Disclaimer: Not a chance in hell. Although, the plot is mine.
What's it gonna be 'cuz I
can't pretend
Don't you want to be more than friends
Hold me tight and don't let go
Don't let go
You have the right to lose control
Don't let go
En Vogue – Don't Let Go (Love)
Kel dimly noted that her arms were wrapped around something warm and hard as she opened her eyes to a bright, glaring world.
"Shit," she cursed softly when she saw the sun high in the midday sky. Looking down, she glanced at Neal's still sleeping form. He would probably be out for a while, she mused. He looked so different when he slept... innocent, almost. That's how he looked. Childlike, to a point. She would have never thought that Neal of all people would have an innocent side to him, but looking at him as he was, and wrapped up in the warmth of him, she would have been fully content to keep him like that.
Where he couldn't seduce her.
Or kiss her, for that matter.
She wondered if he would remember what they had done. Knowing her luck, probably not. Still, there was that small chance...
'No. He was drunk. Well, drunk-ish, anyway. Stop obsessing about it, Kel. You're going to drive yourself crazy.'
Kel sighed as she untangled Neal's arms from around her. Careful to move as slowly and quietly as possible, she crawled awkwardly backwards out of bed. Feeling the bedside sneak up on her as she crept away from Neal, she brought a foot down to step off...
When she abruptly realized that while she had remembered to remove Neal's arms from her body, she hadn't done so with the sheets.
The sheet, still wrapped around her legs, was a cause of much difficulty and pain as she slid down the side of the bed to the floor. The covers were yanked off Neal as they slid with her. Her dress didn't help her situation.
"Ouch," Kel whispered.
She looked over the end of the bed warily, checking for any signs that she had woken Neal up. Peering silently for a moment of two, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that he wasn't shaken from sleep.
Quietly disentangling herself from her sheets, she crawled away from them and stood up. Looking fondly at Neal, she took the sheets that had been sprawled on the floor and covered him with them, tucking him in. He did look childlike when he slept. So damn innocent... yet she knew that he would be able to turn her on fire the moment he woke up.
It was not a comforting thought.
Gazing at him one last time before turning away, she walked to her dresser and pulled out breeches and a shirt. Anything to get rid of this damn dress. After sleeping in it for a couple of hours, she was much more appreciative of what court ladies had to go through everyday. Her chest felt so constricted and - tight. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
She reached back to try and unlace her dress.
Kel froze as her mind echoed some rather choice Yamani curses.
She couldn't get the laces undone without someone's help.
"It figures," Kel moaned softly, planting her clothes on the floor as she looked at Neal, "that he would be the only one here to help me with this ridiculous thing."
Looking fleetingly at the door, she realized she could go for help. Yuki would be most willing to oblige. However, certain – explanations would be entailed. As in where Neal had gone after he was finished delivering the baby. And what had prevented Kel from taking off the dress the night before.
Kel was sure it would be a hoot.
Shaking her head, Kel crossed her arms over her chest. The only other woman she would really thinking of going to was Lalasa, but to do that, she would have to ride down to the city, which was just silly. In the time it took her to get there, sidesaddle, mind you, it and ride back, she could have just cut the dress off herself with scissors.
'Which,' Kel thought with a wry grin, 'might not be a bad idea.'
Shaking her head, Kel considered anyone else that might be eligible. Shinko just wasn't possible; she was always away from her rooms dealing with couriers who might think that a foreign bride was not the most apt to run the country. Besides, by going out now, this late in the morning, or rather, earlier in the afternoon, she might raise some eyebrows among – choice people.
Ermelian was the only other woman she really knew well enough to go to ask. But Ermelian didn't like her. It presented a slight problem.
Sighing, she glanced at Neal's sleeping form. He was just resting there, eyes closed, in her bed.
Her bed.
What an odd thing.
True, she might have dreamt of this when she was a page, maybe even those first few months as a squire, but now...
It was just – strange.
On the one hand, she felt like he shouldn't be there. That she was doing something wrong in lusting after him as she did, and that whatever feelings she might have for him should be put violently aside.
