A/N: Reviews are a little lax lately. That's okay; I realize that many people are on vacations. Speaking of, this will be my last update for a couple of weeks. Sorry! I promise to have another chapter up soon after that. On to the fourth chapter…
Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Characters and other elements are compliments of Tamora Pierce.
Kel was completely confused by Dom's remark about her and Merric. She did not know what the status of their relationship was after the dance last night and almost kissing on the way to Corus, but she was hurt by his obvious bitterness toward her. 'What did I do wrong?' she wondered, 'Does this have something to do with New Hope?' She could think of no creditable explanation. It never occurred to her that Dom saw when a very drunk Merric kissed her and took it the wrong way.
Kel decided to forgo riding Hoshi in an effort to avoid any chance of contact with Dom. She slowly trudged back to her rooms. Taking out her glaive, she started doing a complicated pattern dance, gradually speeding up until the weapon became a blur of steel. Thoroughly exhausted, she slowed and finally stopped. Kel journeyed down to the woman's bathhouse, where she relaxed in a steamy pool for about an hour. Then, she decided to go see Yuki and talk.
She found Yuki up in her rooms, thankfully without her fiancée. Yuki was busy pouring over seating charts for her wedding, just over a week away. "If you're busy…" Kel replied hesitantly when asked to come in.
"Gods no. I'm so sick of playing wedding planner. Please sit down," she said indicating a chair. Kel sat down, restlessly tapping her fingers on the arm of the seat. Yuki, knowing her friend long enough to see through her Yamani masked, noticed Kel's anxiety. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern showing in her own island trained face. "You look upset. Did something happen?" Kel did not respond right away. "Is it about last night?" Yuki gently prodded. "Neal told me about what happened with Merric."
Kel twisted in her chair and cradled her head in her hands. "No. Merric apologized this morning; the kiss did not mean anything. It's just... this morning, I went to the stables to ride Hoshi. I found Dom there and said hello. He ignored me. Then I asked him if anything was wrong. He said, 'Of course not.' But, Yuki, he sounded really angry. It was weird. Then he told me that he hoped Merric and I would be happy together. I don't get it; that's not like Dom. Did I do something?" Kel looked really upset, pacing the room and wringing her hands.
Yuki looked thoughtful for a moment. Last night… she remembered Kel leaving and Merric following, but where was Dom then? She could not remember. "I doubt it was you, Kel. Maybe he was just having a bad day."
"Maybe. I have to get going. I never got to ride Hoshi, so I better do that before lunch. Thanks for listening."
"I am sorry I could not help." Yuki got up with Kel and walked her to the door.
"You did help. I needed to get that out of my system." Kel opened the door just as Neal was coming in. "Hi Neal. I'm leaving."
Neal looked startled. "Oh, hi Kel. And bye." He came inside and shut the door behind him. "Why was she here?" he asked Yuki.
Yuki proceeded to tell him Kel's story, scolding him for Dom's behavior. She finished with "Go find out what is wrong with your stupid cousin right now."
"Yes, my dear." He kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door. "You didn't have to yell at me," he said as he looked back. Yuki made a shooing motion with her hands and slammed her door shut."
Neal went straight to Dom's quarters. "Dom," he shouted, knocking loudly, "If you're in there open up."
"Go away," came a muffled reply. Dom was too busy sulking to feel like dealing with Neal. Talking to Kel that morning had made him feel worse than ever about the previous night. He could tell that his words hurt her, but they hurt him ten times more.
"Open the door right now or I'll magic it off!" Dom shuffled over to the door and opened it to find an angry Neal glaring at him.
"What do you want?" he asked, very annoyed that Neal had interrupted his brooding.
Neal stepped into his room and slammed the door behind him. He was very red by now. "Why were you so nasty to Kel this morning?" he demanded. "What did she do to you?"
Dom only walked over to his window seat and sat down, staring out at the castle grounds. The sky was a purple gray, like it would snow soon. Little people bustled about, rushing this way and that. "Answer me, damn you!" Neal yelled. Dom still remained silent. "And what did you say about her and Merric?"
"Their courting, aren't they?" Dom replied moodily. He never turned his gaze from the window.
"Where in the world did you get that idea?" Neal asked incredulously.
Dom quickly turned faced Neal. "I saw them last night, in the gardens. They were kissing." He said this with such vehemence that Neal was taken aback. Dom crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Neal to say something.
