I Do

TW: Blood, bruises, and some angst

Ya girl has some off-days from college, and she's decided to use em. Missed y'all < 3

The villain's gloved fingers drummed impatiently on the table, his dark shadow looming over the hero with a promise of danger.

"What's it going to be, Hero? I sell those codes to Supervillain? Or you comply with our little agreement?" His tone was perfectly calm, eerily so, his eyes impossible to read behind the domino mask, but he still emanated danger, his lips drawn together in a tight line.

It was cruel calling it 'their' agreement because the hero had no hand in this. The suggestion had left her more shocked than angry, still reeling from the villain's words.

"Marry me," he'd said in a commanding tone. Like any other choice would've been the wrong answer, tilting her chin upwards ever so subtly.

And the hero held his gaze, transfixed, gasping and laughing and hoping this was nothing but a fever dream.

"Wha-" the hero choked out incoherently.

The villain had let go of her face, his hands resting on the top of her chair. "I can repeat it as many times as you want me to," he stage-whispered against the shell of her ear, his tone gentle and dangerous all at once.

"But, I don't understand. What could you possibly gain from this of all things? You despise me, Villain." She truly couldn't process any of what she was told, the mere idea of being tethered so bindingly to her worst enemy leaving her mind an ineffective, nervous wreck.

The villain huffed out a rough laugh, very genuine and horribly cruel. "Oh, but I do despise you. Very much. I despise how defeated and humiliated you left me in front of half the city . Despised the fact that you got me locked up. Despised how for the very first time, I actually felt like I lost the game, and I'm a rather sore loser, you know." The villain's demeanour was eerily calm, his shoulders straight, his resting face showing nothing but a placid neutrality as he turned to stand in front of the hero, but it was arguably more terrifying, more unpredictable.

"I just want to see you as defeated as I've been, Hero. Bound so intimately to your worst enemy, your greatest nightmare. If you do this, it means admitting to me, and more importantly, to yourself, that the only option you have is bending to my whims," he crooned, his lips curling into a wicked smirk.

The hero wanted to scream, to kick the villain in the teeth and watch the blood trickle down his lips and the bruising dye his skin a grotesque purple. She wanted to think of a clever solution that left the man's face contorted with a strange mix of hatred and respect, to blow his plan up in his face. Anything that would spare her this hell.

"Did I mention you have exactly five minutes to decide?" he piped up casually, examining his nails.

The hero swore and the villain let out a half-snicker. This was madness. A death sentence that would last for the rest of her life. And it didn't matter if she said no, if she undid whatever she could of the havoc those codes would wreak in Supervillain's hands. The conviction so heavily saturated in the villain's tone, the way his jaw clenched and his fists tightened was more than enough proof that he would spread more chaos, spark more fights, destroy an endless array of things and lives until she gave in to him.

The villain loved control like he loved the air he breathed, even more so, like a drug that left him intoxicated and lusting for more.

If she didn't listen, she was sending everyone she cared about, sending the city, the whole world if the villain had it his way, to hell.

The hero sucked in a measured breath, reading the contract word for word, from the title to the fine print, scouring it for a loophole she could use, for any more tricks up the villain's sleeve, just to find nothing. She tried to relax her tensed shoulders, her grip merciless on the pen in her erratically shaking hands, every curve and line of the letters of her name feeling like a blade was slicing through her heartstrings like how one would rip a stalk; slowly, unevenly, time seeming to slow down and the world seeming to freeze for a moment that felt like a thousand years and then some.

The villain didn't smile or laugh or let any display of emotion etch itself onto the harsh lines of his features. He nodded curtly instead, snatching the paper and folding it into a square and tucking it in a well-concealed pocket of his suit. "The cruelty only ends here," he attested, his voice tight and no longer playful, the way it was whenever he promised something.

The hero nodded, swallowing the humiliation at the back of her throat, even though she wasn't inclined to believe him.

"There's a ceremony. Nothing very insane, just you, me and an officiator. This is just a contract, not a marriage certificate, even if we both know which one of those is more binding. You'll show up today, if you know what's good for you, heroine."

The hero wasn't sure when she was up on her feet and slapping the villain harshly across the face, blood spurting from his mouth and staining his perfectly straight teeth, as he only grit them into a manic grin, shaking with a hoarse cackle as he wiped the blood of his face "Is that how you treat your husband, my dear? Do they forget to teach you manners at the hero agency?"

