In the city of Sandersopolis, a pair of supervillains have decided to take over.  There was Dark Storm, a terrifying threat to the city. Clad in a hoodie and black jeans, he didn't look like much. The only thing that showed any sign of "super" on him was his black mask that hid the part of his face around his eyes as well as the bridge of his nose . He could control the weather, frequently tormenting the city with hail and lightning. 

Then there was the villain named Deceit. A mind reader and telekinetic, some argue he's worse than Dark Storm.  He can control large crowds, manipulate thoughts as well as actions. His outfit was more intricate, with a black cloak over a suite, with yellow gloves covering his hands. Intricate scales covering half of his face, along with a slitted eye and manipulative personality, made him resemble a snake. 

The pair had been working together, and would have succeeded if not for the valiant superhero, The Prince. The Prince was often seen in a red, white and gold suit. The mask he wore was red too. His habit of striking dramatic poses,  as well as acting and speaking in a flamboyant manner supported his name. He had the power of electricity and pyrokinesis.

Now, today in Sandersopolis was going to be an exciting one. Even more than usual...

---

"Heya Princey." Dark Storm greeted, the usual smirk plastered across his face. " Back to save the city I presume?" A citizen had alerted the superhero of the presence of the villain,  and he arrived as quickly as he possibly could. Arriving at the pavement beside the road, Dark Storm's figure was rather hard to see due to it being night time. 

The Prince scoffed. " Don't call me that! My name isn't something to be made fun of. Besides, I have to save the city because you and your friend keep threatening to kill it! It is my duty as a -" 

Dark Storm made a face.  " Blah blah blah, you are so boring, Princey. " Raising his arms, he stared at the sky, scrunching up his nose in concentration. 

Drip.

Drop.

The Prince could feel the raindrops splashing onto his face. Oh no. His fire was one of his two powers. How on Earth was he supposed to use that in the rain? 

Seeing realisation and irritation dawning onto The Prince's face,  Dark Storm chuckled. " See if you can stop us now Princey. " 

With a flick of his wrist, a gust of wind was sent blasting towards The Prince, knocking him to the ground.

The Prince gathered a ball of electricity in his hands and threw it in Dark Storm's direction. Side stepping the attack,  Dark Storm sauntered forward. " Who would have thought a little breeze could knock Princey off his pretty little feet. "

Jumping up,  The Prince grabbed Dark Storm's hand and twisted it behind his back,  catching him off guard. Dark Storm kicked The Prince's calf, allowing him to escape his grasp. 

"Princey you slime bag! Resorting to faking your failures now? " The villain teased, wagging a finger in front of him before taking out a sword. 

" Let's fight. " And with those words,  The Prince grabbed his sword and lunged toward Dark Storm,  only for him to parry, blocking The Prince's sword. Blow after blow,  block after block. The fight was seemingly going nowhere, until Dark Storm decided to do something. Using another gust of wind,  he attempted to knock The Prince off his feet again. 

" Did you really think it would be that easy? " The Prince asked,  sidestepping the wind. " Surrender Dark Storm, or I will be forced to harm you. "

Dark Storm snarled,  pushing down his hoodie to reveal dark brown hair. "Never. " Grabbing The Prince's arm,  he judo flipped him, making him land on the concrete floor. 

The Prince clutched his head and groaned, causing Dark Storm's expression to soften a little. He sat on The Prince's back,  and took out his cell phone. " Hey, Dee? I got Prince Underarm Stink. You're here? Where? "

Turning around,  he spotted him. "We can finally kill The Prince.  And then, there won't be anyone stopping us from taking over the city! " Deceit declared.

Panic surged through Dark Storm. Why?  Wasn't this what he wanted to do? He wanted to take over the city.  Yet, why did he feel so… nervous? It wasn't like he cared about The Prince. Impulse defeated his reasoning. " Don't kill him! "

Deceit raised an eyebrow. Shaking his head,  Dark Storm corrected himself. "I… I mean, if we kill him,  the city might go berserk. If we hold him hostage, then it'll be easier to control the city. " He gulped. Deceit's expression was unreadable. 

Finally,  he nodded. "Yeah kid,  smart choice. Let's go. "

Two people realised they were holding their breath and exhaled. 

---

"Here's your food. " Dark Storm said,  placing a tray in front of The Prince. He didn't look up. Sitting in the middle of the room, plates of untouched food lay beside him. 

