Enemies To Lovers - Blog Posts

so who's gonna write this for me?

wolfstar fanfic authors hello

(if you want this, reblog this, we NEED TO REACH THE RIGHT PPL)

lil drabble/Gladiator Ghoap

Ghoap, but they're both gladiators in ancient Rome. Soap, the celt from Northumbria, and Ghost, the always masked fighter from South Britannia. They loathed each other at the beginning, coming from warring tribes.

But being perched and enslaved together, having to share a room in the barracks does something. At first, they’d fight almost every day, bruises marring their bodies. Whenever they had a fight in the arena together, they were out for blood, even if the fight wasn’t supposed to happen between them.

They had to perform in order to survive in the ring. They had to give the audience what they wanted to see, otherwise their popularity would decline and they’d be sold. So they acted. They played the best friends with flirty fighting for the people, still hating each other as soon as they left the arena, though.

After some time, though, their acting from the arena affected them. They wouldn’t punch the other at the slightest provocation, sometimes even going as far as helping the other out when they came back from a fight injured.

Maybe sharing a room wasn’t so bad after all. And as the best two gladiators their master had, no one would bother them when there were some strange sounds coming from their room.

Note: Should you guys like this au, I’d be happy to write some more for it!

LOOKING FOR FRIENDS/MUTUALS

I DRAW AND IM QUEER RAHH

ֹ ⑅᜔ ׄ ݊ ݂ BOT RELEASE ۪ ֹ ᮫

CIGARETTES & CONTEMPT, anthony and you stealing away from croquet mallets and polite conversation, finding each other in the forgotten corners of the garden where cigarette smoke mingles with unspoken tension, both of you refusing to admit that these moments of mutual inconvenience have become the only ones that matter.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Im the original requester for the edmund pevensie series and I want to say that ur writing is so pretty omg 🤭😭

I was wondering if u could put some smut in there where hes vv rough with her 🤭✋

Thank you soooo muchhhh!!!!! I’m so happy that you’re loving itttt!!! This story is almost finished btw so I hope you are satisfied with it and will be happy! For the smut, I can’t tell you that it will be good for sure😭 I already have the rest of the story written out and I will try my best to implement it into the story. I don’t think I can be a full blown smut writer, I’m just not that creative tbh😅. But, it will have a litte SPICE to it.

Shadows and Starlight: {~Allies in War~}

Summary: Amid the chaos of war, a bitter rivalry between Edmund Pevensie and a formidable enemy leader begins to unravel into something deeper. As a fragile truce forms, both are torn between duty to their people and the undeniable connection growing between them. With political tensions rising, jealousies flaring, and the threat of battle looming, Edmund and the reader must navigate a delicate balance of loyalty, love, and sacrifice to secure peace—and each other

Characters: Edmund and Peter

Pairings: Edmund Pevensie x Gn!Reader

Warnings: Bit of angst

Word Count: 1529

Taglist: @snowtargaryen @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 4 —

The sky was dark, the sun barely visible through the thick clouds that had gathered on the horizon. The tension had been building for days, both within the camps and between them. But no one had anticipated the attack. It came swiftly, without warning, a surprise assault from a third faction that neither Narnia nor your people had expected.

It started with the unmistakable sound of horns—shrill and urgent, cutting through the air like a blade. The camp erupted into chaos as soldiers scrambled to arm themselves, shouting orders and gathering into defensive formations. Edmund was among the first to draw his sword, his instincts kicking in as he barked commands to the Narnians.

You were already in the midst of the confusion, your own people mobilizing with the same urgency. It was as if the tenuous peace between your forces and Narnia had dissolved in an instant, replaced by the brutal reality of survival.

And then the enemy came.

They poured over the hills, armored and armed, a wave of dark figures that moved with ruthless precision. Arrows whistled through the air, striking down anyone too slow to react, and the sound of clashing steel filled the camp as the battle began.

You and Edmund found each other in the thick of it, your eyes meeting across the battlefield for a brief moment before the fighting consumed you both. There was no time for words, no time for hesitation. You moved as one, your swords cutting through the enemy with practiced ease, each of you watching the other’s back as you fought side by side.

Edmund’s focus had never been sharper, but as the battle raged on, he found his thoughts drifting back to you. Despite the chaos, despite the blood and violence that surrounded you, there was an undeniable connection—a trust that had grown between you over the course of these long, difficult weeks. Every movement you made was instinctive, as though you had fought together for years.

An enemy soldier lunged toward you, his spear aimed for your side, but Edmund was faster. He deflected the blow with a quick strike of his sword, knocking the soldier off balance and sending him crashing to the ground.

“Careful!” he shouted over the roar of the battle, his voice edged with concern.

You barely had time to nod your thanks before you were engaged with another opponent, your blade flashing in the dim light as you parried and struck with lethal precision. But even in the midst of the chaos, you couldn’t ignore the way your heart raced whenever Edmund was close—the way his presence seemed to anchor you in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

The battle was fierce, with neither side willing to give an inch. But as the fighting dragged on, the enemy began to close in, their numbers overwhelming the defenders. You and Edmund were forced back toward the center of the camp, where the wounded were being tended to and the remaining soldiers regrouped.

At one point, you found yourself pressed up against a barricade, panting heavily as you tried to catch your breath. Edmund was beside you, his face smeared with dirt and blood, but his eyes were sharp and focused. He glanced at you, and for a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of you.

“We need to hold this line,” Edmund said, his voice rough but determined.

You nodded, gripping your sword tightly. “I’m with you.”

And then the fighting resumed.

Together, you and Edmund held the line, fending off wave after wave of attackers. There were moments when it seemed hopeless, when the sheer number of enemies threatened to overwhelm you. But each time, you found strength in the other, an unspoken understanding that neither of you would fall while the other still stood.

As the battle dragged on, something changed. The enemy’s attack began to falter, their forces scattering as the Narnians and your people fought back with renewed vigor. Soon, the attackers were in full retreat, disappearing over the hills as quickly as they had come.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of labored breathing and the distant cries of the wounded. The battle was over, but the cost had been high. Bodies littered the ground, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and smoke.

Edmund sheathed his sword, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself. He glanced at you, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something raw and unspoken that made your heart clench.

“We did it,” you said, your voice barely more than a whisper.

Edmund nodded, but there was no relief in his gaze. “For now.”

Later, when the camp had begun to settle, Edmund found himself face-to-face with Peter. His older brother had been watching him closely throughout the battle, and now, with the fighting over, the questions could no longer be avoided.

“Edmund,” Peter’s voice was sharp as he approached, his blue eyes hard with suspicion. “We need to talk.”

Edmund tensed, knowing what was coming. He could see the concern in Peter’s eyes, the way his brother’s gaze flicked toward you, even as you stood on the other side of the camp, talking with your soldiers.

Peter’s words were low, but laced with accusation. “You’ve been reckless. Distracted.”

“I’ve been doing my job,” Edmund replied coolly, though his pulse quickened.

“Is that what this is?” Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Because it seems to me like your focus is elsewhere.”

Edmund clenched his jaw, refusing to meet Peter’s gaze. He had expected this confrontation for days now—had known it was inevitable. But that didn’t make it any easier.

“I’m focused on the battle. On Narnia,” Edmund said, but even he could hear the strain in his voice.

Peter didn’t let up. “Are you? Or are you too busy looking out for her?”

The accusation hit harder than Edmund had expected, and for a moment, he faltered. But then his anger flared, and he turned to face Peter fully, his expression hardening.

“She’s not our enemy,” Edmund said, his voice low but fierce. “Not anymore.”

Peter’s gaze sharpened. “And what happens when she turns on you? What happens when this fragile truce falls apart, and you’re too blinded by whatever this is to see it coming?”

Edmund’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “You don’t understand.”

“No,” Peter snapped, his voice rising. “I don’t. I don’t understand why you’re risking everything for someone who might betray us the moment it’s convenient.”

Edmund’s temper flared, and before he could stop himself, the words were out. “Because she’s different, Peter. She’s not like the others.”

Peter stared at him, his expression unreadable. “You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment, Edmund. We can’t afford that right now.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the tension between them thick and heavy. Then, Peter’s voice softened, though the worry in his eyes remained.

“You’re my brother,” he said quietly. “I can’t lose you again.”

Edmund’s anger ebbed, replaced by a dull ache in his chest. He knew Peter was only trying to protect him, to keep him from making a mistake. But the problem was, it was already too late. He had let you in—had let his guard down—and now, there was no turning back.

The aftermath of the attack had left your people shaken. The sudden assault had forced your forces to fight alongside the Narnians, and while it had been a necessary alliance, it left many of your soldiers uneasy.

In the command tent, your most trusted advisors were gathered, their faces grim as they discussed the events of the day. The question on everyone’s mind was the same: Could they trust Narnia after what had happened?

“We were caught off guard,” one of your commanders said, his voice heavy with frustration. “We can’t afford to let that happen again.”

You nodded, but your thoughts were elsewhere. You couldn’t stop thinking about Edmund—about the way he had fought beside you, the way he had protected you without hesitation. There was a bond between you now, something deeper than just a shared battle. But how could you reconcile that with the distrust your people felt toward Narnia?

“We need to be careful,” another advisor said. “The Narnians may have helped us today, but that doesn’t mean they won’t turn on us tomorrow.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, and you felt the weight of your position more acutely than ever. You were their leader, the one they looked to for guidance. But how could you lead them when you weren’t even sure where your own loyalties lay?

“I trust Edmund,” you said finally, the words escaping before you could fully think them through.

Your advisors exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke. The truth was, they had seen the way Edmund had fought for you today. They had seen the way the two of you worked together, how you moved in sync, almost as if you had been allies from the start. But trust was fragile, and with war looming on the horizon, any misstep could be disastrous.

Shadows and Starlight: {~Rising Tempers~}

Summary: Amid the chaos of war, a bitter rivalry between Edmund Pevensie and a formidable enemy leader begins to unravel into something deeper. As a fragile truce forms, both are torn between duty to their people and the undeniable connection growing between them. With political tensions rising, jealousies flaring, and the threat of battle looming, Edmund and the reader must navigate a delicate balance of loyalty, love, and sacrifice to secure peace—and each other

Characters: Pevensie siblings

Pairings: Edmund Pevensie x Gn!Reader

Warnings: Slight angst

Word Count: 1582

Taglist: @snowtargaryen @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 3 —

The sun had barely begun its descent, casting a muted orange glow over the Narnian camp. The truce had held for days, though the atmosphere was far from peaceful. Each morning, Edmund could feel the weight of every glance, every whispered conversation that ceased the moment he entered a room. The rumors had spread, despite his efforts to keep his visits to your camp discreet. And now, with tensions rising on both sides, it was becoming harder to ignore the widening chasm between his duty and his desires.

Edmund sat at the edge of camp, his back against the rough bark of an old tree, watching the horizon. The quiet of the evening offered little solace, only serving to remind him of the conflict he felt inside. He wasn’t sure when his focus had begun to waver—perhaps it was the first time he had looked into your eyes and seen more than an enemy. Or maybe it was when you had hesitated, just as he had, during that first brutal clash on the battlefield.

There was something about you—something that gnawed at him, made him question not only the war but his very role in it. Edmund had fought many battles, some far bloodier than this, but never before had he been so consumed with doubt.

He was startled from his thoughts by the soft crunch of footsteps approaching. He knew who it was even before he looked up. Lucy stood before him, her expression one of quiet concern.

“Ed?” she asked, her voice gentle, as though she didn’t want to startle him further.

“Lucy.” He forced a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re out late.”

“So are you,” she said, taking a seat beside him. She studied him for a long moment, her eyes filled with a kindness that Edmund had always appreciated. But tonight, that kindness felt like a mirror—reflecting back the turmoil he was trying so hard to hide.

Lucy didn’t say anything at first. She simply sat with him, her presence as soothing as the cool breeze that rustled through the trees. Finally, she broke the silence. “You’ve been distant.”

He winced at the truth in her words, but he didn’t deny it. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“I’ve noticed,” she said softly, her gaze unwavering. “So has Peter.”

