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suzannahnatters · 1 year

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Trope Talk #1: Enemies to Lovers: A Deeper Dive

Reports of my death have been exaggerated, but not greatly. While I was in bed for a week lately, roleplaying a Victorian invalid, I watched a YouTube doing a deep dive on the enemies to lovers trope. While it was really fun seeing her break down subtropes (hate to love, rivals to lovers, reluctant allies, villain romance, and more - all of which I adore), I found myself somewhat disappointed by her attempt to discuss the deeper issues surrounding the trope. Like, yes: a lot of people enjoy things in fiction that they would not enjoy IRL and mature readers CAN distinguish between fantasy and reality...but also the media we consume DOES shape us, not all readers ARE as mature as we'd like to think, and while this trope can be executed in a way that's not problematic, it can also be executed in a way that is. Even if we wouldn't all personally draw the line between toxic and healthy in precisely the same place, I think that line does objectively exist. So, here are some of the ways I've subjectively drawn that line in my personal writing and reading when it comes to this trope...

SOME WAYS OF DOING ETL RIGHT

1. Not everyone is going to agree as to what's healthy and what's not, and it's important to listen to others.

Some are going to be mad at me for loving this trope at all, and some are going to be mad at me for thinking that one still needs to exercise judgement and that not everything goes, but hear me out. As a writer, the harder you go with this trope, the more divided your audience will be. Given that we all tend to draw the lines in different places, I think that listening to each other and discussing the reasons behind our own preferences and choices is going to help all of us understand the stakes, avoid hurting or triggering readers who have trauma from toxic relationships, and extend grace to storytellers who don't make the same decisions we would. And we shouldn't be defensive that this is necessary. ETL is actually a fairly new and under-explored trope, which I think is part of why it can be so divisive, especially in a post-#MeToo landscape where a lot of us are starting to rethink the controlling men and helpless women in pairings we've been conditioned to see as romantic. Meanwhile, as an author with a deep love for this trope, I hope that posts like this will help more cautious readers to understand that writing about dark and spiky relationships doesn't necessarily mean romanticising abusive behaviour. Either way, I've benefited from listening in humility and I truly think my stories are better for it.

2. Remember that evil is not misunderstood.

If you'll be writing ETL, then you need to decide early on if the love interest is evil or just misunderstood, and be careful to write him accordingly and be honest about it. If the love interest literally goes around killing innocent people, deal with that. That's evil, that's not (just) a traumatic childhood. On the other hand, if the love interest is antagonistic because of a misunderstanding, but is a fundamentally decent person deep down, he probably wouldn't casually slap the heroine around or otherwise act like a jerk. One mistake I used to see a lot of writers making (less often these days) is trying to convince me that some loathsome jerk is just misunderstood. No, if he's been doing bad things, don't try to explain his guilt away. Confront it head on.

THE LAST JEDI was my gateway drug to ETL precisely because I'd never seen this trope done so beautifully and so uncompromisingly: when Rey is forced to face the fact that the boy she likes is unrepentantly evil, she refuses to join him, explodes him and gets out of there. Ben isn't ready to seek repentance yet; he's a proud, if wavering, villain. Because the movie was absolutely honest about the evil within Ben, I was able to genuinely hope Rey might confront that evil and exorcise it, instead of being gaslit into thinking it was all right.

By contrast, in the very Bluebeard-vibes kdrama MASK, the love interest believes he's responsible for the death of his late fiancee and is being manipulated by the villain into thinking he's criminally insane. As a result, he believes that he's going to kill the heroine, his new wife. Physical touch and dirt are both triggers for him, too, and what the audience sees as a trauma response comes across to the heroine as strong hostility. He tells the heroine he is going to kill her, and she believes him, but the truth is that he dreads it as much as she does. This is a really beautifully done form of misunderstanding. Just remember that to be believable, misunderstandings need to be resolved fairly quickly.

