Till The World Ends // Gally x OC

{Ch. 8} Rooftop Kisses

"I suck at this. I totally suck at this. How is everyone else already so good but I'm absolutely horrible at it?"

"Elsie, look," Thomas leaned over when Four wasn't looking and helped me aim my gun. He placed a hand on my waist to encourage me to lean down. "Line up the cross hair with the chest of your dummy, aim, and fire."

I fired but I wasn't focusing in the slightest. Not with his hand placement. I completely missed the dummy and hit the brick wall behind it. I sighed angrily and leaned back.

Thomas quickly moved back when Four turned around to pace back our way, monitoring everyone's skills.

"Yeah, there's no way. I suck."

"Hey, don't talk about yourself like that," Christina spoke up. "It's probably your first time shooting a gun. You heard them in the Pit. We have time to develop these skills. Don't worry about it, you'll get better."

I smiled at her encouragement and nodded, then continued trying to hit the dummy. Gally, however, on the other side, had close to perfect aim and hit the target spot on every shot.

This grabbed Four's attention, who stood behind us to watch him shoot. He seemed satisfied with Gally's great aim and glanced over to me as I kept trying to at least hit the target.

I missed a few shots but closed my eyes to center myself, took a deep breath, and fired once more.

Hitting the shoulder of the dummy in front of me.

"Great job! You just pissed off your target," A guy down the line teased, who was apparently watching me.

I pulled back from staring down my target and noticed that almost everyone was watching me fail.

"Shut it," I fired back. "Be happy you're not my target."

"Wouldn't mind it if I was! You wouldn't hit me anyway!"

"Go stand up there, then," Four sneered at the boy. The boy quickly silenced and returned to his own gun and target.

I looked over at Four, who just motioned for me to continue trying.

—

I'd left the cafeteria early after dinner to head up to the roof once more. We'd been practicing shooting all day long but yet I'd only hit the target maybe four times and each time it wasn't a fatal shot.

I sat against the brick wall of a neighboring building and found myself stargazing. And crying.

Because if Minho were here he'd know just what to say. He'd help me figure it all out. He'd make me feel like I wasn't a failure.

I looked down at the grass bracelet I had on and ran my finger over the leather strip with my name on it. It's the little things.

It was always the little things with him.

"Hey," I heard a familiar voice. Instantly my hands shot up to my eyes and wiped the tears away. He didn't need to see me cry. Not again. "You don't have to do that. I've seen you cry before."

"I know I just... I don't want you to feel uncomfortable..."

"You don't have to do that either," Gally sat next to me. "Overwhelmed?"

"You have no idea," I scoffed, allowing tears to fall when they pleased. I also laid my head on Gally's shoulder and leaned on him. "I miss the Glade."

Gally nodded sadly. "Yeah. Me too."

It was quiet between us for a while. Until a question popped into my head.

"Why did you do all those things for me when you knew I was with Minho?"

Gally slowly but deeply inhaled, then sighed. "Because I've had feelings for you since the day I helped you out of that box."

"Why didn't you say anything? I wasn't with Minho right away."

"Because I didn't think you'd like someone like me. I was a total slinthead. You deserved someone like Minho who wouldn't hurt you like I could've."

"Gally, you've never hurt me," I looked up at him. "You never could."

"Now," He nodded, locking eyes with me. "Now all I wanna do is protect you. Keep you safe. Look out for you."

I smiled at him through my tears.

"But I don't want any of what I just told you to make you feel guilty. Like you have to do anything that you don't-"

I kissed him. One hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. I kissed him again.

Then I pulled away and smiled at him again. "You're not making me do anything, Gally."

"What about that Zack kid? Or Thomas? You two are still weird and you still haven't told me what's going on there."

I sighed and leaned on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You, Gally. Just you. I don't want Thomas. I don't want Zack. I want you, Gally. You."

He wrapped his arms around me and placed his chin on my head. He sighed and looked out at the city around us.

"We'll be okay," He told me. "Whether that's in Dauntless or Factionless. Whatever it is, wherever we are, we'll be okay."

I felt my heart breathe. Like it had been drowning since I lost Minho but Gally? Gally pulled me out and helped me breathe. 

He's my oxygen.

"I don't think I can make it here, Gally. I don't think I'm cut out for all of this."

"It's only the first day," His voice was soft. "You just got started. Give yourself a couple of days to try."

I can't tell him. Because lord knows what kind of punishments would be in store for me and anyone else who knows what I am.

"After everything we all went through in that Glade, we owe it to the old version of ourselves and everyone we lost to at least try."

I know he sees me. I know he's looking down from where he is and he sees me.

He sees us.

Sees me finally able to breathe after suffocating from his loss for so long.

I leaned back and looked up at him. Into his eyes. He looked down into mine and softly smiled.

"You're so beautiful," He whispered.

I smiled then as well. "Softie."

"Only around you. Don't break my cover. I think I'm finally starting to get a good reputation with the mysterious leader shank."

We both laughed at the tease.

"I won't. As long as I don't lose this," I leaned against his chest again. "I can't lose this."

It was then he noticed my words had a deeper meaning.

"I'm not going anywhere, Elsie. With you is where I want to be."

"Good. Stay."