A glimpse into the future; Quackity catches his songbird.
There was an old saying that Wilbur had read in a book once.
'You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain'.
It was an old quote, not used very frequently anymore. In a world where being a hero was a profession, you can probably tell why it wouldn't be used.
But the eldest child of the Minecraft family felt like the saying applied very well to his current situation.
The avian hero was perched on top of a low roof, his wings gently swaying in the breeze as he observed the part of the city he was debating on entering. There was a casino nearby, the sound of bouncy music cutting through the air in a low thrum. Wilbur couldn't help but tap out the beat of the song that was playing, a musician's habit.
This was Ace's side of town, or at least, it's supposed to be. It's Wilbur's current running theory at least.
Ace, his nemesis, a villain that harassed the hero whenever he was given the chance. The shrike avian that poisoned Wilbur's few dreams, a man that Wilbur is around eighty five percent sure committed a murder because this one guy decided to attack the hero. Well...he supposes that he was the one to commit that murder, if Ace is to be believed. According to the villain, apparently he had just disguised the murder to make it look like the shrike avian had done it so Wilbur wouldn't come under any potential fire.
And for some reason, he was the person Wilbur was running to.
The magpie avian was tired, so fucking tired. And he had only really stopped to consider where he was going once he came within viewing distance of the border. Well, it wasn't like there was a set border or anything like that. Wilbur had just narrowed down the places where the villain might have his base. This side of the city was the hero's best bet if he wanted to find his nemesis.
But why did he want to find Ace? Why his nemesis of all people? Why was Wilbur running to him?
He knew the answer, he just didn't want to admit it.
Wilbur's wings wrapped around him, shielding him from the wind. The city was cold at night, and he had been so fucking upset he stormed out without even grabbing a goddamn coat. He was actively considering flying into his nemesis's potential territory without his hero costume. What the fuck was wrong with him?
His hero costume, while bland, had protected him well over the years. It was a simple armor reinforced black jumpsuit with blue highlights and brown falconer's gloves for his hands. The gloves were designed to resist the sharp talons of birds of prey, so it had served Wilbur well in keeping his talon-like nails in check. His black boots were specifically designed with shock absorption soles and sheaths for a few knives (not that Wilbur ever ended up using them). He did wear a mask with his costume, black and grey in color with blue outlines. Of course, the point of the mask wasn't really to protect an identity or anything like that.
Everyone knew that Magpie was Wilbur Minecraft.
His hero costume still protected him, however. It had protected him from getting shot at least three times thanks to it's reinforcement and had prevented him from burning his skin seeing how he always seems to get into trouble with fire in some way.
So it was stupid to be out here in only his button up nightshirt and sweat pants. Hell, his hair wasn't even it's usual small braid. He was supposed to be asleep right now damnit!
It was times like these that Wilbur really fucking hated himself. Because those stupid fucking emotions of his kept bubbling up and he had to keep pushing them down before he does something he's going to regret.
Or something that might negatively reflect on his family. God forbid he be anything other than perfect.
He felt his eyes sting and wiped at them, scolding himself. He was not about to start crying again, out on a roof top, alone, in his fucking night clothes.
His instincts were pulling him towards the border of Ace's territory, inching ever closer to the edge of the roof as his wings stretched.
Was he really doing this?
Wilbur reflected for a minute before deciding that, yes, he was doing this. Because he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. Maybe all of Ace's words were lies, maybe those sweet words and tempting offers were all just some complicated ruse to get the hero to let his guard down. Maybe he's going to find the villain and get a knife in his chest for his troubles.
But...if Ace wanted to hurt him he's had the perfect opportunity to do so multiple times, especially as it concerns the last two weeks. And yet...his nemesis didn't. The shrike avian, for Wilbur's entire time knowing him, had multiple opportunities to hurt or kill the hero. But had not taken any of them.
Wilbur just couldn't figure Ace out. He was still wrestling with how he should feel about the villain.
And it was all just...so exhausting.
He pushed down his emotions, shoving them into that little box he kept them in. He had been trying to be open with himself tonight, but clearly his twin had held different plans. With a sigh, he spread his wings and launched off the building, letting his instincts guide him over his nemesis's territory.