The hero was too dazed with rage to speak, trying to mar the villain's visage with another rough blow to it, until he caught her hand with an iron fist. "I said I'd never hurt you for nothing, but not that I'd let you do to me what you please without consequence. So play nice, darling." The villain let go of her arm slowly, the bruises he left in his wake more than enough of a warning.

The second he left, the hero didn't cry as she thought she would, she didn't scream, she didn't destroy everything around her or rip through her hair. Instead, she slid down against the wall, expressionless but breathing hard, her lungs hungry for air that seemed so unfairly little, her heart playing songs of anxiety and fury and sorrow every horrible emotion she'd ever known.

She was marrying the villain. Marrying the villain, and she couldn't do a thing about it. Marrying him and no one would come to save her.

Sometimes being a hero means saving the whole world except yourself.

✨️Timeskip✨️

Sure enough, the villain was there in a tailored suit, in front of his house her new prison, where he'd told her to show up, the officiator standing with a solemn expression on his face.

The villain wasn't supposed to be handsome, the dark brown hair she was normally used to seeing messy and caked with blood slightly damp with gel and mostly hanging in loose, luscious waves, his eyes a dazzling green-blue, long, dark lashes framing them in a way that put the best kinds of kohl to shame and his cheekbones sharp and high-set, the split on his lip hardly distracting from the rest of his appearance. It was so unbelievably stupid, so inconsequential, and yet the hero hated him even more for his tantalisingly beautiful features, for the way his grin would've fooled her into thinking he truly was in love, if she didn't notice how it didn't reach up to his eyes.

The hero hadn't paid any mind to whatever the officiator had said until it was her turn to say 'I do', flashing the villain a terribly fake smile that wasn't half as charming as his, but it would have to do as she slid a simple platinum ring on his finger, and he slid a diamond ring onto hers.

"Let's go," the villain said when they were finally done, gently taking the hero's gloved hand in his and leading her up the stairs and into the mansion.

The heroine was not one to admit defeat and snap in half in the fashion that a twig would. Many a battle would need to be lost for a victory in the war, many a sacrifice would have to be made for a greater reward. She would take the pain like stone would take a blunt pickaxe, just to twist a knife in the villain's chest when he least expected. Because history forgets everyone but those who laugh the last.

Tagging for this: @hufflepuffwritingstuff2

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@thvndcrstrvck​ asked: ultimate relationship tag for mars & teyani :~)

relationship tag*

*only accepting for established ships. (domo gets a pass bc i luv them <3)

disagreements.

who is more likely to raise their voice? — i feel like they do an equal amount of voice raising. the only real difference is that i feel like mars is more loud in tone & the type to go “i’m not yelling!!!!!” whereas teyani’s yelling takes on more of a stern tone. who threatens to leave but never actually does? — mars, prbly. who actually keeps their word and leaves? — teyani. she absolutely served him papers while he was at work. who trashes the house? — nobody, tf? they’re too old for that shit. do either of them get physical? — i...would think not. because teyani is extremely passive & if mars would’ve tried it, she would have left earlier. so no. how often do they argue / disagree? — it prbly wasn’t often in the beginning of their relationship, but one of those “when it happens it’s messy” type of arguments. now, best believe it’s an argument every two hours as their relationship is incredible strained. who is the first to apologize? — teyani.

sex.

it’s me having no idea what their sex life is like bc we haven’t plotted out this far, #help. they did the do until they no longer liked each other, now they don’t.

family.

we also didn’t plot out this far. but i mean, teyani having her daughter is canon so she and ines were/are a package deal (like was she pregnant before this relationship??? after??? was ines already born??? chile, idk.) and i’m sure mars was cool with helping her while they were together. mmcht.

affection.

who likes to cuddle? — teyani is a big cuddler. who is the little spoon? — truthfully, mars! as much as she likes being held, she also likes to do the holding. you never know when ur partner needs that kinda comfort. who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? — while doing this, i kind of have this idea in my head that neither would like to inconvenience the other when they’re doing smthn important. but if they’re watching a movie on the couch or some shit, teyani might be the one to start sneaky touching. who struggles to keep their hands to themselves? — boffum. depends on the mood. how long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? — if they’re not already asleep, maaaaaaybe an hour? hour and a half max? who gives the most kisses? — teyani. what is their favorite non-sexual activity? — teyani likes hand holding. mars might like doing smthn hands on like helping cook or some shit. where is their favorite place to cuddle? — the practical places, such as the couch while unwinding or in bed before going to sleep. who is more likely to playfully grope the other? — maybe mars. how often do they get time to themselves? — not mf often!! which is why teyani tries making the most out of it whenever they’re around each other.