"You know what, Dom? You're a real idiot. Did you also happen to notice that Kel pushed him away? Or how about when Kel put him on a bench and he passed out? Perhaps when Kel and I carried him up to his room?" Neal's voice was dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Or, since you have been so observant, did you hear him dealing with his hangover this morning? You always jump to conclusions. Merric kissed Kel when she didn't want it because he was drunk. He apologized this morning."
Realization finally dawned on Dom. His face brightened immensely, a fact not lost on Neal. "Really?" he finally asked.
"Yes, really." Neal examined his cousin's face closely. "Why would you care if Merric kissed Kel?" Dom's face turned deep red. "You like her, don't you?" Dom turned away from Neal and walked back to the window. "You do! Why don't you tell her?"
"I was going to," Dom replied, "when I saw her in the gardens. Now…I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just can't. Where is Kel? I have to apologize for this morning."
"Yuki said something about her riding Hoshi." Dom started to run out the door. "Wait! Take a coat; it is really cold." Dom grabbed a thick winter coat and sprinted out the door. He skidded down the stone paved corridors and across the frozen ground. He flung open the stable door and ran to Hoshi's stall. Kel was inside, grooming the steaming mare.
"Kel!" Kel turned quickly. Dom stood leaning against the stall door, panting. "I am so sorry. This morning, I was in a really bad mood and that's no excuse for being mean to you. It was really rude and insensitive and.."
"It is okay, Dom. Everyone has their bad days and their good days. I understand. Umm, did you run all the way down here to tell me that?" Kel looked up at him with those soft hazel eyes.
Dom felt like he was melting. "Well, yes," he said sheepishly. Kel smiled at him.
"If you want to wait a minute, we can walk to the mess together."
"Sure," Dom said. 'Why does she have to be so beautiful?' he thought. 'It makes being her friend so much harder.'
Kel looked in his eyes. 'They seem very bright, today,' she decided as he stared back. 'I wonder why.' She packed away her brushes and headed to the castle with Dom.
Neal had headed back to the rooms of his lady love when Dom had run to find Kel. "He likes her," he told Yuki as she let him in. "I can not believe it."
"I can," Yuki said in return. She sat down on her pink quilted bed. "Listen Neal. Kel likes Dom. Does he plan to tell her his feelings?"
"No. He told me he couldn't."
Yuki frowned, "Guess it is up to us. Any ideas?" Neal stared at her blankly. "Never mind. I have to go see Lady Alanna." She got up and went to the door.
"Yuki, I thought we could spend some time together."
"Sorry, dear. But this is important. I'll see you later." She walked off in search of the lioness.
Alanna was out on the practice courts, fencing with Sir Raoul. Both were sweating badly and beginning to tire. Raoul made a quick jab at Alanna's stomach, but she easily parried the blow. She feinted left, then right. Raoul expected to block at his right. Knowing this, Alanna flipped her blade around his and disarmed him. "Yield," she said, pressing her sword tip to his neck.
Raoul laughed and held up his hands. "I yield," he panted. "You know, it is discouraging to lose to a person almost half your size."
Alanna smiled. "I thought you would be used to it, by now," she replied wickedly. "Go get a bath. You have a wedding to plan."
"I hear and I obey." Raoul saluted comically and began to march back to the castle. Yuki, who had stood watching, approached the weary lioness.
"My lady, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."
"Of course." Alanna pointed to a bench nearby. "Let's sit down." The two went over and sat. "Now, what's this about?"
Yuki began to tell Alanna the story of Kel and Dom, concluding with, "They both like each other, but refuse to tell the other person. Have any ideas?"
Alanna stared at the sky for a moment, lost in thought. "Yuki, do you have any plans tomorrow?"
"Well, I was going to work on wedding plans, but I can take a day off. What do you have in mind, Lady?"
"Please, it is just Alanna. What would you say to a trip in the city? Take Kel and spend the day there. And Neal can take Dom separately. Then, you can meet somewhere at an appointed time. You and Neal would act like you had no idea that would happen. Slowly, you two lovebirds can slip off, leaving Kel and Dom alone."
"That might work." Yuki was a bit doubtful about the whole idea. Her voice gave away her skepticism, though her face remained smooth.
"I think I will drag George out; I want to see this. Maybe I can help a little if things get rough. Hmm. Do you know where the Eagle's Roost Inn is?"
"Yes, it is only a few streets from Lalasa's shop, correct?"
