The Heart and the Hero

Chapter Eight - Tea as a Peace Offering

(AN: thanks for waiting! I tried to get this out as quickly as possible, but I've been having some medical problems and a few other things going on in my life that have limited my free time. However, I'm starting to write chapter nine, and we're actually getting into the plot now! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and appreciate you all for sticking with it! (Also ps the formatting might be kinda weird for a day or so bc I posted on my phone while school was in session, but I'll update the format on my computer and delete this note within the next day)

As they approached the archway, they couldn't help but feel a little anxious, but Sorin firmly believed that a warm cup of tea in their hands could work to ground anyone, themself included.
In front of them, Cody and Kate were now engaged in conversation at the opposite end of the couch. Lightfang seemed to be feeling slightly better, as they had begun to engage in the conversation a bit, leaning in to offer little comments and quips to the pair. As Sorin approached, they tried to appear as nonthreatening as possible, so as not to scare Lightfang.
It didn't work, as apparently the idiot was still somehow so unaware of their surroundings that they didn't even notice Sorin until they were standing right in front of them.
As Sorin opened their mouth to speak, Lightfang jumped, just noticing their presence, and attempted to scramble backwards again before hitting the back of the couch and realizing that they had nowhere left to go. Still, they made a valiant effort to lean as far away as they could, with panic laced through their lovely brown eyes.
"Sunshine! I mean- Sunny- or Sorin- fuck, Wolfsbane! I- ah, hi. Whatcha doing out here?!"
Sorin just stared at them blankly, before responding, "This is my house. I can go where I please."
Lightfang attempted to form a coherent sentence, but couldn't get more than a couple stammered words out before Sorin cut them off.
"Relax, I'm not going to teleport you again. I just... uh. Made you a cup of tea. To help you calm down, y'know? If you want it."
Extending the steaming mug with both hands like a peace offering, Sorin looked down at the carpet in order to hide their feeling of awkwardness.
"Oh!" Lightfang said, pausing for a moment to sit up straight and inspect the cup of tea, before carefully taking it in their hands. Sorin almost felt disappointed that their hands hadn't brushed at all with the transference, but they reminded themself that that shouldn't be something to wish for, especially in such a delicate moment like this.
They glanced back up, in time to see Lightfang breathe in the steam coming off the surface of the tea, seemingly perking up at the smell.
"Well... thank you Sun- uh, Wolfsbane. Chamomile, right?"
Sorin nodded their head silently, waiting for Lightfang to take a full sip before they continued their conversation. Looking down once again towards the floor, they took in a deep breath.
"I also wanted to say that I'm sorry. For uh. Dropping you through a suspicious dark matter portal. I was just slightly overwhelmed by my confusion at the discovery of this new power, and generally annoyed at you, but that does not excuse my behavior. Plus, if it had killed you, then I would never get the chance to kill you myself, which would have been incredibly boring."
That actually prompted a snort and a small smile from Lightfang, further motivating Sorin to go on.
"So yes. Overall, it was a bad call on my part, and I sincerely apologize. I promise not to drop you through any more portals-"
Lightfang started to breath out a sigh of relief, although Sorin couldn't help but add in, "-except for during scheduled fight times, of course," prompting Lightfang to immediately tense back up and snap their mouth closed.
"Ah. Right." Lightfang let out a nervous chuckle, scanning the room and floor with their eyes in order to avoid eye contact. "Well that's better than nothing, I suppose. And uh... Wolfsbane?"
Looking back up, the pair met eyes, and Lightfang attempted to muster up a small smile. "Thank you. For the apology, that is. I accept."
At this point, Sorin didn't even care enough to attempt not to smile back. They looked down at their feet to hide it, however poorly, and attempted to put some villainous flair back into their next words.
"Good. Anyway, if Cody and Kate don't get fed soon, I may be forced to reconsider that promise, so I sincerely suggest you return to the kitchen as soon as you are able. I, uh..."
Sorin couldn't figure out a threatening way to say this next part, so they just sort of trailed off lamely, a blush rising to their cheeks. "Well. I set up all your ingredients already. Take as much time as you need to yourself before I join you to start the brownies, alright?"
Lightfang just continued to smile that stupid, soothing smile, making Sorin feel like they were going to melt, before they nodded once, extending their hand as if they were hoping Sorin would help them up.
