Disclaimer: If only I owned the nice pretty characters... or the nice sexy characters in Neal's case. Gods I love him. I wanna just screw his brains out. Teehee. My mother is a couple of feet away from me. Teehee.

You're the right kind of sinner

To release my inner fantasy

The invincible winner

And you know that you were born to be

You're a heartbreaker

Dreammaker

Love taker don't you mess around with me

Heartbreaker – Pat Benatar

Underneath the Surface – Chapter 9 – An Idiot's Guide to Dating the Love of My Life's Cousin

When Kel woke that next morning, she wanted to treat everything that had happened last night as a bad dream.

She had stirred early on to find her back stiff from falling asleep leaning up against a door. She had predictably fallen onto the stone floor during the course of the night, hitting her head just in the places she knew it would hurt most in the morning. Her hand had fallen asleep, due to the fact that she had been leaning on it during most of the night.

Overall, Kel mused, it had been a generally unhealthy way to sleep.

Actually standing up had been something close to torture. Forcing herself to look at her glaive had been worse. She knew that exercising with her glaive would limber up her muscles and allow them to stretch out. The only thing she really wanted to do, though, was roll down her sheets and tuck herself into bed.

Kel supposed that she could conceivably go straight back to bed. Knowing Cleon, or any of the rest of her overenthusiastic friends for that matter, someone would probably come barging in just when she was really getting comfortable. Still, even a tiny bit of sleep could make the difference. It was amazing what one night on the floor could do one someone's level of concern for the world around her.

Kel gave one last fleeting look at the bed before ambling sorely over to the rack where her glaive was located. Completing a few exercises, she let her mind roam freely.

'What happened last night between Neal and I?' she mused worriedly. 'I told him to go away. Why did I do that? Why am I afraid of him?'

Kel closed her eyes as she spun the glaive around her body. 'I'm not afraid of him,' she corrected herself mentally. 'I'm afraid of what he makes me want to do to him. I'm afraid of the fact that every time I'm near him, I come within scant inches of kissing him. I'm afraid of the fact that he can make me want him with just a simple touch. I'm afraid of what might just happen if I ever truly let myself go around him.'

Kel flexed her muscles, wincing as they protested vehemently. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say that he felt the same way. Giving me presents. What is that? He's not supposed to give me presents. Not presents like that anyway. Some saddle oil, or a good pair of riding gloves I would expect. Not a necklace. Not something that would give me the impression that he really did look at me like a girl and not just another sexless knight.'

Kel pulled the glaive up in a defensive position. 'I wonder if anyone truly look at me like I'm sexless anymore. I'm not even that attractive, yet they all treat me like I'm some kind of – prize. Cleon, Dom, Neal... it's like I can't even go out my door without meeting one of them and making forced conversation. It's infuriating!'

Kel stopped twirling her glaive and returned it to its rack on the wall. 'This is truly getting ridiculous.'

Her hand inexorably found its way up to her neck. She fingered the pendant lightly, lifting it up to look at it. It was truly beautiful. And Neal had given it to her as a present. She didn't know why, but he had. The only feasible explanation she could think of was that he wanted to say he was sorry for touching her like that in the store. But then why would he look at her like that in her room is he wanted to make amends?

'More privacy,' Kel mused absently. 'He knew I didn't have the excuse that Yuki was around.'

'But again,' Kel thought, 'that would imply that he wanted to touch me. Or kiss me. Or just do something. Gods I'm confused.'

Sighing, Kel grabbed her keys and made her way for the door. Maybe she would be able to meet Owen for breakfast. He was the only one of them that hadn't tried to court her. It would be a refreshing change.

Before she could open the door, someone knocked from the other side. Kel sighed mentally and hoped that it wasn't anyone even resembling Neal or Dom. That would just make things so much more – unpleasant.

Opening the door, she stepped aside to admit her visitor. A familiar pair of blue eyes flashed warmly at her.

'Oh, lucky me,' Kel thought dryly.

"Hello, Kel. I was just about to take breakfast," Dom told her amiably. "I was wondering if you would – if you would like to come," he stuttered.

Kel blinked. What was wrong with him? He never tripped over his words. Maybe it was his newly achieved status as "suitor." 'God, that's sickening. Whoever would have though I would have had suitors?'

"Um... yeah, Dom. Sure. I was planning on going now anyway. It's good that you caught me before I left." Kel kept her face carefully blank.

Dom smiled affectionately at her despite her slightly cold behavior. "Good. I was thinking, maybe, instead of the usual palace breakfast, I could take you to one of the restaurants in Corus?" he asked optimistically.

Kel gazed at him. He looked sincere. And hopeful. She hated when people gave her that look. It made her want to agree with them no matter what. She didn't like saying no to people who could look at her like they would be miserable without her. It made her feel guilty.

"Um... sure, Dom. I guess that would be all right. Do I need to change...?" she inquired, glancing at her less than admirable, slightly damp clothes.

"Oh, no. What you're wearing is fine," Dom said quickly, giving her a once over. Kel decided that his eyes had lingered a little too long on her chest.

"Down, sparky. It's still early."