"Right. How about you drag Kel there at three o-clock?"
"Okay. I'll go tell Neal." Yuki turned and began to walk back to the palace.
"See you tomorrow," Alanna yelled. She looked up at the threatening sky. "Lovers in the snow," she muttered and smiled to herself.
Kel and Yuki aimlessly wandered the streets of Corus. It had been snowing since the previous evening and everything looked beautiful. Many people rushed about, but the layer of white seemed to smother and dull sound, leaving the city settled in a comfortable silence. Laughing children threw snowballs, soft lanterns burned in windows, and the Midwinter ribbons stood out brightly against the white. The air was thick with the smell of wood smoke and the sky was a lovely light gray.
Kel was having fun. She had not spent much time with her friend and it was relaxing to simply window shop on her day off. She and Yuki chattered about Yuki's wedding and the little details. Kel would be a bridesmaid, which meant a pretty dress of Yuki's choice and dancing with some unknown best man in front of a room of people.
Kel looked around. 'There is nothing like a snowy day. Everything just seems so perfect and happy,' she thought. Kel noticed two lovers kissing in a doorway, under a sprig of mistletoe. 'That is what makes the snow really perfect, knowing you have someone to hold you and keep you warm at night.' She sighed wistfully.
Yuki was watching her closely. "Are you hungry?" she asked suddenly. "We didn't have lunch."
Kel looked at the time. It was almost three. "Yes, actually, I am."
"Great," Yuki said a little quickly. "The Eagle's Roost Inn is right up here."
Meanwhile…
Dom and Neal strolled the city. Even with his meatheaded cousin, Dom was enjoying himself. He liked the snow and the atmosphere it created. 'This is perfect,' he decided silently. Then he saw a couple kissing in the shadow of a building. He immediately thought of Kel. Neal watched his face fall and guessed who was on his mind. 'It would be perfect if I knew I had her to go home to,' Dom thought glumly.
"Hey, Dom, are you hungry?" Neal asked, realizing the time.
"Sure." Dom still had not recovered his former cheerfulness.
Neal stopped in front of the Eagle's Roost. "This place is good. Let's go in." Dom followed his cousin without protest.
It was warm in the Inn. Two great hearths burned at opposite ends of the room. Midwinter decorations were placed throughout the room, illuminated by many burning candles. Neal chose a place by one of the fires and ordered two cups of ale. Dom noticed that he seemed to be waiting for something. Before he could ask, though, he heard the bells on the door ring and saw two familiar female faces enter. Dom blanched. Kel and Yuki stood in the doorway.
"Why, look Dom, it's Kel and Yuki. I didn't know they would be here!" Dom simply glared at his cousin. He highly doubted that.
Yuki's searching eyes met Neal's and she waved. Yuki elbowed Kel, who looked surprised. Then, seeing Dom, her expression turned to one of suspicion. "What is going on?" she whispered to Yuki through a barely concealed blush.
"I guess Dom and Neal decided to come and eat here, too," Yuki said innocently. "Let's go sit with them." She grabbed Kel's arms and yanked her toward the table.
'I guess she did not know about this either,' Dom thought.
"I didn't know you would be here, Neal," Yuki exclaimed as she reached the table.
"What a convenient coincidence," he replied, jumping up to pull out a chair for his lady and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kel sat in the only remaining seat, between Dom and Neal. "Now we can eat with you two."
"Yes," Dom said sarcastically, "Very coincidental. What do you think Kel?"
Kel had her eyebrows raised. "I would say they had it planned all along. Couldn't bear to spend a whole day without Yuki, lover boy?" she teased.
"We did not have this planned!" Yuki said defiantly. The bells rang again, this time admitting Alanna and her husband George. They came over to the table.
"Well, this is a coincidence," Alanna said.
"Lots of those today," Kel muttered darkly. Everyone ignored her except Dom, who smiled.
"Sit down. We'll find room." Neal shifted his chair a little.
"No, no. George and I are waiting for some people. I think we'll just sit at the bar. You young people enjoy yourselves." Alanna winked and walked away.
A waitress brought menus. Kel and Yuki ordered hot cider and something to eat, along with Dom and Neal. Yuki and Neal began a lively conversation, with each other, as a minstrel struck up a tune somewhere behind them. Kel and Dom sat there uncomfortably. The two ate quietly, seldom adding anything to the conversation. They kept glancing at each other, but avoiding the avoiding the other's gaze. As they finished their meal, Neal said, "I think Yuki and I will take a walk. You two can find your way back, right?"