Sorin just blinked at them for a moment, then realized after the silence became awkward that that truly was their intention. They let out a scoff and raised their eyebrows at the blonde, feeling a little surge of that villainous pettiness flare up inside them.
"Don't push your luck," they said with a hint of amusement in their voice.
Lightfang just pouted dramatically and stared up at them. "But you dropped me through a portal! I deserve a little bit of assistance, don't I?"
"No," Sorin stated bluntly, but then immediately contradicted themself by outstretching their hands to take Lightfang's tea mug from them. While they certainly couldn't handle holding Lightfang's hand at the moment, a teacup was doable.
Well, it was, at least, until Lightfang got fully up, and rested a hand on Sorin's shoulder, leaning in closer to their ear to say, "Thank you, Sunshine."
Then, without any other ceremony, they took the tea mug from Sorin's outstretched hand and walked away, leaving them standing, dumbfounded, in the middle of the living room. Sorin just blushed like an idiot and remained as still as a statue, mouth slightly agape as Cody and Kate tried and failed to hold back their laughter
As soon as their brain processed how that conversation had had ended, they flopped unceremoniously onto the couch, pressing their face into the pillow with a low groan. Sorin pulled it over their head as the sudden sounds of Lightfang rustling around their kitchen began to distract them.
Cody and Kate were still trying to stifle giggles as they stared over to the other side of the couch at Sorin's bright red face, still visible even pressed against the fabric.
Sorin could hear Lightfang come back over to the archway, but they honestly couldn't care less. Presumably leaning back out into the space, they asked, "Hey Cody? Wolfsbane? Where do you guys keep your pots?"
    Cody turned and shouted, "In the second cupboard to the right of the stove." Kate nudged Sorin in the side, and they simply let out a low groan and curled themself tighter into a ball. When she pulled the pillow off, they glared intensely, before grabbing another one and replacing it.
Lightfang had forgiven them, which- yes, good, but it also meant that they were still going to have to sit through an entire dinner with their archnemesis, and was going to have to cook alongside the idiot to make it happen. This whole situation was painfully awkward, not to mention incredibly domestic, and as Sorin slowly began to accept that they were going to have to deal with this for an entire night, they also decided that they might simply fall over and die right here of embarrassment and unprecedented levels of stress.
    Kate removed the pillow once again, this time leaning in to mutter, "Get in there and make sure they don't set anything on fire, okay?"
    That was enough to make Sorin sit up, at least, and glance back towards the kitchen with apprehension. "I thought you guys said they could cook?" Cody softly chuckled at that, and Kate did the same awkward head scratch thing that Lightfang did, which- cute.
    "Well I mean... In theory? It's definitely been a while for them."
    At that moment, the kitchen timer went off to indicate that the oven was preheated to the right temperature for Sorin's brownies, making Lightfang yelp in surprise from the other room. Cody, being her usual infuriating self, took that as her moment to lean in and offer her own commentary.
"See that? Perfect timing. Now go get 'em tiger!"
    She dodged a swat over her head as Sorin stood up and begrudgingly trudged back to the kitchen, taking deep breaths to calm themself down.
    They rounded the corner as quietly as possible, taking a moment to survey the scene before them, and saw... surprisingly, nothing on fire. It was Lightfang's turn to have their back turned, as they adjusted a pot on the stove that was just beginning to sizzle. They had a tray of chicken in some orange sauce on the counter next to them, as well as a bowl of some sort of dough.
    They hummed a small tune as they worked, and Sorin startled when they realized it was the same as the song playing in the coffee shop that morning, although Lightfang's rendition was subpar, at best. Damn jazz music earworms.
    Their blond hair was practically glowing in the low lighting, and the white t-shirt they were wearing was contrasting nicely with their dark skin. As Sorin leaned against the wall, they couldn't help but smile while Lightfang picked up a ball of dough, pressing it onto the cutting board and rolling it out into a circle with a rolling pin they had found somewhere.
    Then Sorin glanced across the counter, catching a glimpse of the knife, still laying in the sink where it had fallen. Right.
    This wasn't some cute dinner party, it was a very annoying situation that they definitely were not enjoying. So they wiped the smile off their face quickly, and walked over to the counter where they had left their bowl of brownie mix.
