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Going out on Christmas Eve had not exactly been Éowyn's plan - truth be told, it was probably one of the last things that would have been on her mind only five hours ago. If you had asked her then, she would have likely said something along the lines of 'work, food, bed'. Maybe thrown in a couple of episodes How I Met Your Mother, if lucky. A cheesy Christmas movie if she wanted to go all the way.But then her boss (read: uncle) had really really pissed her off and blown the business merger she had been working on for weeks to bits. Just like that. Countless hours of work, of arguments with other companies, of research and documentation, made useless. Because he felt 'it wasn't the right time to expand after all'. Of course, she had complained. Then, instead of taking her side, her colleague (read: brother) had started to mansplain her about the complexities of the project - a merger she had organised in the first place! Everything, the drafts, the ideas, the legal work had come from her. And now he meant to tell her what to do?! This was outrageous, ridiculous even. How had he dared, strutting around her office like a parrot, taking in more space than humanly possible. His broad shoulders and muscular arms had almost stretched the fabric of his custom-made suit as he had crossed them in a sign of silent confidence. So, like any sensible 25-year-old lawyer, she had told him to shut it, and kicked him out of her office. He had complied, but only after a couple of choice words and pointed glances and the recommendation 'to get over it'. At this point, Éowyn had almost stormed after him to strangle him with her bare hands, but at the last second had resolved to merely slamming the door.Usually, there was no way she would have left any mail unanswered or any file unchecked before the holidays, but now, in her current state of mind and mood, she really hadn't cared one bit: For once Éowyn only had done what had to be done and had ignored the rest, this would be a problems for 28th-of-december-Éowyn. She had also let her family's and most other calls go on voicemail and had left the office as quickly as possible in a whirl of high heels, green pantsuit and golden curls. After all, she would have to see the whole crew again the next day for Christmas dinner, she supposed, so she needed to put as much space between these events and the 'family fun' as she humanly could. Maybe then she would be willing to hold the Christmas peace tomorrow. Maybe. (Not likely though).Bring the only woman in the sort-of-not-so-nuclear-family of four had never been easy - three overprotective men that at the same time relied on her expertise but still didn't give her the opportunities she craved. Okay, let's be honest, business world had been, was and is highly mysoginist, and why they certainly didn't want to treat her any different, she was pretty sure the guys had all internalized their fair share of prejudices over the years. Male boarding school anyone? Adding to that, they also seemed to have forgotten that she had grown up in the meantime and could handle herself. And the business. It infuriated her without end.Now, Éowyn took in a deep breath as she stepped into the cold evening air. It was getting dark already, tiny snowflakes were drifting down on the streets of London. Christmas lights had been wrapped around the trees and the houses, and the shops hadn't spared expenses to decorate their windows. She scoffed. Was anyone ever thinking about the energy costs?For a moment, she debated texting one of her friends - or even all of them - just to complain about the job and the world, but then decided against it. No, they all had their own problems, she wouldn't impose. Éowyn shivered slightly as she stood on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab. Curling up on her couch seemed more and more like the most reasonable course of action and she would likely have done that, if there hadn't been a certain someone who suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. She startled, but relaxed quickly when she suddenly came to stare straight into the big green eyes in a very pretty face. The woman was a little bit taller than herself, slender built, with a forest green peacoat and very sleek and very red hair. Snow had started to freckle it with white, like white dust on a fire."Tauriel, hey!" Éowyn greeted her happily, a smile forming on her lips, "what's up? And what are you doing here?""Hello Winnie!" the woman responded, "great to catch you here!" The tone however sounded suspiciously sly.Éowyn looked at her confused."Seriously, what's up?""Did you check the group chat? ""Uhm nope. Should I?"The other woman gave a long-suffering sigh."You know, the chat exists to actually get hold of each other, right? Anyway. I thought you didn't read the messages, and the call went on voicemail, and your lovely assistant told me you had just left. Since I was just leaving as well, I decided to swing by, try to catch you. Truth be told, I didn't think I would!" She smirked proudly."You are finished for today, right? I am done too, literally, and I thought you'd might want to meet up for a drink. Legolas might join us as well."There was a peculiar edge in Tauriel's voice that made Éowyn pause. Maybe it was the slight increase of the accent, it always happened when she was annoyed."Did Thranduil piss you off again."It wasn't question. The other woman only scoffed."Of course he did. But I'll tell you later. And Legolas will too, be warned. Can we go now?""Tauriel, I actually just wanted to go home," she tried to curb her friend's enthusiasm."Wait what? How come?"The blonde woman sighed."Théoden and Éomer. Men. The usual.""And that's why you want to go home?" Tauriel asked."Yeah, so?""Stay here! Don't let them ruin your day! Or at least wallow with me!""Girl what?" Éowyn had asked slightly incredulously. “I just wanted to change into sweatpants, be done with all of this.""No, dummy! Drinks, we all need it. I know it. We can do dinner as well, if you want to. Hey, I might even throw in Arwen to sweeten the deal. Let me just quickly text her. I am sure she has some daddy issues she wants to share with the class."Tauriel pulled out her phone and started to type with lightspeed, presumably to hassle Arwen into joining their outing."Alright Winnie, since you haven't complained during the last thirty seconds, I assume you are in. Great!"She didn't even look up during the delivery of these lines. Éowyn sighed again.This had never been her style, and she had known she would likely regret it come morning. But maybe, she had thought, maybe she would regret staying in even more, when the walls were almost caving in, making her feel more and more trapped. So she had nodded resolutely to herself."Alright. Where do you guys want to meet?" she finally agreed."The Prancing Pony maybe? It's nice, cosy. Not snobby, less of a chance to run into your... circle, if you don't want to," she faked a shudder, "and I have heard they do something Christmas related. AND we can have dinner there, too, if we choose to.""You know I love the place.""I know, that's why I proposed it. After all, I want you to come!"Her phone rang and she checked the message with a smile."It's Awa. She says she can meet us in 20 minutes in front of Moria Art Gallery." She scoffed. "All you trust-fund-babies and rich kids with your beautiful central apartments! And I can't even hate you because you are all really lovely people and actually work for your living. Which sort of makes me resent you even more. That included you, Miss Eorl!"Éowyn shrugged, not really impressed by Tauriel's tirade. It had become sort of a running gag over the last couple of years, her telling the rest of the group off for their presumed snobbishness and then everyone finding other reasons to pick at one another, in shifting allegiances. The most obvious one was likely girls vs. boys, where the closest circle included Éowyn, Tauriel and Arwen on the one side, and Legolas on the other. In the slightly further radius there were Aragorn, Haldir, Elladan and Elrohir, Lindir, Kili and Fili, and sometimes even Éomer.However, they also formed battle lines according to universities, nationality: English vs. all the others, paupers (Tauriel, Lindir and Haldir) vs. rich kids (the rest), soccer vs. cricket vs. archery vs. riding, commoners vs. nobility - you name it.They were all very aware how careful they had to be with these kinds of statements and that especially some members of the older generation would pull horrible consequences out of an argument they had only for the sake of who would pay the round of drinks that night."So, what do we do in the meantime?" Éowyn wanted to know."Retail therapy?""Tauriel, you just complained about capitalism, and now you want to spend more money?" Éowyn asked."Nope, I want to convince you to buy new clothing," the redhead grinned."I like my clothes. It's comfortable. And business appropriate.""Yeah. Because you are always business appropriate. Always on duty. Or doing sports."The blonde woman stared her down. "Look who's talking. I don't think you are working any different times than I do, or have a better work-life-balance."Tauriel shrugged. "No. But I get laid. You don't. And you certainly would, if you didn't look like you just jumped off the cover of Forbes Magazine. It's intimidating. And you know, I am all here for that my dearest girl queen, but it's not getting you hot and sweaty with a hot dude without some serious work.""Maybe I don't want to date?" she repeated the usual argument.Tauriel just tsked, which meant Éowyn would hear more about that later. "And with regard to the clothes, you mean slutty," Éowyn corrected the redhead."Call it as you wish, Winnie. More skin, less coverage. But since it's Christmas and since I look very preppy as well tonight I shall give you a pass. That said, at least I am wearing pretty underwear.""But why would you - Aren't you and-""Not. Another. Word," Tauriel cut her line of questioning short. For the first time there was a true warning edge to her voice, asking her not to push further for now. Éowyn nodded, backing off a little. Despite her outward brashness, Tauriel had a tender heart and her blonde friend hated that apparently another relationship that had seemed so promising had gone sour. That girl really deserved the world, and somehow, she seemed haunted with bad luck.So, they did end up doing retail therapy, but the only thing Éowyn bought was a lipstick she had been thinking about for quite some time now. The colour was bold, a dark cherry red, and as she put it on outside, her friend smiled approvingly."It looks like - no, 'it's giving'" she rolled her eyes, "Taylor Swift x Marilyn Monroe x Cinderella.""It does, doesn't it," Éowyn gave back happily.They slowly made their way to the art gallery, but Éowyn started to curse as her feet began to freeze in her heels. "I was not planning to go outside for long," she explained, "I didn't change my shoes. And I certainly won't go back to the office to get them now.""Well, I am sure Arwen will be on time," the other woman replied as they kept staring up and down the street, waiting for their friend, "she always is."And indeed, she was, to Éowyn's big relief. Other than Aragorn, who for some reason was always a little bit late (unless Arwen made him be on time) or her brother who tended to rush in just in time. One always knew when Arwen was bound to arrive, because people were moving out of the way. They were building pathways as if she were a superstar, and she would strut down these lines like a runway model. Head high, back straight, the picture of poise and elegance, but not arrogant. No, she was floating, sexy in a totally different way than Tauriel. She had at least on the first glance, nothing of her wildness and seductiveness, instead she seemed almost ethereal. Her close friends however knew that at least part of it was just an assumption - while Arwen had the biggest heart humanly possible, she was anything but naive, had nerves as steel, and anyone who had ever seen her hit her bothers would doubt that there was anything etheral about her at all.Aside from Éomer, she was likely the person who knew Éowyn best in the whole world. While Éowyn loved all of her friends and shared different connections with each of them, her relationship with Arwen had always been a little different. She was her person, that puzzle-piece-best-friend you find once and never let go of again. Like Tauriel and Legolas, Kili and Fili, and Elladan and Elrohir. Now, Arwen looked as if she had fallen straight out of a winter rom-com: blue coat and white scarf with the cutest white beanie that covered part of her long brown hair. Her nose was a little bit red from the cold, but it didn't make her look any less perfect. She waved at the two otehrs as she approached."Good evening you two!" "Heya you!" Éowyn greeted her, "my feet are freezing, can we get going?""Of course!" the others responded and just like that they were off to the Prancing Pony.Thankfully it wasn't a long walk, the rather whole-in-the-wall restaurant was smartly hidden in a side street close to the office buildings, with the old wooden door and almost shabby looking windows a contrast to the sleek office buildings around it. It was only the good food that kept it afloat, and the fact that it had become a secret getaway for many a business person over the years. Not that anyone acknowledged this, of course.Pippin Took, the owner, gave them a wave from behind the bar as they entered."Your usual booth is free!" he told them, "I'll be with you in a second."It was warm and they quickly took off their coats, Éowyn sighed with delight as the air started to thaw her body. Then she slid on the bench and stretched out her legs, making Tauriel laugh. She shook out her head, frowning a bit when she noticed it had become wet."You should wear a hat!" Arwen scolded her."No mummy!" Tauriel complained, "my hair will get all frizzy!""Your hair is as sleek as spaghetti," Éowyn deadpanned, "it won't even stay curled after you use your overpriced hair gadgets. So I am sure it will be fine. Arwen and I are in much more anger.""But Awa's hair looks just fine, despite the beanie!" the redhead commented."Well, I'm magic," Arwen gave back, very unapologetic.She flicked Éowyn's braid that was falling heavily over her right shoulder. Éowyn just wanted to argue back, when a phone beeped insistently. They all rolled her eyes, only one person would text so many messages after one another."Tauriel, what does he want?"The other woman pulled out her smartphone."Well, Leggy wants us to order the vegetarian pizza for him. Same as usual. And he'll be here in ten."Just as Arwen wanted to retort something, Pippin appeared next to them."The usual?" he only asked.All three nodded."So that means apple juice and vegetarian pizza for Arwen, Sex on the Beach and tortellini with cheese sauce for Tauriel, virgin daiquiri and mince pie for Winnie," he made a face at the combination, "and I suppose caipirinha and another vegetarian pizza for Legolas. That right?""You are a treasure," Arwen told him with a smile."I know."He winked at the group before sauntering off into the kitchen. About seven minutes later, just after he had brought their drinks, the door of the Prancing Pony opened again and a man strutted in. He didn't really look left or right but made a beeline towards their table, flopping down next to Tauriel with a weary sigh. As he started to peel himself out of his silvery coat, his seating partner frowned."Dude, you are making me wet! Take off your damn jacket somewhere else!"With a sigh, he got up again, but only after shooting her a dirty look. Then he dropped it on a free chair and sat down again."Hey girls," he finally started, his voice weary.As he took a deep gulp of his caipirinha, Éowyn's eyebrows rose further and further."That bad?""Worse.""Alright," Arwen folded her hands in front of her in a business-like fashion, "who wants to start? I feel it should be Legolas. Legolas, what do you want to share with us? Let's start with work."He rolled his eyes."I just had to listen for the last two hours about how much of a failure I am, how much more I should have expanded my branch of the company, and what he would have done differently. I am really considering whether working for family is the right choice."Éowyn scoffed. "Don't we all."Three pairs of eyes turned towards her."My family shot down the Scotland project I told you about. And then Éomer kept mansplaining all that shit to me. So, pretty similar to you. Arwen?""Mansplaining brother, but at least no complaints about my work. Only the usual hints that Dad would love me to move to the US and do the stuff there, and I still don't want to, obviously. At least we don't have to go to Washington for Christmas this year.""Yeyy, Christmas," Legolas commented with a mocking voice, "the whole horror again tomorrow. But please, play nice, we have guests!"Éowyn clinked her glass against his in silent agreement."Christmas sucks anyway," Arwen declared. They shared a silent look, not stating the obvious. In all of their families, at least one person was missing, in the case of Éowyn and Tauriel even two. While they were dealing with it mostly fine, Christmas always hit hard."Aragorn's coming to your place?" Legolas asked Arwen.She nodded. "Sure. Him and his mum. I mean, my family loves them. They just don't necessarily love me with him. But my dears I don't need to tell you that.""Tauriel?"The woman just shook her head."Nope. Nothing. Nada. Seriously, I don't need to see my boss more than necessary, sorry Leggy."He laughed."That's fair. I wouldn't either."They were interrupted by their food arriving and for a moment everyone got distracted by the amazing smell and taste of dinner as they dug in. Only when the plates were almost cleared, their conversation started again."What now? What are the plans for tonight?" Tauriel wanted to know."As I told you, my bed," Éowyn declared."As I told you, not happening.""But we aren't even dressed for going out," she complained, "Arwen always looks pristine, but us other three, we don't exactly look like party, you know. If I remember correctly, you told me earlier.""We can just stay here and wallow," Arwen proposed.Legolas nodded."Sounds good to me. First round's on me."Éowyn pondered for a moment. "So there is something to tell, and you need another drink to do so. Interesting. Alright, let's do this."Pippin was more than happy to bring them another round, then they all started to stare at Legolas."Come on, it can't be that bad.""It is. Very much."The words were muffled by his hands in front of his face."I sent him a Christmas card.""You sent him a Christmas card?" Tauriel replied incredulously. "Him being -""Uhum," Legolas he confirmed."But that's not bad, is it?" Arwen asked."He ghosted me!" the man answered hotly.At this point he almost seemed as if he wanted to rip his hair out. Éowyn couldn't say that she knew how it was being ghosted, but she was a pro when it came to awkward flirting and being let down. So yeah, she was feeling for him. The woman put one of her hands on top of his."Then he's a morron!""But he's so perfect. Smart and sexy and courageous and he likes puppies -""He can still be a morron, Leggy!" Tauriel told him, "he can seem perfect and still turn out to be a douchebag. At least you know now and can move on!"Éowyn wondered whether she was still talking about Legolas or about herself. She also wondered why (apart for Arwen) they all seemed to have bad luck with regard to relationships or men in general. Maybe it was karma, or maybe they ahd found each other because of these resemblances?"But I don't think I want to move on just yet," Legolas complained now, "maybe after Christmas. Yes. Or in the New Year. As a New Year's resolution.""Sure," Tauriel didn't sound convinced, "then at least you can help me convince Winnie to have some fun tonight."The blonde man grinned evilly."You should. Be a black widow, destroy patriarchy."Arwen scoffed, amused. "Winnie is the biggest softie, not a cougar. For her to have a go at someone, he must be really exceptional.""Well, that would be like Christmas come early. And you could unwrap him and -"Éowyn shuddered."Thank you, that's absolutely enough. I certainly don't need a man for Christmas."She took another sip of her drink, shaking her head to herself. As the conversation floated to more mundane things, she let her eyes wander over the decoration. Tinsel and baubles everywhere, a sweet, chaotic vibe that very much screamed 'Pippin'. The lawyer frowned when she noticed a couple of mistletoes here and there, she certainly would have to keep away from these. Thankfully, the playlist in the background did not just consist of Christmas songs but of a weird mixture that made it almost bearable, at one point she even found herself humming along. It was slowly getting fuller inside, to her surprise, she would have suspected people to be home, to prepare Christmas trees and fill stockings for their kids. Maybe this was just a place for lonely souls, she wondered, a place that collected human beings that had no places to be nor people to see.Just now the door opened again and two men waltzed in, both rather tall. Cold air followed the two of them, making her shiver for a moment as they were swiftly making their way to the bar. Both were taking off their coats while moving, casually draping them over their arms. It was this simple gesture that captured her attention, the way they both weaved through the accumulating crowd with such ease. It was the ease of a man that knew how to use his body, the way the men in her acquaintance did. It was also ease mixed with the confidence of a man that was used to get what he wanted - especially the leader of the two seemed to have it in spades. There was a swagger in his steps that made her grin wryly, it reminded her of Éomer on one of his too good days. She found herself wondering where they were from and what jobs they were doing.The first guy was wearing a dark blue bespoke suit, clearly dressed like a businessman. Éowyn couldn't quite shake the feeling she had seen him somewhere sometime, but she couldn't put a name to the face. Since she often had to go to parties to represent the company, it was very well possible they had crossed paths, maybe even shook hands. A face in an endless sea of faces.She only briefly saw the other man's face, but she was fairly certain they had never met. Still, judging by the features and the hair colour he could very well be the man's brother, but in terms of styling, he was the total opposite. Instead of a suit, he was wearing jeans and a brown leather jacket on top of what she supposed was a white shirt. It didn't look shabby by any standard, but it was a far cry from the dressy picture Legolas or his companion provided. His hair was probably the colour of hazelnut and it was falling down onto his shoulder in waves, but it had not been pulled back as the other guys'. Instead, it looked soft and fluffy and perfect for - "Who are you staring at?"Suddenly, someone snipped their fingers in front of her face, and she jumped. It had been Tauriel, who looked at her with very much interest."Nobody," she tried to gloss it over."Nonsense, you were totally gone," Legolas added.Arwen, the little traitor, looked around."Oh, I believe the two guys on the bar, right? Don't turn around too obviously now. Don't stare. Don't be creepy. It's two men, one suit, one leather jacket. Brown longish hair. Very much her type."Éowyn groaned. "I am never going to live that comment about longer brown hair down, am I?""Nope. After all, you dated my boyfriend first and you mentioned that you found Tauriel's - anyway, that you found Kíli attractive," Arwen deadpanned, "and all that in connection to longer brown hair. I have to say though these dudes have lighter hair, I hope you can compromise."The blond woman rolled her eyes."Well, Miss Peredhel. At least I didn't make a fuss when you suddenly started to date Aragorn, and I was never interested in Kíli. So shut it."There was no bite behind her words, she was rather busy with stopping her blush."Which one is your preference though?" Legolas wanted to know after sneaking a look, "suit or leather jacket? Or both?"Arwen and Tauriel looked at him, aghast."Leather jacket!" they said in unison, before breaking out into laughter as Éowyn hid her flaming face in her hands.
