NOVPUB
Chapter 77: After-Party (III)
She pulled him into the fray, their bodies slipping between the other dancing adventurers.
Kara placed his hands on her waist and smirked up at him.
"Relax," she said. "Just follow my lead."
As the tempo of the music softened, the wild cheers and clinking of bottles and cups of ale gradually died down, replaced by murmurs and hushed laughter.
The magic ball floating above the crowd dimmed, casting a soft glow around the hall as the enchanted lights twinkled like stars.
It was time for a slow dance.
Zayn stiffened slightly as he realized what that meant.
It was one thing to be dragged into the chaos of the festivities, but slow dancing? That was a different kind of vulnerability.
Still, Kara didn’t give him much time to think.
Her hands slid over his shoulders, her fingers light yet steady, as she positioned herself close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from her body.
Zayn inhaled deeply, grounding himself as his hands remained firm on her waist.
"You okay there, handsome?" Kara asked, smirking up at him.
Her eyes glowed under the dim light, playful yet questioning.
"Yeah," Zayn muttered, exhaling through his nose.
She raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You’re stiff as a board."
Zayn rolled his shoulders, trying to relax. "It’s just... different."
"Different?"
He glanced around the hall, taking in the other pairs who had joined the dance floor.
Some moved fluidly, as if they had been doing this all their lives, while others fumbled awkwardly, stepping on each other’s feet and laughing about it.
Dancing in his world was structured — certain steps, certain rhythms.
But here? It seemed looser, almost like an expression of emotion rather than technique.
"I... don’t think dancing works the same way where I come from," he admitted.
Kara hummed in thought. "Well, lucky for you, I’m an expert at dancing the way we do it here."
She took the lead, guiding their steps with effortless confidence.
Zayn let her, his focus drifting between her movements and the others around him.
It was strange.
The atmosphere was so different from before, from when they had been battling inside that crumbling dungeon.
He studied Kara as they moved.
She was always lively, always full of energy, the type of person who faced the world head-on.
But there was something different about her now.
She wasn’t just teasing him or trying to get a reaction — this moment actually meant something to her.
Her grip on him wasn’t just playful, it was steady, as if she wanted to keep him in place, to remind him that he was here... with her.
Zayn clenched his jaw, feeling a strange warmth settle in his chest.
He let his hold on her waist relax slightly, adjusting to the rhythm.
"That’s better," Kara murmured, smirking. "See? Not so bad."
Zayn gave a small chuckle. "I still feel like I’m doing this wrong."
"Well," Kara said, tilting her head. "I guess there’s only one way to find out."
Before he could ask what she meant, she suddenly spun in his grasp, her hair brushing against his cheek as she moved.
Zayn reacted on instinct, catching her waist as she came back toward him.
Their bodies pressed together, and for a brief moment, Kara’s breath hitched.
Zayn caught it.
She blinked up at him, lips slightly parted, as if surprised by her own actions.
This was one of the few times Zayn had seen that face... Kara looked flustered.
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t expect me to catch you?"
Kara huffed, grinning despite herself. "Alright, maybe you’re not completely hopeless at this."
Zayn smirked. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
They continued dancing, their movements growing more synchronized, more comfortable.
The hall around them blurred.
The music faded into the background.
For a moment, it was just them.
Zayn wasn’t thinking about the battle anymore.
Kara was the first to break the silence.
"Hey," she murmured, her voice softer than before. "I know you don’t talk about it much, but..."
Zayn looked at her, waiting.
"I’m glad everyone is still here," she admitted. "After everything that happened today. After all that crazy dungeon shit. I know you act like it’s just another mission, but..."
She met his gaze, serious now.
"We almost lost you."
Zayn felt his throat tighten.
She wasn’t wrong.
If things had gone just a little differently, he might not be standing here right now. Well, he didn’t have the protagonist halo so he could be gone anytime...
What he needed to be doing was enjoiyng life to the fullest. And lose his status as a virgin as soon as possible!
’I am definitely not dying a virgin the second time.’
Kara’s fingers tightened slightly on his shoulder, as if reinforcing the weight of her words.
"Next time," she said, "don’t go pulling stupid hero stunts, alright?" n𝚘𝚟𝚙u𝚋.co𝚖
Zayn exhaled, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I can’t promise that."
Kara groaned, rolling her eyes. "Of course you can’t."
But she didn’t let go.
The music slowly came to an end, the lights above them returning to their normal brightness.
Around them, the other adventurers were reluctantly stepping apart, stretching and laughing as the tempo shifted again to something more upbeat.
Zayn and Kara remained still for a few extra seconds.
Then, finally, Kara smirked. "Well, look at you. You survived a dance."
Zayn huffed a small laugh. "Barely."
She nudged him playfully before stepping back. "C’mon, I think Bran’s about to start some kind of drinking competition."
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "Bran’s always starting a drinking competition."
"Exactly," Kara grinned. "Which means you get to watch him make a fool of himself."
Zayn chuckled, rolling his shoulders. Maybe staying at the party wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
As they walked back toward the others, Behold Bran was with that elf and about three other adventurers, each of them holding bottles of beer and ale, Bran lived for stuff like this but damn...
’His rizz needs to be studied bruh.’ Zayn thought while stroking his chin.