    Despite their earlier show of bravery, Lightfang still jumped as Sorin materialized next to their shoulder, and Sorin had to fight the urge to laugh. Leaning in closer, they peered at the dough Lightfang was using.
    "What's this?"
    "Oh! Um, it's going to be poori. Fry bread." Lightfang's nervous blush as they stammered out the words was visible even on their dark complexion, so Sorin slid further away from them, making sure they weren't too frightened to cook.
    They could've sworn they saw a twinge of disappointment flash in their enemy's eyes, although it must have just been a trick of the light.
    Opening up one of the upper cabinets, Sorin groaned, seeing that the glass dish they were baking the brownies in was inconveniently placed on the top shelf. They stretched onto their tiptoes, reaching their fingers up as high as they could, but were only able to barely brush the bottom edge. Suddenly, Sorin felt a hand gently wrap around their waist and felt a presence behind them, as Lightfang reached up and easily pulled it off the shelf for them. God they hated tall people.
    "Here, I got it."
    Sorin was going to die. Quickly they grabbed Lightfang's wrist and pulled it away from their waist, shoving the tall bastard off of them as they paced off to the other side of the kitchen, kneeling to rummage through a cabinet and grab a spatula. Their face burned, but Sorin tried their best to keep their body turned away from Lightfang so they could save even an ounce of dignity.
    From behind them, they heard a small "Sorry, sunsh- uh. Wolfsbane." As they whirled around to bite back at that horrible nickname, Lightfang corrected themself, and as Sorin glared over their shoulder at them, they saw Lightfang with their face tipped down, as they set down the dish on the counter and began fidgeting with their hands in what appeared to be a nervous stim. Maybe they actually did feel bad? Sorin felt a moment of remorse prickle their heart too, so they just shook their head as they stood up.
"Uh.. don't worry. It's all good. Just startled me a little."
Lightfang let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief, adding to Sorin's guilt, but luckily they seemed to relax fairly quickly, which... bad idea. What kind of damn hero relaxes when they're literally standing in their nemesis's kitchen?
Sorin rolled their eyes and held back a chuckle as they scooped the dish back up from its newfound place on the counter, shuffling around to the other side of Lightfang to grab their bowl of brownie mix. They gave it a few more whisks before pouring it into the dish, feeling Lightfang's eyes on the back of their head.
Sorin made up their mind right then to try and ignore the awkward vibe in the room and pretend with their whole heart that they were just baking with Cody instead or something, rather than their arch-nemesis. Sure, it was uncomfortable being here, but they had already been through too much damn emotional struggle in the last few days to care.
For tonight, Lightfang was here for dinner, and there was nothing they could do about it. Sorin would just have to survive one dinner with their incredibly attractive, infuriating enemy. Easy enough, right?
Once again, Sorin reminded themself that if they just pushed their newly realized feelings deep down inside and looked at things from a more rational perspective, surely they were bound to get rid of them eventually. It couldn't be too hard, right? Kicking Lightfang out of their apartment wasn't gonna fix that problem any faster, and was probably a bad idea anyway, considering everything that had already transpired that night.
Plus, the sizzle of the poori entering the oil on the stove and the new scent of the food cooking was definitely not going to dissuade them from allowing Lightfang to stay. God that smelled good.
If Lightfang was going to be here no matter what, (and if Sorin was hoping to walk out of this with a full stomach), then they supposed the least they could do was make peace.
Scooting Lightfang aside, Sorin opened up the oven, brownie mix in hand, and gently slid the dish in, successfully completing their task for the night. However, rather than exit the room, they instead crossed to the other side of the kitchen from where Lightfang was cooking, hopping up onto the counter and crossing their legs as they took a long sip of their tea.
They waited a moment as their adversary cooked, just observing and collecting their thoughts, before finally opening their mouth to speak just as Lightfang started to hum the little coffee shop tune again.
Closing their mouth again with a smile, Sorin listened for a little while before joining in, causing Lightfang's voice to trail off for a moment in surprise before coming back, with a little more energy this time.
After a few moments, Lightfang turned to Sorin with a bright smile, remarking, "Well, sun- I mean... Wolfsbane. You certainly have a nice voice, you know that? Is the playlist at Sugar and Spice yours?"