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He wasn't quite sure why he had decided to come home for Christmas. Maybe it was a feeling that it was simply what he should do, maybe because he was happy to see is family (or at least part of it) again, or maybe, because there was still the hope that some day, his father might be willing to say a couple of nice things to him. Pathetic, really. His therapist would have to say a couple of things about that, he supposed.Now that he was here in London though, he only wanted to be back in Edinburgh, in his cosy chaotic appartment with too many books and knick-knack, the missmatched plates and blue couch. And with Minny and Mory, his two wonderful cats, of course. Another thing his father didn't approve of, apparently adopting two poor strays brought him only one step closer to being a 'cat lady'.An idea that included his father's two biggest fears:That A) Faramir could not find a wife or B) that he would not find one.Oh, and add C) that he didn't conform to his standard of masculinity.These fears seemed odd to Faramir though, and a very irrational thing indeed - why would his father care anyway? It wasn't as if 'the line was in danger', not that that was a good reason to have kids in the first place. No, no doubt Boromir would take care of that sooner or later. From all the comments he had recently heard about Cat Tully (irony in the name here), there might even be a candidate lined up. Faramir wasn't sure whether his big brother was even aware of his pining, probably not. But the former playboy mentioned her with a regularity that was surprising even to Faramir, and they had been through a lot together. Anyway, he was looking forward to meeting her.Regarding the other fear - while Faramir himself would have had no issue with being gay, he was fairly sure he wasn't - it was simply that dating was not at the front of his mind. There was so much else to do, to see, to sort out, and if he was honest with himself, he was also bloody scared of getting hurt. He knew life had fucked him up his fair bit, and he didn't need to risk adding to this further, if there wasn't a very compelling reason. So, he usually became friends with women, but it never went any further, even though he knew there had certainly been interest from time to time. And with regard to his masculinity - he could only shrug about this. Masculinity was a construct to begin with, something that any reasonable person should have realized by now. Which meant that Boromir might or might not be fully reasonable sometimes. For his own taste, he was masculine enough - whatever that meant. He didn't need to fuck around or talk over a girl to prove it.But you want to prove yourself to your father, don't you? a persistant voice in his mind called out from time to time. After all, some habits were harder to kill than others.For now however Boromir had dragged him out of the office building of Gondor Investments in a fancy part of London and down into a back alley. Just when the little brother had wondered whether he wanted to murder him and hide the body there after all, they had reached a little restaurant-bar-thing called Prancing Pony - nothing special from the outside, but bigger on the inside, Boromir had promised. Indeed it was, friendly, warm and smelling wonderfully of food and a mixture of ale, juice and whiskey that shouldn't be nice but somehow was. Christmas decoration was hanging and pinned everywhere and to his surprise the room was rather packed with people. Most seemed to know each other, standing around in groups or leaning against other people's tables. They squeezed towards the bar where a short man was cleaning glasses, giving them a friendly smile as they approached."Good evening!" "Good evening Master Took," Boromir greeted him with an overly stiff little bow. Apparently there seemed to be a running gag behind it, "this is my brother, Faramir.""Oh, the famous Scot!" the man exclaimed, his own Scottish brogue slightly tinting his words.Faramir laughed."I am not sure what my brother told you, but I am sure it was highly exaggerated. And I am not sure whether I can lay claim on being Scottish yet."The barkeeper shrugged."Ye sound like home, at least a wee bit. Now, what do you drink?""A pint, please," Faramir ordered, just like Boromir.While the barkeeper got their drinks, he looked around a little, his keen eyes taking in the other patrons. It was a wild mixture, many people dressed carefully like his brother with suits, but just the same a couple of tourists and locals in jeans and sweaters. In this bar he really didn't stick out, he found, this was a relief. In the office, it had been super awkward - Faramir had arrived with the assumption just to drop in and drop out again, therefore he hadn't worn a suit. His father however had had other plans, and so he had felt fully out of place for most of the day in his jeans and leather jacket.Suddenly, female laughter ripped him out of his musing. He turned towards the sound, it seemed to come from a little group that was sitting in a booth further back in the room. A blond-haired man was gesticulating at a dark-haired woman, while a redhead was leaning back against the cushion of the booth, still laughing. The forth person had burrowed their face in their hands - he assumed it was a woman who was hiding her face. At first he thought she might be crying, but judging by her companions' reactions, Faramir assumed her shoulders were shaking with laughter. He quietly wondered what would make a woman lose composure like that. The man just wanted to turn back, after all, staring was creepy, when she put down her hands. There were actual teartracks on her face, Faramir reckoned, he could see it in the way the light was reflecting on her skin. Still, she was smiling, a little bit wryly but certainly not unhappily.Boromir followed his eyes."A girl?"He quickly shook his head, but apparently not quickly enough to convince him."Which one, there are three!""None!" he told him firmly, but his brother almost smirked."Arwen is off the market," the barkeeper suddenly remarked dryly next to them, "Tauriel, the red-haired lassie, might be, too. Just for your information.""Which one is Arwen?""The dark-haired lass.""Great. Faramir likes blondes," Boromir declared shamelessly, not at all impressed when his little brother slapped him on the arm, "anyway, I think I might know her. So we have to introduce ourselves."He stood up from his chair and started to make a beeline towards the table. There was nothing to do for Faramir but follow, which he did with much reluctance. Whether Boromir actually knew said Arwen or whether he was making it up just to annoy his brother was a mystery to him. They noticed their approach fairly quickly, while the woman he supposed was called Arwen gave them both a friendly smile, the man looked mostly intrigued and the red-haired woman like the cat who got the cream. Only the blond woman seemed a little bit insecure, but not unfriendly."Good evening," Boromir started, "may we join you?"The red-haired woman looked him up and down."Maybe. Do you have any good stories to contribute to our evening?""We also accept work trouble, daddy issues, or dead mothers," the blond woman told the two.Faramir startled at the delivery, so deadly serious that he couldn't quite say whether she was trying to scare them away or whether this was her sense of humour. He also kind of felt called out by her, as if she had looked through him with one glance and presented all his problems on a plate. Suddenly she flinched, he had the vague impression someone had kicked her against the shin."Well, I've got all three, is there still space next to you?" he asked her calmly, trying not to show that he was actually serious.He could hear Boromir cough next to him, at the same time, the woman blanched."Oh my goodness I'm so so sorry, I didn't want to insult you!"The woman sounded honestly close to a panic, it made him think that maybe she wasn't a people person or maybe a little bit shy. Still, she moved to the side, while the others put the jackets from the chair. He gave her a smile as he slid in next to her."Well, I'm Boromir, this is Faramir," his brother interrupted, " and I think I know you, right?"He turned towards the dark-haired woman."I am not sure, to be completely honest," she answered, "I am Arwen. But we certainly might have met.""Oh, aren't you Aragorn Telcontar's new girlfriend?" Boromir wanted to know.Faramir looked at the woman with interest. Of course he knew Aragorn vaguely, a splendid guy, but somehow they always seemed to pass each other by without ever getting closer acquainted. Arwen looked like the picture of classiness and poise in a caramel-coloured woolen sweater (likely cashmere, he supposed), little make-up and dainty but expensive jewlery. If there was one thing Faramir was good at than it was reading people - and she was certainly from money. He probably should have known who she was related to, but truth be told, these kinds of politics were something he didn't really care about. Which was funny, since he was a huge history nerd otherwise. His cousin Lotty surely would know though, he might simply text her later."Indeed, I am," she confirmed with a smile that one could only call loving, "how do you know him?""Oxford," Boromir told her, "and I saw a picture of the two of you online somewhere I believe. Please, give him all my best!"Faramir wondered whether now the 'where are you from - who are your parents' questioning would start, but Arwen only nodded happily."I will, of course, and I know he will be delighted. But say, what do you mean with 'newest girlfriend'? We have been together for more than five years.""Well, apparently I mixed it up then," Boromir laughed, "but I feel I heard about a pretty weird story about her but what I can't recall."He shrugged and Arwen frowned, for the first time looking less than pleased. The woman next to him had stiffened as well, apparently in solidarity with her friend, and Faramir cursed his brother's big mouth."Anyway," Arwen finally went on, "by way of introduction - these are Tauriel -" the redhead gave a little wave, "Legolas, and -""I'm Winnie," the blonde woman interrupted her, "and again, very sorry for earlier.""No harm done," Faramir told her, finding himself more nd more curious about the stranger. From near she was even prettier than he had first thought. She had big eyes of a colour he couldn't quite describe in a slightly pale face and lips he tried hard not to stare at. Her perfume was swirling around him, nothing too painfully sweet, but fresh like a clear morning in the Highlands. Since they had to squeeze together in the booth, he couldn't really look at her directly without almost kissing her cheek, but he got a very good look of her hands. Hands could tell a lot about people, he thought, and hers were certainly mysterious. They looked well-cared for, her nails professionally done but not long, with only tiny white stripes on the tip. However, there were silvery scars scattered all over them, not unlike on his own. She wasn't wearing anything reassembling a wedding ring, but there was a band on her finger - silver with what he supposed was little thistles and horses engraved in it. Faramir smiled to himself - apparently he had found another Scotland fan. The jewlery didn't look too expensive, which surprised him a bit, but well, taste and income could vary even in a friend group. He himself was proof that money didn't exactly equal a taste for flashy clothing.Tauriel sort of matched her the best, just like Winnie she was wearing a dark blazer and a blouse, though hers seemed a lot lower cut. A pendant was nestled between her collar bones, but the man didn't dare to look more closely. Legolas was just as carefully dressed as Arwen, just like her in an understatedly fancy way. While Faramir didn't care much for fashion, he recognised it when he saw it. The man across from him certainly had a thing for it.Once again, he felt he stuck out, but the others didn't seem to bother. Over the next hour they included him in their conversation as if they had known each other for ages. Tauriel and Legolas were mostly running the show, he wondred whether the dynamic was always like that. Still, it reminded him of his friends in Edinburgh, uncomplicated, homey, even though he could feel they were careful about the information they were sharing.He found out that everyone had had a mostly bad day, that Legolas and Tauriel worked together, that Winnie and Arwen both had brothers, and that Tauriel had gone to Cambridge just like himself well but he somehow had never met her. However, they both had done competitive archery, so they had had the same instructors, only with a couple of years in between. Legolas seemed to have a puppy and Winnie had a horse, an information he filed away for later. She really was more on the calmer side, he found, a little bit brooding maybe. He didn't made it, but it was also slightly frustrating, since he would have liked to know more about her.In return he told them about his life in Edinburgh, about the places he liked to go - some recommendations, if they ever went to visit. He was just telling them about his favourite restaurant, the Echtelion, when the woman next to him scoffed. He turned to look at her, while the others laughed."What's so funny?""Last time I went there I got food poisoning and was throwing up all weekend. So the Echtelion and I aren't friends any longer."He raised an eyebrow."I am sad to hear that.""Are you sure it wasn't the drinks?" Boromir, blunt as usually, asked.More laughter, and a small sardonic smirk by Winnie."I am fairly certain I can hold my drink, but thank you for the consideration."The tone suggested that she hadn't heard the comment for the first time."What would you recommend, then?" Faramir wanted to know."The Green Dragon for a pub and Mith & Ril if you want to be really fancy," she answered without missing a beat."Mith & Ril has half a year waiting list, minimum," he argued.It was true, the Scottish-Japanese fusion restaurant was one of the society hotspots in Edinburgh, but he hadn't managed to visit yet, despite his connections. Unfortunately, his father had been unwilling to help, so he was waiting for his table until today. Besides, who would he take? Lotty, most likely. Who for some reason had already been there, and hadn't shut up about it for weeks."Indeed, it has," the woman now confirmed with a small smile."You've been there?" Faramir asked, just to be sure."Yes. I wouldn't recommend it if I hadn't.""How did you get in?"She only smiled enigmatically, a really really pretty smile that made something in his belly flutter."No, seriously," he pushed.Then he his ears got hot. He wasn't usually foreward like that, but he was curious by nature, especially if things didn't make sense. She still didn't say anything, but also didn't look away. Their eyes caught, and something zinged through him, unfamiliar and strong. After a moment, Boromir, the brute, loudly cleared his throat, breaking the connection. She looked away, a blush on her cheeks. Faramir could hear her murmur something to herself but couldn't quite catch it, but it didn't sound English. Another thing to be surious about, though he still didn't know how she had gotten that table!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Oh gosh. No. Please no!
