heroexxs

[heroexxs]

you know what's really hot?? paying attention to me

[heroexxs]

Antonia Gentry as Summer Field in Time Cut (2024).

[heroexxs]

okay but imagine a one-night stand thread where we both randomly pick one of our muses and go along with it. that way they’re complete strangers that aren’t necessarily compatible or maybe they strangely are. the point of it is to find out and play around with chemistry !

[heroexxs]

brianna didn’t flinch when she heard the familiar voice cut through the quiet rooftop air. of course she was here. of course she found her, again. a quiet chuckle slipped from her lips as she finally glanced over, one brow raising. “ah, so you’re talking to me now?" there was still a weight in her chest she couldn’t quite shake. the silence. the disappearing. the way maddie helped without saying a word, then vanished again like it was nothing, like brianna didn’t deserve a real goodbye, just a scribbled note and a suggestion to get her ribs checked out. it was starting to wear her down. the push and pull. the way maddie danced around her like a shadow. “or is this just you trying to get your knife back?” she added with another quiet laugh, eyes trailing back down to the city with hers. but then maddie said it, it needs you alive, and it hit harder than she wanted it to. because she was the one who had been sent to kill her. she knew that. and maddie did too.

brianna pulled back from the edge and eased herself down, closer to the center of the roof, her arm instinctively wrapping around her side for support. her ribs still ached like hell. “what’s your plan?” she asked, turning to look at her again. “and don’t bullshit me, maddie. please.” there was something raw in her voice now. not anger. not even hurt, really. just tired honesty. she searched maddie’s eyes, hoping to find even a flicker of something, truth, doubt, anything real. “are you gonna kill me or not?” the question hung heavy between them, and for a long moment, brianna let it sit there. she thought she already knew the answer. if maddie had wanted her dead, she would’ve done it by now. maybe that was foolish hope, but it was hope all the same. “personally, i’d rather you didn’t,” she said with a soft, tired smile, trying to keep her voice light despite everything. “you’ve got two less broken ribs than i do, so i feel like you’d win obviously.” she let out a dry laugh and then softened again, her gaze holding maddie’s.

“i’ll go back inside and get some rest. but i’m not going without you.” her meaning was clear. it wasn’t just about getting off the rooftop. there was still something between them, some magnetic pull neither of them had been able to escape, no matter how hard they tried or how many times they pushed each other away. it lingered in the space between their silences and filled the cracks in every tense goodbye. “so,” she said quietly, steady, “what are you gonna do?”

she had tried to spend the day away from brianna. keeping herself busy in other ways, and maybe taking care of a couple of idiots here and there, just so that the brunette wouldn't have to. she hadn't seen her around, which meant that she was safe, probably at home or hopefully, being treated for the broken ribs she had. and yet, just as night fell, like clockwork, maddie found herself heading towards the brunette's building, feet guiding her out of habit, despite knowing she shouldn't. despite knowing that seeing her again would only make the inevitable harder.

brows furrowed as she saw her climb to the roof, almost glad to notice she wasn't dressed in her new vigilante outfit. still, she didn't look good, but if the blonde was honest, she could tell that it wasn't just about the kick she had taken. it was something more, in the way she held herself as if she would break. sighing softly, she made her way onto the roof, keeping her steps quiet until she was close enough to be heard. "you know, if you throw yourself from up there, i don't get my bonus." she teased, making her way next to brianna, as if some invisible string was tugging her closer.

she let the silence settle, unsure of what to say. her eyes followed the movements of the city as she nodded slowly. "since you're not all dressed up, i'm guessing i was right about the ribs." maddie spoke, the question unsaid but still obvious. "you should rest. they'll be fine without you." she added, resisting the urge to take the brunette into her arms. "go to sleep, brianna. this city might need you, but it needs you alive."

