A/N: This is it, the final chapter in this story! I'm so exited! Yay! Well,
I won't keep you from reading any longer. :-D
Wormy
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Daine, with a bright silver glow, materialized in the empty hall that led to Numair's room. Everyone was giving him a wide berth today, the anniversary of her death. Daine stretched luxuriously, delighting in the feeling of freedom that being back in her own body have her. She shook her hair out of her face and smoothed her tunic and breeches, toying with her claw. She'd never been nervous to see Numair before, but how would he react to seeing her, living but dead? Controlling herself and taking a bracing breath, and knocked.
No answer.
Daine thought, She knocked again, harder this time. After a small pause she heard low words uttered in a slightly hoarse, tired tone.
"Come in." Trying to smile, but too worried about what he'd say, Daine softly opened the door, closing it behind her with an almost inaudible click. Numair sat with his head buried in his arms, leaning on the table. His breakfast, along with an unopened bottle of wine, sat in easy reach, yet both remained untouched. The bed behind him was messy and the covers were twisted. He hadn't slept well-he almost never did anymore. Numair looked up at her with big, empty, tear-filled eyes. When he saw her, he groaned and put his head back on the table.
"Not another one. . ." Daine heard him moan. She was confused. Another what?
"Numair," she said, taking a hesitant step towards him, "it's me, Daine." He looked her full in the face, anguished.
"No. You're just another figment. I'm dreaming, or drunk. Don't plague me like the rest-just go, and leave me to grieve in peace." His voice was choked. Now Daine understood, and smiled.
"You're not asleep, Numair, or drunk. Pinch yourself. Look at the wine bottle. I'm real."
"No," he whispered, "you're dead-and that's forever." He looked away as a tear coursed its way down his cheek, but Daine strode over and knelt beside him. She grasped his hands, heart keening and voice pleading.
"Can visions touch? These are my hands, Numair, holding yours. Look-I can change them. Did your figments have magic?" Her fingers became claws for a brief minute and then relaxed while Numair stared at them in wonderment and confusion. She talked on, knowing she wasn't making sense but not caring.
"Numair, it really is me, back in my body. I was in the Divine Realms for the past year, and then they let me come back to live out my live, here. With you." Tears in her eyes, Daine kissed each of his hands. He looked astonished, incredulous. "I watched you from up there, and wished I was here, back, but Mithros said that if I still wanted to come back after a year, I could. They owed me, see, for those times in Carthak. So I agreed, and now I'm back, but you don't believe me." Her lips quivered, her eyes starting to run over. It was now that Zek popped a sleep head out from under the covers. When he saw Daine, and realized that she was back in his mind, he leaped for her, and she caught him, laughing, and hugging him to her.
I missed you, the marmoset said. We thought you were gone.
"But I'm back now," Daine whispered, cuddling him. Outside, he heard a pony neigh shrilly. Daine greeted the ecstatic Cloud, and explained, and promised to groom her as soon as she could. Out side, she sensed the palace dogs and cats, and she got up and opened the door to let them in. Furry bodies streamed around her, licking her hands and leaping up on her. The air reverberated with purrs and yips, along with the chirps of the songbirds perched outside. Daine thanked them heartily for the welcome, but asked them to settle down for a minute. She turned to Numair in the sudden silence. Voice quivering, she asked softly,
"They believe me, and welcome me. Won't you?" Numair seemed transfixed for a moment, and then a look of revelation and painful joy crossed his features, and he waded through cats and dogs, and then swept her up in the tightest hug she'd ever gotten from him. He felt her back, her hair, her arms, her face, as if to satisfy himself that it was really her. She rested her head on his shoulder, arms around his neck, and hoped he'd never let go.
"I love you," she whispered, squeezed in happiness and feeling everywhere they touched. In answer, she felt soft lips touch her forehead, her cheeks, nose. . .and then they found her mouth, pressing against hers in an expression of pure joy and love. Daine felt a thrill of answering love- she'd missed him so much over the past year! Numair worked his lips over hers in the first exquisite joys of touching and love, and she pressed him closer, working her fingers into his soft hair. She was only aware of the love between them and the feel of his body around hers. He trembled slightly, and she knew why, because, she trembled too. The came up for air but soon he was kissing her again, gently this time, teasing, caressing her mouth with his, pulling away, and coming back. Daine hung limp in his grip before he was done, and then he kissed her for real, mouth slowly, slowly easing onto hers so that she quivered with feeling. Gently, he kissed her, mouth lingering and caressing. When he was done, she was gasping, and could only hang like a doll in his arms. He pressed his lips to her hair, content in their love.