This had been the only though in Éowyn's mind as soon as the suit guy had introduced the two of them. Because at that point, she had already figured out where she knew him from - The website of Gondor Investments, the company she would have sort-of fucked over if her uncle had granted her green light for her own project. He was Boromir Steward, heir of the finance empire, and, to make matters worse, additionally part of English aristocracy. (Just like herself, but that was beside the point).Faramir - leather jacket guy - was therefore the brother she had tried to research for weeks and found literally nothing about. The only thing she knew was that he was leading the Edinburgh branch of the company, and that was why he had become so important for her plans. In response, Éowyn had turned around every stone to find information and preferably some kind of dirt on him, but there hadn't been the tiniest crumb. The man had no apparent social media aside from a very boring LinkedIn account, no Facebook, no Instagram, nor X. No questionable comments, no affairs, no pictures of him puking after a college party. Only a couple of mentionings about successes in archery competitions for Cambrige University, a comment about excellency in his studies, and one about his generous financial contribution to a children's hospital. Her own brother looked like a heathen in comparison! There hadn't been any photos, not even on his LinkedIn. At that point, Éowyn had started to wonder whether he either hated people that much, was super shy, or whether he was too ugly for society's standards. The last thought had made her unexplicably angry - while she wasn't a stranger to physical attraction, she very much hated discrimination of any kind.Now he was suddenly standing in front of her, and no, there was certainly nothing wrong with his face. Or the rest of his body, as far as she could tell from first glance. Damn it, the man was hot, even hotter than she had assumed earlier. He seemed broader built than Legolas, but less so than his brother next to him, maybe a bit like Aragorn. He held himself very upright, which made him look taller than he probably was, still the space seemed dominated by the man in front of him. Right away Éowyn was reminded of Éomer and herself, where one sibling took the limelight, while the other one had to fight to carve out a space for oneself. Then, sharp greenish eyes flickert towards her face, and right then Éowyn didn't know what to do.So, naturally, she had tried to scare him away with one of her dry comments. The next second, she could have hit herself - of course he had a dead mother, after all, she had read about that during her research. Éowyn might want him to go away, but she hadn't intended to be excessively mean, after all, he hadn't done anything to her aside from existing. It hadn't worked, obviously, and had only led to embarassment, but he had handled it with much more grace than she ever deserved. Truth be told, she still wasn't sure whether he actually had daddy issues, but judging by the flash of panic in his eyes, she had at least hit a nerve somewhere there. The woman was fairly certain Faramir had no clue who she was, or rather, who anyone of the group was. His brother seemed to be a bit better informed, he knew Arwen, at least by name, through her relationship with Aragorn. A bit of a weird coincident, but whatever. It was no wonder he hadn't heard of Tauriel before - unfortunately, most people hadn't until she crushed them in court - but it surprised her that Legolas didn't ring a bell. After all, they must run in the same circles. Well, didn't they all. British high society often felt slightly incestuous. When he had started to play at Aragorn's ex (read: herself), she had known there was no way she would tell them her real name. Let them think whatever, she had no interest in discussing old stories, especially after the day she had had. They had eaten up her nickname well enough, which made her just a little bit proud about her ability of keeping a low profile.Now, she was squished against Faramir on the bench, cursing the fact that she knew he was wearing Sauvage by Dior and she would likely never again be able to smell that perfume without thinking about leather jackets and grey-green eyes. She appreciated he wasn't turning towards her fully, because that would have meant almost kissing her, but somehow she regretted slightly that she couldn't have a good look at him in return.Stupid, stupid, stupid! she scolded herself. He shouldn't be of anything but professional interest to her, and the swooping notion in her belly was certainly not professional.She found herself wondering what he thought about her, about her perfume and her thick braid that kept brushing his shoulder whenever she leaned forward to take up her glass. Then she tried to push these thoughts as soon as they had come, but it wouldn't quite work. Éowyn tried to distract herself by listening to the ongoing conversation, but unfortunately Faramir was contributing far too much. Still, he had a very nice voice and she found she loathed and liked listening to him equally, which was a grudging advantage, since she didn't quite know what to say herself.She wasn't a quiet person by any means, neither in her job nor in private company, but he made her unsure where to start.What do you say to a person you have online-stalked for days to try and mess with later, just to find out they are actually apparently pretty nice, pretty decent (at least in private company) and very very much your type?Faramir was an interesting case, he was open and guarded at the same time. Open in the way that he shared stories - stories about his home in Edinburgh, about streets she knew, places she had been. Guarded in the way that while these tales were entertaining, they didn't really reveal anything personal aside from his love for the city, whisky, and Scottish country dance, and that he would have liked the sea to be warmer and the weather to be sunnier. Only when he started to praise the Echtelion, Éowyn couldn't hold back any longer. After the food poisoning incident, there was no way she would endorse such blatant heresy!And really, it wasn't her fault that he had never gotten into Mith & Ril while she had sort of a standing reservation - after all, she had connections as well!When their eyes locked for a moment, grey into grey, her heart literally stumbled. Maybe that was what a heart attack felt like. For a moment, the world was full of possibilities, pathways in which she was braver and bolder, until Boromir coughed and the illusion shattered to sharp, glittering pieces. She was sure she was blushing, a hot, uncomfortable feeling, only increased by the even more uncomfortable feeling of being caught.Thankfully, Arwen came to her rescue with a story of her latest trip to France and the local cuisine, giving her time to compose herself. Which was very difficult with a warm body pressed against her side, close enough to touch.After a while Pippin appeared at their table to bring drinks for another round, a service he offered since they had become sort-of friends over the years, and certainly also because he was inherently curious what was going on. It appeared he knew Boromir as well, and Éowyn wondered how that had never come up in conversation. Next time, she would squeeze it out of him, she promised herself. The barkeeper seemed to have a certain sixth sense when it came to drinks - of course he knew what they were usually having, but nonetheless he had a talent for picking the right thing at the right moment.Éowyn was fairly certain he had given Legolas the fizzy girly drink with umbrellas just to mess with Boromir, and judging by the look, it worked. When she risked a glance at Faramir next to her, a small smile played around his lips as he traded a look with the man across the table. Legolas winked back and he laughed, a rich, full sound, though somehow a bit quiet as if he was used to be seen but not to be heard. Éowyn could relate. For a moment she wondered whether he was rather playing for Legolas' team as well - that would be a relief, wouldn't it? If only some traiterous feelings weren't so annoyed at that thought...His eyebrows shot up though as he considered Éowyn's own drink, whisky neat, in a pretty crystal tumbler."For my resident snob."Then he turned towards Tauriel."I somehow had the feeling you wouldn't appreciate the gesture."Éowyn could see Tauriel was frowning from across the table, but she knew it had very little to do with the drink itself and much with the memories associated with it."No, thank you Pippin, I think I prefer whatever you put in my glass here."The redhead took a big sip of the concoction that Pippin had served her."What do you have, gentlemen?" Pippin asked the two Stewards.While Boromir ordered another beer, Faramir turned to the blond woman next to him."Any good?"She smiled."If it is the one I had last time, then yes.""It is lassie," Pippin confirmed, and she beamed at him."Then I'll have what the lady is having," Faramir told him, "but on the rocks, please."Éowyn scoffed before hissing through her teeth as a very well situated kick hit her leg."Legolas, what the fuck?"She bit her lip, blushing again."Just wanted to make sure you don't start ranting," he answered without remorse. "You know, she can rant about whisky without end," he explained with a wistful air, "and she considers water or ice in whisky to be the ultimate sin.""Look who's talking. The man with the private wine cellar who will only drink the bordeaux at a certain temperature," she bit back."Jealous much?" "Not particularly.""I see this seems to be a topic of frequent debate," Faramir interfered.Arwen laughed."Quite so. But don't fret, they have spilt enough blood about it, they won't tonight."She looked at both her friends sternly while Pippin returned with another ale for Boromir and another tumbler for Faramir. The young man took it with a polite smile, and if Éowyn's eyes lingered just a little bit longer on his elegant fingers, who was she to blame.
He seems to be using hand lotion.
The random thought crept into her mind and she smiled down at her drink. He certainly wasn't wearing a ring either, though the way his hand curled around the tumbler was highly distracting. It made her think about what else he could do with said hand if he - As if he had felt her look, he turned towards her and smiled, almost shyly."A toast!" Boromir suddenly declared, and got up, saving her from any furtehr awkwardness. "To lying, cheating, stealing and drinking: May you lie in the arms of the one you love, may you cheat death, may you steal away from bad company, and may you drink with me.”Tauriel was the first to clink her glass against his."Sláinte!" It sounded a little bit sad, but she was still smiling.Éowyn lifted her glass as well."Sláinte!"She took a sip of her whisky, enjoying the way the way the drink filled her mouth and flowed down her throat. Woodsy and sweet, just as she liked it. Not too much smoke, more honey and maybe even a bit of fruit. Next to her, Faramir hummed as he tried his drink. Something tingled across her scalp and she almost flinched. That wasn't possible, right? Humans didn't work as ASMR."It's exceptional, you've got good taste," he told her seriously."I know."It came out less playful and more breathless than she had planned, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he chuckled lowly."So whisky is your thing?""Well, yes, in a way. More than any other drink at least. But it's not life-determining or anything.""Even though it is the water of life?""Even so." Just as she wanted to add more, the phone in her pocket started to ring. It made her jump a little and bump against Faramir who only chuckled again and calmly set down his tumbler. With a slight frown Éowyn pulled out her phone and silently cursed as she saw the caller ID. Éomer, of course. What did he want now? In retrospect, she should have let it go on voice mail and turned off her phone. Just let it be, die another day. But after all it was Christmas the next day and she didn't want to ruin it in advance. So, she sighed."I'm so sorry Faramir, but I need to take this. Would you please let me squeeze through?""Sure."Nobody stopped her as the man obligingly got up and she quickly drowned the rest of the whisky before exiting their booth. Éowyn knew that she didn't have to tell the others who it was and what she was doing, they could read it on her face. Without another comment she turned around and walked straight to the exit. No way she was having any sort of discussion inside the bar, she didn't need an audience. It was silent and very cold outside and Éowyn hated that she had forgotten to take her coat - well, so this better be quick. Maybe, she wondered, maybe he even wanted to apologize?Éomer picked up as soon as she called him back, but apparenly his sister had hoped in vain: Instead of the direly needed apology, he started to lecture her again, mostly about ignoring his calls in the afternoon. She sighed, letting him talk her ear off for a couple of minutes. His complaints were slowly becoming a background noise while she rather watched the falling snow than listen to a word he was saying.Finally, as the frost started to creep into her bones, she started to pace slightly, drawing circles in the snow, round and around like a caged tiger. Damn it, her feet were starting to freeze again and Éomer was still not done with ridiculous and unnecessary tirade. Just as she had decided to politely tell him to shut up, her ears sharpened - it was at the simple mentioning of the word "incompetent". From one moment to the other the woman felt her heckles rise, going from annoyed to downright furious. Before she could stop herself, she was almost shouting into the phone, slipping into her familiar childhood dialect with ease. Later, Éowyn wasn't really able to recount what she had said - it had been quite a lot - she only knew it had felt right. Then, there was finally only silence on the line. She could hear him breathing, a low sound, and she sighed."Good night."Then she disconnected the call.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As soon as Faramir opened the door of the bar and peeked outside, he was accosted by a wave of anger - anger expressed in the broadest Suffolk dialect he had heard in a long time. Whoever was on the other side of that phone call, he pitied them, since Winnie was currently cleanly ripping their head off.He really didn't want to listen, but as he leaned against the wall, he couldn't help but overhear certain sentences that were drifting towards him. Sure, he could have left, but he had a task to perform, and if anything, Faramir was very responsible. The topic of conversation was apparently expansion, money, and qualifications – but what exactly, he couldn’t tell, not that it was his business anyway. What he noticed though was that the crisply delivered lines were biting, and certainly made to hurt - this wasn't just work, this was also personal. Faramir had imagined doing this so often, to tell his father (and sometimes Boromir) about his thoughts: That he felt left out, not appreciated, that he was working his ass off and he wanted a fucking raise and appropriate compensation for his job, that the working hours sucked... so many things. But somehow, he never did. The woman in front of him was certainly braver, she didn’t seem to care about consequences.Finally, she disconnected the call and for a moment, there was only quiet in the dark alley. Quiet aside from the dim sound of cars rushing by in the distance and the sound of a church bell somewhere nearer. It had gotten rather late, he mused. He kept watching Winnie, who was now visibly starting to shake. Part of it was likely due to the cold, but Faramir guessed that the major reason was the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. It must feel like a rollercoaster, he mused. He slowly stepped out of the shadow and towards her."Oh my goodness!," she exclaimed and almost jumped in surprise.The dialect was still audible in her voice, but it was fading fast. Like a curtain that she was pulling close to protect herself. A pity, really."I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you.""Well, you were lurking in the dark!" she complained, obviously defensive.Faramir just shrugged."Arwen was worried and sent me after you with your coat."He held out the garment. With a huff, she took it, putting it on."Do you want to come back inside?"Winnie bit her lip. It was distracting and made his eyes linger there for longer than they should have, he hoped she didn’t notice."I think I need a minute. Thanks for bringing my coat though.""Do you mind some company?"Now she was the one shrugging."Knock yourself out."In response he moved back again and leaned against the house, putting space between the two of them. He only hoped it looked casual and not totally ridiculous."What are you doing out here anyway? Aside from almost giving me a heart attack?""It's lovely inside, but I was getting a headache," he told her.Faramir had the feeling she didn't quite believe him, truth be told, neither did he believe himself, but she didn't call him out. Now, she only seemed lost and very very small."I'm sorry," he told her truthfully.She frowned and crossed her arms in front of her."I don't need you to pity me! Actually, I don't need any man to pity me at all!""And I don't. I'm still sorry though. Fights suck and you seem like a nice person who doesn't deserve it. Also, I think the way you just made your point was very impressive."Faramir didn't add that he also found it very attractive, he had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate that at this moment. It was hard to tell in the poor light that was shining through the window, but he had the feeling she was blushing a bit, though her arms were still crossed in front of her chest."It seemed necessary," she murmured."I believe it."He watched as she shuffled at bit from one foot to the other but still didn't move, instead only stared straight into the swirling white flakes that were still coming down around her."A white Christmas," the man mused."Doesn't really feel like Christmas to me. Silent night, peace on earth...""Who knows, maybe...there is still time...""Hopeful thinking?""Eternal optimism." He sounded far more ironic than he had planned, and she certainly noticed it."You don't seem too convinced yourself. So, tell me, Mr Eternal Optimism, was the whisky to celebrate? Or was it against frustration?"There was a challenge in her voice, maybe because she was still annoyed at somebody completely else, but it amused him, nevertheless. She came a little bit closer, probably to get herself and her very pretty but certainly inappropriate shoes out of the falling snow."No, not today. Today the whisky was because I like whisky. What about you?"A small smile."I think you already know. So, no frustration?""Always. Daddy issues, remember?"She burrowed her head in her hands again."So so sorry. I didn't want to call you out."Faramir didn’t mention that the last sentence hardly made anything better. Instead, he returned her smile."Takes one to know one."Now, she was looking straight at him, eyes wide."Not possible. He's dead."For a moment, Faramir absolutely didn't know what to say, but then he saw the corner of her lip quirk up."You're messing with me!""No!"Now she was truly laughing, almost hysterically. For the first time since he had met her, her expression was totally open again, unguarded."Oh my goodness!" Unfortunately, he had to laugh himself. "This is so awkward. Please tell me your mum's alive."When she only shook her head, still laughing, he leaned his own head back against the wall. Emotions were coursing through him, a bitter, sweet, relieved, painful rush that made tears stream down his cheeks. He could feel she was leaning back next to him, shaking with mirth. As he turned his head towards her, Faramir could see there were tear tracks on her cheeks again, just like when he had first seen her, and without though, he brushed a last falling teardrop away with his thumb.Winnie startled at the sudden touch, her lips opening slightly."Jesus Christ your fingers are bloody icicles!"He pulled back his hand, mortified. What had he been thinking? However, before he could turn his head, he suddenly felt the back of her hand on his cheek, almost freezing against his skin. His eyes widened and he shivered at the cold touch. When his eyes found hers, she grinned. There was a charming devilish little smile playing on her lips and it made her glow brightly in the night, like a sun he felt drawn to. A sun with very cold fingers."Payback."Despite the coldness, heat was spreading from where their bodies touched, flushing his body. Normally, this would have been his cue to pull away, to put distance between the two of them and thoroughly friendzone her, but her grey eyes held him captive. She had very pretty eyes, he mused, so expressive, almost stormy. So, when she moved to take away her hand, he caught it with his, leading it back to his cheek. Her hands were rather big for a woman, he found, or at least not as tiny as his cousins' who could wear children’s gloves if she wanted to. He had the vague feeling that there were callouses on her fingers, though this didn't really make sense for an office person. For a moment Winnie seemed startled by his action but then turned the palm of her hand towards his face. Her touch ghosted over the short stubble on his cheeks, more a shadow than a real connection, but it left a blazing trail in its wake. He pulled her closer with one hand on her waist, deeper into the shadow of the roof of the bar. Their noses almost collided and he could more feel than hear her huff - her breath was fanning over his lips, whisky sweet. It made him want to kiss her, though, truth be told, he had wanted that for the last two hours minimum. Somehow Faramir had the feeling they were kind of on the same page here."Can I kiss you?"He nevertheless still found it was polite to ask.She nodded, a bit timidly maybe, but tilted up her head. Faramir kissed her gently, testing the waters with a close-lipped peck. Her lips were soft, almost hesitant, certainly chaste - and then she pulled back. He tried not to let his disappointment show as she kept looking at him, as if she was searching something in his face. Then, she seemed to come to a conclusion."I knew who you were before you introduced yourself. I looked up your company before. I thought you should know that to make ... uhm ... an informed decision," she rushed out.The man was flabbergasted. That sort of statement was not what he had expected from a woman he had just planned to make out with in a rather shady alley."Alright. Then I hope you don't mind that there isn't much to find about me.""Certainly not."She didn't elaborate further, but still seemed torn. Faramir shrugged. He seemed to do a lot of this around her."I don't mind it." He knew he probably should, but after all, it wasn't as if she could have found any dirty secrets. He hoped. Additionally, she was honest about it, and anything Gondor Investments put online was literally fair game. "Are you kissing me for my company?" he nevertheless asked.Winnie laughed."No, rather despite.""Will us kissing now get one of us into trouble?""Well, I don't know about that dad of yours! But personally, I don't kiss and tell!"It appeared to him that her speech became a lot more flippant when she was unguarded, it was adorable, a small look at the woman behind the rather cold exterior. Someone funny and cheeky. And someone he very much wanted to kiss again."I think we're good then. But I will say, I have no idea who you are and right now, I don't exactly care," Faramir told her bluntly.He only saw her relieved smile before she was close again, close enough so that he could get lost in the grey colour of her eyes and notice a couple of lonely freckles on the bridge of her nose. This time she leaned in, slanting her lips over his with much less hesitation than before. Winnie still tasted like the whisky she had drunk, sweet and spicy and warm, at the same time exciting and familiar. As soon as he kissed her back - what else was there to do - she wrapped both her arms around his neck, giving him excellent leverage to pull her closer until their chests were pressed together. In the back of his mind, he had the dim thought that they should kind of behave since they were standing outside in front of a bar in the middle of the night where someone could walk past any second, but these thoughts disappeared as soon as one of her still very very cold hands ended up in his hair. Winnie didn't pull, simply let her hand rest there, anchoring him to her. It felt good, grounding, safe, like nothing could go wrong.Faramir slowly licked over her lips, and she opened them willingly. The taste of whisky increased tenfold as their tongues tangled almost lazily, he felt as if he was drowning in her and floating at the same time. When they pulled back to breathe, Winnie's eyes were glassy, pupils dilated so much that the colour around them had almost disappeared. Her breath was coming in short, hard pants as she stayed close to him with one arm still around his neck and the other on his shoulder.