Kel wiped her palms on her breeches and tried to calm down her racing heart. The midwinter celebration was in full swing, and Lady Knight Keldary of Mindelan was as nervous as a squire before her first tournament.
She was going to do it. Tonight was the night.
It was the first midwinter since the end of the war with Scanra ended a year ago, and most of their ragtag group of friends were in good spirits. The war was over, the mad mage had been stopped, and the king had recalled all of them to the palace for the winter for some much needed downtime. Kel hadn't wanted to leave New Hope, and Tobe had stubbornly refused to be left, but she had come anyway because—
Because Dom was here, and she was going to do it tonight.
She faced down stormwings, centaurs, and savage death machines. She should be able to do this.
She straightened her shoulders and put on her best Yamani mask. She wiped her hand against the perfectly fitted breeches again (Goddess bless Lalassa; she could make anyone look wonderful, even Kel) and reached for the door handle. It swung open before she could touch it, revealing a grinning Neal and Owen. They grabbed her and dragged into the party before she could turn tail and run away.
“He's that way,” Neal said slyly, shoving her in the direction of the window. He pointed, and she caught sight of her target. Panic clawed at the inside of her stomach. Why was she even doing this? She could be happy with just his friendship; she didn't need more. She could turn around right now, and only Neal and Owen would know her shame. Would know that the girl who had shattered everyone's expectations and won them a war had chickened out of talking to a boy. Man.
“What are you waiting for?” Owen prompted. He was smiling widely, like he could stop. “Get it, girl!” She made a mental note to stop him from hanging around with the New Hope boys. They were a bad influence. (She thought this fondly, of course, because the New Hope boys were her boys and she loved them like a mother bear.)
Kel swallowed thickly and stepped forward. She could do this. She was doing this. If it didn't work out, well, she was returning North in a month. She wouldn't have to see him again until Raoul came to visit and dragged Third Company with him. That would be awkward.
But it was too late to back out now. She had arrived.
“Hello, Kel,” Dom said with a smile. He was leaning against the wall, watching all of their friends and family eat, drink, and be merry. “Enjoying the party?”
“I have something to give you,” Kel blurted. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks when he raised his eyebrow, but she fought it off. She could do this.
“I have something to give you too,” he said. “I don't have it with me, though. It's in my rooms—”
“I have it,” Kel interrupted. “Uh. Not the gift you want to give me, obviously, but what I want to give you.” Oh gods and goddesses, this was terrible. This was worse than she had imagined.
“Alright—” he started so say, but he didn't get to finish because she kissed him.
Right there. In front of everyone.
But it didn't matter, because he kissed her back.
“I lied,” he said when they broke apart, both of them ignoring the attention their kiss had drawn. “That was just an excuse to get you alone. Looks like I didn't need it.” His eyes sparkled with mirth.
Kel didn't answer; she just kissed him again, making a rude gesture to the room at large when they started catcalling again. 'Twas the season.
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Tortall fic: 'Twas the Season; Kel/Dom, PG.
Date: 2010-12-23 05:13 pm (UTC)She was going to do it. Tonight was the night.
It was the first midwinter since the end of the war with Scanra ended a year ago, and most of their ragtag group of friends were in good spirits. The war was over, the mad mage had been stopped, and the king had recalled all of them to the palace for the winter for some much needed downtime. Kel hadn't wanted to leave New Hope, and Tobe had stubbornly refused to be left, but she had come anyway because—
Because Dom was here, and she was going to do it tonight.
She faced down stormwings, centaurs, and savage death machines. She should be able to do this.
She straightened her shoulders and put on her best Yamani mask. She wiped her hand against the perfectly fitted breeches again (Goddess bless Lalassa; she could make anyone look wonderful, even Kel) and reached for the door handle. It swung open before she could touch it, revealing a grinning Neal and Owen. They grabbed her and dragged into the party before she could turn tail and run away.
“He's that way,” Neal said slyly, shoving her in the direction of the window. He pointed, and she caught sight of her target. Panic clawed at the inside of her stomach. Why was she even doing this? She could be happy with just his friendship; she didn't need more. She could turn around right now, and only Neal and Owen would know her shame. Would know that the girl who had shattered everyone's expectations and won them a war had chickened out of talking to a boy. Man.
“What are you waiting for?” Owen prompted. He was smiling widely, like he could stop. “Get it, girl!” She made a mental note to stop him from hanging around with the New Hope boys. They were a bad influence. (She thought this fondly, of course, because the New Hope boys were her boys and she loved them like a mother bear.)
Kel swallowed thickly and stepped forward. She could do this. She was doing this. If it didn't work out, well, she was returning North in a month. She wouldn't have to see him again until Raoul came to visit and dragged Third Company with him. That would be awkward.
But it was too late to back out now. She had arrived.
“Hello, Kel,” Dom said with a smile. He was leaning against the wall, watching all of their friends and family eat, drink, and be merry. “Enjoying the party?”
“I have something to give you,” Kel blurted. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks when he raised his eyebrow, but she fought it off. She could do this.
“I have something to give you too,” he said. “I don't have it with me, though. It's in my rooms—”
“I have it,” Kel interrupted. “Uh. Not the gift you want to give me, obviously, but what I want to give you.” Oh gods and goddesses, this was terrible. This was worse than she had imagined.
“Alright—” he started so say, but he didn't get to finish because she kissed him.
Right there. In front of everyone.
But it didn't matter, because he kissed her back.
“I lied,” he said when they broke apart, both of them ignoring the attention their kiss had drawn. “That was just an excuse to get you alone. Looks like I didn't need it.” His eyes sparkled with mirth.
Kel didn't answer; she just kissed him again, making a rude gesture to the room at large when they started catcalling again. 'Twas the season.
Hope you like it!