"I missed you so much," he said. "You were dead, and I wanted to die myself, in pain. Dreams of you plagued me; it was agony to live without you. I was so close, a few times, so close to ending it all. . ." Daine stroked his back soothingly-his voice had been choked with tears.
"I know," she whispered, "it's all right." Numair stepped back suddenly, and she looked up at him, slightly surprised. He grasped her hands in his, voice warm and loving.
"I love you so much, Daine. Will you marry me? Please?" His voice was beseeching, eyes intensely trying to read her face. Daine smiled, tears of joy in her eyes. When he said, "Daine?" gently, almost fearfully, she realized that she hadn't answered him yet. She twined her arms around his neck, smile dazzling.
"Of course I will," she murmured before sealing it by bringing her lips softly towards the one she loved, her teacher, friend, and love.
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LAST A/N: YAY! It's the end! I think it's rather good myself, certainly very fluffy. And now I would like to thank every one of my reviewers throughout the whole story. Though I can't dredge up your names from the bottom of my computer's memory, I can thank everyone who took the time to press the little purple button for sticking with me, reading my story, and helping me write it. Thank you all.
I will be writing more stories. As some of you may know, I have 2 stories under Jane Austen, a songfic under Fairy Tales, and an incomplete story under Ella Enchanted. I'm planning to finish that story first (which may take a while), and then write another Immortals one. Just to warn you-that one will be Daine/Kaddar. Don't get me wrong-I love Daine/Numair, and I hope no one has suddenly turned on me because of this, but I've thought from the third book that Daine/Kaddar would be worth a try. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but it can't be helped. Please don't hate (or flame) me.
And I'd like to thank everyone who reviews the end right now.
May the Gods bless you.
'And so it is and so it shall be.'
For the last time, yours devotedly,
Wormy
Wormy
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Daine, with a bright silver glow, materialized in the empty hall that led to Numair's room. Everyone was giving him a wide berth today, the anniversary of her death. Daine stretched luxuriously, delighting in the feeling of freedom that being back in her own body have her. She shook her hair out of her face and smoothed her tunic and breeches, toying with her claw. She'd never been nervous to see Numair before, but how would he react to seeing her, living but dead? Controlling herself and taking a bracing breath, and knocked.
No answer.
Daine thought, She knocked again, harder this time. After a small pause she heard low words uttered in a slightly hoarse, tired tone.
"Come in." Trying to smile, but too worried about what he'd say, Daine softly opened the door, closing it behind her with an almost inaudible click. Numair sat with his head buried in his arms, leaning on the table. His breakfast, along with an unopened bottle of wine, sat in easy reach, yet both remained untouched. The bed behind him was messy and the covers were twisted. He hadn't slept well-he almost never did anymore. Numair looked up at her with big, empty, tear-filled eyes. When he saw her, he groaned and put his head back on the table.
"Not another one. . ." Daine heard him moan. She was confused. Another what?
"Numair," she said, taking a hesitant step towards him, "it's me, Daine." He looked her full in the face, anguished.
"No. You're just another figment. I'm dreaming, or drunk. Don't plague me like the rest-just go, and leave me to grieve in peace." His voice was choked. Now Daine understood, and smiled.
"You're not asleep, Numair, or drunk. Pinch yourself. Look at the wine bottle. I'm real."
"No," he whispered, "you're dead-and that's forever." He looked away as a tear coursed its way down his cheek, but Daine strode over and knelt beside him. She grasped his hands, heart keening and voice pleading.
"Can visions touch? These are my hands, Numair, holding yours. Look-I can change them. Did your figments have magic?" Her fingers became claws for a brief minute and then relaxed while Numair stared at them in wonderment and confusion. She talked on, knowing she wasn't making sense but not caring.
