Story Chapter 1
Sir Nealan of Queenscove was the first to trudge into the palace that night, still gossiping idly with Lady Knight Kelady, not having noticed she was still leaned up against the grand entrance way, almost asleep. 'It has been a long day,' Neal thought as he turned around and saw Kel, slowly slipping down the wall to sprawl across the cold tile floor.
Neal went back and forced his muscles to bend over and help Kel up, "Come on, Kel. We can't have you sleeping here. What would people think?"
"Right now, I couldn't care less." Kel was obviously unhappy at having to walk all the way back. They had left after lunch and kept good pace all day. After the sun had slipped under the horizon their pace had begun to slow. They had passed through the gates to the cit just as the last bell wrung to signal that it was past midnight and Neal had encouraged, cajoled, challenged and threatened her to got her to walk back to the palace. "We can't all have horse-blood you know, Neal. I would much rather stay hear in the foyer than climb those stairs."
"Oh, so this morning you can't even wait until I stop the bleeding in your arm before you rush into yet another fight, with the odds undoubtably stacked against you coming out alive, but now you can't even walk up a few measly flights of stairs." Neal tried again to get her up but felt the affect was lost as he was sure he sounded almost as exhausted as she looked. Pulling his strength toether he decided on a plan, "Well, if that's how its going to be." Neal picked Kel up an dslung her over his shoulder as he slowly, excruciatingly made his way up to the second floor where Kel's rooms were located.
Neal fished around in Kel's pockets for several minutes before he found her key. Thanking the Gods that her room no longer need a password, Neal nudged the door open and dumped Kel most unceremoniously on the bed in the middle of the room. Neal glanced around the room in a dazed sort of way before looking back at the bed with an expression of pure hunger. 'It won't matter,' Neal decided, 'not for just one night, just this once.'
Neal removed his shirt and wearily groped at the buckles to remove the many knives and weapons from his person. He looked again at Kel and swore softly when he realised she had fallen asleep with all her weapons still in place. He removed her boots and began the arduous task of finding all of Kel's hidden weapons.
'It's a pity I'm so tired,' Neal thought, 'this task would be really enjoyable if I had any energy.' Neal stopped short – the thought had jumped unbidden into his mind – but then relaxed, blaming his sudden attraction to his best friend on pure exhaustion. Finishing the task, he stumbled over and locked Kel's door. No matter how understandable his reason for staying in Kel's room that night was, he did not want to explain their planned sleeping arrangements to any of their mutual friends.
Neal fell into bed and together they slept the sleep of the dead.
***
Kel rolled over press herself closer into the warm lump that was wrapped around her. She lay that way for several moments before her eyes fluttered open. The cold winter light was streaming in through the cracks in the shutters and she had found herself in the direct path of the brightest light.
Groaning, Kel decided to wake up – she knew there was no point in trying to return to her dreams now. She tried to role over, only to find herself trapped by a well-muscled arm pinning her to a very warm body. Blushing and confused, Kel realised that there was a man in her bed, and at this angle she had no idea who it was. Blushing furiously now, and beginning to panic, Kel realised she didn't even remember going to bed last night – she remembered lying in the middle of the foyer but for the life of her couldn't remember mounting the flight of stairs to her room.
Kel tried in vain to roll escape from her warm, and admittedly very comfortable, prison. Her muscles simply would not obey her command and she was trapped again. Kel lay back down and sighed in defeat. As she let her body relax, she felt the arms wrapped tightly about her torso relax as well. Seeing an opportunity, Kel rolled over within her constraints – hoping to see the face of her captor.
Kel almost shrieked bloody murder as she looked up into the familiar green eyes of her best friend. Using all of her control she managed to keep it to a sharp intake of breath and her entire body went rigid. Unfortunately, this caused Neal to unconsciously pull her body flush against his in what Kel felt a very awkward position.
Neal's eyes slowly fluttered open to look at Kel's face, then closed again as he leaned in to Kel and kissed her softly. Neal's kiss was soft, portraying all the love and care in the world, he slowly brushed his chapped lips to hers and left them there for a moment. Kel was too shocked to breath, let alone react to this.
"Good morning, Kel." Neal muttered, his lips still less than a millimetre away from Kel's. She could feel his hot breath on her face and was brought back to reality. This time Kel did shriek as she pushed away from Neal and landed hard on the cold tile floor with a dull thud.
"In the name of the Gods, Neal. What do you think you're doing?" Kel was yelling loud enough to wake every God in the Divine Realms, and Neal seemed to be looking about him in confusion – his eyes wide, his face as pale as a ghost. "Where are my weapons, why are you in my bed, and for Heaven's sake, why did you just kiss me?" Kel's breath was coming a little heavy and panicked after her tirade.
"Um, I carried you up to your rooms last night," Neal was stuttering, obviously nervous, "I couldn't wake you when you went to sleep in the entrance and so I carried you up and put you in bed. And then I couldn't just leave all your weapons on you, you'd end up stabbing yourself in the night, so I found them and they're all over on the table." Kel blushed as she realised Neal had managed to find all of her hidden weapons. "And then I guess I just decided to sleep here." Neal finished lamely, looking slightly ashamed.
The silence in the room was pregnant and decidedly awkward. To both of there prayers, the bell broke the silence, tolling that it was lunch.
"I guess we better go to lunch then. Nobody will be happy if we're late." Neal announced, relieved that he would not have to explain his motives for kissing her for a while yet.
Kel watched surreptitiously as Neal pulled on his shirt, did up his belt and slipped a knife in his boots, admiring his muscled grace, as she tried to put on her hidden weapons modestly. She failed miserably and Neal had to remind himself that he was betrothed as he glimpsed several flashed of bare skin.
***
As the pair were about to walk into the Knight's Mess Hall, Neal grasped Kel's shoulder's and spun her around, looking carefully into her face for any show of emotion under her Yamani mask.
"Kel, I am very sorry if I caused you any discomfort be spending the night in your bed." And by kissing you, and holding you prisoner against my chest, he silently added.
"It's ok, Neal. We were both really tired and I didn't even notice you were there until this morning. I understand why you didn't want to go all the way back to your room – hell, I couldn't even be bothered to get out of the entrance hall." Kel voice was calm and gentle and reassured Neal that everything was going to be alright.
Neal and Kel walked into the Mess Hall, grabbing their trays and going to sit at their usual table. Neal sat next to Yuki, his betrothed who had somehow managed to convince everyone she had to eat here, and Kel next to Merric. Conversation swelled to encompass them both – talking of everything from border patrol to little sisters to the upcoming Midwinter Balls.
As the conversation changed again to allow Merric to whinge about his fast approaching arranged marriage, Neal slipped his arm around Yuki's waste and lie a silent kiss upon her hair. Seeing the comfortable gesture of love between the two, Kel felt an arrow of jealousy shoot though her. Jealousy that Yuki would be spending more time with Neal now. Jealousy that Yuki would receive Neal's goodmorning kiss. Jealousy that Neal loved Yuki best.