Without waiting for either to respond, he took Yuki by the arm and walked out. "Well," Dom said some time later, a little uncomfortably, "I guess it is just us." Unknown to the two, Alanna smiled and congratulated herself.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here." She stood up and stretched. As they walked out, she remarked, "Is it just me or did that seem like a set-up?"
"No, it was definitely a set-up," Dom affirmed.
"You seem sure," Kel said suspiciously.
"It is a very educated guess." Dom's gaze swept across the streets. "This is a beautiful day."
"I love the snow." Kel sighed. She noticed that Dom looked distracted. "Dom," she asked gently, "are you okay? You have seemed a little out of it in the past few weeks.'
He glanced down and found his eyes had become locked with hers. 'This keeps happening,' he thought. Kel could not disguise her concern, nor could she look away. "I need to talk to you."
"Alright." Kel sounded a little worried. "I am listening."
"Well…" Dom began and trailed off. He tried again. "It's just…" He could not break his stare. "I don't know how to say this." Kel's eyes held something unknown to him. Apprehension, was it? Or excitement? Dom decided to take a chance. He pulled Kel into an alley, out of view of any passersby. Then, he lowered his lips to hers and slowly caressed her mouth. He felt her gasp and thought she would pull away. Instead, Kel wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and deepened the kiss. His lips were soft and warm. Kel wished, for a moment, that their kiss would never end. Snow fell all around them, but they concentrated on the warmth of each other. Dom pulled Kel tightly toward him, so she was locked in a snug embrace. Slowly, after who knows how long, he pulled back.
Kel stared up at him, completely shocked. "I wanted to tell you that I like you. I've liked you for a long time now, I was just afraid to tell you because…" Dom blurted all this out before Kel pulled him against her and silenced him with another kiss.
"I like you, too, Dom," she whispered as they drew apart. Now, it was Dom's turn to look shocked.
"Okay," he finally uttered.
"Okay," Kel said. He kissed her one more time before slinging his arm across her shoulder and steering her back to the castle.
A/N: Done! Is it just me, or is it hot in here? Now please review. As I said, things have been a little slow lately. Again, sorry about the future delay in updating. I will be thinking of ideas, though, and would appreciate if anyone else would care to tell me any. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Characters and other elements are compliments of Tamora Pierce.
Kel was completely confused by Dom's remark about her and Merric. She did not know what the status of their relationship was after the dance last night and almost kissing on the way to Corus, but she was hurt by his obvious bitterness toward her. 'What did I do wrong?' she wondered, 'Does this have something to do with New Hope?' She could think of no creditable explanation. It never occurred to her that Dom saw when a very drunk Merric kissed her and took it the wrong way.
Kel decided to forgo riding Hoshi in an effort to avoid any chance of contact with Dom. She slowly trudged back to her rooms. Taking out her glaive, she started doing a complicated pattern dance, gradually speeding up until the weapon became a blur of steel. Thoroughly exhausted, she slowed and finally stopped. Kel journeyed down to the woman's bathhouse, where she relaxed in a steamy pool for about an hour. Then, she decided to go see Yuki and talk.
She found Yuki up in her rooms, thankfully without her fiancée. Yuki was busy pouring over seating charts for her wedding, just over a week away. "If you're busy…" Kel replied hesitantly when asked to come in.
"Gods no. I'm so sick of playing wedding planner. Please sit down," she said indicating a chair. Kel sat down, restlessly tapping her fingers on the arm of the seat. Yuki, knowing her friend long enough to see through her Yamani masked, noticed Kel's anxiety. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern showing in her own island trained face. "You look upset. Did something happen?" Kel did not respond right away. "Is it about last night?" Yuki gently prodded. "Neal told me about what happened with Merric."
Kel twisted in her chair and cradled her head in her hands. "No. Merric apologized this morning; the kiss did not mean anything. It's just... this morning, I went to the stables to ride Hoshi. I found Dom there and said hello. He ignored me. Then I asked him if anything was wrong. He said, 'Of course not.' But, Yuki, he sounded really angry. It was weird. Then he told me that he hoped Merric and I would be happy together. I don't get it; that's not like Dom. Did I do something?" Kel looked really upset, pacing the room and wringing her hands.
Yuki looked thoughtful for a moment. Last night… she remembered Kel leaving and Merric following, but where was Dom then? She could not remember. "I doubt it was you, Kel. Maybe he was just having a bad day."
