Disclaimer: You obviously haven't been reading for the past seven chapters.
I don't own them. Can you go away now?
Thanks go to: jesusfreak7777777 (I emailed you, oh and thanx!), XetherealX x2, ChaChaChica (let's just say it was a partial cliffy...), Snow*flake (I have nothing to say to you, since you read this already. Although, you better be right about it not being rushed! Oh, and please don't drinks so much caffeine...), Lady of the Lost (Kit is a slut! Tanis is hot! Woo Hoo!), White-wolf (Oh god. Just read it. And please don't start screaming in my ear when you do.), Tal, Tigerlily, Lady Katherine Heartspeak (Hello again. I just have to say this: NEAL! DOM! RAOUL! ALEX! GEORGE! HUGH JACKMAN! *cough* Right. I've said it then.), Angel of the Storms (Please don't be upset!), Chavi (Were you saying no to one particular thing or because you didn't like my story...?), Camp Writer, Min (You only took FOREVER to update. God. OH, and yes, that was my intent. To make them all ex-loverish, I mean. Thanx!), Keita (freaking $3.99!), Jishoshojo (Must go rent Men in Tights... Must go rent Men in Tights...), Trisana McGraw (Shameless R/B shipper, huh? Well then. You'll like this...), Starlet, and Lady Arianna (I even had Moulin Rouge refs in that chapter? I made a mistake last chapter, actually. They're all in this one. So... whatever.). Thanx everyone!
A/N: Personally, I think this chapter is rushed. However, according to my adorable reviewers, Snow*flake and Keita, it is not, so, if it is, blame them.
Rebound - Chapter 8 - Content
content
\Con*tent"\, n. 1. Rest or quietness of the mind in one's present condition; freedom from discontent; satisfaction; contentment; moderate happiness.
Lol, just thought that you would like that...
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal watched Kel walk the corridor to Raoul's room. Thinking frantically, he sought for a solution to the current problem of the day.
Kel was going to see Raoul and Buri together. She would see them, and it would break her heart.
She would hate Raoul for it. Neal knew that without a doubt. Anyone would, giving the current situation. She might not hate Buri. Kel wasn't the sort of person to hate a person for something they didn't know about.
'Either way,' Neal thought. 'I can't let her walk into that room.'
"Kel! Kel, wait up!" Neal cried as he ran toward Kel. The younger girl whirled around, her face tight.
"Neal," she almost whispered. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. "What-what are you doing here?" Kel tried to put on her best Yamani lump face and look at him devoid of emotion, but it was just too hard. She could not control the lines of upset that crossed her facial figures.
Neal swallowed and took a step toward her. "Kel, I want to talk to you. And please, Kel, please don't shut me out. I need you. I need to make this right with you. I'll hate myself if I don't. You don't want that, do you?" Neal asked with pleading in his eyes.
Kel backed away from him a step and bit her lip. How could she refuse him? She loved him! She couldn't hurt him like this! But, her letter...
"Neal, I-I have to go." Kel turned away, but Neal caught her elbow.
"Please, Kel. Look at me. Please." Kel would have turned and ran right then and there, but he had said "please." She was known to have a weak spot to men who said to "please" to her.
Kel turned around to look at her year mate. So much hope filled his eyes. Hope and sadness, both at the same time. She didn't think that she had ever seen him look at her like that. Or anyone, for that matter. "Please come and talk with me," he pleaded, his voice so soft it was barely audibly.
"Ok," Kel whispered as Neal took her hand and led her off in the direction of his rooms.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Buri broke the kiss reluctantly and pulled away from her ex-lover.
"I suppose that was our kiss good-bye," she said to Raoul after a moment. Raoul kept his eyes closed and exhaled deeply. He slowly opened his eyes.
