Daine froze, but only for a moment before pushing back her chair with a strangled cry and running straight towards him. He began to run too. They met in the center of the mess hall where Numair grabbed her and swung her around. Their lips met as heat surged through their bodies. The kiss was long, deep, and passionate. Daine shivered with excitement when she felt his tongue invade her mouth. Both were oblivious to the surrounding stares. The kiss went on and on until many of the men in the hall began to whistle and clap. The two broke apart, laughing nervously. They turned to find a very surprised Alanna standing barely inside the door.

Blushing and trying to ignore the Lioness, they made their way to he back where Daine had been sitting.

Daine gasped, struggling to catch her breath. She and Numair were standing just outside her rooms saying 'goodbye'. They continued to kiss hungrily, with Daine's back against the door and her arms wrapped aroung his neck. His arms were slipped around her waist in a protective embrace. They finally broke apart, each panting heavily. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

"I love you magelet, and I'm sorry I left you."

"I love you too Numair."

They exchanged one last kiss before he set off towards his own rooms. Faine unlocked her door and shut it behind her. Walking into her bedroom, she jumped on the bed. She lay there, thinking about how happy she was and fell asleep smiling.

Numiar woke to a pecking noise at his window. Stretching, he walked to the window where a small sparrow stood looking at him.

"Daine?" The bird nodded and pecking at the window again. HE opened it and she flew over to his dresser and pecking on the bottom drawer. That was where they kept the extra set of her clothes in case she needed to come to him in animal form.

He smiled, opened the drawer, and placed the clothes in his study. After she flew in, he shut the door and sat on his bed. He had been up late thinking the night before. About him, about her, about them together. He had come to a conclusion and was trying to find a way to break it to Daine.

Daine got dressed and, after leaving his study, walking straight over to him and began to kiss him, running her fingers through his soft black hair.

Moaning, he almost gave in to her, but he remembered what he needed to do, and stopped her before she went too far.

"Daine...wait a minute...I think we need to talk about this." When Daine saw that her wouldn't meet her eyes, she knew something was wrong. "Daine... I...", hesitating, he frowned, "I...don't think we should...er...see each other." She was stunned. How could he do this...after last night? "It would be for the best."

The heat in Daine's body was leaving fast, turning to ice. "But...why, her voice was squeaking. Numiar still wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Daine, you're twice my age...it wouldn't be right!"

"What's wrong with our ages? Why do they matter now?"

"It's just not right. You should be with someone your own age."

Glaring at him, "I wasn't with someone my own age last night!" Seeing him blush, she went on, "I don't want to be with someone my own age, I want to be with you."

He sighed, exasperated, and closed his eyes. At his silence, se tried further to convince him, "I don't care about --"

"But you will!", he interrupted. At this, Daine burst out crying, unable to hold it in any more. "Why don't you believe me? I love you! Age doesn't matter!"

"You don't understand." His voice was low now. Daine saw tears in his eyes. "One day, you won't see me as a lover, you'll see me as an old man who gets in the way."

"No!", she whispered fiercely, "No...NONONO!" Daine ran from the room, disappearing down the hallway towards her own rooms.

A depressed Numair leaned against the door, slid to the ground, and wept.