Second Secret Santa
There were some extenuating circumstances with one of the secret Santas, so I got this lovely bonus prompt. This is for @lili-loves-whump. I'm so so sorry, it's late. I've been traveling so I've just been writing when I can. I hope you like it!
"Hero x Villain comfort after villain has been hurt or panicked or smth."
Villain could barely breathe. Every time they inhaled, they choked, phantom fingers digging hard into their larynx. No matter how much they rubbed away Supervillain's touch, the murderous pressure lingered.
"Hiding in our hole today, are we?"
Villain gave a little leap, whipping around so fast they knocked their shoulder against the wall. They gasped, clutching it as they squinted at the familiar face in the doorway.
Hero.
How did they manage to make ever word out of their mouth condescending? Did they practice? Drawl sarcasms into the mirror until they hurt their own feelings?
Villain curled tighter against the wall. "Just get out."
"What's up with your voice?"
Great. They'd hoped the squeak wasn’t too noticeable, but apparently there was no hiding it.
"Just a little under the weather," Villain muttered. "So you can go. There's nothing going on today. No plans, no fight. You wasted the trip."
Hero crossed the room in three strides, the back of their large hand smoothly transferring from their side to Villain's forehead.
Villain fell back on their hands. "W-what are you doing?"
"No fever," Hero said. But you are a little flush--" They froze, hard eyes sliding from Villain's face to their throat. "What. Is. That?"
Villain quickly crossed their arms over the bare skin, but Hero snatched their hands away, wrapping a supernaturally strong arm around them to pin both limbs at their sides. Ironically, even while gruff they were more careful than Supervillain. Their hold was firm, but it didn't hurt.
Hero's free hand ghosted the bruises marring Villain's throat. Villain flinched violently, and Hero's hand moved back a couple inches.
"Finger marks," Hero said matter-of-factly. Villain hadn't had a chance to look at the bruises yet--they'd only had time to run and hide--but it must have been obvious. "Who did this?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Because I'm asking," Hero said, furrowing their brow.
"Ah, and you're a hero? Again, why does it matter? Why do you care?" Their voice rose a little with each word and their throat ached even more.
Hero clenched their jaw. Slowly their arm slid off Villain's waist, and they stepped back. Strangely enough the strength wrapped around them had been almost...in some strange way...comforting. At least, it had lowered their heartbeat a little. They were a little reluctant for the pressure to let up so soon.
"Believe it or not," Hero said. "I'd rather have you behind bars than find you dead in an alley."
"Believe it or not," Villain echoed. "I couldn't care less for your preferences. And I can take care of myself."
"You have handprints on your neck. Obviously you can't."
"It was a disagreement. That's all."
Hero narrowed their eyes. "Anithero...Other Hero...Thief...Supervillain?"
Villain flinched.
"Ah ha!" Hero whipped toward the door, pushing their fluttering cape back over their shoulder.
"No!" Villain's voice grated painfully.
Hero swept out the door, climbing out the window and onto the fire escape.
"Hero, no!" Villain caught the end of Hero's cape just before they leaped over the edge.
Hero turned on them, that stupid arrogant face staring down at them with that usual condescending look. Like they couldn't believe Villain was even wasting their time with an argument.
"Don't. If Supervillain thought I told you... If they thought I was consorting with heroes at all..."
Villain couldn't breathe. They gasped in a couple useless breaths, but their lungs still burned and their vision swayer.
Hero clapped a hand on Villain's shoulders, bending close so their concrete gaze loomed right overhead, cementing them to the spot.
"I don't plan on leaving them alive."
The air rushed in all at once.
Hero unfolded Villain's fingers from their cape and stepped up onto the fire escape railing.
"Why?" Villain said, blinking after them. "We're enemies. Not even the flirty kind. Just plain old beat each other up and hate each other enemies."
"Maybe you just haven't caught on," Hero said.
Villain flushed, and Hero grinned smugly. Though after a moment their expression dropped into something more serious. "I don't know. Even if we're not on good terms...feels wrong to let it happen." They looked away quickly. Almost as if, for once, they were afraid of what Villain might read in their eyes. "I'll be back once its over."
With that Hero took off into the air, disappearing into the glare of the sun.
True to their word, they returned two hours later, splattered in blood and swinging a plastic grocery sack full of vanilla ice cream, cold packs, and ginger tea in their fist.
Their relationship was quite a bit different after that.
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