Edmund tensed at the mention of his older brother. He knew Peter was watching him closely—waiting for him to slip. Peter had always been protective, but lately, his protectiveness had morphed into suspicion.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Edmund muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “And I don’t want to hear it.”

“What do you think I’m going to say?” Lucy asked, her voice soft but firm.

“That I’m losing focus. That I’m letting my guard down.”

Lucy’s brow furrowed as she considered his words. “No, I wasn’t going to say that.” She paused, choosing her next words carefully. “I was going to ask if you’re okay.”

Edmund let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He turned to look at her, surprised by the genuine concern in her voice. It wasn’t an accusation. It wasn’t a warning. It was Lucy being Lucy—always seeing past the surface.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Lucy leaned in slightly, her expression softening. “Is it about her?”

He stiffened, caught off guard by her directness. Of course Lucy would have noticed. She had always been the most perceptive of them all, even when they were children. She could see past the masks they all wore, could read the emotions that others tried so hard to hide.

Edmund didn’t respond right away, but Lucy’s gaze remained steady. She wasn’t judging him. She was waiting—waiting for him to trust her with the truth.

“It’s complicated,” he said finally, his voice low.

Lucy nodded slowly, understanding more than she let on. “Ed, I don’t pretend to know everything about what’s going on. But I do know you. And I know that you wouldn’t be so torn if there wasn’t more to her than just... the enemy.”

Edmund’s chest tightened at her words. He didn’t deserve her faith. Not when he was keeping so much from his siblings—his family. But the thought of trying to explain everything, to put into words the connection he felt with you... it seemed impossible.

“Peter and Susan... they wouldn’t understand,” he said, almost to himself.

“Maybe not,” Lucy admitted. “But I think they’d listen.”

Edmund wasn’t so sure. Peter had always been the one to see things in black and white, right and wrong. And this—whatever this was between him and you—it didn’t fit neatly into either category.

“I can’t risk it, Lu,” Edmund said after a long silence. “Not yet.”

Lucy looked like she wanted to argue, but she held back. Instead, she reached over and placed a hand on his arm. “Just... don’t shut us out, okay?”

Edmund nodded, though a part of him knew it was already too late. He was too far in—too conflicted, too caught up in his own emotions to untangle the mess he’d found himself in.

It was late, the campfire casting a dim glow as you sat across from Edmund. The talks had gone well—at least on the surface—but there was an undercurrent of tension that neither of you could ignore.

“You seem distracted,” you noted, breaking the silence that had settled between you.

Edmund’s eyes flicked up to meet yours, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned back slightly, letting out a slow breath. “I could say the same about you.”

You smiled faintly, though there was no humor behind it. “I think we’re both distracted.”

For a moment, the air between you was thick with the weight of unspoken thoughts. There were things neither of you could say—truths that lingered just beneath the surface, too dangerous to give voice to.

“You’ve changed,” Edmund said after a long silence, his voice soft but firm.

You raised an eyebrow, surprised by his observation. “Changed how?”

“You’re not as... certain,” he said carefully, as though choosing his words with the precision of a warrior picking his strikes. “When we first met on the battlefield, you were... relentless. Unyielding.”

“And now?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Now,” he said, his eyes locking onto yours, “you hesitate.”

The words hit harder than you expected, but you couldn’t deny their truth. You had changed. The war had changed you. But it wasn’t just the war—it was him. Edmund had wormed his way into your thoughts, into your very soul, and now you found yourself questioning everything you once believed in.

“Maybe I’m just tired,” you said, trying to brush it off, but the look in Edmund’s eyes told you he didn’t believe that for a second.

“You’re not tired,” he said quietly. “You’re conflicted.”

The fire crackled between you, the sound almost too loud in the heavy silence. You stared at the flames, trying to gather your thoughts, but Edmund’s gaze never wavered. He was waiting for you to speak—waiting for you to admit the truth you had both been avoiding.

Finally, you looked up, meeting his gaze head-on. “And what about you, Edmund? Are you conflicted?”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, you thought he might not answer. But then he sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I am.”

It was the first time either of you had admitted it out loud, and the words hung between you like a fragile thread, ready to snap at any moment.

“I don’t know what this is,” Edmund continued, his voice barely audible. “But I know that it’s dangerous.”

You swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry. “And yet here we are.”

He didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes said enough. He didn’t have an answer—neither of you did. All you knew was that the lines between friend and foe had blurred beyond recognition, and now, you were both caught in the middle of something neither of you could control.

In the command tent, Peter stood at the head of the table, his arms crossed as he stared down at the map spread before him. The other Narnians had already dispersed for the evening, leaving only Peter and Susan behind.

“He’s slipping,” Peter said finally, his voice tight with frustration.

Susan looked up from her seat, her expression thoughtful. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Peter insisted, his blue eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and concern. “He’s distracted. He’s letting his emotions get in the way.”

“And you think you’re not?” Susan countered, raising an eyebrow. “Peter, you’re just as invested in this war as Edmund is. Maybe even more so.”

Peter’s jaw tightened, and he shook his head. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Edmund. He’s... different. He’s not himself.”

Susan stood, crossing the tent to stand beside her brother. She placed a hand on his arm, her voice soft but firm. “He’s growing up, Peter. He’s making his own decisions.”

Peter didn’t respond right away, his gaze fixed on the map before him. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, more subdued. “I just don’t want to lose him again.”

“You won’t,” Susan said softly. “But you need to trust him.”

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if I can.”

Shadows and Starlight: {~ The Fragile Truce Word ~}

Summary: Amid the chaos of war, a bitter rivalry between Edmund Pevensie and a formidable enemy leader begins to unravel into something deeper. As a fragile truce forms, both are torn between duty to their people and the undeniable connection growing between them. With political tensions rising, jealousies flaring, and the threat of battle looming, Edmund and the reader must navigate a delicate balance of loyalty, love, and sacrifice to secure peace—and each other

Characters: Edmund Pevensie

Pairing: Edmund Pevensie x Gn!Reader

Warnings: Slight fluff

Word Count: 1697

Taglist: @snowtargaryen @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 2 —

The camp was quiet, save for the low murmur of soldiers gathered around fires, their faces lit by the flickering glow. The war had taken its toll on everyone—physically and mentally—and tonight, even the most hardened fighters seemed subdued. The ceasefire had been called, but there was a tension in the air that was impossible to ignore. Everyone knew this truce was temporary. Fragile. And yet, as you stood at the edge of your camp, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something far more dangerous than battle lay ahead.

The source of your unease stood just beyond the perimeter, his presence unmistakable. Edmund Pevensie had come to your camp under the pretense of negotiations—discussing terms, strategies, anything to maintain the fragile peace that had been brokered after your last encounter. But you knew better. Edmund wasn’t here for political reasons. He was here because, like you, he couldn’t let go of whatever was growing between you, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

You watched as he dismounted from his horse, his movements fluid and purposeful, his face unreadable. The tension between you had shifted since that fateful day on the battlefield, when he had offered you his hand instead of striking you down. It was as if the very nature of your rivalry had changed, morphing into something neither of you could fully understand or control.

“Edmund,” you greeted him, your voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in your chest. You tried to keep your tone neutral, but there was no denying the undercurrent of something deeper.

He inclined his head slightly, acknowledging your greeting as his eyes met yours. For a brief moment, it was just the two of you, standing on opposite sides of a fragile line that neither dared to cross, yet both seemed drawn toward. But then, the moment passed, and Edmund’s expression hardened.

“I’m here to discuss the terms of the truce,” he said, his voice formal, though you could hear the strain beneath it. “We need to ensure this ceasefire holds.”

You nodded, gesturing for him to follow you toward the central tent where the negotiations would take place. The camp buzzed with quiet energy as you led him through the rows of soldiers and tents, but no one dared approach. Your people regarded Edmund with wary eyes, their distrust of the Narnians evident in the way they tensed at his presence.

Once inside the tent, the two of you stood opposite each other, the low light casting long shadows on the canvas walls. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence thick with unspoken words.

“So,” Edmund began, his tone clipped as he tried to steer the conversation back to politics, “your side has been pushing for control of the northern borders. We can’t allow that to happen.”

You folded your arms across your chest, feigning indifference even as your heart pounded in your ears. “And what would you suggest, Pevensie? We give up territory in exchange for your goodwill?”

His jaw clenched, his irritation evident, though he was doing his best to keep his emotions in check. “You know as well as I do that this isn’t about goodwill. It’s about survival.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy with meaning. This was supposed to be a negotiation—a purely diplomatic meeting to maintain peace—but it felt like something far more personal. Every word exchanged was a battle in its own right, each of you testing the other’s resolve.

Before you could respond, the tent flap opened, and a tall figure entered—one of your most trusted advisors, a man who had been at your side since the beginning of the war. He was charming, sharp-witted, and far too friendly for Edmund’s liking. You could see the change in Edmund’s posture immediately, the way his shoulders stiffened as your advisor greeted you with a warm smile.

“My apologies for the interruption,” your advisor said smoothly, his eyes flicking to Edmund with only the briefest hint of disdain before returning to you. “I wanted to ensure everything was in order for the negotiations.”

You offered him a polite smile, nodding in acknowledgment. “Of course. We were just discussing the terms of the truce.”

As you spoke, your advisor stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on your shoulder in what might have been a gesture of support—but to Edmund, it was something far more irritating. His eyes darkened as he watched the interaction, his jaw clenching so hard you thought you heard his teeth grind.

Edmund’s voice was cold when he finally spoke. “I assume you’ve been kept informed of the negotiations thus far,” he said, addressing your advisor with a pointed glare. “It would be a shame for any misunderstandings to arise at this stage.”

The tension in the tent thickened as the two men locked eyes, neither willing to back down. You could feel the heat of Edmund’s jealousy simmering just beneath the surface, though he did his best to mask it behind a veneer of professionalism. Still, you knew him well enough to recognize the signs—the slight tightening of his grip on his sword hilt, the way his gaze never quite left your advisor.

Before things could escalate, you cleared your throat, stepping between them to defuse the situation. “Perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand,” you suggested, your voice firm but calm. “We’re here to discuss peace, after all.”

Your advisor nodded, though you could sense the underlying tension in his posture. “Of course,” he agreed, his tone smooth. “We all want what’s best for our people.”

Edmund didn’t respond, but you could feel his eyes on you as you resumed the discussion, the charged silence between you more telling than any words he could have said. As the negotiations continued, you couldn’t help but notice the way Edmund’s mood darkened whenever your advisor spoke, his irritation growing with each passing moment. It was as if the very idea of someone else standing at your side, advising you, grated on him in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

By the time the meeting was over, the atmosphere in the tent had grown stifling. Your advisor left with a respectful nod, but the moment he was gone, you turned to face Edmund, your heart pounding in your chest.

“Is something wrong?” you asked, your voice quieter now that you were alone with him.

Edmund’s eyes flickered, and for a moment, you thought he might deflect your question. But then, with a frustrated sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, his expression softening just a fraction. “I don’t trust him,” he admitted, his voice low. “He’s too... familiar with you.”

You raised an eyebrow, surprised by his bluntness. “And why does that bother you?”

For a moment, Edmund seemed at a loss for words. His gaze met yours, and you saw the conflict there—the battle between his duty as a leader and the emotions he was struggling to keep in check. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, more vulnerable than you had ever heard it.

“Because I don’t want to see you get hurt,” he confessed, the words slipping out before he could stop them. “And I don’t trust that he has your best interests at heart.”

Your breath caught in your throat at the raw honesty in his voice. This was not the Edmund you had fought against for so long—the hardened, calculating king who never let his guard down. This was something else, something far more dangerous. Because it wasn’t just concern in his eyes—it was something deeper, something that neither of you had acknowledged but both of you felt.

For a long moment, the two of you stood there in the dimly lit tent, the weight of his confession hanging heavily between you. It would have been so easy to push him away, to retreat behind the walls you had built around yourself. But something in the way he looked at you—like you were the only person in the world that mattered—made it impossible.

“I can take care of myself,” you said softly, your voice barely more than a whisper. “But thank you... for worrying.”

