Story: Trick of Fate
By: Minuiko
Summary: During the ten day celebration in Corus, Yuki decides to break with Neal, and Dom with Kel (Pretend that they were together, alright?). So Neal and Kel decide to pretend they're in love to win back their original partners. But what if they accidentally fall for each other? K/N
Rating: PG-13
I don't need a disclaimer, do I? Y'all know I'm not TP . . .
Chapter Two: Discussion
Kel woke at dawn, per usual. After getting some sleep, for a change, she suddenly remembered the desperate, and as Neal had pointed out, daft idea she had come up with, realizing how impossible it was, and how unlike her. Why would she want to feign feelings for NEAL?! Her own best friend?
There was a knock on her door. Sighing, she climbed out of bed. Neal pounded at her door as he had during their page years. "Get up, Kel!"
She opened the door, keeping her face smooth as irritation built up. "I was up. Do you normally barge into your friends' room at dawn?"
He grinned. "Can I join you for weapon's practice? I know you always get up around now anyway."
Kel's eyebrows rose. Neal generally avoided weapon's practice, especially having been the Lioness's squire. She sighed, deciding that she would find out from Neal himself on the practice courts. "You didn't have to ask, you know. And how did you know I was going to practice? We're supposed to be on break."
Neal replied loftily, "I'm your best friend. I know these things."
Kel just rolled her eyes.
They had finished several rounds (Kel won all of them). Neal wiped sweat from his brow. He commented dryly, "You thrash that pig-sticker around like you want to chop off my head."
Kel retorted, "Well, it would shut you up at least."
Neal sighed hopelessly. People were forever commenting on how he never learned to keep his opinions to himself. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Kel dumped a liberal amount of water on her head, taking care not to get her clothes wet. "Yeah? I knew you wanted something when you actually woke up for WEAPONS PRACTICE."
Neal considered on how to say what he had been thinking, for once, before asking bluntly, "How well do you flirt?"
Blink, blink. Silence. Neal grinned. "Badly? I thought so. I mean, I didn't really expect you go up and comment Dom on his looks." He changed his voice to a falsetto, his voice nearly cracking. "Oh, sergeant Domitan, you look SO dashing today! Might you accompany me to Midwinter Night Ball tomorrow tonight?"
Kel choked. Cuffing him on the head, she fumed, "You—you Meathead! Besides, you know a Lady Knight isn't taught the correct way to flirt . . ."
". . . Maybe we should practice?"
"Neal, there's approximately seven minutes until everyone wakes."
"That's enough time. Besides, we wouldn't want our dear Protector of the Small to make a fool of herself in front of everyone trying to flirt with her best friend, now would we?"
Kel glared at him. "Don't call me that. Alright."
Neal put his hands over his heart dramatically, voice dripping with feeling. "My beloved, I most regret the dreary, tedious hours I have spent with the Lady Yukimi when my heart truly belonged to you! It has been—"
Kel interrupted, "That is awful, unless you're trying to imitate Cleon. Try talking like a normal person, not an overly dramatic player."
Neal glared. "You try."
She cleared her throat, her mouth suddenly dry. She said without feeling, " Sir Nealan, you look good. Er, fantastic. Better than Dom ever did. Happy?"
Neal guffawed loudly. Imitating her voice, he teased, "That is awful, unless you're trying to imitate a robot. Kel, you don't even have a bit of romance in you, do you?"
Kel confirmed, "Not a single drop. And shouldn't we hurry? We have three minutes."
Neal coughed. "This is hopeless. You know that, right?"
"Of course, it's just that, you want Yuki back, right? And I want Dom back, too. So we have to see it through . . ."
"Yes. Get to the point."
"I am! Maybe we can look at each other and not see each other . . ."
Neal crossed his arms. "Explain."
"I'll think of you as Dom, and you think of me as Yuki, and we might pull it off."
Neal ran his fingers through his hair, pondering. He finally agreed. "As long as we don't let slip their names."
"Right."
An uncomfortable silence settled. Suddenly a familiar voice rang out, "Mithros, the Lioness finally got you over the edge, did she? Waking early for WEAPON'S PRACTICE! Is that really you, Neal?"
Neal scowled at a grinning Cleon, demanding, "Do you guys expect me to be lazy and obstinate all the time?"
Kel retorted, "You wouldn't be Neal otherwise, Meathead."
She strode over to her red-headed friend, smiling. She didn't feel anything but friendship for him, now. "How's Ermelian, Cleon?"
