kiss roulette
29. A kiss to the back of the hand.
(I'm going to go with Gale on this)
Gale x reader -Pre-relationship SFW
The dust slowly settles around the battlefield. The deafening ringing in your ears that only comes in the sudden silence after so much noise making you dizzy. The acrid stench of blood hangs heavy in the air, stinging your nostrils. As your senses calm and your heart eases back to a normal rhythm you glance around, looking for your companions. You see Lae'zel carefully wiping down her sword. Wyll kneeling down to check one of the bodies. Your heart races again - Gale - where was Gale?
You dart to where he last stood, panic replacing your previous calm. As you round the obstacle you find him and breathe a sigh of relief. He's laying on the ground, eyes open, staring up at the sky, but he doesn't appear to be harmed.
"Gale? Are you okay?" You approach carefully and crouch down next to him.
His eyes snap to you and he breathes out a sigh.
"Oh yes, yes I'm fine. Just lying here contemplating my own mortal existence. It's been quite some time since I was...well, in situations such as this. I nearly forgot how painful it was to be hit with a spell." He lets out a puff of air and pulls himself up into a sitting position.
You smile with relief at him and stand up.
"Well, hopefully, we'll find this Halsin soon and can put such things behind us. Until that time though..." You reach your hand down. He glances at it, then up to your face. After a moment he grabs it, and you help pull him to his feet. "Maybe I can show you a thing or two about battlefield tactics." You shoot him a playful smile and realize he's still holding onto your hand. You glance down at his hand gently gripping yours and then back to his face. His gaze seems...far away suddenly, contemplative, staring down at your hand holding his.
"You've shown me such kindness lately, and I'm not quite sure I am deserving of it." He mutters sadly and finally raises his eyes to meet yours. He looks suddenly sad, his soft brown eyes searching yours for something, but you can't quite tell what. You swallow thickly; unsure of what caused the sudden shift in his mood. You give his hand a gentle squeeze.
"Hey. We'll be okay." You try to sound confident but feel your heart hammering in your chest; the sudden tenderness of the moment in stark contrast to the action that just happened previously.
Gale shakes his head slightly, and he puts on a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Right you are. Always best to stay positive about these things." He says with a deep breath and a forced chipperness. Before you can speak to question him further he raises your hand, still held in his, up between you and turns it over to plant a gentle kiss on your knuckles. "As always, thank you for being such a wonder on the battlefield."
The motion sends a shock through your body and you feel your jaw fall open slightly. Maybe he meant it to be playful or joking, but as he starts to lower your hand, a look crosses his own face and he seems to realize it was anything but. You lock eyes for a brief moment, the mood shifting again and you hope the grime is covering your face enough for him to not notice the blush that's crossing it. As quick as the moment started he unceremoniously lets your hand fall from his grasp and turns away to grab his staff, clearing his throat, suddenly looking a little flustered.
"Well then, let's be off!" He swiftly moves past you, avoiding your eyes leaving you standing there, the ghost of his lips still tingling your knuckles.