Edmund’s gaze lingered on you, his eyes searching yours as if he was looking for something he couldn’t quite name. The tension between you was almost unbearable now, the air thick with the unspoken connection that neither of you dared to acknowledge.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, Edmund stepped back, his expression once again guarded. “We should continue this discussion later,” he said, his voice a little too formal, as if he was trying to regain control of himself.

You nodded, though you couldn’t help but feel the loss of the moment that had just slipped away. “Later,” you agreed, your heart still racing as you watched him leave the tent, disappearing into the night.

The campfire crackled softly as you sat with your soldiers later that evening, the warmth from the flames doing little to chase away the cold that had settled in your chest. You couldn’t stop thinking about Edmund—about the way he had looked at you, the way his words had lingered in the air between you like a question neither of you were ready to answer.

Your people, however, were less conflicted. They had seen Edmund in your camp, had watched the way the two of you interacted, and now, whispers of doubt and suspicion were beginning to spread.

“You’ve changed since the truce began,” one of your most trusted soldiers said quietly, his voice carrying a hint of accusation. “People are starting to wonder if your loyalties are still with us.”

You stiffened, caught off guard by the bluntness of his words. “My loyalties have never wavered,” you replied firmly,

though even you could hear the hesitation in your voice. “I’m doing what I must for our people.”

The soldier’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression skeptical. “Just be careful. The Pevensies are not to be trusted. They have a way of getting inside your head... making you question things.”

You didn’t respond, but his words hit closer to the truth than you were willing to admit.

Hello! I was the one who put in the Edmund request :)

Your writing is so beautiful and descriptive omg <3

If you could make it a series, I'd be vv grateful! And !Jealous Edmund>>>

Once again, loved your writing <3

Shadows and Starlight: {~The Clash of Swords~}

A/N: First I would really like to apologize for taking so long to get this out! I was moving and had honestly lost motivation for writing and just could not get anything out. I am also a junior in highschool so I have been busy with school. But, I am now on my Christmas break so I will be posting one chapter every single day to make up for the lost time. Since I have missed yesterday, I will be posting the second chapter of this story later today! I love you guys so much and I really appreciate your patience!❤️

Summary: Amid the chaos of war, a bitter rivalry between Edmund Pevensie and a formidable enemy leader begins to unravel into something deeper. As a fragile truce forms, both are torn between duty to their people and the undeniable connection growing between them. With political tensions rising, jealousies flaring, and the threat of battle looming, Edmund and the reader must navigate a delicate balance of loyalty, love, and sacrifice to secure peace—and each other

Characters: Edmund Pevensie

Pairing: Edmund Pevensie x Gn!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1674

Taglist: @snowtargaryen @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 1 —

The battlefield stretched out before you like a storm on the horizon—chaotic, dangerous, and all-consuming. The metallic clash of swords, the dull thud of arrows striking shields, and the war cries of soldiers filled the air, creating a symphony of war that pulsed in your veins. But amidst the carnage, amidst the chaos and confusion, there was only one person you were focused on—Edmund Pevensie.

You saw him long before he saw you, cutting through the battlefield with swift precision, his sword moving as an extension of his arm. He was brutal and efficient, taking down every opponent who dared cross his path. The youngest king of Narnia had become your greatest rival, the one opponent you could never truly defeat, and today would be no different—or so you told yourself.

As you watched him, a bitter taste formed in your mouth. Edmund Pevensie—so full of confidence, so sure of himself—fought like he had nothing to lose. But you knew better. You had seen him falter before, had noticed the subtle cracks in his armor during your past encounters. Today, you would exploit them.

Your grip tightened on the hilt of your sword as you wove through the battlefield, dodging stray arrows and blocking attacks from nameless soldiers. Your eyes never left Edmund, and with each step, you felt the weight of your unresolved rivalry bearing down on you. It had been this way for years, an endless dance of blades and blood, but today, it felt different. There was something heavier in the air, something that made your heart pound with more than just adrenaline.

Finally, Edmund’s gaze locked with yours across the battlefield, and you saw the flash of recognition in his eyes. His jaw clenched, and his body tensed as he prepared himself for the inevitable clash. You could practically feel the electricity in the air between you, the tension coiling tighter with each passing second.

Without another thought, you charged toward him, your feet pounding against the muddy ground. Every other battle faded into the background as you closed the distance between you, your focus narrowing to the point where nothing else mattered but the fight that was about to take place.

Edmund met your charge head-on, his sword raised to intercept your strike. The clash of metal rang out like thunder as your blades collided, sending shockwaves through your arms. The force of the impact jarred your bones, but you gritted your teeth and pressed forward.

“Back again?” Edmund’s voice was cold, almost bored, as he parried your next strike with ease. “You never learn, do you?”

His words stung more than you cared to admit, but you refused to let him see the effect they had on you. Instead, you pushed harder, your sword meeting his with a furious intensity. “You’re one to talk, Pevensie,” you shot back, your breath coming in sharp bursts. “How many times do I have to beat you before you finally stay down?”

A grim smile tugged at the corners of Edmund’s lips, though there was no humor in it. “Beat me? That’s funny, considering the last time we met, you were the one on the ground.”

The reminder of your previous defeat ignited a fresh wave of anger within you. The memory of Edmund standing over you, his sword poised to end your life, was one you hadn’t been able to shake. But today, you vowed, things would be different.

You struck again, your sword whistling through the air with deadly intent. Edmund blocked the blow, his strength evenly matched against yours, and for a moment, the two of you were locked in a stalemate. The muscles in your arms strained as you pressed your blade against his, trying to force him back, but Edmund held his ground.

“You’re getting slower,” he remarked, his voice taunting. “Is this the best you’ve got?”

A growl of frustration escaped your lips as you pushed harder, finally managing to break the deadlock. You swung your sword in a wide arc, aiming for his side, but Edmund was too fast. He dodged the strike with practiced ease, and before you could react, he retaliated with a quick, calculated swipe that nearly knocked the sword from your hand.

Stumbling back, you cursed under your breath. Edmund’s fighting style had always been a mix of precision and brutality, and it was becoming clear that today would be no different. He was relentless, his strikes quick and unyielding, and though you were able to match him blow for blow, it was taking everything you had to keep up.

“You’re slipping,” Edmund said, his voice tinged with mockery as he lunged toward you again. “Getting tired?”

“Not yet,” you snarled, blocking his attack and countering with a sharp thrust of your own. Your sword grazed his arm, drawing a thin line of blood, and for the first time in the fight, you saw Edmund falter.

His eyes flickered with surprise as he looked down at the wound, and in that brief moment of distraction, you pressed your advantage. You swung your sword with renewed vigor, driving him back step by step. The tide of the fight had shifted, and for the first time in what felt like years, you could see a path to victory.

But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, your advantage was gone.

With a swift, almost casual motion, Edmund deflected your next strike and spun around, catching you off guard. His sword lashed out, sweeping your legs out from under you with a speed that left you breathless. Before you could even process what had happened, you were on the ground, the cold, wet mud soaking through your clothes.

You gasped for breath, your body aching from the fall. Pain radiated through your ribs, but before you could recover, Edmund was looming over you, his sword pointed directly at your throat.

For a moment, neither of you moved. You lay there, panting, staring up at him in disbelief. This was it. After all these years, after all the battles and near misses, it had finally come to an end. Edmund Pevensie had you at his mercy.

“Go on,” you spat, your voice rough and filled with defiance. “Finish it.”

Edmund’s face was expressionless as he stared down at you, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His sword didn’t waver, the cold steel pressing lightly against the delicate skin of your throat. But despite his position of power, despite the fact that he could end this with a single strike, something in his eyes told you he wouldn’t.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he said quietly, the words so unexpected that they seemed to hang in the air between you.

You blinked up at him, stunned into silence. This was a trick. It had to be. Edmund had never shown you mercy before, so why now? “What?” you breathed, your voice barely audible over the din of the battle.

“I said I’m not going to kill you,” Edmund repeated, his voice steady but lacking the usual coldness that colored his words. He sheathed his sword and extended a hand toward you. “Get up.”

You stared at his outstretched hand like it was a viper about to strike. Your mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. This was Edmund Pevensie—your sworn enemy. The one person you had spent years fighting against, the one you had sworn to defeat at any cost. And now he was offering you his hand?

“What are you playing at?” you demanded, still lying in the mud, too stunned to move. “Is this some kind of game to you?”

Edmund’s gaze didn’t waver. “No game,” he said firmly. “This doesn’t have to end with one of us dead.”

His words hit you like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t the Edmund you knew. The Edmund you had fought time and time again would never say something like that. But as you searched his eyes, you realized that this Edmund, the one standing before you now, wasn’t the same boy you had fought all those years ago.

You hesitated, the weight of his offer hanging heavily in the air between you. Everything in you screamed to refuse, to push his hand away and continue the fight. But something in his eyes, something raw and unguarded, stopped you. It wasn’t just the offer of peace that he was extending—it was something deeper. Something unspoken.

Slowly, tentatively, you reached up and took his hand. His grip was strong as he pulled you to your feet, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to still. The battle continued to rage around you, but in that moment, it was as if the two of you were the only ones left.

You stood there, face to face, your hand still clasped in his. Your chest heaved with exertion, your body aching from the fight, but all you could focus on was the way Edmund’s gaze had softened, the way his eyes lingered on yours just a moment too long.

“What’s going on?” you asked quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Why are you doing this?”

Edmund’s jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, you saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “Because I’m tired of this,” he admitted, his voice low but filled with a sincerity that caught you off guard. “This war, this fight... it doesn’t make sense anymore.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could say anything, a voice called out from behind you, cutting through the tension.

“Edmund!”

The sound of Peter’s voice brought you both crashing back to reality. You turned to see him striding toward you, his face set in a grim expression. Behind him, Susan stood with her bow drawn, her sharp eyes flicking between you and Edmund with suspicion.

Edmund quickly released your hand, his expression hardening as Peter approached. But you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just shifted between you—something that couldn’t be undone.

If you do Narnia fics, can you do one about Edmund Pevensie with !enemy reader? Ty <3

A/N: I just want to say thank you so much for the request! You are my second one and I really hope you enjoy this. This is a oneshot fanfic but if you want me to do a series for this prompt, I will do it just for you!

{~Between Shadows and Steel~}

Summary: In the midst of a fierce battle, you confront your sworn enemy, Edmund Pevensie, determined to end the war between your people and Narnia. But as your swords clash, Edmund’s unexpected words and actions challenge everything you thought you knew about him—and yourself. With the chaos of war surrounding you, a moment of vulnerability leads to an undeniable connection, forcing you to question whether you’re truly enemies or something more.

Characters: Edmund Pevensie

Pairing: Edmund x GN!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1178

The battlefield stretched out before you like an endless ocean of chaos. Warriors clashed with brutal force, their weapons ringing in the air, the ground beneath them soaked in the blood of the fallen. The cries of the wounded mingled with the roar of battle, and somewhere in the distance, you could hear the chilling shriek of a centaur as it fell to a barrage of arrows.

You stood on the edge of the fray, your chest heaving, sword in hand, watching as the skirmish raged on. In the midst of the melee, a single figure caught your eye. He moved like the wind—swift, agile, and utterly determined.

Edmund Pevensie.

The Just King of Narnia. And your enemy.

To you, he represented everything you’d fought against for years. Narnia’s expansion had forced your people into a corner, and you had sworn to resist. To fight until there was nothing left. But as you watched him now, cutting through your soldiers with practiced precision, doubt flickered in the depths of your mind.

You hated him—or so you told yourself. Yet, every time you crossed paths with Edmund, it felt as though there was something more beneath the surface. Something that made your heart pound in ways you couldn’t explain.

You gripped your sword tightly, the leather of the hilt biting into your palm as you steeled yourself. Today, you would confront him. Today, you would end this, one way or another.

With a deep breath, you charged toward him, weaving through the chaos, your eyes fixed on his form. Your footsteps were light but swift, your sword slicing through any obstacle in your path. The moment you reached him, you swung your blade, aiming for his unguarded back.

But Edmund moved faster than you anticipated. As if sensing your presence, he spun around, his sword meeting yours with a resounding clang. Your eyes locked, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.

