News; Letter
(Daine & Numair) Theme 2
by Kimra
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He was staring when she walked in, his shoulders hunched and his eyes fixed on an unfolded piece of paper. It was perfect white, but she knew that was no sign of innocence.
She made no noise as she approached him, because he would already know she was there, he always knew, and instead she came up to him in silent companionship.
He didn't acknowledge her, he didn't need to and she reached over his hunched shoulders for the letter. He didn't even try to stop her, just reached up and clasped the hand resting on his right shoulder, while her left brought the paper to her eyes.
She glanced over it quickly, then read it with more caution and less speed.
"Oh Numair." She whispered, unable to find anything else to say, unable to voice the feeling that now clutched at her chest on his behalf.
"It's funny." He began, and it was a voice of trust, a voice he used with her more then anyone else. "I hadn't spoken to her in years." There was pain in his voice and she felt her eyes cloud with tears for that pain. There where no words she could say, nothing to ease away that pain, so instead she dropped the letter, her arms encircling him from behind, fixed hard around him and unrelenting in their hold. She wanted him to feel her support, because it was all she could give.
He accepted it too, his arms wrapping around hers in turn and holding her to him, keeping the closeness. She felt tears splashing across her arms and more came to her eyes. She so often looked to him for strength, and now here he was, a little boy who had lost his way. She tried to sooth, tried to make things better by clinging tighter, but that was all she could do, and eventually his tears faded and she knew she could let him go, let him have himself back. Reluctantly she did release him, but she didn't step away, her hands slid from his chest to his shoulders and she put pressure there, making sure he didn't think for a moment she was leaving.
"Does this mean you'll be going?"
"No." He interrupted before she could voice her concern, her fear for him. He turned to face her then, beautiful black hair sweeping out of the way to reveal a half twisted smile. He was sad, but not insensible. "I think she'd forgive me for not going."
"Numair-" She tried to warn but he only smiled still, a better smile, a real smile.
"And risk the consequences of our last trip there?" He was teasing a little, despite the sadness in his eyes.
"But your mother-" She tried again.
He only cringed a moment before interrupting her once more. He caught her hands, soft and comforting and held them close. She realized, looking at his eyes, that he had waited for her before he cried, his eyes where too calm to have cried for long. "Carthak is a hellhole, I've escaped it twice, do you think I'd risk it a third time?" He smiled for her comfort, against the worry building in her brow. "I never was close to my mother." He told her calmly and she felt only pity for that, because she could not imagine her life without her mother in it.
"Don't you want to say goodbye?" Daine asked with all her genuine concern.
He lifted one of her hands from the hold he had on them, placing a gentle kiss on it. "I said goodbye to her years ago Daine. Before I ever came here." He let her hands drop with a sigh. "I don't need to do it again." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and through his hair and she watched him, watched the sadness that lived in his expression but let it pass, because he wanted her to let it pass.
Gently she caught his hand, gently she tugged it to get his attention and he looked at her with concern. "Let's go somewhere." She begged, because she didn't want him in this room anymore, didn't want him left with a piece of paper that reminded him of everything he had lost when he fled his home. "Just us." She insisted, "I'll even leave Cloud and Kit here." She had a cheeky smile for him and he returned it, amused by her antics, and distracted by them.
He rose at her beckoning and never let go of the hand that held his, leading him beyond his room and out into the world he belonged to. He didn't know what he would do without this woman-child, didn't know how he would live, he just knew he was thankful for her, thankful for her part in his life, and unlike his mother, he didn't know what he would do if this girl was ever lost to him.
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