"What?" Dom said, directing his stare to her face. Kel eyed him skeptically as she raised her eyebrows. Dom blushed and grinned bashfully. "Oh. Heh. Didn't mean to look there."

"Sure you didn't," Kel said doubtfully, but smiled nonetheless. Best to put on a happy face at times like this. 

Dom blushed again and bowed, motioning for her to walk out of the door. "After you, milady," he murmured huskily.

Kel blushed.

Unfortunately for her, Dom noticed as the steady heat rose to her cheeks. "Blushing, milady?"

Kel backed away from him hurriedly. "No," she protested on deaf ears. "It's just – it's just unnaturally hot in here, is all. I was not blushing." She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.

Unluckily for her, Dom came up to her and unfolded her arms. He placed them steadily on his shoulders.

"My lady," he began, a slight grin starting to spread across his face. "I would like to take you to breakfast. Do you think you can handle that without turning into a burning fire of desire?" he asked jokingly.

Without a word, Kel slapped him across the jaw. "You think mighty highly of yourself, now don't you?" she hissed quietly at him.

"Relax, Kel, I was just kidding!" Dom laughed as he rubbed his face. "After all, I would rather wait till tonight to turn you into a burning fire of desire."

Kel looked at him incredulously before marching out of her rooms, Dom following closely behind her. "No," she said turning on him. "Don't you follow me. You stay away from me, you – you womanizer!" Kel poked a finger at him as she spoke.

Dom laughed as he caught her hand in his. "Keladry," he said simply, taking his other hand and putting it over her lips. "Let me take you to breakfast. Please? I promise, I won't do anything regrettable."

"That's hard to believe," Kel retorted, turning her face away from his.

"I promise," he told her, taking the hand he had captured and kissing it. "I'll be a saint."

Kel looked at him with clenched lips for a moment before drawing her hand away from his lips. "Oh, fine." She walked to her door and closed it, locking it before she turned back to Dom. "But one wrong word out of you-"

"I said that I promised. I don't break promises easily, milady Kel."

"Don't call me milady."

"All right, Mother."

"Don't call me that either."

"Sure, Princess."

"Where the hell did you get that from?"

"Just knew what kind of effect it would have on you."

"Oh, great." Kel rolled her eyes as Dom held out his arm. "What's that for?"

"It's for you to take. As in, I hold out my arm, and you take it, and we walk."

"I can walk perfectly well by myself, thank you very much."

"Suit yourself, Princess."

"Stop calling me names. Honestly, you're as bad as Cleon."

"All right, Mother."

"You're hopeless."

"Why, thank you."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"I'll tell you, I saw the invitation list, and they have a couple of hundred people coming. It's going to be insane," Dom told Kel frankly. They were sitting in a restaurant in the good part of Corus, dubbed the Chevalier. Although it was known to harbor many women just itching for a good scandal, the food there was renowned throughout the town. Especially their breakfast.

Kel dropped the fork that had currently been sheathed with a piece of sausage. "Hundreds?" she asked disbelievingly.

Dom nodded. "Well, think about it. I mean – Neal is the first son of the realm's most powerful healer. He's an important figure, as frightening as that may be. He has to be sure not to insult anyone by forgetting about some duke or baron somewhere. And don't forget, someday, he's going to be Duke Neal, which will be the day I commit suicide." Kel snickered. "He's going to have a lot of power over the heathenous people of Tortall."

Kel shook her head. "It's a scary thought, isn't it?"

"Very," Dom agreed. "Then, you have Yuki, who has her faction of Yamanis, including the Royal Princess herself. With the people both Neal and Yuki end up inviting, it's going to be a couple of hundred people any way you look at it. I remember Aunt when she first found out that our Meathead was getting married-" he grinned "-she was in hysterics from crying out of happiness that our resident bachelor was settling down and writing the invitations at the same time. The invitations that arrived at Masbolle were all smudged and teary."

Kel smiled wickedly. "Of course, you just had to tease Neal about that one, didn't you?"

Dom smirked. "Of course. I wouldn't be the best man if I didn't."

"I can see it now," Kel continued, raising her voice to a falsetto. "Oh, Neal, you're finally getting married! Give mummy a kiss!" Dom made kissing noises in the background as they both ended up laughing and shaking their heads at the same time.

"The best though-" Dom persisted, a smile stretched wide over his face "-was when I accidentally-" he coughed "-heard uncle giving Neal 'the talk.'"

Kel's eyes widened as her cheeks turned red and her mouth twitched suspiciously upwards. "You mean – he hadn't given him 'the talk' before? This is just too good..."

"It was before you had come down from the border. My Lord had given me an early reprieve from border patrol and I was walking to the healer's wing to greet my uncle. I was about to knock on the door when I heard uncle telling my cousin about-" he coughed again "-the finer things in life. If you get my meaning."

"I wonder if Duke Baird knows that Neal's not a virgin," Kel mused randomly, a smile etched perpetually across her face.

Dom raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "And you would know that how, exactly?"

Kel pulled back defensively. "What? I just always assumed. I mean – he seems experienced enough. He's certainly confident flirting with women." Kel found a steady heat rising to her cheeks.

"Really?" Dom asked, cocking an eyebrow as his lips twitched suspiciously in what looked like the beginnings of a smirk. "Have you had-" he leaned in closer to her "-experiences with his charms?"

