I hope you enjoy this Little Dom/Kel scenario, I know I enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer- do I look like Tamora Pierce to you? thats what I thought XD

Kel was smiling at the mirror her lips turned up and her teeth flashed fakely. She groaned and let her face fall before once again setting her face in that dreadful grin attempting to appear genuine. She was good at being devoid of motion, not faking it! Her eyes shone with misery and she smiled for another moment more before allowing her face to fall with another groan.

"What in Mithros' name are you up to?" Kel nearly tripped over her chair in her haste to turn, Neal stood in the doorway his eyebrows up and questioning. She sighed, being in Corus was taking the edge off of her sharp senses

"I'm practicing my smile, I'm not keen on spoiling Raoul's wedding day by being a spoil sport" she said turning back to her mirror to form that ghastly smile.

"That fake grimace is enough to spoil our favorite prince's wedding day" Neal commented placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well I certainly can't appear bored and The Yamani mask tends to make people uncomfortable" Neal chuckled

"We'll just have to keep you amused huh? I'll go see what I can do about the seating arrangements" he said with a dramatically rising

"Oh whatever would I do without you?" she said rolling her eyes and turning back to her mirror

"Only fail miserably" he said with a flourish and a fake grin she was envious of, as he had intended.

"Be off you," she said shoving at him. He mock sighed;

"I get no appreciation!" he threw up a dramatic hand before exiting her room. Kel looked back at the mirror and moaned before forcing her lips to quirk into a smile and trying to get the correct flash of teeth, not tight lipped or a hungry wolf baring its fangs.

Kel had finally gotten her lips to quirk enough to be acceptable, she didn't show any teeth though, she couldn't get that part right no matter how hard she tried. She stood alone. Neal was with Yuki, they had been reunited just yesterday and Kel had witnessed an embarrassing display of affection along with just about everyone else. Owen was with Wyldon. Merric couldn't come home, Tobe was in her rooms since he wasn't permitted to serve her and Jump and her sparrows were with Tobe.

Finally Raoul and his blushing bride arrived and they were all seated for the feast. Raoul's wedding was by far the most boring event of her eighteen years of life by far. Kel was so busy staring at her plate to rest her tortured cheek muscles that she hadn't noticed who had sat beside her on both sides until she was simultaneously poked on both sides. Her head jerked to her right first finding the bright red hair of Cleon practically in her face, she forced her eyes to look into his and forced her smile onto her face.

"Oh hello Cleon!" she said and he smiled a dreamy smile at her that she wished she could avoid.

"Have you and your fiancé wedded yet?" she asked uncomfortable with his look.

"Yes" his eyes darkened "Yes we have" she nodded and smiled

"That's great! She sounded lovely from how you described her" Kel was afraid her face would crack in half. Her shoulder was violently poked and she remembered that her other side had also earlier been assaulted. She turned to the spark of brilliant blue eyes that made her own light.

"Dom!" she exclaimed with pure joy her lips in a real smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Now Kel, I know you've seen me more recently then your friend Cleon, but honestly is this the way to treat your comrade?" he joked his eyes sparking oddly when he mentioned Cleon.

"I could kiss Neal right now! I couldn't have asked for a… um, better dinner partners" she said recalling Cleon beside her and not wishing to unnecessarily wound his feelings. Dom chuckled

"Don't let Yuki hear you say that" Neal had also obviously pulled some strings to be seated beside his love where they chatted almost non-stop.

"Now you silly fellow, I know better then to dance on Yuki's territory" she joked and he grinned. A young page came out to serve her table and she smiled piteously at the young boy until he maliciously dropped the finger bowl into her lap. She gasped with surprise her Yamani face set. Numerous males across the room rose angrily and Kel sighed Dom looked spitting angry and Kel had to catch his arm

"Sit down Dom" she said calmly.

"Its quite alright, it was obviously an accident, here let me have that towel" slowly the men across the room sat back down staring at the page. He dropped the towel into her lap where she got up as much water as possible. Dom glared at the back of the retreating page's head fiercely.

"I ought to teach that brainless little-" she cut him off with an obviously fake giggle and the rest of the room took that as a signal everything was alright with Kel and the silent hall went back to conversation.

"You lot of silly men" Kel sighed shaking her head. Another page came out of the kitchen and Kel was pleasantly surprised as the girl offered the fingerbowl to her. She grinned and washed her fingers

"Thank you page…" she trailed off

"Marianne of New Giantkiller" Kel nodded and she stood straighter and offered the fingerbowl to Cleon and Dom.