“That was certainly something,” she muttered.“Did you doubt my abilities?”He raised an eyebrow.She rolled her eyes good-naturedly.“I didn’t say that. You made that up.”The man laughed lowly and without hesitation he kissed her again, twisting them so she ended up sandwiched between him and the wall of the bar. Winnie didn't seem to mind as she pulled him closer by the back of his coat. There was something almost greedy about the way she held him now, and still both kept on one side of an unspoken line that they wouldn’t cross, even though she was impatiently following his lips with hers. For a moment, he stopped to look down at her, the blond woman with the eyes closed and the chest heaving. Even then she looked so poised in her pantsuit, the high heels and coat, and it gave him the very irrational urge to wreck her, to make her unravel until he finally could look behind the preppy facade. The strength of feeling surprised and almost scared him, it was far from what he was used from himself. "We should maybe go back inside," he offered, just to break this strange tension and to regain at least an ounce of control.She opened her eyes, looking at him, really looking, perceiving, noticing. Faramir felt as if part of his own defences were being ripped away, he felt more exposed than he had in a long time. Then, she bit her lip."What if we just ... don't?"His heart must have stopped, he was sure of it. What was she proposing - it couldn't be what he thought it was. Right?"And what would you like to do instead?"Now she was certainly blushing, which might also have to do with the fact that she was still pressed between him and the wall and he had subconsciously sneaked his hand into her open coat and started to draw circled on her right hip. He quickly stilled his hand."Go home?" she offered."But I am here with my brother."She huffed."You are really not making this easy, are you? Your brother can take care of himself. You, me, my place.”"To do what?"Now she was frowning."Are you oblivious or messing with me?"He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear."Neither. But I hate insecurity about expectations."Seriously, this wasn't a very sexy thing to say, but suddenly he found himself being kissed again with very much enthusiasm, more than the answer warranted, in his opinion. But he surely wouldn't complain. Besides, it was the truth – he hated not knowing what he was getting himself into. And going home with a stranger was the epitome of that. Scary and unpredictable and it would usually make him run for the hills."Alright," she began a couple of moments later, "I don't usually do this. Like, at all. So, I am open to suggestions.""Like playing chess?""You play?"Now she seemed even more delighted. Faramir laughed lowly, kissing her forehead. Maybe this wouldn't be so nerve-wrecking after all - maybe going home with her could be fun, actual fun without any second thoughts and a side-serve of internal screaming."Yeah, I do," he answered her question. "But, if we were to do that, and I don’t mean the chess part, I've got a question - how much did you have to drink?"She wrinkled her nose."I very much appreciate your concern, but I only had the one whisky. The one before was a virgin something."She slapped his arm as he had to grin at the statement."Not my fault they are called that! Get your mind out of the gutter!""And there I just thought that's where you wanted my mind to go!"Before they could discuss minds, gutters, and plans for the night any further, the door of the bar opened, and a figure walked out. He quickly moved back out of Winnie's personal space and only relaxed slightly as he identified the person as Arwen. However, the woman didn't even bat an eyelash, totally unfazed by what her friend had obviously been doing out in front of the bar."Guys, I'm off. I really need to get home. My uber is waiting at the corner. And here -" she handed the other woman a bag, "is your stuff."They gave each other a long look at spoke of years of silent communication. He had no clue what it was saying, but he was hoping it was something positive about him. Then Arwen turned towards him."It was a real pleasure to meet you, Faramir," she told him with a sincere smile.“The pleasure was all mine,” he answered sincerely."Get home safe!" Winnie told her, "tell your family, Aragorn and his mum all my best! And text when you get home.""Will do, you too!" Arwen answered, before starting her way down the street."Your friend is enabling you and your escape!" Faramir commented with a look towards the bag."She seems to like you. She wouldn’t do that if she didn’t. Now, about my proposal -""Is the offer still standing?" he asked before he could think any further about it. Right now, he wanted this, and he certainly wanted her, not only for playing chess. Though, he was sure if they ended up doing that, it would be fun times as well.The woman looked up at him."Yes, it does. Are you ready to go? My feet are bloody freezing.""Ready if you are."Arwen’s help meant that Winnie wouldn't have to get her things from inside, and he himself could avoid Boromir's smirk and prying questions. Let his brother have a field day tomorrow, right now, he could simply disappear! His new companion seemed to think along the same lines, he saw her smile as she gingerly stepped into the snow, pulling him with her into the dark and into the direction of the main street.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was probably a really really bad idea, taking him home like that. Probably also kind of despicable - but well, no, not really. After all, she had been honest with him, sort of at least. And he had said he didn't care that she had looked him up or who she was.Besides, her business project had been cancelled, Éomer had just reminded her of it, so she would never have professional contact with him. Like ever. So that night couldn't hurt. Right?Éowyn had been truthful when she had said she never did that - that being one-night stands. Seriously, she really didn't. She didn't do casual sex, and since she currently didn't do relationships, she didn't have sex at all. Not much of a loss, if you asked her, her former partners had left her rather disillusioned with this sort of physical activity.Right now though, there was this man was in front of her, next to her, with his arms around her, and she really wanted more. What more entailed, she wasn't quite sure, but suddenly it seemed like a fun idea to find out.He had looked adorably shell-shocked at the mere idea of a casual fling, which somehow made her think that this wasn't his usual style either. However, when he had asked for clarification, unknowingly alleviating one of her biggest fears, she couldn't help but kiss him again. Communication was sexy and he certainly seemed quite decent at it. Éowyn also had the feeling that she would enjoy the night whatever it would turn out to be, even if they would end up snogging with a movie in the background. Less pressure, more fun. Maybe that was what had gone wrong lately in her life. Or maybe it was just something about this man, who kissed incredibly well, and whose hair was as soft as she had imagined when she had run her hand through it.Arwen, Heaven bless her, had saved her from having to face Tauriel and her definitely nicely-meant but embarrassing comments about her (lacking) sex-life. She also didn't really want to have to look Boromir in the eyes before disappearing with his brother, so the stunt with the bag was something she would be eternally grateful for. It also showed that her friend approved of the man, otherwise she wouldn't have sent him after her. Éowyn didn't believe for a second that he had only come outside to get some fresh air.In the end, Éowyn had simply texted Tauriel and Legolas about her departure and promised them to Venmo the money for the drinks.Now though Faramir and herself were squished in the back of a taxi and he looked at her with interest while she gave the driver her address - now she could just hope he wasn't a stalker. Still, it felt safer than going to a place she knew nothing about. Faramir looked at her in surprise."You live in Chelsea?"She hummed affirmatively."Yes. Oh, and I share the place with Arwen. Just so you know." She was quite certain they hadn't mentioned that before, it was such a no-brainer for the friend group that they usually forgot to tell others about it."Where do you live when you stay here in London?"He only nodded, then grinned."Your research didn't tell you where I live?""Well," she drawled, "I know where your company lives. I know nothing about you, Mr. Lord Faramir."The man rolled his eyes."Please, we both know I don't have a title to start with. To answer your question - I actually stay at my family's place. So, my old childhood bedroom. Very sexy, I know. Or I stay with my brother. In Kensington, if that was your question. Though, Winnie - if you share your place, won't we disturb Arwen?"She shook her head, touched by his concern."No, it’s no problem. You'll see, I promise. And there is nothing wrong with childhood bedrooms, in most cases at least. But you, you don't have a second apartment in London?""No, why should I? Just extra costs and not much use, I am mostly in Edinburgh anyway. And no girlfriend to hide from my wife."This made her startle for a moment."Do you actually have a wife? Or a girlfriend?"Faramir leaned closer again, his breath ghosting over her lips."No," he whispered against her, "if I had, I wouldn't do this."Then he kissed her, deeply, as if he really wanted to make a point about not having a wife. Her head started to feel as if it was filled with air as he licked into her mouth and Éowyn had to tell herself repeatedly that they had an audience in the form of the taxi driver. Faramir seemed to agree, his hand stayed on her cheek, he only used it to slightly tilt her face to grant him better access. The fingers of his other hand interlinked with hers in an almost courtly gesture that made an incredible warmth bubble in her belly."Why don't you have a girlfriend if you kiss like that," she mused to herself.He chuckled."Well, I usually don't give my kisses that freely. I also usually don't do this," he explained, "I don't usually go home with ladies after meeting them at a bar.""Glad to hear that."She found it was harder and harder to keep distant and aloof with him, maybe that was what French kissing in the back of a cab did to a person. If anything, it felt liberating, light, and airy, and it made her want more. It made her want to do naughty things and she pushed the thoughts away. For now.Finally, they arrived, and she paid the driver before Faramir could even move. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, a challenge, but he only shrugged in a clear 'suit yourself' gesture. Then they stood on the drive walk and she tugged him by his sleeve towards the rather imposing buildings on the side. It was so quiet in the streets, only one person passed them with a quiet 'hello'.On the way home from some sort of event, Éowyn mused, before concentrating on more important things, meaning the man who was walking next to her.They stopped in front of a two storied house, nestled between two other rather similar buildings on the sides. Éowyn knew it was painted a beautiful pale blue, even though one could hardly see the colour in the lamplight now. The house was Arwen's and her pride and joy - their first own place in London, their first own place, period. They had moved in here together after college, when things had been, as one said 'complicated' and neither one had wanted to be alone.Faramir laughed to himself."Who are you, woman? You have a house in Chelsea, you can get into Mith & Ril, and yet, I have never seen your face before."She pecked him on the lips."You're not the only private person."When they went up the front steps, Éowyn could see light that was still floating through Arwen's closed curtains at the ground floor - so she had come back safely, then. While Éowyn was searching for her keys, she suddenly got terribly distracted by Faramir, who used the opportunity to wrap his arms around her from behind. He started to pepper the slightly exposed side of her neck with kisses until she started to lean back into him."You should let me work!" she scolded him, but it came out smiling and breathy."Sure, if you say so. But there is just a little problem."Éowyn had just managed to unlock the door, despite her shaking hands, and turned slightly in his arms to face him."What's that?""You've got a mistletoe over your doorstep. And that means -"Before she could open the door, he had leaned forward and kissed her, despite the rather inconvenient angle. Her heart thudded wildly as he held her tight. The mistletoe had originally been a joke for Arwen, she had never thought she would make use of it herself - but she wasn't complaining now. They stood still for a moment as they pulled apart, like two statues glistening in the bronze light of the lanterns. Faramir's features seemed sharper that way, regal, almost too clear-cut to be true, and so incredibly handsome."Come on," she told him quietly and finally managed to let them in. He followed her and waited attentively as she closed the door, turned on the light, and pointed towards the stairs."My apartment is upstairs.""So, you don't really live together with Arwen," Faramir pointed out.Éowyn shrugged."Potaito, potahto. We live in the same house and that's that."She became almost shy as she unlocked her apartment upstairs and asked him inside, waiting for his reaction. He took off his shoes and put them neatly next to hers on the rack while she stepped out of her high heels with a satisfied sigh. Then she took his coat and put it on a hanger before adding hers next to it. "Kitchen and lounge are to your right," she told him, before it could get too awkward and lightly pushed him into the room. On the way she checked her phone to text Arwen about her arrival - after all, she didn't want an angry friend ringing at her door later - and dropped her handbag in her office. The kitchen was a more or less open floor with a small kitchen island and four bar stools around it. All around, the countertops were made from sleek, light brown stone and the whole kitchen was decorated with wooden elements that mirrored the hardwood floors. Overall, an odd mixture between rustic and trendy with a lot of specks of colour peppered in between. Further to the left, a couple of dirty plates and mugs were still standing next to the sink."I wasn't expecting guests, obviously," she told him, “sorry for the mess. Would you like something to drink though?"She had no idea what the etiquette for a one-night stand was. But being a good hostess and offering drinks was certainly a good start, right?Faramir smiled."I don't mind your kitchen, please don't stress yourself because of a couple of plates. But yes, I'd like something to drink. Anything would be fine, really.""Another whisky?""Are you trying to get me drunk?"She shook her head determinately."No, absolutely not. I just thought -"He cupped her face in his hands."All good, I was just teasing. If you're okay with it, I am okay with it. One more will be alright, but not more than that, if we plan to do anything more than passing out on that very comfy-looking couch of yours."Éowyn smiled a little."It is indeed very comfy. Okay, come on, you choose!"Two kinds of whisky were now displayed on the kitchen island - Faramir regarded them with a grin."Only two kinds? I am disappointed.""Well, here at least," she said with a raised eyebrow, "I am not a distillery, after all.""Uhum, interesting."Suddenly, he was so close again, his nose tapping against hers."Hey, you keep distracting me!""You are very distracting yourself!""Where is that smooth-talking coming from all of a sudden?" she asked before she could stop herself.The next moment she already regretted her words as she saw Faramir close up in front of her. Something like a shadow was coming over his eyes. The playful man was almost gone, and Éowyn didn't know where he had disappeared to. She knew that she would have liked him to stay though, very much so. Now it was her who cupped his cheeks, his beard soft and slightly scratchy in her palms at the same time. After a couple of heartbeats, he finally found her eyes - he seemed wistful, almost sad."Hey, it's charming, really. I like it. I was just surprised," she told him honestly.Then she kissed him gently, petal soft, like a promise of sunshine. The taste of whisky had almost disappeared, and she finally tasted him against her lips. It was warm and addicting, even more so than the drink. He followed her movements as she kept holding on to him. When she finally looked at him again, the clear grey of his eyes was cloudy, but she didn't think it was sadness anymore. Faramir ran a hand through his hair, a very distracting motion, until his look finally fixed on something behind her."Your mug, over there. It has written Éowyn on it. Is that - is Winnie short for it?"Well, there was not really a way to get out of this, was there? At least Boromir wasn’t here right now to make guesses about her. So, she nodded."It suits you. What do you prefer? Éowyn or Winnie?"She pondered for a moment. While she usually didn't mind either, for some reason Éowyn felt more natural with him."I don't mind," she finally settled on, "but if you don't mind either, Éowyn.""Éowyn it is, then," he answered, “it is such an unusual name, I like it.”She had the feeling he wanted to pull her closer again but stopped as soon as his hands had wrapped around her waist."What's the problem?" she asked against his lips with concern in her voice."I really don't want to wrinkle your suit," Faramir answered a little bit breathlessly.She huffed."You had very little consideration for my clothing earlier.""But your coat was in between!" he argued.The blonde pondered for a moment. "Good point. But can I be honest? I don't really care about my pantsuit right now."He gave her no warning before he pulled her flush against him, close in a way that made her breath hitch. Despite the move though, their kiss stayed gentle, careful, almost tender. A bit too tender, if she was honest, for the heat that was stirring in her belly. She started to push at his leather jacket, and he seemed to get her meaning as he let go of her to shrug it off and almost throw it onto one of the bar stools. Then his hands were on the lapels of her suit jacket, and he slowly started to peel it off her shoulders. Goosebumps began to spread over her naked arms as the fabric slid past and he traced the path back upwards with his fingers. It seemed to be almost a game for him, to try and figure out what would make her shiver, what would make her flinch. She could feel his callouses on the finger, certainly an archer, with the strong shoulders and biceps to prove it.Arms that could hold me up against the wall while he - now she was certainly very much blushing."Éowyn, what are you thinking about?" he asked her, the voice a strange mixture of concern and amusement.Her arms settled on his arms, caressing the skin. Unfortunately, he seemed less ticklish and sensitive there than herself."That you've got enough strength to hold me up," she answered truthfully.He grinned, almost boyish and certainly a little bit naughty."Oh yes, I certainly could. With pleasure.""So humble," she huffed."Of course."The force of the next kiss made the couple stumble backwards until Éowyn could feel the kitchen island dig into her back. She didn't care. Especially as Faramir accidentally pressed his thigh between hers and her brain short circuited into a shower of sparks. She wanted more of this, more of the rush, and the passion. It had been there all evening, and now it was finally being unlocked. Now that they were in her apartment, Éowyn had no qualms of running her hands through his hair and muss it up completely in the process. She could feel he was leaning into her hands like a cat, so much that their lips detached, and she could kiss down his throat towards his adam’s apple. His pulse was thudding under her lips and the feather-light touches – a part of her would have loved to leave the odd love bite here and there but she refrained from doing so, after all, who knew what he was planning to do tomorrow.When he moved his hips a little against hers, she whined, a small, desperate sound that made her bite her lip. Suddenly, he felt his thumb just where her teeth had been a moment earlier, soothing the sting. Éowyn opened her eyes, almost lazily. Faramir was staring at her, she could see his pupils were fully blown, dark."Don't hold back on my account," he told her sincerely.Then he kissed her again, close-lipped, safely, while her head was spinning at the same time with lust, passion and something that felt dangerously like affection. She could do nothing but hold on to him, especially as he moved his face and lightly scraped his teeth over her pulse point. Suddenly, he pulled back, but before she could start to worry, his hands were at the buttons of her blouse, with a question in her eyes. She nodded but almost hissed when he started to slowly open one fastening after the other. As soon as new skin was revealed, he started to kiss it, down her sternum and her belly until the blouse was hanging open at her side. The woman flinched internally when she remembered her boring plain skin coloured bra, but Faramir didn't seem to mind her choice of underwear - he seemed entranced, Éowyn noticed, and that made something powerful well up in her. The blouse joined the leather and the suit jacket, and she started to tug on his white shirt.Faramir let her pull it over his head, it dropped to the floor in an unruly heap. Her jaw dropped almost at the same time - now that she knew what he had hidden under that shirt she wasn't quite certain how she should ever get her hands off him again. His low chuckle told her that she likely had spelt more of her thoughts out than she had wanted, but she refused to blush now - after all, she had only said something nice and very much true. Faramir didn't have the body of someone who played sports just to pose for Instagram later, he was muscular like a hunter, like someone who used his whole body for work. The skin rippled under her fingers as she traced his sides, then his back. He leaned closer to kiss down from her ear towards her collar bones, but then looked at her again."Tell me how to touch you."It had been well-meant, really, but Éowyn froze. Because truly, she had no clue. Her panic must have shown on her face, since Faramir suddenly moved back and took both her hands in his. "No pressure, this is not a test! But I want this to be good for you so I might need a bit of feedback.""I don't know."It was more a whisper than anything else. She felt horrible, after all, wasn't she supposed to know if she wanted to have a one-night stand?"If you don't want to -""That's not it," she quickly told him, "it's just that- nobody ever took his time to - I just don't know. But - don't pull my hair, especially not from behind. And don't be mean. And no hickeys! And maybe ... hold me?"Faramir kissed her briefly, she could feel he was smiling."I can work with that. And you are very welcome to pull my hair by the way."He gave her a smile that was downright bashful."I gathered."She smiled back, a little bit shaky, but certainly relieved.It will be good. You like him. You like him a lot.The thought sneaked into her mind unbidden, reassuring and unsettling at the same time. Éowyn gave his hands a short tug, but before she could pull him to the bedroom, he had already scooped her up. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she burrowed her face against his chest, and he carried her down the hallway as if she really weighed nothing.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
