Disclaimer: Not last time I checked. Although, green gremlins are known to sneak into my room in the middle of the night and drop unexpected presents. Unbeknownst to my wonderful self, of course. Ah, well. Such is life.
A/N: This is what comes from reading thee uncut version of Fallen Idols too many times.
Underneath the Surface - Chapter 7 - Tension
Kel walked down the steep hill leading to the clearing below. The trees moved languidly in an amiable wind, swaying in tune to the graceful music the breeze carried with it. The clearing itself contained flowers of every species and breed, from the most humble daffodil to the grandest rose. Kel breathed in the scent of her surroundings. Exhaling slowly, she made the rest of the way down the hill.
Suddenly, she found herself tripping - over a rose bush, she noted absently. She winced as she slapped the ground and continued rolling down the hill. Kel grabbed onto the grass and clung to it, forcing herself to stop. Apparently, the hill had been steeper than she had thought.
Kel breathed out. So much for serenity... why was it that whenever she was having a peaceful moment, it had to be ruined?
She heard laughing coming from nearby. She raised her head to look at a pair of boots. She clenched her teeth together.
"Well, hello Kel. Fancy meeting you here? What's up? Or should I say down?" Neal asked her, grinning down at her as though her current position was immensely funny.
'Not that it wasn't,' Kel thought dryly. "That was terrible, Queenscove. And I thought Cleon was the master of bad jokes."
He cocked his head. "I thought I would fill in for him, since he's not here." He held out a hand for her. "Here. Get up."
Kel eyed his hand suspiciously from her position on the floor. Then, she grinned. Grabbing his hand, she pulled down and rolled over at the same time so that she straddled him.
"My. Aren't we the promiscuous today?" Neal said as smiled from beneath her.
"I bet you're just loving it," Kel replied, bringing her lips close to his. He smirked at her, before reaching up to capture her lips.
He was met with air, as Kel suddenly pulled away. Neal furrowed his eyebrows. "Kel?"
Kel creased her forehead, frowning. Neal looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "Kel?" he repeated, reaching up a hand to her cheek.
She sighed, bringing up her own hand to cover his. She nuzzled his palm, kissing it once before rolling over onto her back next to him.
Neal gazed at her. She was lying there placidly, hair spread around her face like an angel. Her eyes were staring up at the sky blankly, unseeing. He longed to pull a stray piece of hair off her face that had unintentionally fallen onto it. Instead, he kept his hand at bay.
He had decided that she would be the death of him.
She was so pure, just lying there like some divine being. She was just so incredibly - perfect. Something he could never be. He propped himself up on one elbow and stared at her. Her eyes closed for a moment before turning her head to face him.
She stared at him, hazel eyes penetrating. There was something about them that was just - enrapturing. She slowly rolled over to drape an arm over his chest.
He stiffened slightly. Kel pulled him closer and buried her head into his shoulder. Her breath expanded across the nape of his neck.
Breathe.
Just... breathe.
Neal swallowed and moved his hands so that they encircled the small of her back. He felt her settle in more comfortably, resting her legs on either side of him. If she kneeled, she would be straddling him. Again. My, things were getting repetitive.
She exhaled slowly before raising her head off his chest to look at him. Her hair fell gently in soft waves to tickle his chin. Hazel eyes stared seriously at him. Neal found himself drowning in opaque pools of green and brown.
'I'm falling for her all over again,' he thought mutely as Kel slowly bent her head and kissed him.
Her mouth slid gently over his, just testing him ever so slightly. He returned her kiss gingerly, not rushing her into something too quickly.
'Something? Just what is this something, really? What am I doing?'
Kel placed her hands on the side of his face to cup his cheeks. Neal's hold on the small of her back tightened, fingers pressing into the soft fabric of her shirt roughly. Kel arched her back when her hips unwittingly rubbed across Neal's.
Neal pulled away, cheeks red from a fire that he had thought quenched for a long time. His breathing steadily increased as Kel stared down at him for a moment. Dipping her head, she brought her lips down to meet his jawbone, trailing a line of small, lingering kisses down his neck. Neal gasped when her teeth grazed the hollow of his neck.