“You again,” he muttered, his voice strained with exertion, but not without a hint of recognition.

“Don’t act so surprised,” you shot back, pushing against his blade with all your strength.

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with something that was neither fear nor anger, but something you couldn’t quite place. “I’m not. I just didn’t expect it to be this soon.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Then you should’ve been ready for me.”

The two of you danced across the battlefield, swords clashing with each strike, the sound echoing in the din of war. He was a skilled fighter, and you found yourself struggling to keep up with his speed. But you refused to back down. You had trained for this moment—prepared yourself for the inevitable confrontation.

Yet, as you fought, there was something different about this battle. Each time your swords connected, there was a spark in the air—an electricity you couldn’t ignore. Every time you stepped closer to him, it felt like the world was closing in, leaving only the two of you in its wake.

“You don’t have to do this,” Edmund said suddenly, his voice low, as if he could speak to you alone amidst the chaos.

You growled, frustration building in your chest. “And you don’t have to keep pretending you care!”

He blocked your next strike with ease, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. “What makes you think I’m pretending?”

That stopped you for a moment. Your sword hovered in the air as you stared at him, the words catching you off guard. His expression softened slightly, and you noticed that he wasn’t attacking as aggressively as he could have. In fact, it seemed as though he was holding back.

“You don’t know me,” you snapped, stepping back to regain your composure.

He sheathed his sword, making you pause. “I know enough.”

Before you could retort, a nearby explosion rocked the ground, sending dust and debris into the air. The shockwave threw you both backward, and you hit the ground with a grunt. For a moment, your vision blurred, the chaos around you fading to a dull roar.

When the dust settled, you found yourself staring up at the sky, dazed. But then, a shadow fell over you, and you blinked up to see Edmund standing above you, his hand outstretched.

“Let me help you,” he said, his voice steady despite the battle still raging around you.

You glared at him, but the strength in your arms had fled. Reluctantly, you took his hand, allowing him to pull you to your feet. His grip was firm, and for a moment, neither of you moved, your hands lingering together a little too long.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked, breathless. Your heart pounded, but it wasn’t just from the exertion of battle.

Edmund’s expression softened. “Because I don’t want to see you hurt.”

The words hit you harder than any sword could. You stared at him, confused and conflicted. “We’re enemies,” you whispered. “You’re supposed to want to see me fall.”

His hand remained on yours, warm and steady, grounding you in a way you hadn’t expected. “Maybe we don’t have to be enemies anymore,” he said softly. “We’ve fought for so long, but what if there’s another way?”

You wanted to argue, to push him away, but his words—his gaze—cut through your defenses. There was a sincerity in his eyes, a raw honesty that you hadn’t been prepared for. Your breath caught in your throat, and for a moment, you let yourself wonder if he was right.

Edmund stepped closer, his voice barely a whisper now. “You don’t have to fight this war alone. You don’t have to carry this burden anymore.”

You swallowed hard, your pulse quickening as he inched nearer. The battlefield, the chaos around you—all of it seemed to fade away. There was only him. And for the first time, you realized how much you had been fighting against yourself, not just him.

“Why do you care?” you asked, your voice trembling.

He hesitated for a moment, his hand brushing against your cheek. The touch sent a shiver down your spine. “Because… I think I’ve been fighting against myself too,” he admitted. “I’ve hated this war as much as you do.”

You stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deceit, but there was none. Just vulnerability. A rawness you hadn’t expected to see in him.

Before you could stop yourself, you leaned in, your breath mingling with his. His eyes flickered down to your lips, and for a heartbeat, the world stood still. Then, slowly, cautiously, he closed the distance between you.

His lips met yours in a tentative kiss, soft and warm, like a promise. Your heart raced, and for a moment, you forgot everything—the war, the pain, the years of hatred. All that mattered was this. Him.

When you finally pulled back, your breath was shallow, and his eyes were filled with a mix of relief and something deeper. “We don’t have to keep fighting,” he whispered, his forehead resting against yours.

For the first time in years, you let yourself believe him.

Octavian: Sorry, where I should get the bus to go the cemetery?

Y/N!Child of Thanatos: In your face!

Octavian: "sarcastically" Lovely.

Can somebody humanize the concept of "Astrology" and "Astronomy" and then draw them fucking

a shit ton of enemies to lovers prompts

warning: includes nsfw

your enemy has been badly wounded, and somebody needs to bandage them up, so you agree to help them, and suddenly they're shirtless, and you can't help but admire their body, something this cheeky motherfucker takes notice of

you and your enemy has to kiss each other to create a distraction, though you get lost in kissing each other, and the only one who ends up getting distracted is the two of you, and as your enemy shoves you up against the wall, and you fumble with their belt, the antagonist sneaks right past you

chaining your enemy, leaving them behind while they scream and curse at you to release them

there's only one bed, but this time, they're arguing over who should sleep on the floor, which nobody agrees to, so instead they end up sharing, incredibly annoyed over having to share their space (it’s not like friends to lovers, in which they both awkwardly get into bed. this is straight up just. i will set this bed on fire if you don’t stay on your side)

your enemy seduces you by kissing your neck, tracing their fingers down your body. bonus if it takes place on a balcony, with your friends in the garden below you. if one of them look up towards the balcony, you'll get caught, and yet you can't bring yourself to push your enemy away from you

you're upset one night, and you don't know where to go, so you end up at your enemy's house, and as they open the door, you stay silent for a second, before saying (with tears in your eyes) ''i don't know where else to go.'' your enemy doesn't say anything. instead they pull you into their arms, giving you a shoulder to cry on.

during a dance, formal or informal, character A is dancing with character C, and character B can't take their eyes off of them, and when character B notices this, character B smirks, and starts dancing more intimately with character C, while not taking their eyes off of character A

your enemy's crew is talking about kidnapping or torturing you, and your enemy doesn't understand why they feel a sudden urge to strangle their crew for wanting to put you in harms way

pinning your enemy against the wall, or straddling their hips, pinning their arms above their head

you snatch a knife from your enemy's grip and throws it at the ground, then you grab your enemy by the collar, and crash your lips against theirs. they're surprised, but responds immediately

you threaten your enemy, and when they close the distance between you, you realize how attracted you truly are to them

your enemy's crew tells your enemy that they have to choose between you and their crew. your enemy doesn't hesitate. they choose you. as your enemy's crew raises their weapons, your enemy shields you, because if the crew wants to get to you, they'll have to kill [your enemy] first

jumping into bed with your enemy to ''blow off some steam'' or to ''resolve sexual tension.'' you promise each other it's meaningless, but the next night, it happens again

wrestling your enemy to the ground when they threaten you, holding a knife to their throat ''touch me if you dare.'' ''is that a challenge?''

''you're not going to kill me.'' ''don't be so sure about that.'' ''if you wanted me dead, i'd already be six feet under.''

you've been wounded, your face is all bruised up, your enemy puts a finger under your chin, bringing your eyes to theirs, asking: ''who did this to you?'' when you don't answer, they ask again ''who did this to you?''

your enemy keeps on smiling when you've got them pinned down, and seem to enjoy having a knife against their throat ''are you getting off on this?'' ''i quite enjoy the view.''

you and your enemy bond over something you have in common. when your conversation is over and you need to leave, your enemy follows you to the door and says ''we still hate each other, right?'' you hesitate for a moment: ''i'd still kick your ass.'' ''i'm counting on it.'' you share a laugh, and as you walk out the door, you start blushing

you and your enemy hug each other, it's completely accidental, and neither of you know why it happened, and it's like,,, you glare at each other, with an expression of ''let's never speak of this again'´

avoiding each other for weeks after sharing an intimate moment, be it a kiss, a hug, holding hands, or just looking at each other's lips

you end up on your enemy's lap, and you yank the belt from their pants ''let's just get this over with.''

it's 1am, your enemy knocks on your door, and you're like wtf are you doing at my house, then you notice that they're carrying a dead body, and you're like what the fuck is that, and your enemy's like, i need your help, now, desperately, and you're like, fine, but if you get blood on my carpet, you'll end up just like him (dead)

you recently broke up with your partner, who cheated on you. knowing that you're upset and pissed, your enemy shows up at your house. you claim you don't want them there, and as you open the door, insinuating that you want them to leave, your enemy slams it shut and says ''use me.'' you know they mean in bed. and you know it's wrong. and you know you shouldn't. and you know you'll regret it. and you end up sleeping with them the same night.

''i can't go there with you, you know. everything's just... too complicated.''

''if you hurt them, i will kill you. do you hear me? i'll kill you.''

your enemy says ''slap me.'' you slap them, no hesitation. your enemy's like ?????

i might make a part two

If you need me

Just a little longer

Hero took it step by step. Trying to ignore the pain in her leg. Trying to ignore the dread of being weaponless.

Sleep. You will sleep soon

She could already see the campus dorms.

You just need to get in and not get caught or get followed.

Everything was dark. Too dark to tell if she left blood on the floor. Signing, she started taking the steps to the common rooms.

When she reached the top, ever closer to her heaven, she saw a light.

Someone sat on one of the dusty chairs, reading by a lamplight. She doesn’t know how well she’d handle another bout with Villain right now. “Nice of you to come, Hero.”

Never mind. I prefer Villain

“Civilian.”

“Are you limping to your dorm at midnight?”

“Are you sitting alone in the common room?”

“One of these questions is more urgent.”

Hero tried to walk slower, hoping to hide her injury.

“Just go to sleep. We have a morning class.”

But Rival stood up and walked to her.

“Morning class is the least of my worries now.”

Both of them were almost completely in the dark, but she could tell he was sincere. His voice was rarely devoid of any cynicism or playfulness. He took her silence as a breakthrough.

“You don’t need to tell me anything, but if you’re hurt, I can help.”

“R-”

“Look, I know you’re tough. Everyone knows. That’s why I hate you. You have nothing to prove. So if…”

He cleared his throat, and turned his look from her. Despite hardly even seeing her face.

“If some bastard needs to learn a lesson, I can help you. I won’t tell anyone.”

Just barely, she could see his honey eyes shining. But the aching pain that constantly throbbed her leg reminded her of the dangers that follow.

Why can no one else know of Villain

“Hero?”

Rival asked, she could imagine the anticipation in his features.

“I’m fine, Rival.”

“H-”

“This is none of your business.”

Her tone wasn’t as harsh as it could be, but rather heavy-hearted.

But he didn’t push it longer, just stood as she at last continued walking towards her room.

She didn’t hear him move or speak until she almost closed her dorm door, his voice barely audible.

“I’m here if you need me, Hero.”

There were about three more seconds of silence.

Rival’s heavy footsteps filled the silence. And following them, much quieter, slier steps. These steps were coming towards her dorm.

“Wh- HERO RUN”

She heard Rival spurt back to her dorm’s way. 

Cursing, she hastily thrust her door open, fearing there was no time even for getting her hidden gun. Disastrously, she was right.

Villain held a dagger.

He held a dagger above Rival’s throat.

“Leave him.”

Villain smirked at her. 

His grip on Rival’s arms and the dagger he kept on his throat remained indifferent, both to her threat and to Rival’s struggles.

“Care much?”

“You know this will be a fight to the death, Villain.”

Hero answered, unleashing her own hidden blade. “And you know I will slit his throat way before you limp one step,”

She did her best to not show her dread. Not to imagine the light leaving the honey, radiant eyes she knew.

“But there’s a way to make this less bloody, is it?”

His message was clear. Hero glanced at Rival, his message was clear too. Ever so slightly, he shook his head.

“You are going to leave him, and we will take this outside, civilly.”

“H-”

Villain gripped Rival’s chin.

“Perfect.”

He threw Rival to the floor, almost cutting his jaw in the process.

“YOU PIECE O-”

Villain caught his face again.

“Shhh… we don’t want to make this harder for your girlfriend, do we?”

Rival seemed enraged, like he would murder Villain right here if he could, but before he tried to fight again, Hero got to him.

She pushed him away, hugging him, burying her head in her neck. Just below his ear.

Bewildered, Rival froze.

“under the bed”

She whispered, and let him go.