For about the tenth time this evening Faramir was asking himself whether he was dreaming, or hallucinating, or whether he had been wrong about the drinks before and he was utterly drunk altogether. Because this, this couldn't be real. This was far too perfect, and these sort of perfect things didn't happen to him, Faramir Steward, born in London, living in Edinburgh, younger son of Denethor Steward, little brother to Boromir Steward - but any thoughts of his family disappeared as they reached her bedroom. Instead, they were replaced by excitement and maybe even a little bit of panic that was only kept at bay by the body currently pressed against his.He could feel the smooth skin of her upper body under his fingers, contrasted by the sensation of fabric in the other hand. These trousers certainly had to go off, if he had any say. Éowyn was far more muscular than he had expected, less yielding and soft, and she clung to him with surprising and exhilarating intensity - as if she never wanted to let go of him. When he set her down in front of the bed, she stayed close to him, only a silhouette in front of him in the rather dark of her bedroom. Like a ghost almost, but a ghost that was radiating heat and making him burn up when her hands started to trace over his bare chest again. The darkness increased every sensation tenfold, but at the same time made cooperation a bit difficult: When he tried to catch her lips with his, he accidentally brushed her cheek. He tried again, but this time bumped her nose when Éowyn tilted her face towards him. Faramir could feel she was smiling when he finally fused their lips together soundly.This time it was her who started it, her tongue demanded entry to his mouth, and he granted it willingly. The kiss soon morphed into something wilder, their hungry lips kept separating and reconnecting in a hazy rhythm. For once, Faramir didn't think anymore, he let feelings take over. His partner was certainly taking his cue, her hands were mostly in his hair, but despite everything, they were gentle, as if she was scared to hurt him. It made a surge of affection crash though the haze of passion that made him startle and then slow down their kiss into something more deliberate and deeper. The change and accompanying force seemed to surprise her and they suddenly stumbled back until they fell onto her bed in an unruly heap of limbs. He didn't miss the way she twisted her body even in falling to avoid being crushed, then there was a slight huff next to him. Under his cheek, he could feel something soft and silky, though unfortunately his legs were still hanging off the bed in a very awkward fashion."I want to see you."His bold declaration surprised even himself.She didn't answer, but then shuffled to the left, and suddenly the whole room was bathed into a soft golden light that was coming from a reading lamp next to the head of the bed. It was a French double he would have guessed, certainly big enough for two people, with many fluffy-looking pillows on top. Under different circumstances, Faramir would have loved to have a look around the room and try to figure out as much as he could about the owner, but right now it was said owner who occupied most of his thoughts."Come up here!"It was more a command than an invitation, but a gentle one, an offer. He followed her willingly, until they were face to face at the head of her bed. The woman looked like a beautiful marble statue, sleek, perfect skin and long lean muscles, the only thing that disturbed the comparison were her dark slacks that still painted an interesting contrast to the now slightly smudged make-up and rumpled hair. Faramir tenderly stroked a couple of strands out of her face. His mind was foggy, his heart still beat out of his chest, but he had the feeling at least 2% of his brain were functioning again."What now?"It was an honest question, one without a right or wrong answer."What do you want?" she reflected the question back at him."Truthfully?""Hmm."She trailed a hand down his arm, as if she couldn't quite help herself. The man let her explore him, but at the same kept his eyes on her face. Her eyes were wide, fixed on him, but she seemed a little insecure, as if he was a riddle she hadn't quite figured out yet. That was fair, he supposed, after all, he basically knew nothing about the woman in whose bed he had ended up either."Everything," he answered her.I want to touch you. I want to kiss you. I want to feel everything of you. I want to make you feel amazing, because apparently your former partners didn't care to do so. I want to wake up next to you. I want to go dancing with you. I want your playlist on my phone. I want to have fights and make up. I want to make you happy. I -"Then lose the clothes."He was ripped out of his head by the order and a kiss. It certainly warranted action, but he simply didn't want to let go of her right now, especially not when she reacted to sweetly as he shifted against her and pulled her leg up at his hip."Stop teasing me!" she almost whined.He grinned against her skin."As my lady commands."He was glad she didn't care about the state of her trousers since they certainly would be rumpled after the way he had wrestled them down. Apparently, she seemed to have a problem with her own underwear, since she was blushing furiously not that he was looking down at her - he didn't quite get why though. True, there was no lace and more fabric than he would have guessed, but the high cut made her legs look absolutely amazing."Éowyn."Her name rushed over his lips like a prayer. "You're beautiful."She only stared up at him, her smile both hopeful and wistful at the same time. Faramir wanted to kiss the questions off, wanted her to stop holding back - so he brought their faces closer together and did exactly that. She made him feel young, light, like he didn't have to worry about a thing. She was a drug, coursing through his body, from his scalp down to his toes. But she was also a warrior, protecting his boundaries. In this moment, she was everything and everywhere - everywhere on his body, but everything he had on his mind.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Éowyn woke up, she had hair in her face. Well, that wasn't anything new, especially not with hair as long as hers, but that was exactly the reason why she didn't carry her locks open in bed - it would get incredibly tangled. Said hair currently tickling her nose also didn't smell like her super-organic bloody expensive hair shampoo - no, it smelt far spicier, addicting, familiar and strange at the same time. A smell that didn't match the feeling of her soft silky sheets under her naked skin - why was she naked?!Suddenly, the memories of the night started to crash into her sleep-muddled brain, memories of kisses and touches and whispered 'please' and 'more' and the sounds he had made - or had it been her? She - Éowyn Eorl - had brought a basically stranger into her flat, into her bed, and she had enjoyed it. Far too much, probably, since she couldn't find it in her to regret any of it. A small part of her told her that she should, but at the same time she couldn't quite remember why. Consenting adults, safe and sane - no reason to panic, she told herself.Slowly, she started to take notice of her body - she was naked, obviously, pressed against a very naked and very male body. Their legs were entangled under the covers, one of her thighs was caught between his. Faramir - because obviously she remembered who the man was - was on his back with her partly next and partly on top of him. He was holding her close to his chest, hands splayed wide across her back as if he wanted to cover as much skin as possible. She wondered briefly whether one of his arms hadn’t gone numb in the meantime. One of her own arms was wrapped across his upper body like part of a weird starfish, and apparently her own face had been buried against his neck and into his silky hair.
Way to go Éowyn, very sexy.
She gingerly popped herself up onto her right elbow and looked down on the sleeping man. He didn't really seem younger that way, no matter what the stories said about the effects of sleep, but he certainly seemed less troubled. His mouth was relaxed, almost smiling, the thin lines around his eyes gone. It struck her again how handsome she found him - so it hadn't been just the haze of last night, it was a general thing. Faramir Steward was crazily hot.Maybe he had felt her shift or maybe he had felt her stare, in any case something must have disturbed his slumber - he slowly started to stir. For a moment she considered pulling away, but he was still holding on to her. Then he blinked, lazily at first, and he started to smile as she came into focus. "Hey."His voice was a little bit raspy and truly, she could have swooned. Yes, she was getting stupid. This man was making her stupid. Period.She would have liked to kiss him but had the feeling it wouldn't be the smartest choice given morning breath and all that."Hey," she answered quietly, "did I squish you last night? I guess I used you as my personal pillow."He shook his head determinately."Not at all. And after all, I used you as my personal teddy bear. I slept pretty well actually.""I've got very expensive sheets.""True. And you tired me out."He had the gall to wink, and for a moment she gave into the urge to bury her face against his chest. She could feel him chuckle under her cheek, lowly, almost to himself, and one of his hands moved to play with her hair. Éowyn relaxed against him - this was feeling so good, and she was just too comfortable to move right now. They stayed like this for a while, Faramir kept caressing her scalp and over her shoulders, while she started to push wayward strands of hair out of his face. "Tell me if I poke into your eye," she mumbled, her own eyes closed.He huffed, she could feel the air against her palm."You'll find out."With some satisfaction the woman noticed that she had apparently found his cheek without blinding him and he leaned into her hand, while he kept stroking over her shoulders. Éowyn sighed as he reached a painful area. Even though she was a very active and sporty person, it never really seemed to be enough to work out the knots. Stress, most likely."Good?""Mhhm. Harder, please!"He turned his head to kiss her palm."That's what you said last night, too, if I remember correctly," he commented with mirth in his voice."You're horrible!"He laughed, but then he became more serious."You know ... I really enjoyed this."Despite herself, she had to smile."And I -"Whatever he had wanted to say, it was interrupted by the ringing of her doorbell. Éowyn flinched and rolled off him in surprise."Who is that?""No clue," she answered."Amazon delivery?"She frowned."Do you think I am THAT plebeian? Also, it's Christmas."Faramir's eyes suddenly widened."Fuck. The Brunch."Éowyn looked at him in confusion, but before she could ask, someone pounded on her door."ÉOWYN!" it was certainly Arwen, "and FARAMIR! I know you are here. Open the door or I swear -""What the hell!"The woman jumped out of bed and grabbed her robe from the hook on the bedroom door. Something really bad must have happen to make Arwen so upset. She had the feeling Faramir was getting out of bed, too, but at that point was already rushing towards the entrance of the apartment, quickly talking herself into a panic. When she opened the door, she startled a little.Arwen was wearing sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, and while she looked gorgeous, of course, she also very much looked like she just got out of bed. Actually, now that Éowyn considered it for a moment, she appeared just as thoroughly screwed as she probably looked right now."Can you please explain why your one-night stand leads to an interruption of MY CHRISTMAS MORNING!" she snapped, "apparently Faramir has turned off his phone or something, and therefore people - well, Boromir - thought it was a good idea to blow up Aragorn's phone in the hope that he tells me to tell you to tell him TO READ HIS TEXTS!"Éowyn shrugged her shoulders a bit helplessly."I have no idea what this is about. But my guess would be a Christmas Brunch.""And that didn't come up last night?""Uhm, nope."Arwen huffed, then snapped a sentence in Scottish Gaelic at her that made her blush - but also nod."Small mercies," the dark-haired woman sighed.Then she looked past Éowyn into the hallway. When the woman turned around, she could have swooned again - despite Arwen's current mood and her still existing cluelessness. Faramir had emerged from the bedroom, shirtless, since said item of clothing likely resided somewhere in her kitchen. The jeans were hanging low on his hips, and he still looked ravaged - an appearance that clashed very much with the blush that spread over his face when he looked at Arwen."I'm so so sorry," he told her, clearly distressed, "I totally forgot the Family Brunch - but I would have never thought Boromir would go to this length to get a hold of me.""And you should be sorry!" Arwen sounded uncharacteristically haughty, and Éowyn wondered what exactly they had interrupted. Must have been good, "anyway, I've got the feeling you've got some stuff to sort out! And so have I!"With a last dirty look, she turned around and glided down the stairs. Éowyn could only shake her head, before she closed the door and turned around to face Faramir."I guess you should check your phone.""That I should."They hurried into the kitchen where he took it out of the pocket of his leather jacket, but as he unlocked it, he suddenly blanched."Hey, what is it?"No answer. He seemed to read messages, then again, and again. Then he looked up, straight at her, totally aghast."They didn't just blow up my phone because it's already close to 9 o'clock and I am not where I am expected to be. Someone saw us - you and me - together. And they apparently told my father about it when they sent Christmas greetings. And then my father sort-of exploded. And then Boromir lied. And he might have told him that you were my girlfriend."Éowyn was silent for a moment. After all, what was there to say? What do you do when you wake up and you find out your one-night stand's daddy issues apparently have a capital D in front? Though - she HAD known that before. And she still slept with him. Duh. However, instead of anything helpful, the only thing that came out of her mouth was "what the actual fuck?!"Faramir rubbed the bridge of his nose."Welcome to the mess that is my family.""Can't you tell them the truth? That Boromir got it all wrong and I am not your girlfriend? I mean, you don't have to tell them that I am a one-night thing, you can just tell them I am A friend you met here.""Unfortunately said person saw us walking to your house and then I unfortunately had the mind to kiss you on your doorstep," he answered roughly."Oh, the person with the dog? But how could we have known!" Éowyn exclaimed, "but still, is a one-night stand so very bad? I mean, as long as it stays in the family and doesn't become splayed all over People."Faramir started to look a little bit desperate at that point."Oh, for my father it very much is - even worse than my lack of girlfriend."He started to pace through her kitchen, agitated like a caged tiger."Unless -"He stopped."Éowyn, what if it were more than a one-night thing? Would you come to the brunch with me? As my girlfriend. Even just for today. And then my father will back off and we can break up due to long-distance trouble."The man was biting his lip, and for some reason Éowyn had the feeling that he knew exactly what the fake-dating trope entailed - the curious case of Faramir Steward, who apparently seemed to be into romcoms. But she was getting distracted.Éowyn shook her head, very determinedly."Are you mental? That is THE romcom cliché - and it always goes wrong! Firstly, we don't know each other well enough to pull the thing off, secondly, the backstory is wonky, thirdly, we are socializing in the same circles and that means gossip. And that gossip is going to bite us in the arse, believe me, Faramir!"She didn't add her reasons number four and five.Four - that any increased interaction with Faramir's family was a professional risk for her, controlled but still there. And Éowyn was certainly not going to risk either her career or her family's business for a very attractive but also very off-limit son of the competition.Five - that in a fake-dating scheme, someone always caught feelings. That was just how it was, everyone knew this. Just take Pretty Woman, The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Love Hypothesis, or - very conveniently Holidate (do you see the parallel? Éowyn certainly did) if you didn't believe her. And catching feelings for Faramir would be far too easy, after last night she was sure of that. So no, they didn't need to add The Christmas Girlfriend to the list. And no, no chance she was going to fake-girlfriend for him."I would guess you know my family and our company well enough," he argued with a raised eyebrow, "I am sure I can learn enough about you in -" he checked the clock on her wall, "twenty minutes to chit-chat four hours. And then withstand the interrogation. The backstory doesn't matter so much since my father doesn't know anything about my life to begin with. But if you don't want to do this, I get it. You've got your own family to think about, and that's fair."He flashed her a short smile."Can I still take you out for dinner? Like, for real?"Éowyn's mind felt as if it was tumbling down a flight of stairs. He was asking her for a date. In all this mess. After she had refused to help him. Damn, what was he, Prince Charming or what? Where was the catch? Oh, yeah, right, the catch was the big red flag hanging over his head.Still, right now she wanted nothing but say yes and then go to dinner- notably without her friends this time - and talk about life and movies and music and food.And when had she started to let her dialect shine through? And really, when for goodness’s sake had they come so close, so close that their foreheads were almost touching?Before she could decide on a course of action though, Faramir's ringing phone ripped the two out of their conversation.He took the call with a small apologetic smile. Then his face froze. No wonder, since she could hear the almost screaming right through the phone now that they were still standing next to each other. Well, actually, the man on the other side wasn't really screaming, it was more a sort of icy menace that carried through well enough.'Faramir - you are late! As usual. Incompetent and not the least trustworthy, and then you are surprised that I do not give you more important tasks! Your brother has been on time, just as I would have expected from you.'The younger man sighed, clearly used to that line of argument. Éowyn told herself she should leave, give him some privacy, but her feet wouldn't cooperate. Instead, she picked his shirt up from the floor and remained in his periphery. He gave her a tight smile; she took that as a sign that it was okay."Alright, I know I am a disappointment. Can we skip this please? I'll get ready and join you shortly."Faramir sounded calm, collected, rather a little bit annoyed. Only the tension in his jaw betrayed his agitation.'Boy, where are you? Your brother said something about a girl? Of course, you'll miss the Christmas Brunch for some cheap hussy you are too ashamed to tell your family about, let alone even introduce to us! I can only imagine what she is like, matching your dim intellect, your weakness.'Éowyn's jaw dropped. How dared a father insult a son's girlfriend he knew nothing about? How dared a father talk to his child like that? And seriously how dared he insult her and call her - cheap and stupid?! Her university degree would argue with that, just like her bank account, her trust fund, her horses, and a couple of other things. Fury and indignation sparked up in her. 'Or is she even real?'Denethor laughed cruelly.'I bet she's not. Because the last years have shown no woman seems to want you. Which must be due to your character, since you have connections, and money, and I suppose you look reasonably good -'No, his father had it all wrong, because how could anyone not want Faramir? Realistically, she knew that this was how attraction worked, but emotionally, she couldn't fathom it. He had been nothing but kind and considerate, and apparently this man knew nothing about it. She could see Faramir's knuckles were getting white around the phone from gripping it so hard, and he looked as if he wanted to argue back - but of course he couldn't, because officially, she wasn't his girlfriend. Officially, she didn't exist, and it had been her own choice. Which seemed more and more unfortunate, but still he was respecting it, even though it brought him abuse. At that moment, Éowyn loved him for it.Retrospectively, she wasn't acting fully rationally, it was a snap of the moment decision. Though, if one looked at it more clearly, it would become clear that her decision might not be so out of character as one would think: After all, at the root of it, under all the layers of loyalty and ambition that might taint it, Éowyn had become a lawyer out of idealism. Not to be part of the company. Not even to please her family. No, she had become a lawyer because she believed that good people deserved good things, that they deserved support, that there should be justice. And right now, Faramir could certainly use someone in his corner. With that kind of family, you didn't need enemies. She had trouble with her relatives, alright, but she couldn't even start to imagine living like that, being talked to like that by someone who was supposed to love and support you.Éowyn dropped his shirt on the island, turned around and almost sprinted towards the kitchen bench where she always kept a couple of pens and old flyers. White paper would certainly have been better, but grocery store advertisement had to do now. She quickly scribbled something on the margin, begging Heaven that Faramir would be able to read it. Then she sprinted back, stopping close to him, and held the flyer right in front of his face. The man seemed absolutely confused - she couldn't blame him. She tapped onto her writing with her index finger. His eyes narrowed as he tried to read it and Éowyn decided then and there that her ugly handwriting truly seemed to have disadvantages. Denethor was droning on in the background, but neither of the two cared.