Kel blinked before she pulled away, looking quite perturbed. "Would you really like to know? Do you really want to know how he seduced me and carried me off to his bed and made sweet love to me? Honestly, Dom. Exercise your common sense." She shook her head and sighed before looking back at Dom. He was grinning that same, cocky grin again.

"What?" Kel asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. It's just – you've changed."

Kel creased her forehead. "How?"

"Well," Dom began. "You've always been – more of a reserved sort of person. I don't know. You just seem more – outgoing than usual. You flirt with Neal and me like you're some court lady-" he raised a hand at her outraged expression "-and don't think I don't see it. You do. Even if you don't think you do, the rest of us can see it. Maybe it's a subconscious thing."

Kel blinked and raised her eyebrows. "Not that I mind you flirting with me," Dom said quickly. "It's not that. I just – I think the war's done more to you than you're willing to admit. To hide your true feelings, you brush things off and joke around. You're so afraid to show people what you really feel, that you don't stop to think that maybe, we miss the old Kel. It's not the you that you used to be." He shrugged.

"Maybe I'm totally off balance here," he continued. "But maybe I'm not. You tell me, Kel."


Kel sat there in silence for a moment simply looking at him. How did he get off speaking to her like this? Just – attacking her like this? He was accusing her of being someone that she wasn't. She didn't – flirt. That was – ridiculous. If she flirted every time she talked with a man, most civilized people would consider her a harlot. It was just – talking animatedly. That's all she was doing. Flirting would imply that she wanted that person to court her.

Which wasn't totally off base, she admitted to herself.

True, she had been having dreams about Neal. True, she secretly wished that he would just be honest with her instead of playing with her with his "innocent" touches and "chaste" kisses. True, she wished that he would sometimes stop toying with her emotions and just kiss her. But she wouldn't let him, for the sole fact that he would get married in less than two weeks. As for flirting with Dom – she still hadn't decided if she wanted to be courted by him in the first place. He was perfectly charming, handsome, honest, and a good friend –

But he wasn't Neal.

Kel admitted, the war had changed her in irreversible ways. Even before she had started having dreams about Neal, images of orphan children calling for their parents and bloodied bodies scattered carelessly across the ground had haunted her nightmares. She had found her Yamani mask gradually deteriorated away, mostly due to the close contact with Easterners she had had over the past half of her life. To replace the security of her "lump" expression, she had donned a mask of humor to hide her constant insecurities about the changing world around her. It had worked perfectly well for her for most of the time she had spent at the border. No one else had recognized her anxiety. That, or they had left it alone for her sake.

Then why was it that Dom could sense it?

Was it that he had been through the same things that she had? He had been fighting up north for as long as she had, if not longer. He knew that war wasn't some kind of glory trip. He had seen the blood and the pain. But then again, so had Neal and Cleon. Had Neal and Cleon seen the change in her and were just sparing her feelings?

She looked up at Dom. His clear sapphire eyes held something strange in them that she had never seen before. 

Strangely, the only thing she could think of was the exact emerald color of Neal's eyes and how they glistened when he was touching her.

She cleared her throat. "Maybe you're right," she admitted after what seemed like hours instead of moments. Dom released the breath he hadn't known he was holding. He had expected the worst from what he had said. A fierce rebuttal, a sharp retort maybe. He hadn't expected her to admit that he was right.

"Don't let it get to your head, Masbolle."

Dom grinned in relief. "Don't worry. I won't."

Kel sighed and glanced at her breakfast platter. She made a face. "I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Me neither," Dom agreed. Kel looked up at him and held his gaze for a moment before looking away as a blush spread across her face. Dom wet his lips before speaking. "Do you want to get out of here?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows in an almost supplication. 

Kel glanced back up at him. His eyes held that same, serious look he had been giving her before. She didn't like that look. That look promised of things to come, and she didn't want to have things to come. Not with him, anyway.

Still, she did want to leave this particular restaurant. It was getting to stuffy in here for her tastes. The tension between her and Dom had mounted to an all time high.

"Sure."

"Good," Dom replied, calling the waitress over to ask for the check. Kel sat there and buried her hands in her lap, staring down at her palms while Dom paid the bill.

"By the way," Dom said as they were standing up to leave. "Where did you get that necklace? It's nice. I've never really seen you wear jewelry."

Kel blanched. What was he supposed to tell him? That his cousin, who was supposedly getting married, had given it to her because, just maybe, he was in love with her? Kel supposed that would go over quite well...

"I got it from an admirer," she said finally. Dom looked over at her, eyes widening in a troubled glance.

"What do you mean, an admirer?" he asked her, his voice showing a hint of distress.

Kel smiled secretively as she walked past table after table to reach the door.

"What do you mean, an admirer?" Dom repeated more loudly as he struggled to keep up with her despite a flurry of waiters that had suddenly came in their direction.

"Just – an admirer," Kel said above the noise from the crowd, thankful that Dom couldn't see the smile that was growing at a steady pace across her face.

