluctantly, they followed Vil- er, Civilian to the dining room, noticing that someone had changed them at some point when they were knocked out.

They were now wearing some comfortable, soft, slightly loose pajamas instead of the costume. Probably Villain's doing.

They sat down at the empty chair left for them at a table already filled with others, all harmless innocents just like Villain had said.

There seemed to be a total of 2 adults, and 3 kids, one of which was still in a high-chair and probably still had troubles speaking. "Guys, this is [HCN], [HCN], meet my family."

Civilian went around introducing everyone, one by one. There was their spouse, a designer, their kid who was now in 4th grade, their sister who was visiting for the holidays, and her two kids aged 2 and 6.

They said their hellos, and Civilian went into the kitchen and returned with pancakes and hashbrowns, as well as an extra glass of juice for Hero. There was some conversation, all light and cheerful and very much…normal.

That was until their body decided to remind them they'd been struggling with the flu for the past few days, and they started coughing a lot.

Apparently this was expected however, as Villain's sister asked if they needed some water or to go lie down again. They accepted and Villain went with them to help settle.

They were left alone in their room to rest, but were unable to sleep with the constant reminder of who was laughing on the other side of the door.

Maybe two hours later, Villain came in to check on them.

"Hey, get any sleep?" Hero shook their head.

"Well, that sucks. You really need some. You weren't sleeping well before I picked you up, right?"

Of course Villain knew about that. It was probably obvious to them how little sleep they'd been getting and how they had skipped a meal or two in the days before.

"Yeah, that's right…" Hero replied. Villain looked at them for a minute, evaluating, then left only to come back with a drink.

"Hope you're a fan of tea, here, this is my family's signature recipe," they said while handing the warm beverage to Hero.

"It should help you sleep, and with your cough."

Hero just stared at the swirling liquid. Why was Villain helping them? They slowly raised it to their lips and drank.

It was sweet, tasted really good, and felt nice running down their sore throat. Without realizing, they drank the whole thing and Villain giggled. "It's good, right?" they asked.

Hero nodded. Villain wasn't kidding, they were actually starting to feel sleepy after not being able to shut their eyes for the past few hours.

Villain took the cup back and began to leave.

"Wait," Hero said weakly.

Villain turned.

"Why are you doing this?"

Villain laughed. "I think it's better to answer that after you wake back up. You look exhausted."

"Sweet dreams~," they said as they left the room, and Hero's vision faded to black.

They next thing they remembered was Civilian's sister shaking their shoulder to wake them up. "Hey, hey, [HCN], are you awake?" she asked.

"Hnnggghhh…" Hero groaned in response.

"C'mon, wake up. You need to eat something."

Hero opened their eyes, struggling to keep them open as they slowly regained consciousness, which became less of a problem as they smelled something good.

"What did you bring?" Hero asked, sitting up and noticing the bowl Civilian's sister had left on the bedside table after rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

She looked at the bowl strangely. "I'm not sure. Civilian said- no, insisted that you'd like it. I think they said it was chicken noodle soup on top of mashed potatoes?" she said.

Hero giggled. People usually had a funny look on their face when finding out what Hero's favorite food was. "Thank you," they said once their small laughter died down.

She watched as they started eating, and Hero was amazed that Villain had remembered to make the soup thicker, so that it could act as a better gravy to the potatoes once it was mostly finished.

"So…" she started, and Hero paused to look up at her. "How did you and Civilian meet?"

Hero was glad they swallowed because if not they would've spat out their food at the sudden question. "Uhm, I met them while we were both working," Hero answered, not confident enough to properly lie to her.

"Oh, you're a gadget engineer too?" she asked, clearly interested.

"Uh, yeah. But I usually do the field testing, and report back with the flaws," Hero lied to keep up appearances like Villain had told them to, "that's why you'll probably see several scars on me."

Civilian's sister nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Alright, well I'll leave you alone so you can eat. You can join us when you're done if you want, the kids want to play with you," she said, and left the room.

Hero finished the rest of their soup-mashed potatoes combo and contemplated getting up and meeting with Civilian's family again. They decided it was worth a shot, plus they'd been out for a while and needed to use the bathroom so they would've had to get up anyway.

After stumbling around the house a little bit, they found the bathroom and then a few minutes later, the living room, where Civilian's spouse was currently watching over the kids.

They had their sister-in-law's 2 year old on their lap while their 9yo and her 6yo played around with a puzzle on the coffee table. Upon seeing Hero, they instantly said hello and offered a spot on the couch nearby, without getting too close since Hero was still sick.

