A shaft of light fell onto his face, making him scrunch his eyes in protest. When that didn't solve the problem, he rolled over onto his side. This movement happened to wake the bed's other occupant.
She turned towards him and he wrapped her in an embrace. "Good morning," she said, her voice husky with residual sleep.
Neal sighed and opened his eyes. He hadn't wanted to wake up yet but now there was no choice. She wouldn't let him laze the day away. He smiled into her almond shaped, brown eyes and kissed her. "Good morning, my blossom," he replied.
Yuki rolled her eyes; a very un-Yamani like gesture.
This made Neal's smile widen. He loved that she was comfortable enough with him to drop her mask. Well I would hope so, he chided himself. You are married after all. His inner voice made him want to roll his eyes. Ever since he was fifteen, the practical voice in his head always sounded like Kel. It could be quite irritating at times.
Yuki disentangled herself from his arms, ignoring his protests, and climbed from their bed. She stalked to their wardrobe and began dressing herself for the day. When she looked over at him, still lying in bed, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Nealan, would you just get up," she complained and threw a pair of breeches at his face.
Neal sighed dramatically before rising from the bed and struggled into the breeches Yuki had thrown at him. He ambled to the open wardrobe and placed a kiss on Yuki's cheek before he started to rummage for a shirt. At last he found a crisp white linen shirt that would go with his tan breeches nicely. Now if only I could find my favorite green tunic, he thought to himself. Then this will have been a good morning. Or as good a morning as a morning can be, he corrected himself. AHA!
He pulled the tunic from the wardrobe and immediately slid it over his head. This was his absolute favorite tunic. The green cotton was the same shade of emerald as his eyes and happened to be his favorite color. The cuffs, collar, and hem had a double border of embroidery; one tan and one brown. It fit his body perfectly, like the embrace of a dear friend. This was the tunic he had worn when he was presented with his shield. The same tunic he had worn when he had attended Raoul and Buri's wedding ceremony. The tunic he had been wearing when he had proposed to Yuki.
"You aren't planning on wearing that tunic, are you?" Yuki asked, looking him over.
Her words made his grin falter. "Yes, I am. Why? Is there something the matter with it?" Neal asked, nervously smoothing the tunic over his chest.
"Neal," Yuki said, pausing to choose her next words carefully. "It really is a nice tunic, and it looks great on you, but I think it's seen better days."
Neal's hands froze in place mid stroke. His head snapped up to meet his wife's eyes. He felt a knot tighten in his stomach and a sudden pang in his chest. He wet suddenly dry lips. "W-what do you mean?" he stammered.
Yuki sighed softly and took his hands in hers; she was surprised to find they felt clammy. "What I mean is that, perhaps, it's time to retire this tunic."
Neal immediately dropped Yuki's hands and took several steps back. "Yuki! How could you even suggest it!" he cried. "You have no idea how special this tunic is to me! Don't you remember? I wore it the night I proposed to you!" He ran his hand through his already messy brown hair. His green eyes were wide and wild. "I can't get rid of this tunic. It's been like a friend to me."
Yuki refrained from another exasperated sigh and eye roll. Neal's endless capacity for dramatics could really grate on her already limited patience sometimes. She understood what it was like to have a favorite outfit. She herself had a favorite kimono hanging in the wardrobe. However, there was always a point when enough was enough. "Neal. The elbows are worn bare, the embroidery is pulling out of the hem and collar, and you have a stain in the middle of your chest from where you dripped mustard on yourself," she explained patiently. "I think it's time to say goodbye."
Neal backed away farther from her, shaking his head as she spoke. When he hit the door that led into the sitting room he quickly opened it and fled their rooms.
After Neal had left their rooms, Yuki let out the sigh she had been restraining and continued to prepare for the day ahead.
Neal hurried down the halls, taking one turn or another. There was one room in particular he was looking for. He didn't know why he was seeking her out. He didn't really know what he was going to say. He just needed to talk to someone who would listen to him blather on. "Why does Lord Raoul insist on having her stay so close to the Own's barracks?" he muttered to himself.
He ignored the stares he received from other nobles as they passed by. In later years he would finally be able to laugh at the sight he must have been. Wild eyed and messy haired, storming down the corridors, muttering furiously to himself, in an old and much loved tunic. Bare foot no less.
Finally he found the door he was looking for. He tried the knob but was surprised to find it locked. This made Neal frown. That wasn't like her at all, he thought. She was always up with the sun.
