( you totally can ignore this one if you don’t feel like doing it ) 11 for kat and ryder :))))
11. when one stops the kiss to whisper, “i’m sorry, are you sure you - ?” and they answer by kissing them more
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH FROM THESE FINE BI BITCHES
p.s. why do i always insist on writing from ryder’s pov? who’s to say?
“Motherfucking vampires.”
Ryder yanked her machete out of a tree trunk, looking disparagingly down at the decapitated head of the last vamp. She suppressed the overwhelming urge to kick it. These boots were new. And expensive. She didn’t need any excess blood on them.
She surveyed the scene—ten bodies, eight or so heads. One or two of them must’ve rolled into the bushes or off the bank into the lake. It wasn’t the heads that concerned her. It was the lack of blonde hair.
“Kat?” she called, looking around the lifeless clearing. “Kat, you okay?”
There was a splash, and Ryder had her blade ready before she heard the spluttering cough.
“Bleh! Y-Yeah, I’m good. Fuck it’s cold.”
Ryder strode down the dock, not bothering to hide her laughter as Kat struggled to push her wet hair into place.
“Wow. Nothing I love more than a case that ends in a wet T-shirt contest.”
“Shut up,” Kat grumbled. She spat out a spout of lake water, wading her way to shore. “All I want to do is get back to the hotel, take a shower, and—ah, shit!”
She hissed in pain as she tried to haul her body onto the dock. Her arms buckled beneath her, and she sploshed back into the water.
“Are you okay?” Ryder demanded, all trace of humor gone. “Did one of them get you?”
“No, no. I think I just twisted my arm when I fell in. A little help?”
Ryder hurried forward, dropping her machete so she could grab Kat’s good arm. She heaved her up, trying to get another arm round her shoulders. She didn’t even see Kat’s hand as she grabbed the back of the other girl’s shirt.
SPLASH!
Kat had been telling the truth about one thing. It was fucking cold. Ryder practically screamed as she resurfaced. Her teeth were already chattering as she blinked the water out of her eyes. And all the while, Kat was laughing her ass off.
“Y-Y-You b-bitch!” Ryder stammered, sending a wave of water Kat’s way. “What the fuck w-was that for?”
“Laughing at me,” said Kat gleefully. “Maybe you should stop making fun of me on every hunt.”
“Oh y-yeah? Well who’s laughing now?”
Ryder’s glare did nothing to stop Kat’s giggles. Neither did the additional splash she sent her way. The water wasn’t too deep—just enough to submerge their shoulders. That meant it wasn’t too hard to push off and grab Kat by the neck.
The kiss wasn’t smooth. It was chattering teeth and surprised lips and wet skin. They slipped on the slimy rocks of the lake bottom, nearly toppling over into the water again.
Kat gasped, and the sound was enough to rocket Ryder back into reality. This was Kat. Sweet, damaged Kat who barely tolerated her flirting, let alone her real advances. She hadn’t even fucking asked.
Ryder ripped her hands out of Kat’s hair, panting.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I—I shouldn’t have done that. Are you sure you…?”
This time it was Kat that grabbed her. The force nearly dunked them into the water again. Then Kat’s legs were finding their way around Ryder’s waist, keeping her afloat as Ryder pushed her back against the pillar of the dock. Kat moaned into the kiss, making her smirk. Kat must’ve felt it, because she yanked on Ryder’s hair in retaliation. Ryder moaned and grabbed Kat’s ass in response. Kat bucked her hips, and they nearly fell over again.
“No, fuck this,” Ryder spluttered, spitting out water and pulling back from the kiss. “This is even more complicated than shower sex. Can we go back to the motel now?”
Kat laughed. Ryder was almost mesmerized by her smile, her cheeks flushed pink under a streak or two of red vampire blood. She was gorgeous.
“Yeah,” Kat agreed. She pushed a few dark locks of hair out of Ryder’s eyes. “Yeah, we can go back to the motel now.”
❝ What do you want me to do, huh? You want me to cry? Act like a whiny bitch that doesn’t know how to deal with pain? Newsflash, I’ve dealt with shit like this my whole life. The less people you care about, the easier the job gets. ❞
❝ Because a hero isn’t someone who lives above us, keeping us safe. A hero is not a god or an idea. A hero lives here… on the street, among us, with us. Always here but rarely recognized. ❞
✧・゚: *✧・゚:* WARRIOR’S EXILE + CHAPTER UPDATE *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
↳ ( updated version ) prologue :: loss of innocence
Vampires either indulged in the human's blood or turned the victim into one of their own. Werewolves and wendigos simply mauled people apart until their organs spilled out of their bodies in gruesome displays. Demons were much different; they tormented, manipulated, and haunted anyone who was deemed a threat to their way of life.
Of course, they were one of the toughest to eliminate; without the right equipment or proper encounters of experience in exorcism, it was fruitless to challenge the demons and send them back to the underworld. And when mercenaries accepted that kind of job, they did it in the same manner—quickly and efficiently.