He flew like he was on patrol, staying low over the buildings and avoiding any areas that seemed densely populated. This part of the city was alive at night, bustling casinos, bars, and clubs open to anyone wandering by. If this truly was Ace's territory, it would make sense. The entire section of the city seemed to fit the villain's motif perfectly.
If Wilbur survives this encounter, he contemplates coming back to visit the casinos. His family certainly had the money to burn. He imagines it might be nice to hide his wings under a coat and lose himself to the lights and the music.
The hero eventually finds another roof to land on around the heart of the territory. He's circled around enough that if Ace is around, he would've heard about Wilbur's presence. Judging by how quickly the villain had found him when he had crashed in the area beforehand, Wilbur doubted it would take him long.
As it turns out, he was right.
A few minutes after settling down, he heard another set of wings approaching. He wrapped himself back in his wings for warmth as he listened carefully to the sound of wing beats. Soft sounds, often flapping, no distinctive whistle, definitely Ace.
He didn't turn around when he heard the thud of the villain landing. He didn't want the other to see the tear tracks he knows are on his face right now.
"Hello, songbird," Ace purred, voice accompanied by the sound of his wings folding in.
Wilbur didn't let himself react to the pet name. Ace always used it for him, ever since their first encounter as their Hero and Villain selves. He hated that nickname, he hated it he swore.
There was a pause as the hero felt Ace's eyes pierce his back, probably noting the lack of costume. His nemesis doesn't say anything, but Wilbur could hear the smirk. He could practically see the smug expression.
"Out of costume?" He prompted. "Not worried about your secret identity?"
Wilbur scoffed at that, "What secret identity? Everyone knows who I am, in costume or no. The only reason I wear the damn thing is because it protects me from getting stabbed twenty seven times in the chest."
The biting remark caused the villain to chuckle, "Feisty tonight, Wilbur."
He hated hearing Ace say his name, he hated it, hated it.
"What brings you to this neck of the woods?" Ace questioned. "Looking for someone perhaps?"
Yes, actually. I was looking for you, prick. Wilbur thought, but didn't vocalize. He was beginning to question why he even came.
The reason lied with a whispered promise to the half-asleep hero; soft words spoken as the villain's hands carefully helped the hero's wings heal from a vicious fiery attack. His nemesis had stated that Wilbur could always come to him if he was hurt. After all, the avian hero was Ace's nemesis. And shrikes are known for being...territorial.
Ace was silent, waiting for some kind of response that Wilbur wasn't keen on giving. He questioned if the villain's promise extended to emotional hurt or if the taller was simply wasting his time.
"I was," Wilbur admitted, still not looking at the villain. "Looking for someone I mean."
"Who?" Ace prompted.
The hero doesn't answer, but he can hear his nemesis starting to walk closer.
"Well," the villain said. "Who were you looking for, Wilbur?"
Ace was standing behind him now, and it felt like the hero couldn't speak.
There was a faint trace of concern in the villain's voice when he speaks next, "Were you looking for me, songbird?"
Wilbur hated how well his nemesis knew him.
Ace takes his silence as a yes, and the hero can hear the other man shift and sit down behind him.
"Did you need something from me? Did someone hurt you, songbird?"
Stop calling me that. Wilbur thought, closing his eyes and trying to not let the nickname affect him. He hated it, he hated it so much.
"I..." The brown-haired hero's voice came out softer than he expected, so he trailed off.
"You...?" Ace prompted, leaning closer to Wilbur's ear.
He was so tired.
"Your promise," he admitted, voice still softer than he'd like.
"... My promise?" His nemesis questioned, something vaguely protective creeping into his tone. "Are you hurt?"
"There was an argument," the hero spoke before he could stop himself. "Me and Techno. I... does your promise extend to emotional hurt?"
He felt his eyes sting and just pushed it down, rubbing at his arm to try and ground himself. He was not about to start crying in front of Ace.
