Work Text:
The trembling didn’t stop. Probably wouldn’t for a while. Larran didn’t have the strength to will his body to comply, to make it hold still. Even as Kiela worked to dress his wound, his body shook with the force of adrenaline and the cold of the storm and horrid waters that had nestled forcefully under his skin. Despite sitting slumped against a table, he was sure the tremors made it a bothersome task for her.
He watched her for a moment, his breaths coming out harsh and ragged through his nostrils. He had no power left in his chest to speak at all, but he wanted so badly to gather up something so he could properly thank her. Without Kiela, he was sure he wouldn’t have made it two feet in the house. Larran likely would’ve collapsed on the spot after struggling with the front door. Even now, he still felt like he was on the verge of doubling over and passing out.
Then, as if she could read him, he felt her hand, warm and comforting, on his shoulder. It steadied him, brought him out of his thoughts. His eyes trailed up from some spot he had been staring at with unfocused eyes. He met her violet gaze, anchoring himself on her and her magenta freckles. Larran found a little strength stored deep within him. Just enough to keep his head up for her.
She looked overcome with emotion, and he wasn’t sure what she would say or do next. He didn’t think she knew either.
“I’m glad you didn’t die,” Kiela said, every syllable sounding desperate and soft, yet heavy with meaning.
His heart swelled. Larran shook a little less as Kiela’s words warmed his skin and calmly settled under it.
“Me too,” he replied, voice as steady as he could manage.
The corners of her lips tugged up, and the way she looked at him had his heart beating just as hard as it had been while out in the storm. Heat trickled up his neck, the same way it had as she stared at him earlier with such intensity. It was quite new and intimate to be so openly admired in her gaze, though he wasn’t sure Kiela did it on purpose.
She gave his shoulder a squeeze before enveloping him in a hug. It caught him off guard, but he appreciated it, and the sweet, fruity smell of her that followed. She held him so gently. She might’ve thought she would break him if she pressed any harder. His heart raced painfully as he leaned into Kiela and wrapped his arms around her, though he was careful not to make her feel suffocated.
Kiela pulled away, and he tried not to feel disappointed. He watched with inquisitive eyes as her hand slid from his shoulder to his chest. Her eyes were filled with worry, and he understood now why she pulled back.
“Are you okay?”
He didn’t know how to explain. He wasn’t sure how she felt about him. They didn’t get off to a good start, and it seemed he made the wrong impression again and again no matter how hard he tried to be a good neighbor. Maybe she liked him well enough as a neighbor now, if not for the basket of provisions or him building her jam shop’s shelves, then for her getting to ride his merhorses, but he wasn’t quite sure if any of that translated to feelings—
“Larran?”
He blinked at her, and all he could muster was a pathetic parting of his lips as he struggled to find words.
He stared at her helplessly for a moment, then remembered his previously raging heart. It had slowed down under her touch. He found his hand moving over hers, keeping her there as he took in deep breaths to calm his heart down further. Her eyes widened as she finally realized where her hand was, but she didn’t pull away. Just like earlier, when he instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her steady on the chair. He remembered how she looked down at him, studying something about him before looking away with a deep purple blush against her cobalt skin.
“Sorry,” he said, hand slipping away. “I really am fine, thank you. I just, I need a moment. Then we should check on the woman.”
Kiela looked away, hand dropping to her side as she stood up. His heart fell seeing her turn away from him.
He let his eyes follow, and she disappeared into his room. When she came back out, she was holding one of his quilts. She held it out to him.
“Here, you’re still shaking.”
“Thank you.” He hadn’t even noticed. It wasn’t at the forefront of his mind anymore. His attention had zeroed in on Kiela and how his body was reacting to her.
“For what?” She asked. “It’s your own quilt.”
“For everything,” he started, wrapping the quilt around his shoulders. “You made it easier to recover from the storm. I don’t regret going out there, but I know I’ve caused you much worry. Thank you for helping me anyway.”
“Of course I did. You would’ve done the same for me, and—” she cut herself off, standing up straighter. Larran perked up, a question on his features.
“And I really was worried about you,” she said quietly.
“I know.”
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t make it back.”
“Host my funeral,” he said logically.
Her face fell into a distraught look.
He grimaced as he realized how awful that sounded. The statement seemed so flippant to her concerns, and he really didn’t mean to come off that way. Gods, he wasn’t sure why he was like that sometimes—just saying the first thing that came to mind.
“I’m sorry I made you think about all that,” he said, brushing a hand over his curls. He shook his head before turning towards the hearth, where both their dripping clothes hung above.
“No, you’re right,” Kiela sighed. “It’s all I’d be able to do at that point, but I really would have regretted…” she trailed off.
He turned back to her, a brow raised.
“Regret what? It was my choice to go out there. If something happened to me, that’d be my own fault to regret or not.” He probably wouldn’t, though. It’d be hard to make him regret trying to help someone in need. Maybe confused or embarrassed if they responded in the ways Kiela had sometimes, but he couldn’t say he would ever want to go back and undo anything he did in earnest.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then… What?”
She hesitated for the briefest moment before striding over to him, bending down, and cradling his face in her hands. Heat bloomed across his face, his eyes wide in surprise (and anticipation). Kiela admired whatever she found in his golden, kaleidoscope eyes, then dropped her line of sight to his lips. She kissed him. He spared no time in kissing back.
She tasted like the sweetest jam.
Larran wanted to hold her and confirm he was still planted firmly in reality; he reached his hands up and tenderly spread his palms against her back instead.
Kiela pulled back far enough for their eyes to meet. “You’re not kissing me back to be kind, are you?” she asked in a low, unsure voice.
Larran couldn’t help but laugh, taken aback by such a question. “What? Why would I do that?”
She pulled back more, standing up to her height. He followed her up, letting the quilt drop off his shoulders. She fixed him with a defensive look.
“Because you’re such a friendly, considerate person,” she said, though she didn’t sound convinced that her words made sense once spoken out loud.
He didn’t think it’d be very “nice” at all to lead her on just to spare her feelings, but he smiled down at her, liking the compliment anyway. Larran delicately guided her closer. He felt much better about her feelings towards him. Maybe enough to initiate a kiss himself, but he held off to clarify something.
“So that’s what you would’ve regretted? Not kissing me?”
Kiela blushed that pretty purple color, and she shook her head. She stared up at him with a mix of emotions he knew just as well: Vulnerability. Determination. Endearment.
“No. Well, yes. If anything happened to you, I would regret not telling you how I feel. Larran, I want you to know that I like you,” she admitted.
He cherished the way his name sounded coming from her lips. Larran curled a finger in her berry blue hair as he bent down to kiss her again. “I like you too.”