Kel quickly padded down the halls in search of someone to deliver her letter. She was immensely curious, but couldn't help questioning herself. 'Am I doing the right thing? I don't want to look like and idiot, but I know that he wouldn't have missed by that much normally.'
Kel was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she wasn't watching where she was going, and abruptly ran into another body. Embarrassed, she quickly disentangled herself and apologized and looked up into a pair of brown eyes that looked way too familiar. "Cleon?!" she blurted out. "I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, uh, run into you literally, but I was looking for you."
"Why?" Cleon asked, not angry, but sad. "So you could rub in your victory?"
"Actually, that IS what I want to talk to you about... You threw that last shot, didn't you?"
Kel could have sworn that she had seen a flash of guilt behind his brown eyes as he said, "No, what would make you think that? Apparently the gods were on your side."
Kel heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Look, Cleon, I know that we were evenly matched...you wouldn't have hit your first two shots so perfectly and then missed your third one by that much. Why did you do it Cleon?"
"Kel.....look, this is hard for me.... but.... well. I know what I did was wrong, and I don't want you to have to live with my stupidity. And if you want to believe that the gods were on your side, thank them, because they helped me see through my shallowness."
"Cleon," Kel said, and then found it difficult to talk. "Cleon, I understand why you did that, but you really didn't have to...." and trailed off. The sadness in his brown eyes were painful, and Kel almost lost her Yamani training. "Look. Make the best of your marriage. I'm sure that after a bit you and Rosine will become closer, but...I don't want to lose you." Noticing Cleon's stricken look, she quickly corrected herself. "What I mean is, Cleon, we should always be close. Friends?" she asked with a bit of pleading in her eyes.
Cleon let out a sigh, Kel hoped it was of relief and not annoyance. "Friends," he agreed, and the two shook hands in the middle of the empty hallway. They smiled, and agreed to keep in touch, even though they both knew how infrequently letters would get anywhere without a personal messenger. When parting, Kel kept her eyes low, not wanting to look into Cleon's eyes. "Good-bye, Cleon. I WILL see you again,,,just hopefully not in the ways I have in the past few days." Then they parted, both happier than they had been for a few days. Kel always hated to be at odds with someone, and Cleon needed all the friends and help he could get.
~*~
By the time Kel got back to her rooms, she was in a pretty good mood. She would be happy to get back to New Hope. What had it been, 3 weeks? She laughed to herself. 'I'm treating it like a child!' Walking into her rooms, she was surprised to see Dom sitting on her bed, tracing random patterns on her blanket with long fingers. When Kel walked in, Dom jumped up, almost guiltily.
"So, where were you off to, m'dear" Dom queried conspiratorially. "Beating off more evil knights or saving poor little children from parents who make them clean their rooms?"
"Very funny," Kel said, and punched Dom lightly. "I was....taking a walk.."
"Oh. Sure, gotcha." Dom said in a disbelieving tone, while raising one eyebrow, a skill that had always driven Kel crazy, how could he DO that? "No, really, what were you doing?"
'I hate that! He can always tell when I'm lying! I really need to practice more...' Kel thought, but then explained her field trip to Dom.
"You're kidding!" Dom said thoughtfully. "I didn't know the guy very well, but if you thought he was good enough, I didn't think he'd turn on you like that. But I'm glad, sort of, that you two made up."
"What do you mean, sort of glad?" Kel asked, half-frowning. "Why wouldn't you be glad that we're friends again?"
"Well, that would mean that I'd have more competition." Kel wasn't used to Dom being serious, so she originally just took it as another of his annoying quirks...he shouldn't quibble with girl's hearts like that. Only after looking back at him and seeing only truth in his eyes did she realize what that meant.
"But Dom, I had no idea, I mean all that time, and no one ever told--" And then Kel realized that she HAD been meaning to speak with Neal about his little slip two days before. "I mean, that day when you were hiding in the closet,,,I thought you just felt bad for me. So, you mean, I'm not just like a little, sometimes headstrong, sister to you?" She asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice, she didn't want anyone's pity.
"Never...well, maybe headstrong sometimes, but never as a sister. I thought you were the most beautiful addition to the First Company, since, well, ME!" Dom said with a grin.
"For real? Are you sure that you don't have any skeletons in the closet, heiresses under the bed, ex-lovers in the bathroom, just waiting for you to make a move?"