He heard his enemy hum before he felt the other touch his wings. The villain carefully ran his fingers through the multi-colored feathers, just as gentle and respectful as the last time he had touched Wilbur's wings. Despite himself, the hero relaxed to the touch. It was something familiar, comforting even. Ace had always liked touching his wings. He still remembers their first meeting, when the villain had called them pretty.
It was simpler back then, Wilbur supposes.
"Of course it does, songbird," Ace said, voice lowered into something more comforting. "It's hard being the forgotten twin, isn't it? But it's not your fault, Wilbur. You try your best and they just can't seem to acknowledge your effort. But that's their problem. If they can't see how great of a hero you are, then that's their loss."
He let the villain's words wash over him, and nodded along slowly. He didn't try to fight Ace's touch on his wings like he usually did, letting the villain preen them. There were tangles in his feathers from his earlier flights and it felt nice having them untangled. Wilbur had been half-asleep the last time Ace had preened them like this, but it was comforting then and it was comforting now. He was a tired emotional mess, so sue him.
"You try so hard to be someone worth remembering. You do all these good things and try your hardest," Ace paused, focusing on one specific tangle and untangling it before he continued. "But all they ever see is your brother, and how you compare to him. That's so cruel, songbird. You deserve better than that."
Wilbur sighed softly as the tangle was undone, letting his eyes drift shut. He knew what was happening, he knew what Ace was trying to do. He had listened to enough of the shrike avian's villain propaganda to recognize when his nemesis was about to jump into one of his speeches. But he was tired, upset, and extremely pissed off...and just maybe he wanted to be validated. So he nodded again, still silent.
He felt his nemesis lean closer, "Has anyone ever asked you what you wanted, Wilbur?"
Ace's breath was hot against the hero's ear, and he couldn't suppress the shudder that ran to the very tips of his wings. The villain chuckled, smoothing some of the ruffled feathers with warm hands.
"No?" The villain prompted, earning a slight shake of the head from Wilbur. "What do you want then?"
A lot of things, was Wilbur's initial thought. But he didn't vocalize it. What he wants is selfish and petty and stupid and he wasn't going to admit to it.
Ace moved his hands to start gently rubbing the hero's shoulders, "C'mon now, songbird. It's okay."
The villain's tone was soft and comforting. Ace's touch was soothing. His nemesis's presence was helping him calm down.
It was dangerous. Wilbur knows that he should leave before he falls too deep, before the villain's words get in his head. It was bad enough that he kept the notes and reread them occasionally. He should leave.
But he doesn't want to. He wants to stay. He wants to be comforted.
"I..." he trailed off, taking a shaky breath. "I don't want to be Techno's shadow..."
"Hm, that's a good start," Ace encouraged, hands still resting on Wilbur's shoulders. "Keep going."
His nemesis's grip was grounding, so he continued, "I don't want my value as a person judged by how well I compare to my brother or my father."
"Mhm, that's good," the villain hummed, patient. He moved his hands back to Wilbur's wings and slowly, the hero came to the realization that he liked it when Ace touched his wings. Despite using it as a way to spite the magpie avian in the past, in moments like these the villain treated Wilbur's wings with respect. Ace had never pushed too far when it came to the hero's wings, Ace had never used Wilbur's wings against him.
Wilbur couldn't even say that about his own father.
The hero couldn't resist, slowly melting into the touch. His shoulders slumped forward and he spread his wings out slightly so the other avian could have an easier time getting to tangles. There was a pause before his nemesis chuckled quietly.
"Do you like this?" Ace asked, gently sliding his hand down the hero's wing and smoothing the feathers out.
"Yes," Wilbur admits, voice barely a whisper. The hero pauses, shuddering as he tensed up again, "You aren't going to hurt me, right?"
"Dear God, Wil," Ace mutters, and Wilbur tries to convince himself that he imagined the slightly horrified edge to his nemesis's voice. "No, I'm not going to hurt you. Why would I do that?"
The brown-haired hero sighed, "I just... I can want things, right?"
"Yes, of course," Ace insisted. "It's perfectly human to want things, songbird."
The hero is quiet before pulling his knees up to his chest, "I... I want someone to tell me that it's okay to resent my brother. I want someone to look at me and not see the brother of The Blade or the son of Crow. I want to be enough."