"I suppose it was," he answered. Their gazes met, and their lips met for a second time in months. This time, when Buri pulled away, Raoul pulled her back.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal had led Kel to his rooms quickly, leading her by the hand with sweaty fingers. When they arrived, Neal unlocked the door nervously. The key rattled in the lock jarringly. Kel looked up wordlessly at her friend, but said nothing. When they finally stepped inside, Neal shut the door behind them and motioned for her to sit down on couch that resided in his quarters. Kel put the envelope she had been holding on a nearby desk first, then did so.
"So, um, Neal, what do you want to talk about?" Kel asked. Neal gave her a skeptical look. "Never mind," she said as her voice trailed off.
Neal sat down next to her on the couch. They sat in a moment of silence for a few seconds, both staring at their feet, until Neal spoke after the prolonged hush.
"You know, I used to be in love with you," Neal said quietly. Kel's head jerked up violently to look at him. "God, I was head over heals for you," he continued softly, a small grin starting to grace his chiseled face. "I remember, one time, we were close enough to kiss. This was when we were pages, mind you. You were too young to understand, though. I backed out the last minute. I made some cracked up sarcastic joke about our happy little "experiment" of trying for our shield. I was a scared little idiot, trying to deny that I had fell in love with my thirteen year old best friend."
He chuckled as if amused by his own private little joke, then continued. "I saw how Cleon had looked at you. I told him that I felt things for you. And he went ahead and took you anyway." He frowned and shrugged. "I should have taken the opportunity when I had it. Oh, but I hated him!" He sighed and bent forward, clasping his hands together and refusing to meet her eyes.
"When Yuki came, all I saw when I looked at her was your face. I couldn't help it. She was so like you. A warrior, with that same Yamani seriousness..." Neal grimaced and went on.
"Eventually, I learned to love Yuki for who she was. I never stopped loving you, though. I never stopped..." Neal's voice trailed off into barely a whisper. He suddenly looked up and clasped Kel's hands in his. "Please, Kel. Tell me what to do. Ask it, and it will be done. Just tell me what to do."
Kel swallowed and held Neal's gaze. Her breath came out raggedly and unevenly. That moment seemed perpetual, as the two watched each other; Neal looked on at Kel with hope and anxiousness, Kel scrutinized him cautiously, fearfully.
Finally, she stood up and went over to the desk where she had placed the envelope.
Facing her back to Neal, she fingered the envelope, tracing the seal with her index finger. She stood there for a long time before she took the envelope, walked over to the fire, and let fall into the hearth.
Neal watched this all from the couch warily. Whatever contents the envelope had held, they were obviously important to her. What was she doing burning it?
Kel watched the envelope burn away rapidly, all its contents destroyed by the flame's ever-consuming heat. The hearth cracked ominously; Kel experienced a feeling that was close to foreboding. The feeling passed in a second, and Kel turned back to Neal.
"What was that?" Neal asked simply. Kel thought for a moment, then answered.
"It was a request for relocation. I was going to ask the king if I could be moved up north to Scanra."
"Oh," Neal replied. Kel sat down next to him, refusing to meet his eyes. Finally, she spoke.
"Neal, Yuki is coming back soon," she said quietly. He frowned and put two fingers under her chin to make her look at him.
"Kel, I don't love Yuki. I love you. Nothing is going to change that, not Yuki, not Raoul, not even bloody Cleon." He smiled at her in a way that made it impossible for her to tear her gaze from his.
"I still wouldn't feel confortable in, you know, becoming lovers, until you could tell her that. I would feel guilty..." he voice tapered into a whisper. "Neal, I can't. Not until you tell her. She's my friend, and I couldn't do that to her-" She stopped and swallowed. "I would want her blessing, even though I know she would have every right to hate me."
Neal put both hands on her cheeks and pulled her face close. "Don't worry. I understand." He bent in and kissed her forehead softly. Then, he draped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. They sat there like that for a while; Kel's head resting on Neal's shoulder, Neal's arm protectively around her, until Neal finally spoke.
"Can I at least kiss you once in a while?" he asked with an air of mock seriousness. Kel snorted, and raised her head to look at him, smiling.