He saw her smile against him. She was bloody well enjoying this.
'I'll have to make sure she doesn't have all the fun,' Neal thought as he roughly grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back up to him for a scorching kiss. Kel moaned against his mouth as Neal removed one of his hands from the small of her back to cup the back of her head. Forcing her lips upon his, he wrapped his legs around her tightly and in one smooth motion, flipped her over onto her back.
He grinned and sat up on top of her. "You don't get all the fun, I'm afraid. I still get to be on top."
Kel raised an eyebrow and smirked. "We'll see-" she tightened her grip on his legs "-about that," she said as she twisted him around so that she was on top.
She sneered smugly at him, pinning his arms above his head with her one hand. With the other, she daintily undid the buttons of his shirt.
Throwing the shirt away and into the distance, she shifted her grip on him so that she was holding his arms above him with both hands. She straddled his thighs with her legs, making him unable to move - at least, not with much freedom, anyway.
Neal writhed underneath her. Kel snorted. "Don't like it on bottom, do you, Queenscove?"
Neal scowled at her. "Well, excuse me. I was just protesting the fact that this is a very demeaning pose for me. It's not right that you're straddling me and not the other way around."
Kel grinned before returning her lips to his own. "I'll remember that," she said between kisses.
"You - do - that," Neal breathed as Kel's grip on his hands involuntarily weakened. Taking advantage of her distraction, he shifted his arms and pushed her to the side, shifting so that his chest rested on top of hers.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I like it on top?" Neal asked, pinning her down to the ground, unbuttoning her shirt in the process.
"Mm," Kel lamented as Neal's mouth explored every bit of newly exposed skin across her chest. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the grass.
Neal stopped for a moment. Kel raised her head to look at him. She cocked an eyebrow. Neal was eyeing her breastband curiously. Slowly, he traced his fingers over her breasts. Kel shivered.
"This will have to go, won't it?" he asked her quietly. Kel swallowed and gave a barely noticeable jerk of the head. "What was that?" Neal asked, cupping her breasts with his hands.
Kel gave as disgruntled sigh. "Yes," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
"Good," Neal said cheerfully as he flicked strong fingers under her breastband, removing it quickly without any toil.
Suddenly, Neal found himself on the floor. Kel grinned at him from above, her only clothing remaining her breeches and loincloth. Her hand darted to his groin before he could stop her. Neal gave a sharp gasp.
"My," Kel sang from atop him, watching him writhe underneath her. "This will have to go too, I suppose."
Neal clenched his teeth together. He would not give her the satisfaction of having him ask for it...
Her fingers played along the line of his pants, finally darting a finger or two down them, fondling him tormentingly. Neal breathed in sharply. "Kel..." His voice trailed off.
"Yes?" she replied sweetly, finally taking the liberty to remove his breeches.
Neal was silent as his breath came in shallow and waveringly. Suddenly, Kel laughed. Bending close down to his ear, she blew hot air onto his neck.
"I want to hear you beg for it."
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Holy fucking shit," Neal gasped as he bolted upright out of bed. Throwing his damp sheets off, he stood upright near his bed stand.
"What the hell was that?" he asked himself aloud. "I want another one!" Widening his eyes at his own perverse thought, he grimaced. "I mean, no I don't! Not with Kel! Gah!" Looking out the window, he numbly realized that it was almost dawn. 'The time when Kel gets up...'
Making his way over to the washbowl and his mirror, located in his decently sized privy, he splashed his face with some extremely cold water before looking up at himself in the mirror. The dream hadn't caused him too much of a lack of sleep. Or at least, none that he could see. No bags were formed under his eyes; a clear emerald shown through underneath dark lashes.
"Gods," Neal breathed, leaning against the wall of the privy. Slowly, he knelt down against the wall and sat, burying his face in his hands.
'What the hell was that? That was - Kel! Kel, as in my best friend Kel! True, I have been flirting with her a bit lately, but it was just in good fun. It's nothing to go and get feelings for her over. Not that they're feelings anyway. They're just - er - thoughts. Yes, thoughts. Thoughts are good. Not even closely resembling feelings.'
