Hello people…this is Eunae. Just another songfic. Lol….it's to Everytime by Britney Spears. And sorry to the fans of Britney..but I don't like her. Just this one song.

Disclaimer: All lyrics belong to Britney Spears and characters to Tamora Pierce.

I honestly don't like this fic all that much..but I hope you find it enjoyable!! At least That'll make me happy..knowing that a person liked it…

But just a little heads up…fluff ahead!! :D

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Notice me, take my hand

Why are we strangers when

Our love is strong

Why carry on without me

A brown-haired girl followed a tall and lanky man with black hair out of the castle of Tortall. Blue-gray eyes studied the back of his sturdy figure as he strode confidentially ahead. Her eyes saw the steady shoulders and the height of the man in front of her. Lost in the reveries of him, she almost bumped into a pole. This straightened her out and she thought to herself, Veralidaine Sarrasri! Get a hold of yourself! Numair is my teacher! Right about this time, Numair turned around and flashed a grin at her.

Her heard did little flip-flops.

No, no, no, no! She desperately tried to push the thoughts that were in her head out of her head.

"I guess I'll have to slow down for you, although you know that even a turtle could beat you, especially at the rate you're walking at."

Once this was said, however, Daine sprinted ahead and vaguely saw Numair running also. She put on a burst of speed and caught up to Numair, barely.

"So you can walk faster than an old lady," said Numair cheekily.

Then, without thinking, Daine placed her hand on Numair's arm and looped her arm with his.

Numair shook it off hastily and looked at her angrily. At least that was how it seemed to her.

It especially seemed that way to her when she was blinded by the tears of unreturned love, wait, love? Daine just shook her head at this thought and concentrated on the lesson that Numair was teaching to her, though she did find her eyes wandering to a face quite close to hers often.

Everytime I try to fly, I fall

Without my wings, I feel so small

I guess I need you, baby

And everytime I see you in my dreams

I see your face, it's haunting me

I guess I need you, baby

As soon as the lesson was over, Daine hurried to her room and shut the door, an action that happened rarely. She flung herself on her bed and cried the tears that she had been holding in, something else that was infrequent. The young woman clung to her pillow, thinking about the bittersweet memories stored inside of herself, which made the tears come harder.

Why can't he just return my feelings? Horse Lords, it's hard enough to watch him be with other women, but this?

And laying her head pillow, Daine's eyes began to close without her conscious self knowing, completely forgetting that there was a Midsummer ball in a couple of hours.

In her dream, unsurprisingly, her dream was about Numair, or at least Numair was in it. It seemed to her dream self that Gainel had something to reveal to her, so she paid close attention.

She first saw herself with Numair on their first lesson, and then saw the pride and joy in his face begin to show more obviously in his eyes as she viewed all her lessons with him, like a movie.

Then, all of a sudden, it showed Numair in his room sitting by himself. He seemed to be holding a delicate item, similar to a bracelet of some sort with a locket, which he put on his wrist. But before he put it on, Daine got a glimpse of what was inside of as he opened the locket, and was shocked when she saw a portrait of herself and a lock of her hair.

But the most shocking part of the dream was when Numair gently kissed her picture before placing it on his wrist.

Daine suddenly sat up from her short doze, greatly surprised.

Could it be that ---, and Daine didn't even have a chance of finishing her sentence because right then, Miri barged into her room asking, "Are you ready yet for the ball?"

I make believe that you are here

It's the only way I see clear

What have I done

You seem to move on easy

The music was playing and couples were gaily dancing at the Midsummer ball in the castle of Tortall. But Numair wasn't interested in the ball and went to one of the outside courtyards for a breath of air, away from the stuffiness of the ballroom. He sat down on one of the benches and gazed off into the stars. Then he looked to the right of himself.

Daine was sitting there, and he could hear a sharp intake of breath, from himself.

"Daine, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the ballroom?"

She didn't answer, but instead smiled coyly at him.

This was all too much for Numair and he reached forward to cup her cheek, only to find that his hand was in mid air.

Am I seeing hallucinations? Thought Numair at the thought of this mirage created by his own imagination. He pinched himself, hard.

And then saw a lady sitting right next to him. But not Daine, it was Lady Caramirie. (His own personal stalker, hehehehe). He groaned inwardly at seeing this voluptuous lady next to him in the warm weather.

Before she could say anything about the who's, what's, where's, when's, why's, and how's, he told her that he was sick and turned grandly around, back into the ballroom. The only reason for this was because he could only access his rooms by going through the crowd of people.

And then, he saw her. Numair saw Daine walking to someplace with her friend Miri, and he tried to catch up with her but people kept blocking him from her and she was walking quite fast.

Another chance…gone.

Sighing, he retired to his rooms and laid his tired head down on his bed. Almost immediately, Gainel visited the black robed mage, also. In this dream, Numair was holding Daine firmly in his arms, and their gazes were locked on each other's. Just when he was about to kiss her lips gently, she evaporated from within his arms.

And everytime I try to fly, I fall

Without my wings, I feel so small

I guess I need you, baby

And everytime I see you in my dreams

I see your face, you're haunting me

I guess I need you, baby

Numair woke up immediately. He thought on his dream and the events that had happened recently. He was really pondering on what had happened before the ball. When Daine had looped her arm with his, as if they were lovers.

