A/N: Caution. This chapter is mushy. However, I think it might satisfy the insatiable desire for Kel/Dom romance. Maybe.
Important Note: There is absolutely no sex or reference to sex in this chapter. You have been warned.
Caught
The stars shone brightly in the night sky, turning the gravel paths of the palace garden into bands of silver. The fish in the fountains swam lazily in the murky depths. Fireflies flitted to and fro over the bullfrogs in the pond, croaking among the rushes. Life went on. But the world had stopped for Keladry of Mindelan.
Domitan of Masbolle had finally caught up with her, and by the look in his eyes, he wasn't intending to let her go any time soon. Her head whirled with emotions. Surprise at finding him here. Embarrassment at her behaviour toward him for the past few days. Relief that she wouldn't have to run anymore. And fear. Fear of what Dom was going to do next.
He placed the tunic on the arm of the chair and stood up slowly. Suddenly he seemed very tall, though he couldn't have had more than half an inch on her. Her fear increasing, Kel took a step back. Dom noticed this and looked her in the eye. He took a step forward. Her body tried to take another step back, but her foot faltered, not quite knowing what to do. She swallowed hard and placed her feet firmly together, clasping her hands behind her back. Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin and looked him straight in the eye. Dom stared right back.
"Look, Kel," he began, "that night at the barracks. I'm sorry if I upset you. My behaviour was .." He averted his eyes. "..inappropriate. I'm sorry I .. imposed upon you like that. I promise it won't happen again."
Kel couldn't bring herself to speak. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but that wasn't it. Or maybe she had known what he would say, but hoped for something more. She placed the candle on the night stand.
When she didn't answer him, Dom looked up again and breathed deep, his expression turning to one of confusion and frustration. "But I don't understand why you keep running away from me!" His voice grew stronger. "What, did I, did I anger you? Are you holding a grudge against me? The least you could have done was, was, acknowledge me, in, in some way! I mean, gods, Kel! You got me really worked up!"
Kel looked down. So he was mad at her. This was going from bad to worse. First, he hadn't meant to kiss her, which hurt more than she'd like to admit. And now, he was mad at her. But he had a right to be upset. She hadn't been reasonable.
Dom was still talking. "And, you wouldn't answer your door! I kept knocking and knocking and I, I knew you were there, but you just, just ignored me, like I didn't exist! I mean, I know I was a jerk that night Kel, but, surely I deserved to, to, even apologize? But you wouldn't allow me that! You kept running away, shunning me! What is this? Is it some sort of game? I don't get it! And, Kel, the, the Ladies Baths? That was cruel!"
Kel let out a small laugh, then straightened her face, trying to hide her mirth. But Dom could see the twinkle in her eyes. A smile crept onto his face, the last of his pent up anger disappearing. "Oh, you found that amusing, did you? I don't think I'll ever forget that Kel," He laughed himself, folding his arms across his chest, making his shirt go taught against his chest and shoulders. Kel's throat tightened and she stopped laughing. Her boots were suddenly very interesting. The room was silent.
Her head down, Kel closed her eyes and mustered the courage to speak. "I'm sorry I avoided you," she said softly, "I guess I just.. just.."
"Just what?" Dom asked. Kel's eyes snapped open. Dom was very close now. Too close. She forced herself not to move away as her heartbeat quickened. She couldn't run. There was nowhere to run.
"I guess I just don't... respond well to these situations. They're hard to deal with, for me. I don't want anything to do with these kinds of things." Kel winced. She wished that she was like Yuki, who always had something clever to say. Bossy, blunt, and straight to the point, that was Yuki, no matter what the circumstances. But the Yamani would never have backed herself into a corner like this.
"What kinds of things?"
Kel did not want to answer that question. She would not answer that question. Not in front of Dom. Never.
She swallowed and turned away, looking for the candle she'd set down. "It's dark in here," she said, and her voice almost sounded normal. "I'll light a couple candles, shall I?" She took the candle and lit the lamp on the night stand. Next she went to the one by the hearth, and kept going until she had no candles left to light. Secretly dismayed that she had nothing left to occupy herself, she turned around and smiled at Dom. "Isn't that better?"
Dom looked around, as if considering it, then walked over deliberately and took the candle from her hands. After setting it down, he placed his big hands on either side of her face and kissed her softly. It was a short kiss, but what it lacked in length it made up for with feeling. Kel couldn't feel the ground under her feet anymore. He pulled away and gazed straight into her eyes, his expression unreadable.