"Well, I'm not sure if that would apply to the rules-" she started jokingly when Neal's lips silenced her. His mouth was warm and tender, and Kel found something different from the lusty, passionate kisses Raoul had given her. She found love.
Neal pulled away grinning like a page. He kissed the tip of her nose as they settled into their respective positions, Kel wrapped up in the expanse of Neal's embrace. Kel breathed contentedly for the first time in weeks.
Just as Kel was falling into slumber, she heard Neal whisper these words:
"If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you Why live life from dream to dream And dread the day . . ."
Kel smiled and looked up at him. "Where did you get that from? Another one of your books?"
Neal looked at bit surprised when he looked down at her. "I thought you were asleep."
"So, you wouldn't have said it if I were awake?" Neal pulled back slightly, giving Kel a look.
"No, silly. Why wouldn't I have said it? It's true." He grinned sheepishly. "I read it, actually. A long time ago. I hadn't remembered it until this moment. It was in a book written by Baz Luhrmann, who also wrote-"
"I deserved that, didn't I?" Kel asked bashfully. Neal grinned, and nodded.
"Yes. You slightly did, I'm afraid, my dear." Kel laughed softly as she settled back against Neal. "I have another one for you," Neal said slyly. Kel raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Another session of the "torture Kel with bad poetry meeting?" Kel rethought her statement. "Although I did like that first one."
"I'm sure," Neal answered. "Now I'm not going to tell you." Kel hit Neal playfully on the chest and did her best to glare at him without smiling.
"You already opened your mouth, Queenscove. It's too late." Neal raised an eyebrow and pulled back to look at her.
"All right. Let me think, how did it start?" Neal pretended to be deep in thought.
"Don't tell me you forgot," Kel asked, amusement making her smile. Neal simply grinned.
"Love is always patient and kind," he began. "It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure in whatever comes."
When Neal finished, Kel looked up at him and kissed him sweetly. "That's nice. However, I should think that you should change that boastful part. You certainly don't have a problem with bragging." Neal pretended to scowl at Kel, then shrugged.
"Relax, Lady Knight. You'll have plenty of things to beat at me with when we're living together in the flowered countryside, with the daffodils hanging from our hair, frolicking in the fields..." Kel elbowed him.
"I'm beginning to think you've been hanging around Cleon too much," Kel said.
Neal sighed. "Ah. Cleon. Can never forget him. Have you spoken with him lately?"
Kel snorted. "Yes. He had quite a nice sunrise, from what I could see. Could it have been from a certain pickle-eyed Queenscove boy?" She nudged Neal as her grin grew wider.
"Yes. I admit! I was fighting! My Lord Keladry, I think *you* have been hanging around My Lord Stump too much!" Neal protested.
"Hm. Well, yes, Cleon and I had a very nice talk and came to an agreement. So don't beat him anymore. Unless I tell you to, that is. Then you can ravage him to the Black God's realm freezes over, for all I care." Neal smirked and increased his hold on Kel as he heard a distant bell chime one o'clock.
"I'll remember. Lady Knight, would it be so promiscuous of me to ask if you would like to spend the night here? It is rather late, and I wouldn't want you to be succumbed to the rantings of some drunken fool out late. Besides, I like holding you. It's very comfortable, once you get rid of the bony elbows poking at you." Kel elbowed Neal and snickered.
"Yes. It is late. I think-" Kel yawned "-that I'll stay here."
"Good. Gods all bless, Kel," Neal told her.
"Hm," was all Kel said before she fell into slumber in Neal's protective embrace.
* ~ * ~ * ~*
Reluctantly, Buri pulled away from Raoul's embrace, panting heavily. Still close to him, she raised a hand to caress his cheek.
"Raoul, we can't do this. You love Kel," she said quietly. Raoul looked sadly on at her.
"Humor me? Please?" he asked her. Buri shook her head.