[heroexxs]

damian’s eyes didn’t leave hers, not for a second. her breathless “how are you going to do that?” just made his lips twitch into the faintest, crooked smile. there it was, that spark, that pull he’d been trying to ignore every time she looked at him like she almost knew. and now? now there was no going back. he leaned a little closer, voice low, like it was just for her. “first? by not being scared to admit i want you.” a pause. a smirk. “second? by doing everything he doesn’t.” he let that sink in, his eyes flicking down to her lips for half a second, long enough to make it obvious, but not long enough to be disrespectful. “i’d listen. actually listen when you talk. i’d show up when you need someone, not when it’s convenient. and if you gave me half a chance...” his voice dropped slightly as he leaned in closer, “... i’d have you forgetting he ever existed.” he watched her carefully then, but not like he was waiting for permission, more like he was waiting for her to see it. to feel it.

the way the air between them had changed. the tension that had always lingered but had never been touched. “you know i’d treat you better,” he murmured, thumb brushing lightly along her hand if she let him. “you wouldn’t be a second thought with me. you’d be the only one.” he let the silence stretch for a beat, then tilted his head toward the door behind her, gaze warm and teasing. “so… are you gonna keep me standing out here all night, or are you gonna invite me in?”

She had a BIT of an idea about what he’d felt but hearing it out loud made it all kinds of real— and scary at the same time. She felt SIMILAR; she got the feeling he’d known— he could’ve right? Not like he could ignore the way she looked at him sometimes— or the fact that he was here maybe was because her behavior had somehow pushed him to it? She couldn’t really tell.

She held her breath for what seemed like forever, finally letting it out slowly, shaking her head. “I— ” she began, unsure of what she should say next. Her eyes locked onto his, taking in a breath as she shifted, not quite pushing him away. “— HOW are you going to do that?” she asked after what seemed like forever; because the last thing she wanted was to shun him away.

[heroexxs]

Gabe jolted upright at the sound of the break room door creaking open, nearly knocking over the coffee cup teetering on the edge of the table. His jacket was bunched up behind his head like a makeshift pillow, and the faint imprint of the fabric lined one side of his cheek. He blinked a few times, disoriented for half a second, before his eyes landed on Sofia, and then he sat up like he’d been fully alert this entire time. “Oh, hey,” he said, voice scratchy with sleep he was very much pretending hadn’t happened. He rubbed at his eyes quickly and straightened out his wrinkled shirt, attempting the most casual stretch known to man. “Wasn’t sleeping, by the way. Just... you know, practicing stillness. Deep mindfulness. Very enlightened stuff.” But the lazy smile tugging at his lips gave him away. And so did the faint red line from the table edge pressed into his arm.

When she stepped a little closer, he relaxed instantly, his hand reaching out to wrap gently around hers. His thumb brushed against her knuckles as he looked up at her with a quiet fondness, like just seeing her was enough to make everything feel right again. He gave a sleepy chuckle before leaning back against the wall again, eyes never leaving hers. “Okay, fine, I was definitely asleep. But to be fair, I was dreaming about finishing your sign and you giving me a gold star for being the world’s best night shift boyfriend. Very productive.” He patted the spot on the bench next to him and grinned. “Sit with me a minute. You look like you’ve been sprinting for hours.” His free hand reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear before resting gently on her leg. “How much longer you got on your shift?” he asked, voice softer now. “Because I was thinking, if you’re not completely dead by the time you're off, we could get some real food. Like actual food. Not just the snacks I bought. Or we could just lay around, I'd love that, too..”

Sofia smiled, gosh he was so adorable and caring with her, no matter what he was there for her. She'd dated guys in the past that hated her doing night shifts, because she couldn't be an active and present girlfriend, she couldn't be there when they were awake and when they had time. But Gabe? He was willing to change everything in his own life and schedule to be there with her, so that when they went home they were both going to bed, and they were both going to relax. "Half silent scream, that happens at least once every night shift." She confessed, some nights it got too much and too frustrating, you had to just have a little moment alone. "You can do that, but I don't want to share you with everyone else, you're my emotional support Gabe." She teased and leaned in, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him softly.

