They Danced Anyway
Machiavella of Kingsport
Chapter 6: Epiphany
Kel, still very mussed up and disturbed by her short and aggressive encounter with Joren, knocked lightly on the door to Neal's room. She still wanted to talk to him about the latter male, who without doubt was probably still steaming in his own quarters.
"Come in, Kel. I know it's you."
She opened the door slowly, peering in first, and then stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. "I'd still like to talk about Joren, if you don't mind. It's been bugging me all morning, and I just..." she trailed off. Neal finished for her.
"Don't feel comfortable talking in front of everyone else?"
"Exactly," she replied, letting out a long sigh.
"In which case," he said slowly, "We might want to find a different place to talk. Alanna's in the other room." Neal slid off his bed, landing feet first on the floor, and quietly opened the door to let the two of them out.
"So-where? The library?"
"Just as long as no one else is there," he replied. They walked to the library, and seeing that there were no other occupants, they stepped in and found a table in a far corner. When they sat down, he started talking again. "So, what you told me this morning was not all of it."
"Right. Uh...Joren and I were jousting yesterday, and I beat him on the second run." Neal grinned. Kel continued. "Well, in the stables, he was really mad, and he arranged a...duel, of sorts, in the practice courts. He beat me."
"You told me all of this yesterday. Including the part where he threatened to do something at the dance."
"I know. So-he confronted me yesterday, and kept pestering me about Cleon, because there was that whole dinner spiel."
"That was WEIRD," he agreed, but silenced himself so she would keep telling.
"Well, last night...I-I dreamed." Kel turned slightly pink, but controlled her features. "There was a...a Stormwing behind me, and I couldn't see it, and I didn't know what it was at first. I was paralyzed and could only move my hands and arms and head. And then it pinned me to the ground. Joren was in my dream too. He kept trying to tell me that I was in danger, and when he realized I couldn't do anything, he rescued me and killed the Stormwing." She halted, unsure whether or not she should include the last part. Neal looked at her expectantly. She coughed, reddening a little more.
"Well?"
"Joren and I...in my dream, that is..."she paused. "We-we kissed. And, and...in my dream...I liked it." She put her head face down in her crossed arms, trying to hide her crimson face. Neal was a bit pink himself just thinking about it.
"What's it all leading to?" Neal asked her, putting a finger underneath her chin and lifting her head. "What do you think?"
"I have to tell you what Joren did today when he grabbed me. It was...it was really...um." She searched for an adjective. "Disturbing, I guess."
"And?"
"He got really mad and he had his hands around my neck, and he shoved me against the wall outside the mess hall. He was irate...that...that I had told you guys about him and all. And that was even when I didn't tell the rest about how he had threatened me yesterday. And he wouldn't calm down. He just...got so frustrated that he left me alone."
"Are you hurt at all?"
"NO." Kel had her pride, and besides, it HADN'T hurt. He had only been so close to strangling her, but all the same...she wouldn't mention any physical pain.
"Basically, what do you think this all adds up to?"
"I know it sounds crazy, Neal, but...I think he likes me. You know, in that...that way." She blushed again, smiling, and ashamed. "I'm disgusted with myself for even thinking about that. I think it was the dream last night that's making me so crazy like this."
"I don't think it's craziness at all, Kel," Neal said, contemplating the situation. "I think I agree."
"That was what I was afraid of." She sighed, and rested her head tiredly on a hand. "What am I supposed to do about it? Just...wait, and see what happens?"
"I guess. Try not to tick him off. He might get violent. Or, more violent, I should say," he added, smiling. "And as for the dance? Just to be sure, don't wear anything too nice. He could use the fruit punch as a last resort."
"Whoops," Kel replied jokingly. "Too late for that!"
"I should've known." He grinned again. "Well, I might as well go to Corus. I have gifts to buy. Do you want to come along?"
"You should know better," Kel informed him loftily. "I ALWAYS buy my gifts in advance!"
"Stupid Neal. See you midday?" He inquired, grinning.
"Sure."
~*~
Kel froze as she watched Neal disappear down the hallway. She had forgotten to mention the one thing she would only confide with him. But she had been reluctant to tell anyone, for that matter. She was reluctant even to admit it to herself.
"Kel, Kel...what has it come to, this?" she muttered to herself quietly, shaking her head in her hands. "You dream about the evil, bullying madman one time and already you get the shivers whenever you think about him?"
A/N: hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit short, I know, but hey. There is the mother downstairs making me do her work up here in the stuffy office. Grrr, the bitch. ::envisions hands wrapped around her mother's neck:: Much better. Now, I don't know that I'll have time to type a seventh chapter on Friday as I'd like to, so for another...two weeks, you'll likely have to settle for this. In the meantime...who knows. I'll post chapter seven as soon as I get back! ::Camp Nokomis, here I come...::
Machiavella of Kingsport
Chapter 6: Epiphany
Kel, still very mussed up and disturbed by her short and aggressive encounter with Joren, knocked lightly on the door to Neal's room. She still wanted to talk to him about the latter male, who without doubt was probably still steaming in his own quarters.
