Truth or Dare: Tortallan Style

"I hate being bored," Neal commented to nobody in particular. "Anybody got any ideas?" He, Dom, Wolset, Merric, Yuki, and Kel were sitting around in the practice courts at New Hope—with absolutely nothing to do for once, as no one felt like actually practicing.

Silence.

"We could play Truth or Dare," Wolset commented suddenly, he looked over at Dom with an evil grin.

Dom paled, and his eyes flickered to Kel. Wolset had figured it out ages ago, and Dom knew quite well what he had in store for that "game."

"That's a children's game," he answered, as casually as he could, giving Wolset a warning glare.

"We could play for money!" Neal suggested enthusiastically, quite oblivious to the whole silent exchange. Dom could've killed his cousin right then. "At least put money on the dares…"

"What's Truth or Dare?" Yuki asked.

"It's a Tortallan game," Kel explained. "If you pick truth, you have to answer an embarrassing question, and if you pick dare, you have to do whatever you're told to do."

"That sounds fun. Let's play. It's not like we have anything else to do."

"What do you think, Dom? Will you join the game?" Wolset grinned wickedly. Dom, knowing there was no way to refuse gracefully, nodded. He'd have to tread lightly. And no matter what, he couldn't pick truth. He'd just have to do whatever Wolset threw at him.

"Ok, Yuki. Truth or dare?" Neal asked.

She hesitated. "Truth," she said at last. She snapped her fan out and hid her face behind it, in preparation for embarrassment.

"What was your first impression of me?" he asked. All around the circle people groaned.

"Could you get anymore boring, Meathead?" Dom asked.

"Don't worry, Dom," Wolset said. "I'm sure this'll get more interesting after a while."

Note to self: Demote Wolset.

Yuki closed her fan with a smile. "I thought you were very naïve, but really sweet and cute."

"Ah, how sweet," Wolset said sarcastically. "So Yuki, now it's your turn to ask someone."

"All right then. Um…Wolset. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he answered without hesitation. Yuki frowned in concentration.

"I don't know," she said after a while. "Someone help me out?" Kel leaned over and whispered something into her ear, smirking. Yuki looked a combination of amused and horrified at the same time. "I can't make him do that!" she exclaimed through laughs.

"Sure you can! That's the whole point of the game, Yuki."

She thought about it. "All right, then. Wolset, I dare you to…" she told him the dare. His eyes grew wide.

"I can't do that!" he exclaimed as everyone else laughed hysterically. "He'll kill me! They don't call him the Giantkiller for his sweet disposition!"

"For…five gold nobles."

"Such a small amount for all my troubles?"

"Six, then."

Wolset sighed. "A soldier never backs down from a dare. But it'll take some time."

"Then we'll wait," Kel said wickedly. "You can go get things ready."

"But it's my turn now!"

"Not until you finish your dare," Kel told him mischievously. Dom let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Wolset couldn't do anything to him yet, at least. Maybe he could get out of this game somehow.

"But—but! Fine." He stormed off to perform the task, Neal followed—to make sure he actually did it.

-

The two returned half an hour later, Wolset's face flushed from running.

"You did it, then?" Kel asked.

Wolset glared at her. "I hope you're happy. He nearly caught me!"

The group grinned mischieviously. "I can't wait for morning—that will be an interesting sight," Merric said.

"You won't have to wait," Neal told him. "The giant decided to take an early shower tonight…what luck!"

"If I'd have been half a hair slower he'd have caught me switching the bottles!" Wolset complained. He plopped down in his previous spot. "Ok. I did my dare, now it's my turn. Dom, truth or dare?" Dom paled slightly. But he knew he couldn't pick truth.

"Dare," he said reluctantly, knowing he had no choice.

Wolset grinned evilly—again. "I dare you to kiss Kel, for ten gold nobles."

His cheeks reddened slightly, and he didn't dare look at Kel. But just as soon his blush faded as a stroke of brilliance hit him. "If you say so." He picked up Kel's hand and kissed her fingertips, then held out his hand to Wolset. "Pay up." Kel laughed, soon joined by everyone else, except Wolset who looked thoroughly put out.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Sorry, Wolset, you've got to learn to be more specific," said Kel through her gasps of laughter.

-

After a few more turns of the game, many embarrassing/hysterical occurrences had taken place. Merric had admitted he fancied a lady in the Queen's Riders, Yuki, on her second truth, had told an embarrassing story from her childhood, and Neal had run around the camp, screaming about rabid monkeys—much to passers amusement and confusion. It was about this time that Raoul came storming up to the group. No one noticed at first.