"Are you sure? Have you heard radio at this time of night? It sucks, it's like the DJ's think it's rave time for everyone listening." She chuckled, meeting his eyes, no matter what she said, he was going to stay, and he was going to be there when she finished so that he could take her home. "Oh baby, your bags are never going to match mine. These are fully engrained in to my skin since starting night shifts back in med school. Your face is much prettier and fresher than mine." She teased, moving her hand up to his face, stroking his cheek softly before sighing as her pager went off. "I got to go, baby. If you get too tired, go home. Or at least have a nap, okay? I'll come down and see you again when I can. Get working on that cute sign for me."

[heroexxs]

Gabe barely remembered closing the space between them, one second he was pushing through the crowd of students, and the next he was kissing her like the world had tilted back into place. His lips moved slow against hers at first, like he didn’t want to rush the moment, but the way she melted into him had his arms tightening around her without a second thought. The hallway noise faded around them, everything narrowing down to the taste of her, the way her fingers brushed his jaw, the way her smile curved against his mouth between kisses. He pulled back just slightly, breath warm against her lips, forehead resting gently against hers as he looked at her like he still couldn’t believe she was real. “Okay,” he murmured, voice low and light with a grin, “you definitely win for best surprise of my life.” His thumb brushed over her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her again, a little softer this time, slower, like he wanted to savor every second she was home. After a few more stolen kisses, he eased back just enough to speak again. “You wanna head back to the apartment?” he asked, his hand slipping down to lace his fingers through hers. “I’ve got nothing on the schedule now. It’s just me, you, and whatever you want.” He gave her hand a squeeze, eyes warm as he smiled at her. “Wanna order your favorite takeout, pick a dumb movie, stay in bed all day, I don’t care what it is, long as I get to do it with you.”

Sofia had been nervous waiting for him, and couldn't help but wonder if maybe she should have waited at his apartment or something. She looked up and noticed a few faces staring at her through the class window, and before she knew it a mountain of kids were running out excitedly. Then she saw him. Trying to push through the sea of kids and running towards her. That smile of his, everything about him, it was so much better in person, better than her mind ever remembered. Hearing him tell them to let him get to her first, it made her heart skip a beat. Seeing him in the flesh just brought her such a rush of emotions, her arms open for him as soon as he ran over, feeling her heart pounding with excitement as she felt his arms wrapped around her. She nuzzled in to him, getting lost in him as she reached on her tiptoes for a kiss. The smile on her lips was never going to fade, she knew by the end of the night her cheeks were going to be aching. "Well I'm glad i could be of service." She teased as she melted in to his touch, unable to get enough of him as she reached up to cup his cheeks and press tender kisses against his lips. "That means you get to run off then?" She asked with hope in her voice, knowing there was no way in hell he was going to turn back. She could tell he had rushed, his jacket half on, his bag strewn around him haphazardly. "I couldn't wait, I knew I just had to come and see you as soon as you finished. I wanted to surprise you, as soon as they said I could leave early I knew you were the first person I had to see."

[heroexxs]

brianna shifted slightly, pressing the melting ice closer to her bruised side as she sank further into the pillows. her eyes squeezed shut, not from the pain this time, but from the aching hope that maybe sleep would come, or better yet, that she’d open her eyes and see a familiar silhouette crawling through her bedroom window. it was stupid to even let herself think it. she knew that. maddie wasn’t coming. she shouldn’t come, but still, in the quiet hum of the room, there was that tiny flicker of hope that she might, storm in, scold her for being reckless, call her an idiot for going out at all, then wrap her arms around her like she did the night before. all brianna wanted was to be in her arms again, to hear her voice telling her it’d be okay, even if it was a lie. instead, all she had was the sharp throb in her side, anchoring her to the reality that maddie was gone, and she was the one who had to live with it. eventually, sleep pulled her under, slow and heavy. she curled in on herself, arms around her ribs in some desperate attempt to cradle the pain away.

