I know, it's mournfully short (or at least in my opinion), but I think what it lacks in size it makes up for in content. I hope you all like it! Please note that I really don't care if Mistletoe does or doesn't exist in Tortall, or if it goes by another name. I'm just using it anyway. Also know that I will ignore anything anybody says about anybody being too OOC. As far as I'm concerned, Kel has a bit of an evil streak. It could happen. It's my interpretation of her character, anyway.
Sorry if I'm sharp. It's late at night. I need some sleep. Sigh.
I hope you all enjoy your Midwinter fluff!
Yuki shook her head, smiling wryly, a trick she'd picked up from being around her dear husband far too long. "And you've been planning this for how long, again?"
"Ever since I first found out about what they thought. I've known since the beginning of October," he said promptly, his emerald eyes glinting evilly in the well-lit ballroom.
"Neal, you really are quite an evil little matchmaker on the inside," Yuki said, gently scolding him. Neal rolled his eyes, and she responded with a quick kiss on the cheek. "That doesn't mean you're not one of the kindest people I know, dear," she said sweetly. He perked up again at that.
"So, will you help me out here? Please?"
"Don't be dense, Meathead, of course I'll help!"
"I'll let that slide. Thanks, Yuki," he said, smiling evilly. "But, I have to ask – only one of the kindest?"
"Don't push your luck, Neal," Yuki murmured. She tapped her fan with a finger, and Neal grinned sheepishly.
"This will be the best Midwinter ever."
Neal and Yuki waded through the crowd, searching out Kel and Dom. They were found leaning against a wall. Kel was dressed in a modest brown gown that was simply cut and showed off her figure, along with a fashionable long coat on top in her favorite color, russet red. Dom sported a pair of simple black breeches and a bright blue, tight-fit shirt, to bring out the blue in his eyes, with a navy blue jacket. The two of them were arguing about something. Interesting, Neal thought, and stopped for a moment to eavesdrop.
"I know it's the last Midwinter party of the year, but I still don't see how you enjoy all of this. It's so boring and pointless," Kel argued. "And it's so hot and stuffy in here! The temperature is absurd. It's so boring just to watch everybody dance and talk. I'm bored, so why are you not?"
"That's just the effects of being around your knight-master, Kel. It rubs off on you. I personally cannot understand how you don't enjoy this. How can you be bored? I mean, really! The food's delicious, the music is wonderful, there are all the pretty girls to look at, you included…" Dom replied, trailing off with a flirtatious smile directed at his friend.
"Dom..." Kel scowled. Recently she'd grown very irritated with Dom's flirting, even though she'd never really cared whether he did or didn't before. She was slightly pink and looking a little angry.
He grinned infuriatingly at her. "What?"
She sighed, and shrugged. "You're hopeless." Neal took this as his cue to enter with Yuki.
"That he is, Lady Knight. Glad you noticed, it certainly took you long enough," Neal joked.
Kel and Dom simultaneously glared at him and said, "Hello, Meathead." Forgetting to be mad at the use of his favorite nickname, he laughed at them.
"Hello! Nice to see you, too. Anyway, you both look terribly bored, to be arguing about boredom itself. Might I suggest we go out to the balcony? Then Dom won't miss the sight of pretty ladies," Neal suggested, causing Kel to sigh with exasperation, "and Kel will be away from most of the flirts and the heat of the room. Sound good?"
Dom and Kel looked skeptical. "How do we know we can trust you, Neal? I smell something fishy," Kel said with her face as Yamani impassive as Yuki's.
Dom smirked. "I'm not sure I trust you either, I'm afraid. Prove to us you're not going to dump any water on Kel like last time, and I might be willing to go. There's a chance."
"Oh, please. It's Midwinter, and besides, I trust him. Don't you trust me? I assure you, nobody's going to get water dumped on them," Yuki joked, a tiny smile on her face.
The reluctant two glanced at each other with a shrug. Yuki and Neal grabbed Kel and Dom, respectively, by the arms, half-dragging them to the balcony, before the two indignantly yanked their arms muttering about how they could walk for themselves. They followed a few paces behind, watching as Yuki put her head on Neal. They didn't know she was grinning – Yuki? Grinning? They would've known something was up if they saw.
Just as they left the huge room, feeling the very chilly air brush across their faces, Neal and Yuki turned suddenly and said, "Don't move."
Surprised, the two addressed halted in their tracks, right beneath the arch to the balcony. Neal grinned at them evilly, but even though they waited, he said nothing.
"What?" Dom asked, fed up with Neal, hoping for an answer from him.
It was Yuki who said quietly, "look up."
He did, Kel following suit.
"Oh, what do you know?" Neal commented cheerily. "Mistletoe! How funny! And it seems the both of you are under it. Well, you know tradition," he said, and promptly earned himself a good round of glares. He smiled at them kindly, turning their glares to stares. "You'd have never told each other otherwise. Now kiss and make out."
Impassively Kel and Dom turned to each other, seemingly unaware of the snickers from the ones on the balcony who weren't preoccupied. Dom raised his eyebrows questioningly. In return, Kel blushed slightly, but then gave him a nod so small that only Neal, Yuki, Raoul and Buri (Raoul and Buri had followed the four out because they were curious and bored) saw it in the least.
"Midwinter Luck," Dom said softly.
That was the last moment that Neal thought he was in control.
Suddenly they grinned and leaned forward into a passionate, loving kiss, both of them now entirely oblivious to anybody else's presence. People whistled and cheered as Neal's cousin and his best friend made out with each other in front of the whole balcony's worth of people and the small group inside who'd noticed. Neal's jaw dropped, right along with Raoul's - only a little farther.
When at last they finished their absolutely wonderful kiss (it took a while) Kel and Dom stepped back against their own sides of the stone arch. Bright red, and not completely because of her slight lack of air, Kel managed to quickly pull on a Yamani mask, leaving only her eyes to show her amusement. She glanced at Neal, and nearly grinned at the look on his face.
"Goddess, Queenscove. We only kissed like you wanted us to," she said.
"In answer to your unspoken question," Dom said with a completely uncontrolled grin, "We've been doing that for a month, twenty days, and oh, five hours?"
"Dom, you mean seven hours," Kel pointed out, still straight-faced. Under other circumstances Neal would have told her that it was a little scary how calm she could be at need.
"Sorry, I'm still a little star-struck from our little display. Oh, and so you don't completely freak out, Neal, we've only kissed."
Kel quipped, "Unfortunately."
"Well, then why didn't you say so before?" Dom asked, now shifting his attention to Kel. She flashed a quick smile at him. With a bow, he held his arm out like a lord for his lady. She took it, still enjoying everything from the kiss to Neal's reaction to this. Dom ruined the courtly moment by kissing her on the cheek and winking at her. Kel laughed, and together they strode down the hall.
"Did you see his face?" Kel said, before they were out of both earshot and sight - no doubt heading towards one of their rooms.
Neal and Raoul looked at each other. Neal was still shocked into silence, and Raoul was now simply shaking his head, trying to make sense of what he'd seen.
Yuki and Buri scowled. What, they hadn't noticed? Their husbands could be more dense than the heavy rock of a mountain. Shaking their heads, they dragged them away into the dance once more. And The Great Midwinter Mishap, as it would be called forevermore by Kel's year-mates and Dom's squad, ended very much happily ever after.
Well, at least until Neal and Raoul decided to prank them for the shock they'd given him. But you get the general idea.
-End-
Well, that's it, my Holiday season gift to you all! I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did, and better yet I know Kel and Dom did. All ends well.
Happy Holidays! Enjoy yourselves!