#but seriously this is a weird direction to go directly after missy and I think it might've been more fun to do it slow burn style

[martianbugsbunny]

third post I really loved Missy and Twelve's relationship, the way they sort of slowly worked towards each other despite the Doctor's distrust of her and her own evil tendencies, where neither of them was softer because of the other but maybe they were both a little bit better, and I would've enjoyed seeing that arc continue into Thirteen's run. Thirteen and the Master starting together and then slowly falling back apart could've been a fascinating dynamic to explore; I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess he's mad because of the whole Timeless Child thing, but that could've been brilliant to watch slowly build, resentment festering in the Master while Thirteen has a crisis and then finally there's an explosion because "do you really think this feels like more? being lied to all my lives and not being who I thought I was?" and THEN they have their big smackdown because neither of them will listen to the other or can understand the other's point of view kay bye

[minsugapie]

moonchild: part 9 (3070 words) - amortentia

• • • • • •

secretly running an infamous bookstagram, you only want to get through the school year with relative ease. after being paired with namjoon for a class project, you find out that he’s more than he seems to be.

you’re more than you seem to be.

• • • • • •

“we're born in the moonlight

ain't a fantasy

can't breathe in the sunlight

gotta hide your heart”

• • • • • •

previous // 9 // next

masterlist

• • • • • •

tags : @pwinny00 @hoseoksdior @xlilybebe @lvnakook @hellboundblogger @dreamcatcherjiah @pityandchiil @sunrisemcp @live-2-fangirl @dixonsbugaboo @onlinewhale @lofihope @minyoongone @whispers-of-magick @rjsmochii @vernooope @livingmars @teambigmantiddie @my-chaos-in-stars @dammit-jjk @amourkive @sweetcrvture @listless-losers @jayhope88 @original-internetmonster @georgieeahemmings @cecicarmens @sparky-isnt-a-vampire

• • • • • •

oof - it’s a been a few. please enjoy this as we get back to our regular scheduled programming...

• • • • • •

A party was the last place you wanted to go tonight, so naturally, you found yourself getting ready for the aforementioned event. When Jimin had barged in on your reading session, demanding whether your being invited to the party directly by Kim Namjoon had been a joke. 

He asked in a pant, “I just heard from Stacy that heard from Leon that talked to Kiki that overheard Kim Namjoon ask you to the party after class today! Is it true?”

“Uh, yeah,” you shrugged, not really reading too much into it. Jimin was classic for overreacting. 

“We’re getting you some serious dicking,” he sang out, going through your closet to help you find some clothes. It was either black or more black, so it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Changing the subject, you added to your previous statement, “But didn’t you get an invite from Yoongi again anyways?”

“Again…that was for the whole class! Your invite came directly from the devil’s mouth, and it was only for you! What exactly did he say?” Jimin made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t leaving anytime soon and that you were definitely going to that party. 

Rolling your eyes, you finally put the bookmark in your book and set it down on your night stand. “I was just putting my books back in my bag after class, and he asked what I was doing tonight before telling me that he wanted me at the party. No big deal.”

“I can’t believe we’re friends. We’re those his actual words?! How are you not freaking out over here! He said he wanted you there! I might blast off like team rocket any minute if you don’t smarten up, missy.”

“He was just being nice! Besides, I think he’s figured out that parties are not my scene. Honestly, Chim, we don’t have to go!” Even as the words exited your mouth, you knew you were going. He had made up his mind, so there was no getting out of it. Besides, he had actually managed to pick out an outfit. Surprise! It was all black and paired with your converse sneakers. 

Now, on your way to the party with Chim playing Pokemon Go on your arm, you couldn’t help the questions running through your mind. Why did he invite you really? Was he going to come find you? Why did you even care? 

You’d literally only known the guy personally for a little over two weeks and after a couple project sessions, but that didn’t mean you were friends. It definitely didn’t mean that you had to go to parties just because he gave you the invite. 

After ringing the doorbell once to be polite and receiving no answer, the two of you walked right in.

The house was already hoppin’ with drunk people. Chim finally put his phone away and let the surroundings capture his attention. You had no idea why these parties were so popular, but it looked like everyone was having at least a decent time. 

Because of the sheer amount of people that were going to be here tonight, you knew that you had to prepare yourself mentally to put on your brave face and try to walk with confidence. Chim was holding onto your anyways, so you wouldn’t have to worry about completely falling on your face in front of everyone, yet. 