when sunlight broke through the window the next morning, it stung her eyes. for a second, she reached out blindly, half-expecting the weight of another body beside her, the warmth of familiar skin, but there was nothing. just the cold imprint of where no one had been. her eyes darted to the window, which was still cracked open, letting in the early breeze. and then she saw it, the glint of a knife sticking up from the windowsill. a piece of paper fluttered beneath it, held in place. she sat up slowly, gritting her teeth as her side screamed in protest. her fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife, pulling it free with a quiet sigh. she ran her thumb along the edge of the note, unfolding it like it might shatter if she moved too fast. she read it once. twice. a dozen more times before letting the paper fall into her lap. she closed the window quietly, sealing in the silence.

she kept her promise though, dragging herself to the clinic, unsurprised when they confirmed what she already knew, two broken ribs. rest, they said. take it easy. but how could she? the city never stopped. it didn’t sleep, didn’t pause to catch its breath. and if it wasn’t going to rest, why should she? by the time the sun set again, she was back home, a new ice pack taped tightly to her ribs. the pain hadn’t dulled much. every wrap of gauze around her torso sent a wince through her, but she welcomed it. instead of sitting with the police scanner like she normally would, she made her way up to the roof. the cool air hit her face as she stepped into the night, arms crossed gently against her side. she moved toward the edge, one hand bracing her against the railing. from up there, the city looked like it always did—too busy to care. cars passed. people walked. lights flickered on and off in high-rise windows. and somewhere down there, maybe, was maddie. blending in. disappearing like she always could. brianna stared a little longer, as if she might catch a glimpse of that blonde hair in the crowd. part of her hoping she wouldn’t. part of her praying she would.

she listened. she wasn't supposed to be there, especially not so close, just outside of brianna's room when the brunette could have seen her. maddie had felt her body freeze when she had seen her open the window, something tugging in her chest as she realized why. it was careless. it was stupid. people wanted her dead and brianna was leaving the window open, like a bat signal to get murdered. but then she had understood. it wasn't for anyone else. it was for her. a silent question, a hope - and it made maddie want to throw up. she moved closer, hearing the noises brianna made as she laid down, the groans and hisses making maddie want to find that guy and finish him for good. but she couldn't. she wasn't her bodyguard. she wasn't even her friend. she was supposed to be nothing to her and yet, all she could think about was brianna. how she had felt in her arms and how she wanted to make sure that she was okay. that she was safe.

she didn't answer the silent plea. it swirled around her gut and she had to take her familiar blade out and play with it just to distract herself. she was going to kill her. not tonight. maybe tomorrow. if she wanted to, it would be so easy - she could hear her soft breathing, a slight whistle in it indicating that she had at least one rib broken. she would just have to smother her with a pillow, and the mission would be done. she'd be flown somewhere else, far away and forget her. but she couldn't. not now. if brianna wanted to sleep with the window open, maddie would stay right there, making sure that no one came in.

as the hours flew by, city lights stretching all around her, she let her head rest against the outside wall of the building, checking for any noise of distress. just before sunrise, she grabbed a piece of paper from the notebook she kept on herself - the one where she'd scribbled brianna's details - age, habits, weaknesses - and tore a page out, writing on it a quick note. making sure that brianna was still asleep, she left it on the windowsill, with one of her throwing knives pinned into it. she shouldn't have, but she allowed herself a peek inside, watching the way brianna looked - curled up, brows furrowed in pain. she wanted to get inside, hold her and take care of her. but she wasn't supposed to. she wasn't allowed to. so instead, maddie sighed softly, and did what she knew best, once again, and left.

