Kiss Me Like This
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all characters blah blah, you know the deal.)
Explaining what had happened had not been an easy task. For sure, people were a little confused to begin with, then they were really happy, but then they had asked her questions over and over, which she had answered over and over. What was so weird about her being with Neal anyway? Was she just a thing? Did he really love her? Wouldn't he have told some one; because it was news to all her friends.
"Kel?" a voice whispered at her side.
"Hm." She was supposed to be helping Neal with his math, but she couldn't seem to keep her mind on anything since the night before.
"Are you okay?" Neal nudged her lightly with his elbow. "You seem kind of out of it." He put a hand to her forehead, checking for fever, which he didn't find. To double check he kissed her between the eyebrows, making her smile.
"I'm fine, just still a little lost." She leaned on him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You kind of sprung this on me."
He chuckled lightly and stroked her hair. "I know." Then he looked down at his paper and frowned. "Now about this problem."
She smiled and shook her head. "You're helpless, you know that?"
"Ah, what would I do without you?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The letter. Kel saw it sitting on her desk and was almost afraid to open it. She already knew in her mind what it would say, but she didn't want to see it. It was sealed with the Crown's Emblem. She was being sent to war. Just two days ago she had wanted to go more than anything but now she wasn't so sure. She had Neal now and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave him just yet. She'd hardly had any time with him.
Some one knocked on the door but she ignored it. She didn't really feel like talking to any one. She had to have some time to think about this. She had to find a way to spend as much time with Neal as possible before she was shipped off. Whenever that was; she had to actually open the letter to find out.
She opened it and read what they had to say. She was leaving in a fortnight. At least they'd given her plenty of notice. She would be joining the Own on request of Raoul and guarding the border. Nothing special, nothing glory-filled; it was perfect.
Some one knocked again. "What?" She demanded, slightly irritated. Why wouldn't they just go away? Didn't they know she didn't want to be bothered?
"Ah, I thought you were in," a lofty voice said outside.
Her heart jumped. "Neal! Come in!" She quickly unbolted the door and was instantly swept up in a kiss. Unconciously her arms went around his neck and her eyes closed. He massaged her back with gentle fingers, pressing slightly harder as he deepened the kiss. She pulled away, gasping to bring air into her empty lungs. He moved from her face to her neck without skipping a beat. She giggled and pushed him away gently.
He smiled down at her. "Hello love."
She giggled again and kissed his nose. "What was that for?" Something had to have happened; normal people, not that Neal was normal, didn't just do that to say 'hi'.
"I want to spend as much time with you as possible." Neal kissed her nose in return and grinned.
"Why?"
"I got a letter today. I'm going on border patrol." What more of a miracle could she ask for? They wouldn't be stationed together, but at least both of them would be busy doing something other than missing the other.
"Me too. Where are you stationed?" It couldn't hurt to ask. They could be close.
"A mile south of the river. You?" Neal let her go and she got her letter. She hadn't looked to see where she would be yet.
"Two miles north of the river." That wasn't bad. You could get there in a half-day ride. Not very convenient, but still close enough.
"At least I won't be far. I'll be the first to know if you kill yourself, missing me." Did Neal always think she couldn't live without out him? The thought made her want to burst out laughing, but she kept it to herself.
"That you will." She tugged at a piece of his hair and stared right into his eyes, melting her knees. "What do you want to do first?"
"Picnic? Ride? Dancing Dove? Swim? You pick."
She didn't really want to pick; everything sounded good to her. But if Neal wanted her to pick she supposed it was her turn. She would make him do it next time. "How about a ride and a picnic?"
Neal smiled and took her hand. "As you wish, darling."
It was a perfect day for both activities.
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all characters blah blah, you know the deal.)
Explaining what had happened had not been an easy task. For sure, people were a little confused to begin with, then they were really happy, but then they had asked her questions over and over, which she had answered over and over. What was so weird about her being with Neal anyway? Was she just a thing? Did he really love her? Wouldn't he have told some one; because it was news to all her friends.
"Kel?" a voice whispered at her side.
"Hm." She was supposed to be helping Neal with his math, but she couldn't seem to keep her mind on anything since the night before.
"Are you okay?" Neal nudged her lightly with his elbow. "You seem kind of out of it." He put a hand to her forehead, checking for fever, which he didn't find. To double check he kissed her between the eyebrows, making her smile.
"I'm fine, just still a little lost." She leaned on him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You kind of sprung this on me."
He chuckled lightly and stroked her hair. "I know." Then he looked down at his paper and frowned. "Now about this problem."
She smiled and shook her head. "You're helpless, you know that?"
"Ah, what would I do without you?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The letter. Kel saw it sitting on her desk and was almost afraid to open it. She already knew in her mind what it would say, but she didn't want to see it. It was sealed with the Crown's Emblem. She was being sent to war. Just two days ago she had wanted to go more than anything but now she wasn't so sure. She had Neal now and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave him just yet. She'd hardly had any time with him.
Some one knocked on the door but she ignored it. She didn't really feel like talking to any one. She had to have some time to think about this. She had to find a way to spend as much time with Neal as possible before she was shipped off. Whenever that was; she had to actually open the letter to find out.
She opened it and read what they had to say. She was leaving in a fortnight. At least they'd given her plenty of notice. She would be joining the Own on request of Raoul and guarding the border. Nothing special, nothing glory-filled; it was perfect.
Some one knocked again. "What?" She demanded, slightly irritated. Why wouldn't they just go away? Didn't they know she didn't want to be bothered?
"Ah, I thought you were in," a lofty voice said outside.
Her heart jumped. "Neal! Come in!" She quickly unbolted the door and was instantly swept up in a kiss. Unconciously her arms went around his neck and her eyes closed. He massaged her back with gentle fingers, pressing slightly harder as he deepened the kiss. She pulled away, gasping to bring air into her empty lungs. He moved from her face to her neck without skipping a beat. She giggled and pushed him away gently.
He smiled down at her. "Hello love."
She giggled again and kissed his nose. "What was that for?" Something had to have happened; normal people, not that Neal was normal, didn't just do that to say 'hi'.
"I want to spend as much time with you as possible." Neal kissed her nose in return and grinned.
"Why?"
"I got a letter today. I'm going on border patrol." What more of a miracle could she ask for? They wouldn't be stationed together, but at least both of them would be busy doing something other than missing the other.
"Me too. Where are you stationed?" It couldn't hurt to ask. They could be close.
"A mile south of the river. You?" Neal let her go and she got her letter. She hadn't looked to see where she would be yet.
"Two miles north of the river." That wasn't bad. You could get there in a half-day ride. Not very convenient, but still close enough.
"At least I won't be far. I'll be the first to know if you kill yourself, missing me." Did Neal always think she couldn't live without out him? The thought made her want to burst out laughing, but she kept it to herself.
"That you will." She tugged at a piece of his hair and stared right into his eyes, melting her knees. "What do you want to do first?"
"Picnic? Ride? Dancing Dove? Swim? You pick."
She didn't really want to pick; everything sounded good to her. But if Neal wanted her to pick she supposed it was her turn. She would make him do it next time. "How about a ride and a picnic?"
Neal smiled and took her hand. "As you wish, darling."
It was a perfect day for both activities.