3. Enemies doesn't need to mean hatred or toxicity.

While hate to love is a valid subtrope - especially in contexts where the characters aren't literally trying to kill each other, like in a contemporary romcom - ETL does NOT need to involve toxicity. There's a difference between ordering the assassination of an enemy, versus strangling your wife to terrorise her into obedience; both are bad, but only the latter is classic domestic violence, which casts doubt on any "HEA". Enemies need not hate or even abuse each other to be at odds; they may feel deep personal respect for a worthy opponent, who just happens to be ideologically committed to an opposing cause and therefore duty bound to antagonise the other. Personally, these characters may like, respect, or even passionately love each other - but thanks to duty, they're obliged to thwart each other.

A favourite example of this is Nikita and Michael from the spy show NIKITA. The pair started out as master and pupil before becoming coworkers for a rogue government agency, Division. Now Nikita has gone rogue herself and is working to bring down Division. She knows that Michael is still hanging in there for several reasons - he still believes Division serves his country, he's been skilfully manipulated by the head of the agency, and above all he feels the need to protect Division's young agents who are increasingly exploited by them. Nikita still has respect for Michael because of all these things and because he's the man who trained her to be as awesome as she is - and because she's his best student, Michael returns the sentiment and still goes out of his way to protect her, even as he's trying to hunt her down. Midway through the season, Nikita tries to protect Michael by preventing him from taking out the man who once killed his family - at which point Michael's view of Nikita sours. But she never stops respecting him and he's still willing to work with her when necessary to protect his agents. Throw in some mad chemistry and you've got the ingredients for a perfect ETL situation - although it has some hostility from Michael's side, it's never without that solid core of care and respect for each other. This is what makes the romance work, of course; all romances need a good reason for the character to care about each other.

4. Remember that ETL is a fundamentally transformative relationship.

This builds on my first point. In ETL, unless there's a valid misunderstanding at play, there are probably moral/ethical differences between the characters. Thus, a huge part of your romance needs to be about resolving those differences, usually for the better. In other words (unless you're really into a corruption arc for the protagonist), the villainous/antagonistic character needs to genuinely repent and change, and we need that change to be demonstrated convincingly in story. At this stage, then, a good ETL story becomes about character growth, which means that it cannot be rushed. If the love interest has genuinely been evil, then he needs to change and prove it.

LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL is a great example of a transformative ETL story. At the beginning of the drama, Dongfang Qingcang is a terrifying evil overlord who has frozen his emotions, killed his own father to rise to power, mastered hellfire magic and terrorised the three realms. As the story unfolds we do learn that there are some misunderstandings: Dongfang's father is the one who destroyed his emotions and forced him as a child to kill him, as well as instilling in him the fear that his people will be destroyed unless he conquers their enemies. But, this doesn't make Dongfang's villainy okay. Even after his emotions have been reawoken by our adorable heroine he still needs to realise that invading her homeland is not the right way to say thank you. By the end of the story we see that Dongfang is indeed a changed overlord. It takes a while, but it is believable.

5. Related, the characters should be a match for each other, especially when it comes to power and to morals.

I think a lot of the objections to ETL and villain romance pairings come from a perceived mismatch between the two characters: a weak person with a stronger person, or a pure and good person with a despicable manipulative blackguard. I think that it's always a good idea to balance this out. If your story begins with the love interest kidnapping your heroine to be his queen, why not let your heroine run a coup and replace him on the throne - right when he least expects it? The fact that your heroine is willing to get her hands dirty when it comes to this antagonist is not just delicious drama - it's also evidence that the two of them have more in common than they might think, and that in a longterm relationship she won't have any problems standing up to him. Alternately, if your heroine is going to remain pure and good throughout, she should probably be a match for the villain in terms of power, however that is measured in your story (and it can be a totally different sort of power than the villain wields). One of the most delicious things when watching any villain fall in love is finding the one woman whom he's absolutely helpless before.

