Disclaimer: I don't own Night World.
Galen never saw Keller so happy as when it was raining. It was an odd fact, if he considered the concept that cats hated water, but it was true—maybe it was because she wasn't technically a cat, or simply because Keller just loved to contradict people. Whatever the case, he'd long ago learned not to judge his soulmate by her second form (and that when the skies looked stormy, to hide in the basement, lest he get dragged out into a downpour).
Unfortunately, the new safe house he, Keller, and Iliana were deposited at didn't have a basement.
When the rain began to fall in sheets and thunder rumbled outside, he knew it was only a matter of time before she dragged him outside into the storm. Sure enough, not a minute later, the panther shapeshifter came bounding down the stairs with a childish light in her eyes. She grabbed her unwilling soulmate's hand, ignoring his protests that it was a thunderstorm, not just a drizzle, and he preferred not to get electrocuted today, thank you very much, and towed him away.
` Another thing Galen had learned a while ago about Keller: when she got an idea in her head, it was useless arguing with her.
This was exactly why he found himself on the roof of the latest safe house without so much as a coat, soaked with rain and lying spread-eagled next to his soulmate.
He jumped as thunder crashed in the distance. Keller smirked. "Scared of a little thunder, Galen?" she teased.
He wasn't—just of the lightning that followed. But he didn't dare voice his fears—he'd heard of Murphy's Law, and didn't want to test if leopards were immune to lightning. Odds are, they aren't.
Keller reached for his hand, surprising Galen, who was lost in thought and prayers (Please don't strike, please don't strike—). He gave her a startled glance, and promptly forgot about his astraphobia as he was swept up in how beautiful she was. Her normal shapeshifter jumpsuit was plastered to her skin from rain, her black hair clinging wet to her face. Her mouth was curved into a smile as rain pounded onto the concrete roof around them.
So maybe he was a little crazy (he could feel Keller's childish delight coursing through the soulmate bond; her giddy insanity was infectious), but he leaned in to kiss her: rain, wet hair, and all.
And when their lips meet, Galen decided he didn't really mind getting electrocuted after all.
Astraphobia—fear of thunder and lightning.
Meh. I don't know if I like this. It was too short, too…I don't know what. But it is my birthday tomorrow (the fourth), so I expect reviews anyway. Have a good rest of your summer, y'all!
(To BooBear-StoleMyHeart—Because I love you and know you'll read this crap sometime, Keller and Galen are 'shifter soulmates—Galen's a leopard, a prince of the First House of Shapeshifters, and Keller is a panther.)