Sorin took note of the way the brightness in Lightfang's eyes dimmed a bit as they stumbled over the nickname, and let out a laugh at the question.
"Absolutely not, I can't stand jazz. But it sure as hell is catchy, right?"
Lightfang nodded their head in agreement and turned back towards Sorin's oven with a smile. As Sorin stared at that little smile, watching the low light of the kitchen lamp gently caress the face of their enemy, they felt their defense melt just a little bit more.
God Sorin was weak.
Resigning themself to what they were about to do, they uncrossed their legs and dangled them over the edge of the counter, clasping their hands together to center themself.
"You know, you don't have to do that. Correct yourself on my name, that is."
Lightfang looked up from the pot, currently simmering and beginning to steam. Their eyes widened a bit, and they opened their mouth a little in surprise, before closing it again.
"But... I don't wanna make you uncomfortable."
Sorin gave an amused little smile at that before responding, "Lightfang, you're making dinner in my kitchen. I think we're kinda past the point of aliases at this point. My name is Sorin, otherwise known as Sunny, and I give you permission to use it when I'm not in my villain uniform or during any fights."
Sorin started to laugh as they noticed that Lightfang was smiling so hard that they were literally glowing, casting another soft, golden sheen across their already perfect face. As Sorin laughed, the light was bright enough that it illuminated the dark blush creeping across Lightfang's face, though whether it was in embarrassment or just from the temperature of the room, they couldn't tell.
"Well... thank you, Sunshine."
Sorin groaned and pressed their face into their palms, and it was Lightfang's turn to laugh. Shaking their head and looking back up, Sorin snapped, "That was decidedly not one of the options I just gave you," although there was no real bite to the statement.
Lightfang just grinned and (seemingly getting a little too comfortable teasing Sorin) reached over to gently nudge Sorin with their elbow before returning their focus back to the simmering food on the stove as they joked, "Well I know, but it's not my fault you're just so... sunshiny."
The sarcasm in Lightfang's voice was dulled by the way they tried not to giggle as they said the last part of that, and Sorin very seriously considered breaking their promise and dropping them through another portal, but decided against it as Lightfang finally took the pot off the burner, apparently done heating up the food.
As the pair waited for it to cool, Lightfang circled around to one side of Sorin and hopped up onto the counter next to them, dangling their legs off the edge and leaning back on their palms. They avoided eye contact, however, their face suddenly seeming a little more nervous than before
"Seriously though. If you were just a little more... law-abiding, I think you've got the heart and the talent to be a great hero."
By the end of the sentence, Lightfang's voice got quiet, almost at a whisper.
Sorin barked out another laugh, assuming that they were joking, before looking to the side of them to see Lightfang leaning slightly away from them, fiddling with their hands as though they were anxious.
"Wait, seriously?"
Lightfang still didn't make eye contact, but managed to reply, "Uh- well. Yes."
Sorin just stared in indignation and amusement, mouth open as they tried to process how utterly ridiculous that idea was. Them, a hero?
They weren't some goody-two shoes billionaire prancing around in a carbon fiber suit. They weren't someone trying to seek fame, some ridiculous benefactor pretending they cared about the lives of the people they saved. None of the heroes were even trying to do real good, not like... no. Sorin couldn't afford to get in their head again about the past.
Sorin was just Wolfsbane. They were there to serve justice in their own way, the law and heroes and morals be damned.
With a bitter smirk, they held out a palm, opening up another little mass of darkness as both a threat and a distraction, feeding it all the resentment Sorin felt towards the whole system these supposed "heroes" worshiped. It grew slightly, and next to Sorin, Lightfang scooted away quickly, clearly not keen to push their luck again.
With a huff, Sorin let it collapse once again, before dropping their hand and glaring over at Lightfang.
"Nice try, hero."
Lightfang just let out a breath, clearly not wanting to give up the topic but still too on edge to try and push any further. Their smile returned, this time a little more strained, before responding, "Alright, alright. It was worth a shot, anyway."
Sorin snorted and hopped off the counter, crossing to the stove to go check the temperature of the food to distract themself.
"Lightfang, you're ridiculous, you know that?"