[you have a broken rib, maybe 2. get it checked out. i'm sorry]

[heroexxs]

will’s fingers curled gently around hers, holding on like maybe that could steady the restless beat of his heart, though he was sure she could feel every bit of it pulsing through his touch. his thumb brushed slow, steady circles over the back of her hand, a quiet attempt to give her the kind of calm she always managed to give him just by being there. just by looking at him the way she did. like she trusted him. like she wanted him here. the weight of her gaze, warm and certain, made his chest ache in a way he hadn’t expected. i love you, he still couldn’t believe she’d said it first, and that it had come so easy, like it had been sitting just under the surface all this time. “i love you too,” he muttered back, voice low but sure, a soft smile tugging at his lips. a quiet laugh followed as he gave her hand a small squeeze, just to let her know he meant it. that he was here. “i mean it. more than anything.” he knew this was the moment that would shift everything, the little plastic test sitting in her bag could change their entire lives. maybe already had. “let’s rip it off then,” he said with a half-grin, though the nerves behind it were impossible to miss. slowly, reluctantly, he let go of her hand so she could grab the test. he watched her cross the room, feeling the seconds stretch painfully long as the bathroom door clicked shut behind her. sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, he ran his hands through his hair and exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. when the door finally opened, his head snapped up, and he couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed his face as she stepped out. he patted the space beside him and reached out without thinking, pulling her gently into his side. one arm looped around her waist, anchoring her there as he flopped back against the pillows, eyes on the ceiling for a long second as his thoughts ran wild. “you gonna teach me how to change a diaper?” he asked, turning his head just enough to glance at her, a teasing lilt in his voice. “because i have no idea what i’m doing, and if this test says what i think it might…” he trailed off, swallowing hard but smiling through it. “guess i’m gonna have to learn."

trust and comfort had never been able to quite come to her easily, but amethyst had come to realize that will was one of the only people she didn’t have to think much about it with. she was a worrier, that she couldn’t quite help, but even though he was visibly and audibly about as nervous as she felt, she found it hard to doubt him when he told her he wasn’t going anywhere. with his hand around hers, firm and sure, she felt rooted to where she was, planted. her nerves weren’t totally gone, but when he reassured her she could feel it under her skin and deep in her chest. he was in this with her, no matter the outcome, and really she knew that was all she needed to hear. ame smiled at him softly, her brown eyes warm and shining as they gazed back into his, dimples setting under the apples of her cheeks. “ we’ll do it together, ” she could feel something that had once been wary, solidify itself and she held his hand that had brushed her face so that she could press her nose to his palm and kiss it tenderly. “ i love you… ” she’d never said it before, had been much too afraid to for what she worried might happen if he didn’t return that feeling, but if he was sure enough about her for whatever outcome they were about to get, her confidence in it felt more solid than ever. “ an’ lucky f’ the both of us, i already got one, ” she glanced briefly at her bag at where it was hanging from the hook near the door. “ we can rip the band-aid off sooner rather than later, ”

[heroexxs]

molly didn’t look up when she heard the front door shut. she was already in the kitchen, sleeves pushed up to her elbows, a knife rhythmically moving through fresh herbs on the cutting board. the air smelled faintly of garlic and something citrusy, and the soft hum of a record played from the living room, an old habit of hers to make the house feel less quiet, less arranged. the marriage had always been… practical. mutually beneficial. she’d made peace with that long ago. she didn’t flinch when their footsteps neared, but her hands slowed slightly as she glanced over her shoulder, just for a second.

“you’re home early,” she said lightly, the kind of light that sounds practiced, pleasant, even, but a little too careful. the silence stretched a little too long before she added, “i wasn’t sure you’d come back tonight.” molly turned back to the cutting board before they could read too much in her expression, brushing her hair behind one ear with the back of her hand. “i made dinner,” she offered, quieter now. “i know we don’t… have to, but i thought maybe we could eat together.”