Say you bring your girlfriend.
His eyes widened and he looked at her with a question written all over his face. She nodded."I hate to interrupt you, but I'll bring my girlfriend," Faramir declared, "and I expect you to be at least polite, or we will leave. And I don't care what Uncle Imrahil or any other aunt thinks. Have I made myself clear?"His voice was firm, for the first time he sounded as if he wouldn't take no for an answer. It didn't go unnoticed by his father, who just huffed. In the meantime, Éowyn had moved back a couple of steps until there was a reasonable distance between the two of them. Faramir watched her with barely concealed confusion. She gave him a smile which she hoped looked reassuring."Honey, I told you, you don't have time to talk to your dad for hours! You'll see him later, alright. We really really need to go over some organisational aspects!"Éowyn was afraid he would drop the phone in surprise as she called out to him, but fortunately, he held it tight. She had switched into her best upper-class expression again and hoped it would do the trick.'Was that her?' Denethor asked."Yes, and as you did hear, we need to go over some organisational aspects," he parroted Éowyn. "So, I will see you later."He hung up before his father could start another tirade, it made her smirk. When he put down his phone on her kitchen island, his face was full of bewilderment."What did just happen?"Éowyn shrugged, before she sauntered towards him."It appears as if you just got yourself a girlfriend for Christmas."Fake-girlfriend, her brain corrected, but as he didn't correct her, neither did she. Instead, he cupped her cheek, making her look at him."Why do you do this?""Because I think your father is wrong. There is nothing undesirable about you."She blushed at her own forwardness but went on."He should know that, big time. Also, he dragged me through the mud as well - and I can't have that, can I now?"Éowyn covered his hand with hers."I don't pity you, you know," she felt the need to tell him, "but I am still sorry. You don't deserve any of this."These were the same words he had said to her the night before, only that there had been distance between the two of them back then. Now there wasn't, instead, he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame until there was no space between their bodies anymore. His forehead rested against her shoulder while she automatically started to stroke down his still bare back and through his hair. She was certain the same adrenaline she had felt last night after her fight with Éomer was rushing through him now - she hadn't understood it then but now she saw how he had tried to catch her last night, likely because he knew the feeling far too well. Éowyn wondered how often that shit happened to him.When he pulled back, he seemed a lot more composed, even a bit hopeful."You really went all Love, Actually with that flyer," he commented.She rolled her eyes."Seemed smart at that moment. I don't like the movie though. Alright, we need a plan. And a backstory."Éowyn could see the moment Faramir snapped into action."Well, you're lucky project management is sort of my thing," he told her with a grin, "but I need a coffee first. And please Éowyn, can you please, pretty please, put on some clothes? I can't concentrate if you keep running around in your robe like that."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Éowyn smiled a little."Coffee machine is behind you. I believe you know how to use one?" She raised an eyebrow, "or is his Lordship being used to being catered from hand to foot?"Faramir huffed and he wondered whether he could get away with swatting his new fake-girlfriend on her butt. Probably not. So he turned around towards her coffee machine - and his own eyebrow rised up."Well, I know how to use a coffee machine. But this is a barista's dream and I won't touch THAT with a stick. And I get the feeling," he moved back towards her to tap her on the nose, "that you yourself are used to being pampered head to toe. Am I right, or am I right?""Maybe?" She grinned impishly, "but maybe I should probably sort-of get dressed for this discussion. If you want to, you can jump in the shower and I throw your stuff into the wash, I am pretty sure I left lipstick stains on your shirt somewhere last night. If you play nice I will even throw in your underwear and make coffee."For a moment, Faramir wondered why she was being so nice. Then he remembered that - sontrary to his father - there were people in this world that didn't generally treat him like garbage."What about you?""I can be quick in the shower, besides I washed my hair yesterday and I couldn't do that now anyway - it would take ages to dry. Now, get lost before I change my mind! Towels are in the little chest next to the window, and there should be a toothbrush somewhere in the mirrored cabinet."Éowyn pushed him out of the kitchen, and he sighed theatrically before he slipped into her bathroom and dropped his clothes in front of the door. Faramir had suspected it the night before, but now that he had a thorough look around, it was confirmed - his host's bathroom was certainly very stylish. Everything was colour-coded in greens and blues with wooden elements and the odd sea-shell here and there. A couple of watercolours hung framed on the wall, somehoe he had the feeling they weren't just cheap prints.Her rainshower was as big as half of his whole bathroom in Edinburgh, rather the sort of shower they had at his father's place, but with white tiles and less chrome. Faramir studied the labels on her body wash - something organic but allegedly fresh and minty. Good, at least he wouldn't smell like a rose-bush later. It was harder with the hair shampoo, she had one of these pressed bars without a label or any direction on how to use it. As he smelled on it, he thought there was the light hint of cinnamon and honey - it would do, he supposed.The water was warm and calming on his body, and for the first time the man started to wonder what exactly they were doing here. Faking a relationship?! Stupid idea! Especially with a woman like her, who could have any guy she wanted with a snap of her fingers. It would all end in a mess, he could see it now. But well, now he had already driven head-first into this chaos, and there was no way he could tell his father (and likely his whole family at this point) that it had just been a mistake. They would never let him live that down. So, it seems as if the charade would have to go on, for now.With a nodd to himself he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, due to a lack of clothing he decided to stay wrapped in the very fluffy towel. He quickly brushed his teeth and stole her comb to run it through his hair before he opened the door to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Éowyn danced down the hallway towards him, obviously in a bit of a surprisingly giddy mood, and Faramir didn't miss her amused grin as she pushed past him. Then she closed the door and he heard water being turned on.What could he say, she had been right, she was actually super quick in getting ready, or at least in taking a shower. When she came back into the kitchen - where he had set up camp in the meantime - she was already dressed quite casually in middle-blue jeans and a white wollen sweater, a little bit like Arwen's the night before. A sweater with Prada plastered all over the front. He grinned."The 'cheap' really pissed you off, didn't it?"She shrugged, but the twinkle in her eyes told him that he was on the right track."If it's any consolation, the jeans are from a thriftshop. But your dad doesn't need to know."Éowyn squeezed next to him to help herself to a coffee as well, and he certainly didn't miss the not-so-subtle way in which she checked him out. Her own hair was still piled on top of her head in an adorable messy beehive and her face was bare of make-up - she looked beautiful, real, and he leaned foreward to peck her on the lips. She responded as if she had only waited for him to do exactly that, and then continued to pepper kisses all over his shoulders, almost insistently enough to make him forget about the brunch all together and simply stay here, with her. Then she leaned back against the counter."I'll just quickly put your stuff in the dryer, then we can make a plan!"She disappeared and he could hear her rummage in another room further down the hallway. Then she was back, but she suddenly seemed much less confident than earlier."Éowyn, what's the matter?"Something odd flickered over her face and she started to chew on her lips. When she sighed, it sounded as if something was weighing on her chest."Alright, I'll be honest with you - I told you, I looked up your company before - but I didn't just look, I actually researched it. Thing is, I already know most things that are publicly known about your family and you can basically assume I know anything about Gondor Investments that is somehow mostly legally accessible. Stocks, markets, and so on."She flinched."I get it if you think that's creepy."Well, it was, truth be told, but it was the business-world and besides, he didn't have time for these considerations right now."I thought we had established it won't get us into trouble."Éowyn nodded."Sure. If it's any consolation, I know nothing about you aside from the fact that you are the second son of Denethor Steward, the Earl of Minas Tirith - Faramir, Lord Emyn Arnen. You went to Cambridge, you do archery, you hold the Edinburgh branch of the family business. And since last night I know you like whisky, your mum's dead and you have daddy issues. And no offence but you have brother-issues as well. Oh, and you have a very wicked mouth on you.""Seems like quite a bit to me," he remarked. She had been right in all points, not that he had doubted her qualifications in research. More the public relations dudes of Gondor Investments. "And I seem to be at quite a disadvantage."She crossed her arms in front of her chest in an almost haughty gesture."Please, you know where I live and what colour my bedsheets have. I would consider that rather intimate, don't you think?""Well, mine are blue, in case you wanted to know. But now, my turn. What about you? What's your full name? Your job? Your favourite hobby?""Oh," she seemed surprised, as if she had forgotten she hadn't told him, “it’s Eorl.""Eorl like in...?" he tested the waters."Eorl like in 'niece-to-Théoden-Duke -of-Edoras-but-doesn't-have-a-title-because-of-patriarchy'. I went to UCL and then to the University of St Andrews. I'm a lawyer, but I have a second degree in business. I don't do archery, but I play polo, my horses are my hobby. Arwen is my best friend, also I like whiskey and mum AND dad are dead, but you knew this already. I have an older brother as well, you heard me talking to him on the phone yesterday. We both work for Rohan Industries."Talking was not what he would have called that, but it certainly told him one or two things about the tone. The relationship to nobility also partly explained her obviously rather affluent lifestyle, though he had the feeling that her own ambition and wits also made up a huge chunk of it."Horses, as in, plural?" he wanted to know.She nodded."Three, I don't have time for more."Éowyn smiled a bit bashful."This sounds so excessive, but I am from a horse-family. We are basically put on horses before we can walk. One of my horses, Maid Marian, she was my first pony. Now she is almost thirty, and I have promised her she can stay with me, in her home, as long as she lives. Of course, nobody rides her anymore, but she loves being cuddled and she is an excellent model, if you ever need one for a photo project. She will let you do just about everything. Then I have Windfola, my polo horse. But she also loves cross-country. And then Witch Queen, that's her daughter. I'll probably break her in next spring. But I am so sorry, I am rambling!"He laughed."No no, it's good to know these things. So, three horses, Maid Marian, Windfola, Witch Queen. I've got two cats, by the way. Minny and Mory, and my dad hates them.""That's a shame, I am sure they are cute.""I think they are, objectively they are rather not, I am afraid," he admitted, "I got them from a rescue.""I am sure they are glad to have you," Éowyn answered sincerely."Well, I hope so. Anyway, how old are you?" he finally asked."Shouldn't you have asked me that before going home with me?" she teased him."Well, I was fairly certain you were over eighteen," he argued, "especially after the whisky."Truth be told, he had thought about that for a moment, but her looks and behaviour had screamed 'adult'."Fair enough. So, what's your guess?""I would guess around 22, but that might be off," he told her.Actually, the question had bothered him quite a bit, especially since he usually got these numbers rather precisely. She shook her head and came closer, until she was leaning into his personal space."Wrong. What about you? I would guess maybe scratching the 30? Or am I not allowed to say that lest I trigger a midlife crisis?"He huffed. Her assessment was correct, as much as he hated it most days. It made him feel old, and useless, as if he hadn’t done enough and should do so much more – but didn’t know what. Maybe this was a side-effect of his father’s continuous needling, at least that was what his psychologist had carefully suggested. Well, even if it were, there wasn’t much he could do about, right?"Glad to know you assume I will die at 60,” he answered dryly, “but yes, you're right."Éowyn frowned and he didn’t quite understand why."Wait - so if you are 30, and you thought I was 22, you were full-on willing to cradle-snatch me!"Faramir blushed scarlet red."Maybe not my proudest moment. But, in my defence, I didn't plan that when we joined you, which was never my intention to begin with. Even though I might or might not have admired you from across the room. Where the lighting made it absolutely impossible to assume your age. And if I am not mistaken, you were very willing to be cradle-snatched-up, even though I guess you know you look young and you were guessing my age correctly!""Indeed, it seems like it," she murmured against his lips, before she leaned back. "Also, I'm 25, so I guess that's fine. On paper at least."“Do you really want to argue the morality of it right now? I believe we are a couple of steps too late for that!”He rolled his eyes, just as the dryer beeped in the background."And I guess, that's my cue to finally get dressed."When he had just left, he stopped at the door."Oh, and Éowyn? Thank you for the five-star review you gave Arwen about me."Éowyn's face went through the fife stages of confusion until it was finally her who blushed bright red - well, knowing Gaelic sometimes came with advantages, apparently. It was true though, what she had said to Arwen about him, had been nice in the widest sense of the term, but that didn't mean he couldn't mess with her a little. HE could almost hear her gape behind him as he sauntered off to get his clothes - one point for him.When he came back, Faramir found her in the bathroom, just doing her make-up."I was thinking nice, soft-girl-next-door aesthetic? What do you think?""Not too nice," he told her, and watched with amusement as she deftly dunked her brush in dark eyeshadow and started to add it to the colour that was already on her eyes. It looked good, but he had maybe liked her even more without make-up on.He stole her hairspray and got his hair at least in something resembling an order, at the end he had to admit the two of them didn't look half bad standing next to each other in front of the mirror. Faramir could see she had raided her safe in the meantime and was now wearing jewellery, the same silver ring she had worn the night before, but now combined with golden earrings, and a necklace. The man didn't believe for a second that the stones on it were fake, and he knew his father wouldn't either."Ready?"She threw a couple of things including her phone into a handbag, then nodded."Yes, let's do this."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It might or might not come as a surprise, but generally, Faramir found his childhood home in Kensington slightly embarassing. Not because it was ugly, no, not by far - Architectural Digest had called it one of London's prettiest properties just a couple of years ago. The mansion had been in the family for what must have been ages, after all there was no way one could afford a house that big on the current real estate market. Not with an inflation like that, and the energy prices, and economic instability and - actually, his father probably would buy a 50 million pound house anyway. Damn, what kind of family had he been born into?Apparently a family that was living in a little white palace, four stories high, with a small garden around. A garden that was almost too small to play soccer in, but somehow Boromir and himself (together with an assortment of cousins) had made it work. Well, aside from the one time they had destroyed the kitchen window. It was also a family with two garages attached to the house that he knew hosted expensive Italian sports cars, and more stylish vehicles were parked on the street - a sure sign that the guests had already arrived. He stopped a moment to take account of the situation:A white Tesla, as far as he knew his uncle Imrahil's newest plaything.A grey Porsche Cayenne with a booster seat in the back was proof that one of his eldest cousins, Elphir, was already here, probably with his wife and little son.He had the feeling that most of Elphir's siblings had probably ridden with their parents, so the rest of the Swan family was likely in the house as well.Faramir spied a blue Volvo and a green Audi S8 (custom colour!) on the other side of the road and sighed. Since Aunt Ivriniel always came by public transport, just to piss off her siblings, and Boromir had likely walked over apparently really everyone had arrived before Éowyn and himself.He passed one hand through his hair, and for the first time admitted to himself that he was actually nervous - which was a shitty thing to think, because hell, they were his family! They shouldn't make oneself enrvous, right? Still, after the morning they had had, he couldn't quite bring himself to regret being late.One thing that made him feel slightly better though was Éowyn's look on her face as she took in the house and the cars - calculating, not judging. Like a real estate agent who was trying to guess the price, more for her own amusement, and not someone who would be overly impressed by the money his father and ocassionally the rest of his family preferred to flaunt. Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise - he had a vague idea what Éowyn's appartment alone must be worth, and it was certainly in the millions as well. After all, it was two bedrooms and a living room, two bathrooms, a fancy kitchen, and all in very good condition in Chelsea, of all places. Then add three horses, the stainless steel and rose-gold Breitling watch on her wrist that had cost at least 7000 pounds, and the rest of her jewlery. No, this woman was at home in the world of the rich, despite her thrifted jeans and her adorably trendily mismatched furniture.She turned towards him with a very earnest impression."You know, I really don't want to have to clean the windows at this place. Far too many."For a moment, he was silent, before he started to laugh."True. Though I believe my father never in his life cleaned a window. And I am afraid I am not really good at it, either."She fixed him with another serious look."You need to use washing-up liquid, it makes them super shiny.""You can clean windows?""Of course I can clean windows!"She sounded almost insulted."Alright, then I will bow to your superior knowledge," he grinned, "and I shall try that the next time. Now, before we meet my family, what kinds of PDA are okay for you?" he aprubtly changed the topic.She shrugged."All that's necessary to sell this," she pointed from him to her, "to your family. Because truthfully, if they were to figure out it is fake, that would be really embarassing. And I mean, it's not as if kissing you is a punishment or anything."She winked."Well, thank you for this gracious review," he answered dryly.He took her by the hand and pulled her towards the front door. It opened silently when he pushed against it and as they stepped inside, they were instantly greeted by a muffled swirl of voices. It was warm and the house seemed to be brimming with life, a stark contrast to the almost ghostly feeling it often beheld when it was only his father, Boromir and himself. Usually, the entrance hall was empty, an elegant if almost plain room with black and white tiles on the floor and high very white walls, now there were garlands and decorations everywhere. However, instead of the happy chaos that he had seen in Éowyn's appartment, there was certainly a colour scheme here, blues and silvers mainly, that seemed very fashionable but also not exactly cosy. Nothing had changed fundamentally, then."You can leave your shoes on," he told her, while he took her coat and bag and put it in the small cloakroom at the side of the entrance.Just that moment, Milicent, one of their employees, rushed past the door with a tray of glasses in her hands. She stopped in her tracks as she saw the new arrivals."Oh Faramir, my dear, lovely to see you! And who have you brought here?"She waddled towards the couple and gave Éowyn a shrewed look."Milicent, that's Éowyn," he introduced her to the housekeeper."Nice to meet you," his partner-in-crime answered sincerely.Milicent nodded approvingly."Pleasure is all mine Miss. Now Faramir. Same procedure as usual - The buffet is in the kitchen and the small dining room, most old people are in the big one. But the young people are almost all in the music room, quite a big group today. Boromir invited some friend and his girlfriend as well, I think. Chap is already quite a bit in his cups."She scoffed."Oh, and I think Katherine and the baby are outside.""Thank you so much," he told her, "though I am afraid there is no way to get around my father and the other usual suspects.""Probably not, boy. But he is in a comparatively jolly mood, me thinks."Milicent hurried off into the direction of the kitchen and he flashed Éowyn a smile that he hoped looked more confident than he felt."Alright? Ready?"She nodded, but suddenly she stepped in front of him, blocking his way towards the door. Before he could ask her what she was doing, Éowyn was already combing through his hair with her hand, tugging here and there until she was satisfied with the result. Faramir had to fight the instinct to lean into the touch and tried instead to concentrate on her adorably determined expression while she went about her task."There we go. You, Sir, messed up your hair, and no respectable girlfriend would let her boyfriend run around with hair like that," she finally declared.Then her hand found its way into the crook of his ellbow, as if it was the most natural thing in the world."Now we are ready."They moved in the direction of the biggest sitting room, but didn't get far - in the next threshold they were already stopped by one of his cousins, Amrothos."Hey cousin!" the man greeted him with a jovial smile.Faramir smiled back. Amrothos was a broadly-built guy with short dark hair and the same blue eyes as his siblings. For some reason - maybe because he had the pleasure of having two older brothers - he had had the opportunity to skate around having any possible responsibility in the family businesses and instead had decided to go into politics. It was an occupation that suited him well, since he often wouldn't stop talking. At all. Despite their frequent disagreements, him and Faramir had always been rather close, maybe partly due to their rather similar age, but probably also because at his core Amrothos was a good-natured, idealist, and kind person."Hello Amrothos, this is Éowyn," he introduced the woman next to him.He didn't miss the flicker of wonder on his cousin's face, nor surprising, after all, he had never brought someone to these family meetings. Faramir had the feeling this reaction would happen a couple more times until the brunch was over."A pleasure," Éowyn greeted his cousin politely."Hello Éowyn, and my condolences for putting up with Faramir. Though I suppose you could have done worse," he grinned. "But alas, I don't want to delay your progress into the lion's den," Amrothos added, with a slightly evil grin, "once you have survived that, you are very welcome to join all the cool people in the music room. Even though it's questionable whether Erchy is still cool, but whatever. Brandon smuggled the champagne out of the kitchen, by the way, just an incentive for you, and Val made muffins."Faramir nodded his agreement to all of the above, especially to Val's muffins. Then he let Amrothos squeeze past the two of them and continued his way down towards the other group of guests. They were partly standing and partly sitting in the ridiculously large and oppulent dining or reception room - seriously, it was probably used five times a year, maximum, as far as Faramir was aware. All the otehr tiems they would eat either in the small dining room or in the kitchen anyways. For some reason, the room was furnished with three separate tables of different sizes. Most of the furniture was held in a honey-brown wood, rather old-fashioned in design, with a couple of antiquities on the sideboard. Boring antiquities, actually, vases and stuff, not even helmets or swords.The only real pop of colour was a little red settée in the corner, part of some modern art exhibition at the MET a couple of years ago. Of course nobody was allowed to sit on it. Unfortunatedly.He felt Éowyn chuckle next to him."What's so funny?"She grinned up at him."Good to know my family isn't the only one with a ridiculous dining room. I bet the couch is not to be touched."He startled - though why did he startle? He should have expected that, but for some reason she made him forget all about her background. She was so normal."Of course not. Do you also have pictures of dead ancestors hanging around?"She looked at him in mock outrage."We've got tapestries, babe!"Truth be told, he wasn't quite sure whether she was kidding or not, but he would have loved to find out.Right now, he scanned the room and found Milicent had been right, it was truly mostly the older generation that had settled here."My father is sitting on the right. Across the table is my mother's relations, my Uncle Imrahil and his wife Jolina, then his older sister Ivriniel. Next to my father, the woman - that's -" before he could tell her more about said woman, his aunt Lilibeth had already seen him and quickly tugged on his father's sleeve with that unrestricted glee of hers. When he didn't react, she bluntly slapped him on the arm. Then she approached the couple with wide steps."Lady Lilibeth," Faramir whispered, hoping Éowyn could hear him."Faramir is here, what a pleasure!" his aunt declared joyfully.She was a slightly round woman who at a first glance didn't ressemble his father one bit, though she had the same smile than her younger sister Lady Thalia. Her perfectly dyed hair was pinned up at the back of her head, but some strands escaped the updo as she rushed towards them to kiss him on both cheeks, just to hug Éowyn afterwards as if they had known each other for all of their lives. Éowyn seemed utterly perplexed at the reaction, but recovered quickly and hugged her back."Éowyn, so nice to see you!" she prattled on, just as his father approached. Like a dark cloud he pushed next to his sister, eyes directly on Faramir."Son, I am glad you finally deigned to make an appearance," the man interrupted whatever else Lilibeth had wanted to say, "I was getting afraid you wouldn't show your face at all. Of course, unpunctual, as usual, but what else could be expected." He eyed Faramir's outfit - obviously yesterday's clothing - with a frown. "And then you wonder why I won't give you control over the London operations -"Faramir refused to take the bait, after all, these comments were nothing out of the ordinary. He could feel Éowyn stiffen next to him and he somehow knew that she was on the brink of snapping back. As amusing and heart-warming it would have been to let her do it, the man also knew it would make the overall situation only worse. So he pulled Éowyn closer into his side with a hand around her waist, hoping that she would get the hint and hold her tongue.After all, it wasn't as if he wanted to deal with London to begin with, but his father wouldn't understand that."Dad, that's Éowyn," he told him instead.His father's eyes narrowed as he shook her hand, probably with far more pressure than strictly necessary, Faramir knew he was trying to remember whether and if in which context he had heard that name before."Thank you so much for the invitation," Éowyn gushed, the picture of politeness, even though her voice was a lot icier now than earlier when she had spoken to him.Faramir had to bite his lip to hide a grin. "I would like to say I have heard much about you, but unfortunately that is not true," his father told her with a raised eyebrow.It was clearly meant to wound, but Éowyn only kept smiling, saccharinely sweet with just a hint of 'fuck you' in it."Well, I am afraid that is totally my fault. You see, I am a very private person, and therefore I asked Faramir to keep our relationship under wraps. My family has no idea either." She laughed ruefully. If Faramir hadn't known it wasn't real, he would have fully fallen for it. "Believe me, my brother will have a field day when we tell him! Still, it is lovely to meet you, especially at a day such as this! Christmas is always such a perfect opportunity to meet family, don't you think?"The last one was a bit of a risk, but still Denethor nodded tightly. After all, there wasn't much he could say without looking like a complete idiot, Faramir supposed."How do you know my son?" his father asked bluntly.
Way to go Dad. And you tell me I am impolite!
"Well, that was a really funny story. We actually met in Edinburgh when I was there for a meeting. Wonderful city, don't you think?"They had agreed that Denethor was most likely to buy into a story that had happened further away and Edinburgh was a likely meeting point, especially since Éowyn had indeed been there for a meeting earlier this year. What she didn't tell Denethor though was that said meeting had been with a uni-friend of hers and had included getting drunk and binge watch Breaking Bad."And how long have you been together?""About half a year," Faramir told his father, "but it feels a lot shorter. Could be the long-distance thing. Now, are you done with interviewing us? I would very much like to introduce her to the rest of the family."Denethor only nodded courtly before he reluctantly told them to enjoy themselves."Thank you," he replied dryly, before dragging Éowyn through another round of introductions.There had been curious glances before, but still they handled the first meeting with much more grace than his father, supposedly just happy that for once he wasn't the one without a date. Really, they all feared he would end up alone and didn't understand it was far better to be alone than with someone who wasn't a good match. His uncle Imrahil and his wife Jolina were distant but polite, but Aunt Ivriniel looked Éowyn up and down with narrowed eyes. Then she nodded approvingly."A pretty girl you have there, boy," she told him with a smirk, before shaking Éowyn's hand.Éowyn blushed, but he only grinned."I know."After all, he did know.Far too precisely, probably. He looked around for his other aunts and uncles, but they seemed rather lost in their conversation. So, he found it was save to skip introductions for now."Are you hungry?" he asked Éowyn instead, and nodded towards the kitchen."Absolutely, I'm starving!"Thankfully, the Steward-family had gone all out for the brunch, as usually, no family member wanted to be outdone by the ones before.Now there were bread rolls, and croissants, assorted jams, cereals, eggs and bacon, and even more hearty stuff like soup and omlettes. He discovered then that Éowyn wasn't a fan of eggs but liked carbohydrates in any shape of form, bonus points if chocolate was involved. As she kept leaning against the kitchen bench with a bowl of cereal next to her and another coffee in her hands while he was sorting out his plate, it seemed almost unreal to him. She stuck out like something that didn't belong, and at the same time seemed like something that always should have been here. She made the room brighter and warmer, but he also felt restless, as if his skin had become too small for his body over night.He wanted to kiss her right here in the kitchen, but since there was no inherent reason right now, he didn't know whether she would appreciate it.Then she looked up at him over the rim of her mug with a quirk of her eyebrow and that slightly inquiring gaze of hers and he just thought well damn it.It took him less then five steps to be in front of her, less than five seconds to put his plate to the side and steal the mug from her hands. Then he had caged her in with both hands against the kitchen bench, but losely enough that she could push through if she wanted."Okay?""Very much so," she answered, before their lips collided.You are in your family home. It's a family meeting. Behave.He tried to tell himself as they kissed, but it became harder and harder to remember.Distantly he wondered whether he could get away with sneaking up the stairs with her into his old room, but these thoughts sort of flew out of the window as soon as she wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her against his chest in return, lost in her, in the feelings, the -"What the fuck?" "Faramir?"Two voices suddenly ripped them out of their haze.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It hadn't been her fault, really, that she hadn't heard them coming - she had been distracted, very much so, by Faramir's lips on hers and his hands all over her body. She had literally been swept up once again, irrationally attracted to this man, and now she was gaping like a fish, her heart hammering in her chest. Not exactly her proudest moment.Éowyn prided herself on (usually) being able to think on the spot and react quickly, but right now, her brain still felt slightly mushy and floaty. Her eyes darted through the room until they found Faramir's, who just - wait, he smirked?! Yep, he did, and then he rolled his own eyes good-naturedly before turning around to face the intruders that had until now been blocked by his body. It was two women, judging by the voices. Voices that sounded sort-of familiar, though Éowyn had to grapple a bit as she was trying to place them in the right context.She curiously stepped a bit to the side to have a look at them, after all, she wouldn't hide behind a man - especially not when they had just interrupted her Hollywood-worthy kiss. As soon as she spotted the two, Éowyn could have kicked herself. Big time. Because apparently, Faramir had truly made her stupid. And sloppy. And distracted. And forgetful.Because she knew these two women, obviously, and their connections, she should have remembered that before she set foot into the house. Hell, at the latest she should have noticed that something was off once Lady Lilibeth had addressed her by her first name, now that she thought about it. But no, she had been so swept up in the craziness of all of this that she had overseen the signs, and that was something that wasn't allowed to happen. Not to her. Not ever.Both women were around the same age, therefore round-about in the middle of their twenties and dark-haired, far darker than Faramir. They were also extraordinarily pretty. One had darker skin and big, soulful brown eyes, while the other's eyes were very very blue. Both pairs of eyes were widened in surprise as they took in the couple next to the kitchen bench - for an outsider it might have seemed as if they were simply shocked that Faramir had brought a date, but Éowyn knew better. They were shocked specifically about her.A shock that probably reflected very well on her own face. Her partner certainly could see that something was off, and she prayed that he read the signs wrong, that he assumed that she was merely startled by the others' sudden arrival. To be honest, she didn't believe it, she was already dreading the awkward conversation later. For now, he cleared his throat."My darling cousins, this is -""Éowyn Eorl."One of the women sauntered towards her, deceivingly casually, a champagne glass in her hand. A shit-eating grin was flittering over her lips as she looked Éowyn up and down, from the make-up to the jewellery that was certainly chosen to empress. The blonde woman wondered what she was thinking - after all she looked like a black cat who was judging the little yellow canary just to consider when to eat it - and unfortunately, there was no option for Éowyn to fly away. She was the metaphorical sitting duck, just waiting for shit to hit the fan. Truth be told, some playful animosity from Val in particular wasn't hot news, after all, their relationship had always been on the loving side of a bitch fight, to say the least. She was the person who would drop the mic and walk away just for fun, but in this company at this party, that was the last thing she needed.The two women slowly appraised each other."So, now after all is said and done, you're suddenly dating our cousin, hmm? Way to go, girl," Val commented dryly.Out of the corner of her eye Éowyn could see that the third woman was visibly stiffening. Good, it served her well. Lothíriel had done enough damage.Then Val turned towards Faramir and looked at him, very seriously."I have to say, she's a looker, so I get it, but dude! Did you really have to French kiss my archenemy in the kitchen WHERE THE FOOD IS on Christmas day, of all days? I didn't need that image in my mind."Éowyn huffed."Archenemy is a little bit much, don't you think?"Val turned up her chin."Well, I distinctly remember us being on opposite sides.""Oh, Valérie, you aren't still salty about that match, are you now?" Éowyn asked sweetly before Faramir could add anything, "and I also definitely remember you hitting on me, while cussing me out at the same time."Val scoffed."You are stupid, but also undeniably very pretty and I was very drunk. So consider it a slip in judgement! Which seems to be a common theme around here!"She gave both Lothíriel and Faramir a very knowing look. Then she raised an eyebrow."Still, cousin dear, don't worry, you can have her, I leaned my lesson.""Thank you very much Val, though I give a fuck about your opinion," Faramir told her with a grin, pulling Éowyn closer into his side.They were sort-of saved from more questions by Lothíriel, who pushed past the group and towards the bowls of crisps and gummi bears at the far side of the kitchen with an exasperated huff. She glared at the blond-haired woman as she passed her, brooding silently while she loaded a plate. Éowyn frowned back - what the hell was her problem? Nothing of the mess had been her fault, after all!"I thought you'd spend Christmas at Suffolk," Lothíriel suddenly snapped.Éowyn's eyebrow at her in surprise. She didn't think the other woman would care. After all, why should she?"True, we usually would," she replied as evenly as possible, "but this year there was so much to do in London that we didn't really get the time to all drive out, so Christmas dinner is at my uncle's place in Town this year. But we will go to Gold Hall sometime during the next couple of days. The drive isn't too bad, after all."Lothíriel nodded silently, it seemed as if she was biting her tongue not to say more.Well, if the girl had played her cards differently, she could have been invited, Éowyn thought. She almost grinded her teeth as she stared holes into the woman's back in front of her. Apparently, her voodoo doll hadn’t worked at all, judging by the fresh-faced, clean girl aesthetic she flaunted, the immaculate skin, perfect posture and carefully chosen outfit. Not one hair seemed to be out of place, she looked as if she had jumped straight out of Vogue. It really seemed the Pretty-People-Genes seemed to run in the family.Still, it was a bit confusing why she was here in London, at a fancy brunch in a very fancy house with rather snobbish family members, instead of her home somewhere at the coast in Cornwall. To Éowyn, that sounded like the much more preferable option."Well, now you're here," Val concluded in this moment, "and of course we appreciate the sacrifice of your sanity on the altar of Denethor Steward." She grinned a bit sardonically. "Anyway, the more the merrier. Let's go to the music room and join the others, what do you folks say?""You girls go, we'll join you in a second," Faramir told them loftily, which gained him an exaggerated groan from his younger cousin.Still, Éowyn caught the look in his eyes.
We need to talk.