I think Holly Black did this really well in the FOLK OF THE AIR trilogy. At first, Jude is a powerless mortal in the deadly fae court, and Cardan is the fae prince who delights in tormenting her. Jude proves herself far more cunning and ruthless than Cardan as she maneuvers the two of them into power as reluctant allies. It's clear that what Jude lacks in magic she makes up for in sharp intelligence and will to survive, and her ability to find a happy ending hinges on her ability to let down her guard and be vulnerable to Cardan. On the other end of the scale, Beauty and the Beast in most of its incarnations is about two kind people who want different things for sympathetic reasons, so that even though Beauty is held captive by the Beast we can understand the Beast's desperation to break his curse (and the Disney animated classic makes his motivations even more sympathetic by imposing a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity in which to do so). The Beast is truly gentle, and Belle is just spirited enough to snap back at him when he snaps at her. Both these stories work because the lovers are fundamentally a match.

6. Be creative.

There are all sorts of ways to create that delicious see-saw between "I adore you" and "I am going to kill you". The kdrama THE MASK, as mentioned above, uses the hero's mental health in an incredibly respectful way to create a sense of antagonism. The kdrama FLOWER OF EVIL does something similar. In Megan Spooner's absolutely incendiary SHERWOOD, there's a scene where the love interest goes from nearly killing the protagonist to tenderly embracing and caring for her within the very same chapter. Normally this would be the red flag to end all red flags, but it doesn't work that way here. How did Spooner manage it? Simple. The love interest doesn't know that the outlaw Robin Hood, whom he's trying to capture, is actually the same person as Maid Marian, the fair lady he's in love with - and when a quick costume change takes our heroine from one persona to another, the love interest's behaviour changes too. The emotional rollercoaster is real - but only for her.

7. There doesn't need to be a HEA.

I know, a lot of you are going to be up in arms about this, but it's true. Sometimes, especially in a straight up villain romance, the villain shouldn't get the girl. Maybe that's because she wants someone else, maybe it's because he's too manipulative and evil to be convincing as a long term relationship. But, let me frame it like this: why limit yourself just to writing the viable romances? There's a lot of good fun that can be got out of unviable romances too. You may not feel comfortable settling down with the villain, but that doesn't mean he can't be kissed :3

For example, in THE RINGS OF POWER the showrunners did something I never expected and gave Sauron himself a little crush on his greatest nemesis, Galadriel. The final episode, as he revealed his true identity and did his level best to manipulate her into joining him to rule Middle Earth, put joy into the souls of fangirls everywhere. It also caused a whole lot of people to clutch their pearls for some reason which remains opaque to me. After all, Tolkien was the man who wrote Eol, Maeglin, Wormtongue, and that moment when Morgoth himself was perving on Luthien Tinuviel. That aside, this is never going to be a viable match. Galadriel is married and hates Sauron's guts and Sauron is still a manipulative snake whose plans for healing Middle Earth involve him ruling as its lord and master, hopefully with Galadriel at his side. Galadriel doesn't fall for it for a second, which is one of the very things that makes this kind of story so incredibly satisfying to me. The fact that she won't succumb to his manipulation and temptation is incredibly empowering. As in THE LAST JEDI, the ball is in Sauron's court as to whether he changes to deserve her. And of course he won't - not just because he goes on to become the Lord of the Rings of Barad-dûr but more importantly because he never loved Galadriel for who she is but because of the way she made him feel, powerful and purposeful.

Not all villain romances need to end this way, of course, because some villains are capable of change. I think this is what makes Reylo viable where Haladriel is not. While Sauron and Galadriel each appeal to the EVIL in each other, Rey appeals to the good in Ben; he meanwhile desires the Light in her. This is why her refusal does ultimately prompt him to change, although of course the story's resolution was massively bungled in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER.

