Nana rode her motorcycle like she had nine lives and was willing to waste at least three of them getting to the hospital faster.
She'd been planning this since last night. Since Zayne had proposed in that beautiful garden with string lights and flowers and romance.
It was perfect. He was perfect. The ring was perfect.
But Nana wanted her turn.
Wanted everyone at the hospital to know that Dr. Zayne Li—award-winning cardiologist, Version 06 Enhanced, the most beautiful man in existence—was taken. Was hers. Was going to marry a chaotic enhanced hunter who would absolutely fight anyone who disagreed.
So she'd bought a ring this morning. Simple silver band, engraved on the inside with coordinates—the exact location where they'd escaped Avalon together through the Wish Bridge. Where they'd survived. Where they'd won.
And now she was going to propose. Publicly. In front of all his colleagues.
Because subtlety was for people who hadn't survived a death realm.
She screeched into the hospital parking lot at dangerous speed, parked the motorcycle sideways across two spots (she'd move it later), and ran toward the entrance.
The nurses at the front desk recognized her immediately.
"Oh no," one giggled. "She's here to destroy Dr. Li's sanity again."
"I love this for her," another nurse said, grinning. "Go get him, Specimen 21!"
Nana had leaves tangled in her hair from riding too fast through the park. Her Hunter gear was slightly dusty. Weapons strapped everywhere—dual guns, combat knife, even a small blade tucked into her messy bun.
She looked absolutely feral.
Absolutely perfect for proposing.
"Where's Zayne?!" she demanded at the desk.
"Lunch break. Hospital garden. With half the surgical staff." The nurse winked. "Good luck!"
Nana ran.
Zayne sat on a bench in the hospital's front garden, eating a sandwich and reviewing patient charts on his tablet.
Around him, several nurses and doctors took their lunch breaks—chatting, eating, enjoying the nice weather.
It was peaceful. Normal. Exactly the kind of routine he'd dreamed about during the Linkon outbreak.
Then he heard the screaming.
Not terror-screaming. Excited screaming. From the direction of the hospital entrance.
"DOCTOR LI! DOCTOR LI WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Zayne's head snapped up. "Nana?"
She came around the corner at full enhanced speed—practically a blur—skidding to a stop in front of his bench with leaves in her hair and the biggest, most chaotic smile he'd ever seen.
"There you are!" She was breathing hard, not from exertion but from excitement. "I've been looking everywhere!"
"Nana, what—" Zayne stood automatically. "Are you okay? Did something happen? Is there a Wanderer attack—"
"No! Well, yes, but not yet. Maybe. Doesn't matter!" She grabbed his hands, bouncing slightly. "I have something important to do!"
The nurses and doctors around them were already pulling out their phones, sensing drama.
Zayne's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you do?"
"Nothing! Yet!" Nana took a deep breath, then dropped to one knee.
Right there. In the hospital garden. In front of everyone.
Zayne's brain short-circuited. "Nana—"
"Shh! I'm proposing!" She pulled out a small box from her gear pocket. "You proposed to me yesterday and it was perfect and romantic and I cried. But I want my turn!"
She opened the box, revealing a silver ring that caught the sunlight.
"Dr. Zayne Li. Version 06. The man who died six times for me. The man who performs surgery while crying because he's too emotionally invested in his patients. The man who scolds me for kicking Wanderers and then kisses my cheek anyway."
Some of the watching nurses were already crying.
"You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out. Enhanced or not. You chose to heal instead of destroy. Chose to love instead of give up. Chose me
even though I'm chaotic and violent and still wake up with weapons in my hands."
Zayne's eyes were wet. His ears turning red from embarrassment and emotion.
"I don't have fancy words. I'm not good at romance. I kick things and glow at people who touch you. But I love you. I've loved you through three timelines and I'll love you through a thousand more."
She held up the ring. "So please—stay by my side. Marry me when you're ready. Let me protect you and annoy you and make you laugh for the rest of our lives."
The garden was dead silent except for quiet crying from several nurses.
Zayne was half-laughing, half-crying, ears so red they practically glowed. "You—you just proposed to me—in front of the entire surgical staff—"
"Yes! Is that a yes?!"
"Of course it's a yes, you chaotic—"
A Wanderer materialized ten feet away.
