A/N: Yet another chapter. Read and review :-)

Chapter 9 – Security

He stood for a long time with his back to Daine. He heard how the blankets were moved and little feet coming toward him. Closing his eyes he hated himself in the seconds after the door was closed.

"Are you okay?" asked a gentle voice that belonged to Daine. She looked investigative up at him.

He wouldn't answer her. The situation was embarrassing and if it had not been for her, he had been on the verge of injury Julianna. He hated himself.

"Numair?" she called again when he still stood with closed eyes. She reached out to him, slowly and laid her hand on his chest that rose and fell because of his strained breathing.

How he hated himself sincerely, he kept thinking, ignoring her hand.

Her touch didn't help. Daine lifted hesitant her hand away and let it rest against his cheek. She slowly began to caress. This seemed to wake him up and he met her eyes.

Stormy blue gray eyes looked into his hazel as he felt a cold hand that was gently placed against his cheek. He put his hand on top Daine's and moved it down to his mouth where he kissed her palm gently. "Sorry we woke you," he whispered quietly.

He had never kissed her hand such and with his lips to her palm she shuddered slightly. "It's okay" Daine looked shy up at Numair. "Sorry I didn't tell you about Julianna". Such affection scared her a bit, but after what happened she understood why he needed comfort. Although the consolation he gave wasn't for himself, but for her.

Numair looked surprised at his student. He let go of her hand slowly. "You knew?".

Daine nodded and took her hand to herself. The touch of his lips still burned and she pressed it against her chest. She would have told Numair what she had heard, but the sound of his heartbeat had forced her to sleep. She looked down at her bare before she replied, "I overheard a conversation with some girls," she blushed heavily "actually I transformed my ears so I could hear them."

Numair smiled at this information, letting go of his self loathing only for a few seconds but got seriously again "And?" He asked quietly fully conscious that his gaze hung on her hands which slowly caressed themselves where he had kissed the skin.

"They discussed how much payment William had received from Julianna. I thought he liked me. I tried to escape to my room, but ... the blizzard". She noticed how drops of tears began to made their way down her cheeks. "He followed me out into the corridor and ... you already know the rest."

A drop of salt water landed on her clutching hands. Numair looked up surprised, shocked to find her in tears he reached out with both hands and wiped the drops away with his thumbs first on her hand then on her cheeks. "I'm sorry he deceived you," he replied quietly. "If I had known ..." He hesitated and lifted her face wanting to meet her eyes.

Daine looked up. "It's okay Numair. I should have known better. I don't think there will be other boys in my life. I'm done with them". Her teacher was very close to her and his hands against her cheeks burned where they touched the skin.

"Don't say such things. There will be others. maybe not boys, but a man who wants you. I'm sure of it" Numair said hesitant pulling her closer. Looking down, she was only one head lower then him, a loose lock of hair blocked his view.

She reached up and stroked the impossible wisp of hair away from his face. While she let her fingers buried in the long black hair and noticed amazed how soft it was. Daine didn't want to take her hand away. She liked to touch him, but it was almost like it was too close. Once again she saw how Numair's eyes changed color and a secret glow appeared. She gasped for breath and as soon as the glow had appeared, it was gone again, but his hands was still caressing her cheeks.

He wanted to pull his hands away, it was easy so close he stood to her, to lean forward and put his lips against hers. He straightened himself up with a start, breaking their touch. He pulled his hands slowly to himself glad that the cord from his hair lay on the floor.

Daine saw how Numair bent down and took the cord off the floor. The moment he took his hands up and gathered his hair she threw her arms around him and buried her nose in the fabric of the shirt. "Ugh" she heard him exclaim, but she didn't care. She was feeling something and she let that something overtake her actions.

When the hair was tied Numair threw his arms around her and pulled her to him. It was nice holding her again. If he just could stay like that forever with her...this time he didn't pull back. He carefully lifted her up in his arms, noticing how she took her arms around his neck. He walked over to the makeshift bed and sat her down gently. Numair paused for a moment, leaning forward, closing the pace between him and Daine wanting to touch her lips with his. "I just remembered that I completely forgot to give you your midwinter gift" he said instead and rose. His heart was running so fast in his chest that he felt slight dizzy.