// @pinktvpess

[heroexxs]

Hope sat across from him in the booth, legs swinging lightly under the table like she was trying to keep the nerves from crawling up her spine. She hadn’t touched her food, too caught up in the thrill bubbling just beneath her ribs. When he mentioned taking off at the crack of dawn, her whole face lit up like someone had flipped a switch. She blinked at him, wide-eyed, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth until it bloomed into something radiant and full of life. “Wait,” she leaned forward slightly, voice breathless with hope, “do you mean it?” Her fingers tightened just a bit around the mug, trying to ground the swell of excitement rising in her chest. “You’d really take me?” she asked, like she needed to hear him say it again to believe it. “Like, tomorrow? Just… leave?” The words felt electric on her tongue, impossible but suddenly not so far away. She let out a soft laugh and sat back in the booth, one hand brushing nervously through her hair as her eyes flicked to his. “Sorry,” she added quickly, cheeks flushing with sudden embarrassment. “I’m probably getting way too excited. It’s just…” She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. Hope looked down at the mug for a moment, watching the swirl of cold coffee before glancing back up, eyes shining with something raw and real. “I... I’d go,” she said again, a little steadier this time. “I mean it. I’d go in a heartbeat.”

For @heroexxs continued from here

As she started speaking, he could tell instantly that she was trying to be polite about it, but it was clear she didn't want o have to be the one to run the motel; didn't want to continue being stuck in one place forever, and he couldn't blame her. "Well, ya never know. But if they really loved ya er whatever, they wouldn't tie ya down with their choices." he answered simply with a shrug of his shoulders. He knew all too well what a parent's shitty choices could do; although his experience he imagined was far worse than being stuck helping out, then again, even if she didn't say it, maybe this was her own personal hell, and he just didn't know it. CT couldn't help the small chuckle that left him as his shoulders shrugged again. "Ain't bout the destination birdie." he answered, the hint of a genuine grin finding his lips. "'Sides, who says ya eva gotta be done?" he retorted. "Even if ya settle somewhere, people always pick up eventually, travel fer work er ta see friends er family er whatever. Ain't nothin' permanent forever." he added with another shrug. Seeing the roll of her eyes had another chuckle leaving him as he nodded along. His brow quirked slightly however when she said she would hold him to it and his smirk returned. "Well, how bout ya gimmie a night ta get settled, shower and all." he said with another chuckle. "And we'll take off crack a dawn tomorrow?" he joked. Though, even as he said it, he knew he shouldn't have. It was clear she was itching to get out of here, and here he was providing her that escape, knowing full well, he shouldn't have been making himself memorable to anyone.

[heroexxs]

𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐞́ 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩 ☆ ── ☆ for ELLE's phoning it in

[heroexxs]

another kick landed hard against her side, and brianna’s breath vanished from her lungs in a sharp gasp. pain shot through her ribs, white-hot and blinding, and all she could do was slump further against the alley wall. she didn’t have to look to know the bruise would be dark, ugly, blooming across her skin like a warning. when the criminal grabbed her again and shoved her back against the brick, she thought that this was it. eyes shut tight, she braced herself for the final blow, but it never came. instead, she felt the weight shift. his hands slipped away. a gasp, but not hers. brianna’s eyes snapped open just in time to see a flash of blonde and the sharp strain of muscle in maddie’s arm as it coiled around the man’s throat. her grip was tight, unrelenting, until his face paled and his body went limp, collapsing at their feet. brianna’s chest rose and fell in short, shaky breaths as a thousand questions caught in her throat, why had maddie come back? why had she left in the first place? was she here to help or finish what she started? but before she could speak, before she could even lift her hand, maddie was gone, slipping out the back of the alley without a word, leaving her behind all over again.

for a moment, brianna almost wished the fight had ended her. at least then, she wouldn’t be stuck in this constant spiral, never knowing what maddie wanted, what she felt, what she planned to do next. she pressed a hand to her side and winced, forcing herself upright with a hiss. every movement sent a jolt of pain through her ribs, but she made it out of the alley, one step at a time, her mind still stuck on the last look they shared. back at her apartment, she peeled her shirt off and stepped in front of the mirror. the bruise was worse than she expected, a deep, angry purple spreading across her side like a shadow. her fingers hovered over it, brushing lightly, wishing they were maddie’s instead. with a sigh, she grabbed some ice and gauze, wrapping her side carefully, not too tight.