Purple-black portal opening in the hospital garden, creature stumbling through with claws raised and hostile intent.
Nana didn't even look.
Just kicked backward with enhanced strength—CRACK—her combat boot connecting with the Wanderer's core, shattering it instantly.
The creature dissolved into particles while Nana continued staring at Zayne like nothing had happened.
"Stupid Wanderer trying to ruin my proposal," she muttered.
The entire garden erupted in laughter.
Doctors applauding. Nurses crying and cheering. Someone shouting "THAT'S THE MOST NANA THING I'VE EVER SEEN!"
Zayne covered his face with his hands, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. "You just—you casually kicked a Wanderer—during your proposal—"
"It was interrupting!" Nana stood and grabbed his hands. "Now give me your hand so I can put the ring on properly!"
Zayne extended his left hand, still laughing, still blushing, still in love with this absolute chaos gremlin.
Nana slipped the ring onto his finger carefully. It fit perfectly—because she'd stolen one of his surgical gloves last week to get his size.
"There!" She beamed up at him. "Now everyone knows you're mine!"
"Everyone already knew," Zayne said, pulling her into his arms. "You glow at anyone who gets too close. It's not subtle."
"Good! I'm claiming you publicly! Twice! In two days!"
The watching staff were taking so many pictures. This would be hospital gossip for years.
Zayne kissed her—soft and sweet and completely uncaring that they had an audience—and whispered against her lips: "I love you. My chaotic, Wanderer-kicking, publicly-proposing fiancée."
"I love you too. My beautiful, blushing, twice-proposed-to fiancé."
They hugged tightly—Nana squeezing with enhanced strength, Zayne making a pained sound.
"Nana—ribs—still need those—"
"Sorry!" She loosened her grip slightly. "Forgot you're crushable."
"I'm not made of paper—"
"You're made of pretty and smart and I love you."
Zayne laughed into her hair, looking at the ring she'd given him. Simple silver band, but when he looked closer he could see coordinates engraved inside.
The Wish Bridge. Where they'd escaped together.
His chest tightened with emotion.
"It's beautiful," he said quietly. "Just like you."
"I'm chaotic and violent—"
"And beautiful. All of it. I love all of it."
Around them, the hospital staff gradually returned to their lunches, still smiling, still wiping tears, still talking excitedly about the proposal they'd just witnessed.
The one where Specimen 21 had dropped to one knee in hunter gear with leaves in her hair and proposed to their award-winning cardiologist.
The one where she'd casually kicked a Wanderer mid-proposal without breaking eye contact.
The one where Dr. Li had turned so red and laughed so hard and said *yes* without hesitation.
It would become hospital legend.
The day the chaotic hunter claimed her doctor.
Publicly. Definitively. Perfectly.
.
.
.
.
.
Zayne couldn't stop smiling.
He was supposed to be reviewing surgical reports. Instead, he kept looking at his left hand, at the ring Nana had given him, at the physical proof that she'd chosen him just as loudly as he'd chosen her.
Every time a colleague passed his office, they'd glance at the ring and grin.
"Congratulations, Dr. Li!"
"That proposal was legendary!"
"Your fiancée is terrifying in the best way!"
Zayne just smiled like an idiot and went back to staring at his ring.
His phone buzzed. Text from Nana:
Nana:did i do good? was it romantic enough? i kicked a wanderer should i not have kicked the wanderer
Zayne:It was perfect. Exactly like you. Though maybe warn me next time before you propose in front of my entire department.
Nana:no warnings. only chaos and love*
Zayne:I wouldn't want it any other way.
Nana:good because youre stuck with me forever now. OFFICIALLY. WITH RINGS. PLURAL.
Zayne:Two proposals in two days. We're definitely doing this right.
Nana:doing EVERYTHING right. i love you. even your crushable ribs.
Zayne:I love you too. Even your Wanderer-kicking violence.
He set down his phone and returned to work, still smiling, still wearing the ring she'd given him.
Still completely, hopelessly, perfectly in love with the chaotic enhanced hunter who'd proposed to him in a hospital garden and kicked a Wanderer without breaking stride.
Day 61.
Doubly engaged.
Publicly claimed.
Building a future together one chaotic proposal at a time.
Today Zayne was for smiling like an idiot and being proposed to by the woman he loved.
Perfect.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.