Daine looked after him as he walked away. She discovered that her breathing was rapid and she wondered if he had noticed it, and if that was why he had pulled away. "Midwinter gift? Oh! Numair, I completely forgot, yours lies in my room," she said a little high. She saw how Numair opened a drawer in his workbench and took two packets out.

"It doesn' t matter magelet. You can give them to me tomorrow when I follow you home" Numair said silent while he closed the drawer. There lay two more gifts down there, but they had to wait for her birthday or a special event. He smiled as he turned around. Daine sat with fingers intertwined, a habit that revealed when she was nervous and it was obvious that she was now.

It occurred to her suddenly. She didn't know what had happened to William. What fate had he gotten? Daine saw how Numair sat down cross-legged in front of her, almost one an a half a arm's lenght from her. This was his way of sitting when they should either meditate or when he would begin a lesson. She hesitated a bit.

Numair began to hand over the first package to Daine, but pulled his hand away again when she began to speak. He put the package into his lap and waited.

Daine wasn't sure if she dared ask Numair about William. She had clearly sensed his resistance to the young man, but again, it had been William who had attacked her. She shouldn't feel sorry for this boy, but she did nonetheless. She finally pulled herself together and asked, "What happened to William?" She heard how timid her own voice was.

Numair carefully studied Daine's face. What should he say? That he nearly had cooked the young man to death? That he had thought that William had killed her? The truth may be the best way. Numair knew how Daine would react if he failed give her the true details, she would be told somehow later on. It had happened a few times where he deliberately had lied to her, with almost fatal consequences. "He is in a coma at Duke Baird," he started to tell.

"How did that happen?" Daine asked shocked.

He laid the packages down on the floor and crept closer. He wanted to make sure that if she reacted that he could reach her and comfort her. Numair sighed. "I," he began slowly before he pulled himself together "I tried to cook him."

Daine looked even more shocked at her teacher who now sat with his knees touching hers. She had seen this man sitting opposite her, turning an old acquaintance into an apple tree, because the man Tristan had threatened her life. She shouldn't be surprised, but she was. "Why?" she asked.

"Well. I thought he had done you serious harm, so I used mind control" Numair scratched himself first in the neck and grimaced at the thought.

Daine stared amazed. "You never told me you could," she stopped abruptly, "have you used it on me?" she asked and looked at him suspiciously. She had known that Numair was capable of many things, but mind control?

Numair reached for her "Never, magelet" he replied before he continued touching her cheek reassuring "it's just something I use in extreme urgent cases, like tonight. No one knew that I could. I suspect that I will get reprimanded by Jonathan one of the next few days, he was a little surprised. "Numair suddenly saw a smile spread in Daine's face, but was it caused by the mention of Jonathan's name or that he would be reprimanded he didn't know. He hoped for the last. Not wanting his magelet to be in love with another man, even if that man was the king! "So you find that funny?" He teased a bit insecure as he leaned forward and began impulsively to tickle her.

Daine squealed and began to laugh. "No! Please, Numair" She tried to climb back towards the couch, but was forced down into the blankets laughing.

He continued to tickle her, even though he knew he should stop, but the sound of her laughter made him continue. "Are you done thinking it's funny that I should be reprimanded?" Numair asked. He lingered over her and looked into the intense blue-gray eyes.

Daine was resting on her elbows, half lying. She shook her head vaguely so her curly hair danced. "No," she replied and prepared for his attack.

As expected, he attacked her, but only in fun. With light fingers tickling her stomach, he came closer and she let it happen.

She lay down flat on top of the blankets, stretched as Numair asked her once again. "Are you done?" he asked breathlessly with his body hanging over her only supported with his strong arms and his hands placed on either side of her head. "Do you surrender yourself?" he asked with a deep voice.

"To you. Always" Daine said smiling.

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