"You do know humans need food to survive? You're going to kill yourself. " Dark Storm said, before scooping a spoonful of rice and placing the spoon in The Prince's handcuffed hand. It fell out. 

"Why are you trying to help me?  No, why did you stop Deceit from killing me? " The Prince finally looked up.  Bloodshot eyes stared at Dark Storm through a red mask, piercing the villain's heart slowly. Biting his lip, he contemplated an answer. Why did he help him? Five days have passed and he still couldn't think of an answer. 

"I..." He hesitated. "I don't know. " Grabbing the spoon,  he scooped up more rice and offered it to The Prince. "Now eat. Or I'm feeding you. "

Looking up curiously, The Prince smiled. "That doesn't sound too bad." Heat rose to Dark Storm's cheeks, the pink betraying his snarky demeanour. Eyes widening, he passed the spoon to The Prince. 

"Good...goodbye. " He hurriedly shuffled out of the cell, a flustered look on his face. The Prince stared at the door, and the small smile stayed on his face. 

---

"So, how's Sandersopolis domination? " The Prince asked, mouth full of bread. Frowning,  Dark Storm shrugged.

"Eh," He replied, "It's okay. Deceit's the one doing the complicated stuff though, I'm just changing the weather. " Taking over a city turned out to be less fun then he had thought. Fighting The Prince used to be the best bit, but with him subdued, it was boring. Dark Storm's only role was to change the atmosphere when Deceit was manipulating the President. Apparently that was an "important role" that "assisted with mind control". Talking to The Prince was more enjoyable. Not that he liked him.  But, it was fun nonetheless.

The Prince chewed thoughtfully. Over the past few weeks, they had begun to warm up to each other. Not that The Prince had a choice. It was either that or isolation, and he certainly didn’t like that. However, talking to Dark Storm had been… fun. Their conversation had evolved from threats of force feeding to polite small talk. Never anything too serious, of course. How could The Prince possibly trust the villain, after so many duels and fights? There was something about him, however, that he just couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Perhaps it was the gentleness of his smile, or the occasional warmth in his eyes. Maybe it was the trembling of his hands,  something he had never noticed during their battles. All these glimpses of genuine feelings had to mean something! And The Prince was determined to find out what. 

" Is it fun being a villain? " He asked,  observing Dark Storm to see his reaction. He bit his lip and tilted his head, contemplating the question. 

After a while, he shrugged. "It's okay." Okay?  What did that mean? Was it good? Was it bad? Dark Storm puzzled him. During the battles, he had always seemed snarky and collected. Now, he seemed less sure of himself, more human. It was a nice change, though rather unexpected. 

Dark Storm adjusted his hoodie. He used to wear it over his head whenever they met,  but ever since him and Deceit held The Prince hostage, he had pushed back the hoodie. Looking at his watch, he stood up."I have to go. " He waved and exited the door. 

---

"How much food are you going to give him? He is draining our resources!  I told you to give him a slice of bread everyday and you give him proper meals! This is no way to treat a hostage." Deceit clenched his fist, frustration seeping into his voice. " Ever since we captured him,  you have stopped listening to my orders! How am I - I mean, we supposed to take over the city? "

Dark Storm frowned. " I thought your plan worked? Controlling the president was an ingenious idea. " 

Rubbing his forehead, Deceit sighed. "Don't change the subject. Now,  If I find you feeding him properly, I will- Well, you'll see what I'll do. "

With a swish of his cape, he exited the room. Furrowing his brows, he stared at the door that Deceit had exited. Had he really stopped listening to his instructions? He hadn't realised. Maybe that explained the indescribable lightness his chest would feel during random intervals. 

Ah well. He shrugged. 

---

"Sorry, Deceit told me to just give you a slice of bread. " Dark Storm apologised, pass a thick slice of wholemeal bread to The Prince. " Of course, " He smirked. " It could be thinner." 

Smiling, The Prince took a bite. "Were you not supposed to give me rice, and noodles, and fries, and burgers? I thought the service in this hostage situation was rather high class. " Dark Storm ducked his head,  face turning a bright shade of pink, before shaking his head in a weak protest. 

Rubbing the back of his head,  he realised how much he spoiled The Prince. He offered him so much food and company, so unlike his usual character,  who was cold and unfriendly. Why was that? Why did The Prince do that made him so special? There were plenty of other hostages him and Deceit had kept,  yet he was the only one that he treated differently. 

