A Danger That Lurks In The Darkness | A TPQ AU |

Epilogue

a/n: 

warning: tooth rotting fluff ahead

————

8 MONTHS LATER

MINI
Months had passed and, slowly, Mini felt her wounds heal, her skin reknitting to its old shape, silvery scars left behind.

They'd had to explain their whole 'situation' to Shakuni, to avoid any problems at work. As it turned out, the man had a sentimental streak, and was mostly just happy to see them alive and well.

Also, he claimed that he saw their relationship coming from miles away, but that didn't account for the flabbergasted look on his face when she'd taken Rudy's hand in his office, and blurted out, "We're dating,"

They'd been given new partners, to avoid any conflict of interest in the field, or personal problems interfering with their work, and that was that.

She'd expected a more... climactic argument with Shakhuni, like in the rom-coms she'd begun forcing Rudy to watch (he claimed he didn't like them, but ended up getting more invested in the storyline than she was. It was kind of adorable— him yelling at the TV, "No, you can do so much better!" while she snickered in the background).

And, slowly, life returned to its cyclic order. Leaves fell off trees and re-grew. The day fell and night rose, and they were expected to return to normal life as well.

And it was difficult. First few nights, she'd woken up from night terrors— her hands soaked with blood, the scream not even leaving her throat as she woke up. What if the bullet hadn't missed him? What if, back at their mansion on Nevins' street, at the party, he had actually killed me?

What if, what if, what if... Dozens of hypotheticals crowded her mind, chasing her in her sleep as they finally caught up with her when she was finally— finally allowed to rest.

The broken promise no longer haunted her, now. She'd hoped she'd done enough to give those girls some peace. Yet, it lingered, in the farthest depths of her mind; that ghostly voice, unsure whether it was her own, singing a sickly, familiar song: What if, what if, what if...

And when it was all too much, she felt that familiar weight in her hand, valleys and crevices of knuckles and soft palms enveloping her hands in his.

She was there. He was there. They were both there, alive, living.

Slowly falling into step with the world, on a steady path.

Early winter had come, autumn slowly slouching by as it made its exit. Leaves clung to life on trees, only to be trampled underfoot by some excitable children, or one excitable Rudra Naga.

He balanced a bakery box in one hand, a jewellery box tucked into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling his scarf tight around himself, as his footsteps slowed and he reached Mini's apartment building.

He rang her doorbell, his ears trained, waiting to hear her voice: he couldn't help the way his heart soared every time he heard her voice. It was almost second nature to him, like it was almost second nature to her that every time they met, she would press a kiss into the small crater in his cheek, skin creased by his smile.

"Hey," he said, his eyes crinkling and his smile stretched wide across his face. She strode over to him, pressing a kiss into his cheek, right on time.

He felt the faintest brush of her fingertips against his— her hands warm.

"You ready?"

"Mm-hm,"