"No. Kel is my friend. I can't do this to her. Not until you've worked it out with her." Raoul frowned, but after a moment, nodded.
"I suppose you're right. I care about Kel too much to hurt her more. I'll talk to her in the morning." Buri bit her lip.
"In the morning? Why not now?" Raoul looked at her strangely.
"Buri, didn't you hear the bells? It's near one in the morning. I wouldn't want to wake her if she was sleeping." Buri thought about it, and conceded, he was right. It was rather late.
"Oh," she said simply. "Then, I suppose I should be going." Buri got up off the couch they had stumbled onto in their passions to leave.
"You could always stay," Raoul said quietly. Buri looked at him sharply,
"Raoul, I couldn't! I told you, maybe after you work it out with Kel, but until then-"
"I just meant, you could sleep here, if you wanted. Not, um, *that,*" Raoul interrupted. Buri pursed her lips together and looked at the ground.
"Oh." Raoul reached up for her hand, causing Buri to look at him.
"If you wanted to, that is," he finished uneasily. All around them was silent; Buri could not hear a sound within miles. It was almost as if the whole world was waiting with quiet anticipation for her answer. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with Raoul's.
"I think I would," she answered. Raoul let out a small smile and pulled her toward him so that she landed on the couch next to him. He pulled her close, and Buri snuggled against him.
"So why *did* we fight all the time like we did, do you think?" Raoul said after a while. Buri smiled.
"Well, you know what they say about those love-hate relationships. Passion keeps them going..." Buri said slyly as she looked up to Raoul. Raoul didn't smile, however.
"So that's all this is going to be? Passion? Lust? Nothing more?" he asked demandingly. Buri smiled gently.
"I hope not. I hope that we can start again. I hope that we can be friends, like we were before we became lovers. But I also want something more out of it." Raoul looked away and let it go. Sometimes, it was better to leave things as they were. Buri was quiet for a while, then spoke.
"Raoul? Do you still love Kel? Am I just someone that you're rebounding on?" she asked gently. Raoul thought about it and looked at her.
"I'll always love Kel. Just like I'll always love you. But - I think I was rebounding on Kel after you. Just like she was rebounding on me. I told myself I was in love with her, but..." He paused. "Kel and I will always have a strange relationship. I think I needed her just as much as she needed me at that moment, just for solace and comfort. That was both our ways to get over our past and move on. My only worry is that Kel will go into another one of her gloomy fazes again and lock us all out. I'll have to handle it carefully, tomorrow."
When Buri saw that he was finished, she nestled deeper into his embrace and relaxed. "As long as you're not doing something now that you're going to regret." He smiled, but his eyes were still troubled.
"I just hope she'll be all right." Buri looked up at him and grinned reassuringly.
"When tomorrow comes, you can worry about it. Until then, relax. You'll have plenty of time to fret over it then." Raoul held her tighter.
"I suppose you're right. Goodnight, Buri," he said as the last candle in his room went out.
"'Night," she answered. They remained in silence for a long time, until they both fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
A/N: Wow. I actually wrote a chapter in which everyone is happy. Wow. I think I'm going to go fling myself off the Empire State building now. (What? It's just a train ride away, anyway!) I can't believe I did that. And there was fluff! NO!!!! I think something is more wrong with me than usual. Whatever. I hoped you liked it. There's only one more chapter left!! NO!!! My baby's almost done! There's an epilogue too, so I guess that counts for something. OH well. I hope Angel of the Storms isn't too mad at me. (Sorry! I couldn't just leave it like that between the two of them!) Anyways, please review. I love you guys. You're all so sweet. And read Search for the Six, if you haven't! I'm shamelessly advertising Kate's ff. Oh well. Oh, and be prepared. I challenged my friend to write a K/J. And no, "J" isn't who you think it is. *cough damn king cough* She's actually doing it too! Lol Well, I have to be off now. Got to go and... do something, I guess. Bye!
*~Cami~*
P.S I had made a mistake in the last chapter. All of the Moulin Rouge and Walk to Remember refs are in this chapter, so...