The look on your face would have definitely been funny to any outsider that was watching. In fact, you knew that your jaw basically dropped to the floor after seeing the inside of their house. It was huge, reeking of affluence. You and Jimin were surely a sightly pair. 

It didn’t take long to locate the members of BTS. They were constantly surrounded by people. The girls wanted to be with them, and the guys wanted to be them. They were all surrounding a table with leftover alcohol dripping off of it. Everyone was laughing, except from Kim Namjoon, who was just listening, clearly distracted. Jimin noticed the guys too, commenting, “They’re so fucking hot.”

Mentally, you agreed with him. 

But when he said, “Look, there’s your man. Go get your dicking…” you rolled your eyes and walked away, getting a drink. If you were going to be able to handle being here, you needed alcohol in your system. 

Jimin excused himself to the bathroom, leaving you all alone to find a drink. You didn’t really care that much since you enjoyed being alone. What you weren’t expecting, however, was that Kim Namjoon would come find you. 

“Hey,” you heard him from behind you. It didn’t startle you, but you knew that that was what he had wanted to happen. 

“Hi,” you replied, turning around with your newly acquired alcoholic beverage in hand. You made it strong, and after this drink, you were sure to be tipsy. 

“You made it.” The classic Kim Namjoon smirk was plastered on his face. His eyes didn’t leave your face as yours shifted around the kitchen, seeing if anyone was going to spy on the two of you, or knew that you two were together. 

You were alone, which was both kind of exciting but also scary. 

“I brought my friend Jimin along with me. He’s around here somewhere,” you replied, taking a large sip of your drink. The quicker you got drunk, the easier it would be to get what Jimin said…

A small chuckle escaped his lips, revealing his beautiful dimples. You’d noticed them before, but never up close and directed towards you in this way. “I saw when you walked in. Are you going to go find him again or…?”

“I probably should before he starts talking to some random person about his personal Pokemon achievements. It’s been nice talking to you Namjoon. I’ll see you whenever when we work on our project.”

Before he could even reply, you made your way out of his presence, trying to find Jimin. Maybe the serious dicking would not be happening tonight. What you lacked in self-confidence you gained in self-doubt. There was no way that he would want to hook up with you, so why even try?

However, your efforts to find Jimin were spoiled as you literally ran into Sook while disturbingly looking at some couple sucking face in the wide open. 

“Y/N!” She yelled, louder than you expected. Her literal perfect face formed a smile. You wondered briefly where Jungkook was, but as the thought crossed your mind, he waltzed in from around the corner, arm slipping around Sook’s waist from behind and chin resting on her head. 

He smiled at you like he’d met you before, but you were absolutely positive that this was the first time that you’d even been this close to him. “Nice of you to come,” he commented, nodding his head at you. 

A small blush arose on your cheeks at just how attractive he was. You began to realize why they were so popular. You knew they were hot from afar, but being this appealing up close was a whole other level. 

“I was invited, and my friend Jimin really wanted to come, so here we are,” you answered, awkwardly playing with your cup. 

“Yeah, Joon was convinced you weren’t going to come. He was distracted until you got here. And then all of a sudden, we saw him follow you into the kitchen,” Sook revealed, probably breaking some kind of bro code. 

Jungkook pinched her side, making her jump before you could even reply. “Sook, baby, let’s not anger the bear, okay?”

Sook sheepishly smiled and then spoke again, “Well anyways, you look beautiful tonight, Y/N. Really.”

Hearing such a compliment from her surprised you. “Oh, thanks. But seriously, you’re always so stunning. You kill me, Sook.”

“Girls are so vocal and weird about this kind of thing. I don’t understand it,” Jungkook commented under his breath but both you and Sook caught it.

With a smile and a goodbye, you told them that you needed to go find Jimin again. He would be getting into all sorts of shenanigans without you, you were sure of it. 

Although finding Jimin was important, getting another quick drink was next on your list. The party was getting busier, and you needed that liquid courage to be around so many people at once. You took a shot and then filled another glass. By the time you made it out of the kitchen and back to wandering the endless hallways looking for your best friend/roommate, you were significantly influenced by alcohol. 