“Oh ~ it almost makes me regret I’ll kill you ~”

Grinning, Villain moved aside and gestured to the stairs. “Ladies first.”

Hero signed, giving one last look at Rival, who seemed disturbed, but determined as well.

As she walked down the stairs, feeling Villain creeping ever closer behind her, loudly thinking of just pushing her down, she hoped she heard Rival searching her room.

Soon later, when she could feel Villain breathing at her neck, a bang was heard. Villain’s grin froze on his face as he fell. Hero moved aside and looked up, meeting with radiant brown eyes.

I might prefer him over Villain

The next day, after dealing with the police, and after the noise from the tired yet curious students died down, Hero slept like a rock.

When she did wake up, slowly realizing that her morning class is long over. 

Signing, she got dressed and tried to calculate how many library search hours she’d have to go through.

But when she stepped towards the door, she saw something that was sled to her dorm.

They seemed to be, neatly written, detailed lecture notes.

Above them, rested a small sticky note, reading “I’m here if you need me”

Outcast Heroine x her rival

The thought of inviting her, 

it didn’t even cross their mind, did it?

Heroine stared at the rest of her team, who never seemed to notice her existence. By the loud laughs and noticeable drop of seriousness, they were heading to the bar. Leaving her to be the only to work on their shared case. Again.

Who cares.

She will be the one who laughs at the end.

She might be the outcast here, but it only proved her worth. She works harder, she is more serious, she will solve this case. I will get to see the shock of her so-called teammates as she stares with cold, satisfied eyes.

She just needs to wait patiently until that happens.

Yet it somehow still hurts. And unwillingly, she caught herself stealing glances at the noisy group. Especially at one she thought would act differently. Her rival. 

He laughed with the others, seemingly forgetting her existence. He just never acted that way. He always argued with her, competed against her, sent her way his grin when he cracked a case and eye rolls when she beat him to it.

Called when she was sick, noted her insights, listened to her

But apparently there was a company he liked better.

Heroine’s tension calmed a bit when the noisy group finally left. She went over her suspect’s files again, looking for a loose thread. Loneliness was her curse, but mysteries her blessings.

The man she suspected was a history professor.

He is known to lock himself in his apartment and write books, rarely interacting with his colleagues and students.

The victim was a writer who’s newly published first book became the crowd’s favor immediately.

The two have barely known each other. 

But Heroine knew how deep jealousy could go. There were days she planned in her mind how she would hide the bodies of her teammates.

He had sent to someone else, the victim’s advisor- several ‘erroneous’ emails. They were clearly separated by words, but each was complete gibberish. 

Still, it seemed too weird, and she never saw an ‘error’ such as that.

She had earplugs, a workspace all of her own, and the calming feeling of unveiling another secrecy. 

Nothing could invade the mind, 

block any worries  and make someone forget about their existence like a good mystery.

She didn’t know how long she was in peace, until someone coughed from the other side of the room.

Rival stood there, with a lopsided smile, holding two cups of coffee.

“Something interesting?”

He walked to her desk and placed one cup beside her, having some awkwardness in his movements.

It was a cold coffee, with little milk and ice cubes.

He remembers-

“Oh, umm, thanks.”

Heroine cleared her throat.

“I have a hunch,”

She said, then questioned his motives.

“but it’s just a theory.”

He nodded slightly, getting the hint. But didn’t go yet.

“Well, you, want some quiet or-”

“Aren’t you going with the others?”

He blinked. Then shrugged, still having some awkwardness.

“I can’t let you be the only one who stays over. It makes me look bad.”

“Don’t blame your ugliness on me.”

“Ouch.”

He gave her a half-laugh, and sat in his place. There was silence for a little while. Heroine continued to go over emails, silently listening to Rival unpacking his equipment and playing with his pen.

“So, wanna share some ideas?”

He said it trying to sound unintrested, she noted.

Is this why you stayed?

“What’s it to you?”

“My job, actually.”

He expected a reaction for a moment.

Rival cleared his throat.

“I won’t take your credit.”

Heroine crooked an eyebrow.

“Promise. I wanna catch this bastard as much as you.”

Another’s comments may be helpful, and Rival, as cocky as he is, always kept his word.

“Come take a look.”

He came over, a little too quickly. Then leaned into her desk, right next to her chair. close

“The emails. There are several supposedly emails with errors, they make no sense and only contain one line or so, but there are too many of them.”

Heroine completely immersed herself in the mystery, trying to ignore the warmth she sensed from Rival.

“I tried to check some simple ciphering methods. The thing is, some words make sense when decoding them using straightforward letter-shuffling. But in each email there’s at least one word that never makes sense after deciphering.”

She passed him her papers, and he tilted down to examine it. For a moment, she could see his face from so close. Her gaze immediately turned to the printed emails.

“I highlighted these words. They are the only ones with special characters. If we decipher them, we might have proof that the suspect purposely wrote these emails to hide messages.”

“hmmm…”

His hand was quite close to hers, she realized, some part of her wanted to touch it. Learn exactly how warm he is.

Heroine took her coffee and drank almost all of it in one slip.

“He is not a mathematician, isn’t he? or a puzzler?”

“An historian.”

“It’d be tough to convince he made up a cipher.”

“True.”

“What did he research?”

“He had a fondness for royal families. He’d write about grand schemes and falls and such.”

“Did he write anything about Mary, queen of the scots?”

She tilted her head, trying to remember if she read about such character. 

“She’s been the queen of Scotland since she was six, but also wanted England. She got imprisoned and plotted to assassinate Elizabeth the first from a cell.”

“Well, you are knowledgeable, I’ll get you a paper star later,”

Rival rolled his eyes.

“but how does it help us?”

“She communicated her plot using a cipher.”

Heroine’s eyes widened.

“What kind?”

“Quite simple, but hard to decrypt- she used letter switching like you did, but she also made special symbols to refer to people.”

“So if we try to assign to each special character a possible name-”

“We’ll reveal the message.”

She was smiling. This mystery could be solved. Her hunch might be right. Oh, the looks on her teammates’ faces will be wonderful

“This is so much better than a drinking night.”

Rival chuckled, probably amused by my rapture as always.

Only now she noticed that he was smiling brightly, too. But it looked different. It looked softer.

She cleared her throat.

“We should get into it. I made a chart of how the letters shuffle, here, take, just think of things he’d want to hide and see if the texts make sense.”

She leaned over her desk, making a list of possibilities that jumped into her mind.

“Mind if I’ll work here?”

“Sure”

It only took an hour.

Heroine eagerly showed Rival her findings. A possible interpretation of the messages, in which the victim’s name and the place of the murder had code words.

Her hand rushed to her cup, only to see that it was empty long ago.

So this was it. She looked at Rival, and and he seemed a bit saddened, too.

“You can take some credit, you know.”

He waved his hand dismissively, packing his things.

“Nah. You’d figure it out anyway.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Heroine started packing as well, already realizing she’ll immediately miss… whatever this is that they have now.

“Still, we… we did this together.”

Rival froze for a moment, staring at her with something akin to… awe.

“It’s yours,”

He smiled, incitement returning to his features.

“the fun is enough for me.”

They started walking together towards the door.

“More fun than drinking night?”

“Much more.”

Fortunately, their cars were in the same direction. There was still one more mystery.

“Why did you stay?” “Hm? I told you-”

“Seriously. You never stay overnight. You could actually be drunk right now, with, you know…”

The more amusing parts of our team

There was silence for a few moments, growing more noticeable every second. Rival was rarely out of words.

“It’s kinda nice when it’s just us”

Heroine stopped mid-walking and stared at him. It was her turn to be speechless. Is this…? Is he really…? 

“It is”

She agreed, eventually. Both of them stood on the road, blushing.

“We can… um… be tog- ”

She took a big breath.

“We can hang out the office. If you want.”

A small smile came back to Rival’s face.

“Yes. Sure. Great.”

MUCH better than drinking night

Leaving my world at your care

prompt: “I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but whatever happens, please… take care of my cat.”

She had an hour.

And she used to go to him.

Heroine stepped through the boy’s dorms as quietly and as quickly as she could. None of the guys were out, probably scared of the punishments for dismissing bed-time.

It didn’t matter to her.

In less than an hour, she would be too far away from the academy. Which was terrifying, but meant that she could forget about certain rules.

Just as she started to enjoy her little rebellious freedom, she found his dorm. The headboy’s dorm. Her sole rival.

The stakes were too high to care about whether or not she obeys bedtime.

She took out the key bunch she had in her pocket, which she was given by her homeroom teacher to help him ensure no troubles were made inside the dorms.

“The teacher’s bunch? hm, you know, acting like a complete nerd won’t help you become smarter than me.”

“Maybe. But it will help me sneak mice into your room.”

Now Rival will learn his lesson.

She searched for the right key and unlocked the door, a bit at unease from the audible sounds the lock made.

Surprisingly, the room was not entirely dark. Rival’s windows were open and the full moon shed some light inside.

He was not in his bed.

Instead, he was sprawled over his table, his neck placed on his bookand his back crooked onward. This did not seem comfortable. And it would hurt when he wakes up.

“How come no one invented a way to not be stiff after sitting…?”

“You mean like, stretching?”

“...”

“Nerd.”

She knew that this astronomy exam stressed everyone, but she didn’t imagine him like… He looked so tired. Perhaps she teased his last score too much. 

and she had no time to help now.

I’m scared, too.

Heroine got closer to him, and raised her hand to his shoulder, but then froze.

He had enough to worry about, and she doesn’t know how he would react to her request- Nor what he will imagine is the reason for such a strange plea…

Right now, at least one of them got to rest.

But it wasn’t just her on the line anymore. She cannot just keep these problems to herself. And maybe, somehow, she had a feeling that he would rather know.

“Hey, Rival,”

She touched his shoulder lightly. It took a moment before there was any reaction. He groaned a bit, still resting his face above his arm. He turned to her side, opening his eyelids in a rusty way.

Heroine couldn’t help but smile at his widened, chestnut eyes.

“Heroine…?”

His voice was barely audible. 

“Yes, it’s me. I came to… well…”

She took a moment to collect the right words. The stakes were high, but she couldn’t stress him more than needed.

He brought his head up and straightened himself. Looking right at her.

“What’s wrong?”

Nothing, yet. But not for long.

“I need a favor from you.”

He nodded slightly and waited. Looking more serious than she ever saw him.

She didn’t want this. She wanted to comment on his messy bed hair and banter and see his smirk and just go back to her normal life.

“I will leave the school for a while and… and I cannot take my…”

She took a big breath.

“My cat. She’ll have to stay here and she doesn’t trust anyone besides… Will you please…”

“I will take care of Nova.”

Rival tried to smile reassuringly, still looking a bit tense. But the promise meant the world to her. 

Heroine smiled for a bit, too.

“Thank you, I don’t know what I… How would I leave without knowing she’s safe.”

But both of their smiles died down quickly.

“...where are you going?”

She inhaled, hoping to keep herself calm. And him, too.

“I do not know, but I have to. And… and I want to.”

He stared at her for a moment. He still looked tired, but also tense, and… and something else.

“Is it dangerous?”

Yes. I’m scared, Rival.

“I cannot tell you, Rival. This is my own problem.”

“Hero-”

“I never wanted to get you involved. But it’s… Nova, she doesn’t trust anyone besides me, and well…”

and you.

“You can get me involved in everything,”

He said, standing up and holding her gaze.

“Whatever this is, I can help. Please, I never saw you this anxious.”

He extended his hand towards hers, not quite touching, but closer than ever.

She closed the gap, holding his hand.

I’ll miss you, Rival.

Heroine then came forward, hugging him.

He was surprised, but accepting. Wrapping his arms around her himself. It felt nice and warm, and Heroine held him like she’d hold the last piece of normalcy she had.

Her clock buzzed. It was midnight.

“I need to go.”

Heroine said, not moving yet. She felt him sighning and nodding. 

They slowly let go of each other, and Heroine took out the key bunch and gave it to him. For one last moment, he held her hands.

“I won't let you down. I’ll take care of her for as long as needed.”

“Thank you, Rival.”