Thanks go to: jesusfreak7777777 (I emailed you, oh and thanx!), XetherealX x2, ChaChaChica (let's just say it was a partial cliffy...), Snow*flake (I have nothing to say to you, since you read this already. Although, you better be right about it not being rushed! Oh, and please don't drinks so much caffeine...), Lady of the Lost (Kit is a slut! Tanis is hot! Woo Hoo!), White-wolf (Oh god. Just read it. And please don't start screaming in my ear when you do.), Tal, Tigerlily, Lady Katherine Heartspeak (Hello again. I just have to say this: NEAL! DOM! RAOUL! ALEX! GEORGE! HUGH JACKMAN! *cough* Right. I've said it then.), Angel of the Storms (Please don't be upset!), Chavi (Were you saying no to one particular thing or because you didn't like my story...?), Camp Writer, Min (You only took FOREVER to update. God. OH, and yes, that was my intent. To make them all ex-loverish, I mean. Thanx!), Keita (freaking $3.99!), Jishoshojo (Must go rent Men in Tights... Must go rent Men in Tights...), Trisana McGraw (Shameless R/B shipper, huh? Well then. You'll like this...), Starlet, and Lady Arianna (I even had Moulin Rouge refs in that chapter? I made a mistake last chapter, actually. They're all in this one. So... whatever.). Thanx everyone!
A/N: Personally, I think this chapter is rushed. However, according to my adorable reviewers, Snow*flake and Keita, it is not, so, if it is, blame them.
Rebound - Chapter 8 - Content
content
\Con*tent"\, n. 1. Rest or quietness of the mind in one's present condition; freedom from discontent; satisfaction; contentment; moderate happiness.
Lol, just thought that you would like that...
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal watched Kel walk the corridor to Raoul's room. Thinking frantically, he sought for a solution to the current problem of the day.
Kel was going to see Raoul and Buri together. She would see them, and it would break her heart.
She would hate Raoul for it. Neal knew that without a doubt. Anyone would, giving the current situation. She might not hate Buri. Kel wasn't the sort of person to hate a person for something they didn't know about.
'Either way,' Neal thought. 'I can't let her walk into that room.'
"Kel! Kel, wait up!" Neal cried as he ran toward Kel. The younger girl whirled around, her face tight.
"Neal," she almost whispered. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. "What-what are you doing here?" Kel tried to put on her best Yamani lump face and look at him devoid of emotion, but it was just too hard. She could not control the lines of upset that crossed her facial figures.
Neal swallowed and took a step toward her. "Kel, I want to talk to you. And please, Kel, please don't shut me out. I need you. I need to make this right with you. I'll hate myself if I don't. You don't want that, do you?" Neal asked with pleading in his eyes.
Kel backed away from him a step and bit her lip. How could she refuse him? She loved him! She couldn't hurt him like this! But, her letter...
"Neal, I-I have to go." Kel turned away, but Neal caught her elbow.
"Please, Kel. Look at me. Please." Kel would have turned and ran right then and there, but he had said "please." She was known to have a weak spot to men who said to "please" to her.
Kel turned around to look at her year mate. So much hope filled his eyes. Hope and sadness, both at the same time. She didn't think that she had ever seen him look at her like that. Or anyone, for that matter. "Please come and talk with me," he pleaded, his voice so soft it was barely audibly.
"Ok," Kel whispered as Neal took her hand and led her off in the direction of his rooms.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Buri broke the kiss reluctantly and pulled away from her ex-lover.
"I suppose that was our kiss good-bye," she said to Raoul after a moment. Raoul kept his eyes closed and exhaled deeply. He slowly opened his eyes.
