if i owned it i wouldnt be putting it here now would i?

Of Meat, Poetry, and Love

"I can't believe that we have to leave within the next half hour!" exclaimed Kel, half annoyed and half excited. Dom was thinking along those same lines. He couldn't believe his luck! He would be able to spend several days on the road with Kel. They would be alone, because Raoul had ordered them to stay off the road. It was perfect. He would have thanked the commander, but then he wasn't quite sure that Raoul had done this on purpose. And of course, Kel would find it rather odd for Dom to thank Raoul for an assignment.

After they got the belongings that they needed, Kel and Dom set out. They were both a little tense, although they didn't notice it in each other. After a while though, Kel decided that she needed to break the silence due to the fact that the trail was getting increasingly boring. "so Dom," Kel asked "heard from meathead lately?" "From meathead?" Dom repeated "yes actually, I got a six page letter from him the other day" "Six pages?" Kel whistled "what on earth took six pages?" "well," Dom drawled "he spent half a page informing me of the new palace gossip, and another 3 pages telling me how Yuki was, and the remaining 2 pages was" Dom broke off embarrassed. Kel

was surprised what on earth could Neal have written that would embarrass her? "c'mon" urged Kel "I've been his best friend for eight years" "well," Dom resumed, "he actually sent me some of his poetry that he wanted you to look over before he gave it to Yuki." Kel groaned. "More poetry? Oh gods, I mean they are married and still with the awful poetry? What is he thinking?" Then she began to laugh. "oh my, at first, Yuki thought that the poetry was cute, but after a while, she told me that if she received another poem praising her eyebrow, she would kill Neal." Dom started to laugh along with Kel. "well then he might just consider himself a dead man." Dom chuckled "because at least 2 of those poems mentioned her eyebrow and not in passing either." Kel started to laugh even harder. She couldn't believe that Neal had actually sent his poetry to be reviewed. She was in the field for gods sake. "so then why didn't you give me the poems?" asked Kel teasingly. "well I was going to," replied Dom seriously "but I thought that you might try to hurt me if I gave you something in front of the other men, seeing as how they are so inclined to gossip, and if anyone found out that they were poems, well lets just say I wouldn't give much for my sorry hide if that had happened." Kel was chuckling again.

The two spent the rest of the day in amiable conversation and they were both surprised when darkness began to fall. They picked a nice spot and set up camp for the night. Dom went off to gather firewood while Kel set up their tents. They ate supper and decided that Dom should get first watch. While Kel went to sleep, Dom sat and cleaned his weapons, and thought. he sat there all through his watch and then went to wake Kel up. he entered her tent quietly, and walked over to her bedroll. She looks so beautiful and peaceful when she sleeps thought Dom, just then Kel mumbled something in her sleep. Dom bent over to wake her up and she mumbled again. This time Dom heard her, and clearly. she had said, "I love you Dom" without thinking, Dom whispered "I love you too. And, making sure she was asleep, he bent down and kissed her. As soon as their lips touched, keel's eyes flew open. she was surprised that the sensation that she was kissing Dom didn't flee when she awoke, as it usually did. Then she realized that it was because Dom was kissing her. It wasn't a dream. Without thinking Kel wrapped her arms around him. This time it was Dom's turn to be surprised. He broke the kiss and whispered, "Kel" "yes?" she inquired softly "I love you Kel" he whispered. She smiled sweetly and murmured, "I love you to." Dom leaned back down to Kel and kissed her again, gently, when she responded to his kiss, Dom deepened it, kissing Kel passionately. To his amazement, Kel matched his passion with hers, and pulled him down to her bedroll. He broke their kiss again and whispered hoarsely, "are you sure?" Kel assured him, "As sure as I've ever been of anything in my life." For the rest of the night, there was no one on guard duty.