Title: When We Collide Genre: Romance Length: 1110 words Rating: PG-13 for implied sex and a few

of Niko's iss es Characters: Nikola !esla" #mil$ Pren%iss Prompt: Collide &$ 'owie (a$ )n %he mornin* of %heir %hird anni+ersar$" Nikola !esla woke p earl$" which for him wasn'% an en%irel$ o %-of-%he-ordinar$ occ rrence, 'ell" on each of %heir pas% anni+ersaries" he'd &een o % of &ed &efore %he s n rose in order %o prepare some sor% of ela&ora%e &reakfas% for her %o wake p %o, !his $ear" howe+er" he'd promised her ahead of %ime %ha% he'd &e %here when she woke p- %here" in &ed" and no% si%%in* &eside her wi%h a meal fi% for a kin* read$ and wai%in*- and he f ll$ in%ended %o keep %ha% promise" if onl$ &eca se she had so despera%el$ wan%ed him %o, -% wasn'% like i% was a %o *h promise %o keep" ei%her, 'e had $e% %o find an$%hin* in %he world %ha% *a+e him more pleas re %han holdin* her" naked and + lnera&le and oh so &ea %if l" in his arms,,, and he knew she fel% %he same wa$, It was exactly twelve minutes past noon on Thursday, November 8 th. He remembered it like it was yesterday. She'd been wearin !eans and a white blouse that revealed !ust enou h cleava e to catch his interest" which, in itsel#, was sayin somethin . He was mother#uckin Nikola !esla, #or cryin out loud. He could have any woman he wanted, and he knew it. $# course, up until then, he hadn't cared. !he memor$ of %he da$ %he$ me% was & rned in%o his mind in %he mos% ama.in* wa$ possi&le" and as his lo+er slep% peacef ll$ in his arms" he co ldn'% help & % %o recall %ha% da$ %ha% had chan*ed his life fore+er, 'e hadn'% reali.ed i% a% %he %ime" of co rse" & % he had known %ha% %here was some%hin* differen%- some%hin* %here %ha% he'd ne+er" e+er experienced &efore" and he / s% had %o know wha% i% was, #+en now" $ears la%er" he co ldn'% 0 i%e p % a name %o i%" & % %ha% didn'% ma%%er, No% now, He'd lost interest in whatever it was he had been doin the second she stepped into that co##ee shop, to the point where he ended up starin until lon a#ter the door had swun shut behind her. He couldn't help but wonder why no one else was starin alon with him. %idn't they notice her& 'ouldn't they see !ust how per#ect and ama(in and &ea %if l she was& Those were the thou hts that #lew throu h his mind, barely noticed by him, in the ten or #i#teen second span be#ore she reali(ed that he was starin ... and ave him a look that sent a wave o# embarrassment splashin down upon him, turnin him bri ht scarlet as he reali(ed his mistake. )n#ortunately, it also sent a sur e o# blood someplace much lower. 'e almos% ch ckled as he recalled %ha% da$" which had res l%ed in so man$ firs%s for %he %wo of %hem" and in par%ic lar" him, 'is firs% cr sh" firs% da%e" firs% kiss,,, and" ahem" firs% hard-on %o accompan$ all %hree of %hose e+en%s, 1he hadn'% seemed %o no%ice" %hank *od- or a% leas%" if she had" she hadn'% poin%ed i% o %- and %o %his da$" he s%ill hadn'% admi%%ed %ha% her en%rance alone in %ha% coffee shop had forced him %o %ake a cold shower %ha% af%ernoon, -% almos% made him ch ckle" seein* / s% how far %he$'d come since %hen, Nei%her of %hem were clo%hed ri*h% now" and she was nes%led sec rel$ a*ains% his ches% for warm%h" %ho *h he'd p lled %he &lanke%s o+er &o%h of %hem af%er %heir foolin* aro nd %he ni*h% &efore, 'e'd ha%e for her %o wake p free.in* cold" and especiall$ no% on %he mornin* of %heir anni+ersar$, He didn't know how thin s had one uphill #rom there, but they had. He'd somehow mana ed to beckon her over a#ter she'd ordered her co##ee" well, co##ees, thou h he assumed they were #or coworkers or #riends as well as hersel#" and, a#ter a lot o# #umblin #or words and uncontrollable blushin , asked her out on a date. It was only then that he'd thou ht to check #or a rin , thou h a split second"lon lance

at her le#t hand revealed that she wasn't married. That was a start" but i# it turned out she had a boy#riend already, he knew he would have to storm out o# there be#ore he could lose what was le#t o# his di nity, or worse, his control. He wouldn't harm her, or anyone else, #or that matter, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear her re!ect him. It was a vampire thin . They mated #or li#e" and because o# that, they had a sense o# protectiveness over the ones they loved that could be considered irrational. 1he m m&led some%hin* in her sleep" & % he co ldn'% make o % an$%hin* e+en +a* el$ coheren% and ins%ead se%%led for / s% p llin* her closer and & r$in* his face in her hair, 1he smelled dis%inc%l$ like s%raw&erries" a fac% he'd poin%ed o % on n mero s occasions %ha% she didn'% seem 0 i%e a&le %o comprehend, 1he didn'% se s%raw&err$ &od$ wash or deodoran% or e+en eat %ha% man$ s%raw&erries" af%er all" %ho *h as far as he was concerned" i% was perfec% %ha% wa$, -% was a s &%le scen%2 no% poisoned &$ chemicals or min*led wi%h %he scen% of o%her lo%ions and perf mes, !ho *h" now %ha% he %ho *h% a&o % i%" he s spec%ed she'd s%ar%ed sin* a s%raw&err$-scen%ed lip *loss a% some poin% in %ime,,, The date had one wonder#ully. They'd eaten dinner, had a bit to drink, and then she'd a reed to accompany him #or a walk under the stars. That ni ht alone almost, almos% made him believe in some sort o# hi her power. The sky was cloudless, the stars were shinin , and he had the woman o# his dreams to share it with. 'all it #ate, luck, or whatever else you will* he was !ust happy to be experiencin it. $ne year a#ter that ni ht, he'd taken her to the exact same spot and dropped to one knee under the exact same stars. +uch to his excitement, she'd said yes without a moment's hesitation. 'e didn'% know wha% he'd done %o deser+e her" le% alone %o make i% %his far in%o s ch an ama.in*" wonderf l rela%ionship, 'e ma$ no% &e makin* her &reakfas% in &ed %oda$" & % he wo ld defini%el$ make %his $e% ano%her da$ %ha% %he &o%h of %hem wo ld remem&er for %he res% of %heir li+es, 'e ma$ no% &e a&le %o ask her o % on a da%e for %he firs% %ime a*ain" or %o marr$ him" & % he co ld in%rod ce new memories- ones almos%" almost as ama.in* as %he ones %he$'d alread$ made %o*e%her, 3nd who knew4 5a$&e %he$'d finall$ ha+e %ha% &a&$ %he$'d &een %alkin* a&o % for $ears now, 3nd ma$&e" / s% ma$&e" %he$'d &e %o*e%her fore+er,