8. Love should be what the villain needs - but not what he wants.

It's hard to make absolute rules when it comes to any artistic choice, but this is probably the closest I come when dealing with this trope: because there should be consequences for the love interest's misdeeds, especially when it comes to the heroine. I call this the POTO rule: if the love interest wants the heroine romantically or sexually abuses her, he should not be rewarded by getting her. Enemies to lovers may fight over anything by any means, but not over romantic or sexual possession of each other. If the villain becomes a villain in order to possess the heroine, then a HEA for them involves giving him exactly what he wanted and thereby justifying his bad behaviour. Mind you, this doesn't mean the love interest can never want the heroine on some level; if he did not then this would not be a romance. We're talking about his most fundamental motivation and his most important story goal. She should not be either of them; she should be a distraction, an impediment to them.

This is simply good writing sense. Enemies to lovers normally implies a positive change arc for the love interest. Every good positive change arc involves a character who Wants one thing, say, to rule the world; but Needs something totally different - the capacity to make peace through compassion, say. Such characters may or may not get what they Want, depending on how good it is for them and the people around them, but they'll always get what they Need. This is why I think ETL works best when the heroine herself is the thing the antagonist doesn't know he Needs. As an enemy, and even more so if he's a villain, he's likely to be unscrupulous in getting what he Wants, and he shouldn't get her for the same reasons that characters often don't get what they Want. Think about it: the villain probably needs some hard consequences for what he's done. He can get them, *and also get the girl*, but only as long as the girl isn't the motivation for his crimes.

{How does this fit with the "stolen bride" genre of story, usually a fairytale? Do I disapprove of those on principle? Mm, no. If the bride was stolen primarily because the kidnapper claimed to have a romantic or sexual attraction to her, I might object. But there's usually some other motivation. He wants to break a curse; he wants to annex her kingdom; he wants to keep her out of his enemies' hands; he might have been ordered to marry her by someone he dares not cross, or bound by an ancient custom; in any case he ought not to be personally motivated to control or possess her. This is one of those grey areas where lines blur and it's wise to listen and be careful because so many real women have been trapped in marriages to real live villains; but the thing is very doable under the right circumstances.}

I call this the POTO rule because it was inspired by THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In this story, Erik is obsessed with Christine to the point where romantic and sexual possession of her drives everything he does. He kills, manipulates, and gaslights everyone at the Paris Opera in an attempt to win Christine's heart, and ultimately he's willing to threaten to kill the man Christine truly loves in order to get the thing he Wants: Christine's hand in marriage. Now, I know a lot of you ship this pairing and I'm not going to scold you for it; maybe you ship them the way I ship Haladriel, loving the relationship without thinking it should end in a HEA, or perhaps you think Christine can fix Erik through some genuinely transformative plotline, or maybe you just want Erik to get what he wants even though it's messed up, and whatever it is I hope you have fun with it. But personally, from the perspective of a published author with a sense of responsibility to my readers, I really think the story ended in the best possible way. Erik doesn't get what he Wants (Christine) but he does get what he Needs (a transformative moment of transcendent compassion that enables him to act in a truly loving manner, by letting Christine go).

So, most of the time, I think it's wisest if the heroine is what the love interest doesn't know he Needs. Again, LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL does this SO well. Dongfang Qingcang doesn't have time for love - emotionless and too busy Evil Overlording, he's never been in love before. So, when he's saddled with an adorable, dimwitted flower fairy, he can't wait to break the spell that links them together so that he can kill her and get on with his villainous plans. When her emotions begin to infect him, he can't help falling in love with her, even though he fights it every single step of the way. She's absolutely not what he Wants, but she is everything he Needs to thaw his frozen heart and teach him to act with compassion and empathy. Even though he spends much of the series planning to kill her, the HEA doesn't strike me as being Problematique the way that an Erik/Christine HEA would be - because a HEA with Orchid represents the moral growth that Dongfang needs, rather than the selfish desire he wants.