Almost jittery, Neal laughed to himself in the confines of his bathroom. It was ridiculous to think-
'You were jealous of Dom.'
Neal's eyes widened as the thought of how he reacted to Dom's behavior came to mind. He had been a bit protective of Kel like that, but it was just - a brotherly interest. He wasn't... jealous.
Of course not.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Hello, love."
Kel turned to the voice and grinned as a wild flurry of kisses attacked her unrelentlessly. A hand slid down her back, going a tiny bit further down than was really necessary.
Not that she minded, of course.
"Neal," she said as she broke away from his kiss. He curled his lip downward into the perfect puppy dog look. Kel snorted. "Don't you look like the perfectly adorable dog."
Neal abandoned his puppy dog expression and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I resent being called a dog."
Kel cocked her head and touched his arm. "But I bet you perfectly like it when I call you adorable."
Neal sniffed. "No. I resent that too. I am a man. I am not to be classified as something that is adorable. Adorable would imply childish, which would imply something un-man like, and you know best of all that that isn't true..." He grinned.
Kel shoved him lightly and attempted to scowl. She wasn't very successful. Breaking out into a teasing grin, she uncrossed his arms and placed them around her instead. Settling into his warm chest, she sighed. Being with him was so comforting sometimes...
"Kel?" he asked softly, pulling away slightly so that he could look at her. He looked at her intently, taking her hand and kissing it. Kel blushed at the show of affection.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think of what it would be like - if maybe - you came home with me?" Neal asked suddenly. Kel raised her eyebrows.
"Well... I've seen your home already, Neal. It's quite nice, and-"
"No," Neal started, putting a finger to her lips to silence her. "No, I mean - to come home with me. Permanently."
Kel pulled back suddenly, eyeing him with distrust. Over the course of their relationship, neither of them had mentioned anything remotely pertaining to this particular topic...
"You mean... you want me to... to..." Kel couldn't finish her sentence.
"Kel," Neal said, pulling something out of his pocket. "I want you to come home with me. I want you to marry me." He got down on one knee and held out the box to her, opening it to reveal a striking diamond ring.
Kel blanched. She had never thought that things would get this far... then again, what had she expected? That they would go on like this for years without taking the next step? Thinking it over, marrying Neal wouldn't be a bad idea. She loved him, and he loved her. What more could she really ask for?
Then again...
"Neal," she started. His face fell instantly. "If we - if we got married, I couldn't just sit around in your dukedom all day doing nothing. I - I worked hard for my shield, and getting married... I'm afraid..."
Neal stood up quickly and placed a finger over her lips for the second time in the past couple of minutes. "You would never have to give up your shield, Kel. I thought you knew me better than that. I would never make you stop being knightly and act like some-" he shuddered "-court lady. Besides," he continued. "I would be coming with you. Someone has to keep you out of trouble."
Kel snorted and looked at him and found truth in his clear green eyes. Swallowing, she looked down and a small smile formed on her face. She glanced up at him and quickly seized his lips with her own.
Neal broke away a long moment later and grinned at her. "Yes?"
She snickered at him. "No, I'm kissing you like there's no tomorrow because I hate you and want to kick you in the groin."
Neal blinked, then shrugged. "Hey, whatever works."
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Kel hugged her blankets tighter as faint ray of sunshine danced across her face. The room was lit softly in the scant light that shone through her curtains. Forcing her eyes open, she surveyed the damage.
'This is just getting worse and worse,' she thought heatedly. 'I could handle it when it was pure sexual attraction, but having actual sentiments? That just makes things so much more complicated...'
Crawling out of bed despite protesting muscles, she grabbed her glaive off the wall and spun it around lazily. Her fingers twisted across the smooth surface of the wood, effortlessly spinning it to her own pattern. Her thoughts drifted to the night before.
'Dom had wanted to say something to me,' Kel thought. 'Never got a chance to, thanks to Meathead, the Clown, and Mr. Jolly. Still though. I wonder what it was?'