On the other hand... just watching him made her stomach go tight with need and want and lust and all sorts of other things that were no doubt harmful for her own well being, not to mention his.
She couldn't help but want to tuck that stray hair behind his ear and touch his face the way a lover might, soft touches and caresses in the night...
Kel shook her head. This was no way to think this early in the morning. If she was going to lust after him, at least do it at night.
Sighing, Kel ambled over to Neal without much eagerness. She didn't want to wake him up to ask him to go and undress her. It seemed – well... immoral.
Kel laughed silently as she walked over to his side of the bed. It was far too along in the game to think of what was moral and what was not.
Moving over to him, she tapped him on the shoulder lightly.
"Neal?"
No answer.
"Neal, wake up!" Kel said, prodding him in his arm.
Neal started to snore.
Kel snickered silently as she poked him once again.
"Neal, would you stop sleeping? I need you to undress me!"
"What?" Neal asked, jumping upright in bed, wide-awake.
Kel snorted and shook her head. Sometimes, this was just too easy.
Putting a hand on his shoulder, she sighed. "I – I can't get the lacings down on this dress. I need you to do it for me."
Neal blinked.
"I'm – honored, Kel, really I am, but don't you think we should save that sort of thing for tonight and not first thing in the morning? I mean... I'm tired..." He yawned, as if to prove his point.
Kel scowled at him. "Don't flatter yourself. I only asked you because I thought you wouldn't want me going to Yuki and telling her that you spent the night. I guess I was wrong." She got up to leave.
Neal's arm shot out to grab her and pull her down roughly into bed next to him. "Don't you dare."
Kel raised an eyebrow. "Then be quiet and stop being such a tease."
Neal glared at her for a second, then sighed. "It is ever so much fun, though." He grinned after a moment. "Besides, you won't tell Yuki."
Kel cocked her head to the side. "Really? And how would you know that?"
Neal snorted. "I know you better than anyone, Kel. You always keep quiet, even when you know you're in too deep."
Kel narrowed her eyes at him for a minute, then relaxed. "Whatever. Just – can you help me with this thing or not?"
"Sure," Neal said, sitting up. He brought his hands up to Kel's shoulders and touched them lightly. Kel almost shivered before remembering to control herself.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neal smirk. "Like that, do you, milady?"
"Again, don't flatter yourself."
"Ouch. And here I was thinking that you liked it when I touched you."
"Would you shut up and undress me?"
"As my lady wishes..." Neal grinned wickedly before running his fingers across her back and down to the laces. Kel had to bite her lip to keep from making – suggestive – noises.
Slowly, Neal started to untie the laces at the back of her dress.
He made all his actions slow and deliberate, taking care to make sure his fingers "accidentally" touched every back of newly exposed skin. He wasn't allowed her entire back; her corset stopped him from doing that, but it was enough for Kel to wish she had just cut the dress off her herself instead of submitting to this torture.
'Come on, Kel. Show some self-control. He's just – Neal. Oh, that's supposed to make me feel a lot better. The fact that he's Neal and has seen me naked is going to make me any less – aroused...' Kel swallowed, her throat moving up and down as she did. Neal did not make her – aroused...
She shivered as Neal worked his hands down her back.
Or maybe he did...
Neal grinned again. "Hm. I thought I couldn't get you all tingly, Kel. I thought I 'shouldn't flatter myself.'" He smirked in the corner of her eye.
"Oh... bugger off. Would you just finish?"
Neal snorted before unlacing the last of the dress. "Done," he breathed, keeping his hands on her bare back. Kel suddenly found it very hard to breathe.
"Neal?" she asked, her voice a bit shakier than she would have liked it.
"Yeah?" His voice cracked. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous.
"Why are your hands still touching me?"
"What can I say? They have a mind of their own."
"Oh-h. Great."
"Isn't it?"
"Would you mind telling your hands to remove themselves from me?"
Kel suddenly found Neal's face next to hers. He had slid up next to her, taking one hand and moving it around her, resting it on the bed, so that he hand one arm on either side of her.
'I'm screwed, aren't I?'