"Numair, it really is me, back in my body. I was in the Divine Realms for the past year, and then they let me come back to live out my live, here. With you." Tears in her eyes, Daine kissed each of his hands. He looked astonished, incredulous. "I watched you from up there, and wished I was here, back, but Mithros said that if I still wanted to come back after a year, I could. They owed me, see, for those times in Carthak. So I agreed, and now I'm back, but you don't believe me." Her lips quivered, her eyes starting to run over. It was now that Zek popped a sleep head out from under the covers. When he saw Daine, and realized that she was back in his mind, he leaped for her, and she caught him, laughing, and hugging him to her.
I missed you, the marmoset said. We thought you were gone.
"But I'm back now," Daine whispered, cuddling him. Outside, he heard a pony neigh shrilly. Daine greeted the ecstatic Cloud, and explained, and promised to groom her as soon as she could. Out side, she sensed the palace dogs and cats, and she got up and opened the door to let them in. Furry bodies streamed around her, licking her hands and leaping up on her. The air reverberated with purrs and yips, along with the chirps of the songbirds perched outside. Daine thanked them heartily for the welcome, but asked them to settle down for a minute. She turned to Numair in the sudden silence. Voice quivering, she asked softly,
"They believe me, and welcome me. Won't you?" Numair seemed transfixed for a moment, and then a look of revelation and painful joy crossed his features, and he waded through cats and dogs, and then swept her up in the tightest hug she'd ever gotten from him. He felt her back, her hair, her arms, her face, as if to satisfy himself that it was really her. She rested her head on his shoulder, arms around his neck, and hoped he'd never let go.
"I love you," she whispered, squeezed in happiness and feeling everywhere they touched. In answer, she felt soft lips touch her forehead, her cheeks, nose. . .and then they found her mouth, pressing against hers in an expression of pure joy and love. Daine felt a thrill of answering love- she'd missed him so much over the past year! Numair worked his lips over hers in the first exquisite joys of touching and love, and she pressed him closer, working her fingers into his soft hair. She was only aware of the love between them and the feel of his body around hers. He trembled slightly, and she knew why, because, she trembled too. The came up for air but soon he was kissing her again, gently this time, teasing, caressing her mouth with his, pulling away, and coming back. Daine hung limp in his grip before he was done, and then he kissed her for real, mouth slowly, slowly easing onto hers so that she quivered with feeling. Gently, he kissed her, mouth lingering and caressing. When he was done, she was gasping, and could only hang like a doll in his arms. He pressed his lips to her hair, content in their love.
"I missed you so much," he said. "You were dead, and I wanted to die myself, in pain. Dreams of you plagued me; it was agony to live without you. I was so close, a few times, so close to ending it all. . ." Daine stroked his back soothingly-his voice had been choked with tears.
"I know," she whispered, "it's all right." Numair stepped back suddenly, and she looked up at him, slightly surprised. He grasped her hands in his, voice warm and loving.
"I love you so much, Daine. Will you marry me? Please?" His voice was beseeching, eyes intensely trying to read her face. Daine smiled, tears of joy in her eyes. When he said, "Daine?" gently, almost fearfully, she realized that she hadn't answered him yet. She twined her arms around his neck, smile dazzling.
"Of course I will," she murmured before sealing it by bringing her lips softly towards the one she loved, her teacher, friend, and love.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
LAST A/N: YAY! It's the end! I think it's rather good myself, certainly very fluffy. And now I would like to thank every one of my reviewers throughout the whole story. Though I can't dredge up your names from the bottom of my computer's memory, I can thank everyone who took the time to press the little purple button for sticking with me, reading my story, and helping me write it. Thank you all.
I will be writing more stories. As some of you may know, I have 2 stories under Jane Austen, a songfic under Fairy Tales, and an incomplete story under Ella Enchanted. I'm planning to finish that story first (which may take a while), and then write another Immortals one. Just to warn you-that one will be Daine/Kaddar. Don't get me wrong-I love Daine/Numair, and I hope no one has suddenly turned on me because of this, but I've thought from the third book that Daine/Kaddar would be worth a try. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but it can't be helped. Please don't hate (or flame) me.
And I'd like to thank everyone who reviews the end right now.
May the Gods bless you.
'And so it is and so it shall be.'
For the last time, yours devotedly,
Wormy