Kel wasn't sure what to think. "I thought you said this would never happen again," she said, surprised at how her voice shook.
"I lied," Dom whispered, and leaned in to kiss her again. This time all Kel's uncertainty leaked away, driven back by the warmth of Dom's lips. His hands, those big, strong, deft hands slowly left her face and moved down to her back, his fingers spreading. Gently, he pulled her closer until Kel could feel her breasts pressing against his chest. Their thighs brushed each other, and it seemed to Kel that they were swaying, like a willow in the breeze. She'd never been kissed like this before.
Her arms hung limply at her sides. She knew she ought to do something more appropriate with them, like wrap them round his middle or his neck, or even just touch his face gently. But they didn't want to move.
After what seemed like forever, Dom parted and trailed his fingers from her temple down to her jaw. Kel, pressed up against his chest, was trying to recover from the impact of the kiss, and failing miserably.
His eyes were very dark now. It seemed all the candles she'd lit had gone dim and flickered out. "Promise me you won't run away again if I let you go," he murmured. Kel didn't answer, just looked deep into his eyes. "Promise me," he repeated. Kel nodded, not breaking her gaze.
Reluctantly, Dom's arms loosened and left her back. She felt very cold in their absence. "Say something," he said. Kel heard his anguish clearly. "Anything,"
"I..." She trailed off and looked at Dom again, at a loss.
He smiled suddenly, a warm, bright smile. He took her hands, his own seeming to dwarf hers, and kissed them. He frowned and started to rub them lightly. "Your hands are cold," he said. He seemed very concerned.
Dom stepped forward and embraced her again, chafing her arms. "How did you get so cold?" he asked.
Kel put her forehead against his shoulder. "I told you I don't respond well to these situations. I get all muddled up."
Dom settled her head into the crook of his neck and kissed her forehead, rocking her gently. "Meet me for breakfast?"
Kel nodded into his neck.
He tilted her head for another long, lingering kiss, then quietly opened the door and shut it behind him.
A/N: Okay! Now that I'm done with the major romance and angst, I can get back to humour! (By the way, if you're American, 'humour' is not spelt wrong. It's the Canadian way of spelling it. Like neighbOUR and labOUR and savOUR. Wow, it's amazing the things ye learn on the internet, huh?)
Important Note: There is absolutely no sex or reference to sex in this chapter. You have been warned.
Caught
The stars shone brightly in the night sky, turning the gravel paths of the palace garden into bands of silver. The fish in the fountains swam lazily in the murky depths. Fireflies flitted to and fro over the bullfrogs in the pond, croaking among the rushes. Life went on. But the world had stopped for Keladry of Mindelan.
Domitan of Masbolle had finally caught up with her, and by the look in his eyes, he wasn't intending to let her go any time soon. Her head whirled with emotions. Surprise at finding him here. Embarrassment at her behaviour toward him for the past few days. Relief that she wouldn't have to run anymore. And fear. Fear of what Dom was going to do next.
He placed the tunic on the arm of the chair and stood up slowly. Suddenly he seemed very tall, though he couldn't have had more than half an inch on her. Her fear increasing, Kel took a step back. Dom noticed this and looked her in the eye. He took a step forward. Her body tried to take another step back, but her foot faltered, not quite knowing what to do. She swallowed hard and placed her feet firmly together, clasping her hands behind her back. Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin and looked him straight in the eye. Dom stared right back.
"Look, Kel," he began, "that night at the barracks. I'm sorry if I upset you. My behaviour was .." He averted his eyes. "..inappropriate. I'm sorry I .. imposed upon you like that. I promise it won't happen again."
Kel couldn't bring herself to speak. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but that wasn't it. Or maybe she had known what he would say, but hoped for something more. She placed the candle on the night stand.
When she didn't answer him, Dom looked up again and breathed deep, his expression turning to one of confusion and frustration. "But I don't understand why you keep running away from me!" His voice grew stronger. "What, did I, did I anger you? Are you holding a grudge against me? The least you could have done was, was, acknowledge me, in, in some way! I mean, gods, Kel! You got me really worked up!"
Kel looked down. So he was mad at her. This was going from bad to worse. First, he hadn't meant to kiss her, which hurt more than she'd like to admit. And now, he was mad at her. But he had a right to be upset. She hadn't been reasonable.
