A/N- I don't own anything!!! Well, maybe the plot, but that's it!!! This my first shot writing

a romance fic. I've always secretly wanted to write one, which will probably come as a

surprise to most of my friends. But never fear! Humor will always triumph!!!

HAHAHAHAHA!!! There's probably not going to be much romance in it, anyways. Oh,

and it's going to be told from Neal's point-of-view. Enjoy!


Loving My Best Friend


Prologue:

I never even considered it happening, but it did. I mean, my cousin and my best friend, in love? I

know, I never thought it would happen either, but it did. It did. And now it's the night before

their wedding. I'm amazed. I never thought either of them would last in a relationship. But this

story isn't about my amazement. This is about them. It's their story. Well, mostly.

----------------

Chapter One:

Of Ale and Kissing Warriors

It first started at a party down at the Dancing Dove, where some of the knights and

members of the King's Own had decided to have a party celebrating, well, celebrating nothing,

actually. There was nothing to celebrate, as far as I was concerned. It was the middle of winter,

there was a blizzard going on outside. Then again, maybe that was something to celebrate. I

mean, we were all back at the castle for Midwinter and it was to stormy out to go outside and

practice, unless of course you wished to be buried alive by piles of snow. I had planned to stay

in my rooms and read. But of course, with friends like mine, I'm never able to. So, as I was

about to settle down for the night with my book, who else but Keladry of Mindelean and

Domitan of Masbolle came bouncing through the door. They plucked me up out of my chair and

dragged out of my room, through the snow and into the Dancing Dove. We hadn't been there

five minutes when the night took a turn to the worst. For me, anyways.

Dom's voice rang through the mish-mash of voices filling the bar. "I dare you to drink it all,

Meathead." He pushed a tankard the size of a large boot towards me. I sniffed it and cringed. It

was filled with the foulest stuff I had ever smelt, and I've smelled some pretty bad brews in my

lifetime.

"What is it?" I demanded, wrinkling my nose against the stench.

Kel was the one to answer. "An ale imported from the Yamani Islands. It's not stuff to be

toyed with, that there. Papa had some once and it blew steam out of his ears. Literally."

I grimaced and pushed the tankard back to my cousin. "After you," I said.

Dom pushed it back again, grinning slyly. Then, slowly, softly, he began to chant, "Drink it,

drink it, drink it-"

My eyes grew wide. I knew what was about to happen. "No. Dom please!"

Kel joined in, and the chanting grew a little louder, "Drink it, drink it, drink it-"

I was pleading now. "Stop. Please. Kel, you don't even drink. Leave me alone! Come

on."

Yuki joined in this time around, as the chant grew louder and faster, "Drink it, drink it,

drink it!"

"Nooo," I moaned and put my face in my hands.

Merric, Owen, and Cleon joined in, pounding their fists on the table in time with the chant,

"Drink it, drink it, drink it!!!"

Now more people were looking up from their own ale's and conversations, to see what

was going on. Half the bar joined the chanting and fist-banging, "DRINK IT, DRINK IT,

DRINK IT!"

I started gently banging my head against the table.

By this time everyone knew what was going on, and everyone, even Raoul who never,

ever touches a drop of ale, had joined in. The chanting now rose to a deafening roar. "DRINK

IT, DRINK IT, DRINK IT, DRINK IT, DRINK IT, DRINK IT!!!"

I now started slamming my head against the table, as hard as I could, hoping to knock

myself out, thus ending this embarrassment. I attempted to drown out the din.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I yelled, my strangled screams swallowed up whole by the chants.

They were trying their best to get me, but they would never succeed, for I am the mighty Sir

Nealen of Queenscove! I could hold out forever! They would never win! Never!

HAHAHAHA!!! Suddenly my triumphant thoughts were crushed when a hand came around the

back of my head and pinched my nose. I tried in vain to claw their hand away, but it was

clamped on harder than a horse (being Peachblossom) bites a person (being me, or mainly, my

hand).

I heard the hand's owner, who sounded very much like my dear cousin Dom, yell, "You

have to breathe sometime, Meathead!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

I shook my head, refusing to open my mouth and breath, but already I was running out of

air. I clamped my jaw together as hard as I could. I could see dark red circles floating in front of

my eyes. I could still vaguely hear the chanting of "DRINK IT, DRINK IT, DRINK IT!" in

the back of my head. I felt like I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. I'll never give up!

I thought, For I am the mighty Sir Nealen of- And my traitor body opened its mouth. I took a

deep breath, inhaling air and the dreaded ale all at once. I choked as the stuff burned my mouth,

but I was hacking mostly because I had half a tankard of the junk in my lungs. So I sat,

sputtering and gagging, as Dom poured the rest of the liquid down my throat, the whole bar

cheering in the background. The ordeal over, everyone went back to their drinks and

conversations, completely forgetting about me. Everyone except my dear friends, that is.

Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau let out a heartly laugh, saying, "Too hot for you,

Neal?"

I choked on, as, sure enough, steam poured out of my ears.

They howled with laughter.

I cleared my throat, most of the ale now dribbling off my chin or dripping down the front of

my shirt. Hoarsely I said, "Oh, very nice. So this is how you repay me for years of friendship

and loyalty, huh?"

Kel laughed. "Yes, actually, it is!"

"I hate you all."

"C'mon Meathead, you know you love us," Dom said, nudging his cousin.

That earned him a scowl from me. "My name is not Meathead."

Yuki smirked. "O.k., Nealen."

"You're supposed to be on my side!!!"

"Says who?"

"Well, we are kind of married!"

"And your point would be?"

Raoul looked at me, sympathy in his eyes. "It's no use Neal. We may be married to them,

but you can never get a woman to take your side if they don't want to, even your own wife."

Buri grinned slyly and tapped her husband on the shoulder. As Raoul turned to face her,

she lunged at him, catching him up in a kiss. Everyone at the table cheered. I think Yuki felt a

need to prove herself in some way, because the next thing I knew, she had thrown herself at me.

I fell out of my seat as she kissed me madly. The cheering grew louder. Then the cheering grew

louder, but I didn't think much of it until I heard someone yell, "Go Dom!"

My eyes snapped open and I jumped up. Sitting at the table were Kel and Dom. Dom had

his arms around Kel and was kissing her passionately. My eyes grew wide as I took in the

scene. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And my cousin was the cause of it. I couldn't take

it. I glared at him, my eyes bulging.

"YOU MISBEGOTTEN SON OF A STORMWING!!!"