Disclaimer:All Characters belong to Tamora Pierce.

Just pretend Yuki married some other deserving guy okay?

Neal watched Kel sparring with Cleon from his chambers, admiring the elegant way she moved and the sinuous motion of her muscles. She must have felt his eyes on her because she stopped and resting the but of the glave on the packed dirt of the practice courts she smiled up at him, a hand shading her eyes from the midday sun.

"Get down here Meathead, let me give you some bruises!" She called up at him.

Neal scowled at the nickname, forever cursing his cousin for sharing that with her. Kel's grin broadened at his reaction and he concluded she must have the best eye sight among them all if she could see his facial expression from down there. He sighed and shouted down.

"I'll be there in a few minutes"

Kel nodded and turned back to Cleon and Neal hurried away from the window, stopping in front of the mirror to check his reflection before picking up his sword and making his way out the door of his rooms and taking the stairs down to the practice courts. Kel turned to watch him enter the nearly empty courts and favoured him with another rare smile, one that made his breath catch and his heart race. It was so hard to keep his feelings in check when he saw her almost everyday and after all these years they were just so close. Sometimes he dreamed of a day where he didn't have to hide anymore and could hold her like he dreamed of. Cleon must have said something because Kel threw her head back and laughed, letting the sun behind her follow the graceful line of her neck and highlight the gold in her hair and the swirls of green in her eyes. She looked like an angel, his own personal guardian angel. He must have stopped without realising it because Kel was suddenly in front of him waving her hand before his face, the sunlight gone from her face but the beauty still there. She frowned slightly at the strange look upon her best friend's face.
"Neal is everything alright?" She asked her voice filled with concern. Neal didn't hear her, his mind still focused on the gentle beauty of the woman before him, he was absorbed in her strength and her weaknesses. His best friend was the love of his life. He was startled out of his daydream when he felt her calloused hand rest gently on his cheek.

"Neal?" She peered into his glazed eyes, her voice was thick with worry. His gaze sharpened and focused on her face and he realised that he had been lifting his own hand to cup her cheek and hastily lowered it. With a faint blush he stepped back until her touch was no longer tormenting him. He turned without a word and strode away, he couldn't stay near her with his feelings so close to the surface, he would do something silly. Kel stood dumbfounded at Neal's strange behaviour and looked up at Cleon when he came to stand beside her.

"What was that all about?" She asked him, hoping he would have more of a grasp of what just went on that she did. All she could make of it was that at first Neal had been happy to see her then his face had taken on an odd expression and a faraway look before his eyes focused on her and an intense look of sadness descended over his handsome features.

Cleon's eyes were focused on Neal's hastily retreating back and his brow furrowed. "I'm not quite sure but maybe you should follow him Kel" He suggested, an idea forming in his head. He thought he might know why Neal had been acting different lately. Kel looked up at him confused before shrugging and running after Neal. He'd walked out of the practice courts and into the pretty palace gardens nearby. It took her a bit of searching before she found him sitting on a stone bench with his head in his hands, the scent of roses in the air. She quietly padded over to him and sat down, looking down the winding path out at the beautiful flowers and the colours. There was no one else around, just them. Neal felt Kel sit beside him and cursed Kennan for sending her after him, which was certainly what the taller knight had done.

He sighed and felt his feelings bubble to the surface again.

"Kel, please go away" he pushed out, his voice strained. Kel sat back away from him in shock then leant forward closely.

"Neal, you can talk to me" She said softly, her voice sending shivers down his spine.

He groaned into his hands and hunched his shoulders, trying to shut her out but Kel wasn't going to have that. She put her hand on the area between his shoulder blades and the feel of her touch raised goose bumps on his skin and he couldn't hold it back anymore. He raised his head in a burst of movement and grasped her head between his hands, his lips finding their way to meet her own and kissed her passionately and soundly. He felt an explosion in his mind and all the bad feelings he'd kept bottled up just disappeared and all he felt, smell and heard were his lips on hers. He felt the smooth skin of her cheeks under his hands and the feel of her body pressed against his. He kissed her with all his feelings, letting her find out what all his strange behaviour was about. This was him talking. Slowly but reluctantly he lessened the passion of his kiss and finally backed off, dropping his hands from her face. He opened his eyes slowly and found her staring at him blankly and he stood up, unable to bear it if she got angry at him. Without a word he turned and strode away from her once again even though his heart and body demanded he go back. He blindly shoved his way through the crowd of people in the courtyard on the way to the area that had been sectioned off for the King's Own and The Queen's Riders. He had almost reached his cousin's chambers in the King's Own barracks when a voice called out to him.

"Neal, wait up!"

He froze but didn't turn at that achingly familiar voice. Kel ran up to stand a stride's distance away from him.

"You can't just run away from me after a kiss like that Neal, it's very rude"

Neal didn't feel like hearing her jokes and humour, he was in a black mood, darker than ever before.

"I don't want to hear you ask me if I really meant it because I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't meant to and I don't want you to try and make a joke out of it Kel" He said, his voice cold and dark.

"I wasn't joking" Kel's voice turned as hard as his and he turned around to see her staring at him seriously, the lips he had so passionately kissed slightly pursed. She stared deep into his eyes, trying to find something and she seemed to find it because her expression lightened and her lips relaxed and turned up in a soft, gentle smile full of tender love. She stepped closer and closed the distance between them. "I said you can't just run off after a kiss like that without letting me return it Neal"

She raised her arms hesitantly and wound her fingers into his luscious brown curls and stretched herself up on her tiptoes to reach his mouth, kissing him tenderly and with the love she held for him. With a rush of relief like a dam had bust Neal wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her flush up against him, returning her kiss softly, letting all the feelings she hadn't felt before through. Kel smiled against his lips at the huge feeling of love and belonging. She broke the kiss and rested her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her ear, the steady thrumming of it filling her with a feeling of peace.. She could feel Neal's hot breath against her hair and heard his voice.

"Love you Kel"

She sucked in a breath, no one had ever said those three words to her like that before. She hugged herself against him tighter.

"Love you too Neal"

Neal flattened his palms on her back and enjoyed the sound of her breath and the feel of her heartbeat. He was more grateful than ever now to Cleon for telling Kel to come after him and made a vow to buy him something yummy next time they went down to the markets as thanks. He was happier than he had ever been. He kissed Kel's head softly and rested his lips on her hair.

Neither of them notied the throngs of people staring at them, mouths agape. Two in particular were watching them closely. A red-haired freckled knight slowly clinking coins into a taller dark-haired sapphire eyed soldier's palm, a scowl on his face.

"Stay with me forever Kel"

She looked up at him and met his eyes with a fiery love as fierce as his own.

"Always"

Please Review! :)