From fear to eternity
Thanks reviewers!!
AN: I said before, this is going to be KD, also the summary says it's KD, and every chapter I drop hints of KD.This is obviously KD! Also, this whole story happened before the prologue, which would be why I wrote "five weeks ago" in the beginning of chapter two.
Sorry. -blinks-.
All this is set five weeks before the prologue! And the story IS KD!!
During the next two weeks, Kel's life fell into a sort of pattern. It was nice to have a pattern for a while, even in the heat of battle. There were small skirmishes and little raids, but few battles were fought through those dozen days.
On that day, Kel was walking back to her rooms after supper when her path was again blocked by Dom. She looked up and exchanged a greeting with him, mentally complaining that it was unfair for him to look so nice. She had decided a few days back that she definitely had a crush on him, but had no idea if the blue-eyed sergeant felt the same way. Men were so hard to read.
"Hi," Dom said as he plopped into the seat opposite Kel, while watching the brunette's face for anything other than simple friendship. If any signs emerged, Dom couldn't see it. Why do girls have to be so hard to read?
"Walk with me?" She offered. He took her up on it gladly, and they made their way back from the mess hall together, talking about the first time Dom had seen Kel, with her horse rearing and about to throw her off him. He didn't mention that he'd seen the fighter in her even back then. The hero that she was going to be.
Kel almost sighed with lust, and thanked all the gods for her years in the Yamani Islands. If it wasn't for her "Lump" face, she was sure she would be sounding like a lovesick girl. Even with it, she only just managed to keep her voice even as they talked.
The atmosphere was getting positively awkward. Kel obviously had something on her mind, though he had no idea what. It occurred to him that it was possible she liked him back, but the sensitive part of his mind told him not to jump to too many conclusions.
Kel's breath caught in her throat as she caught Dom's eyes and they both stopped, in the middle of the footpath, simply staring at each other. Had she not been distracted by his gaze, she would have been thankful of the night that hid them, and the lack of other people on the same path.
Dom felt their mutual attraction in his very bones. It was thundering, a pounding in his head that refused to go away, pleasant yet disturbing.
Timidly, purposefully, he leant down slightly and pressed his lips to hers.
Kel had been kissed before. Cleon had done it, and she had liked the transfer of sweetness. But his kisses didn't hold a candle to the eruption of fireworks Dom's kisses brought forward, or the waterfall of lust that connected them with gentle dignity.
Equaling his carefulness, she kissed him back.
There they stood, lips pressed together, for a few calm, graceful seconds, during which everything else stopped, and all was forgotten. But all good things have to end, as they regretfully pulled apart.
When Dom looked up again, his face was bright red. "I've...I have to go...to..." he stammered.
"Really? Me, me too." Kel's Yamani training stopped her from blushing furiously, and she didn't stammer much, but her cheeks did become quite rosy. They muttered a quiet goodbye and bolted in opposite directions.
Kel rushed into her room and bolted the door behind her. She turned to lean against the door, breathing deeply and quietly, trying to process everything that was happening. Her brain refused to work, and when they did, it was to remember the gentle feel of Dom's lips against hers.
"Lady?" It was Tobe. She jumped, having almost forgotten the boy's existence. She shook her head slightly, and he took the signal to walk away as her thoughts wandered back to Dom.
Dom, whose legs had decidedly carried him to Neal for advice, with his mind none-the-wiser until he reached his cousin. Neal took one look at him, frowned, and sat him into an armchair.
"What's wrong?" He enquired.
"Nothing," Dom muttered, distracted.
"Nonsense," the younger man waved it away, "you didn't even call me Meathead. What's wrong?" He asked again.
"I kissed Kel." He blurted.
"Oh." Whatever Neal was expecting, this was not it. "Oh," he said again, then, regaining his posture, "And?"
"She kissed me back."
"Then?"
"We...ran." He was sounding more and more like an idiot by the second.
"Define ran." Neal brushed his brown hair back with his fingers, eyes crinkled in amusement.
"Ran, meaning we both turned, made excuses, and bolted in opposite directions."
Neal snorted. His face then fell into a thoughtful expression. "Kel's a great woman. She deserves a good man," he looked his cousin over and grinned mockingly. "Snatch her before she finds one."
Dom shoved him lightly. They, at least were back to the kind of usual teasing. And Kel?
He didn't have a good answer for that. He wished he did.
)O(