He shot a smile at The Prince, mocha eyes radiating a slight mix of shyness and sweetness. What a peculiar expression on the man in front of him. "I know you're better than this. " He blurted out, before promptly shutting his mouth. 

Dark Storm stiffened. "What… What do you mean? " He asked,  though the man fully knew what The Prince meant. The Prince could feel goose-bumps on his arms, the temperature of the room dropping considerably. The expression Dark Storm was giving him was unreadable. 

"You-" The Prince chose his next words carefully. "You don't need to be a villain. "

 Dark Storm's eyes narrowed, "What do you know? You don't know anything about me. " Standing up, his hand was clenching his hoodie. The Prince could see it trembling. 

"I know, all I'm saying is -" The Prince attempted to stand up,  momentarily forgetting that his hand was handcuffed to the floor. 

"Don't try to understand me." Dark Storm snarled, "It… it will get you nowhere." His legs were trembling too. The Prince watched the harsh rise and fall of Dark Storm's chest. He was hyperventilating. 

"Dark Storm, calm down. " The Prince attempted to appease the man. He only received a wide, frantic gesture towards him. 

"That's exactly what I mean! " he gasped, " You don't even know my name! " His breathing was becoming even more unsteady. Stumbling to the ground, he hugged his knees and began to rock back and forth. 

" I want you to listen to me,  is that okay? " A shaky nod was his only response. " Breathe in for 4 counts, can you do it? "

A shaky breath was inhaled as The Prince counted 4 seconds. 

"Now hold it for 7 counts. "

The same breath was held as The Prince counted 7 seconds.

"You're doing great. Now, exhale for 8 seconds. "

The breath was exhausted The Prince counted 8 seconds. 

"Good job. " He comforted,  "Do you feel better? " Dark Storm nodded hesitantly. His eyes were bloodshot,  and his body was still trembling, but his breathing had steadied.

"Th-thanks, " Dark Storm turned to face The Prince. "I shouldn't have snapped. It's just…" He trailed off. "Never mind. " The Prince patted him on his back gingerly. 

"It's fine." The Prince started,"However, please think about what I said, okay? " The other man silently stood up and left. 

---

Dark Storm was panicking. Why did he snap at The Prince? He had just said one sentence and it broke him down so easily. It shouldn't be like this. He used to be able to drown out his emotions, controlling them till there was no one around, and then letting it all out by himself. The Prince gave the feeling of trust and comfort, like a nice warm blanket he could sleep peacefully in. When The Prince had said what he had said, it was as if someone had yanked away that blanket, leaving him vulnerable.

The Prince was extremely sweet. He comforted him. That was the first time anyone had done so. And his caramel eyes with the specks of gold in them, staring at him with kindness and concern. He smiled at the thought of the man. Wait… No no no. He was thinking way too much about the superhero. With just the thought of his musical laughter and warm smile, he blushed. 

Oh my god. A voice chastised him. He's not even in the room and he affects you? Pathetic.

Another chirpy voice responded. No it's not! It is love!

Love?

Oh shit.

---

The door opened and The Prince looked up, curious to see who had entered. A blushing Dark Storm was at the doorway, waving slightly.

"Hey, I thought about what you said." Dark Storm started, sitting in front of The Prince. "You're...you're right." The superhero's eyes widened. He really thought so? He had thought that what he had said last night would have resulted with never seeing Dark Storm again, a terrifying prospect. He wholeheartedly loved the man's company. His blushing was absolutely adorable and his snarky demeanour endearing. He was so kind hearted, while always maintaining his dry humour. He was absolutely perfect. And hearing that he agreed with The Prince about not needing to be a villain, well, that brought a smile on his face. 

"I am? " He asked, an eyebrow lifting up. 

Dark Storm laughed. "Didn't I just say that Princey? " 

The Prince reached forward to brush the dark brown hair out of the man's eyes. " How are you so perfect? " The Prince gazed at Dark Storm with a starstruck expression. He ducked his head, giggling ever so slightly. 

He shook his head. "I should ask you the same question. " He replied with a smile. 

" Oh shut up. "

"Why don't you make me? "

So he did. Using his lips, he very effectively shut Dark Storm up. They may have been enemies in the past, and it didn't matter what they were going to do in the future. All that mattered was now.