Wilbur's grip was slipping and he felt his eyes start to sting with tears again, "I just want someone to see me for who I am. Not Magpie, not the eldest child of the Minecraft family, I'm Wilbur. My name is fucking Wilbur! I want to be remembered, damnit! I don't want to be a side note in someone else's story-!"
He covered his mouth with his hand, shaking. Effectively cutting himself off as he tried to prevent his voice from cracking.
He just fucking admitted to all that.
He's so fucking ungrateful for everything his family has done for him. He should be proud of his brother, he should be happy he's a Minecraft. He's so fucking selfish and-
Ace wrapped his arms around Wilbur's shoulders, pulling the taller back slightly and wrapping the hero in those wings of his. Those gray wings that faded into black at the ends of them, a small section of white dividing the two colors.
"I see you, Wilbur."
And fuck, that's exactly what he wanted.
All Wilbur ever wanted was to be seen.
It all came crashing in, every feeling he tried to deny and every emotion he had fought to repress. It was all too much, so he simply...let go. He let himself cry for the second time tonight.
Wilbur denied a lot of things, and a lot of feelings.
He claimed that he hated being called songbird, but he loved it because Ace knew him well enough to give him that pet name. The villain had remembered his hobby, the villain had remembered his accurate guess on Wilbur liking to sing.
He claimed he hated hearing his nemesis say his name. But every single time the villain said his given name it made the hero's heart race. He said his name! He wasn't Techno's brother to Ace, he wasn't Phil's son, he wasn't Magpie, he wasn't even a Minecraft, he was Wilbur!
Fuck. He loved being around his nemesis. Ace made him feel alive, he made the hero's heart race. Wilbur denied enjoying adrenaline, but he loved it! and Ace always came through with those knowing smirks and sharp eyes.
Wilbur loved those honey coated words and sharp jabs and just the way that Ace talked. His nemesis always knew exactly what to say and which buttons to push and he loved it.
He wanted to be called songbird again.
All of it came to the surface at once, resulting in the tears streaming down the hero's face. Clinging onto one of Ace's arms like a lifeline as his nemesis held him steady. The rush of emotions was overwhelming and he knew immediately that he had been bottling them up for way too long.
Ace slowly turns Wilbur around and pulls him closer, letting the hero hide his face and tears in the crook of the other's neck. The hero felt the warmth of Ace's wings settling on top of his own, one of the villain's arms firmly wrapped around the taller's waist and the other resting on his head.
"Oh songbird," he muttered, gently running a hand through Wilbur's hair. "What have they done to you?"
God, he loved that nickname so much.
He thinks the villain noticed that he was more reactive to the nickname, because he felt the shorter smirk.
"Do you like it when I call you that?" He asked.
Wilbur nodded, not hesitating this time.
Ace chuckled, "Would you like me to call you that again?"
When the hero nodded again, his nemesis delivered.
"Songbird~"
The magpie avian shuddered openly at the villain's tone, causing the other to snicker.
"Aw, so you really do like the nickname," the shrike avian teased. Wilbur lightly punched his nemesis's arm in response, trying to keep a smile hidden.
"Of course I fucking like it," he huffed, chuckling slightly. He was still crying as he clung onto Ace, not letting go of the other and his warmth.
The shrike avian paused before carefully pulling him closer, "Did you read my last note?"
"It was more of a letter than a note this time, Ace," Wilbur mumbled into the other's shoulder. "But yes."
"You know my opinion on the situation then," the villain said. "And you know that my offer still stands."
"Your offer always stands," the magpie avian says.
"Have you given it thought?" The other questioned.
The hero could only manage a small hum in response.
"... You always deny it," Ace pointed out.
"I know," Wilbur muttered. "Sometimes I wonder if I should've been a politician instead of a hero."
That provoked a laugh from the other avian, "Wilbur, what? That was completely out of nowhere, what the hell?"
"Well, I'm better with my words than I am with fighting," the hero said. "And I always liked my debate classes in high school."
