Always And Forever
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all characters)
Daine woke up in a warm bed with warm sheets all around her. Funny, she thought, I don't even remember falling asleep. She rolled over to see Numair lying next to her. She jumped up, startling Numair awake.
"What?" he asked groggily.
"How did I get here? I didn't- We- I mean"
Numair quieted her with a hand over her mouth. "You fell asleep so I brought you back. Take a look, you're fully clothed."
Well she felt like an idiot. "Sorry, I just haven't shared a bed with any one for over a year."
"Oh really?" He asked eyebrows raised.
She blushed. "No, I didn't seem to have any interest in anyone else." It was true. People had tried, but she'd had to let them all down. She supposed it was her love for Numair that she didn't even realize she had.
He pulled her up against him. "Well, that's good to know."
Some one knocked on the door and Daine fled to the closet. Daine and Numair were supposed to be apart; this would not look good.
"Have you seen Daine?" It was Alanna. "I'm worried about her."
"Why would I have seen her?" Good acting. "Check the stables."
"You haven't even looked for her?" Alanna wasn't buying it.
"I did, but she wouldn't talk to me. She'll probably listen to you."
As soon as Alanna left Daine came out. Numair kissed her softly and whispered in her ear. "I recommend you get down to the stables. She'll be waiting."
"You're right." Daine jumped out the window and ran to the stables. She could probably get there first. When she got there no one was around. She jumped into Cloud's pasture. ~*Lay down and pretend to be asleep*~ She told the pony silently.
~*Why?*~ Cloud asked, always skeptical.
~*Just do it*~ Daine hissed.
As soon as the pony was down, Daine curled up next to her. It wouldn't be abnormal for her to have stayed outside for the night. She'd done it enough when she'd lived here.
"Daine!" She heard Alanna calling. "Are you here?"
She felt some one tap on her shoulder and looked up. Alanna was standing over her. "Hi Alanna." She sat up groggily, which wasn't hard because she was still tired and asked, "What do you need?"
Alanna sat down next to her. "I'm worried about you. You just up and left without an explanation to any one and Numair tells me you won't even talk to him. What's wrong?"
"Alanna, I'm so scared. I'm scared to ruin his life," she confessed, even though Numair already knew. "He won't want me in a few years, I know it." She wasn't entirely sure she was wrong even though Numair had done a fairly good job of convincing her otherwise.
"Daine, whatever is between you and Numair I don't care about right now. I want to know why you left. I want to know why you didn't tell me or any one else." Cloud got up and started to nibble lightly on Daine's arm.
Daine looked up at Alanna helplessly. "I didn't want to see you react. I didn't want to see the drama, I just wanted it to happen. I didn't want everyone brooding over me."
The lady knight just smiled and shook her head. "I suppose you're right if you look at it that way. I'm glad you're back." Alanna stood and held out a hand, helping Daine up. "You should talk to Numair. You have no idea how upset he was."
"He was?" This would be a very good opportunity to see what Numair really felt.
"It was almost instant. As soon as you left he went into a sort of solitary daze. He never did anything unless he had to, just locked himself in his room. He wanted to use every magic he could think of to find out where you were, but we made him promise not to. We all wanted to know, but if hadn't wanted us to you would have told us."
Daine's heart did two things; it jumped and it sank. He really had missed her, but how could she have done that to him? How could she have ruined his life like that? He must really love her if he hadn't come to reality in a whole year. That should have been enough time. "I think I'll go talk to him."
"Good." Alanna walked to the stables, obviously to talk to Onua and Daine went back to Numair.
When she got there he was waiting for her. She stopped in the door, staring at him critically. Did he really miss her that much? He did look different, older than he should look. He was skinnier and he had lines under his eyes. It had been a rough year. He hadn't eaten or slept properly; no doubt her fault. "Numair."
"Yes love?" He asked, not even standing up.
"You really do love me don't you?" She was absolutely serious. She had to hear him say it himself. She needed to know that he would never leave her like she'd left him.
"Yes." It was a simple answer, but all she needed. She didn't need him to pour his heart out; he'd given her the honest truth.
She ran forward and threw her arms around him, snuggling in his chest, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. How could he ever forgive something like that? And yet, he had. He had done it, no questions asked. "I love you so much."
(A/N: Did you like it? Did you hate it? Do you have any questions/comments? If so, leave a review and tell me all about it. And remember to check out my other fics. I have more T.P., I have His Dark Materials, and I have The Last Unicorn. Thanks! ^_^ Peach!)
