#and it reminded me that i had this in my drafts

Prompt 12

“I don’t get it,” Hero snapped, pulling away from Villain.

“What don’t you get?” Villain shot Hero that dopey, lopsided grin, though their eyes shone with a glint of uncertainty. 

Hero walked away, knowing that Villain would follow. “I can’t stand being touched,” they said. “My skin crawls whenever someone is even in close proximity.”

It took a moment for Hero to realize that Villain had stopped trailing behind them, but once they did they turned to face them. Villain’s smile had fallen. “I’m sorry,” Villain said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“No, that’s not it. For some reason, you’re the exception. The contact isn’t… desirable necessarily. But I don’t feel that urge to escape. It feels normal, like touching an object instead of a person.”

“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment.”

“It is and it isn’t.”