You were so influenced, in fact, that when you looked into one room, you had to stop and look around, even though Jimin was clearly not inside. You easily conclude that the person whose room this was was smart. There were hundreds of books neatly organized neatly in a wooden bookcase. Instantly, it had caught your attention. You weren’t sure you pegged any of BTS as readers. 

You soon realized that the room belonged to Namjoon because there were pictures of people on the desk, BTS, but there were a few singular ones of him and what looked to be like his family. 

“Looks like you found my room.” It was the same voice that came up to you earlier —Kim Namjoon. You looked up at him to see him leaning on the doorway with a smirk and a drink in his hand. One foot was crossed over the other. 

You place the picture that you were holding back not he desk and blush, thankful that the lights were dim. “Yeah, I’m sorry for snooping. I was trying to find Jimin…”

“Among my pictures?” His voice was teasing as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Your heartbeat quickened; you were alone. 

You were stumped. There really was no reason that you were holding his picture, and you couldn’t come up with one. When you didn’t answer soon enough, he kept walking towards you. Not understanding why he was walking right up to you, you back away and into a bookshelf. Your back pressed against two shelves at different levels, you hold your breath as he set his drink down and trapped you with his arms. 

“You look different tonight,” he commented. You could feel his breath on your face as he only stared at your lips. For a brief second, his eyes met yours. He smelled amazing, and you didn’t know if you were going to pass out. He was like your personal drought of amortentia. 

Feigning confidence, you replied, “I look the same as I always do.”

“It’s a nice different. You’re flushed. Carefree.”

The movement of his lips caught your attention. It was like his words were coming out in slow motion. They were full, totally kissable. He was totally kissable. 

It was clear to you that he wanted to kiss you. You weren’t born yesterday. His body language was a given, but what if Jimin was wrong? What if you didn’t need a serious dicking to realize that it was no use liking RM?

“Namjoon, I—” You started, but he cut your off. 

“You can call me Joon, Y/N,” he encouraged, tilting his head and sticking his chin out, watching to see if you were going to turn him down in any way. 

“I have to pee,” you blurted before you could stop yourself. You were out the door and around the hallway before he could reply, but you realized one tragic thing…you’d forgotten your phone in his room, and you needed it, so you had to go back.

• • • • • •

You slipped from under Namjoon’s arms faster than a bar of soap from his fingers. Either you really didn’t want to kiss him or you were really going to pee your pants. 

Either way, Namjoon wasn’t butthurt about it. He hadn’t planned on pinning you against his bookshelves, but you really were looking amazing. It had been hard to stop himself when he’d originally seen you. 

Namjoon often got what he wanted, and right now, he wanted you. Unfortunaltely for him, you clearly didn’t feel the same. 

He took out his phone, checking to see if Rosebud had texted out of habit. But then he remembered what he figured —you were Rosebud. He wondered if he’d ever find out. Would he want to meet with you after all that you’d talked about? Would; you still want to meet him if you found out that lot.

While his phone was out, he decided to shoot her a text, asking what she was up to. 

He heard a buzz come from the table near the pictures. It was your phone. He didn’t mean to snoop, but it was mandatory. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that the message that lit up the screen. 

It was from him, RM. 

The message was clear as day. The exact same words as he’d just sent from his phone. He sent a smiley face as a test, and it came through. 

Running his hands down his face, he went through all the possibilities of knowing and confronting you, but when you walked through the door, and grabbed it. She was gone before anything could be said or confronted. 

• • • • • •

Jimin was zipping his pants up, not looking away from the man on the bed in front of him. Shirt still somewhere unknown on the floor, he smiled. “That was fun,” he managed, earning half a smile from the regularity quiet man he’d just fucked. 

It wasn’t uncommon for Jimin to hookup with guys at parties, but it was entirely new that one of his hookups was with a member of BTS. He’d been sure that they were all straight men that only thought about girls and drinking, yet after being forced into this bedroom and looking around, he knew that they had to be more. Jimin observed equipment used for music, notebooks strewn everywhere, comic books littering the desk, and concert tickets in a collage on his roof. It was a typical room for a typical boy, nothing special but entirely personal. 

Yoongi barely acknowledged the comment by Jimin, and Jimin noticed that he was simply staring at him. Once Jimin’s eyes found his shirt, he quickly threw it over his shoulders and awkwardly stood there until Yoongi said something. He debated speaking again. 

“We should do that again sometime,” Yoongi finally spoke, remaining still on the bed. 

The only reply Jimin was able to conjure was, “I didn’t know you were gay.”