Heroine started walking away, she opened the door, and looked back once more. Rival’s deep brown eyes were still on her. Still too fearful for her liking.

“I will come back, as soon as possible. Enjoy being the top student while you can.”

She meant it. She will return, maybe sooner than expected. She will come back and hug him again and banter and hold Nova and stress about their exams and everything will be normal.

He smiled at her, hope and playfulness in his eyes. That was how she wanted to remember him.

“Enjoy being a dork in the outside world, nerd.”

“Oh, I will.”

Heroine closed the door and went her way, walking with ease. Knowing that she will return She will come back to hug him again and banter and hold Nova and stress about their exams and everything will be normal.

knowing all of that, Heroine walked into the night with confident steps.

I was grateful for the warmth of my horse's neck. I held on to her as she galloped through the city, skillfully going around people who ran everywhere. Searching for shelter in the night, but Only worsening the chaos.

Another lighting struck a building me, causing another yell of screams.

"EVERYONE HOME NOW!"

I shouted, praying that my voice is heard to all through the thunderstorm.

"DIRECT ORDER FROM THE KING!"

"HOME NOW!"

My horse, steadfast as she was, ran through every street. Inspired by her persistence, I kept yelling to the crowd. Ignoring the thunders, the pouring rain and my rattling sword.

We kept going until the crowds dissapeared. I whispered to my horse to slow down, caressing her neck. I allowed myself to lead her to a small market stall, where we could rest from the rain.

Maybe, just maybe, we finished our part. Maybe our night now ends.

"HELP!"

Of course.

I jumped down and ran towards the voice.

"My sister!

She is stuck under the fallen tree!"

I turned and searched for a tree in my eyes, but there is no... NO

The sound of an unleashed sword stood out against the rain.

I sprut towards my horse, but my sheeth was already empty.

Of course. Someone will try to use this disaster.

This will be a long night.

I saw the blade's shine from above me, and recognized a person climbing the nearby stone building.

She balanced herself on a window, then swiftly brought herself to the next.

"Halt!"

Whether she heard me or not, she made no sign to care. So be it.

I got on my horse and stood up on her saddle. My legs shook, but I managed to hold on to grab at the side of the closet window. I tried to move legs up to it, thankful for the empty street. There was no crowd who saw me wobbling in my armor. I looked up to the stranger, she watched me from afar. I couldn't see her face well, but her head was tilted to the side in an amused way.

I let go of the window's side and started taking off my armor, leaving only a dirty shirt to fend me from the cold. Slowly but surely, I climbed up.

I was cold, clumsy and sluggish, but had a small smirk as I managed to make my progress. This troublemaker picked the wrong knight.

The roof was just above me.

I raised my hand to climb there, and a lighting struck above it. It was the closet one I saw. I would want to believe that it's power made me tremble, but nothing but my own terror caused me to lose my grip.

I fell and- No.

A hand caught my arm, and I grabbed the roof tightly. I felt myself being pulled up signed in relief as rested on concrete matter.

The woman crouched down next to me. Her hood's shadow covered her eyes, but I could see her cocky grin clearly.

"You screamed a little, sir craven."

This could go unmentioned.

I inhaled and looked right into her.

"Thank you,"

The cold was taking it's tall at my exposed skin as I tried to keep my voice confident.

"But I cannot let you steal a weapon of the king's knights.

Tell me where the sword is and we both can go home safely."

Just let us go home.

"I have no evil motive,"

She said assuredly.

"It is right there."

She turned around and I could see my sword.

It was a few meters behind her, emedded in the center of the roof.

"And it needs to stay here. This is the only way to keep the lightings at bay."

She did not sound like she was lying.

And if she had any intent to harm me, she would have already done so.

But danger wears many faces.

I started getting up.

"I am sorry, it is my role t-"

A radiant white light crossed from the sky to the roof.

By incstinct, I tackled onto the hooded woman and placed myself between her and the light. I stayed above her, careful not to let us touch and make us both defensless.

Shaking, I waited for a strike.

"We are safe, craven."

Her voice was so sweet, I could barely tell it was the same person.

"Look."

I slowly opened my eyes.

Her hood fell, and revealed a freckled face and a beaming, knowing smile. Her sparkling, green eyes gestured to the sword.

I unwillingly turned back to it.

It was magic.

The very next lighting struck it as well.

"How?"

Her smile grew brighter.

"A witch never tells."

The white lights only highlighted her eyes. She was far more mirthful than I ever thought a witch would be. Far bolder and kinder, too.

I realized that I was smiling as well.

"Also, you have an awful method to protect someone from a lighting."

She said, deciding I was too happy.

"But, thank you, you are..."

Her smile turned softer.

"Yes?"

I urged her to continue. It was my turn to smirk.

"You are not as much as a craven as you seem."

I tilted my head, still smirking.

"Try not to drool too much, my lady."

She merely rolled her eyes and I laughed. Feeling safe for the first time since the night came.

My smile died down when she started getting up.

"Thank you for your chivalry,"

The witch said, pushing dirt of her cloth.

"and the amusement, of course."

I moved aside to let her stand, yet my eyes were unable to let go of her. I did not even know her name.

"But it seems like your duty is done and mi-"

"Wait, just..."

She did.

The cold barely mattered anymore. I searched for a reason, an excuse, for her not to leave. The way her eyes stared into me made it seem like she was looking for an excuse, too.

"Tell me what is needed to protect the city,"

I said then. Praying that the glint in her eyes was not just my imagination.

"I can get more weapons, and people who will embed them wherever is required."

The witch merely stared at me. Looking for any sign of dishonesty. Then her childish grin came right back.

"If you manage to climb down without fainting, I might just cooperate, sir craven."

Her taunt only made me smile.

"Your challenge is accepted, my lady."

I gestures to the roof's end, bowing a bit. She bowed dramatically, holding her hood with both hands as a dress. Her movements were swift and gallant as she jumped to the window, and soon I started following her.

There was a long night ahead of us.I did not mind that at all.

It all feels the same

I loathe Heroine.

I loathed her ever since the first time I saw her. From the very first flashy, dumb grin she flashed at me.

I loathe the littered freckles on her cheeks and the red, long scar that went over her jawline. The dark circles under her eyes and her forever messy curly hair.

I loathe her stubbornness. How she shows up every day. How she manages to get up every time. How convinced she is that her actions truly matter. How she fights for each pathetic person, as if each and every soul was so precious to her.

I loathe the way she pretends. Pretends to be confident. Pretends to be in control. Even when she is hurt and anxious and so obviously tired. How she comforts every victim, when she can barely calm herself. How she smiles softly, even at me. As if I were that easy to fool.

I hate her for rescuing me. 

She threw herself into the water. She pulled me up to the shore. She stayed until I sat steadily. Then she left. Not even giving a demand or a price or a reason.

I hate how she laughs at my jokes. As if we were friends. As if I actually make her smile.

I hate her most when it’s just the two of us. Hate how calm she gets. Hate how much she underestimates me. How calmer she gets.

And I was angry when I found her lying in the cold. Angry at her recklessness and bravery and passion, that forced her to never back down. Angry that I had to drag her out of there. That she used me for warmth. That she looked so comfortable. 

I get angry when she doubts herself. 

Because I know just how harder my life has been ever since she came to it. I know how kind she is in her greatest victories, I know how purposeful she is in her darkest hours, I know her better than everyone.

I was angry at her lover the moment I met her.

Angry at this feeble, laughable, fool who seemed to think she deserves Heroine. I got furious when she approached me. The idiot smiled and offered her hand.

I pushed it right away. I shoved her past me and wanted to walk away, to wait until she realizes just how useless she is to everyone. Wait until she leaves my and Heroine’s life. 

But she dared to keep talking. Dared to say she understands me. Dared to say Heroine’s name.

I lashed out at her. 

I yelled that she has no right to tell me about Heroine. That she’ll never know Heroine like I do.  That she is just lonely and desperate enough for Heroine to pity. That she would never truly love her.

I was pulled to the ground, and saw Heroine above me.

I could barely recognize her face. There was so much loathe and hatred and anger in her stare. I never saw her like this, not when she fought the worst of villains, not in the most stressful situations and not when I was in danger.

She told me to stay away from her lover.  That otherwise she will kill me.  That she doesn’t want to see me ever again.

She only stopped when my eyes started to water. I couldn't tell anymore what expression she wore, but I saw her leaving.  Panic rose through me, and I called her name. Begging her to stay.

She looked back at me, and for the last time, I saw her clearly. There was no malice nor pity in her eyes. Only disgust.

I loathed myself ever since.

Chess Partner

Rival had that glint in his eyes, she noticed, the one he recently has when they play.

"Things don't look too well for you, don't they?"

The perfect, still, poker-face Heroine mastered kept away any information he tried to get.

"That is what you have said last time."

He frowned a bit, but his eyes kept their shine.

"So you do have a plan..."

"Hopefully."

"Then I shouldn't eat your knight..."

"If you doing this is in my plan."

Rival leaned in and squinted at her. Sometimes, just sometimes, he was too dangerously cute. Heroine hated to admit that to herself, but the way her lips urged to smile at his sight left no doubt.

"So you DO want me to do this...!"

"You can try to interogate me all day, or actually think for yourself."

Hero almost let out a chuckle as she answered. He pouted again, adding a frown and a crooked nose. She finally let out a laugh, dropping her straight face.

"You're a pleasure to play with..."

Rival was quite for a moment, his smile was... It has never been that soft. God her heart beat so fast.

"I can say the same for you."

He blushed a little and looked away. Scratching his scalp, Heroine used the distraction to take mental notes.

He brushed his hair, which she doesn't remember him doing in any other day they met. A warmth grew in her as she hoped that she read the signs right. His clothes were nicer, too. He replaced the usual seeatshirt and sweatpants with a polo shirt and jeans. The shirt's sleeves were shorter, which was nice and...

He has a scar. Right at the back of his forearm, barely noticeable.

"That's it. I'm not eating that. It reeks with a scheme."

Hero knows that scar. And she knows that man. Villain grinned at her.

"Knew this was your plan. Scared now?"

She immediately returned her poker face.

"Plans change."

She played her move quickly and quietly. Villain took some time but made finished his turn.

"I'm gonna win this time, I can feel it."

Hero didn't respond or banter back. She didn't say anything for the next few turns, no matter what he tried to do to tease or make her laugh. He grew more worried each turn.

"Hey ummm..."

She needs to finish this and think of the next step. This was her chance to catch him once and for all.

"You good?"

Looking up, she noticed his worried expression. It was completely geniune when she smiled and reassured him.

"Yes, just got lost in thoughts for a bit."

He smiled back.

"I actually had something weighing on me too, mind if...?"

"Go ahead."

He took a big breath. That moment, she knew what was about to happen. What she wished one of them will be brave enough for. She wished for this ever since they first played her. Ever since he truly challenged her. Ever since he took his loss with a laugh and adoring eyes.

"I know we only ever meet here to play, and that I have annoying jokes and... And an annoying self..."

Even the dread she felt didn't stop her from chuckling.

"But I like... I don't know... This. Playing wit- Even when you win. So you I thought..."

The fact that she knew of his identity didn't stop the butterflies she felt. Making her wish he was who she sees now. Just a softhearted, clever guy she met at an urban chess.

"We could go get ice cream aft-, or something less childis- I mean... Well you-"

This is her chance. Even if not for love. She showed him the best smile she could master.

"How about coffee tomorrow? I know a perfect place."

A coffee shop 50 meters away from a police station. It will be easy.

He smiled shyly and let out of all the air he held in his lungs.

"Sounds perfect..."

His blushed and relieved face turned her stomach. Imagining how he'd look at her tomorrow, when he'll realize who she really is.

But now Heroine must forget about it. She'll smile and laugh and be happy, genuinely happy, that they like each other.

They were chess partners, and she can't allow him to guess her next move.

Rest With Me

"One leg after the other,"

Hero said patienly. The short walk down the dark haklway seemed to go for years. Villain would throw a snarky comment, or try and banter to lighten the atmosphere but he was so tired.

"Here..."