9. Maybe the villain's HEA is with someone else.

This doesn't mean a villain is irredeemable or shouldn't get a HEA. It just might mean that his HEA is with someone else. (Unless he's actually a rapist. Then just light the man on fire.) Erik shouldn't get Christine because he's done so much evil in order to possess her. But, once she's broken through to him to show him compassion, he might be ready to learn to love and to make amends for his past crimes...perhaps with someone else.

This was a huge part of the inspiration for the character of Vasily in my Bête Epoque stories. He does something which traumatises the heroine so much, there's no realistic HEA for them. Like Christine, she forgives him anyway, even in the midst of betrayal. And like Erik, he finds he's unable to go through with his villainous plans. She gets her HEA with somebody else, but I found myself with this incredibly compelling character whom a lot of people were pulling for. Vasily has already learned a huge lesson through having loved and lost my first heroine - so when he meets my second heroine, even though in a lot of ways he's still a treacherous monster, he's able to start afresh, and do better, with someone far more resilient who holds far greater power over him.

10. Individual characters will need individual things.

Finally, I think it's necessary to use judgement based on the individual characters and what they need. This is another reason why it's so difficult to make hard and fast rules here. For instance, I said that if the enemy sexually assaults the heroine he should forgo any hope of a HEA with her. But I think we've all seen romances that involve, say, some dubiously consensual kissing, which we can understand the kissee forgiving. By the same token, the act which disqualifies my character Vasily from his first HEA is not sexual assault but something which is coded that way within the story world, and experienced that way by the heroine (vampire bite). The fact that it's not literally sexual assault is what makes it possible for Vasily to get a romantic second chance, but the fact that it is figurative sexual assault is one of the main things that decided me against a HEA the first time. So, I think that whether you're a writer or reader, it's important to exercise judgement based not just on the things that are obvious, but also on less obvious things like the characters' specific needs, the thematic symbolism of the story world, and more.

So those are my best ETL writing guidelines - and again, this is only what works for me! I think it's really hard to make hard and fast rules for any artistic work, but from thinking about what works for me and what doesn't, these are some of the lines I've drawn for myself. If you're reading this, I hope it provokes some helpful thoughts :-)

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mrsreginagold · 13 days

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Fic: Fill The Spaces Inside Of My Heart

Fandom: Nikita

Pairing: Ari Tasarov x Nikita Mears (Nikari)

Rating: R

Spoilers: Canonically refers to events in 3 x 12 but diverges drastically. Nikita is also not engaged to Michael.

Summary: Nikita has been avoiding Division’s latest guest, though whether it’s because of her own guilt or a different emotion entirely is something she can’t quite figure out.

Author's Note: We Go Down Together by Dove Cameron and Khalid is essentially their theme song, particularly in season 3. Tragic, doomed by narrative OTPs have long been a problem of mine, but at the very least I attempt to fix things for them when canon doesn't comply.

On AO3

Fill The Spaces Inside of My Heart

It was arguably the rarest of circumstances for Nikita Mears to overthink her actions. Part of what made her so excellent at survival was her ability to perform quick judgements while under pressure.

And yet – there she was, standing, frozen, hand raised to knock at Ari Tasarov’s door, and completely uncertain of how to proceed.

The former head of Gogol had been in Division’s custody for roughly two weeks. In that time, he proved useful in gathering intelligence for missions, but remained at their headquarters while his wounds healed.

Injuries, as it happened, that Nikita bestowed upon him.

She was sure that the overwhelming guilt regarding how severely she had treated him would pass, but his proximity also resulted in something unexpected.

From the moment that the pair met, there was an undeniable simmering attraction between them. However, Nikita had never taken the time to dwell on it. Now, with Ari around consistently, she found herself distracted by him more often than not.

It did not help that the man was frustratingly handsome, but what really disarmed her was the intensity in his gaze when it was directed at her.

She feared that if she stared too long into that ocean of clear blue – she would inevitably drown one day.