"Wait," Dom called as he reached forward and grabbed her arm, unintentionally hitting a waiter carrying a platter of pancakes and syrup. The plate went flying across the room, finally stopping at a table occupied by a very flustered looking Lady Marie, whose hair was now matted in syrup. Her companion, a certain Lady Florence, sported a pancake on her bosom.

Dom shot Kel a mischievous look, their prior actions forgotten. He jerked his head towards the door. Kel nodded and quickly crouched down, dashing for the door in the process. The entire restaurant seemed to have gone quiet as a resounding shriek was heard coming from Lady Marie. Kel and Dom quickly sprinted out of The Chevalier as hurriedly as they could without making it too obvious that it was they were the notorious culprits.

They emerged laughing, Kel nearly in hysterics by the time they had ran far enough away that Lady Marie's screams were only half audible. Dom was in the same condition. They found a bench nearby where they could vent their laughter properly.

"Did you see-" Kel started breathlessly.

"The look-" Dom interrupted, shuddering from mirth.

"On that woman's face?" Kel finished, leaning up against Dom's shoulder to steady herself.

"Dom turned to look at her. "It was flawless!" he exclaimed, gripping Kel's shoulders with his hands. "The perfect setup! We need to do that to My Lord Raoul. Payback for that pie incident..." he shuddered.

Kel laughed, noticing a bit of syrup that had splattered onto Dom's face. "Oh, here, look. You've gotten syrup on your face," she said, a bit more subdued.

"I got syrup on my face? Excuse me, if you had just stopped when I had asked you to, this wouldn't have happened," he protested halfheartedly. "So therefore, you got syrup on my face," he declared, a smile still gracing his face.

"Oh, come now, Dom," Kel objected, licking her thumb and rubbing the syrup off his cheek. "It was your fault, and you know it."

Dom looked at her skeptically before shrugging and grinning. "Find. I get credit for the brilliant act, then." Kel scowled at him. "Uh-uh," he told her before she could dispute the matter. "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

Kel gave a halfhearted frown. "That's a crappy saying. I mean, why wouldn't I want to have my cake and eat it too? That would just be stupid-"

Dom put a finger over her lips and smiled. "Better," he told her before he did something that Kel knew she would probably find very unintelligent later.

He kissed her.

Dom's mouth was warm and compassionate as he tightened his embrace on her. Kel found herself almost inexorably drawn to kiss him back. She didn't know what she was thinking, or if she was even in her right mind or not for that matter. Dom was kissing her, and making her feel like at just that moment, she was the only person in the world.

Dom pulled back slowly, breathing in the scent of her. She smelled like tea. She always smelled like tea. He had noticed that over the course of their relationship. It intoxicated him to the point where his lips were only scant distance away. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. Kel stared at him wide-eyed, her lips just slightly parted.

"Uh... Dom?"

He silenced her with his lips on hers again. It was less ardent than his last kiss; almost what Kel supposed a first kiss should be like. His lips were sweet and gentle against hers, a soft, feathery caress brushing against her mouth. Dom's hands moved up to cup her face as if it was made for his touch. Kel found that she could only stare, gaping at him with her eyes.

When he finally pulled away, his cheeks were spotted with two distinct spots of color. He looked up at her open eyes and moved his thumbs to touch them. "I heard it was rude to stare when you're being kissed," he teased softly, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"It's not often I'm kissed without warning," Kel whispered in defense, her face still close to his.

"I warned you," Dom started. "I told you I wanted to court you, didn't I? You knew that at some perfectly random time I might just lean over and kiss you. So there." He grinned smugly.

"Shut up Dom."

"Ha. I finally have you at a loss for words. That means I can kiss you again."

Before Kel could react, Dom leaned over and covered her lips with his own for the third time that day. This time, he was more passionate in his endeavors, kissing her heatedly, Kel unable to do much besides kiss him back.

For some strange reason, the only thing she could think of was that she was cheating on Neal.

Kel pulled back suddenly from Dom's embrace, frowning. Dom creased his forehead. "What's wrong, Princess?" He raised his eyebrows in concern.

Kel looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. "It's – it's nothing. Come on. We – um – shouldn't do this in public."

"Is that an invitation?" Dom asked her, his mind wandering to the particular things they could do in – ahem – private.

Kel shot him a look. "And just where do you think that invitation is to? My bedroom? If that's what you think, don't even bother." She began to stand up angrily, but Dom darted an arm out to stop her.

"Kel," he began. "I – I wasn't thinking like that. I know you're not the kind of girl that would – do that with a man." He looked down at his feet.

"So you propose that I would do that with a woman?" Kel asked, pulling away from him.

"No!" Dom cried out, his eyes darting upward to look at her. "Gods, Kel, I'm trying to apologize."

Kel looked at him sheepishly for a moment before settling back in next to him. "Sorry. I've been having a bit of a tough week, is all. I don't mean to be so uptight."

"Do you want me to give you a massage when we get back to the palace?" Dom speculated. "To work out the tension, I mean."

Kel blanched. She wasn't sure if she was comfortable having him kiss her, much less giving her a massage, most likely in either her room or his.

"Um... that's all right. I'm fine. Really. It's – okay. Truly, Dom, I am," Kel answered slowly, stumbling over her words.