"They had debate classes in hero school?" The shrike avian wondered. "And hey, you are good at fighting. Don't act like it's not a fatal mistake to fight you when you're airborne."
The hero snickered, decidedly ignoring the last comment, "We had a couple debate classes, yes. Mainly on hero stuff and costume design choices. Have I ever told you about The Great Cape Debate?"
"Cape Debate?" Ace prompted, giving him a look.
"You see!" Wilbur said, sitting up slightly with a small laugh, despite still having tears in his eyes. "Capes are impractical as all fuck! And over half of my class had capes as part of their hero costumes. I stood on that hill despite the odds and swayed the majority opinion in my favor! Speaking of, we need to have a talk about the tailcoat, Ace. It's impractical."
"It's stylish!" His nemesis defended, smiling at him. "Besides, it's designed to slip right off if I need it to."
As if to prove his point he slowly let go of the hero and shrugged off his signature black tailcoat, and Wilbur had to wonder how heavy that thing was because it fell on the roof with a distinctive thud.
"... Ace, is that tailcoat armored?" He asked.
"Whatever do you mean?" The shrike avian questioned.
"Ace that was a very distinct thud," the magpie avian paused as his nemesis picked up the coat from the roof. Tuning out when the villain began to rant about how it was made.
He doesn't think he's ever seen Ace without his signature coat on. It was almost strange to just see him in the plain white button up without the leather tailcoat over his shoulders to contrast it. Without the coat, his nemesis looked...normal. Besides the black mask that covered one side of his face, that basically screamed villain.
Or vigilante, Wilbur did think he was a vigilante when they first met.
He hadn't realized that Ace stopped talking until the other avian gently rested the coat over the hero's shoulders, his wings sliding smoothly through the slit in the back. The gesture startled him out of his thoughts.
His nemesis chuckled, "You were starting to shiver again."
It was really cold out tonight, wasn't it?
"You gonna be okay?" Wilbur asked on reflex.
Ace offered him a small smile, "Hold your hero instincts. I'll be fine."
At the confirmation, the magpie avian slid his arms through the sleeves, letting the coat settle over him properly.
What? He was cold and emotionally distressed. Give him a break.
The villain's coat was heavy, definitely had some kind of armor built into the fabric. But it wasn't overbearingly so, the weight coming as a surprising comfort. Almost like a weighted blanket, not like Wilbur had ever had one of those. But it was the closest thing he could think of.
"How'd you know where to find me?" His nemesis asked after a quiet pause. "You were in and out of consciousness when you crashed here last time and you were blindfolded when you left."
"Ace, you literally kept me in your base. I could hear the swing music through the walls," the hero deadpanned. "Also you smell like cigarettes and bad decisions, your entire motif is card games and gambling, you've thrown a poker chip at me before, and the amount of gambling metaphors I've heard from you is ridiculous. The clues were everywhere."
"Cigarettes and bad decisions, huh?" Ace questioned, tone smug. Wilbur lightly hit the other's head, provoking a laugh from the villain.
"Don't sound so smug about it," he huffed as his nemesis continued to laugh. "It's also your cologne. It was another hint since it's most popular over here on this side of town."
The villain smirked at him, "What? Do you have my scent memorized, songbird?"
"I'm gonna kill you, smug bastard," the hero hissed, hiding his face in the collar of the tail coat.
"That's not going to help, pretty boy, my scent has rubbed off on that coat," upon realizing how correct that statement was, Wilbur turned to hide his face in his hands with a groan instead. "Also, death threats now? Not very heroic, Wilbur."
The magpie avian stopped at those words, mind halting because, yeah. Death threats weren't hero-like. Then again, he was never a great hero. Hell, had he ever really been a good hero?
His nemesis had always said he'd make a good villain...
Slowly, the hero looked down at the roof they were currently sitting on, mind whirring as he processed his emotions (bit by bit so he didn't get overwhelmed again).
Why did he want to hurt Techno and Phil?
Why did he want to run from it all?
Why did he want to destroy everything he had built?
He had always found destruction beautiful...
"Hey, look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Ace reached out, wiping at Wilbur's eyes as the hero started crying again. "Sorry, that was insensitive."