It was often difficult to form coherent words while in his presence, and though she’d rehearsed her apology about ten times over in her mind, it was of no use. She was entirely at a loss as to what to do or say.

She was also so lost in her own reverie that she didn’t notice she was no longer alone till a strong hand landed on her shoulder.

�� “What are you doing here, Nikita?”

Her response was a startled shriek while she pivoted around to find herself face-to-face with Ari.

He blinked several times, surprised by her reaction. “Perhaps you should lay off the caffeine my dear.”

One hand flew up to her chest, her breathing erratic at the unintended jump-scare. “Or maybe you shouldn’t sneak up on someone who knows over a hundred ways to kill you!”

His lips twitched in amusement, and he crossed his arms over his chest before replying. “A fair point. However, it doesn’t answer my question: what are you doing here?”

“I…” cohesive thoughts rapidly deteriorated once the shock subsided and she got a better look at him. “Did you go for a swim?”

His short, dark hair was damp, with errant strands swept to one side and falling across his angular features rakishly. There was still moisture evident on the skin revealed by the vee in his white tee-shirt, which clung to the surprisingly sculpted planes of his torso in a manner that left little to the imagination. This was paired with black sweats, while his feet were bare.

“I had a quick shower,” he explained, concern crossing his face over how intently she was staring. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” she stammered, bringing her gaze back to his. “I’m just not used to seeing you wearing something like that. I figured you wouldn’t touch anything that wasn’t Armani.”

“Right now, I don’t exactly have a choice,” he chuckled. “And I highly doubt anyone would appreciate it if I wandered around naked.”

Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure, she thought, idly, and then flushed at the lustful turn her musings had taken. “Right. That would be a bad idea.”

“And cold,” he teased, taking a step forward. “But I doubt that you came all this way to chat about the finer details of fashion. What’s on your mind?”

She inhaled sharply, trying to calm the butterflies that had begun to flutter around her stomach. “Actually, I came to apologize.”

His brow furrowed. “Apologize? Whatever for?”

“What for? I hurt you. Repeatedly. It took a week for the swelling to go down! I nearly cut off your hand! Take your pick!!!”

He moved closer, seemingly undaunted by her outburst. “Nikita, you were doing what you were trained for. You don’t need to apologize for what’s essentially your job.”

There were sole inches between them now, and her heart rate picked up as she trailed her gaze over his mostly healed face. The cut on his left cheekbone had yet to disappear entirely, and the bruise was still fading on his right eye, but other than that: there was no evidence of how badly she had beaten him.

Unable to resist, Nikita reached out and delicately traced along his jawline. “I’m so, so sorry…” she whispered. “I should have given you the benefit of the doubt and instead I lost control.”

His hand caught hers, stalling the motion. “It’s all right. If what you need is my forgiveness, you have it.”

Relief flooded her senses and without a second thought, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips lightly to his cheek, murmuring her gratitude when she pulled back slowly.

Those stunning eyes of his searched hers immediately after the impromptu affection, the air between them becoming charged with emotion.

“Why did you really come all this way, so late at night, Nikita?” He queried.

She drew in a shaky breath and then answered, honestly. “You. I wanted to see you.”

It was evident that this was the response he had been waiting for, as his next action was to gather her into his arms for an appreciative, passion-filled kiss.

The world around them shattered as they gave in to the embrace, Nikita draping her arms over Ari’s shoulders, a delighted squeal escaping when he abruptly lifted her up and carried her the short distance to his temporary quarters.

There was a tell-tale click as the door shut behind them, offering complete privacy.

Her pulse jumped considerably when his mouth strayed from hers to gain purchase on her throat, her head falling back to grant him better access.

He nipped teasingly at her clavicle and then slipped the cardigan she wore down her arms, leaving her in a simple black camisole.

Goosebumps erupted due to the cool air and the contact of his elegant fingers while they travelled along her back, eventually sliding under the silk to trace over bare skin.