"Uhm... Neal? What are you doing?"
"If I had any idea, I would tell you."
"That's – not good."
"Probably not."
Neal's face approached slowly as Kel suddenly found herself not caring about what the consequences to their actions might be. She tried to swallow, but couldn't. Breathing had the same amount of exertion attached to it. She abruptly realized that Neal was having the same difficulties as she was.
"Uhm... Neal?
"Yeah?"
"You should probably go back to sleep or something."
"I should, shouldn't I?
"Yeah, you really should. I mean... you're probably... tired... from last night..."
"Yeah. Sleep would be the generally practical thing."
"So you should go and lie down now."
"Yeah. I should."
Kel realized for the first time how truly green his eyes were. Emeralds didn't even compare. You couldn't get lost in an emerald. With Neal, you could.
"Then maybe, the appropriate thing – "
Neal kissed her.
It was the lightest of touches, but Kel could feel herself acutely aroused at just the most featherlike of contacts. It was quick and slightly abrupt, and Neal pulled away far too quickly, but Kel didn't care.
Neal had kissed her and her head was being torn in exactly forty-three directions at once.
Neal pulled back looking at her, trying to make sense of what he had just done. He stared at her, and when he realized that she wasn't treating him like he had done something wrong, he leaned in again.
The door opened before he touched her lips.
"Heh... I can... come back... later... I guess... heh..."
Kel blinked.
"Ah... Cleon? He-y..." Kel smiled nervously.
"Um... if you guys are busy-" he eyed Kel's half dressed state "-I'll just... leave..."
He grinned before turning to go.
"Ah..." Kel got up off the bed and hurried over to him, leaving Neal sitting there. "Cleon, there's no need to go... really! I mean... I wanted to get out of this... incredibly... uncomfortable dress, and I couldn't get it myself... so I asked Neal. That's all. Really." She tittered apprehensively, giving him a smile which she hoped looked to look convincing.
Cleon grinned, and even Kel could tell that his smile was a tad forced.
He nodded agreeably. "Sure, Kel. Whatever you say, Kel." He blushed.
Kel cursed inwardly. He didn't believe her.
"Ah..." He turned to Neal. "Yuki's looking for you, by the way. She was... wondering where you were when you were supposed to be getting fitted for your clothes for the wedding."
Neal cursed in several different languages.
"Ah... right. I'm... gonna go now." He turned to leave in a hurry. Opening the door, he turned around to face them. "Just... remember to lock the door next time you decide to almost make out, would you?" He shook his head before leaving and closing the door.
Kel blinked. 'This is my life...'
"Uh... Neal?"
"I should go," he said, getting up and putting his boots on.
Kel nodded. "You should. Who knows how long Yuki's been looking for you..." her voice trailed off.
Neal finished slipping his boots on and stood up. "Right."
He walked over to Kel. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again before he turned and walked out the door, without muttering so much as a goodbye.
Kel grinned wryly as she watched his retreating form walk down the hallway. Nodding to herself, she closed the door.
"Yep. It's official. Life's a bitch. Then you die."
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Neal could have challenged the Stump to a joust.
He was an idiot.
A full grown, stupid, idiot.
He rubbed his temples with his hands, trying to make sense of things as he walked down the hall towards his fiancé's room. He had kissed Kel. And why did he kiss Kel? Because he was an idiot.
'That makes sense.'
And then Cleon walked in, which fully reminded him that he had a fiancé and responsibilities and all sorts of things like that to contend with. He couldn't be – dallying around with the maid of honor. It sounded like one of those ridiculous theatricals that players put on about scandalous affairs and love triangles between friends. It was – stupid.
And it made him feel very cliché, which he hated.
Neal walked blindly down the hallway, not even noticing when he bumped into another one of his fan girls, Lady Sandrilene, who sighed and backed up against the wall at just the small fact that Neal had even touched her.
He could have gone and stabbed himself. It would have made things so much easier. He wouldn't have to see Kel's hazel eyes swimming in his mind every time he closed his eyes, wouldn't hear her voice every time he was trying to talk to Yuki, wouldn't have to wish that he was running his fingers through brown hair instead of black whenever he kissed Yuki.