Hero slowly helped him sit and unlocked her door. Villain looked up to look at her, realizing he didn't actually see her for the last two hours.

She was often the serious one between them, but he never saw her face this... Sparkless.

He couldn't find any words of comfort until she crouched down and helped him up again. Villain laid on the sofa, finally resting his sore muscles but not comfortable.

"Wait here. I'll get first aid."

Villain noted how different the appartment was from his last visit. It was messier, even messiar than it usually is, with documents and pictures and notes covering the floor and walls. The biggest pile of crumbled papers laid in front of him, circling a hand made map of the base they barely got out of.

It was really important to her, wasn't it? He signed loudly. Of course he ruined everything.

"I think I know how to take care of your arm, if there is anything worse we will call someone."

Hero sat in front of him, actually seeing him for the first time in a few hours.

"...Villain?"

His despareation was probably shown all over him. Damm it. He could at least save her the guilt.

"They won't ask anything. I would not risk you."

The pillows surrounding him didn't feel soft. He shouldn't be relaxed. He didn't deserve to.

"Villain, is... You... "

She signed placed her hand over his.

"You can tell me anything."

She tried to smile at him, but neither of them were in the mood for it and it died quickly.She took her hand away to take a bandage and start working.

The silence was awful. Hero cleaning his wounds was such a torture that it felt like a cruel joke. He should end this.

"hero..."

Villain gently pushed her hand away from his cuts.

"I'll get off your back. I just... You can go rest and I promise I'll be gone tomorrow morning."

Hero froze. She stared at him speechless, lips trembling.

"Why?"

That was all she managed to say.

"I..."

I am reckless and impulsive, but I can deal with it as long as I'm the only one who suffers from the consequences.I don't want to continue to be a burden.I have risked your LIFE.

"I- just-..."

How is he supposed to say it? Or anything at his state?

"Just leave me, hero."

The silence felt even worse now.Hero stayed still, her hand griping a wet towel. When she finally got up, instea of walking away she placed her free hand over his.

"I would never leave you,"

She said then, Villain tried to fight the butterflies he felt.

"it's only fair. You would never leave me when I need you."

"I..."

"You never did."

She pressed on his hand, leaving no doubt about the sincerity in her voice.

"You came for me today, like you always did. You stood up against Supervillain."

That's what he did, perhaps, but even with that he managed to put her in danger.Hero got captured purposely, ready to go into Supervillain's lair alone to try and rescue her friends.But the moment he saw her held up, he forgot his fear of Supervillain.

By attacking him he brought the entire lair on them."I-"

"You wanted to help."

He... Well he did but...

"I would have done the same. You know that."

She would. Villain caught himself smiling. When he looked up and saw her brighter smile, he pressed joined their fingers. Being still tired and bruised and scared, he could only look at his Hero with loving eyes. Relief and relaxation visible on her face.

He wants to believe her words so bad

"I'll get you clean up, we'll rest for a bit, then think of the next step."

He nodded, hoping that she understood how much he's committed. They will heal. They will not be broken. They will save her team. Together.

Hero sat on the couch beside, getting comfortable as she leaned in and got back to bandaging. He missed her warmth in his hand but felt himself relax.

And now, finally, both of them managed to rest.

"You'll be left alone here."

Hero didn't even look back. Seemingly not hearing him as she looked for arrows on the ground.

Villain stood at the other side of the room, gripping the rusty dorknob.

"This is hopeless."

She made no indication that she heard him. Only threw a chair that stood between her and a single, glinting arrow.

She then moved next to the arrowslit, trying her bow with it. Not sparing him a glance.

"Do you have death wish? Hero, they have spears and axes and torches- This whole town will turn to ashes."

She kept watching the window. Her posture tense and her breaths shallow.

"Her-"

"Then go,"

Her voice came out as a whisper.

"I am not stopping you."

To that, he found himself to be at loss for words. Because somehow, she did. His nerves urged him to run away, but he could only stand there watching her.

He knew that running away is what he needs to do now.He knew that these bastards marching here will take no prisoners. He knew Hero will not move from where she stands, prepairing to delay the mob for as long as she breaths. Ready to give her life for a chance that the townspeople will manage to get away.

Curse her tenacious soul.

She slightly tilted her face towards him. But in moment they locked eyes she seemed almost... surprised. As if she didn't expect him to still be there.

"You do not have to stay."

She said softly, fully looking at him now. She was battle-ready, but her rich walnut eyes shone with something softer. Will this be the last time he sees them?

"No."

She frowned, studying him carefully.

"Hero, please, this is crazy. How many do you think you'll take? And for WHAT?"

He gestured outside, where panicked families ran away as fast as they could.

"For som- some FOOLS who brought hell upon themeselve?"

"What did they ever do for you? What could possibly ever make you face an army for them!? Th-"

"But you are still here, too."

Hero's voice turned almost hopeful.

Villain looked aside. He should not be here. Maybe he was the crazy one.

"Some things in life are worth protecting. Even from an army."

He didn't even look at her, but could tell that she said it with a smile.

"I know you had it rough, we both had, but can you not imagine this?"

He dared looking back at her. Her eyes stayed steady on him.

"Having something you will fight for until your last breath?"

The way she said it was filled with purpose and hope and... and maybe even...

Before he thought of it, he took out his sword and stepped closer to her. She turned to face him, a relived smile on her features. Her shoulders relaxed when he gently touched her cheek.

A first wave of rushing warriors could be seen from the arrowslit.

"I can, actually."

pretty sure this is what the search history of the characters in enemies to lovers fanfics looks like ---

Enemies to lovers exept it's Enemies to Crime fighting detective adopts criminal because they realized they just needed some proper parental guidance in their life

“You fuck her harder. She cries out against your palm—and you squeeze your eyes shut, pretending she’s someone else.”

headlines and heartstrings on wattpad xx

A behaviour previously unheard of

I woke up on a strange bed, on a strange room, on a strange body.

Ok, no, it was my body, it just felt strange because I was thirsty and tired. I was on the softest bed I had ever lied on, and my back wasn't used to it. I had been chasing a demon all over the country.

I didn't knew who it was possesing, or what was his plan. All I knew was that he was targeting me personally. Herding me, taunting me, leaving dead things outside my window. There was a dead squid on the windosill right now. It stinked.

I was a bounty hunter, specializing in 3rd realm entities. I was working towards the licensing for Woy realm as well, but full time jobs mean that studying is a slow affair. I wish I had tried harder, though. 5 months away from the license and I'm going to die. Slowly, if the demon has broght me here instead of killing me on the spot. It means it will not consume my flesh, but my life-magic. It's risky and brings atention, but it will be nigh invincible when it finishes.

Not that I care. I will be dead, and there's no one in my life to worry about. I won't be missed or miss anyone. That's depressing.

Mom and dad sucked, prefering booze and drugs and orgies over their own children. Probably why my sister was a junkie who was in and out of prision. My coworkers weren't bad, but they weren't my friends, of which I had none to speak of. I had only had one serious partner once, but I prefered not to think about it. It was also depressing.

Him, I did miss. We had 3 beautiful years together, more happines that I ever thought possible or diserved, until he had gotten the letter.

His mother was sick. Deathbed sick.

He immediately wanted to go to her, but it was two whole countries away. I didn't knew the language back then, or the customs (I still don't know those, but I learned the language, to torture myself I think), but I do know they kill anyone who commits the smallest offense. The higher ones get torture first. They had no hunters there, apparently no creatures or magic either. They had days in which the entire earth shook and moved, and yearly floods. It sounds like a horrible place. He never spoke fondly of it, and she had no property or money or security for him to arrive to. I didn't knew how she lived.

I didn't understand why he wanted to go, why he prefered that women he hadn't seen in 10 years over me. He didn't understand why I wouldn't come with him, as I had nothing in my life besides him. We said some things to each other. He eventually left, slamming the door. I assumed he would return, but he never did. Left everything he owned in my house, my heart included.

I cried myself to sleep that week. Something died inside me, which suprised me because I thought there was nothing inside of me to die. Funnily enough, the same thing was happening right now. I thought my life was pointless, that someday some creature would kill me and I just.. didn't care. Until it was happening, and then I did very much care. I surprised myself because I wanted to live. I wanted to find him. I promised to myself I would go look if I survived the demon.

The demon I heard coming down the hall.

It wasn't ugly, though? It looked freshly bathed, hair combed and clothes well fitted. Usually they look disheveled, and smell strongly of unwashed human. That's how you can tell them appart on their human form.

You are awake. Good. Do you need something?

I heard his voice on my head. They are telepatic in this form, as they have no throat or lungs or organs on their body, (mouth, nostrils, ears, asshole and vaginas where applicable were blind holes, only there for the ilusion of humanity; if you cut it in half you'll just find skin and meat, like a human shaped sausage, they stay upright and are tough only because of magic).

But I must have been alucinating because I thought I heard him ask if I needed something.

-Wa..Wat- I couldn't speak. He got it for me anyways.

-Thanks.

You're welcome.

Ok, that was unnerving. He was not only speaking on my head again (creepy), but also being nice. Demons don't do that, they kill and consume until they themselves are killed or consumed, by other demons or their own actions. But this one wasn't doing either.

-Are you going to take my life-magic or kill me?

Neither. The love of my life is in mortal danger. I need your help.

Nicky and Joe just out there absolutely crushing the enemies to lovers trope. no one’s doing it like them. iconic.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Targeted

MODERN AU!

── ⊹ ࣪ ˖ Killua Zoldyck x fem!reader .ᐟ.ᐟ

Disclaimer!: Mentions of swearing, drugs, violence, explicit language. GON AND KILLUA ARE AGED UP!

⤷ Act I —chapter 1 of the targeted series

chapter summary: In which Killua is assigned to assassinate.. a broke college student..?

“so.. pretty boy am I the target of your affection or your assassination hm?

“shut the hell up idiot.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

note: this is my debut post :D I’m actually so excited to start this series!!

This actually took me like three days to write because I was procrastinating so bad lol

let’s see if I can finish this before my lack of interest finishes me~ happy reading!! <3

…

“she looks like a complete weakling..” The man mumbled as he ran his hand, though his white spiky hair and sighed “you know what my job is correct?” he asked impatiently seemingly already annoyed by how easy the target was.

“assassin, one of the finest out there I wouldn’t call you for no reason..” the old man chuckled it was surprised the guy was still alive. He was in his 70s and still alive and kicking. but to Killua his job was nothing more of a chore. He didn’t enjoy it so why the hell was this old man ordering him to kill a weakling..? she must be important somehow. Killua sighed and crossed his arms, flexing his muscles, through his compression shirt before raising an eyebrow at the old man “bounty?” he asked bluntly. He didn’t sugarcoat things clearly that was evident. “pardon?” the old man gestured for the young man to repeat himself perhaps he was just getting old and more deaf by the second “I said her bounty I assume she has one since you’re the one recommending me to assassinate the poor soul..” Killua explained as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and staring at the old man in the suit with his blue eyes that never faltered even once.

“I believe her bounty.. is about 2.5 billion..” the old man finished with his tone casual. Killua’s eyes widened a little bit he wasn’t surprised at the bounty after all his targets were usually people with huge bounties on their heads, but how can this weakling earn such a bounty as 2.5 billion..? it baffled him. “the hell did she even do?” The young man, inquired his gaze slightly curious he wondered how can such a weakling have such a high bounty, she didn’t look insane. She didn’t look crazy. She didn’t look like she came from a mental facility. She looked normal now that was unusual.

“did some crimes here and there, but I have my own reasons why I want her dead…” the old man replied with a sudden pale look he didn’t bother telling the young assassin. The reasons why he wanted her dead in the first place Killua chuckles idiotically “you piss me off old man you aren’t telling me what the reason is aren’t you?” he questioned irritatingly. He was desperately curious to why the hell such a weakling had such a high bounty on her head. “isn’t it obvious? Respect your elders” the old man glared at him This young man was such a fine assassin, but he was an actual headache. Killua rolled his eyes slightly for a 19-year-old He was acting like a kid. “do we have a deal Killua..?” the old man questioned though the young man looked uninterested and bored the old man sighed “I’ll offer you twice the bounty..” Killua’s expression, never faltered, though he tilted his head to the side “ 4.5 billion..? Eh? Make make it 8..” he requested as he yawned seemingly bored the old man could only shake his head in exasperation before nodding

“i’ll have the girl assassinated soon..”