normally, the silence of her apartment didn’t bother her. she spent most nights chasing down criminals, saving people who never even knew her name, but tonight, the emptiness pressed in closer than usual. she sat on the edge of her bed, eyes drifting to the window, and before she could talk herself out of it, she stood and walked across the room, sliding it open, not just for the breeze. if maddie was going to come back, she figured she'd do it the same way she always had: silent, unseen, like smoke through the night. an invitation. or a surrender. maybe both. brianna crawled back into bed, readjusting the ice against her ribs with a soft hiss of pain. she lay still for a long moment, eyes on the ceiling. “if you’re gonna kill me,” she muttered into the dark, “just kill me already.” but deep down, she wasn’t afraid of dying, she was afraid maddie wouldn’t come back at all.

it had somehow been one of the longest days of her career, if one could call it that. a day spent avoiding the person she was supposed to hunt, moving from rooftops back to her place, though nowhere felt safe. not in the sense that someone was coming after her - maybe that would have been easier - but in the way her mind couldn't keep out the thoughts of brianna. smirking as she bumped her boot into hers at the bar. flushed and begging for more as she touched her on the couch. peaceful and warm in her arms. no matter what maddie did, running, training, showering - it all led back to flashes of what had happened. what wasn't supposed to happen. what felt like the biggest mistake she'd ever made and yet couldn't make herself regret.

hiding in the shadows, this time carefully, green eyes followed the brunette as she left her place, a small smile tugging at her lips at the sight of her new outfit. forcing herself to focus, the assassin watched from afar, always keeping her distance. she had a few days left to accomplish her mission, and she knew that waiting wouldn't help. but she couldn't stay away either.

and so here she was, watching the vigilante slip into an alley. maddie almost turned back, leaving her to her occupation but the sounds of fighting didn't stop as quickly as they should have. tilting her head down to look, she saw the brunette, uncharacteristically slow to move, as if her mind was elsewhere. a kick, a punch that made her wince and despite her best efforts, maddie was climbing down the fire escape. waiting for the right moment, she jumped onto the criminal's back, neck in the crook of her elbow. she pressed hard, eyes watching brianna, evaluating the damages before she felt him buckle under her, passing out as she jumped out of the way.

she almost stopped, almost took a step to tilt brianna's chin up and check her for injuries. but she wasn't even supposed to be there. if someone else were to kill her, it would make her job easier and yet she had just saved her. sighing, she glanced at her one last time as she slipped back out into the street, quickly disappearing without a trace.

[heroexxs]

julie hadn’t planned on staying long. she told herself she’d show face, smile through a few awkward hugs, maybe grab a glass of wine and slip out before anyone could ask too much about him. her husband was supposed to come, but he bailed last minute with some vague excuse about work, and honestly, she was relieved. she was halfway through a half-hearted conversation about real estate trends when she caught a glimpse of someone across the room. her fingers tightened around her glass as she excused herself, heart pounding harder than she liked to admit, and then they turned.

their eyes met, recognition hit, and suddenly it felt like the room faded out just a little bit. julie blinked, then laughed, a little breathless. “you look… exactly the same,” she said, voice soft with surprise, something else unspoken beneath it. “didn’t think I’d see you here.”

// @pinktvpess

[heroexxs]

paige smoothed her hands down the front of her dress for the third time since sitting down, the fabric suddenly feeling too stiff, too formal, too… wrong for what she was about to do. the restaurant was warm, buzzing softly with low conversation and clinking glasses. candles flickered on the table between them, casting soft shadows across their face. she hated how familiar they still looked, hated how that ache in her chest hadn’t quite gone away, even after all the silence, even after all the nights she’d gone to sleep without hearing their voice.