Dom looked a bit disappointed. "Well, all right. If you're sure." He bent over and kissed her lightly. Do you want to walk around a bit, maybe take in the sights?"

Kel sighed in something resembling relief. "Ah – sure."

"Great. Let's go," Dom said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Kel and Dom spent the rest of the day together, shopping and exploring the city of Corus – the upper and lower sections of it. Dom paid for all expenses, rewarding Kel with a new pair of riding gloves and some saddle oil. He didn't mention Kel's "admirer" all day except for once, right after he had kissed her in front of an inn dubbed "The Prancing Pony." He had asked Kel again where she had gotten the necklace from, and again, Kel had denied him the information. Dom returned Kel to her rooms after dinnertime, bidding her goodbye with a sound kiss on the lips.

Kel sighed as she looked to her desk. As maid of honor, certain responsibilities were required of her. That meant paperwork. A small mound of it, to be precise. Kel was simply overjoyed.

'Damn paperwork,' she mused, somewhat annoyed. 'Why can't they just do it themselves? Or get their parents to do it?'

Kel headed over to her desk and stared down at it. It was the forms for the dresses of both the bride and bridesmaids, rings, and some of the expenses that she had agreed to work out for Yuki to save her some time. 'Why did I do that? Damn self righteous nature.'

Kel mentally shook her head. She was doing a good thing for Yuki by getting these things done. And it wasn't like she had anything better to do until she went to sleep.

Exhaling deeply, Kel started on some of the mathematics required of her for the paperwork. She felt her eyes starting to droop by the fifth sheet. It was just so incredibly dull... and Dom had kept her moving for most of the day. In more ways than one...

'I really don't know what I'm doing,' Kel thought, allowing her mind to drift away from paperwork. 'I mean, I like him. Of course I like him. I've liked him since the first time I saw him. I'm attracted to him. He has the most amazing blue eyes I've ever seen. And he's a sergeant in My Lord's Own. He's not some idiot who couldn't tell a lance from a daisy. He seems perfectly attracted to me. He certainly kissed me enough to prove that.'

Kel tapped her quill lazily on the desk. 'I wonder what Neal will think of when he finds out. No doubt, Dom will have ended up telling him. I hope he doesn't act like the over protective older brother like he did before. It got perfectly tiring after a while. Not to mention hazardous to each other's health. The number of times Peachblossom had to bite him became simply atrocious in the end.'

Kel smiled despite herself. Her horse biting him almost perpetually was quite comical, albeit painful to him. Peachblossom did have a talent for making Neal's discomfiture amusing.      

'He doesn't know when to intervene at the right time, though,' Kel thought bitterly, her cheerful mood forgotten in an instant. 'Kissing me on the bloody horse. Why doesn't he just scream it to the entire world? Dom could have looked over and saw, and then where would our relationship have been? For all I know, Dom could have decided it fit to come over and sock Neal right in the nose! No, that's ridiculous. Dom wouldn't do that.'

Kel let out a deep breath. 'You're letting your imagination get the best of you, Kel. Get a grip.'

Kel moaned and looked back at the paperwork. Deciding that mathematics, no matter how dry it may seem to a tired eye, was preferable to her mind wandering to odd and perverse conclusions, she buried herself in work, not noticing as the candle she was working by burned down to near nothing.

By the time she had finished, Kel was certifiably tired. It had been a long day, after all. Eyeing the candle, she wet her fingers and snuffed it out, leaving a trace of smoke where the flame had been lit. Stripping off everything but her loins, she retrieved a nightgown from her dresser drawer. Kel cleaned her teeth and face in a hazy state, eyes half closed by the time she reached the bed. She flung herself down onto it, and found with much satisfaction that it was just and soft and warm as ever. Kel nestled into her covers, hugging them to her as close as possible –

When unexpectedly, a knock came from her front door.

Keel's eyes darted open as she moaned quietly. It had to be at least ten, maybe later. What person in their right mind would come to interrupt her now, of all times? Maybe it was the tiredness getting to her, but Kel was more than amply annoyed when the perpetrator knocked on her door again.

Grumbling, Kel flung the covers off her and stalked angrily over to the door. Whoever was there was going to find a very irritated, very irate lady knight at her door. Grabbing the handle and twisting it open jarringly, she thoroughly prepared herself to glare at whoever was currently at her door –

And felt her anger dissipate as a surge of severe uncertainty overcame her.

Neal was standing at her door, holding a bouquet of yellow carnations under his arm. He looked at her hopefully, green eyes flickering with something resembling remorse. His hair was tousled effectively, giving him the look like he had just rolled out of bed. He wore a plain white shirt and brown breeches that matched the muddy color of his hair. His hands clutched at the flowers nervously, fingers playing across the surface of the stems, memorizing every line of them.

Kel stared at him for a moment as her jaw dropped a bit. Then, she raised her eyebrows in askance for some kind of explanation.

Neal, seeing that he had go to speak, began. "Um... I got these for you." He held out the flowers to Kel. She simply raised her eyebrows higher. "Uh... I'm no good at apologies, but since I've resigned myself to do this-" he paused "-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable, and like I'm cheating on Yuki, even though I'm not, and I'm sorry for touching you and buying you that necklace and I'm sorry for being a general ass for the majority of your time here. So... accept my apology? Please?" When he expression didn't change, he tried another tactic. "I rode all the way down to the city and had to bribe the owner of the flower shop to open up for me so that I could buy these," he told her, trying to get her to forgive him.