Dom had stalked off to his own room, leaving Kel, Owen, Cleon and Neal alone. Kel's room, being the farthest away from the rest of the groups', had made her the last to reach the confines of her quarters. From there, the rest of the day had gone by uneventfully, with very little mishaps concerning any possible future romantic interests.
'Romantic interests. What an amusing thought. Neal always did say I had a knack for humor. I haven't had a romantic interest since Cleon went and got married to Ermelian. Dom did get rather close to me... But still. Dom wouldn't be interested. Neither would Neal, for all I want him to-'
Kel froze in her dance.
'Did I just - think that?'
Kel shook her head and dismissed the thought. 'Of course not. That would imply that I would actually have - feelings for Neal.'
'Of course not.'
Kel glanced over to the privy. The palace servants usually brought up a tub of hot water for her at around dawn. Kel quickly glanced outside. It was later than usual. She supposed that her dream had caused her to sleep in a bit.
Sighing wearily, Kel returned her glaive to its stop on the wall. It was the end of her exercises for the morning. Stripping down to the bare, she threw her clothes onto the bed and slipped into the bath. Absently, she wondered what it would be like to share her bath with Neal.
Kel shuddered.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal lazily rummaged through his dresser and found a pair of breeches, a loose cotton shirt, and a green tunic to match his eyes. He had spent the last hour or so trying to forget about the dream he had had about Kel.
So far, it hadn't worked.
He had tried everything. Going back to sleep, a warm bath, even knocking himself on the head multiple times against the wall. Nothing seemed to quell his disturbing - and somewhat sexual - thoughts.
Neal suddenly froze in his endeavors.
'Yuki's coming back today.'
Neal creased his forehead in surprise. 'Shit. How the hell did I forget that? My fiancée is only coming back after how many months now? Three, four maybe? Gods. How could I have forgotten?'
'Oh, right. I had Kel to distract me.'
Aggravated at his behavior - and thoughts - Neal groaned. Kel had been there for two days. Two days doesn't change years of love.
'It's not like I'm going to do something stupid because of some little - dream. That would be... not smart.'
'Yeah. Right. Again, I have been known to do stupid things. Not like it would be anything new.'
Neal shook his head and threw the tunic over his head. Yuki was coming in from Port Caynn around noon today. He had planned on meeting her there.
Absently, he wondered if Kel would want to join him. It was probable. After all, Yuki was one of her close friends as well. He should have probably had told her the day before about meeting Yuki, but it had slipped his mind due to certain - arrivals.
'What am I doing? Why am I thinking like this two weeks before my wedding to a woman I love? It's not like I'm - jealous of Dom.'
'Ha. Right.'
Moaning, Neal threw away his doubts about his wedding. He was getting married to Yuki.
Whether he liked it or not.
'I think I really need to see Yuki. Now. Or I'm going to do something stupid.'
Eyeing the keys to his room, he grabbed them and walked through the door of his room. He silently locked his door and headed toward Kel's rooms. She would want to come and greet the woman he loved.
Right.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Kel winced at the jarring noise that came from the other side of her rooms. She looked outside. The sun had risen while she was in the bath. The water was now cool.
'I must have fallen asleep,' she mused randomly. The knocking resounded through her room again. Agitated, Kel moaned. 'Who is that?'
"Who is it?" she called loudly, rising up from inside the bath. Water splashed around her, cascading across her body languidly. Kel eyed the water that had splattered onto the ground with distaste. She would have to clean it up later.
"It's Neal. Let me in," he called from behind her door. Kel's heart raced unexpectedly. 'What was that? Why am I excited? Those dreams must have gotten to me more than I thought.'
"I'm coming!" she called as she eyed her bathroom. Sitting on the privy was a bath towel. She eyed it with dissatisfaction. It was - small. And - skimpy. She certainly didn't want Neal seeing her in it. It would cause her to be the object of much innuendo later on. Neal had been teasing her too relentlessly for her liking as of late. It was something bordering on flirting, but then again, this was Neal-
Neal knocked again. "I'm coming!" Kel yelled at him, grabbing the towel fleetingly. She didn't have the time to get dressed in anything proper. The towel would have to do.
