Her Heart DancesAs Brom slept, Adriel danced.

She kept quiet, her moves gentle, and the magitek musicplayer turned off so that the room was silent around her – she didn't want to wake the sleeping grump. She knew he still had trouble falling asleep, even now, after all of their activities the night before. After everything he had been through, was it any wonder?

A scowl flickered over Adriel's expression as she movedthrough a serious of steps, her body trained to follow the shifts and glides as reflex. It left her free to think. Somehow, Adriel had always known that Brom would return, she had never once despaired that he lived. But now she wondered if she shouldn't have been scared, not that he would die but of what he would have to live through. They had poisoned him, tortured his body. They must have done something to his mind, because he couldn’t even talk about the ordeal – not yet anyway. That a man as strong and stubborn as Brom could be brought so close to broken terrified Adriel. What terrified her more was the thought of what she would have done if they had broken him.

She loved him. They'd both gotten over the shock of it. Shehad learned to accept it and Brom had actually come to enjoy being loved. Twelve forbid, they had actually become a couple. A very strange, sadistic couple, but a couple nonetheless. Brom was the first man that Adriel had ever truly loved, and she loved every bit of him, especially his annoying parts. It made him endearing – though her sister would likely call her crazy if she ever heard Adriel say that.

Brom would recover – he was too stubborn not to. And Adrielwould stand beside him. She had promised after all.

"You should never go."

"I won't."

Adriel chuckled and let her thoughts drift as she movedthrough several jumps and a spin.
 
"People are going to die," Brom's gruff, grumpyand, yes, sex-satisfied voice echoed in her memory. "You make me a worse detective, you distract me from doing my job, and people are going to pay for that with their lives… and I've decided that you're worth it. If I have to pick between them and you, I will pick you every time."

Another chuckle and Adriel was grinning as she finished herdance, out of breath and exhilarated by the exertion. Oh, yes, she loved that man. And, whether he was willing to say it or not, she knew that he loved her, too.