sleeping.

who snores? — mars. do they share a bed or sleep separately? — they once shared a bed, but now they sleep separately. either in different rooms or one is in a different location all together. if they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? — used to cozy up until one steals a blanket or gets hot. who talks in their sleep? — prbly teyani. what do they wear to bed? — um...pajamas? are either of your muses insomniacs? — it would more than likely be teyani. it can be hard to sleep sometimes when spirits keep bugging you at all hours. can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? — nope. do they wrap their limbs around each other or stay side by side? — it prbly was a slow transition from being wrapped around each other to laying back to back. real divorcee shit. who wakes up with bed hair? — um, mars keeps his hair short & teyani got a bonnet or a scarf on. who wakes up first? — teyani’s always been an early bird. plus she was prbly already up anyway. who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? — NO ONE!! get ur ass up to eat! like, they’ll make a PLATE for the other but you better get tf up if you wanna eat it. what is their favorite sleeping position? — teyani tends to lay on her side curled up, while i feel like mars is more of a ‘lay on the stomach sprawled out like a starfish’ kinda guy. who hogs the sheets? — mars. so selfish. do they set an alarm each night? — ya, they got jobs. can a television be found in their room? — i wanna say, like...tv’s in bedrooms are so common now...but also...i feel like no??? idk i’m making shit up who has nightmares? — mars? i mean he for the streets, so i’m sure he has nightmares? who has ridiculous dreams? — teyani has visions that mars would prbly write off as ridiculous dreams, ergnerjk. who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? — i said mars so it’s the law now what time is bed time? — uh? idk? 11pm maybe? any routines / rituals before bed? — bathing & brushing teeth. teyani does skin care and moisturizes and twists her hair. mars does...whatever he does...idk him like that who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? — depends on how much sleep they got

work.

who is the busiest? — they both have busy work schedules, considering they both have full time careers. but whereas teyani has more of a schedule, mars has the most unpredictable hours & his lil’ hannah montana ass double life. who rakes in the highest income? — hannah marstana. are any of your muses unemployed? — nope. who takes the most sick days? — maybe teyani? i mean she has a one year old? who is more likely to turn up late to work? — i feel like neither, but again, it would likelier be teyani. who sucks up to their boss? — eye roll. i think teyani did at first. what are their jobs? — computer analyst / medium. surgeon / liar. do their muses enjoy or despise their careers? — nah, i think they both enjoy it. are your muses financially stable? — with or without mars, she good!!

home.

who does the washing? — teyani. who takes out the trash? — boffum. who does the ironing? — teyani bc she already does laundry bc she likes it. who does the cooking? — boffum. who is more likely to burn down the house just trying? — HMMMMMMMidk. who is messier? — teyani is honestly more prone to being messy, but at least she cleans up! who leaves the toilet roll empty? — i feel like men always do this. so i’m choosing mars. who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? — teyani. but again, she goes back for it later. who forgets to flush the toilet? — ew, no one. who is the prankster around the house? — the spirits that follow teyani around. i’m not joking. who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? — teyani. who mows the lawn? — they pay somebody to do it, idk. who answers the phone? — whoever is near the damn phone? duh? who does the vacuuming? — they do their fair share. who does the groceries? — both? they’ll go together if it’s smthn specifically they want but it’s mostly just whoever calls the other and goes “hey what do u want” who takes longest to shower? — teyani if she’s washing her hair, but mostly mars. who spends the most time in the bathroom? — teyani! she has big hair! and glowing skin!

misc.

