A/N: I'm sorry for the wait! Without any further delay, here's the next chapter! Dom and Neal are going to the stables…

Chapter Five: Allergies and Coldness

"This is all your fault, Dom," Neal accused as they walked toward the stables.

"My fault?" said Dom, stopping in his tracks. "How is this my fault?"

"I don't know exactly," he responded, "but whenever I seem to be in misery, it always seems to be your fault…"

Dom resumed walking. "Thanks a lot, Meathead, but I would like to remind you that I am in the same situation as you."

Neal sighed loudly. "Two weeks without my Yamani Blossom…how am I going to survive?"

Rolling his eyes, Dom remarked, "Mithros, Neal, you see Yuki more than I see Kel."

Neal looked at his cousin, "Then being parted from Kel for two weeks shouldn't be such a big deal for you."

"On the contrary," he responded, "when I'm away, or she's away, were always separated by great distances- not five hundred feet. It's driving me crazy."

"I know what you mean, especially when I thought that Yuki and I were about to…" Neal suddenly trailed off, his cheeks reddening.

Dom laughed out loud at his cousin's sudden embarrassment. "I thought the same thing about me and Kel…"

"And now we're stuck out here in the stables," said Neal disgustedly as they entered the building. He eyed the horses in the stalls around them. "Last night, bliss. Tonight, horses and hay. And I think I'm allergic to hay!"

"And I'm freezing out here," commented Dom, rubbing his hands together. The stables were enclosed, but they were still quite drafty. "What do Kel and Yuki expect of us? To freeze and have allergic reactions?"

"I just wish I could go up to mine and Yuki's room so that I can get the allergy medicine I have for myself for such circumstances. I guess I'll just have to go and visit the infirmary, and my old apprentice." He said 'old apprentice' with a sound of great dislike, no doubt still sore at the man for dancing with Yuki earlier that night.

However, Dom suddenly turned to Neal with a bright smile on his face.

"Oh, no," said Neal, "what is that look for?"

"Why should you have to visit the infirmary when you have the medicine right in your own rooms?"

"Hmm, I don't know," said Neal sarcastically, "Maybe because my wife will probably slice me in half with that fan of hers if I go in there?"

Dom laughed. "I don't think so. Actually, I think they're probably wondering why we aren't already knocking on their doors!"

"What?" Neal asked, confused. "They kicked us out!"

"I know that," said Dom exasperated, "But it's a part of our punishment for breaking their agreement. Our wives are stubborn and you know they wouldn't want to consider themselves compliant. So my idea is that we have to make a visit to our wives- to get back into their good graces. You'll go and ask for your medicine and I'll go ask for some blankets to keep me warm…"

Neal's eyes were filled with mischief too. "I see what you're saying! Maybe they'll feel so bad about subjecting us to sleeping in the stables that they'll let us back into our rooms- and their warm embraces!"

"Exactly," said Dom, still smiling. "I might have underestimated your intelligence, Meathead."

He scoffed, before grinning, "And I might have underestimated that brilliant mind of yours, dear cousin."

Then Dom raised his palm up in the air. "To brilliant cousins and a brilliant plan."

He and Neal slapped hands triumphantly.

"Now," said Neal, smiling and rubbing his hands together, "Let's put our plan to work…"

Kel and Yuki sat in Kel's rooms, talking and laughing. After putting her two children to bed, Yuki had come over to have some tea with Kel. When she had arrived, the lady knight had just finished tucking her own baby into bed, dismissing the maid that had watched her son and both of Yuki's children while they had attended the social.

Then both Kel and Yuki had sat down together in the small sitting room, laughing over their husbands' reactions at the social and afterwards.

"I thought he was going to pound the poor boy into the floor," laughed Kel, trying to take a sip of her tea. "I've never seen Dom so jealous before."

"The same with Neal," said Yuki, "I thought he was going to burn a hole in my head with the intensity he directed at me."

Recalling memories of their husbands from that evening, both ladies then sat and sipped their tea silently.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. The young women looked at each other, both having a very good guess at who it could be.

Calling out that the door was open, two men then stepped through the door- The same two men that were also their husbands.

"Yes?" asked Yuki, her Yamani Mask firmly in place to hide any emotion.

Both men smiled apprehensively, shifting slightly.

Then Dom, looking at Kel, asked, "Is that hot tea you're drinking?"

"Yes it is," she replied, taking a sip with an equally unresponsive face as her friend. "Why?"

"You would never believe how cold it is out there," he said, again rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm them up.