"It's not what you said," the magpie avian assured, chuckling in a broken manor. "It's not-that's not why I'm crying, I just... brain... processing emotions. Feelings are hard."
His nemesis paused at that, still gently holding the hero's face in his gloved hands, "What are you feeling?"
"I'm..." Wilbur trailed off, trying to figure out how to describe it. "Ace, why do I want to hurt them?"
"Who?" The shrike avian questioned, despite knowing who he was talking about.
"You know who," the hero sighed. "Phil and Techno. Why do I want to hurt them? They're my family. My flock."
(He decidedly ignored how his instincts hissed back at him. His inner magpie hissing 'not flock' with aggressive clicking noises.)
Ace hummed, "Well, they hurt you, right? Maybe not physically, but emotionally you've been suffering because of them. It's only natural to want to inflict that pain back to them."
The taller didn't move away from the villain's touch, processing the other's words.
It did make sense. Techno...Techno has always been better. Always been infuriatingly perfect. He had always overshadowed the magpie avian. And Phil...no matter how hard he tried he was never good enough for their father. Phil always spoke about Techno's villain captures. Techno's place in the hero ranks. Techno's latest interview. He never talked about Wilbur's successes.
"I've worked my way up from day one... fought alongside other heroes and worked with vigilantes to keep people safe," the hero muttered. "I rescued civilians, I protected people caught in the crossfire of villain combat, I've disarmed bombs, and I've even helped lost kids find their parents. Why does it hurt so badly...? I should... I should be happy just with the act of saving others and yet..."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting a 'thank you', songbird," his nemesis chimed in. "You work hard, you always have. There's nothing wrong with wanting a little recognition for your efforts. It's not your fault that cameras point at villain fights and not at rescue work."
The magpie avian felt a chill run through him, despite the coat on his shoulders, "Ace why do I want to destroy all of it...?"
The villain went quiet at that, face carefully neutral. He seemed to be processing.
"I've worked so hard... I've built everything up from scratch. I've been working for seven years now. I go on patrols and do my best to protect those who need it. And I just-" tears continued to fall as his voice hitched. "I just can't take it anymore!"
"So you want to just... throw it all away? Turn your back on it?" Ace questioned, and Wilbur could hear the faint hope in his tone. His nemesis had always wanted the magpie avian to join him.
"I think so," the hero muttered, tears falling even faster now as his shoulders shook.
"It's okay," the villain soothed, pulling him in for another hug. "It's okay, songbird."
"Am I a bad person?" The taller questioned.
"No," the shrike avian responded. "You're just hurting, and it's okay."
Wilbur was quiet before slumping into the other's arms, "I'm tired, Ace. I'm so fucking tired of being a hero..."
The shorter tensed up at those words before slowly relaxing again, simply pulling the hero closer, "Alright."
"You didn't pounce on that," the magpie avian chuckled. "How usual for you."
Ace sighed at that, "Wilbur, I want you to join me. You know that. But right now you need someone to comfort you, not offer you cookies if you'll join the dark side."
The hero was quiet before sighing, "That's sweet. You're sweet for a villain."
"Just because I'm a villain doesn't make me heartless," the shrike avian huffed. "You should've figured that out by now. Otherwise I would've never let you leave once I had you in my base."
"I kinda wish you didn't let me leave..."
His nemesis stilled as Wilbur hid his face further in the other's shoulder. He felt the villain's grip get a bit tighter.
"Songbird, don't do that to me," he said. "Don't give me hope like that."
"I'm tired," the hero repeated. "I'm tired of being a hero. I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to not being seen. I don't want to go back to people only calling me by my hero name or my family name."
"Wilbur," Ace held him closer. "You can't take back that decision."
"I know," the magpie avian responded.
"You're probably going to have doubts in the morning," his nemesis cautioned. "I don't want you jumping into this without a clear head. I want you to think about this."
The taller began to cling onto the other, "Please don't make me go back."
"I'm not going to force you to go back," the villain said quickly. "Of course not. Just... don't rush into throwing it all away."
"... Did you regret becoming a villain at first?" Wilbur asked.