She mumbled something incoherently against his lips, finally parting for air to communicate what she wanted with an insistent tug at his shirt.

It was peeled up over his head rapidly, her hands eagerly discovering the beautifully toned chest and stomach now exposed to her touch.

She yanked him close for another fervent kiss, the pair toppling onto the bed in the corner of the room.

Clothing quickly formed a pile on the floor, naked limbs entwining once there were no more barriers, and they sank together into a welcome nest of blankets.

Ari proved a very giving lover, pressing lingering kisses to every inch of Nikita’s skin and dedicating time to areas that proved more sensitive.

She raked her nails through the hair on his chest and hooked one leg over his before twisting and bearing him beneath her, amused when an astonished look crossed his face due to her actions.

“I told you I was here to apologize,” she tilted her head, a playful smile crossing her lips while she straddled him.

“I think this goes above and beyond an apology,” he eyed her, hunger evident in the sea-colored depths of his gaze while one hand slowly inched up her stomach until he could thumb along the underside of her breast.

She shivered, her nerve endings exploding into overdrive from the slightest brush of his fingers. “Or maybe I’m just being thorough.”

“I’m not minding,” he admitted, sitting up just enough to follow the path he had created with his lips instead.

Coherent thoughts drifted away instantly when he purposely lavished devotion to sensitized skin. She coiled her legs around his waist as they settled into a sitting position instead, exchanging a meaningful look before joining together with a fluid thrust.

They continued this way – as equals – exchanging romantic kisses while they found a perfect symmetry of movement.

She clawed at his back hard enough to leave marks when their motions began to lose grace, which he took as a signal to gently recline her beneath him.

They reached completion not long after.

“How many recruits do you think have engaged in this exact scenario?” Ari’s tone was thoughtful as he stroked idly over the curve of Nikita’s hip.

They had resituated to face one another, a tangle of sweat-streaked skin and rumpled blankets, basking in the afterglow from multiple rounds of love making.

She reached out and traced an invisible pattern across his chest. “Given the average age tends to be in the late teens, I’d say most if not all?”

He chuckled, low and incredibly attractive, filling her to the brim with want all over again. “I can’t say that I’m surprised.”

She sighed, stretched lazily, and then curled further into his arms. “Neither am I, though I don’t envy anyone on sanitation duty.”

There was a huff of laughter before his lips grazed her forehead. “Any port in a storm, as they say. At least these beds are more comfortable than the ones at Gogol…or whatever prison awaits me.”

Reality came crashing back as she remembered their situation – and the fact that she was partly responsible for it.

Nikita peered up at her lover, noting the serious expression on his face. Her heart clenched. “Ari…”

“It’s all right Nikita,” he threaded his fingers through her tousled hair, risking a nuzzle before whispering: “There’s much I still have to atone for.”

“Maybe you can do that here. I could talk to Ryan, ask if there was another option.”

His eyes widened at the sincerity in her voice. “Is that even possible? I don’t blame anyone here for wanting to shoot me on sight.”

“Division isn’t the same now. I have more sway. Ryan is much fairer than Percy or Amanda without even trying.” She crawled half-way on top of him and looked intently into his eyes. “Ari, please let me help you.”

The silence stretched between them for a long moment as he searched her gaze.

She found herself holding her breath in anticipation for his answer.

Slowly, a tender smile was directed her way and he swept her into a loving kiss.

“Is that a yes?” she mumbled.

“There’s nothing I’d love more than to remain here with you.”

Judging by how eagerly she returned his affection – it was clear that she wished for the same thing, and to remain exactly where she belonged. Namely, with him.

The End

#nikari #ari x nikita #mine #mrsreginagold #fanfiction #peter outerbridge #ari tasarov #nikita 2010 #otp: enemy mine #otp: this is the life we've chosen #i need to update all my posts with that tag #it's *serious* otp level when i create multiple tags #and they jumped to my top 10 FAST

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