This sparked a small grin on Yoongi’s face. “I’m not much for labels.”

A small inkling of doubt krept through Jimin. Had he simply been a college experiment? Sure, he got an amazing finish out of it, but he didn’t like being used in that sort of way. His last boyfriend went right back to girls after him, resolving that he wasn’t into men. 

That shit hurt. It didn’t matter that he tried to convince himself otherwise. 

Yoongi must have sensed something in Jimin because he added, “Besides, you’re not my first. I always hookup outside of school. For privacy.”

Biting his lip, Jimin tried to hold back a smile. Yoongi clearly knew that they went to school together, even though he admitted that he always did things with people who had no idea who he was. 

“I won’t tell anyone.”

Yoongi finally moved, pushing his hair back from his face —something that made Jimin’s knees weak. He’d had it bad for Yoongi since he’d first seen him. “I know you won’t.”

Jimin’s phone suddenly went off in his pocket. Breaking the intense eye contact that he and Yoongi had, he looked to see that it was you. He doesn’t answer. He noticed all the messages that you’d sent him, asking him where he was because you were looking for him and needed him. He knew that it was his cue to leave. 

Heading to the door, Jimin looked at Yoongi one last time. “I’ll make sure no one sees me leaving the room.”

With a slight nod from Yoongi, Jimin left, finding you in mere minutes. 

No one had seen him leave Yoongi’s room, but he did overhear Kim Seokjin asking Kim Taehyung where Yoongi had gone because they were supposed to be playing a game of poker, and Yoongi was essential to counting the cards properly. 

As soon as he found you, he could tell that you wanted to leave, so you made your way out of the loud house and across campus to your apartment only two blocks away. Not a word was said the whole walk home, but as soon as the apartment door was closed behind the two of you, Jimin grabbed ahold of your shoulders and revealed, “I got some serious dicking tonight.”

Your eyes went wide, and you smiled. “OMG! Who?!”

“Min Yoongi.”

“Hah! Okay, Chim, sure.” You laughed, going to the cupboard to grab a glass for some water. You didn’t want that headache when you woke up. 

“Friends don’t lie, Y/N. Min Yoongi was the best sex of my life so far. The man knows what he’s doing,” Jimin admitted, grabbing a mug in the shape of a poké ball from the cupboard for his water instead of just using a glass.

Looking at him with an unbelieving yet impressed expression, it was your turn to spill the tea. “Joon and I almost kissed.”

“Y/N! That’s not even close to some serious dicking! What did we talk about?!”

Covering your face with your hands, you groaned. “Ugh, I know! I was a chicken. He was smelling so good, and his lips looked so plump, and I just couldn’t do it. People would talk. He likes books, Jimin, actual books. It freaked me out to see that different side of him! Plus, RM messaged me, and I realized that it felt wrong to be there with Joon.”

“Look at you calling him Joon…” Jimin teased, trying to lighten the situation. You knew he could tell that you were anxious. 

“You’re a brat,” you mumbled, making your way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow…”

“Watch some porn or something! Get yourself off since you couldn’t get Namjoon to do it for you!”

“Have I ever told you that I hate you when you’ve just gotten laid?”

[embarrassingsmartphonegame]

Anything (Chapter 5) - Nik Ryder x f!MC

Summary: After surviving an attempt on her life, she discovers there are worse fates than dying. And they’re all ice cold.

Warnings for this chapter: gun violence, swear words, and some fluff

Links to previous chapters: one // two // three // four

True to her word, Leah returned to Nik’s apartment a few hours later with more sleep under her belt than in the past three months. She smiled shyly as she walked into his apartment and noticed that he shaved his beard to his old neat stubble, and her stomach did a funny flip as he led her to his car. The two made disjointed small talk coupled with long bouts of silence; it was as if the events of the previous night hadn’t happened now that it was daylight and the two were more awake, more sober. And neither wanted to admit that they were surprised by the turn of events. 

Leah still tried to wrap her head around the fact that not only did Nik not hate her after she suddenly left, but he was also willing to go with her to Lamrian on her wild goose chase to find herself. And Nik was still wary it was all a dream or a trick and that she wasn’t actually there with him, that he truly had lost her like he lost everyone else in his life. Both stole sneaky glances at the other as they drove Nik’s car and walked through the woods and eventually towards the vast, open fields to the cathedral guarding Lamrian quietly, still keeping a careful distance from each other.