Was she trying to tease me? mused Numair. He reminisced on those brief moments, when time seemed to stand still, that the slim, yet muscular arms of Daine were joined with his. The feel of another presence on his own arm, a pleasing sensation, but then suddenly. The warning thought of how other people would see and talk. All he wanted was to protect Daine when he hurriedly shook of her arm, but he had seen the look of hurt and pain that she had given him. But he hardened his heart, thinking it was for their own good, and focused on the lesson, instead of the young wild mage near him.

However, as he thought on this more, he realized that he was in the wrong and was determined to find Daine and set things straight between them before he was awakened more by nightmares.

I may have made it rain

Please forgive me

My weakness caused you pain

And this song's my sorry

Daine was strolling outside in the palace gardens, wanting to escape from the stuffiness of the ball. As she breathed in the fragrant scents of the different and exotic flowers around her, she wondered where Numair had gone to. She then remembered when she was with Miri, she had seen Numair run to his bedroom, seemingly eagerly. A lady had followed him, soon after just as eagerly. Daine sighed as she thought of what was happening at that exact moment, most likely that is, she corrected. Daine realized that she was thinking jealous thoughts and watched the fountain's flow of water ebb around the edge of the concrete rim, absently.

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Numair shut his door quietly and began to walk down the hallway when he heard quite footsteps shadowing him. Slightly worried, he swiftly turned around and, lo and behold, it was Lady Caramirie. With a raised eyebrow, Numair's brown eyes looked over her briefly but immediately looked up, not wanting to insinuate any feelings. She was dressed in a very revealing dress. It was extremely low cut to show her curvaceous figure and clung tightly to her form, but fell gracefully to her feet.

"Numair," she purred and she beckoned teasingly with her manicured finger. He ignored her and began walking in the opposite direction, but Lady Caramirie dug her fingers into his skin, turned him around, and closed the distance between their lips with a kiss. Disgusted by her behavior, the mage pushed her gently, but firmly, away and left her staring at his retreating figure.

At night I pray

That soon your face will fade away

He returned to the ballroom and looked frantically around but could not see any head that had curly brown hair, nor a face that possessed enchanting blue-gray eyes that could let him slip into a whirlpool of blues and grays. But no matter where he looked, he could not find the treasure. Desperate and giving up, he stumbled into the palace garden to sit next to a majestic fountain that he loved to enjoy the light of the stars, even without company. Numair walked slowly down the silent pathway, his footsteps echoing so softly. When he reached the fountain, his eyes saw Daine, the outline of her body sharp against the light of the moon.

Numair decided that he wasn't going to mess this up because this might be his only chance to reveal his feelings for Daine.

He approached her and sat down next her. It was then that she recognized his presence and gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Daine," he murmured as he took her hand. She looked at him with a worried frown and snatched her hand back and stood up, but she was rewarded with a hurt look. The wild mage turned her head away from Numair. Unsure of the reason for this, Numair stood up also, cupped her face in his hand, and gazed intently into her eyes, trying to find a reason for this cold attitude toward him.

It was then, that a tear spilled out of one of her eyes.

Winking in the moonlight, it rolled down her cheek, and was wiped away by Numair's hand.

"Could you please go away?" whispered Daine.

The mage was taken aback. "Why?" he pressed urgently.

Daine answered, "You treating me like this hurts me because I know that you don't even love me and-"

The wild mage couldn't finish her sentence because her mouth was covered by the black robed mage's, enveloped in a kiss.

And everytime I try to fly, I fall

Without my wings, I feel so small

I guess I need you, baby

And everytime I see you in my dreams

I see your face, you're haunting me

I guess I need you, baby

"How much will it take for me to prove to you that I, in fact, do love you?" asked Numair.

Daine thought about this, letting the question hang in the air. She wanted to trust him, and it didn't seem like his personality to lie, yet she wanted to be sure. Then, she remembered her dream.

"I may sound crazy, Numair, but show me your right wrist."

He gave her a questioning look, but did as he was told. There was nothing.

"Your other wrist," commanded Daine.

Numair hesitated a little, but then, gave into her demands. And then appeared the same locket that was in her dreams. She opened it, and indeed, there was a portrait of her and a lock of her hair.

He smiled uneasily. "I can explain, it's a focus!" he exclaimed as if he had committed a serious crime.

But Daine needed no explanation, she saw clearly now. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight before she looked up into his face, which came closer and closer until their lips met.

Then, both felt a rush of energy flow through them, with their lips serving as a channel. Numair's arms slid around Daine and hers locked firmly around his neck. Their bodies were smashed against each other's so that the fabrics of their clothes were no barriers for the warmth between them.

He removed his lips from her own sweet ones, and began to leave fleeting butterfly kisses on here eyes, eyebrows, and nose. Daine moaned happily as her hands began to tangle themselves in the mass of raven hair.

Numair's mouth returned to Daine's as they kissed with a passion and zeal that made the wild mage shiver in delight. Then, they broke apart, again, but, only for air.

They sat down on the edge of the fountain, Daine in Numair's lap with her head cradled against his shoulder.

"Daine, I love you."

"Mhhmmm."

"Do you love me, magelet?"

"Yes, Numair, I love you!"

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Yahyah..i know. CHEESY AND SUCKY ending. Like I said before..i don't really like this fic that much, cause it goes along the same lines as my other one.

O well..DEAL WITH IT!!! I'm just kidding…

Even if you DO think it you just let me know in a review? HINT HINT!

You want it plain?

Review…please.

Oh..and if you haven't checked 'em out...

Alex has a funny, aherm, interesting new fic and I recently updated chapter 2 for Race Against Death, the sequel to Fate Has Led Us….