"I suppose it was," he answered. Their gazes met, and their lips met for a second time in months. This time, when Buri pulled away, Raoul pulled her back.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal had led Kel to his rooms quickly, leading her by the hand with sweaty fingers. When they arrived, Neal unlocked the door nervously. The key rattled in the lock jarringly. Kel looked up wordlessly at her friend, but said nothing. When they finally stepped inside, Neal shut the door behind them and motioned for her to sit down on couch that resided in his quarters. Kel put the envelope she had been holding on a nearby desk first, then did so.
"So, um, Neal, what do you want to talk about?" Kel asked. Neal gave her a skeptical look. "Never mind," she said as her voice trailed off.
Neal sat down next to her on the couch. They sat in a moment of silence for a few seconds, both staring at their feet, until Neal spoke after the prolonged hush.
"You know, I used to be in love with you," Neal said quietly. Kel's head jerked up violently to look at him. "God, I was head over heals for you," he continued softly, a small grin starting to grace his chiseled face. "I remember, one time, we were close enough to kiss. This was when we were pages, mind you. You were too young to understand, though. I backed out the last minute. I made some cracked up sarcastic joke about our happy little "experiment" of trying for our shield. I was a scared little idiot, trying to deny that I had fell in love with my thirteen year old best friend."
He chuckled as if amused by his own private little joke, then continued. "I saw how Cleon had looked at you. I told him that I felt things for you. And he went ahead and took you anyway." He frowned and shrugged. "I should have taken the opportunity when I had it. Oh, but I hated him!" He sighed and bent forward, clasping his hands together and refusing to meet her eyes.
"When Yuki came, all I saw when I looked at her was your face. I couldn't help it. She was so like you. A warrior, with that same Yamani seriousness..." Neal grimaced and went on.
"Eventually, I learned to love Yuki for who she was. I never stopped loving you, though. I never stopped..." Neal's voice trailed off into barely a whisper. He suddenly looked up and clasped Kel's hands in his. "Please, Kel. Tell me what to do. Ask it, and it will be done. Just tell me what to do."
Kel swallowed and held Neal's gaze. Her breath came out raggedly and unevenly. That moment seemed perpetual, as the two watched each other; Neal looked on at Kel with hope and anxiousness, Kel scrutinized him cautiously, fearfully.
Finally, she stood up and went over to the desk where she had placed the envelope.
Facing her back to Neal, she fingered the envelope, tracing the seal with her index finger. She stood there for a long time before she took the envelope, walked over to the fire, and let fall into the hearth.
Neal watched this all from the couch warily. Whatever contents the envelope had held, they were obviously important to her. What was she doing burning it?
Kel watched the envelope burn away rapidly, all its contents destroyed by the flame's ever-consuming heat. The hearth cracked ominously; Kel experienced a feeling that was close to foreboding. The feeling passed in a second, and Kel turned back to Neal.
"What was that?" Neal asked simply. Kel thought for a moment, then answered.
"It was a request for relocation. I was going to ask the king if I could be moved up north to Scanra."
"Oh," Neal replied. Kel sat down next to him, refusing to meet his eyes. Finally, she spoke.
"Neal, Yuki is coming back soon," she said quietly. He frowned and put two fingers under her chin to make her look at him.
"Kel, I don't love Yuki. I love you. Nothing is going to change that, not Yuki, not Raoul, not even bloody Cleon." He smiled at her in a way that made it impossible for her to tear her gaze from his.
"I still wouldn't feel confortable in, you know, becoming lovers, until you could tell her that. I would feel guilty..." he voice tapered into a whisper. "Neal, I can't. Not until you tell her. She's my friend, and I couldn't do that to her-" She stopped and swallowed. "I would want her blessing, even though I know she would have every right to hate me."
Neal put both hands on her cheeks and pulled her face close. "Don't worry. I understand." He bent in and kissed her forehead softly. Then, he draped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. They sat there like that for a while; Kel's head resting on Neal's shoulder, Neal's arm protectively around her, until Neal finally spoke.
"Can I at least kiss you once in a while?" he asked with an air of mock seriousness. Kel snorted, and raised her head to look at him, smiling.