“Soooo…” Leah began, keeping her eyes trained forward. “Anything weird happen at the Graveyard Shift while I was gone?”

“I mean...it’s always weird in this city,” Nik replied, his eyes also trained forward. “But Garrus and Krom are still going strong. Never seen either of ‘em that happy; it’s kinda cute but kinda gross.”

“Aww, that’s so great! They deserve each other!” Leah remembered that night she and Ivy convinced Krom to make a move since it was so painfully obvious they liked each other. “Is Ivy still making you hunt ghosts for her services?”

“Strangely enough, she hasn’t been accepting any requests lately,” Nik chuckled, shaking his head as he recalled the time Leah tagged along to hunt a ghost for Ivy. “I think she’s been busy with some research. Something about her New York vampire Internet friend’s friend dying and then turning into a vampire while being a Bloodkeeper, whatever that means. And I think trying out some human video games with that same friend.”

“Okay now that’s wild, complete bonkers. I hope that person’s okay; dying wasn’t exactly a walk in the park…” Leah shivered, all of a sudden feeling cold even in the late spring weather of Louisiana. She tried to block out the memories that plagued her for a good two months after she left New Orleans.

“I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but how did you cope after everything?” Nik asked, glancing at her to make sure she was okay. “I can’t even imagine what that was like for you. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“How did I cope? Well...I didn’t.” Leah laughed mirthlessly, a smile not quite reaching her eyes. “I think I already told you the majority of it: stuck with my boring office job, avoided my mom, tried to pass the time with hobbies but failed so I got drunk a lot and did a bunch of people and other bad stuff. But probably the worst thing I did was cut my own bangs at 4am.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yeah I was having a crisis.”

“Because you saw your best friend get attacked, were hunted down relentlessly by a genocidal monster, found out your dad’s a Fae lord, saw your dad die, and then you died?” Leah blinked as he listed it all out in one breath; had she really been talking about it that much?

“Well...okay yeah pretty much. But also because I turned 25.”

Nik paused, confused. “What does that have to do with anything? Is that seriously a crisis?”

“A mid- okay fine not really, quarter-life crisis.” Leah let out a small laugh as she hazily remembered her conversation with Kristin, shaking her head and putting her hands in her pockets. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“I’m only a year younger than you, rook.”

“Then we’ll have a talk a year from now.”

Nik let a grin spread across his features. “That mean you’ll still be here a year from now?”

Leah shifted her eyes for a moment, and when she spoke again her voice was the perfect mix of playful and sincere. “Maybe.”

The two paused as they reached their destination. The castle guarding Lamrian loomed over them, its broken windows staring down at Leah like judgment. Leah felt very small. She felt as if she was a specimen on a petri dish placed under a microscope, and the Fae just behind those magical doors were scrutinizing her every being. 

Leah froze in fear, and she could feel the panic rising in her tight, tight chest. Nik noticed her expression and instinctively took one of her hands in his, giving it a small squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay. And I’m with you every step of the way.”

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t get a hold of her emotions, no matter how hard she tried or what she told herself she needed to do. Tears sprung on the corners of her eyes and ran down her face freely, and big, gasping sobs escaped from her mouth. She wrenched her hand from his, turned her back to the castle, and started walking away. Leah was hunched over and her hands grasped each other as she walked with Nik following her.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Leah could only see red, and that red was directed at herself. “I really dragged you out here for nothing! Why can’t I fucking face them?!”

Nik stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around so they were face-to-face. “Rook...breathe.”

She shook her head, trying to will the tears away but failing and launching into an anxiety-fueled. “Ugh, this is pathetic and embarrassing. I never should’ve stepped foot in Lamrian and I keep dragging you into my problems. I drag everyone into my problems! Kristin’s probably still paying for an entire week of hospital bills, Vera had to face her mom, Cal had to go against his pack, you and Katherine risked your lives by hunting Thomas down...fuck! When this was all happening, I should’ve just ignored you and stood in an open field and let the Bloodwraith—”

She was cut off by him pulling her into his strong arms, squeezing her so tightly she had no choice but to stop talking. “Don’t. I mean it, rook. Goddammit.”

“Why do you keep helping me?” she sobbed into his shoulder. “All I do is drag you down.”

He rubbed her back tenderly. “Because I want to. I care so damn much about you, rook, you have no idea.”

