Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line. All characters, settings, and anything known to have taken place in the novels or looks familiar belongs to Tamora Pierce. I also have to give Friends some credit for inspiration in the upcoming chapters.

Flirting With Consequence

"Neal?" Dom asked, leaning over the bed to see his cousin scramble up off the ground. Neal eyed him warily, slowly backing up towards his desk.

"So you two are...?" Neal asked haltingly, gesturing absently between the two people in front of him.

"Courting? Together? In love? Yes, Neal." Dom stayed where he was, wondering if he should treat Neal like an animal one wouldn't want to startle. "Neal, sit down and I'll tell you."

Neal shook his head, dark hair flying into his eyes. Grabbing his cloak off his chair, he met Dom's eyes for the first time.

"I think I need some air. To breathe. Do you find it hard to breathe in here?" Neal stumbled over his words. "I'll be back. Later."

Dom watched, worried, as Neal walked purposefully towards the door of the infirmary and left. He returned a moment later, still with the same stunned look on his face. Waving absently towards Kel he mumbled directions.

"Just keep her warm" he said before walking back out.

Dom let him go.

Kel opened her eyes and let them adjust to the dim light of dawn that was filtering through the sides of the infirmary. Twisting her head to look to her right, she smiled at Dom's dark head that rested on her stomach. Looking around, Kel noticed that no one else was present. She watched him sleep for a moment before deciding to send him to his own bed.

Squeezing his hand, she raised the other hand to brush it through his hair. She sighed with frustration when she saw the splint that ran from the palm of her hand to her elbow.

"Again?" she said out loud. She was slightly startled when she got an answer.

"Yes, again. It should teach you to keep yourself out of harm's way" Dom's slightly hoarse voice rumbled in his chest. Sitting up beside her, he offered her a hand sitting up.

"How long?" Kel asked, leaning against the pile of pillows Dom had placed behind her back. She shivered involuntarily.

"That's the third time and Neal couldn't heal it all the way so the splint stays on for a couple of weeks" Dom told her quietly as he placed another blanket over her legs which she had drawn up to her chest.

"I had the other horse's reins wrapped around my wrist when he reared. That must have done it. Did someone look at Peachblossom? The other horse kicked him and I forgot when I mounted. No wonder he threw me." Kel looked towards the door as Neal entered, looking disheveled.

"Oh goody, she's awake. Now we can have the chat I've been rehearsing in my head" Neal stated wickedly. Leaning against his desk he cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"Neal, please don't yell at her. If you want to talk, you and I can talk in my tent" Dom told his cousin as he stood.

"You figured it out" Kel said quietly. Neal nodded.

"How Kel? I know you were drunk but you're not the type to jump into bed no matter your state of mind and Dom would never take advantage without knowing it would be okay. So how?" Neal threw up his hands in frustration.

"Neal, it wasn't the other night. It's been going on for almost a year. It is not just some fling or an accident" Kel explained softly from the bed, rubbing her thumb across the back of Dom's hand.

"A year? Was I the only one too blind to notice?" Neal's voice rose as he slammed himself into his chair. "A year?!"

"No. No one knew until Wolset started his little scheme the other day and he didn't know so much as guessed. You were supposed to be the first one to know when we were ready" Dom insisted.

"But why the secrets? Did you think your friends wouldn't approve?" Neal asked, still shocked that he hadn't realized what had been going on. He watched Kel as she thought out an answer, shaking her head at his suggestion.

"No, we didn't think that at all" Kel sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. "Last fall was the first chance we had to get to know each other without war or politics or missions getting in the way. Everyone was at the border or still at their estates so no one took notice. When Raoul called us back to the North, we decided that if we were going to be free to pursue an actual relationship without dealing with social propriety than we would have to keep it a secret. Then it seemed the longer we were together, the harder it was to tell people." Kel paused and Dom took over.

"Think about it Neal. How many times have we been able to have guard duty or travel together and no one has questioned it once. We've gone riding or to the city, we've exchanged gifts and danced and not once have we had to adhere to the social constraints that ask us to declare our intentions" Dom explained.

Neal contemplated their argument for a moment, before sighing in resignation. He agreed with the reasoning. He could understand how neither one of them had wanted the attention.

"What about marriage? The laws regarding the Own were changed months ago. You didn't have to wait" Neal pointed out.

"With strict stipulations" Dom added. "You have to be above the rank of Corporal and older than twenty-five, and you have to have been courting for more than a year or with extenuating circumstances. We don't qualify yet."

It was true that the King had amended the laws forbidding marriage within the ranks of the Own. At the conclusion of the Scanran war, when many young men had left to marry their sweethearts or to run estates left by older brothers killed in the war, the Council had urged Jonathon to amend the laws in an effort to keep experienced men in the ranks. He had agreed, with restrictions.

"I still don't understand why you didn't tell me" Neal sulked.

"Because, Meathead. You can't keep a secret and we didn't think it fair if everyone else knew" Dom smiled.

"I can too!" Dom shook his head in disappointment at Neal's delusion. "I can! I didn't tell anyone about our plan when we followed you to Scanra!"

"That was one day, Neal. We're talking months." Kel propped herself up in bed, watching Neal sputter.

"Okay. What about Yuki being pregnant? I haven't told anyone that." Neal grinned with satisfaction.

"Yuki's pregnant? Neal that's wonderful!" Kel cried as the blood drained from his face. "I'm guessing you weren't supposed to tell."

He shook his head and groaned while Dom laughed.

"Ok, you're right. But promise you'll tell people when we get back. They will be happy, truly. And you know I'll tell Yuki who will tell Shinko who will tell Roald and then…." Dom cut Neal off.

"Yes, Meathead. We plan to tell people. Especially since Raoul is slightly upset at losing his money."

"Raoul bet against us?" Kel said, slightly put out.

"Yes. He thought you had more sense. He was wrong. I knew better." Dom leaned down and kissed her on the forehead while she glared at him.

Neal groaned and leaned back in his chair dramatically.

"If you're going to do that, seeing as you're awake, find your own tent" Neal told them.

The couple just grinned and proceeded to indulge each other in another kiss. Neal left the tent yelling something that sounded like 'disrespect'.

Kel looked at Dom, surprise on her face.

"I thought he would be mad. I honestly thought he would be angry when we told him" she told Dom quietly.

"I think on some scale, he knew how we felt. I just don't think he expected us to act on it. If you're looking for possible death threats, look to my Lord. He is definitely not pleased at being left in the dark."

"I think this would be the first time he's lost money from betting on me" Kel pointed out, thinking of what Raoul told her when he was her knight-master.

"Had to happen sometime. Although it normally involves you, your vicious horse and that dratted lance you enjoy so much."