He started pounding his fist on her door. He paused listening for any hint of movement or a voice. "Kel!" he shouted and pounded on the door again. This time he heard voices inside. He didn't stop to think about what it meant that he was hearing voices; as in plural meaning more than one. He hammered on the door yet again. "I can hear you in there Kel! Open this door! It's an emergency!"
His fist was poised in the air, ready to continue its assault, when suddenly the door was thrown open.
Neal's mind went blank as he took in his cousin's appearance. Dom stood in front of him dressed only in breeches that he must have thrown on in a rush. His dark hair was mused and his blue eyes held a hint of annoyance. His easy grin was no where to be seen. He stood with one hand on the door knob and the other braced on the door frame.
"What do you need, Meathead?" Dom prompted when Neal had stood silent for a few moments. "You said it was an emergency."
Neal shook his head to clear it. "Is Kel there? I really need to speak to her."
He heard more movement from within and soon Kel was standing just behind Dom, wrapped in a blanket. "What's the matter Neal?" she asked concerned.
"Kel, Yuki says I have to get rid of my favorite tunic!" he whined. The fact that Dom had answered the door, and that both he and Kel were standing in front of him half dressed was completely lost on Neal. "Kel, I can't do it! I won't do it! This tunic has been like a friend to me! I've had it for years! I wore it for my knighting ceremony, and Lord Raoul's wedding. I wore it the night I proposed to Yuki, for Mithros' sake! And she wants me to get rid of it, just like that, because it's a little worn! I can't get rid of it! I just can't!"
The couple on the other side of the door was silent for a moment. Finally Dom sounded irritated when he said, "That's your emergency, Meathead? You come shrieking and knocking down the door because Yuki says it's time to throw out a ratty old tunic?"
Neal wore an indignant expression as he worked himself into a tantrum, complete with whistling and clicking noises. "It's my favorite tunic! Why does no one understand this?"
Dom, whose face was slowly growing red with agitation, was about to retort when Kel pulled him away from the door. "Neal, I'm sorry to hear about your tunic," Kel said, channeling her father with her diplomatic tone. "Perhaps you could take it to Lalasa and see what she might be able to do about it. In the meantime, I would suggest combing your hair and finding some shoes. I'll talk to you later, Neal."
Neal sighed and ran a hand through his hair, resigned. "That's a good idea. I'll talk to Lalasa. Thanks Kel." He turned away and started walking back to his rooms.
Kel shook her head as she closed her door and locked it once more.
Somewhere above his head, a bell tinkled. He closed the door to the dress shop behind him. He moved to take a seat in one of the conveniently placed couches to wait to be helped. He gripped the tunic in his hands tightly. Yuki had gotten him to change, telling him that Lalasa couldn't possibly mend his tunic while he wore it.
He looked around him. Dresses with fancy embroidery, beading, trims, all in a rainbow of colors and patterns, and made from the finest materials one could purchase hung all around him. Even he, a man with rather little experience with women's clothing, found himself impressed with the designs and quality of the dresses around him.
"Sir Nealan," a soft voice asked. "What can I help you with today? How is my lady Kel?" Lalasa walked towards him and stopped in front of him to curtsy.
Neal stood and bowed in reply. "Hello Lalasa. Kel's fine," he said distractedly. He couldn't put off this conversation with idle chit chat. He had to know if she could do anything for his tunic. He was perilously close to losing hope that anything could be done to save it. He felt like he was taking a gravely injured friend to a healer and awaiting to hear the prognosis. "I was hoping you could do something to mend my tunic." He held it out to the woman and she took it gently from him and began to study it. "You see, Yuki says that it's time to let it go but I can't. It's my favorite tunic. I can't just get rid of it. I wore it when I proposed to Yuki, so it's very special to me. Kel suggested bringing it to you because you're so talented, and-"
Neal's words died in his throat when Lalasa looked up and met his eyes with hers. She was wearing a sad and understanding expression on her face. "Sir Nealan, I'm sorry to say that this tunic is beyond even what I can do," she said softly.
Neal's eyes suddenly filled and he had to blink the tears away. There was a pain in his chest that he felt would consume him. His knees went wobbly and he was forced to sit back on the couch before he collapsed. He truly felt like he was just told a friend had died. He put his face into his hands.
Lalasa knelt next to him, still holding the tunic gently in her hands. "I am very sorry, Sir Nealan. I understand the loss you're feeling. Clothes are very personal things. One's preference of materials and individual body shape and size make clothing unique. Attachments are certainly going to develop over time." She placed the tunic on the arm of the couch and stood. "Take all the time you need, Sir Nealan, but I have to get back to work. Please give my regards to my lady Kel and Lady Yuki."
