Lin Ling's guide to becoming an emotional support civilian [YANDERE EDITION]

[TO BE HERO X] x [LIN LING]

[Part two can be found here!]

Content warning: Mention of suicide and suicide methods

Author's note: This is another one-shot, but if I do make this into something bigger, it will turn into the entire cast x Lin Ling, so be warned!

Also! Thank you @kiraisrika for the idea! I can legit smooch you, ur brain is so powerful, give me-

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Lin Ling always had a calming presence. 

Or at least that’s what everyone said.

From teachers to random old ladies on the street, he was constantly told throughout his life that he brought a sort of calm with him in a way none of them could explain when he pressed. It was just a ‘vibe,’ apparently. He thought nothing of it—hell, he was somewhat flattered. Or he was until his reputation preceded him, and the next thing he knew, he had numbers on his wrist, and people knew him as the ‘Get calm quick’ guy. 

(He wasn’t bitter that all his accomplishments weren’t what made people remember him, but instead some nebulous ‘vibe.’ No, he’s not bitter at all! What are you talking about-?) 

Now, it wasn’t necessarily uncommon for an everyman like him to gain Trust. A good boss could get the Trust of their employees, or an actor’s fans will believe in them enough to gift them Trust, or a baker can get a high enough reputation for Trust. So when he saw the numbers on his wrist, he simply shrugged and went back to editing the stupid commercials for the 50th time. (Ignoring the small spark of hope that ignited in his chest—he didn’t have time for his childish dreams, not with rent due in a week.)

It wasn’t a high number, just high enough that he was able to gain the power of relaxation. (Give him a break; he named it during a writer’s block and hasn’t had the energy to change it since.) where if someone stands close to him—if he had to guess, within arm's length—they would enter a state of relaxation and bliss. 

He hasn’t been able to extensively test it out, not with summer approaching, it being one of the busiest times for advertising companies such as the one he works at, but he was able to notice that his coworkers stuck around him a bit more and his asshole of a boss notched down the assholeness by 1%—a godsend! 

Of course, there was still the 99% left over, and the next thing he knew, he was clutching his box consisting of his measly possessions and standing on the roof of his workplace. 

He didn’t want to jump—he swears! But he can’t deny that there is a temptation within him. To leave behind his mess of a life and just fly away from it all. To somewhere nice where he can live out his dreams of being a hero and be loved.

For the millionth time, he cursed the fact that he couldn’t use his powers on himself. 

But as he stands there, weighing the pros and cons of stepping off the precipice, he hears the sound of a cape rustling in the wind. Turning around, he is dumbfounded by doves flying, revealing, through a curtain of white feathers, Nice, Moon’s boyfriend, and the 15th hero. 

With the perfect sauvé befitting the perfect hero, Nice walks past him. His cape and white hair flowing in the wind. Lin Ling watches frozen as he flashes him his famous look— consisting of a gentle smile and kind eyes, and while shooting him his iconic finger guns, he walks.

And falls. 

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“So, tell me what happened, from the top.”

Lin Ling would have been more intimidated by her in normal circumstances—what with her sharp, glacial eyes and no-nonsense demeanor—but the fact that he has his arms filled with a tall, white-haired superhero who’s been clinging onto and burying his head into his collarbone for the last 30 or so minutes makes it hard to pay much attention to her. 

“Well,” He starts awkwardly, his hands stroking Nice on the back (is he purring or is he going insane?). “I was just on the roof—doing roof stuff—when Nice flew down, finger gunned me, and then tried to jump off the ledge.” Lin Ling knew he was being awkward. His sentences were too clipped, and his tone jumped from professional to hysterical, but he still couldn’t believe a word he’s saying, convinced that he would wake up at his desk at any moment to his boss screaming at him. 

The men in the back of the limo were clearly listening in, hiding behind their tablets to give them privacy, but he could feel their burning gazes piercing through his side. No doubt, looking at the hero in his arms. 

The woman, Miss Juan, if he remembered correctly, sighed. She looks like she lost 10 years off her life. 

Fixing her glasses, she stares back at him. “I see,” She opens her tablet and begins rapidly typing on it. “In that case, I apologize for my talent’s behavior, and our company will personally see to it that you get a hefty compensation for any emotional distress you may have experienced. Of course, you will have to sign an NDA, but that can be arranged tomorrow. The chauffeur will drive you home now.” Yes, please. After such an emotionally draining day, all Lin Ling wants to do is crash onto his bed and sleep for a week and a half. “Thank you, my address is—”

“No.”