"Kel, I never thought that you would be stubborn about a thing like this." Dom said, and then grasped her hands. "You are the woman in my life right now." Then, as if to seal their decision, Dom leaned towards Kel, so close that she could smell his own unique scent. Even though he had been out all day, Kel still breathed deeply, smelling his aroma. It wasn't musty, nor was it clean, it was just....Dom. Then, Kel found herself leaning closer until their lips met. It was the most tender of any kisses that Kel had ever received, and somehow it felt the most pure. Kel drew back first, a little bit short of breath, her eyes bright. Dom leaned back also, his eyes anxious. "Was that all right?" Dom asked unsurely.
"Yes! of course." Kel said, blushing, and then got up and busied herself around her room. "We just need to pack for tomorrow...can't get, um, sidetracked can we?"
"Yes, true, true." Dom said, and stood up to help her. They worked in a companionable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Soon, all of Kel's belongings were packed, and the room was neater than it had been before she had arrived. "So," Dom said.
"So...what?" Kel asked.
"Can we get sidetracked now?" There was a mischievous glint in Dom's eyes. As soon as Keladry nodded, he whisked her onto his lap, on a couch at the side of a room, and kissed her, again and again.
When they came up for air, Keladry gasped, "Dom, I don't want to..."
"Only what you want, my love, I will never do anything you don't want, or hurt you." Dom assured her. Then, they grasped each other as if they would never see each other again. Kel hadn't realized before why she saw so many young couples in gardens after sunset. Now she knew. There was something about being pressed up against someone who loves you. After an hour or so of talking, scattered with kissing, they fell asleep on the couch in each other's arms.
~*~
Thank yous!
Keita - Thanks, I hope your knee is better!
Kenta Divina - Don't steal my idea about Owen! How COULD you!!! *g*
Cami of Queenscove - Yeah it didn't say directly that Dom was a knight, but I think you have to be a knight to be one of the Own...or maybe not...he just seems like he should be a knight I guess. hehe. dandelion...
Lady Tarillyn - Yeah, I did get the idea for the Prancing Pony from Lord of the Rings....my other obsession. And I probably should have disclaimed it, so here it is.
Disclaimer
=-The Prancing Pony is not my Inn, it actually belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien the great....But the innkeeper is mine, all mine! (From chapter 15)-=
Thanks also to : JMJ, Violyn, Loony, Clarylissa, Allison, Lady Arabian Knight, Lady Aladaine, and EVERYONE else who's reviewed, I love you all!
Kel was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she wasn't watching where she was going, and abruptly ran into another body. Embarrassed, she quickly disentangled herself and apologized and looked up into a pair of brown eyes that looked way too familiar. "Cleon?!" she blurted out. "I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, uh, run into you literally, but I was looking for you."
"Why?" Cleon asked, not angry, but sad. "So you could rub in your victory?"
"Actually, that IS what I want to talk to you about... You threw that last shot, didn't you?"
Kel could have sworn that she had seen a flash of guilt behind his brown eyes as he said, "No, what would make you think that? Apparently the gods were on your side."
Kel heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Look, Cleon, I know that we were evenly matched...you wouldn't have hit your first two shots so perfectly and then missed your third one by that much. Why did you do it Cleon?"
"Kel.....look, this is hard for me.... but.... well. I know what I did was wrong, and I don't want you to have to live with my stupidity. And if you want to believe that the gods were on your side, thank them, because they helped me see through my shallowness."
"Cleon," Kel said, and then found it difficult to talk. "Cleon, I understand why you did that, but you really didn't have to...." and trailed off. The sadness in his brown eyes were painful, and Kel almost lost her Yamani training. "Look. Make the best of your marriage. I'm sure that after a bit you and Rosine will become closer, but...I don't want to lose you." Noticing Cleon's stricken look, she quickly corrected herself. "What I mean is, Cleon, we should always be close. Friends?" she asked with a bit of pleading in her eyes.
Cleon let out a sigh, Kel hoped it was of relief and not annoyance. "Friends," he agreed, and the two shook hands in the middle of the empty hallway. They smiled, and agreed to keep in touch, even though they both knew how infrequently letters would get anywhere without a personal messenger. When parting, Kel kept her eyes low, not wanting to look into Cleon's eyes. "Good-bye, Cleon. I WILL see you again,,,just hopefully not in the ways I have in the past few days." Then they parted, both happier than they had been for a few days. Kel always hated to be at odds with someone, and Cleon needed all the friends and help he could get.