"Hey [HCN], feeling better?" they asked.

Hero nodded in response.

"Oh, are they awake?" Civilian called from another room. After receiving approval they came into the room with something, a small pill and a drink.

"Here, it's some medicine to help with your flu," they said, offering both to Hero. They accepted and downed the pill almost instantly, but left around half of the drink they'd been given in the glass.

Civilian seemed satisfied, and after they turned to go back to whatever they were doing, Hero stopped them again. "You never answered my question, uhm, why did you bring me here to help me?"

Civilian laughed and turned back to face them. "Because you said you had the flu and when I went to go check on you I found you passed out, no way am I letting you try to take care of it yourself," they said and left.

This somewhat made sense to them, but they knew they weren't going to get a clear answer unless they spoke to Civilian alone so they didn't have to keep up this game.

But without the ability to do that yet, they decided to turn their focus back to Civilian's spouse and the kids. Speaking of the kids, Civilian's 9 year old was now asking them to play.

They obliged, and started a game of fantasy with the two hyper kids. They got to chase the two around as a dragon, learning the layout of the house in the process, and humoring the kids with one or two blasts of their power, which the two were stoked to see in person.

"Hey, [HCN]! Are you gonna be staying tomorrow for Christmas?" one of them asked out of the blue.

They blanked on the answer. They really didn't know. Was Christmas already tomorrow?

"Yes they will, remember what I said?" Civilian came to their rescue while carrying some laundry to the living room for folding.

"Right!" their kid said, seeming to remember something and giggling.

Hero was perplexed, but it seemed like that was the point.

They continued playing with the kids until dinner, and then they all played a few family games of Uno, which usually involved Hero +4-ing Civilian out of spite.

Then it was bedtime, and Hero was sent to bed with the kids because they were sick (not before getting another dose of medicine though).

They had a lot to think about. With laying down after spending a fun filled day with Civili- no. Villain and their family, it came with a realization that they'd never properly thought about before.

All the villains they fought, all the people they arrested, they were all, well, people. People with lives, people with families, people with lovers, and siblings, and kids. And this applied to every single one, not just the one they were being cared for by.

And with that, they decided that was enough thinking for one night, and almost forced themselves to sleep, partially aided by the medicine they'd taken.

The next morning came quickly after a dreamless sleep, and this time a kid was waiting for them to wake up.

"C'mon [HCN], it's Christmas! It's Christmas!" the kid cheered from their bedside.

Hero groggily sat up after a bit of stretching and groaning, which the kid found hilarious, or was maybe just laughing from excitement.

They followed the excited kid to the living room, where the stockings were filled and there were lots of presents under the tree.

"Hey you two," Civilian's sister laughed from the hallway, "breakfast first."

There was a disappointing groan from the kid, and Hero decided to lighten their mood by saying the quicker they get done with breakfast, the sooner they get to open the presents, which worked wonders in getting the kid to rush to the dining room.

Civilian's sister apologized, recognizing that the kid probably woke Hero up.

"It's fine," they reassured, "I know I was the exact same way as a kid." She smiled and they went to take their seats at the table, where today on the menu was eggs, waffles, and fruit.

Hero slightly regretted what they'd told the kid about getting breakfast over with quickly, because they downed their food so quickly they might've gotten sick as well if Civilian hadn't told them to eat slower.

After that, to the living room they went, and presents and stockings were passed out. To their surprise, one was placed in front of them.

"Alright, everything's been passed out. [HCN]?"

Hero perked up at the sound of their name.

"Would you care to start us off?"

Hero got extra confused. "Oh, I, uhm… me?"

"Of course, you're our guest!" Civilian said.

"Okay…" they said, and started unwrapping their present. It was… a necklace. With their name as the pendant, and some small jewels in the letters.

Hero was stunned. "It's beautiful…" was all they could say. "Thank you, uh- who got this for me?" they asked.

"Santa did!" The six year old exclaimed.

"Duh, who else would it be?" Civilian said with a wink.

Hero laughed. "Right, right, my bad."

Hero didn't know what to think of it. The present unwrapping continued, and they were trying to figure out how to tell Civilian thank you. They weren't sure if they could.

However, they were sure they'd be wearing it underneath their suit everyday from now on.

[auratusaria]

For Everly (@deckofaces)!

