A/N Like everyone else who writes about Daine and Numair (except Tamora Pierce, of course) I do not own these two or make any money off of them. Pity.

I'm not sure when this takes place. They aren't together yet, but they know they have feelings for each other. If it was feasible, I'd say it takes place halfway through Realms of the Gods, but there wasn't really any down time, so let's all just pretend, shall we? Rated M for a reason, children. Enjoy!

For the third night in a row, Numair looked up from the volume he was currently perusing to see his student standing stricken in his doorway.

He shut the book and set it aside, not bothering to mark his place in his hurry to comfort Daine. For reasons he didn't quite understand, she'd been incredibly emotional lately. She'd hold it in all day, slap a smile on her face, and then appear in his room and fall to pieces.

He held his arms out to her, and she came to him eagerly, tears already on her cheeks. Numair was very careful that the sigh which passed his lips should fall into her curls and not into her ears. What was he to do? The past two nights he'd taken her to his armchair and held her, rocking her on his lap and rubbing her back until she'd cried herself to sleep. He'd sat like that all through the long nights for fear of waking her.

He knew talking wasn't going to be of any help. She'd reassured him countless times the first night that nothing was wrong: she was tired, and emotional, and the only place she felt safe enough to relax was with him, and once she relaxed she couldn't hold back her tears, and –

Numair had pressed a finger to her lips, then tucked her head under his chin. He'd asked his lady friends whether such a thing was normal, and they had assured him it was, especially for a young woman like Daine (after laughing at him for asking, naturally).

He had kicked himself for forgetting that she was, after all, just a baby. She was so mature, it always slipped his mind. But that night, as he again rocked his student to sleep, he was conscious of just how innocent and vulnerable she was.

Now, as Daine balled her fists in his shirt, he contemplated sadly another night holding her as she cried herself to sleep. It wasn't for his own lost sleep and discomfort that he was sad, but for the thought of her continued anguish.

What could he do to help her?

Racking his brains, he tried to think of what might calm an hysterical woman. No good; cad that he'd been, he'd never cared to comfort any woman before now (and his friends certainly weren't the types to come to him in tears). He thought of what usually calmed him. Reading? He doubted that would help. Sleep? That wouldn't come to Daine until she was exhausted. A hot cup of tea?

Well, it was the best he had. Never letting go of Daine - he'd discovered last night that it only increased her hysteria - he shuffled towards the fire and set a pot to boiling. He stroked her back as he waited, then fixed a cup and led her to his armchair.

"It might help," he said, offering it to her as she sat on his lap. "Tea helps me," he added.

She smiled weakly and took the cup from him, but her hands shook so badly as she lifted it to her mouth that it sloshed out down her front.

Daine clutched at where the hot liquid was soaking through her tunic, buried her face in Numair's shoulder and gave a muffled yelp. Numair did the only thing he could think of to minimize the burns: he quickly stood her up and pulled the tunic over her head and off.

She seemed surprised to be suddenly standing before him in breeches and breast band; surprised enough, in fact, that her tears stopped flowing.

Numair gave her a crooked smile as an apology, then blushed as his concern for her burned skin brought his gaze down, over her shoulders, lower….

He looked back up at her face. "Are you badly hurt?" he asked. "I'm sorry, that was a bad idea."

"Not hurt," she whispered, "sticky."

He chuckled. "A bath, then." He took her hand in his and led her into his bedchamber, where a tub stood behind a screen. Impatient, Numair filled and heated it magically, though going about it carefully. As he did, Daine leaned into his chest, pulling down his shirt until the neckline exposed the hair on his chest. She rubbed her nose in it, then laid her cheek against the soft curls.

Gently, Numair pushed her away. She looked up at him with wide, wet eyes, tears leaking unnoticed from their corners, and he smiled softly. "Careful, magelet. Don't distract me, or I may blow the roof off with a tsunami."

She smiled, and Numair felt a shock run down his spine. He was so happy that she was calmer, and it was because of him. Pride swelled in his chest, allowing him to mask another, less appropriate feeling.

When the bath was ready, he made as if to leave, but she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. "Please stay?"

Numair blushed. He wanted to, more than he'd admit (even to himself), but it wasn't right. She was so young, and his student, and he didn't know if she'd see the same meaning in it that he did…

Her hands were on the hem of his shirt before he'd had time to make up his mind. He let her lift it off, but stopped her when she reached for his waistband.

Daine shrugged, and he knew what she was thinking: they'd been with each other in far less during their travels. But here, in his own bedroom, it was different. She slid off her own breeches, then turned and walked to the bath. He'd only meant to sit by while she bathed, but she waited for him to get into the tub first before settling onto his lap and leaning back against his chest.

For a while they sat, Numair twirling her wet curls around his fingers and focusing on only that one aspect of their bath. Daine's eyes drifted shut, and gently he wiped damp fingers across her cheeks to clear the salt.

"Feeling better, magelet?"

She nodded, her hair brushing up and down his chest as she did. She sought for his hands, wrapping each fist around his slender first fingers. She cuddled them to her chest, and Numair was ashamed to find himself thinking of how close his hands were to being on her breasts.

As if reading his thoughts, she slowly moved his hands down until his palms covered the tops of her breasts over the fabric of her breast band.

"Daine?" He looked down to see her cheeks flushed. He knew it was more than the heat of the bath water warming her blood.

"Daine, are you sure?" He knew she'd hear the hope in his voice, but he didn't care anymore. What had started as a night full of sorrowful potential seemed to be turning into something rather different.

"I'm sure, Numair. You'd have me?"

"I'd like nothing more." Tentatively, he pressed his palms down against her breasts. She sighed and arched her back up into his hands.

He'd wanted this ever since he realized that he cared for her as far more than just a student. There'd been hints, he'd thought, that she felt that way, too, but he'd never been sure enough to broach the topic. And now…

He dropped his head down to nuzzle her neck. In all his dreams of being with Daine, he'd imagined them taking things slowly, teaching her how to be intimate one step at a time. But having her there, against him in the warm water, he knew he'd let her take it as far as she wanted to.

Well, hope you've liked it so far. I have a second chapter written (lemon included), and the sooner I get a review the sooner I'll put it up. In all honesty, I'll probably put it up as soon as I get any review at all, so if you read it and liked it even a little (or if you hated it, I don't care, tell me that, too) review and I'll give you more! Thanks!