"Well, I'm not sure if that would apply to the rules-" she started jokingly when Neal's lips silenced her. His mouth was warm and tender, and Kel found something different from the lusty, passionate kisses Raoul had given her. She found love.
Neal pulled away grinning like a page. He kissed the tip of her nose as they settled into their respective positions, Kel wrapped up in the expanse of Neal's embrace. Kel breathed contentedly for the first time in weeks.
Just as Kel was falling into slumber, she heard Neal whisper these words:
"If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you Why live life from dream to dream And dread the day . . ."
Kel smiled and looked up at him. "Where did you get that from? Another one of your books?"
Neal looked at bit surprised when he looked down at her. "I thought you were asleep."
"So, you wouldn't have said it if I were awake?" Neal pulled back slightly, giving Kel a look.
"No, silly. Why wouldn't I have said it? It's true." He grinned sheepishly. "I read it, actually. A long time ago. I hadn't remembered it until this moment. It was in a book written by Baz Luhrmann, who also wrote-"
"I deserved that, didn't I?" Kel asked bashfully. Neal grinned, and nodded.
"Yes. You slightly did, I'm afraid, my dear." Kel laughed softly as she settled back against Neal. "I have another one for you," Neal said slyly. Kel raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Another session of the "torture Kel with bad poetry meeting?" Kel rethought her statement. "Although I did like that first one."
"I'm sure," Neal answered. "Now I'm not going to tell you." Kel hit Neal playfully on the chest and did her best to glare at him without smiling.
"You already opened your mouth, Queenscove. It's too late." Neal raised an eyebrow and pulled back to look at her.
"All right. Let me think, how did it start?" Neal pretended to be deep in thought.
"Don't tell me you forgot," Kel asked, amusement making her smile. Neal simply grinned.
"Love is always patient and kind," he began. "It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure in whatever comes."
When Neal finished, Kel looked up at him and kissed him sweetly. "That's nice. However, I should think that you should change that boastful part. You certainly don't have a problem with bragging." Neal pretended to scowl at Kel, then shrugged.
"Relax, Lady Knight. You'll have plenty of things to beat at me with when we're living together in the flowered countryside, with the daffodils hanging from our hair, frolicking in the fields..." Kel elbowed him.
"I'm beginning to think you've been hanging around Cleon too much," Kel said.
Neal sighed. "Ah. Cleon. Can never forget him. Have you spoken with him lately?"
Kel snorted. "Yes. He had quite a nice sunrise, from what I could see. Could it have been from a certain pickle-eyed Queenscove boy?" She nudged Neal as her grin grew wider.
"Yes. I admit! I was fighting! My Lord Keladry, I think *you* have been hanging around My Lord Stump too much!" Neal protested.
"Hm. Well, yes, Cleon and I had a very nice talk and came to an agreement. So don't beat him anymore. Unless I tell you to, that is. Then you can ravage him to the Black God's realm freezes over, for all I care." Neal smirked and increased his hold on Kel as he heard a distant bell chime one o'clock.
"I'll remember. Lady Knight, would it be so promiscuous of me to ask if you would like to spend the night here? It is rather late, and I wouldn't want you to be succumbed to the rantings of some drunken fool out late. Besides, I like holding you. It's very comfortable, once you get rid of the bony elbows poking at you." Kel elbowed Neal and snickered.
"Yes. It is late. I think-" Kel yawned "-that I'll stay here."
"Good. Gods all bless, Kel," Neal told her.
"Hm," was all Kel said before she fell into slumber in Neal's protective embrace.
* ~ * ~ * ~*
Reluctantly, Buri pulled away from Raoul's embrace, panting heavily. Still close to him, she raised a hand to caress his cheek.
"Raoul, we can't do this. You love Kel," she said quietly. Raoul looked sadly on at her.
"Humor me? Please?" he asked her. Buri shook her head.
"No. Kel is my friend. I can't do this to her. Not until you've worked it out with her." Raoul frowned, but after a moment, nodded.