He declared pushing himself off the wall before walking away steps, light and calculated, stuffing his hand in his pocket to grab a cigarette bud, as well as a lighter out of his sweats before lighting it the flame igniting, and smoke rushing out of the cigarette as he walked down the alley.

“tsk stupid old man.. asking me to kill a weakling..”

He muttered as he looked at the screen monitor. There was multiple screens, with a total of four screens. One monitor was open towards Instagram. He wasn’t active. He was barely active on social media. He wasn’t really a social person nor a people person, and of course he had to be stalking her.

He was going to kill her. How else was he supposed to assess his target? (Name) ivory.

He opened up Instagram, his mouse clicking on the profile, The screen lit up with her profile picture and various photos with a following of 5K. And his eyes landed on the various amount of photos she had taken of her smile he momentarily froze in his chair his eyes softened ever so slightly as a red tint spread across his cheeks..

if he wasn’t an assassin, and if he wasn’t out to kill her he would admit she was so pretty no… not the right word beautiful her smile was so warm She had a the most perfect silhouette and her beautiful crimson eyes in his eyes she was perfect no perfect for him—wait no he wasn’t supposed to admire his target. “Ah fuck me..” he mumbled as he held his red blushing face. His ears were red. he felt like his face was burning up with a fever. His heart was pounding uncontrollably what was happening to him? He never thought he could feel these feelings for anyone. Her smile was just so adorable..

Wait, why was he blushing over a weakling?

He shook off those thoughts as he tried to maintain composure again,thus failing to do so therefore he had to click off of Instagram because that’s how bad this weakling was affecting him… he hated it

…

“so why the hell are you guys getting another roommate again?” Killua asked in sudden curiosity as he continued to sip his coffee everybody that knows this kid’s family is filthy rich to even be on school grounds so safe to say— why the hell was he on a university campus? To visit his best friend, and two weirdos at least one of them is a weirdo.

“Well.. that’s because someone can’t afford to pay the dorm fees, isn’t that right?” The blonde glared that the male across from him in an expensive set of scrubs his tone more like passive aggressiveness than anything. “KURAPIKA!! I’m not that broke..! I’m just in very deep debt..! the guy with scrubs yelled an irk mark appearing on his forehead. He was about to get gray hairs from these aggravating little shits especially those two not the Revelette he was a sweetheart sometimes.. “will you two just act civil for once?” the Revelette Gon warned the two. He shook his head in exasperation. These two were no better than actual high school students he was surprised they both even made it to college at least Leorio with his attitude. “ just give it up Gon those two haven’t changed since high school and we all know that..” Killua snickered he was telling the truth he remembered the day when they first all met, it was his sophomore year. He really wasn’t aiming to make any sort of friends honestly it wasn’t until he met Gon and these two weirdos at least one of them in his perspective. “so.. have you guys met somebody who would be willing to keep up with your asses besides me?” Killua asked abruptly. Gon looked at him, almost offended, but he was used to it. He couldn’t help whatever came out of the albino mouth. “HEY!! who the hell are you calling an ass?” Leorio yelled angrily. While the others ignored him. “ yeah we did meet somebody… I’m surprised somebody was actually willing to take up that room. It really isn’t much for a university student you know?” Kurapika expressed his curiosity for the new roommate they were getting. “All that matters is that we found someone who could help pay for the dorm” Gon sighed in relief. They had spent over two weeks, trying to find somebody who could fill that spot and they were thankful they found one. “actually I invited her here with us today because she hasn’t met Kurapika or Leorio and I guess she’ll meet you since you’re here Killua.” Gon said awfully being awfully cheerful about this situation She? She’s female? I wonder how she’ll react living in the dorm with a few guys especially these ones. Killua thought

It wasn’t until he heard the café door swing open, and he got a glimpse of those crimson eyes before hearing heels, tapping onto the floorboards of the café.

Shit.. are you really serious right now?

“it’s nice to meet you all. I’ll be your new roommate for the next semester I’m (name) ivory..”

The female introduced herself and then their eyes met his cold icey, blue eyes crashing with her blood, red crimson eyes that’s when Killua knew, he was probably going to fuck this up so bad..

©𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒔 2025 ‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅

I hope this doesn't find you by ann liang is so jily coded

Needy (Part 2)

When the Hero regained consciousness, they were very surprised for a couple of reasons. One- they weren't supposed to open their eyes again, they were supposed to be dead, and the cause of death would be 'choked by the Villain's sturdy hands'; two- their treacherous heart just wouldn't shut up, way too excited at the possibility that maybe, just maybe, this villain wasn't really as bad as they portrayed themselves to be (and would somehow magically turn into one of the villain personalities whom the Hero swooned over almost everyday on their smartphone) and three- they were currently tied up in some abandoned warehouse and the rough ropes were hurting their wrist.

It seemed like they had made enough noise waking up, because a shadow was walking towards them from the corner of the building. The Hero gulped- this is bad, I really can't protect myself right now because my hands are literally tied. The Hero's anxiety was at alarmingly high levels as they tried to internally calm themselves down (which didn't work). The shadow went over and flicked on the light switch, momentarily blinding the Hero.

Like a puppet cut off from its strings, the Hero slumped down in utter relief, voice a breathy sigh as they spoke, "It's only you huh, thank goodness, I was afraid it might be someone else who wanted to hurt me." They saw the Villain looking at them like they were a creature from another planet, standing comfortably by the wall.

The Villain sure as hell had good reason for their facial expressions and actions, their mind currently running a marathon- why did the Hero look so relieved after seeing that it was me, when they were clearly terrified just a moment ago? I mean, I'm the Villain... how can they be so sure that I wouldn't harm them? Their mind immediately pulled up the mental image of how all the tension in the Hero's shoulder just left once they knew that it was them standing in the corner, and how relieved their voice sounded. It was seriously very disturbing and the Villain couldn't understand why.

The Villain walked closer to the Hero who was currently struggling to get out of those ropes, "How did you know that I wouldn't hurt you? ", the Villain questioned, voice dark, " don't give me this bullshit of 'I trusted you' -

"But I did, and I do." The Hero had stopped wiggling in their chair and focused all of their attention on the Villain who looked like he was kicked in the gut. "Huh?", was all the distressed villain could manage, eyes fixed on the enigmatic Hero. The Hero simply chuckled- a soft sound that did weird things to the Villain's chest, " I mean no offense Villain, but you could have seriously killed me, with your fingers around my neck and all-"

The Hero didn't even see the Villain move, and before they knew it, their mouth was clamped shut by the Villain's hand, amber eyes looking into theirs desperately, "Just don't talk." , the villain said curtly- because it's driving me mad, you're driving me mad.

"O-okay?" The Hero said unsure of themselves, focusing their attention back into getting themselves out of those ropes. The Villain was just going to go and mull in the corner, and have an inner monologue with themselves before a loud groan- which soon turned into a pained whine, came from the direction of the Hero. They Villain whisked their head back so quickly, and surprised themselves because of how much they cared. They sprang over to where they tied the Hero, eyes meticulously going over the binds- I know I didn't tie it that tightly...

"What's wrong?" , the Villain asked, letting just a little emotion seep into their voice. The Hero looked up at them and it was only then that the Villain noticed how tired they were- those eyes that had always shined like a starry sky were now a dull blue, dark circles lining those eyes like they were a permanent inhabitant of their handsome/beautiful face. Though according to the Villain, they had no place there.

"Is there something on my face?" ,the Hero asked, twisting and turning a little. Bad move, they thought, as a loud gasp tore out of their throat and they doubled over in pain. The Villain was there in a jiffy, holding them up gently. They even let them lean on their body for support and the Hero couldn't help but smile despite the pain.

"What's wrong?!" The Villain asked once again, eyes searching every visible nook and corner of the Hero's body for any sign of injuries.

"I-It hurts.", they gasped, leaning in closer to the Villain.

The Villain got rid of the restraints themselves, carried the Hero bridal style and placed them on the floor to get a better look at them, all the while the Villain's mind was at crossroads- why am I doing this? vs I don't want to see them hurt playing on a loop inside their head. With every jostle the Hero flinched and the Villain's chest clenched with guilt?- something that they hadn't allowed themselves to feel in ages.

"Where does it hurt?" The Villain's voice came out gentle, and they surprised themselves once again.

They looked down to see the Hero grinning at them, eyss once again becoming a starry sky. Despite going through every possibility in their head as to how the Hero would react when they woke up again, grinning and soft eyes was definitely not on the Villain's list of possibilities- It made them weak.

"Here and here." The Hero pointed with their index finger to the general area around their ribs and below. No external injury could be seen, which meant that it was damaged internally- that's bad. The Villain went through the first aid procedures in their head.

The Hero smiled at them, "You don't have to look so worried Villain, I'll be fine. You've done enough, so I'll just go and get myself admitted at a hospital. " The Hero attempted to stand up, only to curl in on themselves again.

The Villain was angry, because it seemed like this stupid Hero was only desperate to hurt themselves more. And it made them even more furious to admit that they let something like "the Hero's wellbeing" get to them.

"Just sit here and don't move, I'm going to get the first aid supplies." The Villain made sure to glare extra hard at the greenie Hero so that they wouldn't get any other foolish ideas. They watched the Hero nod happily, as they made their way over to the other side of the room, looking for said supplies.

"So this is really where you live huh- and they went into a furious coughing fit. The Villain rushed back, cursing the Hero in their mind for not even giving them a few moments of peace, hand rubbing soothing circles onto their back. In the back of their mind though, the Villain was relieved at the fact that the Hero at least had a brain in there. They watched as the Hero gasped and spluttered, struggling to breathe. They definitely broke a few ribs during the fight, the Villain's mind fed worryingly from the Hero's reaction. Their hands instantly started working on the first aid measures, patching the Hero up the best they could.

"Don't talk, don't move, stay still." The Villain's voice may have sounded deep and cold but the Hero could feel the warmth in each of those words. They were slowly starting to feel tired, eyelids closing involuntarily once again.

The Villain stared at their nemesis, a look of fear stretching across their face, "Oi, don't close your eyes! Hero! Listen to me!"

-

The Hero woke up once again, this time to beeping sounds and bleary white walls. A hospital. They only turned their head, suddenly aware of the pain below their chest and their eyes landed on a slumped figure, on a chair by their bedside. Villain... had they admitted them to the hospital? How did I even get here? Don't tell me that they carried me all the way here?!

The Hero's face heated up at the thought, and they wiggled their hands in front of their face, swatting the thought away as if it were a fly. They sighed, feeling much better than they remembered feeling before they blacked out. Their eyes shifted to their phone which gave a soft glow in the dark.

One new message.

Villain: Your phone really doesn't have any useful information at all, you greenie Hero.

The Hero chuckled at the apparent annoyance that the Villain might have felt upon the discovery. It was the truth, they really weren't allowed to know as much as their higher ups did.

Villain: Open your notes.

The Hero became alarmed, their fingers flying to the notes app. The notes was like their personal diary and they never let anyone read through them. They were pissed, eyes glaring at the sleeping villain as they opened the most recently edited note-

The story I read today was so good, I hope I get to meet a villain like that in my life!

Well you met one today, what did you think? Tell me after you wake up- Villain.

And the story was nothing special, I read it. I'm sure we could do so much better than that- Villain.

If the Hero's cheeks weren't flaming then, they sure were now. They weren't even mad anymore, just giddy, smiling like an idiot at the sleeping Villain.

"You were amazing, Villain."

The Hero opened up the Villain's chat-

H: How am I supposed to tell you if you're still asleep dummy. Wake up!!!

H: And next time, don't just snoop around my phone while I'm asleep. Just ask me and I'll give it to you.

okay this ended up being way more cheesy than it was in my head lol/ villain gets influenced by hopeless romantic hero/ it's the beginning of their own fanfic inspired heroxvillain relationship/hero is extremely satisfied-hope you all liked it.