Kel stared at him in wonder for a moment. She hadn't thought that he would have gone to all the trouble just to apologize... At the base of the bouquet lie a sign that read, 'I'm sorry,' in green and yellow. Maybe not the best color scheme, but coming from him, it meant the world to her.

Wordlessly, she took the flowers from him. "Come in," she told him simply as she turned around and walked inside, tiredness momentarily forgotten. Neal followed her on her heals, closing the door behind him.

Kel nodded to one of the couches. "Sit. Stay a while," she told him as she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a glass vase. Taking water from a convenient nearby basin, she poured some into the vase, taking care not to spill. Wordlessly, she unwrapped the flowers from their bindings and placed them in the water. Satisfied that her job was done, she placed the vase on a table in her main living quarters.

"So. You didn't have to apologize, you know. We would have been forced to forgive each other soon enough," Kel told him as she sat down next to him.

Neal sighed. "I know. But the agony of not having someone to tease was killing me." Kel snorted and looked at him.

"You must have rode to the city at full speed for your hair to look like that," she told him as she reached up to run fingers through his hair, trying to straighten it out. Neal squirmed indignantly.

"Excuse you. I can fix my own hair," he said authoritatively, even as he made no move to stop her. Kel snickered as she finished straightening his hair into back into place.

"Come now. It's the least I can do for getting me flowers and making the first move to apologize. You're usually the more stubborn of the two of us, and it must have been a big step for you." Kel grinned as she pulled away and rested her hands in her lap.

"Oh... be quiet. How was your date with Dom?" he asked, a teasing smirk appearing on his face.

Kel gave him a look. "Do you two have mental telepathy or something that you always know these things?" The corners of his mouth edged upwards as he smiled innocently. Kel sighed. "It went quite well, if you must know. It's nice to have a man who will pay for things."

"And I don't?" Neal asked, looking playfully offended. "I buy you flowers, I buy you jewelry... what else do you want?"

Kel rolled her eyes and smirked. "Well, I have been wanting that set of practice weights... and I've been running low on bruise balm..." she grinned.

"I'll bet. So has he kissed you yet?"

"What, he hasn't told you ever orgasmic thing that happened to us on our supposed date? I'm surprised, since you two seem to be so into telling the other about my love life." Kel raised in eyebrow as Neal suddenly turned white.

"Orgasmic? As in... Ahh... Gods, I didn't want to just think about that. I've obviously been hanging around you too much, with your perverse fantasies about me. They've been getting to me." He shook his head as Kel pushed him in the shoulder.

"Do you really have to continue to think things like that?" she asked him, annoyed from the tone of her voice.

"Yes."

Kel glowered at him, crossing her arms across her chest. Neal simply stared at her, mildly amused. It made Kel feel quite ridiculous, which was why, shortly after her display of annoyance and anger, she sighed and uncrossed them.

"What do you want to know?" she asked him, eyes dull.

Neal beamed at the possibilities. "One: Has he kissed you?"

"Yes."

"Two: How many times?"

"I don't remember."

Neal grinned. "Oo. Too many times to count. This is getting interesting."

Kel glared at him. "Are you going to make this into twenty one questions?"

"It's quite probable." He cocked his head and smirked. "Three: Have you done anything past kissing?"

"As in him feeling me in places he probably shouldn't, kissing me anywhere below the neck, etcetera, etcetera?" Neal nodded. "No."

His face fell a bit. "Ah, well. It would have been more interesting if he had, but... have you done anything of the above mentioned actions to him?"

"No," she replied monotonously.

Neal sighed. "Boring. There's no excitement in your relationship."

"So sue me."

"Didn't Cleon teach you anything about the proper way to make out with someone?"

A distinct "thwap" resounded through Kel's living quarters as she punched Neal in the stomach.

"Guess not," he squeaked as he regained his breath. "Ok, what is this, now, four? Five?"

"Five," Kel replied.

"All right, five: have you ever had obscene fantasies and/or lusty dreams about Dom?" 

"No," she answered carefully. Neal raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Six: Have you ever had obscene fantasies and/or lusty dreams about any man or woman?" Kel looked at him incredulously. "What? It could happen."

"Absolutely not with a woman," she told him, a bit of annoyance leaking through her usually calm features.

"But possibly with a man...?" Neal smirked.

Kel simply glowered at him. "No," she said with a bit too much hesitation.

"You're lying," he said simply.

"So what? Have you ever had an obscene fantasy and/or lusty dream about any member of any sex?" she asked him sharply.

"Who's asking the questions here?" Neal asked her, folding his arms across his chest.

"I am. Now answer the question."

"Yes," he answered plainly.

Kel raised an eyebrow. "Really? About who?"

Neal blushed. "You're not getting that one out of me."

"What? Too embarrassed?"

"Yep." He looked at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his face.

"Really," Kel stated. "If I guess correctly, will you tell me?"

Neal pursed his lips, pretending to think, before turning to answer her. "Yes."