"Maybe. I have to get going. I never got to ride Hoshi, so I better do that before lunch. Thanks for listening."
"I am sorry I could not help." Yuki got up with Kel and walked her to the door.
"You did help. I needed to get that out of my system." Kel opened the door just as Neal was coming in. "Hi Neal. I'm leaving."
Neal looked startled. "Oh, hi Kel. And bye." He came inside and shut the door behind him. "Why was she here?" he asked Yuki.
Yuki proceeded to tell him Kel's story, scolding him for Dom's behavior. She finished with "Go find out what is wrong with your stupid cousin right now."
"Yes, my dear." He kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door. "You didn't have to yell at me," he said as he looked back. Yuki made a shooing motion with her hands and slammed her door shut."
Neal went straight to Dom's quarters. "Dom," he shouted, knocking loudly, "If you're in there open up."
"Go away," came a muffled reply. Dom was too busy sulking to feel like dealing with Neal. Talking to Kel that morning had made him feel worse than ever about the previous night. He could tell that his words hurt her, but they hurt him ten times more.
"Open the door right now or I'll magic it off!" Dom shuffled over to the door and opened it to find an angry Neal glaring at him.
"What do you want?" he asked, very annoyed that Neal had interrupted his brooding.
Neal stepped into his room and slammed the door behind him. He was very red by now. "Why were you so nasty to Kel this morning?" he demanded. "What did she do to you?"
Dom only walked over to his window seat and sat down, staring out at the castle grounds. The sky was a purple gray, like it would snow soon. Little people bustled about, rushing this way and that. "Answer me, damn you!" Neal yelled. Dom still remained silent. "And what did you say about her and Merric?"
"Their courting, aren't they?" Dom replied moodily. He never turned his gaze from the window.
"Where in the world did you get that idea?" Neal asked incredulously.
Dom quickly turned faced Neal. "I saw them last night, in the gardens. They were kissing." He said this with such vehemence that Neal was taken aback. Dom crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Neal to say something.
"You know what, Dom? You're a real idiot. Did you also happen to notice that Kel pushed him away? Or how about when Kel put him on a bench and he passed out? Perhaps when Kel and I carried him up to his room?" Neal's voice was dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Or, since you have been so observant, did you hear him dealing with his hangover this morning? You always jump to conclusions. Merric kissed Kel when she didn't want it because he was drunk. He apologized this morning."
Realization finally dawned on Dom. His face brightened immensely, a fact not lost on Neal. "Really?" he finally asked.
"Yes, really." Neal examined his cousin's face closely. "Why would you care if Merric kissed Kel?" Dom's face turned deep red. "You like her, don't you?" Dom turned away from Neal and walked back to the window. "You do! Why don't you tell her?"
"I was going to," Dom replied, "when I saw her in the gardens. Now…I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just can't. Where is Kel? I have to apologize for this morning."
"Yuki said something about her riding Hoshi." Dom started to run out the door. "Wait! Take a coat; it is really cold." Dom grabbed a thick winter coat and sprinted out the door. He skidded down the stone paved corridors and across the frozen ground. He flung open the stable door and ran to Hoshi's stall. Kel was inside, grooming the steaming mare.
"Kel!" Kel turned quickly. Dom stood leaning against the stall door, panting. "I am so sorry. This morning, I was in a really bad mood and that's no excuse for being mean to you. It was really rude and insensitive and.."
"It is okay, Dom. Everyone has their bad days and their good days. I understand. Umm, did you run all the way down here to tell me that?" Kel looked up at him with those soft hazel eyes.
Dom felt like he was melting. "Well, yes," he said sheepishly. Kel smiled at him.
"If you want to wait a minute, we can walk to the mess together."
"Sure," Dom said. 'Why does she have to be so beautiful?' he thought. 'It makes being her friend so much harder.'
Kel looked in his eyes. 'They seem very bright, today,' she decided as he stared back. 'I wonder why.' She packed away her brushes and headed to the castle with Dom.
Neal had headed back to the rooms of his lady love when Dom had run to find Kel. "He likes her," he told Yuki as she let him in. "I can not believe it."
"I can," Yuki said in return. She sat down on her pink quilted bed. "Listen Neal. Kel likes Dom. Does he plan to tell her his feelings?"
"No. He told me he couldn't."
