Scenario 13- ''Dom and I Are Getting Married.''
Seeing Kel made Neal's heart skip a beat and break a little at the same time.
She was the most magnificent, amazing, beautiful thing he had ever seen. For the first time, he knew that he was really in love and not simply infatuated. He really loved her, but he knew she didn't love him back. Instead she loved his cousin.
He didn't complain, though. Dom treated her like she was the most precious jewel on the earth (which was what she was in Neal's eyes). He made her happy, and brought out parts of her that Neal hadn't seen in a long time. In turn, she did the same to Dom. Kel and Dom were two people that he loved very much, and he was happy for the both of them.
He was jealous, too, though. Whenever he saw Dom make her smile, Neal wished with all of his heart that it could have been him. His bleeding heart kept him up countless nights.
He wondered whether each of those bouts of heartbreak whether he should confess his true feelings for her. Each time he decided that he absolutely should not. Perhaps he could have before she fell for his cousin.
But no, she probably wouldn't have returned his feelings. She probably felt them for Dom all along. It would have hurt him even more to hear her say it aloud.
What he didn't know was that he was going to have to hear it anyway, despite how much it pained him to.
Kel came knocking at his door one day, blissfully unaware of the pain she was about to give him. Her eyes were shining; a smile was spread across her features.
''Hello, Kel,'' he said. Her smile was contagious; he was smiling, too.
''Hi, Neal,'' she said. He noticed that her hands were behind her back, and that she was playing with something.
''I have something to tell you,'' she said, her smile growing wider.
''What?'' he said, glad that whatever it was made her so happy.
''I...''she began, her voice broken by a blissful pause.
''What?''
In that moment, her smile grew so big, Neal thought it would slide off her face.
''Dom and I are getting married,'' she said.
Neal's heart shattered in his chest; he felt the high urge to slip into the ground and disappear forever.
Despite this, he forced a smile on his face. ''That's great,'' he said, ''I'm happy for you.''
''Thank you,'' she said, ''Dom wants you to be the best man, I think.''
''Sure,'' he said, forcing himself to smile wider.
''I'll tell him you said so,'' she said.
She then took her left hand from behind her back and raised her hand to Neal. A sapphire ring was sported there. It wasn't too big but it did look like it cost quite a bit of money.
''Isn't it beautiful?'' she asked.
No, to Neal, it was the ugliest thing in the world. It only symbolized the pain all the pain in his heart. He wanted to rip it off her fingers and throw it against the wall. Then afterward he would demand why she loved his cousin so much, instead of him. But no the sensible part of Neal's mind talked him out of it. Neal then considered saying some sarcastic remark but decided that he would only be watering down her happiness. Why make her unhappy just because he was?
So he made his artificial smile increase, and nodded. ''It is,'' he lied.
''Oh Neal, I'm so excited!'' she said.
Neal couldn't look at her. If he did, he feared he would fall apart right in front of her. How could the gods be so cruel? he wondered, to make someone want someone so much yet make her unattainable to him.
It was all too much to bear right then. ''I... have to do something now,'' he said, ''I'm sorry.'' In that moment, his mask of happiness slipped. It was brief, but Kel caught it.
''Are you all right?'' she asked.
''I'm fine,'' he asked, and put the mask of happiness that he coated his face with before.
''Is it a girl?'' Kel asked.
She knows me so well, Neal thought, I wonder how she doesn't know it's her.
''I'm fine,'' Neal said quickly, before harder thought made his voice crackle.
Kel's smile softened into solemnity. ''You don't have to feel guilty about telling me now,'' she said, ''you can tell me anything, anytime.''
Neal knew that she had good intentions, but now she was only making things worse. ''Really,'' he said, ''I'm fine.''
''Okay,'' she said, her eyes glinting with hurt.
For a moment, Neal felt guilty. Then he thought of all the hurt she was brewing inside of him(intentional or not) and the guilt faded. He also knew if he let himself add guilt to the brew of his emotions, he would break down in front of her.
Neal didn't have to remind Kel that he ''had to do something'', she left. When he heard her footsteps fade from his hearing, he finally let himself cry.
And he cried and cried and cried.
He avoided her until he felt his emotions were under control.
Even then, there was a felt barrier between them, one that hurt them both the same.
''He's probably just upset, Kel,'' he heard Dom say, ''I bet that girl broke his heart and he's just pining over it. He'll get over it.''
Neal felt a combination of guilt and frustration ride over him when he heard this comment. Now that he was more rational, he realized that none of this was Kel's fault, just his misfortune. It was a shame that he let the fact that he wanted more get in the way of what they already had. However, he knew that he was just pining over it and he didn't think that he'd ever get over it. He had found true love, and she was marrying not only someone else, but his cousin.
He then tried to act as he normally would. Kel, full of pre-wedding excitement, was happier for the apparent repair in their friendship. She was too busy to look deeper. If she did, she would notice his lack of sarcasms, his sudden solemnity, or his sudden quietness.
Dom did ask him to be his best man, and Neal agreed. However there was a shadowing feeling that surrounded him at the wedding preparations, the sick irony of the best man checking out the bride.
The wedding took place on a bright, sunny day, which was so contrary to Neal's mood.
The vows that Kel and Dom gave were with beaming faces and shining eyes. Part of Neal was happy for them; the other part of Neal was ripped apart with the yearning and proceeding denying of his soul.
When it was time for the bridal dance, Neal wanted to hide behind the tree nearby.
But then... she came up to him.
She took his breath away with her grandeur and simple sophistication. At that point, he was still in love with Kel but... something changed.
''Why look sad at wedding?'' she asked with a thick Yamani accent.
''What?'' Neal asked, taken aback.
''Can't dance?'' she asked.
He couldn't dance but of course, that wasn't why he was upset. ''No, I can't dance well but...''
''Want to dance?'' she asked, ''I also not good dance.''
''Sure,'' Neal said, with a small smile on his face.
''I Yuki,'' she said, ''I introduce me before, but I not able to speak Tortallan. Kel help me learn. Tortallan still broken, sorry.''
''I'm Neal,'' he said, extending his hand to her, ''and I might be able to help you with that.''
His heartbreak didn't fade away overnight but gradually they descended into quite another feeling....
Also finished ahead of schedule. Yay, I'm getting better at updating! Well, probably not, more like I'm experiencing an abundance of snow days. The next chapter of In Her Darkest Hour is in progress, along with a oneshot that randomly came to me. As usual, I beg for reviews. Please give them!