"Thank you, Lalasa," Neal managed to say before he stood, gathered up his tunic, and left the shop.
Neal sat on the edge of the bed he shared with Yuki, his beloved tunic grasped in his hands before him. He ran his thumb over the embroidery of the collar remembering back to the night he had proposed to Yuki. That memory flowed into another memory; celebrating Lord Raoul's marriage and how he had danced the night away with his Yamani Blossom and his best friend. Then that memory flowed into another; him standing on the dais, raising his new shield on his arm, Yuki's fan in his belt, and his eyes resting on Kel and the pride he saw radiating from her.
A soft knock on the open door to the bedroom had him looking up to see Yuki. "You have visitors," she said simply as she came to sit on the bed next to him.
She was followed by Kel who came forward to sit on his other side. She was looking at him with sympathy, or as much sympathy as she would allow herself to express. Dom walked into the room behind Kel. He chose to stand and lean against the wall next to the door, a white box tied with string under his arm.
Kel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Did you talk to Lalasa?" she asked.
Neal nodded. "She told me she couldn't do anything," he said quietly, his eyes back to memorizing every stitch of the cloth in front of him. There was a short silence that descended upon those in the room, until Neal broke it. "I think I understand why losing this tunic hurts so much." He mused without looking up. "In addition to loving the color, the embroidery, the feel of the material, and the fit itself," he paused for a moment and then continued. "It was a physical reminder of some of the best times of my life. The feeling of pride and accomplishment as I lifted my shield for my brothers; dancing and laughing the night away with my best friend; asking the love of my life to stay with me forever." He swiped at a tear that coursed down his cheek. "I felt like if I lost this tunic, I would lose those precious memories."
Neal finally lifted his head and looked at each of them in turn before he said, "I realize now that that's not true. Those memories will stay with me forever, regardless of whether or not I have this tunic."
Yuki drew him to herself for a tight hug which he returned.
When he looked at Kel, he was surprised to see her smiling so openly at him. "That was a very fitting eulogy, Neal," she said as she stood and walked over to Dom. He handed her the box and Kel returned to her seat with it. "How about we make a trade," she suggested, holding the box out to Neal. Neal took it and gave his precious tunic to her in return.
"Open it," Dom urged him. "It's from Kel and me."
Neal did as he was told. He cut through the string and slid the lid off. When his eyes fell on the contents of the box his jaw dropped open and his eyes began to feel wet at the corners. His voice felt choked by a lump in his throat. Slowly, with trembling hands, he pulled out a brand new cotton tunic, the same shade of emerald as his eyes, with a double border of tan and brown. He stood to remove the tunic he currently wore and replaced it with the new one. It fit him perfectly, just as the old one had.
He caught both Kel and Dom's eyes. "I don't have the words to express... Thank you," he managed to choke out.
Kel and Dom both smiled at him. "A new tunic for new memories," Kel explained. "It was supposed to be your Birthday gift, but we thought now would be a better time to give it to you. Lalasa informed me, when I went to pick it up today, that she could turn your other tunic into a set of handkerchiefs if you'd like."
Neal nodded vehemently, then pulled Kel to her feet and gave her the hardest, longest hug they had ever shared. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.
"You're welcome," she whispered back.
Neal stepped away from her and turned to embrace his cousin. When they pulled apart, Dom couldn't help but add, "See there was no need to try to knock down Kel's door this morning. We had planned on getting you a replacement for your tunic for a while now."
Neal chuckled and shook his head until a thought popped into his mind. "Wait a minute. Why did you open Kel's door this morning?" he demanded. Neal's eyes opened wide and he stared at the both of them as he remembered how they had been dressed.
Dom just grinned at him and Kel hid her suddenly red face in her hands.
Yuki was smirking and hiding it behind her fan.
"My cousin and my best friend," he muttered, unsure of how he felt at that precise moment. "My cousin and my best friend."
"Yes, Meathead. Kel and I are courting. Have been courting, actually," Dom said with a grin. Kel still had her face buried in her hands.
"NO! You can't!" Neal screeched in exasperation.
"And why can't we, Meathead?" Dom demanded.
"Don't you understand! If you court and then get married, she'd be family! There'd be no escaping vegetables at the holidays!" Neal cried as he broke into an enormous grin. He turned to see Kel still refusing to look at anyone. He took her into his arms for a second time. "However much I dislike the thought of vegetables at the holidays," he said jokingly, "there isn't anyone else in the mortal realms that I would rather have join the family."