“this place is nice,” she said quietly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she glanced down at her menu, even though she wasn’t really reading it. “you always had good taste.” it was small talk. pointless. she hated herself for it. her fingers toyed with the edge of her napkin before she finally exhaled, eyes lifting to meet theirs. “we… we should talk,” paige said, a little too softly. “i mean, really talk. it’s been a long time since we’ve done that, hasn’t it?” she offered a smile, weak around the edges, her stomach twisting with everything she hadn’t said yet, everything she came here to say.

// @pinktvpess

[heroexxs]

OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN as Will Taylor in WILDERNESS (2023)

[heroexxs]

her grip on the bars shifted, slow, deliberate, knuckles brushing the metal like she might burn right through it. when her voice came, it was softer than before, but laced with the same edge. “you think i don’t know what this is?” jessie asked, head tilting just enough to be a challenge. “you’re afraid. not of me, not really. but of what this could turn into, if you opened that door.” the words lingered in the air between them, heavy, thick with something neither of them dared name. jessie’s eyes dropped, slowly, purposefully, from catrin’s eyes to her mouth, then lower, before rising again, steady and unflinching.

“i didn’t kneel because i’m broken,” she continued, her voice low, curling like smoke. “i kneeled because i know when to shift the weight. when to hold back. when to strike.” she leaned forward until they were nearly breathing the same air, close enough to feel the subtle catch in catrin’s breath, and it made her smile. a quiet chuckle slipped from her lips as her gaze lingered, and for a second, the bars between them didn’t feel so solid anymore. “i never mentioned your bed,” she murmured, smirk spreading as her eyes drifted slowly over catrin. “you might be jumping to conclusions, your majesty.” the pull between them was stronger now, more electric than it had any right to be. somewhere along the way, jessie’s intentions had shifted, and the thought of slipping a blade between catrin’s ribs had given way to other, far more vivid fantasies. ones where catrin wasn’t undone by steel, but by her.

“you want a knight?” jessie asked, voice a hush now, intimate. “fine. i’ll be your blade. your shadow. your ruin, if that’s what you need. just know, the moment you give me that sword back, you’re not the only one holding power anymore.” then she stepped back, just a fraction, letting the distance draw the ache sharper between them. "so what’s it gonna be?” she asked, gaze never wavering. “are you going to keep me locked away? or finally admit you want me closer?”

a part of her almost regretted this whole set-up, the cell, the iron bars separating them. but it was probably for the best, because catrin could tell from the way jessie looked at her, defiance burning in her eyes like embers, and holding on tight to the metal as if she could break it with just her will - that were they face to face, the other woman would be dangerously close. whether that was a good thing or not, the queen wasn't sure. not when that low, teasing tone was pulling apart the facade she had so carefully built, piece by piece.

she couldn't help the flicker of pleasure that colored her expression as jessie mentioned being tempted to kneel for her. god, having her kneel willingly conjured different images than what catrin had allowed herself to think about. but they were just as pleasant, and she had to let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head.

as the knight talked again, voice dripping with something that felt like honey to her ears, catrin did her best to show no emotion. she was burning inside, the proposition of taking jessie to the castle sounding less like a punishment and more like a mutual arrangement. but she didn't do arrangement and favors. not when she had a kingdom to rule. "if you think me this easy." she started, a smile curling her lips. "this gullible, to invite you into my home, into my apartments, to trust you? - then you're far less good at reading people as i thought you were." she finished, her own tone coated in sweetness despite the display of power hiding behind it. "what'll it be next, knight?" she paused, leaning in until their noses were brushing, feeling the cold of the iron. "my bed? so you can slit my throat in the middle of the night like a coward?" catrin asked, voice low, challenging. "i thought you had honor. purpose. faith. but you're ready to become my companion? my servant? to get a chance at stealing my kingdom?" she continued, letting the pause linger as her eyes flicked to jessie's lips, breath catching before she forced herself to keep going. "how disappointing."