Ace hummed, "A bit. But I definitely don't regret it now. Best damn decision I ever made."
"Then I won't regret it," the magpie avian muttered. "I want to leave it all behind."
The shrike avian was quiet before responding in a soft voice, "Are you sure, songbird?"
"Ace, I appreciate the concern and all," the taller grumbled. "But I'm old enough to be certain in my decisions. Just because I'm emotional doesn't mean this is a spur of the moment thing. I've been... I've been thinking about your offer a lot recently..."
He slowly raised his head from the shorter's shoulder to look at his nemesis. Curious as to the other's reaction.
He snickered a little, "You look like you want to ask something."
"Can I kiss you?" Ace blurted out, quickly looking away as the visible side of his face began to blush. "Wait, no. Forget I said that. That was insensitive. Fuck. Just."
Wilbur laughed a little as the villain made a small distressed noise. And when he actually thought about the other's question, he found that he didn't mind the idea. His emotions were confusing when it came to his nemesis, but he wanted to try it.
So, he slowly rested a hand on the side of the shrike avian's face, tilting the other's head so that he was looking at Wilbur again.
"I wouldn't mind," he said, offering the other a small smile. His nemesis froze up at his answer, face flushing up even more. Slowly, he began to smile back, reaching up and shifting his mask to the side as he leaned closer.
When their lips met, the world became distant.
It was softer than Wilbur was expecting, Ace giving him plenty of opportunity to back out if he wanted. He decided that he enjoyed it, so he leaned closer. The villain hummed softly when he did this, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. The magpie avian melted into his nemesis, losing himself in the sensation.
There were no fireworks, no earth shattering revelations, no choir or orchestra, nor was there a spotlight.
It was just them. The sounds of the city and swing music from the casinos distantly in the background.
It was just them, Ace having shifted his mask out of the way and Wilbur wearing the villain's coat.
Just them, in each other's arms. Neither wanting to let go.
And the magpie avian had never felt more at peace.
His nemesis slowly pulled back, catching his breath as he shifted his mask back in place. The hero hid his face in the coat's collar, finding that he didn't mind the other's scent.
"I liked that," Wilbur muttered, feeling his face continue to burn red. "That was good."
Ace hummed in agreement, also blushing heavily, "Yeah, I liked it too."
There was a quiet moment as they both simply enjoyed the lingering feeling.
Slowly, the villain held out his hand to the hero.
"Stay with me?" He said, tone questioning. "For as long as you want or need. And... if you decide that you want to join me... we can make them all pay for what they've done to you."
Wilbur paused, staring at the offered hand as he weighed his options. It was a good offer, and despite himself, he enjoyed the implication of his nemesis's last sentence.
He hadn't been joking when he said he was tired of being a hero.
So, he took Ace's hand in his own.
"I'd like that," the magpie avian admitted. "I'd like that a lot, Ace."
The shorter hummed slightly, seeming to come to a decision, "Quackity. My name is Quackity."
Wilbur startled at that, giving his nemesis a shocked look, "Did you seriously just drop a name reveal on me?"
Ace-no. Quackity laughed at that, "Yes, yes I did. Whatcha gonna do about it, songbird?"
The taller just started laughing, leaning into the other's arms and letting his nemesis wrap his arms back around him.
"Quackity," he repeated, causing the other to shudder. The hero began to smirk in a teasing manner, "Do you like when I say your name?"
"I plead the fifth," the villain muttered, tilting his head away. "Also stop that. Don't use my lines against me."
Wilbur's smirk relaxed into a smile as he allowed himself to be pulled closer by his nemesis. Both were quiet as the magpie avian processed the offer he had just accepted.
"You mean it, right?" He asked. "That if I want, I can leave it all behind and make them pay?"
"Believe it or not, songbird," the villain said. "But I'm a man of my word. It's up to you what we do with them, but I have plenty of ideas on how to make them suffer a thousand times over for what they've done to you."
Wilbur wanted to start being more honest with himself.
So he admitted to himself that he liked that idea.
"Let me show you what it's like to be a villain. And you can make your decision from there, alright songbird?"
"Okay."