"I suppose you're right. I care about Kel too much to hurt her more. I'll talk to her in the morning." Buri bit her lip.
"In the morning? Why not now?" Raoul looked at her strangely.
"Buri, didn't you hear the bells? It's near one in the morning. I wouldn't want to wake her if she was sleeping." Buri thought about it, and conceded, he was right. It was rather late.
"Oh," she said simply. "Then, I suppose I should be going." Buri got up off the couch they had stumbled onto in their passions to leave.
"You could always stay," Raoul said quietly. Buri looked at him sharply,
"Raoul, I couldn't! I told you, maybe after you work it out with Kel, but until then-"
"I just meant, you could sleep here, if you wanted. Not, um, *that,*" Raoul interrupted. Buri pursed her lips together and looked at the ground.
"Oh." Raoul reached up for her hand, causing Buri to look at him.
"If you wanted to, that is," he finished uneasily. All around them was silent; Buri could not hear a sound within miles. It was almost as if the whole world was waiting with quiet anticipation for her answer. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with Raoul's.
"I think I would," she answered. Raoul let out a small smile and pulled her toward him so that she landed on the couch next to him. He pulled her close, and Buri snuggled against him.
"So why *did* we fight all the time like we did, do you think?" Raoul said after a while. Buri smiled.
"Well, you know what they say about those love-hate relationships. Passion keeps them going..." Buri said slyly as she looked up to Raoul. Raoul didn't smile, however.
"So that's all this is going to be? Passion? Lust? Nothing more?" he asked demandingly. Buri smiled gently.
"I hope not. I hope that we can start again. I hope that we can be friends, like we were before we became lovers. But I also want something more out of it." Raoul looked away and let it go. Sometimes, it was better to leave things as they were. Buri was quiet for a while, then spoke.
"Raoul? Do you still love Kel? Am I just someone that you're rebounding on?" she asked gently. Raoul thought about it and looked at her.
"I'll always love Kel. Just like I'll always love you. But - I think I was rebounding on Kel after you. Just like she was rebounding on me. I told myself I was in love with her, but..." He paused. "Kel and I will always have a strange relationship. I think I needed her just as much as she needed me at that moment, just for solace and comfort. That was both our ways to get over our past and move on. My only worry is that Kel will go into another one of her gloomy fazes again and lock us all out. I'll have to handle it carefully, tomorrow."
When Buri saw that he was finished, she nestled deeper into his embrace and relaxed. "As long as you're not doing something now that you're going to regret." He smiled, but his eyes were still troubled.
"I just hope she'll be all right." Buri looked up at him and grinned reassuringly.
"When tomorrow comes, you can worry about it. Until then, relax. You'll have plenty of time to fret over it then." Raoul held her tighter.
"I suppose you're right. Goodnight, Buri," he said as the last candle in his room went out.
"'Night," she answered. They remained in silence for a long time, until they both fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
A/N: Wow. I actually wrote a chapter in which everyone is happy. Wow. I think I'm going to go fling myself off the Empire State building now. (What? It's just a train ride away, anyway!) I can't believe I did that. And there was fluff! NO!!!! I think something is more wrong with me than usual. Whatever. I hoped you liked it. There's only one more chapter left!! NO!!! My baby's almost done! There's an epilogue too, so I guess that counts for something. OH well. I hope Angel of the Storms isn't too mad at me. (Sorry! I couldn't just leave it like that between the two of them!) Anyways, please review. I love you guys. You're all so sweet. And read Search for the Six, if you haven't! I'm shamelessly advertising Kate's ff. Oh well. Oh, and be prepared. I challenged my friend to write a K/J. And no, "J" isn't who you think it is. *cough damn king cough* She's actually doing it too! Lol Well, I have to be off now. Got to go and... do something, I guess. Bye!
*~Cami~*
P.S I had made a mistake in the last chapter. All of the Moulin Rouge and Walk to Remember refs are in this chapter, so...