Yuki frowned, "Guess it is up to us. Any ideas?" Neal stared at her blankly. "Never mind. I have to go see Lady Alanna." She got up and went to the door.
"Yuki, I thought we could spend some time together."
"Sorry, dear. But this is important. I'll see you later." She walked off in search of the lioness.
Alanna was out on the practice courts, fencing with Sir Raoul. Both were sweating badly and beginning to tire. Raoul made a quick jab at Alanna's stomach, but she easily parried the blow. She feinted left, then right. Raoul expected to block at his right. Knowing this, Alanna flipped her blade around his and disarmed him. "Yield," she said, pressing her sword tip to his neck.
Raoul laughed and held up his hands. "I yield," he panted. "You know, it is discouraging to lose to a person almost half your size."
Alanna smiled. "I thought you would be used to it, by now," she replied wickedly. "Go get a bath. You have a wedding to plan."
"I hear and I obey." Raoul saluted comically and began to march back to the castle. Yuki, who had stood watching, approached the weary lioness.
"My lady, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."
"Of course." Alanna pointed to a bench nearby. "Let's sit down." The two went over and sat. "Now, what's this about?"
Yuki began to tell Alanna the story of Kel and Dom, concluding with, "They both like each other, but refuse to tell the other person. Have any ideas?"
Alanna stared at the sky for a moment, lost in thought. "Yuki, do you have any plans tomorrow?"
"Well, I was going to work on wedding plans, but I can take a day off. What do you have in mind, Lady?"
"Please, it is just Alanna. What would you say to a trip in the city? Take Kel and spend the day there. And Neal can take Dom separately. Then, you can meet somewhere at an appointed time. You and Neal would act like you had no idea that would happen. Slowly, you two lovebirds can slip off, leaving Kel and Dom alone."
"That might work." Yuki was a bit doubtful about the whole idea. Her voice gave away her skepticism, though her face remained smooth.
"I think I will drag George out; I want to see this. Maybe I can help a little if things get rough. Hmm. Do you know where the Eagle's Roost Inn is?"
"Yes, it is only a few streets from Lalasa's shop, correct?"
"Right. How about you drag Kel there at three o-clock?"
"Okay. I'll go tell Neal." Yuki turned and began to walk back to the palace.
"See you tomorrow," Alanna yelled. She looked up at the threatening sky. "Lovers in the snow," she muttered and smiled to herself.
Kel and Yuki aimlessly wandered the streets of Corus. It had been snowing since the previous evening and everything looked beautiful. Many people rushed about, but the layer of white seemed to smother and dull sound, leaving the city settled in a comfortable silence. Laughing children threw snowballs, soft lanterns burned in windows, and the Midwinter ribbons stood out brightly against the white. The air was thick with the smell of wood smoke and the sky was a lovely light gray.
Kel was having fun. She had not spent much time with her friend and it was relaxing to simply window shop on her day off. She and Yuki chattered about Yuki's wedding and the little details. Kel would be a bridesmaid, which meant a pretty dress of Yuki's choice and dancing with some unknown best man in front of a room of people.
Kel looked around. 'There is nothing like a snowy day. Everything just seems so perfect and happy,' she thought. Kel noticed two lovers kissing in a doorway, under a sprig of mistletoe. 'That is what makes the snow really perfect, knowing you have someone to hold you and keep you warm at night.' She sighed wistfully.
Yuki was watching her closely. "Are you hungry?" she asked suddenly. "We didn't have lunch."
Kel looked at the time. It was almost three. "Yes, actually, I am."
"Great," Yuki said a little quickly. "The Eagle's Roost Inn is right up here."
Meanwhile…
Dom and Neal strolled the city. Even with his meatheaded cousin, Dom was enjoying himself. He liked the snow and the atmosphere it created. 'This is perfect,' he decided silently. Then he saw a couple kissing in the shadow of a building. He immediately thought of Kel. Neal watched his face fall and guessed who was on his mind. 'It would be perfect if I knew I had her to go home to,' Dom thought glumly.
"Hey, Dom, are you hungry?" Neal asked, realizing the time.
"Sure." Dom still had not recovered his former cheerfulness.
Neal stopped in front of the Eagle's Roost. "This place is good. Let's go in." Dom followed his cousin without protest.
