We’re Doomed.

“I don’t believe you.”

“What do you mean? I spilled my heart out to you just now- after I contemplated it for a good damn year, and all you can do is face the opposite direction and call me a liar? I love you, Villain. I love you, whether you like it or not.”

Villain shook their head, still unable to look Hero in their eyes- couldn’t even get themselves to watch Hero’s feet. “It breaks too many rules.”

“Rules? Are you fucking- when have you ever cared about the goddamn rules, Villain!”

“I care about them when they carry my fragility, Hero! Did you ever think what a confession like this would cause- how it would make me feel? We’re hopeless, alright? Look at this city- look at it.” Finally, they spun to face the hero, cheeks red and jaw set forth. Villain threw a hand out. “How would we ever fit into this place, being who we are- two completely different people who-”

“We’re not that different,” Hero protested, fists clenched at their sides.

“We are that different, dammit. And you bloody know it.” Villain shook their head. “So what if we share the same hobbies? So what if I think your smile is the most gorgeous thing ever? So what if you’re the only person to keep me sane? So what to any of it! You think you love me because I’m someone you can fucking help, and I won’t be a damn charity case, alright? I can do this on my own.”

Hero stalked forth, heels clacking aggressively against the cement flooring. “That’s what this is?” they screamed at Villain, gripping their shoulder in a grip that said ‘Hear me. Please, hear me.’ “Your pride?”

“It’s not about the pride, Hero.”

Their voice was soft, but Hero was pissed nevertheless, this time even shoving Villain’s shoulder before taking several angry steps back. Hero paced and seethed, flared their nostrils and clenched their fists once again. “What the hell is it then? You said you can do it on your own, yeah? That sounds like pride, like selfishness, and-”

“I don’t want you getting hurt because I can’t fucking stop myself from destroying everything, okay!” Villain’s chest rose and fell rapidly with the same anger they felt out of control with before. They wanted to break something- even if it were their own knuckles. “I love you,” they spat out, and they faced away from Hero all over again. “That’s what makes me selfish. Not that I won’t love you, but that I do already- because it’ll only destroy you when you can’t fucking fix me, when you can’t repair the broken parts of my mind.”