"Who did it?!" he demanded, making those who still hadn't noticed him jump and turn around. His face was red—from anger or embarrassment or both, no one knew—but it clashed oddly with his now bright-pink hair.

Yuki flipped open her fan, hiding the grin her Yamani mask was refusing to conceal. Kel didn't bother and laughed so hysterically Raoul glared at her accusingly. Kel shook her head, body shaking in laughter. "Wasn't—wasn't me, sir," she said between gasps. "Swear by Mithros and the Goddess!"

Neal clapped Wolset on the back. "It was nice knowing you," he muttered, but Raoul heard.

"Corporal!" he shouted.

"Nice going," Wolset muttered back. He shrank away when Raoul approached him. "It's just temporary!" he cried. "It comes out in three washings!" he raised his arms over his head. Self-preservation came before dignity.

Raoul threw up his arms and stormed off. "Whatever you do to amuse yourselves, leave me out of it from now on!" he called over his shoulder. The laughter continued among the group for some time, until Neal promptly remembered he'd just completed his own dare.

"My turn!" Neal said happily. He and Wolset locked eyes for a moment, making Dom tense again. Just what were they planning? "Kel, truth or dare?"

Kel sighed. "Dare, I suppose."

Another grin—there was a lot of grinning in this game, Dom noticed, none of which had meant anything good to him. Sure enough, Neal turned his gaze to Dom, still speaking to Kel. "I dare you to kiss Dom. On the lips. For ten gold nobles."

"Come on, Meathead," Dom scolded. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Kel would do if forced to follow through on the dare. "You shouldn't—" he was cut off though when Kel, surprisingly, leaned over and pressed her lips to his briefly. Too soon for his liking, though, she pulled back, and apart from the mild pink hue settled across her cheeks she might have done nothing but shake his hand.

"Not flustered, are you Dom?" she asked teasingly.

"No!" he said quickly, blushing again.

-

"We'll pick up the game tomorrow again?" Neal asked. "This is fun."

"Sure," Wolset yawned. "Tomorrow. G'night then." The group dispersed.

"Well I must admit, this has been fun," Dom commented, as he and Kel walked towards their rooms, trying to fill the silence with conversation. He still hadn't been able to look at her since…that certain dare. Of course that was just it—it had been a dare—but he still couldn't get the kiss off his mind.

"Mmhm. I didn't think we'd be spending so much time playing a child's game."

"Ya…imagine that." What else could he say? "But at least we're both up in money."

"For now at least. We'll see how it goes tomorrow." She laughed. "I think Wolset just about wet himself when you kissed my hand."

Dom laughed nervously. "He did, didn't he?"

They'd reached Kel's door. "Well, good night," Kel said, pulling out her key from her pocket, as Dom walked past towards his own room.

"Good night." Dom could have kicked himself. Small talk! After knowing each other six years, they were making small talk. He wondered if she was feeling just as flustered, though, or if he was simply being an idiot.

It hadn't even meant anything, it had just been a silly little dare. He'd even been dared the same thing! Of course he hadn't actually kissed her. He didn't want her to figure it out, after all. But she had kissed him. But that could go either way. That could mean that she felt the same (a man could hope, couldn't he?) or she didn't feel anything, which is why she hadn't been embarrassed. Maybe he should tell her…but no. That would be disastrous.

Finally he reached his own room and unlocked the door. Sometimes he wanted to just grab her and kiss her. Ok, so that wasn't entirely accurate. He always wanted to just grab her and kiss her. It had been that way for over four years, and he still hadn't done anything about it—it was pathetic. He closed the door again.

-

A knock on the door. "Just a second!" a voice called. A few moments later Kel opened the door. "Dom? Wh—?"

He kissed her—feeling the shock radiate through her body. It was so wonderful, feeling her lips against his. They stayed like that for several moments. Several long, wonderful moments. Though every one of his instincts screamed for him to never let her go, he reluctantly pulled away.

He looked her in the eyes for the first time since she had kissed him. "I wanted to do my dare properly?" he offered with a nervous grin.

A blush had risen to her cheeks, but she smiled. "And what happens if I accuse you of copying me?"

He took the smile as a good sign. But of course, an even greater sign was when she reached up and kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, cherishing this feeling.

Maybe he wouldn't demote Wolset after all.

A/N: Please R&R! I would be eternally grateful! (And feel free to check out my other fics, as well. hint-hint-hint)