It was warm in the Inn. Two great hearths burned at opposite ends of the room. Midwinter decorations were placed throughout the room, illuminated by many burning candles. Neal chose a place by one of the fires and ordered two cups of ale. Dom noticed that he seemed to be waiting for something. Before he could ask, though, he heard the bells on the door ring and saw two familiar female faces enter. Dom blanched. Kel and Yuki stood in the doorway.
"Why, look Dom, it's Kel and Yuki. I didn't know they would be here!" Dom simply glared at his cousin. He highly doubted that.
Yuki's searching eyes met Neal's and she waved. Yuki elbowed Kel, who looked surprised. Then, seeing Dom, her expression turned to one of suspicion. "What is going on?" she whispered to Yuki through a barely concealed blush.
"I guess Dom and Neal decided to come and eat here, too," Yuki said innocently. "Let's go sit with them." She grabbed Kel's arms and yanked her toward the table.
'I guess she did not know about this either,' Dom thought.
"I didn't know you would be here, Neal," Yuki exclaimed as she reached the table.
"What a convenient coincidence," he replied, jumping up to pull out a chair for his lady and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kel sat in the only remaining seat, between Dom and Neal. "Now we can eat with you two."
"Yes," Dom said sarcastically, "Very coincidental. What do you think Kel?"
Kel had her eyebrows raised. "I would say they had it planned all along. Couldn't bear to spend a whole day without Yuki, lover boy?" she teased.
"We did not have this planned!" Yuki said defiantly. The bells rang again, this time admitting Alanna and her husband George. They came over to the table.
"Well, this is a coincidence," Alanna said.
"Lots of those today," Kel muttered darkly. Everyone ignored her except Dom, who smiled.
"Sit down. We'll find room." Neal shifted his chair a little.
"No, no. George and I are waiting for some people. I think we'll just sit at the bar. You young people enjoy yourselves." Alanna winked and walked away.
A waitress brought menus. Kel and Yuki ordered hot cider and something to eat, along with Dom and Neal. Yuki and Neal began a lively conversation, with each other, as a minstrel struck up a tune somewhere behind them. Kel and Dom sat there uncomfortably. The two ate quietly, seldom adding anything to the conversation. They kept glancing at each other, but avoiding the avoiding the other's gaze. As they finished their meal, Neal said, "I think Yuki and I will take a walk. You two can find your way back, right?"
Without waiting for either to respond, he took Yuki by the arm and walked out. "Well," Dom said some time later, a little uncomfortably, "I guess it is just us." Unknown to the two, Alanna smiled and congratulated herself.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here." She stood up and stretched. As they walked out, she remarked, "Is it just me or did that seem like a set-up?"
"No, it was definitely a set-up," Dom affirmed.
"You seem sure," Kel said suspiciously.
"It is a very educated guess." Dom's gaze swept across the streets. "This is a beautiful day."
"I love the snow." Kel sighed. She noticed that Dom looked distracted. "Dom," she asked gently, "are you okay? You have seemed a little out of it in the past few weeks.'
He glanced down and found his eyes had become locked with hers. 'This keeps happening,' he thought. Kel could not disguise her concern, nor could she look away. "I need to talk to you."
"Alright." Kel sounded a little worried. "I am listening."
"Well…" Dom began and trailed off. He tried again. "It's just…" He could not break his stare. "I don't know how to say this." Kel's eyes held something unknown to him. Apprehension, was it? Or excitement? Dom decided to take a chance. He pulled Kel into an alley, out of view of any passersby. Then, he lowered his lips to hers and slowly caressed her mouth. He felt her gasp and thought she would pull away. Instead, Kel wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and deepened the kiss. His lips were soft and warm. Kel wished, for a moment, that their kiss would never end. Snow fell all around them, but they concentrated on the warmth of each other. Dom pulled Kel tightly toward him, so she was locked in a snug embrace. Slowly, after who knows how long, he pulled back.
Kel stared up at him, completely shocked. "I wanted to tell you that I like you. I've liked you for a long time now, I was just afraid to tell you because…" Dom blurted all this out before Kel pulled him against her and silenced him with another kiss.
"I like you, too, Dom," she whispered as they drew apart. Now, it was Dom's turn to look shocked.
"Okay," he finally uttered.
"Okay," Kel said. He kissed her one more time before slinging his arm across her shoulder and steering her back to the castle.
A/N: Done! Is it just me, or is it hot in here? Now please review. As I said, things have been a little slow lately. Again, sorry about the future delay in updating. I will be thinking of ideas, though, and would appreciate if anyone else would care to tell me any. Thanks.