Suddenly, Neal came to a realization.
'I'm in love with Kel.'
Neal stopped in his furious strides as he leaned up against a wall.
'Well. This sucks.'
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dom knocked on Kel's door cautiously. Ever since last night, he had been more reserved around her than usual. Perhaps it was the rejection getting to him.
Well, not perhaps. He knew it was the rejection getting to him.
He sighed as he stood there in her doorway. She heard a distinct crash come from the other side of the door as he raised an eyebrow. 'That's – weird...'
The door opened, a slightly ruffled Kel standing in the entranceway. Her hair was mussed, clothes looked like she had just thrown them on. Her smile, however, remained.
"Sorry. I overslept. I was just getting dressed and you knocked and it sort of startled me." She blushed. Dom snorted.
"Are you all right?" he asked, reaching out his arm to touch her shoulder. He didn't notice her stiffening under his touch.
"Oh, I'm fine. You want to come in as opposed to standing out here and finishing this conversation?"
Dom nodded and stepped inside, Kel closing the door behind her. Walking over to her dresser, she made herself busy by taking a leather thong and tying her hair up in a horsetail with it. It had gotten longer in the recent months she had been away.
"So what happened last night after we left?" she asked, her back to him.
Dom snickered. "The king made a formal announcement that Neal simply lost a bet and that the ball would continue as scheduled. How he found that out, I'll never know. Was that how it was?" Dom asked, coming up behind her and wrapping arms around her waist.
Kel did her best not to stiffen. Strangely, she succeeded. "Yeah."
"What did he bet, anyway?" he asked, trailing his mouth over her shoulder.
"That – ah – Lady Kate - the diplomat's daughter – was checking him out. He lost."
Dom grinned as he kissed her neck softly. "And the Queenscove ego emerges. Thank Mithros that tendency stayed on his side of the family." He laughed as he moved his mouth upwards.
"Don't be so sure of yourself," Kel told him, her voice wavering slightly. There were too many men kissing her for one day.
Dom laughed softly as his mouth caressed the hollow just below her ear. Try as she might not to, that was enough for Kel to stiffen and pull away, her back to him.
Dom looked at her warily. "What is it this time, Kel?" he asked, his voice almost tired.
Kel eyed him as she turned to face him. He looked almost annoyed, as if he were fed up with her. Frankly, with the way she had been treating him lately, she would be too.
"Nothing. It's nothing. Really, Dom." She kissed him lightly, as to prove her point.
Dom looked at her for a minute before sliding his mouth over hers, fondling it gently, raising his hands up to cup her face. She was surprised, and not pleasantly, to feel his tongue slowly trace her lips.
A steady heat spread across her face as she pulled back slowly, not enough for him to be suspicious as to her motives, but back nonetheless.
Kel looked at him and forced a small smile to come to her face. She decided that she would make a good player.
Dom smiled back at her and kissed her forehead. "Have you eaten?"
Kel shook her head. "No."
"Do you want to go somewhere?"
Kel thought about being alone with him for about a millisecond.
"Ah... maybe we should just stay at the palace. Wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea."
"And here I am, hoping that someone will get the right idea." Dom smiled and touched her cheek affectionately.
"Dom-" Kel started, her eyes worried.
"Shh." He put a finger over her lips. "Let's go."
He took her hand and walked backwards to the door. She followed, not knowing what else to do. The look on his face was so open, so – loving. It was impossible for her to feel like this. She knew she would never love him...
She would never love him, but she could hurt him.
Oh, how she could hurt him.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
The cooks were serving lunch by the time Kel and Dom arrived in the mess hall. It was, after all, past noon. Kel and Neal had slept so late that she wondered if they hadn't sent out a brigade looking for them. She decided not to ask Dom if anyone had been looking for them. It might be harmful to her health.