Dom was still talking. "And, you wouldn't answer your door! I kept knocking and knocking and I, I knew you were there, but you just, just ignored me, like I didn't exist! I mean, I know I was a jerk that night Kel, but, surely I deserved to, to, even apologize? But you wouldn't allow me that! You kept running away, shunning me! What is this? Is it some sort of game? I don't get it! And, Kel, the, the Ladies Baths? That was cruel!"
Kel let out a small laugh, then straightened her face, trying to hide her mirth. But Dom could see the twinkle in her eyes. A smile crept onto his face, the last of his pent up anger disappearing. "Oh, you found that amusing, did you? I don't think I'll ever forget that Kel," He laughed himself, folding his arms across his chest, making his shirt go taught against his chest and shoulders. Kel's throat tightened and she stopped laughing. Her boots were suddenly very interesting. The room was silent.
Her head down, Kel closed her eyes and mustered the courage to speak. "I'm sorry I avoided you," she said softly, "I guess I just.. just.."
"Just what?" Dom asked. Kel's eyes snapped open. Dom was very close now. Too close. She forced herself not to move away as her heartbeat quickened. She couldn't run. There was nowhere to run.
"I guess I just don't... respond well to these situations. They're hard to deal with, for me. I don't want anything to do with these kinds of things." Kel winced. She wished that she was like Yuki, who always had something clever to say. Bossy, blunt, and straight to the point, that was Yuki, no matter what the circumstances. But the Yamani would never have backed herself into a corner like this.
"What kinds of things?"
Kel did not want to answer that question. She would not answer that question. Not in front of Dom. Never.
She swallowed and turned away, looking for the candle she'd set down. "It's dark in here," she said, and her voice almost sounded normal. "I'll light a couple candles, shall I?" She took the candle and lit the lamp on the night stand. Next she went to the one by the hearth, and kept going until she had no candles left to light. Secretly dismayed that she had nothing left to occupy herself, she turned around and smiled at Dom. "Isn't that better?"
Dom looked around, as if considering it, then walked over deliberately and took the candle from her hands. After setting it down, he placed his big hands on either side of her face and kissed her softly. It was a short kiss, but what it lacked in length it made up for with feeling. Kel couldn't feel the ground under her feet anymore. He pulled away and gazed straight into her eyes, his expression unreadable.
Kel wasn't sure what to think. "I thought you said this would never happen again," she said, surprised at how her voice shook.
"I lied," Dom whispered, and leaned in to kiss her again. This time all Kel's uncertainty leaked away, driven back by the warmth of Dom's lips. His hands, those big, strong, deft hands slowly left her face and moved down to her back, his fingers spreading. Gently, he pulled her closer until Kel could feel her breasts pressing against his chest. Their thighs brushed each other, and it seemed to Kel that they were swaying, like a willow in the breeze. She'd never been kissed like this before.
Her arms hung limply at her sides. She knew she ought to do something more appropriate with them, like wrap them round his middle or his neck, or even just touch his face gently. But they didn't want to move.
After what seemed like forever, Dom parted and trailed his fingers from her temple down to her jaw. Kel, pressed up against his chest, was trying to recover from the impact of the kiss, and failing miserably.
His eyes were very dark now. It seemed all the candles she'd lit had gone dim and flickered out. "Promise me you won't run away again if I let you go," he murmured. Kel didn't answer, just looked deep into his eyes. "Promise me," he repeated. Kel nodded, not breaking her gaze.
Reluctantly, Dom's arms loosened and left her back. She felt very cold in their absence. "Say something," he said. Kel heard his anguish clearly. "Anything,"
"I..." She trailed off and looked at Dom again, at a loss.
He smiled suddenly, a warm, bright smile. He took her hands, his own seeming to dwarf hers, and kissed them. He frowned and started to rub them lightly. "Your hands are cold," he said. He seemed very concerned.
Dom stepped forward and embraced her again, chafing her arms. "How did you get so cold?" he asked.
Kel put her forehead against his shoulder. "I told you I don't respond well to these situations. I get all muddled up."
Dom settled her head into the crook of his neck and kissed her forehead, rocking her gently. "Meet me for breakfast?"
Kel nodded into his neck.
He tilted her head for another long, lingering kiss, then quietly opened the door and shut it behind him.
A/N: Okay! Now that I'm done with the major romance and angst, I can get back to humour! (By the way, if you're American, 'humour' is not spelt wrong. It's the Canadian way of spelling it. Like neighbOUR and labOUR and savOUR. Wow, it's amazing the things ye learn on the internet, huh?)