"Doesn't that just fluff your feathers huh Kel?" she nodded

"That was pleasantly surprising." She stated. The meal was going on without a hitch when she felt a hand on her knee on her right. She snapped her legs together which was obviously a bad move when the hand found its way to her upper thy. She snapped mid conversation with Dom to Cleon

"So Cleon you never did tell me, how is your wife?" she asked her eyes flashing angrily. Cleon's wandering hand retreated and she felt Dom stiffen angrily beside her obviously realizing the purpose of the abrupt interruption in conversation. Dom's fists were clenched and his jaw set. The rest of the meal was fine and it was time for socializing and dancing. Kel had as required of any noble learned how to dance though she loathed doing so.

"Would you care to dance?" Kel looked beside her and grinned when she saw Owen at her elbow

"Of course Owen" Kel was finding dancing wasn't so bad when you had an agreeable partner while she was dancing with Neal as Yuki rested for a moment when Someone approached, Neal grinned

"Cleon" Kel froze.

"I was wondering if I might cut in?" he asked Neal looking at Kel with hungry eyes. Neal looked confused but handed Kel over to him. He danced much too close for her to be comfortable. "I've missed you so much Kel, you have no idea what its like, lying in the arms of another woman when all I can think of is you" Kel was the most uncomfortable she had ever been in her entire life.

"Cleon you shouldn't be telling me this" Kel stated sharply. Cleon's response was to pull her closer.

"But you're the only one who can fix it" he stated Kel's eyes were searching for a way out, there had to be a way.

"No Cleon, you're a married man, that's wrong" he sighed,

"I thought you would see it my way, that's too bad" he started waltzing her toward the exit. Kel was dreading making a scene if she didn't have to.

"No Cleon! I told you no!" she hissed, he ignored her. The door was nearly behind them and Cleon had stopped dancing and was walking grasping Kel tightly. Kel was ready to punch him in the face when there was a cough beside them. Dom stood their eyes livid. He looked like he wanted nothing more then to run Cleon through.

"Kel would you like to dance? Since a new song has begun and you two have obviously finished dancing" he practically spat. Cleon was furious but his grip had loosened Kel wrenched herself away from him and into Dom's arms. She fought the urge to cry using her Yamani mask to hold her tears in. They spun for a few minutes in silence.

"I'm going to kill him," Dom stated and Kel looked up to see Dom glaring at Cleon who stared at them.

"Don't Dom, he's not worth it" Kel said and Dom's eyes looked at her softening.

"Are you alright?" he asked she nodded feeling her eyes well up. She swallowed hard and his eyes were intense. "Shall we get a breath of fresh air?" he asked her and she nodded taking his arm as they exited the room onto the empty balcony. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't… Dom embraced her tightly and her emotions overflowed and tears to streak her cheeks. Her shoulders shook and Dom gently rubbed her back clutching her close to him. She buried her face into his shoulder in embarrassment. "It's alright Kel" she looked up at him and his eyes were blazing.

"Dom please don't do anything stupid," she pleaded and his eyes turned tortured.

"He- He almost… and your asking me to not kill him?" Dom asked and Kel nodded

"I would have stopped him, I was just hesitant to make a scene," she stated and it was Dom's turn to bury his head into her shoulder.

"I know you can handle yourself" he stated his voice muffled a little by her shoulder. She sighed and he looked up at her. It was amazing how attentive he was to her, she realized she could fidget and he would jump to insure her safety or comfort. "You know, since Raoul is retiring to be with Buri he's promoted me to Leader of the King's own." Kel blinked shocked

"Seriously?" she asked excited for him and a chance to get off the subject of Cleon.

"Yeah, and guess what else?" she smiled at his childlike enthusiasm. "Can I kiss you?" he asked. What? She thought he was going to tell her something. His eyes blazed in a different way as he stared into her eyes. Her stomach erupted into butterflies and she gulped and nodded. Dom slowly lowered his head toward hers making sure she had meant it.

Of all the things Lady Knight Kel of New Hope was known for it was certainly not patience. She met his lips suddenly and his eyes widened before fluttering closed. They broke apart a moment later and Dom smiled

"mmm, that was nice" he commented his voice husky and Kel licked her lips and looked into his eyes. He didn't need to be asked twice.

Tell me what you think