enemies to lovers oneshots

three

"how could you be so stupid?" he screamed, his face red. his usually composed demeanor was long gone by this point.

i laughed dryly, leaning back on the couch.

"me? stupid? you didn't even know until they told you." i winced at the pain in my arm, stretching my fingers to try to alleviate the pain.

"i'm not the idiot who got themselves cursed!" he yelled, and began to pace. "what..what the hell were you thinking, going in there blind? i have half a mind to amputate that thing in your sleep." he gestured at my blackening arm.

"it's not that bad, you're so dramatic." i retorted.

"dramatic?!" he shouted. "how could...how are you just...sitting there? this could kill you if you don't take care of it!"

"what's it to you? are you jealous that you couldn't curse me first?"

he made a strangled noise of disbelief and anger.

"listen, i fucking hate you but i wouldn't try to kill you!"

i laughed again, standing up. "oh, you wouldn't? let's see..." i walked towards him. "you've slashed me so bad that you could see bone, you've shot me and left me to rot, you've all but slit my throat and you're upset about a little curse?"

he scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "that was not as serious as this is."

"yeah? and what's the difference?"

he changed the subject. "you've left me with more scars than i can count, you're not the only fucking victim here!"

"i'm not calling myself a victim! you're the one who's always whining about how i don't hit hard enough! you're the one who said i didn't have the balls to go in there and get that artifact. that was all you! and guess what?" i showed him the necklace i was wearing. "i fucking got it. and now you're mad at me because it has a stupid curse?"

"that's the thing that's cursing you? jesus christ, i was just teasing you! that thing is dangerous and i didn't think you were so stupid as to take me seriously and actually retrieve it!"

heat rose in my cheeks. of course i'd thought he was serious.

"well...i..." i sputtered, trying to think of a response.

"and now it's going to kill you and it's my fault you're too stupid to understand that i was joking?" he asked rhetorically, practically spitting. "now i'm going to lose you and you don't even care!"

"lose me? what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" i asked. "it's powerful. i'm a better fighter because of it."

"take it off." he snarled, reaching for my necklace. i pulled away from him.

"no."

"i said take it off!"

i laughed humorlessly. "so that's what this is about. you just want it for yourself! don't pretend you care about my life for your own fucking gain you manipulative asshole." 

"i don't need magic to fight, you moron, i can rely on myself. you're just weak." he spat. i'd clearly touched a nerve. "fine. keep the damn thing. but when you're a rotting husk of the person you used to be, don't fucking blame me."

"fine!" i screamed back, blinking tears out of my eyes.

"get the fuck away from me. your selfishness disgusts me." he said.

"how the fuck am i being selfish?" i asked, and he stepped towards me, forcing me to back up so he wouldn't touch me.

"you're forcing me...i mean us...to watch you wither away as we just stand helpless in the sidelines? i don't want to watch you do that! i don't think i can handle that!"

"no one is forcing you to watch it! the door's right there!" i yelled and pointed at the door.  "i've never seen you like this, what is the matter with you?!"

his eyes went wide and he laughed angrily, rubbing his face. "has it ever occurred to you that your recklessness hurts the people who care about you? have you thought about that for one fucking second?"

"people who care about me? and who exactly are you talking about? because i know for a fact you're not talking about yourself. you'd better not be talking about yourself."

"i'm...i'm not talking about myself! i'm talking about your friends!"

"why are you so concerned with how my friends feel? you hate my friends! you're not making any fucking sense." i responded, clenching my fist.

he was spiraling. i could tell.

"you drive me crazy, this is completely irrelevant!"

"you brought it up!"

he sighed angrily, raising his voice even more. "fine, you want to hear me say it? you want me to say it?"

"say what?!" i was getting sick and tired of his games.

"of course i fucking care about you! despite all the shit you do that makes me go insane, all the stupid things you say and the half baked insults you throw at me, i don't know what i would do without you! you're my best friend, you fucking idiot! you fuck with my head and...god i fucking hate you! why did you have to make me fall in love with you?" he stopped suddenly. clearly, he didn't mean to say that last part.

his words hung heavy in the air for a moment. i didn't know how to feel.

"what?" i managed, and looked up at him. was he...crying?

he didn't answer, quickly avoiding my gaze.

"nothing, i...never mind." he said. "just...please get that looked at. i'm gonna go." and he walked past me without another word, and before i could process what he said, he was gone.