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Chapter Two - A Dangerous Mistake

After he left Yuki's room, Neal wandered off by himself. He was being driven crazy. Could he marry her or not? He had been sure a long time ago, but now he seriously doubted his previous feelings. He couldn't even stand to be alone in a room with her anymore. He had gotten away from her as quickly as he could. How in the world would he manage if they were married? The thought of that made Neal cringe. He just couldn't do it. How would he possibly tell Yuki?

He walked aimlessly around the palace for a little while, unsure of where to go and what to do. He was just so confused that he couldn't focus on anything except the conflicts going on in his head.

He looked around and saw that he was near Kel's room. He hadn't seen her since they arrived at the palace. For a quick moment, he suddenly had a burning desire to go and see her, but that crazy feeling was soon gone and he didn't understand it. He decided that he would just stop by Kel's room and say hello if she was in there. And if she wasn't, well then he would just have to greet someone else.

The door of Kel's room was closed and he knocked on it. A moment later it was opened by Kel. She had changed out of her riding clothes and was wearing a green dress to wear to supper. Neal had never realized before how nice she looked in a dress. He hadn't seen her wear one in a while and couldn't look away from the sight of her.

"Oh, hello Neal," Kel said.

"Hello," Neal said. "I just thought I would force my company upon you. I haven't got anything better to do."

"Come in then." Kel turned around and walked into the middle of the room, and Neal took a step inside and shut the door. Kel eyed the door warily. "Neal, you know the door has to stay open when you're here."

Neal looked at the door and realized what he had done. "Oh. I must've forgot." He pulled on the doorknob and opened it up. "It's a stupid rule in my opinion. I don't understand why the Stump can't trust us."

"You never complained about that rule before."

"Well now I don't like it. You're a lady knight now. You're an adult! You now have a right to do anything you want!"

"Do anything I want?" Kel repeated.

Neal realized that perhaps that wasn't the best choice of words. He blushed slightly. "Well, you know what I mean. If you want your friends to visit you, but you don't want the door open, you should have the right to have it closed whenever you want it closed. That's all I'm saying." He couldn't look at her and stared up at the ceiling instead.

Kel didn't seem to notice anything odd about Neal's behavior. "Well, now that the door situation is taken of, you might as well actually come in, instead of stand in front of the doorway like that."

"Good idea." Neal started to walk towards the middle of the room, where Kel was. He still couldn't look at her and rotated his eyes upwards so he could avoid her face. Just as he was almost in front of her, she suddenly said, "Neal, watch out!"

Too late. Neal had tripped over a small crate on the ground and was sent sprawling until he knocked right into Kel. Kel felt her body hit the floor and pain shot through her back and bottom. She was thankful for the rug that helped cushion the impact, though it didn't prevent the pain. Worse than the ache in her body, though, was the mad fluttering in her chest. Neal was on top of her.

His head was laying on her shoulder and his arms were stretched out on the floor like the outstretched wings of a bird. She could feel his chest on top of her chest and she could feel his heartbeat. To her embarrassment, she knew that he could probably feel her rapidly beating heart too. Her embarrassment only grew as she was aware of something poking into her thigh, and she knew it wasn't one of Neal's fingers.

Neal lifted his head off of her shoulder and looked down at her. "Hi," he said, his voice coming slightly out wheezy due to the position he was lying in. He drew his arms in so that they were no longer spread out.

Kel looked up at him and into his face. Their eyes met. Kel breath was absolutely taken away at the beautiful greenness of Neal's eyes. She had never seen a more gorgeous green. She could stare at those eyes forever.

Neal gazed down into Kel's long-lashed hazel eyes and didn't want to look away. Her eyes were so much more beautiful than Yuki's. Yuki's eyes were so dark. There was no color and beauty in them. They had plenty of personality and laughter in them, of course, but they just weren't the beautiful circles of greenish-brown that could only be found on Kel's face.

Moments passed. It felt like an hour, but in reality it was only a few short seconds. They continued to look into each other's eyes. Their hearts beat against each other's chests and gradually beat faster and faster until they were like a pair of butterflies.

Then suddenly, neither of them were quite sure how it began. They both seemed to move at the same time. Before either of them knew what was even happening, his lips were hers and her lips were on his, and it felt so wrong, yet so right.

Neal's eyes were closed and he pressed upon Kel's mouth with a desperation he had never felt before. He felt so guilty doing this, but it was the guilt that made it so enjoyable. What he was doing wasn't right. He knew that, and he didn't care. He didn't want to get married. He just wanted to be free. Free to flirt and kiss whoever he pleased, even if it was his best friend. He had to be set free.

