Disclaimer: Ideas are mine only. Characters and Settings belong to Tamora Peirce. If there are any Typos please PM me – don't have Beta yet!

Affair?

Daine loved the way how Numair muttered in his sleep, how he muttered when he was talking, when he was eating, when he reading – he basically had an on-going conversation with himself. Daine thought this was very amusing too, because he could get quite angry with himself at times, yelling at him for 'suggesting something so obnoxious! But it might work. It the Book of…' and so on. Daine giggled to herself. Daine also found his mutterings to be very informative – he rarely told her anything that didn't directly involve her, which was very infuriating.

She discovered though, the only time that he wasn't muttering to himself was during their lovemaking, but she could understand if his mind was otherwise occupied.

So she knew something was bothering him one morning when he wasn't muttering to himself, or arguing to himself, or unknowingly informing her of some great tragedy in his latest experiment. He had heard something, and it was in the centre of his mind.

"Numair Love, what's wrong with you today?' Daine asked him, rubbing his shoulders while her long hair fell into his face. "You haven't said a word!"

"It's nothing Magelet. You don't need to be so worried. Ahh, that feels good. Did I know you could do that?"

"You don't know everything about me, Mr Black Robe. A woman is allowed her secrets," she teased but felt Numair tense up. "Numair, what is it? Talk to me!"

"It's just gossip, nothing to it. I mean, there's always gossip…"

"Numair…" She said, her voice and anger rising.

"Are you having an affair?"

"What?!" She barked out.

"Are you having an affair?"

"NO! Why would I? I love you Numair. Why would I fling around with anyone else?" She demanded.

"But the gossips have found you sneaking around with a tall dark handsome man."

"Lanky?"

"That's what they say."

"Foreign?"

"Apparently."

"Mage?"

"A powerful one. Are you sure you're not…?"

Daine burst out laughing. She laughed and laughed until her face hurt and she couldn't breathe.

"I don't see what the joke is."

"Okay, who does a tall, lanky, dark-haired foreign mage remind you of, that has been sneaking around with me?"

"How am I supposed to…"

Daine smiled and counted in her head.

One

Two

Three

Four

"Me? They think you're having an affair with me?! But I'm married to you!"

"You're obviously very good at sneaking Numair."

He looked very pleased with himself for cracking the mystery. Then his face clouded over. "If you were though. If you ever wanted a younger man then me, or a shorter one, or an ungifted one…"

"Now who's being silly?" She injected.

"You would tell me, wouldn't you?"

"Numair, how long have we been together? Friendship included?"

"A long time."

"As lovers?"

"Not quite as long," He said with a weak smile.

"And have I, at any time in that period on knowing you, ever wanted to leave you for a younger man? A shorter one? An ungifted one?"

"No, but-"

"You told me once that humans are creatures of habit. I think it's a bit late for me to change my stripes now."

"But if you did," he persisted.

She moaned in frustration before kissing him forcefully. "You silly, over-protective, over-emotional over-thinker of a mage! I LOVE YOU! I'll ask the birds to sing it for me if I have to! I'm not leaving you, never will leave you. The only way anyone is getting me off the God's green earth is you dragging me kicking and screaming."

"But what if I die first!"

"Then I won't be long after you. Really Numair, I think that by now you've realized that I'm not about to leave you. Now, have you got it through your thick head that I love you, I'm not leaving you, I never will leave you and that life – for me- would cease to exist without you?"

"You make a very compelling case." He said, his lips quirking before capturing hers. Her hands went around his neck and he carefully stood up, putting his hands on the side of her face, securing her to him.

Eventually they had to breathe, but even that didn't stop them for long, Numair finally picking her up and taking her to their rooms.

"Love you Magelet," he whispered as his hands lingered on her body.

"Love you too," she replied, playing with hair.