"Ok," Kel said, thinking about possible prospects. "Hm. Yuki?" Neal shook his head. "Ok. Ah... Uline?" Again, Neal shook his head. "Cleon?" Neal pulled back with a look of disbelief.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"Kidding, love. Kidding. Back to guessing... Shinko? Thayet? Kalasin? Lady Jada?" All of her guesses were met with a negative 'no.' "Merric?" Kel asked finally.

Neal creased his forehead. "I'll give you a hint. It's not a member of the male sex."

"Oh, good. That's a relief." Kel gave an over exaggerated sigh of relief, while Neal scowled at her.

Kel rolled off the names of almost every female she knew, including Alanna the Lioness, Lalasa, and a teasing Lord Wyldon, for Neal had once made a speculation about the inner workings of their over enthusiastic training master. Neal simply glared.

"You really can't guess?" he asked her finally, after Kel could think of no more names.

"Just tell me, would you? I'm getting tired of this."

"No," he replied sweetly, giving her a maddening smile.

Kel glared at him before taking one last guess. "Eda Bell?"

Neal blinked for a moment, then pulled away. "Shut up," he said, a grimace forming over his face.

"Oh my. It is?" Kel asked, an inexorable grin spreading across her features.

"No," he replied vehemently. "It's just so wrong that I don't want to have that picture in my head for the rest of the night."

"Sure," Kel said, disbelievingly. She found it quite amusing that Neal was going through this right now, and didn't want to let opportunity go awry.

Neal looked at her dubiously for a moment before blinking. "Shut up."

"No." A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Just – shut up," he said, creasing his forehead in annoyance.

Kel grinned. "Make me."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "You really want me to make you?"

Kel snickered. "Do your worst."

"Fine," he said before he leaned over and pressed his lips against hers.

It was intended to be a brotherly kiss.

It didn't stay brotherly for more than an instant.

Kel froze – and most definitely stopped talking for the time being. She knew that he was just doing it to spite her – but it was damn nice to have him kiss her like he actually felt something for her besides friendship and the occasional annoyance. She knew she shouldn't... but Neal was kissing her. It wasn't some everyday occurrence that could just be shirked away as something trivial.

Kel came off the more flushed of the two, cheeks burning scarlet as Neal pulled away from her. Her eyes remained on his, looking for the signal of indecision she was sure to come.

Suddenly, Neal grinned. "Well I see I've left you speechless. Maybe I should do that more often. It certainly leaves you the quieter of the two of us."

Kel opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, unable to produce a coherent noise. She finally blurted out, "You bastard!" before hitting him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Neal cried as he gripped his arm. "That hurt!"

"I hope so," Kel retorted, refusing to meet his eye as she steamed with silent rage. She knew she had goaded him into this, but honestly. Did he really have to rub it in like that?

Neal snorted and looked at her with soft eyes. Kel found her temper subsiding. How could he look at her like that after she had just inflicted bodily injury onto him? It wasn't fair that they had been friends for so long. She could have stood it if he had walked away in an angry huff; that at least, she could understand. But when he looked at her like she was the only thing that made him truly happy in the world... it was something you couldn't forget lightly.

"Kel, look at me," Neal said, his voice soft and warm. "Look at me."

Kel slowly lifted her pouting gaze to meet his eyes. The were pounding down on her, suffocating her with just a look. She was drowning in pools of clear green...

"I'm sorry." Kel was broken out of her reverie with his simple words and frowned at him.

"Don't be."

"Why?" Neal raised his eyebrows in askance.

"You can't help being a bastard."

Neal pretended to wince. "Ouch. You certainly know where to stick the daggers."

"I learned from the best." She grinned at him then, momentarily forgetting her annoyance and maliciousness. She had learned a long time ago that she could never stay angry with him for long. He smiled back at her as a warm flood of heat overcame her. She would be as damn well aroused by him as she wanted if he had the nerve to come trouncing into her room while she was sleeping and have the audacity to kiss her there.

They sat in silence for a moment before Kel asked him, "So who was it, anyway? Not Eda Bell."

Neal shook his head. "No. Not Eda Bell," he replied, a familiar grin spreading across his face.

"Then who?" Kel asked him, a bit more incessantly. Neal shrugged sheepishly, a blush spreading across his soft, sculptured cheeks. "You're blushing," she informed him with a smirk.

Neal lowered his face in an attempt to hide the redness emitting from his cheeks. "Am not," he answered defensively.

"Are too," Kel told him, eyes shining with amusement. Neal scowled at her and pursed his lips.

"Oh... am not," he said, unable to think of a more intelligent remark.

Kel snickered and leaned closer to him. "At least think of something better than that. Be creative."

"All right," Neal started, thinking for a moment before he spoke. "I am not blushing because I am embarrassed for myself." He paused. "I am blushing because I am embarrassed of what you might do if you find out who I've been dreaming about." He grinned smugly. Kel blinked.

"You do realize that that made absolutely no sense at all."

"I am perfectly aware of that," Neal said haughtily. Kel shook her head. For all she loved him, he could be a bit clueless at times.

She sighed. "Whatever. I think I'll be happier not knowing whom you had lusty dreams about. It might be harmful to my health if I found out."