She sat down next to him as they started eating. He entertained her with all sorts of tales from his earlier years in the Own, Kel laughing – or gasping - at all the appropriate places. Around halfway through the meal, Owen joined them with his betrothed, Natalia of Amatan. They made light conversation – the war, friends, and Neal's wedding, for the most part. Natalia was a bit of a peculiar creature, with a tendency towards violence, but as long as she made Owen happy, Kel had no qualms with her. Kel thought she was home free until Neal and Yuki appeared behind her.
"Hello, Kel," Yuki said from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. The lady knight jumped as she turned to face Yuki.
"Yu-" she coughed "-Yuki," Kel grinned. It seemed hollow and fake to her, but it looked as if she had fooled everyone else.
Yuki raised an eyebrow, Neal behind her. "Someone's a bit off today. Was last night too much fun for you, Kel?"
Kel blushed. She didn't see that Neal did too.
"Well, it was rather eventful," she laughed nervously.
"Yes, what with Meathead stripping and all," Dom interceded as Kel turned a bright crimson. Luckily for her, no one noticed.
Yuki glanced at Dom for a moment, giving a sickeningly forced smile before turning to Neal and making a face at him.
Neal, strangely, was quiet through this whole conversation.
"What? Don't want to say something now, Neal?" Yuki asked, her voice rising. "You certainly seemed to have a lot to say last night, didn't you?"
"Yuki," Neal started softly.
Yuki flushed a deep red, as if suddenly realizing that she had acquired an audience. Smiling perfectly, she sat down next to Dom, as Neal was forced to sit next to Kel.
Kel couldn't have been happier.
In a completely sarcastic way, of course.
'Why doesn't she just go and tell us to sleep together?' Kel thought as Neal gave her a tiny smile as he sat down.
"So why did you go and strip last night?" Dom asked when they had all settled in. "The king said it was a bet, but... what was the wager, anyway?"
Both Kel and Neal turned red and looked at each other.
"I think," Kel started, a small smile gracing her lips, "that it would be best if you didn't know all the details."
"Don't be such a ninny," Owen said from across the table. "Tell us! Keeping it a secret wouldn't be very jolly."
"Owen, shut up," Neal muttered under his breath.
"What?"
Neal gave an aggravated sigh. "Nothing, sweetums."
Owen gave Neal a look before turning to Kel. "So what was the wager? I'm sure everyone would like to know."
"Yes," Yuki began, giving Kel what she thought was the first slightly malicious look she had seen in all her years of knowing her. "I'm sure we would all like to know."
Kel swallowed and looked at Neal. His eyes were bright with apprehension. She knew that if she told Yuki the full extent of the bet, Neal would be lucky to live out the day, much less remain engaged.
The question was, did she really want him to?
One look from Neal was enough. If he was going to break up with Yuki – if, mind you – it would be in private. Not that he would anyway.
The question was, what would she tell them?
"Eh..." Kel started. "Well... it was a bit of a... eh..."
"It was a one sided bet," Neal finished quickly for her. "I was – eh... complaining that that girl – Lady Kate – kept looking at me and Kel bet me that she wasn't and I said she was. That's all."
Owen raised an eyebrow. "Well, we know what would happen if you lost the bet. What about Kel?"
Neal tried to keep the tight smile on his face as he turned to look at Kel. This was not going to be pretty...
"If I had lost, I had to seduce... eh..." She looked at Dom pointedly and blushed.
Dom blinked. "Who?"
Neal coughed, catching on to Kel's rather strange behavior, and looked at Dom, cocking his head to him. Dom just stared at him for a second before a look of realization came to his face.
"Oh. Me."
"Yes, you, you big oaf," Neal said, doing his best to keep the show going. He hit Dom on the back of the head with the flat of his palm. Dom glared at him before turning away and blushing, looking down at his food rather pointedly.
"So who made the bet?" Yuki asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had spread across Dom, Kel and Neal.
Neal blinked.
'Aw, shit.'
"Eh..." Neal began.
"It was..." Kel trailed off.
"Me," Neal said. Yuki looked at him for a moment before nodding and turning away, finding her sandwich rather fascinating at the time being.
Kel looked at Neal for a moment. He returned her gaze with a look that should have scared her. Such raw fire as the kind that passed over his face shouldn't be displayed in public. It was the kind of thing that would get them caught.