Taking took a spoon out of their silverware drawer, they tested the sauce in the pot, now settled down to a reasonable heat. As the warmth of the spices settled into their stomach, Sorin was overwhelmed with the realization of how hungry they truly were, and how shockingly well the food had turned out. Turning back to Lightfang, they raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"Huh. And a damn good cook too, I see."
Lightfang didn't even attempt to hide the sharp increase in the brightness of their glow as they hopped off the counter too, nudging Sorin with their shoulder with a teasing grin. "See? You do like me!"
Struggling to keep their expression neutral, Sorin shot back a "You wish" as they started to pull out the plates for everyone, prompting a laugh from Lightfang behind them.
As the two of them began to set up the dinner, they continued to joke back and forth, even though Sorin was fully aware that this friendly banter would only serve to hurt their own feelings later on. But still, it was a nice time, and they decided they were allowed to be selfish, just this once. But as the pair began to finish up their plating, Lightfang paused, looking down at Sorin with a smile.
"You know, if I'm gonna be using your real name, there really isn't any point in you not knowing mine either, right?
Sorin considered that for a moment, then shook their head, trying to keep their bitterness out of their voice with their response. "I don't think that should be necessary. As curious as I am, there's really no reason to breach the contract any more than we have today."
Lightfang, apparently having selective hearing, just brushed past all of that without acknowledging, just raising an eyebrow and smiling at Sorin to ask, "So you are curious?"
Sorin just rolled their eyes, not wanting to give Lightfang the satisfaction of admitting that Sorin thought about them at all outside of a professional setting. Lightfang continued, "I'll take that as a yes, then. And besides, fuck the contract. We have to draw up a new one anyway, so why does it even matter? We're the ones who make the rules of our relationship."
Deciding that remaining silent was the best strategic move to avoid stumbling over themself like a fish out of water, Sorin just raised their eyes to meet Lightfang's with a cool stare, trying their best not to flush at Lightfang's description of their strange opposition as a "relationship'.
As their eyes locked, however, Lightfang was the one who seemed to get flustered, as they took a pause and did that silly little nervous head scratch thing, heat rising to their cheeks instead. Sorin tried their best not to look too pleased with themself as Lightfang continued.
"So uh.. It's nice to- well. Formally introduce myself, I suppose. . "
Extending their hand, Sorin noticed how Lightfang's shook slightly, although they weren't sure if it was the residual anxiety from the earlier incident or if they were nervous about this particular conversation. Lightfang was clearly trying to hide it, however, so Sorin decided not to add further insult to injury by bringing it up.
Taking Lightfang's hand in theirs in a handshake, Sorin gave Lightfang a moment to collect themself. With a shy smile, Lightfang met their eyes again before opening their mouth to speak.
"My name is Forest. It's nice to meet you."
Sorin couldn't help but smile as the name echoing through their mind like a song.
Forest.
Forest.
That name clicked into place like a puzzle piece as the pair continued to smile at one another, hands still clasped together in an awkwardly long hand shake. After a moment of relaxed silence, Sorin managed to compose themself enough to realize how ridiculous they both looked, and so they pulled back their hand rapidly, giving a curt nod as if every cell in their body wasn't screaming for them to stay there forever.
They cleared their throat, trying (and failing) to wrestle the giddy smile off their face.
"Well. It's nice to meet you too Li-"
Sorin caught themself, then looked up to meet their enemy's eyes before making the correction.
"Forest."
Their voice was maybe softer than they had intended, but it was worth it, as they watched their adversary's cheeks flush somehow even darker, mouth slightly open as they just stared at Sorin, seemingly having completely forgotten their task at hand.
Ordinarily Sorin would have laughed, but there was an energy so palpable in this moment that even they couldn't muster up the ability to tease their adversary any more than giving them a gentle nudge on the shoulder as they scooped up two of the four plates, finally turning away.
"C'mon blondie. We need to get this food out to Cody and Kate before they decide to just order takeout or something."
Forest let out a strangled little squeak at the nickname, and Sorin met it with a little snort as they hovered at their side, waiting for their adversary to pick up the other two. The way the blonde's hands were shaking, Sorin almost worried that they would drop them, but luckily Forest seemed to have at least enough composure to turn on their heel and follow, as the strange pair made their way to the dining room.