A/N - Thank you to all the reviewers! I know, I really should make you wait, but I can never keep anything to myself. Thanks Shadowcat for the age thing. I'm really not good with minor details, obviously.
Ch.4
Joren wiped his sweaty palms against his shirt for the tenth time. He was going to tell Kel today. Admit what had been burdening him for three years. He took a deep breath, staring at the door of his room, not ready to leave it's comforting familiarity. No, he had to do this. He'd simply walk to Kel's room, and knock on her door. She'd open it, and demand to know what he was doing there. He'd rehearsed what he'd say, even wrote it down and shoved it into his pocket in case he forgot. He'd be cool, calm, collected. Impress her with his suave speech, and sweep her off her feet before she had time to deny him. Taking another deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out.
Do it! Knock on the door, idiot! Joren stood in front of Kel's door in the empty pages' wing. While on the exterior he looked as cool as he had planned, his mind was a whirlwind of arguments. One part demanded that he take the risk, no matter what the outcome. The other urged him to turn and run, forget the whole stupid idea before he made a fool of himself. Be a coward!! Run!! It said.
He knocked softly on the door before he could lose his nerve. Yay! One side of his head cheered, whereas the other was shamefully silent. (A/N - no, joren does not have little people inside his head telling him what to do, it's just his thoughts) He stood in breathless anticipation as the seconds ticked by. He listened carefully for anything, a footstep, a sigh, anything. She didn't answer. Where was she?
Listening still, he heard muffled voices. They seemed to be coming from the courtyard. Joren walked swiftly to the window.
"Kel, I know we said we'd never mention the word "love", but I can't help it. I love you."
"I love you too…Cleon."
Joren's tightly clenched fists turned his knuckles white as he witnessed the exchange between Kel and Cleon. He watched in stunned silence as Cleon put his arms around her and gently kissed her mouth. His first reaction had been to yell, to stop the inevitable and take Kel in his arms, hold her close to him. But, in an eerie similarity to the dream, he could not move, could not make a sound. He watched them embrace again, before sprinting back to his room without a backwards glance. And once again, two words echoed in his mind. Too late. Too late. Too late.
A/N - hehehehe, I'm evil, I know. So, what's going to happen? Will Kel stay with Cleon? Will Joren ever be able to tell Kel the truth? And if he does, will Kel except him? I'll only update if you review!!!