Kel enjoyed the kiss when it first began, but guilt overcame pleasure. What in Mithros' name was she doing? She was making out with Neal, her best friend who getting married in a couple of months. It was the most insane thing she could ever possibly do. This couldn't go on. She pulled her mouth away from Neal's. Her heart was now beating so fast that it terrified her and her body was trembling. This couldn't possibly continue though. Neal probably felt the same way. She was about to wriggle out from under her friend, but Neal had put a hand under her head and his lips bore down on hers once more. She was too confused and fluttery inside to put up a fight. She surrendered and let him kiss her. She was horrified at how wonderful it felt. She had never felt so good before.

Neal didn't quite know what he was doing or why he was doing it, but he knew that it was something he had to do. He couldn't explain it. He just felt that he had a desperate need to do this. He wanted to escape from everything so badly and it was making him crazy. He didn't want Yuki. He couldn't marry her. He wouldn't marry her. No no no.

He took his lips off of Kel's and explored other parts of her face with his mouth. She didn't protest. She couldn't protest. She was paralyzed with something that she couldn't explain, and she wouldn't want to explain it if she could. The feel of him sent insane pleasure run throughout her whole body. This was nothing like any of the kisses she had ever received from Cleon. Nothing Cleon did had ever made her feel like she did now. She couldn't get enough of this. She kissed Neal back and wondered why she had never experienced such a wonderful thing before.

Neal couldn't get enough of feeling her skin on his lips. He had a ravenous hunger that just couldn't be satisfied. He was aware of Kel's breasts pressed against his chest and of the fact that she was wearing a skirt. He wondered what she would do if he slid his hand—No, he scolded himself. He was surprised that he was actually capable of thoughts at a time like this. Don't think of her that way, you lecher!

Kel wasn't sure how it happened, but she abruptly regained her senses. All of a sudden she remembered what was going on. Her best friend was kissing her, she was actually allowing him, and the door was open so that anybody could just walk right in and see them. That last realization was what made Kel finally push Neal away from her. They were now both sitting upright, facing each other. Kel's cheeks were burning and she knew they were probably red. Neal's eyes were two vivid green blazes. The look in them sent Kel's pulse racing dangerously. Why did he excite her so much?

Neal looked away from her. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "This was wrong."

"Why, Neal?" Kel asked. "Why did we do this? This was all a horrible mistake, and you know it. This shouldn't have ever happened."

He dared to look at her and she wished that he hadn't. Why did he have to be so attractive with those green eyes and that widow's peak and the particular way his hair fell? This was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. WRONG. He was her best friend. He was going to be married to another woman. She had gotten over him years ago. At least, she thought that she had. Why did this have to happen?

"I can't marry her," Neal said quietly.

"What?"

Neal's voice became stronger. "You heard me. I can't marry Yuki. I just can't! I won't!"

Kel put a finger to her lips. "Do you want the whole palace to hear?"

"Then I'll just close the door," Neal said, getting to his feet. "And don't you dare protest. That silly rule no longer has any affect as long as it concerns me." He shut the door and paced in front of it. "I don't know what to do, Kel. I just don't know what to do. I thought I wanted to marry her. I thought I loved her. But I guess I was wrong and now everything is going to be a big mess. I'm afraid to tell her. I don't want to hurt her or anything, but she has to know the truth somehow."

Kel felt an odd feeling come over. Neal wasn't in love with Yuki anymore. He didn't want to marry her. What did that mean? It's not like he'll marry you instead, she chided herself. He was only kissing you because he was in a desperate mood. You don't mean anything to him.

"Kel?" Neal said, interrupting her thoughts.

Kel struggled to keep her voice calm. "Neal. You need to go." She pointed at the closed door. "This was a mistake. We have to forget that this happened."

Neal ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her in disbelief. "Kel, how can I possibly forget something like this? How can you possibly forget this?"

Kel's voice was cracking. "Neal, please go."

Neal looked at her with a rather hurt look in his eyes. "I'm sorry about all of this, Kel. I really am sorry. But I don't regret this. If I could go back in time, I would gladly do it again."

She couldn't possibly look at him. She looked down at the floor and picked at the threads of the rug she was still sitting on. "Please don't say things like that, Neal. You know this was a horrible thing that we did and I would do anything to go back in time and prevent it from happening. Now leave my sight this instant."

"Fine," Neal said with the tiniest of sighs. "But I don't regret this." He opened up the door and was gone.

Kel got to her feet and lay down on her bed. "Why, Goddess? Why did this happen to me?"