Draping it over herself as best as she could, she tucked one end near her collarbone. A slit was visible through the side of the towel. Kel frowned at the exposure. She didn't want Neal seeing more than was necessary.
Walking quickly to the door, she opened it quickly, moving so that she was behind the door when it opened. "Come in," she told Neal, still behind the door. Neal did so, looking around for her as he stepped inside.
"Kel?" he asked, glancing around the room.
Kel closed the door quickly, not wanting to be seen by any unknowing bystanders that might have happened to be walking down her hallway at that particular moment.
Neal's eyes widened as he saw her. She was half naked... standing very close to him... breathing on his neck...
His gaze inadvertedly drew down to her breasts. She was trying to cover then unsuccessfully with her arms. Water rolled down her chest as Neal found himself unwittingly licking his lips.
Kel noticed his glance and scowled. "Would you like me to take it off for you so that you can see the entire show?" she asked, her voice rising in volume with every word.
"Yes," Neal breathed before he could help it.
Before he could even respond, Kel slapped him, her hand whipping at his cheek with a resounding smack.
Unfortunately for her, the quick movement required of slapping someone also caused her towel to come undone.
A moment of resounding silence echoed through the room. The towel hit the ground in slow motion, fluttering peacefully down to the ground. Kel swallowed.
Neal's eyes widened as his eyebrows lifted.
A guttural noise came from the back of his throat. Kel made no motion to pick up her towel. She simply stared at him in an expression that was a cross between shock and sheer mortification.
Neal felt his cheeks burning up. She was just - there. Naked. With him. Alone. In her room. With the bed. Naked.
He averted his eyes from her chest and looked down to the towel. Who knew such a small, fluffy thing could cause such sexual tension?
Bending down, Neal picked up the towel and silently handed it to Kel. Kel gently took it from him, noticing that their hands touched for a brief moment. Covering herself with it, she tucked it by her collarbone again and held it there with her hand this time.
Neal coughed, looking down at his feet. Kel bit her upper lips and stared at a particular spot on the wall. She swore you could have heard the crickets echoing throughout the room.
Suddenly, Neal cleared his throat. "I was planning on going down to Port Caynn to meet Yuki there. I was wondering if you had wanted to come with me."
Kel bit her lip in suppressed disappointment. 'Why? I shouldn't be disappointed. I mean... what did you expect him to do? Pick you up and carry you off to bed? No, Kel, don't think that! Neal doesn't want that. He's getting married for Mithros' Sake. I bet all he could think about when he saw me naked was how much he missed Yuki. Right. Of course. That makes sense.'
"Of course I'd like to come," Kel answered, slipping her Yamani mask on. Neal frowned, noticing her change in demeanor, but didn't say anything.
"Good. I was thinking we would leave after breakfast," he said, still refusing to meet her eyes.
"Sounds good to me," Kel responded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hm," Neal answered. His eyes unwittingly found themselves drawn to her breasts again. Kel scowled.
"Honestly, Neal. Stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat." Kel grimaced at him.
Neal shook his head, then grinned. "Sorry, Kel. I just - never mind."
Kel creased her forehead and frowned. "What?"
"It's nothing. Just-" he smirked "-you look good naked." He started to laugh when Kel's face contorted into an ugly scowl.
"Get out, Nealan of Queenscove. Or I'll make you get out myself," she retorted.
"And of course, the effort will cause your towel to fall off again," he said, darting out of smacking range.
Kel gave him a look of pure loathing. Incoherent noises were emitted from her throat until she finally managed to say, "I hate you, Nealan of Queenscove."
"Alas, my love is unrequited," he exclaimed, clutching at his chest in a mock gesture of hurt.
"You should be used to it," Kel snapped lightheartedly. 'Why is it impossible for me to stay angry with him?' she thought bitterly.
"Ouch. That hurt."
Kel looked up at Neal's face. He was making that same puppy dog face he had worn in her dream. The reminisce made Kel's heart ache.