Neal nodded affirmatively. "Yes, very harmful." On second thought, he mumbled under his breath, "Yuki might decide to hit you over the head with that shusuken of hers if she ever found out."

"What?" Kel asked, leaning in closer to him.

"Er... Nothing Kel. Really. I'm just mumbling incoherent things under my breath again."

"Ah. That just clears everything up."

"Doesn't it?" Neal smiled at her and stood up. "Well, ah, it's been a long night, and I think I should be – "

"Leaving so soon?" Kel asked, taking his hand in hers. Neal stiffened. "We haven't even had a chance to have some real fun." She winked at him.

Neal blanched. What in the name of all the gods in the Eastern and Southern lands did she think she was doing? She was – purposefully – flirting with him! That wasn't fair... she wasn't supposed to be able to flirt with him and make him feel uncomfortable... That was his job! Gods, she was infuriating with her unpredictable womanly ways...

"Ah... Kel? Fun? What do you define as fun, because, I mean – heh – I'm certainly all funned out for the night," Neal laughed nervously. Kel gave him a sly smile.

Suddenly, Neal swallowed as his eyes became accusatory. "You witch!" he charged her, looking at her disbelievingly. "You're trying to – to – seduce me! This isn't fair!"

Kel laughed at him as she slouched back in them couch. "All's fair in love and war."

"This – this isn't love! It's not even a mild attraction!"

"I never said," Kel started, "it was love."

"Great," Neal exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I'm at war with my best friend."

"Isn't it wonderful?" she asked him, crossing one leg over the other. Neal's nostril's flared.

"No. It's quite frustrating actually," he notified her.

"Better yet." Kel grinned.

"Oh... you're infuriating."

"You're just mad that I can turn you on," she said as she traced a finger over her stomach. Neal watched her movements with rapt attention before turning to her.

"This isn't fair. Would you like for me to take my shirt off and feel myself up?"

"So you admit that I'm turning you on."

Neal's mouth worked wordlessly before he scowled at her. "Stop it."

"What?" Kel asked angrily as she stood up off her spot on the couch, rising up to meet him. She poked a finger heatedly at his chest. "Just because I'm finally taking the bloody initiative and not letting you end up turning me on, it's not fair? Well, I'm making it fair! I'll make whatever I want fair! And I will enjoy it! And if you even try to stop me from enjoying what I am determined to enjoy, then I will destroy you!"

Kel fumed at him as Neal stared at her in a moment of intense fervor before snaking an arm around her waist and grabbing her roughly. "Is this what you want, Kel?" he whispered hoarsely in her ear before pulling her over to the couch. "Is this really what you want?" Kel braced herself as she fell sharply onto the couch. Kel couldn't think to make a coherent reply, other than to grab his arm and jerk him downwards.

Her breath came ragged as Neal straddled her, positioning his legs around her so that he was in control. Kel noticed then that she still had on that god be damned thin nightgown she had been wearing every night they had seen each other. It was getting quite redundant.

Neal brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen in Kel's face as he cupped her chin. Moving his hands down her chest, he pulled her up closer to him by her back, the bases of his palms resting on her breasts. He traced his mouth on the side of her neck, small, feathery touches compared to the pressure he was exerting on the rest of her body. His breath came warm and heavy as he moved his mouth upwards towards her ear. His tongue darted out to lick the hollow of his ear as he breathed firm words to her.

"Just remember – I can beat you at any game of seduction, any time, any day." He pulled away to look at her and raised an eyebrow before disentangling himself from her.

Kel's eyes widened before she could fully comprehend what had just happened. Neal was up on his feet by now, straightening his shirt and his breeches so that they didn't look like he had just been touching his best friend in very intimate places. He patted down his tousled hair as Kel stared up at him from the couch.

"You – bastard," she spat.

"You know you love me for it," he said sweetly as he turned to the door. Kel gawked at him in amazement. How could he just be so – calm? It was impossible to be this unruffled after – doing that! It just was!

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow at breakfast, then, sweetling?" he asked her as he made his way for the door.

"I hate you," Kel enlightened him with a maliciousness she usually wasn't forced to bring out.

"I love you too," he said with a grin before turning the doorknob and opening it. "Hope you have a good time with Dom tomorrow," he drawled as he walked out of her room, perfectly composed and relaxed.

He smiled as he heard the shrilly scream echo from within Kel's suite.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

A/N: Well. My emotions certainly went a bit haywire this chapter. Not that I'm not totally drooling over how sexy Neal is but... Teehee. Er... with the Legolas thing, I don't think that he's gay, my FRIENDS did and I was angry at them for quite some time because of it. I think Legolas is the hottest thing ever. My cute hot elf... Right. Anyway, I have to make this short because my mother is currently yelling at me. Er... hope everyone didn't die too badly in school on Thursday. And if you go back Monday, damn you to hell. My old school does that... I'm so jealous. Oh well. Review please, or I shalt be very put down. OH, btw, this is 22 pages long. My longest EVER. So be happy. I find myself with nothing to do since my internet has been down. So leave a nice, lengthy review and I shalt be happy. Pleasus? Yay. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love you all. Y'all rock my box.

Love,

Stacey