Hello! If you're still doing those kiss prompts, could you do 68 Claude/Hilda, please? If not, that's totally understandable and have a great day!
(I hope you have had many great days, anon. Here’s this at last!)
68. A Hoarse Whisper “Kiss Me”
This wasn’t how Claude had imagined his first kiss.
The Empire was practically on Garreg Mach’s doorstep, the Golden Deer were readying to fight, Rhea and the Church were as nervous as the students-- and if that weren’t enough, Hilda had slipped into Claude’s dorm room. She had on her usual brigand armor. Tear tracks marred both her cheeks, pink eyes still watery.
Fear spiked through Claude as he finished lacing his boots. “What happened?” He snapped, crossing the room to join her by the door.
She reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him forward so they were nose to nose. Not an urgent status report then. Claude would have relaxed-- he had half thought she was here to tell him the fighting had started much earlier than expected-- but something was off.
This close, Claude should have been able to smell Hilda’s perfume. Her signature floral scent that was almost a morale booster at this point. But she wasn’t wearing perfume, and the realization sent a dead weight into Claude’s stomach. If Hilda was that nervous, what hope did the rest of them have?
“Kiss me,” Hilda whispered.
Claude did so without hesitation. He pressed his lips to hers and cupped the back of her head, his knuckles bumping against the handle of the axe strapped to her back. Fresh tears fell from her eyes to his cheek. She held his face with both hands, shaking.
He let Hilda break the kiss. When she did, she swallowed and looked up at him. “Tell me we’re going to be alright,” she said.
“We’re going to be alright,” Claude answered, covering one of her hands with his and hoping he sounded confident.
Hilda nodded. She pushed him back gently and turned to open the door. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
“Do me a favor and use that perfume of yours.” He cracked a smile. “We’re going to need it.”
A water giggle found its way out of her. “You’re so weird. Yeah, I’ll grab it.”
Then Claude was alone in his dorm room. A battle brewing outside the gates, a bow slung over his shoulder, someone else’s tears on his face-- not how he expected his first kiss to go at all.
Shaking his head, Claude picked up his quiver and took one last look around his room. He got the feeling he wouldn’t be back for some time. But, at least, now there would be one more good memory waiting for him when he did.