Before Leah could respond, the sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them. Nik instantly positioned his body in front of hers, his crossbow aimed at the voice before Leah could even blink. He put it down once they realized that it was the same Fae guarding Lamrian. His lips were set in a straight line and his eyes devoid of any emotion, a soldier on duty.

“Daughter of Lamrian,” he kneeled reverently as he spoke. “You have returned. Welcome. Let me lead the way.”

“Thank you. But unfortunately, I can’t come inside. It’s not the right time.” Leah steadied her breath. She appreciated the fact that he ignored her crimson red eyes and shaky voice. “But will you please relay a message for Lady Thalissa for me?”

“Anything you wish is my command.”

“Please tell her that Lord Elric loves her and will be waiting for her. And that I’m sorry for everything that happened and will one day return. Just...not today.”

He nodded and straightened up, preparing to relay the message. Leah stopped him. “And also...this is for the people of Lamrian: I’m sorry. I’m just sorry that they lost a leader and an heir because of me.”

The Fae guard nodded again, his lips in a thinner, harsher line; Leah could have sworn that his eyes displayed hints of anger and grief before they fell into the trained dutiful expression. She let him walk away, and when he was finally out of sight in the castle she let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“You did the right thing, rook.”

“Then why do I still feel so shitty?”

The two began to walk back to Nik’s car and eventually reached the woods. “It’d be weird if you didn’t feel like shit. It’s a lot, and sometimes you feel like you’re never gonna get out of that tunnel. But you will. And I’m here.”

“Nik, I--” But Leah was cut off by Nik suddenly shouting and tackling her to the ground as a knife embedded itself to the tree right behind where their heads were seconds before.

“Son of a bitch…” Nik muttered, quickly dragging them both back to their feet. “Can’t catch a break for one day!”

“What the fuck was that?!” Leah ran with him through the woods, her hand attached to his.

“He’s back. Remember that shapeshifter I pissed off? He must’ve followed us.”

“That I did, Ryder,” a snide, mocking voice replied from behind a tree. A man dressed in all black stepped out of the shadows. “A little birdie over your shoulder as you paid attention to your little girlfriend here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Mark, it was nothing personal. Grave robbing is a sick, sick thing to do!” Nik got into a fighting stance with his crossbow on his shoulder and Leah directly behind him.

“You just can’t appreciate the intricacies of a human bone broth soup!”

Leah grimaced in disgust and poked her head out to the side of Nik’s body. “Ugh, that’s what you were using it for? That’s messed up.”

Mark’s eyes flashed with rage, putting his hands in his pockets. “Just shut up, and you’re dying with him!”

“To hell with you!” Nik shot several arrows at him, and Mark rolled out of the way and back into the shadows. “Leah, stay out of the way!”

“I’m not letting you do this alone!” Leah stubbornly replied, running after him hunting down the shapeshifter. She channeled all of her energy into her palms, but to no avail. “Seriously, let me help!”

“You can help by keeping yourself safe!”

“He’s right; this ain’t a place for ya, missy.” Mark threw another knife from the shadows, and Nik deftly avoided it and more arrows. But Mark turned into a crow and flew above their heads to avoid the attack.

He landed on a tree and turned into a jaguar, and promptly lunged at the both of them from above. Leah managed to get out of the way but Nik punted him in the abdomen with a powerful kick. Mark landed a few feet away, groaning in pain and back in his human form. But within seconds he pulled a pistol out and started shooting at them. Nik and Leah ran in a zig-zag formation with the murderous shapeshifter hot on their heels.

“Arghhh!” With Leah a few feet ahead, Nik suddenly went down, clutching the side of his right thigh. He pulled his hand away for a moment to assess the damage, and Leah could see a linear laceration on his skin from where the bullet grazed his leg.

Leah watched in horror as the shapeshifter suddenly appeared above Nik, a heavy boot on his hand nearest to his crossbow and the gun aimed at his head. Mark grinned maliciously. “Nighty night, Nighthunter.”

“NOOO!” Leah shouted, sprinting towards the barrel of the gun and blindly pushing her hands out in front of her. All of a sudden two identical blasts of light bounded from the palms of her hands, both hitting Mark square in the face. The skin and nerves on her hands were burning, but she didn’t notice or care, adrenaline pumping through her vasculature. She could feel a power, a deep and great power bursting forth from her core. With a shriek, she sent more blasts towards Mark, the power boundless and suddenly at her disposal to do what she wanted. And all she could focus on was destroying Mark.