~*~
By the time Kel got back to her rooms, she was in a pretty good mood. She would be happy to get back to New Hope. What had it been, 3 weeks? She laughed to herself. 'I'm treating it like a child!' Walking into her rooms, she was surprised to see Dom sitting on her bed, tracing random patterns on her blanket with long fingers. When Kel walked in, Dom jumped up, almost guiltily.
"So, where were you off to, m'dear" Dom queried conspiratorially. "Beating off more evil knights or saving poor little children from parents who make them clean their rooms?"
"Very funny," Kel said, and punched Dom lightly. "I was....taking a walk.."
"Oh. Sure, gotcha." Dom said in a disbelieving tone, while raising one eyebrow, a skill that had always driven Kel crazy, how could he DO that? "No, really, what were you doing?"
'I hate that! He can always tell when I'm lying! I really need to practice more...' Kel thought, but then explained her field trip to Dom.
"You're kidding!" Dom said thoughtfully. "I didn't know the guy very well, but if you thought he was good enough, I didn't think he'd turn on you like that. But I'm glad, sort of, that you two made up."
"What do you mean, sort of glad?" Kel asked, half-frowning. "Why wouldn't you be glad that we're friends again?"
"Well, that would mean that I'd have more competition." Kel wasn't used to Dom being serious, so she originally just took it as another of his annoying quirks...he shouldn't quibble with girl's hearts like that. Only after looking back at him and seeing only truth in his eyes did she realize what that meant.
"But Dom, I had no idea, I mean all that time, and no one ever told--" And then Kel realized that she HAD been meaning to speak with Neal about his little slip two days before. "I mean, that day when you were hiding in the closet,,,I thought you just felt bad for me. So, you mean, I'm not just like a little, sometimes headstrong, sister to you?" She asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice, she didn't want anyone's pity.
"Never...well, maybe headstrong sometimes, but never as a sister. I thought you were the most beautiful addition to the First Company, since, well, ME!" Dom said with a grin.
"For real? Are you sure that you don't have any skeletons in the closet, heiresses under the bed, ex-lovers in the bathroom, just waiting for you to make a move?"
"Kel, I never thought that you would be stubborn about a thing like this." Dom said, and then grasped her hands. "You are the woman in my life right now." Then, as if to seal their decision, Dom leaned towards Kel, so close that she could smell his own unique scent. Even though he had been out all day, Kel still breathed deeply, smelling his aroma. It wasn't musty, nor was it clean, it was just....Dom. Then, Kel found herself leaning closer until their lips met. It was the most tender of any kisses that Kel had ever received, and somehow it felt the most pure. Kel drew back first, a little bit short of breath, her eyes bright. Dom leaned back also, his eyes anxious. "Was that all right?" Dom asked unsurely.
"Yes! of course." Kel said, blushing, and then got up and busied herself around her room. "We just need to pack for tomorrow...can't get, um, sidetracked can we?"
"Yes, true, true." Dom said, and stood up to help her. They worked in a companionable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Soon, all of Kel's belongings were packed, and the room was neater than it had been before she had arrived. "So," Dom said.
"So...what?" Kel asked.
"Can we get sidetracked now?" There was a mischievous glint in Dom's eyes. As soon as Keladry nodded, he whisked her onto his lap, on a couch at the side of a room, and kissed her, again and again.
When they came up for air, Keladry gasped, "Dom, I don't want to..."
"Only what you want, my love, I will never do anything you don't want, or hurt you." Dom assured her. Then, they grasped each other as if they would never see each other again. Kel hadn't realized before why she saw so many young couples in gardens after sunset. Now she knew. There was something about being pressed up against someone who loves you. After an hour or so of talking, scattered with kissing, they fell asleep on the couch in each other's arms.
~*~
Thank yous!
Keita - Thanks, I hope your knee is better!
Kenta Divina - Don't steal my idea about Owen! How COULD you!!! *g*
Cami of Queenscove - Yeah it didn't say directly that Dom was a knight, but I think you have to be a knight to be one of the Own...or maybe not...he just seems like he should be a knight I guess. hehe. dandelion...
Lady Tarillyn - Yeah, I did get the idea for the Prancing Pony from Lord of the Rings....my other obsession. And I probably should have disclaimed it, so here it is.
Disclaimer
=-The Prancing Pony is not my Inn, it actually belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien the great....But the innkeeper is mine, all mine! (From chapter 15)-=
Thanks also to : JMJ, Violyn, Loony, Clarylissa, Allison, Lady Arabian Knight, Lady Aladaine, and EVERYONE else who's reviewed, I love you all!
