Work Text:
The afternoon was a hot one, but Morgan stayed cool in the shade from a large oak as the leaves rustled in the breeze. They looked over their current project, a complicated mess of springs and angle iron that held an old tire cut to resemble a ram’s head. With a nod of satisfaction, Morgan went to work attaching their contraption to the front of a mid-size ATV.
In spite of their best efforts, though, this work wasn’t enough to distract them from their thoughts. It had been about a week since the party, and Morgan had been avoiding Alex like the plague. They were still rattled from what had happened with their father, but what really had them confused was why Alex had gone looking for them.
It just didn’t make sense. Alex wanted them gone, the asshole had made that much abundantly clear. So, why would he try to rescue Morgan from their parents? Maybe he just really wanted to prove he could make Morgan fall for him?
The farmhand shook their head, twisting a bit to get at a bolt underneath to tighten it down. It didn’t matter. What was done was done, and Morgan needed to focus. They still had a ways to go before fall’s end, and they had to be on their game. They couldn’t afford to look too far into what happened that night if they wanted any hope of surviving this mess. Especially not after hearing about Brett’s death a few days ago.
Alex was dangerous, that was the bottom line, and Morgan couldn’t forget that.
“What are you doing?”
Morgan jumped at the sudden voice, hitting their head on the vehicle. They swore as they sat up and glared at Alex, who was now standing in the shade with them. “You’re going to give me a fucking concussion if you keep doing that…” They hissed, turning back to make sure everything was secure. “I’m rigging a dummy ram’s head onto the ATV.” They explained, their body tense as they tried to finish quickly and get out of there.
“Ok…” Alex said, and Morgan noticed he sounded almost unsure, as if walking on eggshells. “But why?”
There was a twinge of guilt at the man’s careful tone, but Morgan shoved the thought away quickly. “Because Rambo is getting antsy for breeding season, and he’s taking it out on the shed.” They said, not looking at the other as they climbed onto the ATV and started it up.
“Oh, clever.” Alex said, just loud enough to be heard over the engine.
Morgan pretended they didn’t hear him, though, turning and taking off into the ram’s pen. It didn’t take long to get the animal to spar with them, and the farmhand tried to let the little game soothe their nerves. Though the sight of Alex sitting on the gate and watching never allowed them to relax too much.
Their driving was skillful, able to keep the rubber dummy between themselves and the frustrated ram until he wore himself out and started off towards the water trough. They slowly backed out of the pen, nodding as Alex held the gate open for them. Before the villain could shut it and turn back to them, Morgan whipped the vehicle around and sped across the farm to the tractor shed. Away from Alex.
A strange mixture of relief and guilt swirled within the farmhand as they moved to unhook the contraption and carry it to the workbench. Maybe they were being cowardly, but they didn’t care. Even if they were, it wasn’t as bad as the cowardice they showed Alex at the party. They still couldn’t believe they had all but begged the villain to rescue them.
Panic held their chest in a vice, not letting them take in a full breath as the very memories they were running from crashed through their defenses. The pain in their wrists as the cuffs dug into their flesh. The anger in their father’s voice as he threatened them. None of it compared to the terror they felt when they saw Alex’s anger directed at their parents.
Morgan braced their arms on the dusty workbench before them as they struggled to control their breathing. They hated this. Twenty years of dealing with the bullshit, and still, the thought of their parents getting hurt was enough to make them lose their nerve. They would like to say that asking Alex to get them out of there was a ploy, a purposeful tactic to distract the monster and get him away from their family, but the truth was so much more pathetic. Every action between seeing Alex talking to their parents, and driving away from the mansion, was driven by fear, and fear alone.
Stupid.
One last breath allowed Morgan to force their body to calm down, slowly recovering from their panic attack. They had a little free time this evening, and they already had the ATV out. They may as well take it for a ride on the forest trails before dark.
The farmhand had just managed a small smile at the thought of a death defying ride, when the room darkened suddenly, and their face fell. They knew who was blocking the light from the doorway before he even spoke.
“Is everything ok, Morgan?”
Morgan didn’t even look back at Alex as they finished putting things away. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” They didn’t mean to sound as short as they did, but they desperately didn’t want to talk to this man right now.
