Nightbound Oneshots [more coming soon]

Hunting You <3

Nik Ryder watched her. He watched as the sword wobbled in her grip as she held it in front of her, her controlled face faltering as she tried to hide her unsureness. The corners of his mouth twitched into an amused smile at her determination to not ask for help. "You okay there, rookie?"

"I'm fine, Nik. And rookie isn't my real name, understood?!!", she responded coldly.

The hunter couldn't explain why, but her tone was beginning to get to him. His chest tightened at her icy voice, but he ignored it, keeping up his animated persona. "You know we won't get very far if you can't even hold the sword properly and..."

"Nik, please. I... I can't... I don't know what's wrong with me. I...", Alex began to panick.

"Okay, okay, relax." Nik sighted and looked at her sincerely. "It's fine, lemme help you, Alex?"

Alex held his gaze for what felt like a very long time to the nighthunter. Nik began to shuffle his feet nervously, an awkward gesture very unlike his usual composed demeanour, and almost broke the eye contact.

The young man began to step toward her, then paused. "May I?" He asked forst like a real gentleman, gesturing to her hand holding the hilt of the longsword. Alex just simply nodded.

Laying his own blade on the ground, Nik carefully moved to stand behind her. His hand slid down next to her arm gently, ever so slightly brushing the skin as it moved, leaving goosebumps in its wake. It reached its destination over Alex's smaller hand on the hilt. "It'll be much easier," He spoke, his mouth much closer to her ear than she thought it was, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "If you hold it like this."

His other hand came around her body to help adjust her grip, and her breath hitched involuntarily. She mentally cursed herself for it, she won't admit it, but she'd thought about Nik before, in ways more than a friend would. Every time she caught her mind wandering, she'd shake her head at herself, frowning at the fact she'd allowed herself to think about Nik that way.

The atmosphere around them had thickened significantly as Alex nodded at Nik's instruction, words caught in her throat. Sudden thoughts of touching him, kissing him appeared in her mind, which she couldn't shake them away quite so easily with his chest pressing against her back, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

"So when you want to strike," Nik continued, his voice low. "You move it in this sort of motion," He demonstrated, his hand still gripping onto Alex's, the two of them moving the longsword together. "Rather than this. It's more effective."

Alex hummed as she practiced the swift movement, Nik no longer guiding her but keeping his hand securely over hers. She was very aware of the closeness of Nik's lips to her temple, aware of the heaviness of his breathing.

"I'm surprised you haven't pushed me away yet," Nik murmured, speaking his thoughts aloud before his mind had even given the green light to say it.

"Well," Alex replied. "Maybe I don't dislike you as much as I let on."

"Really?" Despite the evident smirk in his voice, the surprise in his tone seeped through. He was quick to conceal it again though. "Enough to let me win... in a duel?"

He dramatically sped around to face her, grabbing his blade on the way and pointing it at her. The sharp tip of it rested just under her chin. "I challenge you, rookie."

"You're on, Nik Ryder!!", accepted the challenge, regainining her composure.

As soon as the words left her mouth, their blades collided with a clang and they fought, swords slicing the air and the two of them dodging and diving the other's blows. Alex was holding out pretty well considering she had never used a weapon before. Nik had other plans.

After letting her get a little cocky with her abilities, Nik let his own skill kick in, and one expert move of his blade knocked Alex's longsword right out of her grip, skidding across the room. Bewildered, Alex lost focus for a second. Big mistake. Anyone fighting with Nik would be a fool to forget that there's no one quicker than him.

Before she could even comprehend his movements, Alex found herself slammed against the floor of a brick wall with a blade to her throat, and gray eyes consuming her vision. "Damn, Alex. Looks like I win." Nik gloated, but his words didn't hold the same arrogance they spoke. His tone was distant, distracted, as the knowledge that they were supposed to be training slowly faded away.

"Guess so," Alex breathed, but she didn't quite hear her own voice. Nik's body over hers was clouding her mind, and those thoughts she had of him came rushing back through her, burning her blood with need.

Slowly, Nik removed the blade from her neck, leaving it clattering a distance away. She expected him to get up, but when he didn't, she was surprised to find herself pleased. She was surprised to find herself excited when he leaned down, and surprised to feel euphoric as his lips met hers tenderly, almost hesitantly.

As Nik Ryder kissed her, she finally allowed herself to give in to all those thoughts she'd pushed down, all those feelings she'd repressed for the nighthunter on top of her. Nik groaned as Alex's hands found themselves in his blonde hair, and little did she know, he felt the same way about her.

When they pulled away, they immediately knew everything would be different. They kissed and it meant something. It meant a lot and it was real. They didn't know how their dynamic would change from here. All they knew is that it would be different.

Nik began to lean in once more, to get more than just a taste of Alex, as he ended up being the one drawn to her like a magnet.