28 . first kiss . -lilyofwinhill
Reasons to Kiss Meme | status: open
The spattering of rain on the ceramic shingles played in quiet staccato behind the quiet drone of her voice, clearly watching the volume of her admonishments as to not wake Ellone who slept soundly upstairs.
They occupied the kitchen behind the bar, a chair drawn up by the wood-burning stove that radiated warmth, Raine towering over him in a rare advantage of height as she ruffled his wet hair with a towel.
Locked out again, Laguna? You shouldn’t have been patrolling so late, you know we’ve talked about this… You’ll give me your pockets so I can mend them properly this time, no more losing keys! You could get sick if you stay out like this in the rain — the mountains aren’t dry like Galbadia you know…
In times passed he might have argued, might have reasoned away the clumsiness, joked about the trail of rain water he’d tracked in. Apologized for waking her up at such a late hour. But this time he remained quiet, gazing up at her through curious eyes. This had not been the first time Raine had chided him… but perhaps he’d never noticed it before, the way those eyes that had once turned away with aloofness or sparkled with vehement annoyance now seemed to fix on him with undeniable concern. There was a softness in her in spite of her words that had nothing to do with the small child asleep in the upstairs home, and it piqued his interest. When had it changed? How had he missed it?
Dark, damp strands tickled his cheeks as he leaned up into her hands, chin tilted, fingers splaying gently along her forearms spattered wet with residual rain water, holding her there in that tender moment with her hands poised with so much careful focus atop his head as if she might mop up every ridiculous, careless notion inside it.
Perhaps he should have let her mop up this one as well, but a man given to sudden and undirectable impulses was not to be deterred by should haves.
She must have sensed the shift in him, for she paused with words still fresh on her lips, just long enough for him to slip in and kiss her lightly, tenderly, perhaps a little uncertainly — a kiss that could easily have been an apology or a thank you as it could have been more when given over to her interpretation. Eyes open, he watched her in breathless silence as he eased back, that ever expressive face wondering and openly questioning if this had been permissible? If it had been deplorable? If further experimentation was required to make a decision?
All he knew is that in the time between falling off a cliff and this moment he’d been so busy falling in love with this woman he’d forgotten entirely to act on it. And only these few precious seconds to follow would determine whether he was too early or too late.