"Oh." She took another sip of her tea.

Dom pressed on. "You don't think you could poor me a cup, do you?"

"I can," she replied, looking up at him.

He smiled as she poured some tea for him.

Yuki looked to Neal, "How about you, Neal?"

"Actually," he said, "The cold isn't bothering me out there as much as the hay is. Do you think I could get some of my allergy medicine from our room?"

"Of course. Here's our key."

He took it from her hand and said, grinning, "Actually, can you come with me? I don't know what bag you packed it in…"

Yuki knew he knew exactly where it would be, but decided to play along anyway. "Sure."

Setting down her cup of tea, she stood and led a smiling Neal out the door.

Dom grinned at the leaving couple before turning his attention back to Kel. Taking Yuki's vacated chair, Dom sat down and finished his warm tea. Kel sat silently beside him.

Seeing him finish his cup, Kel asked, "You all warmed up now?"

Dom flashed her a grin, "Slightly."

"Do you want some more?" she offered.

He shook his head, "No."

He watched her as she stretched and yawned. "Well, then," she said, pushing her chair back and standing up, "Good night then, Dom."

She walked into their bedchamber, fully aware that he had followed her. Acting like she hadn't expected to find him behind her as she turned around, she asked, "What are you doing? The stables are outside."

"And incredibly cold," he said.

Kel raised her eyebrows at him. "You're the one who decided to ignore our agreement, what do you expect me to do about the cold?"

He grinned, moving closer to her and saying quietly, "I was hoping you'd offer to warm me up…"

Kel looked at him with bright eyes. Then she walked toward their bed, Dom following her closely with his gaze.

"I have just the thing to warm you up."

She then lifted one of the many covers off the bed and held it out to Dom. "This should keep you warm," she told him, smiling appealingly.

He took it dazedly before grinning and saying, "This wasn't what I was referring to."

"I know," she answered simply, "But you're not going to get out of your punishment that easily. Good night, Dom."

Finding it futile to go on, Dom mumbled a 'good night' and left the room.

However, on his way back to the stables, he thought, She must know that I haven't given up…I'm not even close to giving up…

Dom arrived at the stables to find an irritated Neal already there. He was grumbling to himself as he shifted on the makeshift bed he had made. It was as far away from any hay or horse as was possible in the full stable.

"Were you turned away, too?" asked Dom, settling down beside his frustrated cousin.

Neal burst with anger. "She didn't even let me in our rooms! She had me wait outside while she went in to get the medicine. Then she gave it to me and basically shut the door in my face! Women are impossible!"

Dom couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't say it isn't true!" said Neal, glaring. "Kel threw you out, too!"

"Believe me, Neal, I am painfully aware of that," said Dom, still smiling.

"Then why are you still laughing?"

"I'm laughing at you, Meathead."

Seeing Neal's blank face, Dom rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look at you," he said, pointing to him bundled up on the hard ground, "Yuki kicks you out once and here you are settling down for the night…in the stables."

"They've kicked us both out more than once," said Neal defensively.

"But you're still going to give up that easily?" asked Dom incredulously. "Neal, maybe your medicine has gotten to your brain- besides the obvious problems with your head of course."

Neal threw his small 'pillow' at his chuckling cousin. Catching it, Dom looked at Neal and said, "Come on, Neal. Would you rather be out here, in the cold stables surrounded by horses, or would you rather be up in your warm bed holding your wife in your arms?"

"Well that's an idiotic question to ask," said Neal.

"Then why are getting ready to go to sleep?" asked Dom.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Neal asked in return. "What else can we go ask them for? You already have your blanket and I already have my medicine."

"Maybe we don't…" replied Dom slowly, grinning.

Neal gave him a funny look. Then he asked, "Maybe the cold has gotten to you, cousin. What do you mean we don't have those things? My bottle of medicine is right here beside me."

"Meathead, don't make me wonder as to whether or not we're related." Dom ignored Neal's scowl as he continued on, "All you have to do is 'accidentally' spill your bottle of medicine, which gives you an excuse to go back up there."

Neal seemed to consider this idea. Then he asked, "What about your blanket?"

Dom smiled, "I'll just tell Kel that Peachblossom tore it up."

Neal grinned, "Perfect. It's about time that horse got blamed for something…"

A/N: So, the boys are pressing on! Will they end up sleeping in the stables for two weeks, or will Kel and Yuki finally forgive them? You'll find out in the next chapter, which will be the last one! :D