When Neal Gets Bored
Chapter Four: Sergeant Blue Eyes
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful reviewers! The response to the last chapter was amazing- I kept getting the alerts in my inbox and they made me so happy! Keep it up!
Neal comes up with an elaborate plot to hook up Kel and Dom. What he doesn't know won't hurt him though: Kel and Dom are already together and are concealing it from him!
After dinner, Neal took his time in wandering around to Kel's rooms. He stopped to tell several people who'd seen his sign that he hadn't caught any fish yet, thank you very much, but would definitely tell them before he told anybody else. Then, he was called in to heal a boy of heat-stroke and ended up having to transport the boy to the infirmary (where it was cooler) before beginning work. When that was over, there was a lengthy letter from Yuki marked 'Urgent' that really was not so urgent at all: just detailing her furniture purchases and asking his opinion. She had probably marked it urgent so he would read it at all. But, he reminded himself as he sat down to write a response to her, he must not be critical of his lovely Yamani flower.
So, it was almost two hours later that he finally made his way over to the floor he shared with Kel, Merric, a few others, and, for the rest of the summer, Dom. Pausing at Kel's door, he thought he heard voices within. But it was only Kel and Merric discussing patrol schedules. Bummer and double bummer. Where was the interesting conversation he hoped to overhear? Where was the burning love and desire?
He moved to listen at Dom's door, but the door was thrown open the instant he leaned against it. "Why hello, Meathead," Dom greeted him.
Neal swatted his cousin. "Hello too, Sergeant Blue Eyes."
"Excuse me?" Dom appeared to be at a loss for words, and Wolset, who Neal discovered to be in the room behind Dom, snickered.
Neal did his best not to flush. "It's what Loey calls you," he hastily made up. Truth be told, it was what Kel called Dom behind his back.
Wolset apparently decided then that it was time for him to enter the conversation, "Say, Dom, isn't that what Kel calls you?" he asked cheekily.
Dom cocked an eyebrow at Neal. "Loey, hmm?" he asked, "Since when do you spent time with Loey?"
"Why, all the time," Neal said, trying his best to appear nonchalant and utterly failing. He really would have to start spending lots of time with Loey to confirm the statement. Otherwise he would be made a fool of forever in front of Dom. That would really never do. Perhaps he would take her fishing with him the next day? That was it! Although… he mused, there was the slight problem that he had no intention of going fishing in the first place.
Dom grunted, and Wolset sniggered again, leaving Neal to wonder exactly what kind of conversation had been going on before he had entered. Maybe he would go bug Kel now. Still, he couldn't just leave such an opportunity hanging.
He would try one more time. "So Kel's looking lovely, is she not?" he asked, with an almost wink in Dom's direction.
Dom snorted, "You're married, Neal."
"I know, but still!" Thank Mithros Yuki isn't here to whap me upside the head for saying this, he thought to himself, "Isn't she looking good?"
Dom rolled his eyes, "Yes Neal, Kel is looking lovely," he said, "It probably has something to do with all the vegetables she eats too!"
Neal mock-pouted. Why did people always have to bring up vegetables when they were around them? He would lead a perfectly sane life without the pesky green things, he was sure. But no! People just had to make references to string beans or avacado and his perfect day was ruined. He threw his hands up in the air. Dom was impossible.
It was time to bug Kel.
-
Kel proved equally impossible. She was whistling as she laid out her nightdress (Neal hadn't even known she wore a nightdress… but quite frankly he didn't really dwell on what his best friend slept in) and wouldn't hear a sad word from him about vegetables.
He just couldn't figure out why she was so blasted happy!
Usually she concealed her feelings behind a thin Yamani mask. They were usually visible, but not this visible! If she was this happy and still had her mask on to some degree, then she must be even happier than she looked, if that was even possible. But what on earth-?
Then, he had an idea. Dom was here, so of course Kel would be happy! This proved that she was in love with Dom!
HA!
Neal barely restrained himself from doing another of his impromptu victory dances and succeeded, albeit barely. Kel looked at him oddly, "What on earth is wrong, Meathead?" she asked, her whistling abandoned. That shut Neal right up. How he hated being called Meathead!! It was the bane of his existence, along with vegetables! Still, there were more important things, mainly getting Kel to admit her feelings for Dom. Now, that would be the tricky part. How should he approach it? Should he just confront her with it? Yes, that would be the best way.
"You are in love with Dom," he stated as calmly as he could, completely stilling his legs which wanted to be bouncing up and down in anticipation.
"Yes," Kel said quietly, smiling the broadest he had ever seen her smile.
"What? REALLY??? Oh, I knew it!!!!" Neal crowed, this time doing a real victory dance. He do-si-doed with Kel and swung her around by the elbow before accidentally knocking himself against a wall.
He sobered up real quick after that. He needed a new strategy. Stage one of Program Romeo and Juliet had been completed. Now for stage two. He needed to get serious now. Most of all, he needed an accomplice.
Tomorrow he would go fishing with Loey.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Again, thank you to all those who reviewed last time! Please tell me what you thought in a REVIEW... don't be too nice... I really don't mind flames if you provide a reason you didn't like the chapter. If you liked it, even better! Just don't forget to REVIEW and let me know!
See you tomorrow with the fifth chapter,
Lady Mage