“Leah! Leah!” A seemingly far away voice called her name, but it didn’t register until she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. “Come back to me! Rook!”

Leah stopped blasting at her target, and a white haze that she didn’t even realize was present suddenly dissipated from her vision. She finally realized where she was, and that she was responsible for the pile of ashes on the ground where the shapeshifter once stood. Leah fell to her knees and Nik went down with her, refusing to let go.

“I...I did that,” Leah whispered, looking down at her trembling hands. “My powers...they’re back!”

“You saved my life, rook.” Nik held her with one arm as he pressed down on the wound on his leg. “That was...that was the most power I’ve ever seen from someone.”

Maybe it was the fact that their faces were suddenly so close to each other, or maybe it was the fact that they avoided certain death again. Maybe it was the silence gathering around them, warm and electric. Maybe it was the tenderness in his expression as he held her. Leah brought one hand up to his cheek and pressed their lips together softly, and they both sighed in relief as they kissed. A warm, gentle rain misted around the pair. Leah pulled away, and both sported giddy, shy smiles.

“Not how I expected today to go...but this is perfect...well, perfect for us.” Leah hauled him up and to his feet and tied her light jacket around his thigh as a makeshift tourniquet. “Best way I could help was staying out of the way, huh?”

Nik shook his head in disbelief as they walked. “You are the most bullheaded and impossible woman I’ve ever met. I would be dead now if it weren’t for you.”

“Nik…” Leah began seriously. She knew what she finally had to do. “What happened today...I want to be with you. As your partner, both personally and professionally.”

His eyes met hers, and he searched for any signs of hesitation only to find none. His face was completely relaxed for the first time since she met him, and it sent her heart fluttering. “Are you sure about this?”

“You’re a mess...and I’m a mess.” She shook her head, chuckling incredulously. “But that just might be why we’re perfect for each other. I’m in love with you, and I think I’ve always known it. Being your partner is what I want, if you’ll have me.”

“Goddammit, Leah…” He laughed with her before he spoke again, his voice vulnerable and sincere. “I love you too. I want you with me every second, from the moment I wake up to when I rest my head. I want you with me in the trenches, and then I want you with nothin’ at all between us.”

Every word lifted a heavy weight off her heart, and Leah beamed as she took Nik’s hand. “That’s all I want, too...partner.”

The now-official couple reached Nik’s car, but instead of getting in, Nik opened his trunk. Leah quirked an eyebrow. “Getting something?”

“You could say that,” Nik replied, stepping out from behind the car with his hands behind his back. “I’ve had this in here since the day you got out of the hospital, and I couldn’t bear to even look at it. Now that you’re back, though…”

“Are you...nervous?” Leah couldn’t help the teasing, amused tone in her question as she noticed his blush. She had to admit it was odd yet slightly satisfying seeing him squirm. 

“...You left this.”

Nik held out her cherry red leather jacket, the same one he gave her on her first night in New Orleans. Leah ran her hands down the soft, worn leather, smiling softly. “You really kept this all this time?”

“Well...yeah.” Nik rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Maybe I hoped that you’d come back one day.”

“Well you were right, Mr. Nighthunter.” Leah put the jacket on, relishing in the familiarity of the cool leather and smell of the bayou. “How do I look?”

Nik smiled brightly. “Like it was made for you, Ms. Nighthunter.”

She sidled up to the driver’s side of the car mischievously. “Awesome, now get in.”

“Wait, what? Who said you were driving?”

“You got shot in the leg! I need to take you to the hospital!”

The pair continued to bicker the entire ride to the emergency room, and amidst the chaos Leah grinned; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything was different, but maybe it would be okay after all. 

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A/N: Andddd after almost 4 months (!!!)...I’m back on this series with a real chapter. Thank you so much to whoever has stuck with reading every chapter; this is my first time actually writing a multi-chapter fic. There’s one chapter left before I move on to my next Nightbound series, which is pretty much a sequel to this story and the canon story. I hope you enjoyed this, and I welcome any and all comments!

Tagging: @furiouscloddonutpeanut @nighthunterkatherine @saivilo @samara-rani @god-save-the-keen @xxdangerouscapri15xx @inlovewithrebels