Cleon replied happily, "She's great!" He then added hastily, "Nothing on you, of course . . ."
Neal nodded infuriatingly. "Of COURSE. No one can compare to our own little dewdrop."
Cleon glared at him. "You shut up. Ermelian's really kind to everyone, even servants, and she's smart and pretty besides. Who wouldn't love her?"
Cleon turned to Kel. "You're not mad, are you?"
Kel smiled warmly. "No, of course I'm not. Why would I be? I'm happy for you, Cleon."
Neal coughed into his hand. Both Kel and Cleon smacked him on the head at the same time. He muttered, "Just because I'm the Meathead . . . how racist."
He ended up with another bump on the head.
Kel and Neal were walking down the hall, hand in hand convincingly. It felt strange to be holding her best friends' hand like that, but she brought it on herself. Several court ladies saw it, their delicate fans waving in front of their faces to hide their surprise.
Then Kel caught a flash of that endless sea of blue. Dom's eyes. She was shocked. Why did she have to bump into him? HIM?
Time moved slowly. She was walking, trying not to look at Dom and failing miserably. Neal noticed.
(Switch to Neal's POV)
He looked at his cousin, and back at his best friend. The way she was staring at him proved that she was infatuated with him. In love, maybe? He sensed that she needed love — needed Dom — more than he needed Yuki.
Neal caught the flash of his Dom's even smile, his own emerald eyes narrowing. He had a lady with him. It was one of the court beauties. Neal struggled to remember her name, not that it mattered. Lady Rita, perhaps? Only twenty or so, she was known for liking older men.
Neal saw Kel's hazel-green eyes widening. She looked crushed. And Dom didn't even bat an eyelid. It was his best friend, damn it! Instead of punching Dom (his hands were set on wiping that calm smile off his pretty face, cousin or no), he stuck to the plan. Smirking at Dom, he kissed Kel.
Haha, I'm evil. Would this count as a cliff hanger? To Dom fans, I'm sorry if I made him seem like a player/creep . . . I liked him in the POTS series, too . . . No one else is OOC, right? Tell me if they are. I like sticking to character.
Thanks for the reviews! I loved them . . . Speaking of which, I'd appreciate it if you reviewed!
By: Minuiko
Summary: During the ten day celebration in Corus, Yuki decides to break with Neal, and Dom with Kel (Pretend that they were together, alright?). So Neal and Kel decide to pretend they're in love to win back their original partners. But what if they accidentally fall for each other? K/N
Rating: PG-13
I don't need a disclaimer, do I? Y'all know I'm not TP . . .
Chapter Two: Discussion
Kel woke at dawn, per usual. After getting some sleep, for a change, she suddenly remembered the desperate, and as Neal had pointed out, daft idea she had come up with, realizing how impossible it was, and how unlike her. Why would she want to feign feelings for NEAL?! Her own best friend?
There was a knock on her door. Sighing, she climbed out of bed. Neal pounded at her door as he had during their page years. "Get up, Kel!"
She opened the door, keeping her face smooth as irritation built up. "I was up. Do you normally barge into your friends' room at dawn?"
He grinned. "Can I join you for weapon's practice? I know you always get up around now anyway."
Kel's eyebrows rose. Neal generally avoided weapon's practice, especially having been the Lioness's squire. She sighed, deciding that she would find out from Neal himself on the practice courts. "You didn't have to ask, you know. And how did you know I was going to practice? We're supposed to be on break."
Neal replied loftily, "I'm your best friend. I know these things."
Kel just rolled her eyes.
They had finished several rounds (Kel won all of them). Neal wiped sweat from his brow. He commented dryly, "You thrash that pig-sticker around like you want to chop off my head."
Kel retorted, "Well, it would shut you up at least."
Neal sighed hopelessly. People were forever commenting on how he never learned to keep his opinions to himself. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Kel dumped a liberal amount of water on her head, taking care not to get her clothes wet. "Yeah? I knew you wanted something when you actually woke up for WEAPONS PRACTICE."
Neal considered on how to say what he had been thinking, for once, before asking bluntly, "How well do you flirt?"
Blink, blink. Silence. Neal grinned. "Badly? I thought so. I mean, I didn't really expect you go up and comment Dom on his looks." He changed his voice to a falsetto, his voice nearly cracking. "Oh, sergeant Domitan, you look SO dashing today! Might you accompany me to Midwinter Night Ball tomorrow tonight?"