Not that they were doing anything wrong, of course. Because – they weren't – cheating on their significant others. No, of course not. They were just – acting as good friends would. Yes, that was it.
Good friends.
Kel was the first to look away. No one seemed to have noticed their odd behavior. They were all looking politely away at their food. No one had sensed the moment of tension, anxiety – and quite possibly, passion – that had passed between the two companions.
'Passion,' Kel thought, shaking her head. 'What a ridiculous romantic notion.'
'Because it wasn't like Neal kissed you or anything,' a condescending voice said in the back of her head. 'And it wasn't like Neal saw you naked, and straddled you more times than you can count. No, none of that would apply for passionate behavior.'
If she could have, Kel would have knocked that disagreeable part of her mind out.
Dom looked at her for a moment before Kel realized that he was staring at her. She blinked and looked up at him.
"What?"
Dom blushed and looked away. "Nothing. Are you ready to go?"
Kel looked at her plate. She had been done for a while. She had just been prolonging being alone with him.
"Yeah," she muttered.
"Good." Dom stood up. "We'll be seeing you then, Meathead, Yuki." He nodded at them, turning to Owen and Natalia. "You too."
Kel got up to leave. Neal caught her hand before she was able to stand up.
"Eh... Kel? Are we meeting later? To talk about... the thing?"
Kel blinked.
"Uh... yes. The... thing." She looked at him strangely for a second until Neal raised his eyebrows pointedly. "Oh... that thing!" She nodded and continued to look at him strangely. "Sure."
Neal smiled. "Good. Now, off with you, knave! I shall not see you till later!"
Kel snorted and stood up. "Let me guess. You'll pine?"
"Of course," Neal told her, clasping her hand his both of his. "Goodbye." He grinned in what Kel would have thought a seductive nature.
Of course not. Neal wouldn't be that stupid. He wouldn't do that in front of Yuki...
Or maybe he would...
"Bye Neal," Kel said, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips before she withdrew her hand from his and joined arm-in-arm with Dom. Neal watched them leave.
Yuki looked at him incredulously. "Neal," she said, her voice dryer than she had probably intended.
Neal blinked as he turned to look at her. "What?" he asked, pulling away from her.
Yuki glared at him and raised and eyebrow. Neal blushed and turned away. Owen coughed suggestively.
Both Neal and Yuki blushed.
This day was not looking up.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Kel and Dom had gone horseback riding that day. She had tried out her new riding gloves. They fit perfectly.
They had returned a little before sunset, had a quiet dinner of just the two of them, and Dom had left. Of course, he had kissed her a couple of times, but that wasn't too important to Kel anymore. She had gotten to the point where she could kiss him back and not flinch.
Kel was back in her rooms, with seemingly, nothing to do but wait for Neal to come over and talk about whatever "the thing" might be.
She looked at a pile of books Neal had given her for her past birthday. It had been two months since then. He had thought it would make her "more civilized" if she read. As far as she was concerned, it was a thoughtful, but futile gesture.
Now, however, they might provide a much needed distraction to her life.
She started looking through them. 'The History of Carthaki Agriculture' was the first one she saw. She made a face at his choice. Taking the book, she removed it from the pile to see the next one. On top of the proceeding book, there was a not attached to it.
It read: Hope you liked my joke. You know I would never put you through that. I just love you too much.
Kel blushed at the newfound meaning. He had given her these a while ago and she had never really looked at it. She felt bad now. She had been a tad busy, after all. Playing scout against the Scanrans had taken quite a bit of time. He had sent the present with a messenger to her tent, but she had never found the time to take the time to examine them. Now, she wished she had.
Looking at the next book, she saw it was a book on Yamani weaponry throughout history. She couldn't help but smile. The next book was a collection of songs written about famous females in Tortall. Her eyes lit up. Skimming through it, she found many famed names, including the Lioness, Thayet the Peerless, and strangely enough, herself.
