Instant Reflexes

K/D

One shot

Kel and Dom were at the practice courts. They had been sword-fighting most of the morning, and neither was gaining a lead. Finally, they stopped, calling it a draw. They stood for a few moments, breathing hard.

Finally, Dom stated teasingly, "You know, I would've won if we would have kept going. I am so much better at-" He didn't finish, for he was to busy laughing as he dodged the punch the lady knight had aimed at him. She pulled her arm back and glared at him, though there was laughter sparkling in her eyes. Suddenly, her fist came out of nowhere, and was about to catch him right in the arm. In one movement he had intercepted it with his own hand and had begun to drag her closer to him. Her face was mere centimeters from his, and he closed the distance in less than a second.

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her sweet lips, but didn't let go of her waist. Looking at her face, Dom realized that she must have forgotten to put her Yamani mask back on, for confusion, embarrassment, and something else that he really couldn't read lingered on her face.

"Dom-" She began, but was cut off once again as he pressed his lips to hers for another kiss. After she had regained her control, she asked in a curious voice, "What was that?"

Suddenly an idea came to him. "Call it an instant reflex," He drawled. "Anytime you punch me, or harm me intentionally in any way, that is what will happen." Her face grew more and more pink as he spoke. It looked as if she were about to punch him again, but obviously thought better of it.

Finally, he released her. "Shall we head to the mess, milady?" He asked, pretending as if nothing had happened. She nodded her agreement, and they sauntered off.

------

In the mess, they got their trays and went to sit down at their usual table with Neal, Yuki, Owen, Cleon, Merric, and several others.

"Hey, guys, where have you been all day? I was going to see if you wanted to join Dom and me in practicing."

Neal snorted. "That is exactly why we weren't anywhere you could spot us. We had no want to get bloodied and bruised by the beautiful lady knight. While Dom couldn't do any real damage, we all knew you could."

Dom drew himself up in his seat. "For you information, I beat her. By a long shot."

Kel gasped before reaching out to punch him. He caught her fist in his hand. "You don't really want to do that, do you, Kel?" He asked quietly.

The whole table laughed. "Yeah, I think she does, mate." Merric said. Kel nodded her head in agreement. Shrugging his shoulders, he said calmly, "Fine," before returning to his food, uninterested that he was about to be punched by a furious lady knight. The moment he felt her fist touch his arm, however, he turned around. "I told you the consequences, Kel. I even tried to warn you to save you the embarrassment." He whispered, moving closer and closer. "But you wouldn't listen. So now, I will carry out my threat."

"Dom, please, no!" She pleaded.

He smiled easily. "I'll make a deal with you. I will let you run, and you can hide anywhere you want as long as it is in the palace. But if I find you, you have to kiss me. Deal?" He raised his eyebrows. She had a nervous look in her eye, but shook her head in agreement. "I will give you sixty seconds to run before I leave. Go."

She didn't need telling twice. Kel ran as fast as she could out of the mess hall doors, leaving people staring after her. Inside the room, however, Dom was laughing. Oh, he'd gotten her this time. He and Neal had played hide and seek here all the time as kids, and he knew all the hiding spots.

After counting to sixty, Dom followed her, still laughing to himself. He made his way to the great hall. It had the best hiding places, and Kel was most likely in there. Skirting to a halt when he got to the bottom of the stairs, he looked around, then walked over to the suits of armor. She was not behind any of them. Next he checked under the tables, behind the serving area, and even in a small closet. She was not in any of those places. He was about to leave to check somewhere else when he saw a slight bulge in one of the tapestries. It appeared to cover a door, which explained why he couldn't see her feet. Going over to it, he said in a mocking voice, "I wonder what this may be?" before pulling it aside. Behind it stood a shocked, not to mention highly embarrassed, Kel.

"Fancy finding you here." He teased, flashing her a grin. "Now, I believe we had a deal, so pay up, Protector." Her blush increased until she was so red, she resembled a tomato. Finally, she moved over and placed a very chaste kiss on his cheek.

Smiling, he told her, "Nope, that doesn't work, Kel. It has to be a real kiss." He held back a laugh as she tried to push her humiliation over the entire situation down.

Then she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she gently pressed her lips to his. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her into himself as he took over the kiss.

"You're a jerk," She whispered against his lips, "But I love you." He pulled back, slightly shocked and extremely delighted at this statement, and, seeing the love in her eyes that he could earlier not identify, once again pulled her against his chest, a lot more possessively this time. Before he kissed her again, however, he kissed her ear and whispered into it, "I love you, too."