Lady
She didn't mean to.
It had been such a simple guesture. A brush over the lips, just half a moment. A touch to his cheek, silken flesh beneath her fingers. Startlingly blue eyes.
He has to have elven blood in him...he must...
She had carried him across the Bruinen, clutched him to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't die. Don't go. No. I won't let you...I'll save you...Frodo. Please...please don't leave me...!"
Maybe she had meant to? But what of Aragorn?
I love him.
But...
"But..." she whispered, pulling back, drawing her teeth over her lower lip, eyes still closed.
She heard his gasp for breath, the shaky, choked-out response of "Lady...Lady Arwen..."
She opened her eyes slowly.
He was staring at her, an expression caught between fear, surprise, and something she just couldn't place. He was propped up on one elbow, his free arm resting on his chest, fist clenched around the chain of silver.
"Please...please forgive me! I didn't...I think...I was drawn by something I couldn't understand!" His voice was almost a sob. He struggled to sit up against the pillows, wincing in pain as he wrenched his shoulder.
"Frodo, stop," she half-sobbed, easing him back. "Don't...you will hurt yourself again...I...I cannot..."
"The Ring," he whispered hoarsely. "Oh, Lady Arwen, what must you think of me..."
A fine sheen of sweat appeared on his brow, his eyes closed feverishly. His hand was still clenched tight around the blasted thing...
Slowly, she reached out and touched that hand, long, slender and pale. Such beautiful hands...not callused or marred in any way...gently, oh so gently, she pried his fingers off the band.
"Arwen..." he murmured, and their eyes met. Dark grey storms met clear blue skies.
He did not call me 'Lady'...
"Let it go," she whispered back. "Trust me..."
"I already do..."
"Frodo, I..."
With a soft sigh, he let it go, clutching her hand instead.
My...my heart won't stop beating like this...
"Thank you," he murmured, and smiled at her softly.
You are so...beautiful...
She stopped thinking, and just kissed him again. This time, it lasted a lot longer than half a moment.
And this time, neither of them cried.
[finis...?]
She didn't mean to.
It had been such a simple guesture. A brush over the lips, just half a moment. A touch to his cheek, silken flesh beneath her fingers. Startlingly blue eyes.
He has to have elven blood in him...he must...
She had carried him across the Bruinen, clutched him to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't die. Don't go. No. I won't let you...I'll save you...Frodo. Please...please don't leave me...!"
Maybe she had meant to? But what of Aragorn?
I love him.
But...
"But..." she whispered, pulling back, drawing her teeth over her lower lip, eyes still closed.
She heard his gasp for breath, the shaky, choked-out response of "Lady...Lady Arwen..."
She opened her eyes slowly.
He was staring at her, an expression caught between fear, surprise, and something she just couldn't place. He was propped up on one elbow, his free arm resting on his chest, fist clenched around the chain of silver.
"Please...please forgive me! I didn't...I think...I was drawn by something I couldn't understand!" His voice was almost a sob. He struggled to sit up against the pillows, wincing in pain as he wrenched his shoulder.
"Frodo, stop," she half-sobbed, easing him back. "Don't...you will hurt yourself again...I...I cannot..."
"The Ring," he whispered hoarsely. "Oh, Lady Arwen, what must you think of me..."
A fine sheen of sweat appeared on his brow, his eyes closed feverishly. His hand was still clenched tight around the blasted thing...
Slowly, she reached out and touched that hand, long, slender and pale. Such beautiful hands...not callused or marred in any way...gently, oh so gently, she pried his fingers off the band.
"Arwen..." he murmured, and their eyes met. Dark grey storms met clear blue skies.
He did not call me 'Lady'...
"Let it go," she whispered back. "Trust me..."
"I already do..."
"Frodo, I..."
With a soft sigh, he let it go, clutching her hand instead.
My...my heart won't stop beating like this...
"Thank you," he murmured, and smiled at her softly.
You are so...beautiful...
She stopped thinking, and just kissed him again. This time, it lasted a lot longer than half a moment.
And this time, neither of them cried.
[finis...?]