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all characters)
Daine woke up in a warm bed with warm sheets all around her. Funny, she thought, I don't even remember falling asleep. She rolled over to see Numair lying next to her. She jumped up, startling Numair awake.
"What?" he asked groggily.
"How did I get here? I didn't- We- I mean"
Numair quieted her with a hand over her mouth. "You fell asleep so I brought you back. Take a look, you're fully clothed."
Well she felt like an idiot. "Sorry, I just haven't shared a bed with any one for over a year."
"Oh really?" He asked eyebrows raised.
She blushed. "No, I didn't seem to have any interest in anyone else." It was true. People had tried, but she'd had to let them all down. She supposed it was her love for Numair that she didn't even realize she had.
He pulled her up against him. "Well, that's good to know."
Some one knocked on the door and Daine fled to the closet. Daine and Numair were supposed to be apart; this would not look good.
"Have you seen Daine?" It was Alanna. "I'm worried about her."
"Why would I have seen her?" Good acting. "Check the stables."
"You haven't even looked for her?" Alanna wasn't buying it.
"I did, but she wouldn't talk to me. She'll probably listen to you."
As soon as Alanna left Daine came out. Numair kissed her softly and whispered in her ear. "I recommend you get down to the stables. She'll be waiting."
"You're right." Daine jumped out the window and ran to the stables. She could probably get there first. When she got there no one was around. She jumped into Cloud's pasture. ~*Lay down and pretend to be asleep*~ She told the pony silently.
~*Why?*~ Cloud asked, always skeptical.
~*Just do it*~ Daine hissed.
As soon as the pony was down, Daine curled up next to her. It wouldn't be abnormal for her to have stayed outside for the night. She'd done it enough when she'd lived here.
"Daine!" She heard Alanna calling. "Are you here?"
She felt some one tap on her shoulder and looked up. Alanna was standing over her. "Hi Alanna." She sat up groggily, which wasn't hard because she was still tired and asked, "What do you need?"
Alanna sat down next to her. "I'm worried about you. You just up and left without an explanation to any one and Numair tells me you won't even talk to him. What's wrong?"
"Alanna, I'm so scared. I'm scared to ruin his life," she confessed, even though Numair already knew. "He won't want me in a few years, I know it." She wasn't entirely sure she was wrong even though Numair had done a fairly good job of convincing her otherwise.
"Daine, whatever is between you and Numair I don't care about right now. I want to know why you left. I want to know why you didn't tell me or any one else." Cloud got up and started to nibble lightly on Daine's arm.
Daine looked up at Alanna helplessly. "I didn't want to see you react. I didn't want to see the drama, I just wanted it to happen. I didn't want everyone brooding over me."
The lady knight just smiled and shook her head. "I suppose you're right if you look at it that way. I'm glad you're back." Alanna stood and held out a hand, helping Daine up. "You should talk to Numair. You have no idea how upset he was."
"He was?" This would be a very good opportunity to see what Numair really felt.
"It was almost instant. As soon as you left he went into a sort of solitary daze. He never did anything unless he had to, just locked himself in his room. He wanted to use every magic he could think of to find out where you were, but we made him promise not to. We all wanted to know, but if hadn't wanted us to you would have told us."
Daine's heart did two things; it jumped and it sank. He really had missed her, but how could she have done that to him? How could she have ruined his life like that? He must really love her if he hadn't come to reality in a whole year. That should have been enough time. "I think I'll go talk to him."
"Good." Alanna walked to the stables, obviously to talk to Onua and Daine went back to Numair.
When she got there he was waiting for her. She stopped in the door, staring at him critically. Did he really miss her that much? He did look different, older than he should look. He was skinnier and he had lines under his eyes. It had been a rough year. He hadn't eaten or slept properly; no doubt her fault. "Numair."
"Yes love?" He asked, not even standing up.
"You really do love me don't you?" She was absolutely serious. She had to hear him say it himself. She needed to know that he would never leave her like she'd left him.
"Yes." It was a simple answer, but all she needed. She didn't need him to pour his heart out; he'd given her the honest truth.
She ran forward and threw her arms around him, snuggling in his chest, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. How could he ever forgive something like that? And yet, he had. He had done it, no questions asked. "I love you so much."
(A/N: Did you like it? Did you hate it? Do you have any questions/comments? If so, leave a review and tell me all about it. And remember to check out my other fics. I have more T.P., I have His Dark Materials, and I have The Last Unicorn. Thanks! ^_^ Peach!)