“Well, I’m not sure. But I haven’t seen much of you this week.” Alex said, stepping into the small space and allowing the light in once more. “I haven’t even fallen into any traps. Are you slipping?”
It was clear that the villain was trying to joke with them, but a quick glance was all it took for Morgan to tell his cocky smirk was forced. “Of course not.” They huffed, clearing out space for their contraption. “I’ve been busy. Harvest season is starting soon, and there’s a lot of work to do. I don’t have time for games.”
Alex cleared his throat, standing beside the farmhand now. “Well…” He started, before pausing briefly, as if to decide how to approach this. “Someone, not me of course, but… someone, might think you’ve been avoiding me.”
Morgan tensed slightly as their actions were called out, and they instinctively lashed out with their words. “Don’t be stupid, Alex.” They hissed, heaving the ram’s head up onto a shelf.
“Was it because of what happened at the party?”
Morgan slowed just a bit at the question. Was that… concern in Alex’s voice?
“Look… I’m sorry.” Alex said, his usual arrogance nowhere to be seen. “I swear I wasn’t trying to snoop or anything, I was just worried about you.”
Worried? Morgan froze for a moment. They still weren’t sure how to navigate this sentiment from the villain. Slowly, they looked up at the man who wasn’t looking directly at them, but rather down at the floor as if it might give him the words to explain himself.
Finally, Alex kept talking. “You’d been gone for a while, but I knew you didn’t want me to use my powers, so I looked for you. I saw the locks and I thought it might be a prison cell or something. When I saw the closet with the chains and everything, I was starting to panic. And –”
“Alex…”
Alex’s words didn’t even slow at the sound of his name from the farmhand. If anything, they gained speed, as if there was a time limit on this explanation. “I asked your parents about you, and they started lying to me, saying you had taken some money and ran off. They were saying… disgusting things, and I was getting so angry–”
“Alex.” Morgan tried again, only for the word to fall on deaf ears once more.
“I just snapped. I wasn’t going to kill them” There was the slightest of pauses as Alex considered what he’d said. “Well, I was going to try not to kill them, I just wanted them to tell me where you were.”
“Alex!” The shout was finally enough to silence the monster, and golden eyes looked up to meet Morgan’s green stare. He almost looked sheepish. It was adorable.
Morgan shut the thought down, hard, as they held the man’s gaze for several beats. A sigh broke free from them as their shoulders relaxed. “You’re fine, Alex… You didn’t do anything wrong at the party, ok?” They said, hating the slight flutter in their chest as relief visibly washed over the villain. They turned away to start closing up the cabinets. “I’ve just had a lot to process.”
“I get that…” Alex said, crossing his arms and leaning against the bench. “You know… you can always come to me if you’re feeling overwhelmed… I’d do anything for you.”
Yet again, Morgan had to lock down their emotions, especially at the last words. They’d had to do that far too often lately… it was a bad sign. “You’d do anything for me, huh?” They repeated, letting their doubt into their voice. They knew Alex was lying. This was all just part of the game, they were sure.
“Yeah!” Alex assured, almost too quickly. “Just ask.”
Morgan was quiet for a moment, hands resting on the cabinet doors. Their mind drifted back to the conversation with Barnaby a few nights ago, telling them about Brett’s death. They’d hacked into the police records and seen the autopsy report. It wasn’t the work of just any villain.
Finally, Morgan turned to face Alex, crossing their arms over their chest. “Did you kill Brett?”
Alex blinked. “What? No.” He said, looking genuinely surprised, though Morgan was still skeptical.
“Really?”
“Really.” Alex assured. “You specifically asked me not to, so I haven’t touched the fucker. All I did was rant to mom about him.”
Morgan took a deep breath, watching the man intently. They searched for any flinch, any crack that might reveal he was lying. “Well, he was found dead with his heart missing. Supervillain involvement is obviously suspected, and none of his nemeses kill in that way.”
Alex shook his head, holding his hands up a bit. “Morgan, I swear, it wasn’t me.” He continued. “Yeah, I was mad. But I kinda already got him back at the party.”
Green eyes narrowed at the confession. “What did you do?” Morgan asked, their glare never wavering as Alex swallowed hard.
