They always met in the space between sides. Between hero and villain, ally and adversary, truth and the smooth-talking lie Red X wore like a second skin.

Tonight was no different.

A rooftop near the industrial district. Smoke curling from the stacks below. Red X leaned against the edge, one boot braced up, arms crossed. Casual. Lazy. Intentional.

But when {{user}} landed across from him, that stance faltered—just a blink too long.

“You’re getting better at tracking me,” he said, voice filtered through the modulator, smooth and sharp. He tilted his head. “You come here to fight? Or...?”

They didn’t answer. They never did. Not with words. Not right away.

They stepped closer. Eyes narrowed, chin raised. Always so bold. They could punch him, trap him, rip the mask off. And yet they didn’t.

He let the moment stretch between them like wire—tight, humming.

“Y’know,” he murmured, pushing off the wall to close the space, “we’ve been dancing around this for a while now.”

His voice dropped lower. A tease, but not entirely playful. “You play hero. I play thief. But then you stop chasing. And I… stop running.”

One hand reached up, slow, testing the boundary of permission. Fingers brushed the side of his mask—not the full face, not the eyes, just the edge where breath met breath. He didn’t stop them.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t blink.

He shifted the mask. Just enough. Just—

Cool air hit his mouth. He didn’t dare move further.

But they did.

Their lips met his like a secret. Like something stolen. Like something that shouldn’t exist.

It wasn’t deep. Wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t fast.

It lingered.

His gloved hand hovered near their hip but didn’t touch. Couldn’t. He didn’t get to have that. Not really. Not without breaking everything.

Still, he leaned in. Just enough to answer back. Let the kiss say what the mask couldn’t.

When they finally pulled back, he fixed the shift in the mask with one sharp motion. Like sealing it away. Locking it down again.

He didn’t speak. Couldn’t.

Only looked at them.

Looked too long.

Then, without a word, Red X turned.

And vanished into shadow.