"Oh, come now, Neal," she started, walking up to Neal and placing a hand on his arm. Neal jumped. "You know we have a love-hate relationship." Neal fluttered his eyelashes at her.
"Alas. I hate you too then." He grinned. "My, it was nice to finally get that off my back."
Kel allowed herself a tiny smile. "Don't push it Queenscove. Now go away."
"But Kel," he started, wrapping an arm tightly around her waist. "I don't want to. I want to see you take that towel off again."
Kel blinked, then scowled. "Go away, Neal."
"But I don't want to," Neal whined, jerking her closer with a smile spread across his face. "It much too much fun torturing you like this. Uncomfortable moments are always the most fun."
Kel looked at him for a moment, and then grinned. "Even if-" her hand darted to his groin "-you're the one that's uncomfortable?"
Neal gave a small gasp and tightened his hold on Kel, if it was possible. The movement, however, caused Kel's hand to rub up against him even more. A low, guttural noise emitted from his throat for the second time that morning. Neal eyes reduced to small slits of what they were, as flashbacks from his dream from the night before came to mind.
Kel remained motionless as she stared up into Neal's closed eyes. Things had become so much more serious with one small flirtation. Before she knew it, she had gone from being in the middle of a nice, relaxing bath, to something that resembled one of her dreams. She half expected to wake up at that very minute. Neal's face was so very close... All she had to do was lean in a little and press her lips gently against his...
A sharp knocking came from the other side of the door. Neal cursed swiftly before gazing hatefully at the door.
"Who-" Kel's voice cracked "-who is it?" she called, still not moving from her current position.
"It's Dom. Kel, is there someone in there with you? I think I heard Meathead," he called from outside. Neal suddenly looked very embarrassed and backed away from Kel.
"Kel-" he began. Kel, however, cut him off.
"We're both in here, Dom. Just give me a second." Kel walked swiftly over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of breeches and a shirt. Stripping off the towel, she threw it to Neal. "Not a word out of you, Neal." Noticing the shocked look on his face, she grinned. "It's not like you haven't seen it before," she said cheerily. Slipping on the breeches and the shirt (without a breastband, Neal noted absently), she smiled brightly at him and made her way over to the door. Opening it, she greeted Dom happily.
"Hello, Dom. Neal and I were just getting ready to go to breakfast."
Dom smiled and nodded to Neal. "Hello Meathead. Breakfast sounds good to me. I was about to go myself," he said, turning back to Kel. He flashed her a toothy grin that would make the hearts of most women melt.
Kel nodded. "Yes. After that, we were going to meet Yuki, Neal's betrothed-" she risked a glance at Neal "-at Port Caynn. Would you like to join us?" she inquired, meeting Dom's eyes flawlessly.
Dom took her hand and kissed it. "Of course I would, Lady Kel," he said huskily. Neal noted that Kel blushed. He also noticed the bile that rose to his throat as he watched them.
"Good. That is, if it's all right with you Neal?" Kel asked, turning to him.
"Of course," Neal answered. "It's no problem at all," he told them.
"Good. Off we go then," Kel said as Dom held out an arm for her to take. She smiled pleasantly, and slipped her own arm through his. Together, they walked through the door.
'Gods,' Neal thought as he trailed behind them. 'Please help me.'
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
EEEEE!!!!! I'M DONE!!! TEEHEE!!!! OMG. My computer crashed. That's why I couldn't get out in a week, like I usually do. Oh well. I should be studying for the two tests I have tomorrow, but sincerely, I don't give a shit. I know I should, but it's the last day before the break. I can't honestly concentrate. Oh well. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. It's for all of you who wanted more smut. (Dirty little children...) Tsk Tsk. I hope this satisfied your craving. Personally, I don't like it as much as some of my other chapters, but I still think it's pretty good. Oh well. Review. I shalt love you for it forever. And ever and ever and ever. Teehee.
Love,
Stacey
P.S. To Min-- Oh, no! The infamous teehee!!! GAAAHHH!!! ^_^