The villain cleared his throat. “While I was waiting for you to come back from visiting your dad… Brett’s fiancé started coming on to me.”
“Jessica?”
Alex nodded. “I couldn’t get her to leave me alone, so I said her ring was fake and said I’d seen you and Brett chatting it up.” A tiny chuckle slipped free. “She was furious.”
There was a moment of silence before Morgan laughed, their stance softening a bit at the thought of those two going at it.
Alex visibly relaxed at the other’s laugh. “Hell, maybe she killed the bastard.” He said with a smile. “Hell hath no fury, as they say.”
Morgan’s laugh slowly faded away and they smiled at the man. “Alright, fine. I believe you.” They said.
The villain snickered a bit himself, offering a mischievous smirk. “Trust me, if I had killed him, there wouldn’t be a body left to identify.” He purred.
Morgan paused, looking at the other in surprise before their face melted into an amused grin. “You monster.”
“As advertised.” Alex said, giving a little wave. It was obvious he was feeling better now.
Morgan just shook their head, stepping out of the shed and hopping back up onto the ATV. When they looked up Alex was watching them, and they weren’t keen on the lurching in their chest when they saw the villain sadden a bit.
“Still busy, huh.” He asked, sounding almost depressed.
“No.” Morgan said, trying to crush the pity rising within them. “I was going to go for a joy ride on the trails.”
Alex nodded and gave a smile, though Morgan could see right through it. “Ok. Have fun.” He said, his voice falling just flat of the happy tone he’d obviously intended.
Morgan’s resolve broke and they let out a sigh. “Do you want to come?”
Oh, god… the way Alex’s face brightened at the offer. The asshole was practically beaming. “Really?” He asked.
Morgan nodded. “Hop on.” They said, scooting forward in the seat as they turned on the engine. As the villain complied, taking the seat behind them, they realized this was a mistake. They looked down, watching as two strong arms wrapped around their waist to hold on, and swallowed hard. “Uh… just don’t crush me, ok?” They added, before taking off and zooming towards the trail head.
The grip around them tightened slightly as they drifted around a corner. The trail was well worn from Morgan’s many rides through it, and as the wind tore through their hair, they felt their worries being blown off of them. Their heartbeat quickened and adrenaline coursed through their veins as they ramped off a mound of dirt.
Morgan let out a whoop as they flew through the air, and slowly, Alex started to join them. A slight shifting of their weight allowed them to land safely, not losing speed as they continued down the path. They fishtailed around a sharp corner, laughing as Alex gripped the front of their shirt to keep from falling off.
“If you fall off I’m leaving you behind!” Morgan yelled over the roar of the engine and the rush of the wind. They were certain Alex said something in reply but they didn’t hear it as they swerved through the narrow gaps between trees.
Morgan grinned as he felt Alex being tossed from side to side, before they pulled out of the thicket and into a small clearing. It was dusty circle full of ruts from previous rides, and on the other side was a sheer wall of dirt and roots where the land had eroded away. It was eight feet tall at the highest point, and wrapped around the clearing in a semi circle. There was no way they could stop before they hit it, but Morgan didn’t even attempt to slow down. Instead, they veered to the side, relishing Alex’s yell of surprise as they rode up onto the wall, nearly sideways even as the rough texture of the exposed roots slowed their speed.
Before they could lose too much momentum, Morgan drove back down into the clearing, slowing to a stop.
Alex’s excited laughter faded as Morgan began to back up, sizing up a large berm at the other end of the clearing that sat at the edge of the wet weather creek that cut a gorge deep into the slate.
“I’ve never done this jump with so much extra weight.” They said, a determined grin on their face as they revved the engine.
The arms around them tensed slightly, only making their grin widen. “I hope we can make it.”
“Wha- AHHH!” Alex’s words were cut off as Morgan gunned it, racing unflinchingly towards the edge.
They flew off the end of the ramp and out over the creek. There was a small amount of water running at the bottom, between the shards of exposed slate and broken branches that promised a painful landing should they fall short.
