Heyo, I participated in the Writing discord Secret Santa this year and I got @deckofaces to write for! I hope they enjoy the snippet!
Villain rubbed their eyes with their fist, the words in front of them starting to blur together. Their head was pounding and they had forgotten what it felt like to not be dizzy, but it was fine. Everything was… It was perfectly fine. They just needed to get done with the plan, review some more blueprints, figure out a few more logistics. They were almost done.
They were always almost done.
“You’re not fine,” Other Villain butted in and, oh, great, they were here again.
“Other Villain,” Villain sighed, not even bothering to look over their shoulder at them.
“Could you for once just, take a break?” Other Villain continued as Villain heard steps approaching them from behind.
Villain didn’t have time for a break, “I’m fine, I don’t need a break,” Villain argued back.
“You have time for a break,” Other Villain replied, completely ignoring what Villain had said outloud. “Just delegate for once.”
Villain huffed, “I thought I told you it was rude to reply to people’s thoguhts instead of their words.
Other Villain shrugged, “I wouldn’t have ot if you were even remotely honest with me, let alone yourself.”
“Still rude,” Villain hummed, “as they made anouther note on the blueprints.”
Other Villain placed their hand over Villains, causing them to jump which only made the dizziness worse. They finally dared to look at their former friend.
“I’d like to think we’re still friends,” Other Villain told them, “Unless you’d prefer to be closer.”
“I can’t…” Villain looked away, “You know I can’t associate with you anymore.”
“Because of Super Villain,” Other Villain supplied.
“You knew the consequences of what you were doing,” Villain told them.
Other Villain sighed, “And yet, it had to be done.”
“If Super Villain see you-”
“Yeah yeah I know, I know,” Other Villain waved their hand, “horrible consequences for both of us. Just… Try to take care of yourself. You’re no used to anyone if you work yourself to death, I’d especiallly be sad about it.”
Villain laughed hollowly, “You’re never embarrassed to say stuff like that.”
Other Villain shrugged, “Should I be?”
“Guess not,” Villain’s lips twitched. They admired Other Villain’s honesty, it was something they’d never been able to quite manage despite themself. Maybe that was why Other Villain’s mental prying never did bother them as much as it should have. Other Villain smiled at them, the message having been received loud and clear.
“Take care of yourself,” Other Villain told them before they disappeared into the night.
“What did I tell you?” Other Villain sighed having appeared over Villains shoulder and, oh, if they were able to sneak up on Villain that’s… That’s not a good sign. Other Villain had never been especially sneaky.
“I resent that comment,” Other Villain huffed, “I’ll have you know I can be quite stealthy when I want to be.”
“You need to go,” Villain sighed, the words on the page swimming in front of them.
“You need to sleep, or eat, or probably both.”
“I can manage fine,” Villain insisted.
Other Villain scoffed, “Please, you can’t even read what’s on the paper in front of you, do you seriously think you’re going to be able to get anything done like that?”
“I have to try,” Villain insisted.
“YOu have to take a break,” Other Villain countered.
“Super Villain won’t see it that way,” Villain continued as they tried to line up their pen with the lines on the page.
“Super Villain is an asshole and doesn’t deserve you,” Other Villain laid their hand over Villain’s, “Do they even appreciate what you do? Do they even thank you?”
“That’s not important,” Villain tried to release their hand from Other Villain’s grip but their grasp remained firm, or maybe Villain was just too weak to fight it. Probably the latter.
“It is important!” Other Villain bristled, “It’s so important I-!” they gritted their teeth as their grip tightened on Villain’s hand. “They can’t keep doing this, Super Villain can’t keep doing this, they can’t just keep… keep taking shit like this…”
“It’s not…” I’m not that important.
“You are!” Other Villain cut off their thoughts, “you’re so important you’re-! Just-! Damn it!” Other Villain ran a hand through their hair. “Please, just, let me take care of you.”
“I have… I have more work to do,” Villain refused to look at them.
“Let Super Villain clean up their own mess for a change,” Other Villain’s hand gently touched the side of Villain’s face, causing them to gasp, and Other Villain ever so carefully guided Villain’s face up to look at them. “You deserve a break, besides, if Super Villain really is all that great, they should be able to figure things out themselves, right?”
“Just say yes,” Other VIllain pleaded, “Just let me take care of you. Let me do this.”
“I…” Villain couldn’t bring themself to agree, couldn’t bring themself to say yes and ask for help, to reach back to the hand that was helping them when they were drowning. Everything screamed at them not to accept, that they were fine, that they could keep going, that they needed the help, that they weren’t fine, that they needed to keep going anyway. The words were stuck in their throat and they couldn’t possibly get them out.
But it was alright, Other Villain had heard them loud and clear.
Villain couldn’t find it in themself to refuse.