Kel shook her head. Who would ever think of writing a song about her? She hadn't done anything meriting a song being written about her. She saw that it was about her going into Scanra and saving the children from Blayce, the nothing man. She also saw that it was by one of the refugees she had saved. She smiled wryly. They thought too much of her, truly they did. Neal must have gone to great pains to travel all the way to New Hope to find someone who had written a song about her.
Moving on, she looked to see the last one. It was some sort of – novel. About – love. Why was he giving her a book on love? Him and his romantic heart…
She a bit intrigued, to say the least, but had to put it down when she heard a knock on the door. She creased her forehead, wondering who it would be.
Then she remembered that Neal was coming to visit.
Walking to the door, she turned the knob to see that it was, indeed, Neal. He stood in her doorway in an almost nervous manner, hands crammed in his pockets tightly. Kel raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to talk about the thing now?"
Neal gave a nervous laugh as he gave a weak smile. "Let me come in?"
"My pleasure."
Neal stepped inside and Kel closed the door after him – taking care to make sure to lock it.
"So," she said, walking over to the couch and slouching on the arm of it lazily. "What is this thing you're so interested it? I have to admit, I'm intrigued." She smiled.
Neal blinked. "Would you shut up? You're being an idiot."
Kel frowned at him. "Me? I'm not the one that kissed my best friend."
"I'm not the one that kissed my best friend back," Neal shot back.
"I didn't kiss you back. You didn't give me the chance to kiss you back."
"So you admit that you would have, given the chance?"
"Neal, shut up. You're being stupid."
"That makes two of us." He crossed his hands over his chest and stalked over to her desk where she had been looking at the books.
"Lover's Walk?" he said, picking up the last book she had been looking at. "Didn't I give this to you?"
"Yeah. I only got a chance to look at the stuff now."
Neal turned to her, eyes flaring. "What, you just automatically ignore the stuff I give you because it's books? I'm sure you didn't ignore whatever Dom gave you."
"Dom didn't give me anything," Kel told him, her voice rising. "I hadn't seen him in weeks, and we weren't courting or anything, and why are you being such a pain in the ass?"
"Me? I'm not being a pain in the ass. You are." He stalked over to her.
"Excuse you," Kel started, getting off the arm of the couch and to her feet. "You're the one that just started attacking me because I didn't get a chance to read your bloody books because I had bloody border patrol and if you're going to be like this just leave, would you?" Kel moaned in an aggravated fashion, sauntering over to him moodily.
"Mithros, I come over here to ask you if you want to go out tomorrow night for dinner and you're acting like this! You're impossible!" Neal shook his head.
"But we can't go out. We're both involved with other people!" Kel pointed out, her voice still loud.
"I know!" Neal shouted. "I never said it would be a date!"
"So what is it, then?" Kel responded deafeningly.
"It's a gathering of two friends where we go out for dinner and have fun and possibly do other things!" Neal threw up his hands in exasperation.
"What kind of other things?"
"I don't know! Why don't I just look into my crystal ball and find out?"
"Fine! Be like that!"
"Fine! Pick you up at seven?"
"Sure."
"Good."
Neal stared at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets again. They stood there, gaze at each other for a moment.
"Why are we acting so weird?" Kel asked finally.
"I have no idea. It's strange."
"It is. What do you want me to wear?"
Neal looked her over and frowned. "A dress, maybe. Nothing too fancy, just something nice."
"Where are you taking me?"
"A man doesn't reveal his secrets."
"Peh." Kel snorted and walked over to him. "You just don't know where you can get in without reservations."
"That too." He grinned at her and kissed her on the forehead. "Must be off, now." He hugged her tightly before turning and walking out the door.
Kel watched his retreating figure and sighed. Things were just getting weirder and weirder...
Yet for the first time in this past week and a half, things were starting to look up.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
A/N: Muah. I'm done. I have to make this short because I need to go to my friend's house for a sleepover to watch a whole bunch of Buffy stuff, so... REVIEW!!! YEAH!!! I realize that this chapter is amply weird, and I don't have time to spell check it now, so if there's mistakes, please forgive them. Love you guys. Min, review, goddamn you, or I swear I'll do something violent. Bye, lovies.
Love,
Stacey