Morgan cackled as the arms around them gripped a little tighter, just short of being painful. They leaned forward, balancing out the weight as they cleared the creek and went hurtling towards the earth on the other side. It was a rough landing, the back tires hitting just before the front, and bouncing into a small fishtail slide. Morgan turned hard to keep from spinning out, and they finally skidded to a stop amid a cloud of dust.
The cackle slowly faded out as Alex’s grip started to loosen. “What a rush!” Morgan cried, looking back to see the deep ruts their landing had left.
“Hey…” Alex’s voice was in their ear as the villain set his chin on Morgan’s shoulder, making them stiffen slightly. Morgan glance at the other, surprised to see a sly grin on his face. “You wanna go somewhere with even bigger jumps?”
The offer confused Morgan. “What? Where?” they asked. The pair didn’t have time to drive out to a better off roading spot.
The sound of a snap made Morgan tense more, and the scene changed completely. The trees above them vanished, replaced by a sky completely full of thick brown clouds. The landscape changed to a range of large cliffs and deep crevasses, all bathed in a strange purplish hue. It didn’t look like anything Morgan had seen before. They even felt a little lighter. Not much, just enough to be perceptible.
“….Where are we?” They asked, turning to look at Alex in confusion.
The villain gave a smirk and shrugged. “I dunno. Some planet out at the edges of the galaxy I think.” He said. “I just wanted to find the best ATV terrain in the universe.”
“Oh…” Morgan said, looking back out at the alien landscape with wide eyes. It took a moment for them to process that. “Well… I guess it’s lucky the atmosphere is breathable.”
The laughter from Alex made them pause. “Oh no, not at all.” The villain corrected, and Morgan swallowed hard. “It’s extremely deadly. Like strip the skin off your body deadly. I just made it so that you can handle it. And the ATV can run with it too.”
Morgan didn’t respond. What were they supposed to say to that anyway? They just surveyed the area, already spotting places for some wicked jumps.
“See?” Alex continued, looking quite pleased with himself. “I can give you anything you want!”
The words grounded Morgan quickly enough. They were the splash of cold water the farmhand needed to remember who exactly was sitting behind them. Alex Stewart. Supervillain and serial mass murderer, and the man who wanted to drive Morgan away from the new life they had found.
There was no warning before Morgan took off again, almost losing Alex off of the back as they peeled out. The villain scrambled to get a better hold as they tested out this new terrain and lower gravity.
The jumps started out small, before quickly growing in scale and danger. Soon, Morgan was racing towards a rock that jutted out over a particularly wide chasm. The moment the tires left the stone, they knew they had messed up. They were going to fall short and end up crashing into the sheer cliff face on the other side. Their cries turned from excitement to genuine terror as they hurtled towards their death.
Morgan felt the arms around them shift slightly, and they barely registered a small snapping sound near their ear. They watched as purple stones flew up from the land, crashing together to form a small ramp that reached out from the edge. It was just enough, and Morgan quickly shifted to allow an easier landing as they skidded to a stop on the other side. They stared at the rocks as they slowly fell away, panting heavily as their pulse pounded in their ears.
That… was the best adrenaline rush they had had in a long time.
Realization quickly dawned on them, and they looked back to see an almost concerned look on Alex’s face.
“Are you ok?” The villain asked, worry in his tone, but Morgan ignored him.
Instead, their look of shock melted into a fierce grin, surprising the other. “Do that again.” They ordered, taking off once more and climbing up an even higher ramp. They didn’t bother checking to see if there was a landing spot as they flew off the edge and into empty space, instead watching as more rocks flew up to create another ramp to land on.
The two rode for hours, working in tandem to pull of ridiculous stunts for an audience of none.
* * * * *
Back on earth, the sun had long since set, leaving only the silvery moonlight to guide Morgan’s walk back towards the guest house. They were tired and sore, but still had a smile on their face as they walked beside a beaming Alex.
“That was fun!” The villain chimed, arms folded behind his head as he walked.
Morgan chuckled softly. “Yeah, it was a blast.” They agreed indulgently.
“Take that every other date you’ve had!” Alex said.
The smug grin should annoy Morgan, but they found themselves just smiling at the other. “Ok, ok. I’ll admit it. You’ve impressed me.” They confessed, feeling their heart jolt at the pure joy on Alex’s face.