is money a problem? — no. teyani gets paid fairly well, mars is a surgeon, and also has...extracurricular activities. how many cars do they own? — teyani has to take a train to her job, so i guess one overall? maybe two if she has to go out somewhere? do they own their home or do they rent? — owned, but teyani now rents an apartment. do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? — closer to a coast. do they live in the city or in the country? — city, babey. do they enjoy their surroundings? — i mean, it’s what they’re used to. what’s their song? — ..........we’ll come back to this. what do they do when they’re away from each other? — teyani just works, really. she has a few hobbies that she tends to. has ines to care for. mars i feel like is the errand runner, and would spend his day like, doing Something. where did they first meet? — this is literally killing me i’m never doing this for a brand new ship again how did they first meet? — UHHHH whatever let’s go with they were set up. who spends the most money when they’re out shopping? — neither? at least, not intentionally? if so, it’d be on practical things like groceries. who’s more likely to flash their assets? — neither. who finds it amusing when the other trips over? — teyani. like mars is so serious...when he does smthn dumb, you just have to laugh! any mental issues? — i mean, teyani had a bout of postpartum once. who’s terrified of bugs? — not terrified, but teyani’s not exactly fond of them. who kills the spiders around the house? — mars, while teyani fearfully leads them outside. their favorite place? — the crib! who pays the bills? — boffum. do they have any fears for their future? — they are literally in the middle of getting divorced. maybe if one of them died or smthn? who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? — mars, when he feel like bein sweet. who uses up all the hot water? — mars. which is fine. who’s the tallest? — prbly mars. but teyani isn’t exactly short, either. she 5′7. who’s more likely to just randomly hop in the shower with the other? — teyani. who wanders around in their underwear? — neither. who sings the loudest when singing along with the radio? — teyani, but mostly to be annoying. what do they tease each other about? — teyani sneak-helps gianna make fun of mars abt literally anything. who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense sometimes? — i mean...they both dress kinda basic i think? do they have mutual friends? — shit, prbly. who crushed first? — teyani. any alcohol or substance related problems? — i don’t...think so? who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? — uh, maybe mars? who swears the most? — boffum.

I had a question related to a story I think you wrote. Will you ever update breaking the cycle?

ok, look nonny, i appreciate the interest in my fic, but the tone of this message means i’ve just got to go on a big ol rant now. i’m not sure how long you’ve been following my writing so maybe you’re a new reader and just don’t know how i work yet, but 3 months? that’s not that long a wait for my writing.

yes, i am well aware that my update schedule is absolutely abysmal, but you’ve gotta keep in mind that i’m not a machine, i’m a person.

i have a job. i have to sleep, eat, shower. i have dinners to cook and groceries to buy, i have parents who’d like to see their daughter for more than 5 seconds a day, i have friends i want to chat to, i have obligations outside of my fics and honestly? writing is a hobby, i don’t get paid, i don’t get any kind of reward from it other than feedback and my own self-satisfaction

could i write more often? absolutely! i’ll happily admit that my work ethic with this is fucking shit, but i really don’t need people getting on my ass about this, i make myself feel guilty enough even without it.

BTC is also not my only fic i’m working on, i have several others on the go atm, some of which have been waiting significantly longer for an update and no one has been anything but patient and understanding about it. so before i finish chapter 8 of BTC (which is already over halfway done), i wanna get the last two drabbles for gaara week done (i know it’s super late, not gonna go into it now but Shit happened and i’ve not been in a good headspace for writing) and BTC will probably be next after that, i’d also like to do requests for femslash feb again, which means that my other fics might be on hold depending on the number of reqs i get

this ain’t a personal attack on you or anything, idk who you are, i’m sure you’re usually lovely, more a rant about this kinda view in fandom, people seem to assume that writing doesn’t take much effort and that authors withhold chaps out of laziness.

there are def people out there who can crank out a chap a week, and those people are amazing and i envy them greatly, but i’ve tried that and it just doesn’t work for me, my muse is a cat; fickle, unpredictable, she loves attention but if you give her too much at once she’ll bugger off for a few weeks, only returning when you’re not looking for her at which point you will just have to drop everything for her. not saying it’s a great way of writing, but there’s not much i can do about it.

if i ever do decide to drop a fic, then i’ll post an announcement both here and on the fic itself, i’m not gonna just leave it hanging for years with no closure, but unless i’ve done that, then just assume any ongoing fics are still being worked on.

have a little patience and have a little empathy, i know what it’s like to be waiting on the edge of your seat for a new chap, i know how frustrating it can be to check the fic every week and not see anything, but i also know that absolute unbridled joy when an unexpected email drops into your inbox and you just can’t click that link fast enough.

again, this message isn’t so much to you personally, as it is to fandom at large, readers, please be patient with us authors, we’re all just trying our best to share our love and ideas.