The Blake family knew that all too well. Being one of the last few mercenaries that hunted down the supernatural, they were experts on how to take down a “complicated” case in their sleep. They were the best of the best, never afraid of a challenge. In fact, they loved it. Some more than others.
obviously when ryder and kat meet kat’s emotional wounds are pretty fresh
ryder catches her crying more than once, which is awkward cause she does her best to Not Deal With Emotions™
all she can really do without crossing some kind of line is pat kat on the knee and give her some distraction
which is good until after enough times she actually feels like she’s connecting with her??? gross??????
no seriously why is she talking about her brother to this rando gym trainer??
when is someone going to stop her????
oh god no is - is she crying?????????????????? WTF??????
obviously this leads to massive amounts of drinking to bury their feelings and numb their pain
ryder’s not proud of it but she definitely greased the path for kat’s alcohol abuse. but hey, they’re hunters right? you gotta do what you gotta do to survive
survive both the monsters and the trauma
and maybe talking actually helps them deal with trauma? were the therapists right?
and of course, just as things are beginning to settle down, and maybe they can survive……………………………………………ryder dies
in reality that’s what truly breaks kat down, cause she hears about it so fucking casually. just some dude telling some hunter telling some dude.
all the alcohol in the world can’t seem to replace the water she’s losing in tears
it scares the fuck out of her too, cause she’s new to hunting. and if ryder can die…god, who is she kidding out here? it’s only a matter of time before she kicks it too…
okay so you know how i'm a huge slut for our bi babies so 38 for kat and ryder pretty pls!!!
“Well, that’s another case closed.”
Ryder was lounging on the top of her car, watching Kat as she packed her belongings back into her trunk. It had been a fairly easy case - just a fresh werewolf in northern California. Ryder easily could have handled it by herself, but she wasn’t in Cali that often. It was nice to have back up from time to time - at least when back up was a blonde self-defense instructor who rarely asked questions.
“Yeah, thanks for calling me out,” said Kat. “Feels like I haven’t gotten a case in ages. Marcus has been slacking off finding them for me.”
“Can’t expect much more from that hermit,” Ryder joked.
“I know. I feel like it’s because he’s been talking to my mom. She’s trying to convince him she needs me at home more than anyone else needs me out here.”
“Good. Marcus needs to get laid.” That earned her a filthy look from Kat, and Ryder raised her hands up in submission. “Which would be bad if it was your mom. My mistake.”
Kat laughed and sidled over the other car. She offered a hand and helped Ryder down from her perch, giving her a quick hug on the ground.
“It was great seeing you. Gimme a call if you’re around soon, huh?”
“I’m around now,” Ryder said suggestively.
Kat rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“Work shmurk. You just saved the hearts of all the women in San Francisco. I think you deserve a break.”
“Ryder…”
“Fine, fine. Leave me cold. But at least let me give you your gift first.”
She disappeared into the backseat of her car, returning with a small black bundle in her hands. Unbuckling the strap, she slid the small dagger out of its sheath. The bronze blade glowed bright orange in the light of the street lamps, the delicate design almost sparkling.
Kat snatched it up immediately. Her jaw dropped as she held it up to the light. Ryder watched her with a smile she would definitely deny upon questioning.
“Pretty sure you don’t have one of those yet, newbie. It’s bronze, so good for sirens and shit like that. It’s imbued with some magic whatever the hell to double damage, something or other. I didn’t really ask. Too good a deal.”
Kat beamed, and launched herself at Ryder in a second hug. This one was longer, actually meant something. Just holding her felt warm and comfortable.
“I love it, Ryder. Thank you so much. God, Marcus is gonna be so miffed when I show him. He’s already asking where I keep getting this stuff. Obviously I’m not telling him, cause…”
She prattled on, finding a home for the knife in her trunk. Finally, Ryder had had enough.
“Let’s play a game,” she interrupted. “How many more times do I have to give you these until you realize I’m flirting with you?”
Kat stopped short, slowly turning back to Ryder. There wasn’t any of the surprise that Ryder had been expecting. Uncertainty, sure. Embarrassment even. But not a fraction of her face looked shocked.
Ryder smirked.
“Wow. But you already know that, don’t you? Bitch.”
Kat knew her well enough to grin. She ducked behind her hair to hide the expression immediately.
“Ryder, you flirt with anything that moves. I wasn’t gonna put that much stock in it.”
“Hey, I have standards, okay? And yeah, the weapons I give you are for protection and all. I don’t want you getting yourself shanked out there. But I don’t give pretty knives to all the pretty girls.”
Kat slammed her trunk closed, and Ryder moved forward. She placed one hand on either side of Kat’s hips, trapping her against the trunk. She knew Kat could take her if she wanted to. The girl could fight better than even some of the better hunters Ryder had bumped into over the years. But at the moment Kat was chewing on her bottom lip.
“Look, I wasn’t trying to bribe you,” Ryder whispered. “I’ve just been dragging myself through these hunts. You’ve been working your ass off on the mat and on your cases. I think we both deserve some time off. And it would be more fun if we deserved it together.”
Kat considered her for a few moments. Finally, her face broke into a smirk.
“I might be able to swing one night.”
“Sweetheart,” Ryder countered with a wink, “you’ll be swinging all night long.”