The villain’s cocky tone didn’t waiver. “It’s ok, you can tell me it’s the best date you’ve ever been on.” He said, pearly white teeth flashing in the dim light.
Morgan just snickered. “Oh, Alex. I just can’t lie to you like that.” They said, mocking pity in their voice. “It was definitely top five, though.”
Alex seemed to deflate a little at the joke, looking back ahead with a sigh. “You’re just saying that because I’m a villain…” He grumbled.
The sudden change made Morgan pause as they stopped at their front door. “What makes you say that?” they asked, turning to face the other.
Alex shrugged. “Pretty much every interaction I’ve ever had with you…”
“You being a villain has nothing to do with how I rank my dates, Alex.” Morgan assured, but the other didn’t seem so convinced.
Skeptical golden eyes scanned the farmhand. “You grew up surrounded by heroes.” He asserted. “Of course, you wouldn’t like a villain.”
Morgan could help the single, sharp laugh that ripped from their throat at the words. “And what about my family makes you think I want a hero as a partner?” They asked, watching Alex flinch ever so slightly and look away.
The farmhand softened a bit, shifting to get the other to look back up at them. “Look, Alex.” They sighed. “I don’t really care that you’re a villain. I’m not exactly a paragon of virtue myself. I wouldn’t even care if you were a hero. That has no bearing on this situation. I am not some damsel in distress, calling out for a brave knight to rescue me. I don’t want any of that.”
Alex slowly relaxed from the defensive state he’d unknowingly defaulted to as he studied the other. “…Then what doyou want?” His eyes were full of the question, as if he were desperately trying to understand the person before him.
The look made Morgan freeze. They’d never been the target of such intense focus before. They were so taken aback that they almost missed the question. With a small cough to clear their throat, they looked away, needing to be free of that gilded stare to think. “…Someone to stand with me as my equal.” They finally answered, looking back at Alex once more. “…I want a partner.”
Alex stared in silence for a long moment. It seemed it hadn’t been the answer he was expecting, and Morgan was about to brush it off and head inside when the villain spoke up again.
“I’d like that.”
Morgan’s eyes widened at the response, before their face melted into a relaxed smile. “I… I really did have a good time tonight…” They confessed, rubbing the back of their neck. “And I’m sorry for avoiding you all week.”
Their body moved without their consent as they stepped forward, reaching up on their tiptoes to place a soft kiss on the villain’s lips. As they pulled back, they noted the way Alex stared, face flush and eyes wide, but they didn’t take the time to appreciate it. “Good night, Alex.” The farmhand whispered, before ducking into the guest house and closing the door swiftly.
The silence filled the cluttered room as Morgan stood still, listening carefully. What was only moments felt like hours before they finally heard Alex’s footsteps walking away.
They took a deep breath, having not realized they had been holding it, as they slumped back against the door. Their mind was swirling now, thoughts of Alex, the deadline, the game… the consequences of losing…
They could feel their heart in their throat as they teetered on the verge of another panic attack. A shaking hand reached up to cup their face, but they froze at an unexpected feeling. Slowly, they pulled back, staring at their palm in confusion. Turning it back and forth, a few small water droplets caught the light.
Tears… they were crying.
Slowly, their hand closed into a tight fist as they felt their control slipping. A laugh tore from them as they slid down the door, a hysterical sound that echoed off of the walls. This was it… They had lost the game. Somehow, that bastard had managed to make them fall in love with him.
“Well, at least I know you really aren’t reading my fucking mind, now don’t I?” Morgan snarled at their ceiling, still cackling like a madman.
It took a few minutes for the laughter to subside as Morgan struggled to pull themselves out of their breakdown. They slowly pushed to their feet, tears still dripping off of their face as they stumbled slightly and caught themselves on the back of the couch.
This was ok… They knew this dream life they’d found wouldn’t last forever. If Alex wasn’t the one to ruin it, their parents surely would. They would survive, just like they always did.
With a deep breath, Morgan managed to pull themselves together. They moved towards their bed, pulling their shirt off and tossing it into the corner before flopping gracelessly onto the mattress.
“Well… I suppose if I’ve lost the game anyway… I may as well have some fun playing it…” They grumbled to themselves, before rolling over to go to sleep.