A/N: Sorry, very short chappy! Also sorry that I haven't been answering
reviewers-it's a bit difficult for me to manage right now. Hope you enjoy
the fluff!
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The sun was setting majestically, rays spreading far in a last attempt to bathe the world in light. The sky was faded from a deep purplish blue to a blood-red color, which turned into orange and pink. It was to this splendor that Daine roused herself.
At first she lay still, eyes closed, continuing her peaceful pattern of breathing and letting awareness seep into her. The room was quiet, except for the regular breathing of another person there. She could tell who it was; both by the clean smell and the wonderfully steady feel of him. Her heart glowed and thumped harder, and she reveled in the fact that he was watching over her. She could tell by the feel of the sheets and mattress that she was in Numair's room, on his bed, and she could sense a small furry body pressed between her shoulder and neck, and she inhaled deeply all the mingled smells of the room-the crispness of the sheets, Numair's spicy clean scent, and Zek's comforting animal musk, as well as the ripe evening perfume of the air. She heard a horse snort close by-Cloud.
Numair sat close to her, so close she could almost touch him, and she resisted the urge to throw herself into his embrace-for starters, she wouldn't be physically able to. Daine slowly cracked her eyes open, letting the light filter in gradually. Numair, she could see now, was turned in the opposite direction, a pensive air about him as he leaned his elbows on his knees. Daine blinked as she opened her eyes the rest of the way, smiled, and put out a hand.
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Numair felt something light, soft, and familiar come to rest on his leg. Glancing down, he saw a pale, slender hand, a sharp contrast to his dark linen breeches. Joy and love filled him, even more than when he had woken to find his Daine in his arms. Gently taking her small hand in both of his larger ones, he turned slowly to look at her. She lay there, peacefully looking up at him with her stormy eyes, skinny and pale as death, and her face full of love. Her sweet, rosy lips were turned up in a smile that went through him like a spear and burrowed into his heart, joy spreading from its point. She was alive! She was well and truly alive, back to him, and if she was half as full of love as he was, he'd be more than satisfied. His beautiful, strong, perfect Daine.
Smiling so broadly he thought his face just might split down the middle, he picked her up tenderly, lifting her towards him and into the protective cradle of his arms. She snuggled contentedly into his chest, and Numair felt a glow of warmth spread from where she leaned against him, full of trust. When she looked up at him adoringly, he said in a broken voice,
"Oh, Daine.I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I was so afraid. I love you."
Her voice was so faint he might have imagined it if not for her moving lips, and he leaned in to hear her response- 4 simple words that touched his heart.
"I love you Numair."
With a bright smile and over-bright eyes, Numair leaned in and gently kissed her, then pulled away, worried. But her arms, so warm around his neck, and her mouth covering his drove his worries from his mind, and he responded with the most tender of passions, as his love pressed up against him, fingers entwined in his hair. He hugged her to him, stroking the thick, smoky hair he loved, fire rushing through his veins, and feeling weak-kneed. The places they touched, from her chest against his, her arms around his neck and her lips on his burned in his awareness. Contented, he rested in the knowledge of their love, and they held each other tightly after the first long kisses.
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A/N: Well, that was it-short but bittersweet, right?
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The sun was setting majestically, rays spreading far in a last attempt to bathe the world in light. The sky was faded from a deep purplish blue to a blood-red color, which turned into orange and pink. It was to this splendor that Daine roused herself.
At first she lay still, eyes closed, continuing her peaceful pattern of breathing and letting awareness seep into her. The room was quiet, except for the regular breathing of another person there. She could tell who it was; both by the clean smell and the wonderfully steady feel of him. Her heart glowed and thumped harder, and she reveled in the fact that he was watching over her. She could tell by the feel of the sheets and mattress that she was in Numair's room, on his bed, and she could sense a small furry body pressed between her shoulder and neck, and she inhaled deeply all the mingled smells of the room-the crispness of the sheets, Numair's spicy clean scent, and Zek's comforting animal musk, as well as the ripe evening perfume of the air. She heard a horse snort close by-Cloud.
Numair sat close to her, so close she could almost touch him, and she resisted the urge to throw herself into his embrace-for starters, she wouldn't be physically able to. Daine slowly cracked her eyes open, letting the light filter in gradually. Numair, she could see now, was turned in the opposite direction, a pensive air about him as he leaned his elbows on his knees. Daine blinked as she opened her eyes the rest of the way, smiled, and put out a hand.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair felt something light, soft, and familiar come to rest on his leg. Glancing down, he saw a pale, slender hand, a sharp contrast to his dark linen breeches. Joy and love filled him, even more than when he had woken to find his Daine in his arms. Gently taking her small hand in both of his larger ones, he turned slowly to look at her. She lay there, peacefully looking up at him with her stormy eyes, skinny and pale as death, and her face full of love. Her sweet, rosy lips were turned up in a smile that went through him like a spear and burrowed into his heart, joy spreading from its point. She was alive! She was well and truly alive, back to him, and if she was half as full of love as he was, he'd be more than satisfied. His beautiful, strong, perfect Daine.
Smiling so broadly he thought his face just might split down the middle, he picked her up tenderly, lifting her towards him and into the protective cradle of his arms. She snuggled contentedly into his chest, and Numair felt a glow of warmth spread from where she leaned against him, full of trust. When she looked up at him adoringly, he said in a broken voice,
"Oh, Daine.I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I was so afraid. I love you."
Her voice was so faint he might have imagined it if not for her moving lips, and he leaned in to hear her response- 4 simple words that touched his heart.
"I love you Numair."
With a bright smile and over-bright eyes, Numair leaned in and gently kissed her, then pulled away, worried. But her arms, so warm around his neck, and her mouth covering his drove his worries from his mind, and he responded with the most tender of passions, as his love pressed up against him, fingers entwined in his hair. He hugged her to him, stroking the thick, smoky hair he loved, fire rushing through his veins, and feeling weak-kneed. The places they touched, from her chest against his, her arms around his neck and her lips on his burned in his awareness. Contented, he rested in the knowledge of their love, and they held each other tightly after the first long kisses.
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A/N: Well, that was it-short but bittersweet, right?