Merry Christmas! I'm your secret santa hehe! :D

So the prompt was: I would like some hurt or sick to comfort (I’m a sucker for those tropes). Kinda want civilian x villain/hero or villain x villain :)

While thinking of what to write for it, I thought "why choose one pair when it can be both." So I found a way to have a little dual pairing with civilian x hero and villain x villain! Hope you like it! :D

A Warm Christmas

Though Hero has many secrets, one in particular was that they were Villain's older sibling. Not many people knows about, only their family and some very close friends. It wasn't that they were ashamed, in fact, they just wanted to protect them as Villain does the same thing.

Despite working for completely opposite sides, Hero and Villain has a closely knit bond. They love each other and as siblings are, would have a lot of friendly banter, though their jobs allowed for the excuse of getting a little bit rough and physical.

And that leads to their current situation.

Hero tightly wrapped themself in a thick blanket, sitting on the couch with a scowl on their face, sniffling every once in a while. Villain laid on the floor by the couch, wrapped in a blanket as well and whining so loudly.

"I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS SO MUCH! I'M IN PAIN! IN AGONY! I'M GOING TO DIE!"

Hero gave them a light kick and groaned, "Will you be quiet already?! My head is throbbing so badly and you're not helping! Stop being so dramatic!"

"SHUT UP!" Villain slapped their foot away, "Who's fault was it that I'm sick and miserable right now?!"

"You aren't the only one that's sick and miserable!" Hero argued back, kicking them again with a little bit more force this time, "Who's bright idea was it to pick a fight in the middle of winter! AND RUN OFF TO A FROZEN LAKE!"

"We could've just chased each other off of it! But nooooo! You crave for blood and fought me on it!"

"And you're making me crave for blood right now!"

"YOU'RE THE WORST OLDER SIBLING EVER!" Villain sat up to hit Hero.

"NO! YOU'RE THE WORST YOUNGER SIBLING!" Hero climbed down the couch and tackled Villain to the floor.

"Despite being sick, you two sure are full of energy." Civilian spoke from the doorway, she held a paper bag in one hand while the other holds a present.

"CIVILIAN!!! VILLAIN IS BULLYING ME!!!" Hero struggled to break free out of Villain's grasp, a small cough leaving their throat.

"DON'T COUGH IN FRONT OF MY FACE!"

"Was that my loveable rival shouting for help?" Other Villain poked his head through the doorway beside Civilian, his signature smile plastered on his face.

"OTHER VILLAIN! WAAAAHHHH! HELP ME!" Villain kicked Hero off of them, reaching their hands out towards Other Villain who let out a gasp and rushed towards them, placing the items he held beside the couch and wrapping Villain in his arms.

"Don't worry, Cupcake! I'm here! Your prince charming is here to save you!"

Hero groaned loudly, flinging a throw pillow at the pair who merely gasped and whined in tandem. Having those two together in one room is the worst thing ever and Hero was already miserable from their sickness.

Civilian giggled as she approached Hero, "Come on Hero, 'tis the season to be jolly!"

Hero pouted and reached an arm out towards her, "Not when I'm sick..."

"Aww, does my knight in shining armor want a little kiss to make everything feel better?"

Though their face was already hot from the fever, they felt it get warmer, tainting it with a light red as they averted their gaze. "Sure..." They quietly said.

Civilian gave them a soft kiss on their forehead and gently stroked their hair. "Merry Christmas."

Civilian and Other Villain busied themselves around Hero and Villain's house. Preparing the food and decorating the living room while the two sat in the couch and watch everything happen around them. There wasn't much to decorate though as they already did it before they got sick.

From time to time, Civilian would stop by Hero to give them a peck on the cheek, giving them hot cocoa, a few headpats, and even feeding them some cookies.

Villain would reach out and tug at Other Villain's shirt whenever he came close and Other Villain would always put down everything that he was holding and coddle Villain. Hugging them close to his chest, patting their head and back, peppering soft kisses on all over their face while whispering words of endearment.

It became a little routine for the two.

By the time they were finished preparing, a large pillow fort was set up in the center of the living room just close by the Christmas tree, several presents lining the bottom of it as colourful lights circled its leaves. The sound of music box versions of Christmas songs playing softly in the background.

Hero and Villain sat inside the fort with their partners, leaning onto their shoulders. Other Villain holding Villain close to him while Civilian has her arm around Hero's waist as she gently carded her fingers through their hair. The huge handmade blanket that Civilian and Other Villain worked on wraps around all four of them, though it isn't a good idea as surely the two would be bickering again soon but for the short amount of peace, it was quite worth it.