 Lin Ling shivers as he can feel Nice gripping onto him stronger, almost to the point of pain. Shifting his head, Nice glares up at Miss Juan as if to challenge her to deny him this. To her credit, she stared back head-on, clearly not willing to back down. “What do you mean no?” She snipped back sharply, “He has a home to go back to, and you have an interview you need to prepare for. And just because I haven’t commented on your behavior doesn’t mean I’m okay with it. We are going to have words about this back at base.” ‘Wow, this leather is really nice,’ He thinks to himself, trying to dissociate to a happier place so he doesn’t have to hear this argument and think about the fact that Nice is using him as some kind of—some kind of comfort toy. ‘I wonder if it’s real.’

“I said no.” Nice shot back, glaring even harder at her. The two of them enter into a heated staring contest, and Lin Ling had half hysterically imagined a tumbleweed rolling past them like in those old western movies. The staring contest lasted for a few tense seconds before a vicious grin overtook Nice’s nice face. 

“If you let him go, I will kill myself.”

Wait, what?

“Woah there!” Lin Ling blurted out, “You can’t kill yourself!”

He looks back at him with a serene smile, “I will if you’re not here.”

“The- What is that supposed to mean!? You just met me! Besides, what do you have to kill yourself over, huh!? You have the perfect looks, perfect job, and the perfect girlfriend! Do you know how many guys would kill to be in your position?” 

“My looks came from plastic surgery before they permanently merged with my face. I despise my job, Moon hates me, and I hate her. Also, she’s gay.”

If the silence was loud before, now, it was deafening. He still has that serene smile, like he didn’t just shatter Lin Ling’s worldview like it was nothing.

“Moon is—is—is gay…?” He faintly murmurs to himself. All his fantasies are crumbling in front of him, and all he can do is watch.

“Mmph!” Nice nods, tickling him slightly with his white hair. “So you’re coming, right? You can sleep in my bed; it’s fine. I’ll kick Moon out. She can sleep on the couch.” Before Lin Ling can get a word in, Nice continues to press on like he’s some door-to-door salesman trying to scam him. “I live on the 15th floor, so the view is amazing, and I have private chefs come in regularly around the clock to cook up meals, so you won’t have to worry about that. Also—!”

“ENOUGH!”

Miss Juan all but screams, and Nice’s smile breaks instantly into a scowl as he glares at her. 

“You are not going to kill yourself just—just because of him!” She yells, waving her hand at him.

Nice sits up straighter and all but pushes Lin Ling's face into his chest as if to protect him from some heinous monster. “Yes, I will.” He states, standing firm.

“No, you won’t.”

“Want to bet on that?” She falls silent on this, and Nice takes the opportunity to press on.

“You can’t monitor me 24/7. I can easily take sleeping pills or slit my wrists and wait in the bathtub.” Lin Ling stares up at Nice, horrified at how at ease he is talking about this—how casual he is about threatening to take his own life. For him. “So, if you want to protect your precious Nice and the company’s brand image, I suggest you stop standing in my way.”

Miss Juan is quiet.

Nice is quiet.

The men in the back are quiet.

Lin Ling internally is not quiet.

‘WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!? HOW DID THINGS ESCALATE THIS FAR!? IS NICE OKAY? OKAY, DUMB QUESTION, BUT OMG, HE NEEDS HELP. ALSO, DO I NOT GET A SAY IN THIS—DO I HAVE A SAY IN THIS AT ALL!? I KNOW I WISHED TO BE A HERO, BUT I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THIS!’

After a few tense moments, Miss Juan finally nods.

“Have it your way.” 

She turns to the driver up in front, who has been circling the neighborhood for the entire duration of this conversation. “Head back to Hero Tower pronto. We’ll need to make up a cover story and draft up a contract.” “Wait!” He speaks up for what felt like centuries, “Do I not get a say in this!?”

“No.”

“No!”

Lin Ling feels a sweat drop down on the side of his face at the sight of them staring him down, one smiling and the other scowling.

‘What have I gotten myself into?’

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He was drowning in the cold sea of the abyss. No one cares. His OCD has gotten to the point where even the smallest imperfection sets him off—his parents no longer recognize the son they raised. Wreck has been messaging him nonstop for weeks now, and the longer he leaves him on read, the worse he feels, but if he opens his mouth, he knows he’ll scream-

But he is Nice. And Nice doesn’t let a single grain of dust ruin his day or let his relationship with his parents deteriorate to the point of no return, and Nice certainly doesn’t scream. 

Perfection requires a heavy toll, and no matter how much he sands down his inner- cuts away all the imperfections that made him him and not Nice—he can’t seem to do it right. Why can’t he do it right? Why can’t he be Nice? Why can’t he be happy?

He’s tired, so tired.

But then he met Lin Ling.

Lin Ling, who grabbed his cape; Lin Ling, who saved him; Lin Ling, who made him feel something he hadn’t felt in eons.

Happy.

He doesn’t care if he’s being unreasonable, he doesn’t care if he’s strong-arming this man whom he just met into living with him 24/7, and he doesn’t care if he’s not being Nice.

He found his calm- his happiness, and he’s not letting that go.

Ever.