"Come in, Kel. I know it's you."
She opened the door slowly, peering in first, and then stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. "I'd still like to talk about Joren, if you don't mind. It's been bugging me all morning, and I just..." she trailed off. Neal finished for her.
"Don't feel comfortable talking in front of everyone else?"
"Exactly," she replied, letting out a long sigh.
"In which case," he said slowly, "We might want to find a different place to talk. Alanna's in the other room." Neal slid off his bed, landing feet first on the floor, and quietly opened the door to let the two of them out.
"So-where? The library?"
"Just as long as no one else is there," he replied. They walked to the library, and seeing that there were no other occupants, they stepped in and found a table in a far corner. When they sat down, he started talking again. "So, what you told me this morning was not all of it."
"Right. Uh...Joren and I were jousting yesterday, and I beat him on the second run." Neal grinned. Kel continued. "Well, in the stables, he was really mad, and he arranged a...duel, of sorts, in the practice courts. He beat me."
"You told me all of this yesterday. Including the part where he threatened to do something at the dance."
"I know. So-he confronted me yesterday, and kept pestering me about Cleon, because there was that whole dinner spiel."
"That was WEIRD," he agreed, but silenced himself so she would keep telling.
"Well, last night...I-I dreamed." Kel turned slightly pink, but controlled her features. "There was a...a Stormwing behind me, and I couldn't see it, and I didn't know what it was at first. I was paralyzed and could only move my hands and arms and head. And then it pinned me to the ground. Joren was in my dream too. He kept trying to tell me that I was in danger, and when he realized I couldn't do anything, he rescued me and killed the Stormwing." She halted, unsure whether or not she should include the last part. Neal looked at her expectantly. She coughed, reddening a little more.
"Well?"
"Joren and I...in my dream, that is..."she paused. "We-we kissed. And, and...in my dream...I liked it." She put her head face down in her crossed arms, trying to hide her crimson face. Neal was a bit pink himself just thinking about it.
"What's it all leading to?" Neal asked her, putting a finger underneath her chin and lifting her head. "What do you think?"
"I have to tell you what Joren did today when he grabbed me. It was...it was really...um." She searched for an adjective. "Disturbing, I guess."
"And?"
"He got really mad and he had his hands around my neck, and he shoved me against the wall outside the mess hall. He was irate...that...that I had told you guys about him and all. And that was even when I didn't tell the rest about how he had threatened me yesterday. And he wouldn't calm down. He just...got so frustrated that he left me alone."
"Are you hurt at all?"
"NO." Kel had her pride, and besides, it HADN'T hurt. He had only been so close to strangling her, but all the same...she wouldn't mention any physical pain.
"Basically, what do you think this all adds up to?"
"I know it sounds crazy, Neal, but...I think he likes me. You know, in that...that way." She blushed again, smiling, and ashamed. "I'm disgusted with myself for even thinking about that. I think it was the dream last night that's making me so crazy like this."
"I don't think it's craziness at all, Kel," Neal said, contemplating the situation. "I think I agree."
"That was what I was afraid of." She sighed, and rested her head tiredly on a hand. "What am I supposed to do about it? Just...wait, and see what happens?"
"I guess. Try not to tick him off. He might get violent. Or, more violent, I should say," he added, smiling. "And as for the dance? Just to be sure, don't wear anything too nice. He could use the fruit punch as a last resort."
"Whoops," Kel replied jokingly. "Too late for that!"
"I should've known." He grinned again. "Well, I might as well go to Corus. I have gifts to buy. Do you want to come along?"
"You should know better," Kel informed him loftily. "I ALWAYS buy my gifts in advance!"
"Stupid Neal. See you midday?" He inquired, grinning.
"Sure."
~*~
Kel froze as she watched Neal disappear down the hallway. She had forgotten to mention the one thing she would only confide with him. But she had been reluctant to tell anyone, for that matter. She was reluctant even to admit it to herself.
"Kel, Kel...what has it come to, this?" she muttered to herself quietly, shaking her head in her hands. "You dream about the evil, bullying madman one time and already you get the shivers whenever you think about him?"
A/N: hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit short, I know, but hey. There is the mother downstairs making me do her work up here in the stuffy office. Grrr, the bitch. ::envisions hands wrapped around her mother's neck:: Much better. Now, I don't know that I'll have time to type a seventh chapter on Friday as I'd like to, so for another...two weeks, you'll likely have to settle for this. In the meantime...who knows. I'll post chapter seven as soon as I get back! ::Camp Nokomis, here I come...::