Before The Storm ~ Reader x Ralof

Chapter 13 ~ Dancing And Chatting

It feels as though my heart has jumped into my throat. He just...huh?
I stare at him, my face turning red. "Uh, dance with you?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?" he chuckles. "So, how about it?"
"Um, sure, I guess." I stammer. He adjusts my body so that I'm facing him, placing my arms around his neck. I jolt when his hands touch my waist, but then I realize that's where they're supposed to be, and he's not just trying to feel me up. He makes a few final adjustments.
And then, we're dancing.
It starts off with a slow swaying motion, just rocking back and forth. I don't look at him; I'm blushing too hard. I feel him remove one of his hands to tip my chin upward ever so slightly, just so I can meet his eyes.
"Why won't you look at me? Am I that hard on the eyes?" Ralof jokes. I shake my head, breathing a laugh.
"No, quite the opposite, actually."
Did I just say that?
He raises an eyebrow at me and smirks. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really."
I'm such an idiot!
"Where did all this newfound confidence come from?" he inquires, cocking his head.
"Uh, I don't know. It came out of nowhere, I guess." I shrug, my cheeks burning with a rosy color.
Ralof just gives a breathy chuckle and pulls me in closer.
We continue to dance slowly to the bard's lute for a while longer, finally splitting apart once the rest of the revellers have settled down. Now, we all sit around a tall bonfire, the heat reddening my face even further. The log I'm sitting on as a makeshift bench is rough and uncomfortable, but I'm too distracted to really think about that right now.
All I can think of is Ralof, and I don't know why.
I can feel his presence beside me, joy radiating off of him. I hear the swish of liquid as he tips his bottle back to take a swig of mead.
"Tonight was a good night." I comment, watching the flames flicker and dance.
"It really was. We won a battle, and I got to dance with a pretty girl." Ralof says, and at his last words, my heart jumps into my throat.
"Oh, you flatter me. But I'm just an ordinary Nord with an ordinary life. Nothing too special." I shrug.
He turns to stare at me in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You escaped a dragon, drowning, vampires, and Imperials. You nearly died more times than either of us can count. You're obviously something special, because no 'ordinary' girl could survive what you have. You're strong, and I like that."
I chuckle in embarrassment. He's too kind. "What can I say? I won't go down without a fight."
          He grins, finishing off his drink and pushing a few of his long blond locks behind his ear. "You certainly won't."

---

The party simmered down after a little bit, and now there only remains a few soldiers talking quietly by the dying fire. I retired to bed a few minutes ago. I'm sharing a tent with Ralof to make up for my lack of a cot.
          "Ralof?" I whisper, turning to look at the lump in the dark beside me.
          "What?" he answers in a deep, gravelly voice, his back to me.
          "When is the battle for that Jagged Crown?" I ask. It's been in the back of my mind this whole time. I have a feeling that wherever this crown is, my sister is.
          "About two or three weeks, why?" he says, shifting under his deerskin blanket.
          "Oh, just wondering."
          I hear Ralof breathe a chuckle. "Okay."
          We're quiet for few moments. "G'night, Ralof." I yawn, breaking the silence.
          "Goodnight, (Y/N)."