Kel choked. Cuffing him on the head, she fumed, "You—you Meathead! Besides, you know a Lady Knight isn't taught the correct way to flirt . . ."
". . . Maybe we should practice?"
"Neal, there's approximately seven minutes until everyone wakes."
"That's enough time. Besides, we wouldn't want our dear Protector of the Small to make a fool of herself in front of everyone trying to flirt with her best friend, now would we?"
Kel glared at him. "Don't call me that. Alright."
Neal put his hands over his heart dramatically, voice dripping with feeling. "My beloved, I most regret the dreary, tedious hours I have spent with the Lady Yukimi when my heart truly belonged to you! It has been—"
Kel interrupted, "That is awful, unless you're trying to imitate Cleon. Try talking like a normal person, not an overly dramatic player."
Neal glared. "You try."
She cleared her throat, her mouth suddenly dry. She said without feeling, " Sir Nealan, you look good. Er, fantastic. Better than Dom ever did. Happy?"
Neal guffawed loudly. Imitating her voice, he teased, "That is awful, unless you're trying to imitate a robot. Kel, you don't even have a bit of romance in you, do you?"
Kel confirmed, "Not a single drop. And shouldn't we hurry? We have three minutes."
Neal coughed. "This is hopeless. You know that, right?"
"Of course, it's just that, you want Yuki back, right? And I want Dom back, too. So we have to see it through . . ."
"Yes. Get to the point."
"I am! Maybe we can look at each other and not see each other . . ."
Neal crossed his arms. "Explain."
"I'll think of you as Dom, and you think of me as Yuki, and we might pull it off."
Neal ran his fingers through his hair, pondering. He finally agreed. "As long as we don't let slip their names."
"Right."
An uncomfortable silence settled. Suddenly a familiar voice rang out, "Mithros, the Lioness finally got you over the edge, did she? Waking early for WEAPON'S PRACTICE! Is that really you, Neal?"
Neal scowled at a grinning Cleon, demanding, "Do you guys expect me to be lazy and obstinate all the time?"
Kel retorted, "You wouldn't be Neal otherwise, Meathead."
She strode over to her red-headed friend, smiling. She didn't feel anything but friendship for him, now. "How's Ermelian, Cleon?"
Cleon replied happily, "She's great!" He then added hastily, "Nothing on you, of course . . ."
Neal nodded infuriatingly. "Of COURSE. No one can compare to our own little dewdrop."
Cleon glared at him. "You shut up. Ermelian's really kind to everyone, even servants, and she's smart and pretty besides. Who wouldn't love her?"
Cleon turned to Kel. "You're not mad, are you?"
Kel smiled warmly. "No, of course I'm not. Why would I be? I'm happy for you, Cleon."
Neal coughed into his hand. Both Kel and Cleon smacked him on the head at the same time. He muttered, "Just because I'm the Meathead . . . how racist."
He ended up with another bump on the head.
Kel and Neal were walking down the hall, hand in hand convincingly. It felt strange to be holding her best friends' hand like that, but she brought it on herself. Several court ladies saw it, their delicate fans waving in front of their faces to hide their surprise.
Then Kel caught a flash of that endless sea of blue. Dom's eyes. She was shocked. Why did she have to bump into him? HIM?
Time moved slowly. She was walking, trying not to look at Dom and failing miserably. Neal noticed.
(Switch to Neal's POV)
He looked at his cousin, and back at his best friend. The way she was staring at him proved that she was infatuated with him. In love, maybe? He sensed that she needed love — needed Dom — more than he needed Yuki.
Neal caught the flash of his Dom's even smile, his own emerald eyes narrowing. He had a lady with him. It was one of the court beauties. Neal struggled to remember her name, not that it mattered. Lady Rita, perhaps? Only twenty or so, she was known for liking older men.
Neal saw Kel's hazel-green eyes widening. She looked crushed. And Dom didn't even bat an eyelid. It was his best friend, damn it! Instead of punching Dom (his hands were set on wiping that calm smile off his pretty face, cousin or no), he stuck to the plan. Smirking at Dom, he kissed Kel.
Haha, I'm evil. Would this count as a cliff hanger? To Dom fans, I'm sorry if I made him seem like a player/creep . . . I liked him in the POTS series, too . . . No one else is OOC, right? Tell me if they are. I like sticking to character.
Thanks for the reviews! I loved them . . . Speaking of which, I'd appreciate it if you reviewed!