As soon as the other two had left the kitchen, he pulled ehr into a corner, as far away from the door as possible. He wrapped one arm around her back, pulling her into his chest. Her traitorous breath hitched as she snaked her arms around his neck, even as her thoughts went into a much more serious direction."What's happening here? Can you please elaborate?" he wanted to know.He spoke lowly, almost against her lips - If anyone came in, they would look cosy, not as if they had to just re-organize their masterplan."I know Val from polo," she explained courtly, "I used to play for Imperial and then for St Andrews, team captain, while she was playing for Durham, my brother was team captain, but Éomer and I didn't have much overlap. Still - A 'family feud', talk of the university polo gossip mill. And her horse Warsong is related to my Windfola and she keeps claiming he's better. Totally not true."She frowned.Damn it, she didn't even know what sport Faramir had played at university. Probably cricket. Or rowing. Or maybe he was more the debate-sort-of-guy. Yes, that sounded about right."Why didn't you say?""Slipped my mind. Someone apparently broke my brain last night."Now he suddenly looked more than just a little bit smug."As unfortunate it is for our plan; I cannot say I am sorry."Faramir leaned down to kiss her and she followed him willingly, meeting him midways as his hands slowly moved over her back towards her sides. Who knew what would happen if he - oh wait, she knew! She knew exactly what he could do with these hands of this and this was sort-of the reason (at least indirectly) why she had ended up here at this brunch in the first place. This probably should concern her, propriety and all that stuff, but since (at least right now) said hands had stayed on her hips in a comparatively proper manner, he basically hadn't done anything above high school-sweetheart-level. So, she supposed they should be fine.When they pulled apart, they certainly were both more than just a little bit flushed."My brother played polo for Oxford, briefly," he offered, "and my cousins Lya and Brandon for St Andrews as well."A couple of things started to re-arrange themselves in Éowyn's brain."Lyanna Stark, right? Faramir, she's an icon!" She had actually heard quite a bit about her and her brother Brandon before, since both of them had played polo for St Andrews before her and they had been local heroes of some sort, so it might actually be interesting to meet them in person. Hopefully, they hadn’t heard anything about her though, that could turn out to be a bit of a problem.He grinned wryly."Well, now you can meet her. Though I hope she won't hit on you, too."Éowyn's face felt hot, and she prayed with all her might that she didn't look like a tomato right now. The edges of the night Val had talked about might be a bit blurry, but she remembered the outlines well enough - party, people, a lot of booze."What sport did you do?" she asked instead."Archery, mainly. Cross-country. Clay pigeon shooting, golf, riding. Depending on the semester.""A modern gentleman," she teased him, though he flinched."I suppose that was my father's idea."She raised an eyebrow."You didn't like it?""I loved it. But I would have loved to love it without the pressure. Now, you researched my family - are you informed about the rest of them?"Éowyn bit her lip, wrecking her mind whether there were more family members she could know personally but had forgotten about in the haze of Faramir's kisses - but her mind came up empty. So, she tried to remember what she knew.There was Boromir, obviously. Well, they had met, and he knew this was fake. After all, this was basically all his fault. But he would shut up.Then the connected families - Swan, Stark, Humphrey. Swan on Faramir's mum's side, the other two on his dad's.She knew that Brandon Stark had somehow been involved in Gondor Investments for a time, but apparently wasn't anymore, and Lyanna lived in Paris.Of course she had also done her due diligence about the Swan-branch during her research, even though they mostly seemed to do their own thing. A bit of real estate, management, doctors – just what you would expect. For the most part, the Steward-people really were rather predictable. All but Lothíriel Swan, who apparently worked in marketing for Denethor's company. Lothíriel - Éomer's Lotty. She hated that she hadn't connected the dots, that she hadn't seen it earlier. But there had been nothing to compare - no photo of hers on the Gondor website, no LinkedIn at all (surprisingly), and on the other hand, no information about her job on social media. Her Instagram only seemed to consist of the odd selfie, many many pictures of her puppy, and inspirational quotes. The one time she had met Lothíriel before, meaning the one time after the charity game when Val had (likely totally on purpose) spilled her whole cocktail over Éowyn's shirt, they had talked about different things, not yet caught-up in jobs and 'real adult life'. Everything had been easier, back then, between polo games and too much alcohol, without so many responsibilities and no idea where to go and what to do with their lives. Just drifting from day to day, despite the vague fear of the future in the back of their minds. It seemed as if in the end, they had all ended up in the family business. How predictable.And Éomer, that utter bastard, had never said a word. He had made her work herself stupid about business plans and legal loopholes, in the full knowledge that he wouldn't support her plan for Edinburgh anyway. Because of that woman. A woman who had made very clear that she didn't want him."I'm informed," she answered truthfully, "but Boromir's friend of his plus girlfriend, these are two unknown variables."Faramir nodded."Good. We should probably join the others now. Are you okay with that?"He looked so hopeful that she could only nod, following him through the house. Apparently, their destination was at the completely other end of the house, or maybe it was only her anxiety that made the way feel so long - Still, she had almost worked herself into a silent frenzy when she suddenly felt Faramir's hand on the small of her back, grounding and weirdly soothing. He shot her a curious glance, obviously aware of her agitation. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but she feared it rather came out as a grimace.They seemed to follow the sound of faint laughter, far more cheerfully than what she had heard in this mansion so far, until they stopped in front of what must be the music room. "Drink!" someone suddenly called out from the inside, followed by another flood of amusement.Oh, drinking games then. At 11 in the morning. At Christmas Day. What was wrong with these people? And also - shit. That couldn't be good, especially not with a newly faked relationship. People tended to be far too curious about things like first meetings, dating and sex-life. The only real thing about that was the sex-part, she supposed, and no, she didn't care to share. Before she could do anything about the situation though, they were already in the room. Distantly she noticed how her fingers interlaced with Faramir's, and she found she really didn't mind it.The 'music room' it was more a sort of living room than the practice room she had expected, but it had a big black expensive looking piano in it, therefore likely the name. Éowyn tried to take in everything at once, preferably before they would notice her next to Faramir.Oh gosh, this really looks like a college party, was her first thought as she tried to read the room.Five people, all round-about between her own and Faramir's age, were squeezed onto a big, L-shaped couch that dominated one half of the room. Another man almost throned in an armchair made from the same brown leather, with a woman daintily perched on the armrest next to him. A precarious position, but at the same time the highest seat – certainly a statement she was making on purpose.The glass coffee table in front of the couch seemed currently almost overloaded with plates, bowls, glasses, and a big tray of muffins, probably the muffins Amrothos had talked about earlier. Bottles stood next to it on the dove-grey carpet, ready for use. Her quick eyes recognized a weird mixture between top-shelf gin, German beer, cheap vodka, off-brand soft drinks and hellishly expensive wine that had likely been stolen out of one of the family’s' wine cellars.The red wine stains will be hell to get out of the carpet if the bottles fall over, Éowyn pondered distractedly, but pushed the thought away. Not her problem.Of course, the group looked up curiously as they entered, she recognized Amrothos from earlier, and a man who judging by his looks was obviously one of his brothers – no idea which one though. Boromir and Brandon sat on one end of the sofa, while Lothíriel and Lyanna made a terrifically pretty picture on the other end.Funny, that extended family apparently was also pretty much into alliterations and rhyme in their names.However, it wasn't them who made her heart almost somersault in panic, no, that happened when her eyes got stuck on the remaining couple. The dark-haired man had just been talking to Boromir and now leaned back a bit, visibly confused. His eyes kept flickering from the woman next to him back to her in a lazy circle, while said woman slowly started to smile, well, to quirk her lips at the corners.Now it was official, the whole idea had been an absolute disaster – for once, her calculations had been horribly off.Truthfully, she simply should have stayed away from this party, she shouldn't have come in the first place, especially not under these circumstances. What on earth had made her agree to that scheme?! She really started to question her sanity right then and there.Because, obviously, she had expected Faramir's family to be a problem, but she hadn't expected her own to mess up the whole thing as well.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Faramir had prided himself about being a good project manager, really, he hadBut... but truth be told, during the last hour, Éowyn and the whole thing he had maneuvered the two of them into had made him more and more doubt his own abilities.What had he been thinking? Bringing a stranger, a hook-up, a one-night stand to his family's Christmas party?
But you don't want her to just be a hook-up, do you?
Faramir wasn't naive, and he wasn't delusional either - he understood attraction when he felt it, and most of all, he understood attraction that went beyond the physical level. At least he had thought so. Normally though, he needed a lot longer to click with another person, while Éowyn had simply crashed into him like a blonde comet and flipped everything around in the time of one night. A certainly very memorable night, mind you, but still, he couldn't quite make sense of it. Everything about her, everything they had done had been totally out of his character, but she had made him feel brave. She had made him feel that he could ask for what he wanted, and he would get an honest answer, a yes that truly meant yes, and a no that would be a hard limit, unshakable. That he could be a little bit reckless, let out the rather mischievous side of himself that he often repressed to please others. When they had kissed in the kitchen, just a couple of minutes ago, for a moment the whole party had felt a lot less daunting. For a moment, he had entertained the ridiculous notion that they might even have something like fun. The arrival of his cousins had everything crashing down, an uncomfortable reality check. He had never taken into consideration that they might know Éowyn when he had asked her to accompany him, but she hadn’t mentioned it either. Well, Faramir had known these girls all his life, and their reactions had told him two things for sure:A) Val thought Éowyn was cool. She respected her, despite the bickering.B) Lothíriel on the other hand didn't seem to like her at all. It had been clear from the way she had tensed up that there was something between the two of them, some kind of history, even though both had tried to hide it. Faramir had the slight suspicion it might have something to do with Éowyn's brother - after all, he had apparently gone to the University of Durham as well, just as Lotty and Val. This was the only connection he could think of - Now that he thought about it, there had been a certain polo captain Val had been raving and teasing Lotty about at the time, but Faramir didn't remember his name. Truth be told, he had had more urgent things to wonder about than his cousins' uni-crushes. Lotty had never said anything about him though, she had always been rather secretive about these things. Anyway, if they had had an affair, their family didn't know, so Lothíriel would certainly not talk about him and Éowyn either. Not that there was much to tell, which was exactly the problem.Truly, he loved his cousins and usually, they were the only thing (aside from Boromir) that made these family parties at least somewhat bearable and sometimes even amusing, but all together, they could also be a bit much. Especially when Boromir brought friends. For that reason, he couldn't blame Éowyn when he felt her tensing up next to him the closer they came to the music room, a feeling he could very much relate to. Voices were drifting towards them, loud enough to tell them they had probably been drinking, some cajoling and some giggling. Now, this could go both ways, either help the two of them or really get them into trouble. Better not think too much about it.Warmth spread through his body when Éowyn's fingers found his, connecting in a reassuring tangle. I that moment, she felt like his, as if this was real and she was his new girl, ready to be introduced to the full crowd for the first time. He pulled her into the room, but as soon as he saw the group, his brain had stumbled, or at least it had felt that way.There were Val and Lotty, obviously, and two of Lotty's brothers. He also recognized Brandon and Lyanna, and Boromir, and Robert, one of Boromir's best friends from university. He knew the guy briefly, a loud man who was fairly aware of his attractiveness - 'very much a fuckboy' as Val had once put it. Not exactly smart, but not dumb either, impulsive and wealthy - as apparently everyone in this room. He had - as established before - brought a date, who was sitting next to him, throning like a queen.That alone would have been worth mentioning, but what really struck him was the similarity to his own date next to himself. Long, wavy blond hair fell down over her shoulders in a golden curtain, when she turned towards them he could see these locks were framing a stunning, almost pale face that seemed to be cut from marble. She must be couple of years older than Éowyn, probably more around his own age.He couldn't quite make out her eye colour from where he was standing, but he was fairly certain it wasn't the same everchanging grey that fascinated him so incredibly with Éowyn. Something tugged at the back of his mind, a familiarity, but he couldn't quite place her.Even if these similarities hadn't been enough to alarm him, the way Éowyn kept squeezing his hand as if her life depended on it certainly did. Faramir's eyes flickered back to the stranger, wo was now smirking slightly, only a slight lift of the right corner of her lips. Something seemed to pass between her and his fake girlfriend, an agreement maybe, he only hoped it wouldn't cost them too dearly later. Right then, the older woman got up from her perch, like a crouching lioness, more elegantly than the man could have ever imagined, to strut towards him and his partner. She certainly went slower than necessary, as if she wanted to give every step more weight, to make a point. "Winnie!" she called out, voice sweet, "I wasn't expecting to be here, you really should have told me you'd come.""Cece," Éowyn responded, deceptively light, "truth be told, I had no idea I would until this morning. And I had no idea you would be here either. I thought you already were at Casterly."The woman huffed, a sound that included a lot more than simple annoyance. Years worth of family issues, to be precise, if Faramir had to guess. Then she turned towards Faramir."So," she started, looking him up and down, "you're the famous Faramir Steward, I suppose."He shook the offered hand, smiling politely. Her nails were long, almost digging into his skin as her elegant fingers folded around his. So different from Éowyn's, despite the other outer resemblance of the women. He didn't look down, but he could have bet her nails were professionally designed in some fancy way, probably bejewelled.“Love, that's Cersei Lannister, my cousin. Well, a little bit removed, but cousin is fine," Éowyn introduced the woman with a weird mixture of affection and uncertainty.Lannister. Of course. Well fuck. It seemed as if he had walked into the bar and straight up picked the most well-connected girl in the whole room - for better and for worse. He gave her a smile that he hoped looked reasonable friendly and less than as if he had just been kicked into the guts."A pleasure Cersei, I have heard so much about you already."Well, he had, just not from Éowyn. And what he knew had told him that he never ever wanted to get on her bad side.Cersei raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow."I feel flattered. Now, join us."She returned to her seat next to Robert, while him and Éowyn squeezed onto the sofa next to Boromir, who only gave him a lopsided grin. Yeah, they would talk about all of this later. As it turned out, someone had decided to play 'Would you rather', with the additional rule that you could drink instead of answering the question. This either would lead to finding out to finding some interesting things now, or to Éowyn and him getting very very drunk. "Okay, so, Lyanna," Boromir started, "would you rather be a dragon or a unicorn?"Lyanna laughed. "Easy. A dragon, of course. Dragons are much cooler. Amrothos, would you rather lose all of the money you’ve earned this year, or lose all of the memories you’ve gained this year?""That's a hard one, especially since the year is almost over," he admitted.Faramir found that for him, the decision wouldn't have been hard at all. Despite the mess he was currently in, under no circumstances he would have wanted to forget the night before, or the way his partner was currently pressed against his side, head almost on his shoulder, hair falling in front of the two of them."Well, drink then!" Robert called out.With a smile, Amrothos complied."Alright, Éowyn, would you rather be able to talk to plants and they talk back at you, or every time you touch a book, a magazine, or anything written, really, instantly know its content?" he wanted to know."The plants, surely," she answered, "after all, I can always read what's written in the books. Robert-" she cocked her head, "would you rather be dumb and happy or intelligent and miserable?"There was something behind the question, but what, Faramir didn't know. In any case, it amused his brother immensely."That's not a question, he's already dumb and happy," he pointed out.Robert flipped him off but didn't seem to mind. Instead, he took another drink."Would you rather go to outer space or the centre of the Earth?" he asked Val."Space, absolutely," she answered without missing a beat. "Cersei, would you rather be able to read people’s minds or manipulate other people with your thoughts?"The blond woman gave her a sly look and only shook her head before lifting her glass and taking a dainty sip - somehow it made Faramir wonder whether she wasn't already convinced she could do both. As the sleeve of the red blouse slipped back, he got a glance of the watch on her wrist, the same model as Éowyn was wearing, as far as he could tell. Interesting."Faramir," she began sweetly, too sweetly, "would you rather find your soulmate or have your dream job?"He only felt Éowyn stiffen because she was sitting so closely next to him, but the change was certainly there. So, he kept his face carefully neutral."The soulmate, I suppose. When it comes to jobs, there is always enough time for a new dream."They went back and forth, the game developing into a lively affair, certainly helped by the alcohol. At one point, his other cousin and his wife joined them with the baby who was fussed over profusely before the parents decided it was time for them to go home before the youngest member of the Swan family decided to have an early afternoon meltdown. In the developing chaos, Faramir lightly tugged at Éowyn's hand. Her eyes shot up to meet his, full of questions, but he only smiled slightly before motioning for her to follow him. She did without asking any more questions, up the grand staircase with its carpet on the wooden stairs and the pictures on the wall, ancestors that seemed to judge them for sneaking out of a family function. "Where are we going?" she finally hissed as they had reached the second floor, and he was pulling her down the hallway towards a dark door almost at the end.He gave her a lopsided smile."Keeping up the image of the secretive couple."Faramir pulled out a key and quickly opened the door. It was his room, almost unchanged over the last couple of years, since he had given it a makeover during his college years.Instead of the blue, grey, and silver that were most prominent in the rest of the house, his room was held more in natural colours such as greens, browns, tan, and occasional dashes of yellow. Patterned curtains were framing the huge windows that were opening towards the garden and let the light stream onto his bed. Said bed seemed freshly made, and the whole room smelled vaguely like pine needles - The cleaning staff apparently kept the whole room in pristine condition. A waste of effort, usually, but right now, the man appreciated their effort very much. Maybe he should get them a gift basket or something. Books were filling every available space on the room-high shelves, mixed with boxes made from natural material that were filled with knick knack of any kind. Or at least had been, if nobody had thrown out his stuff in the meantime. He wouldn't put that past his family. Luckily, he had taken his most important (and most embarrassing) belongings to Edinburgh with him. When he turned around, he could see Éowyn still close to the door, she had crossed her arms in front of her body, her chin stood out in an almost defiant gesture."So, after all the stuff downstairs, now I am not couply enough?"It was a challenge, but as he came closer, he could also see the spark of amusement in her eyes. With two steps, he had her backed up against the door, the lock quietly clicking shut. Faramir cupped her face in his hands."You are wonderful, despite your very scary cousin. But maybe I just want you a little bit for myself."Her shoulders loosened slightly as she looked up at him."Well, you could have just said. Like 'Éowyn, I want to drag you up into my bedroom to do inappropriate things to you, what do you say?'. Is that so hard?"Heat rushed into his face, he was sure his cheeks must be burning red by now. For a moment, he let his forehead rest against hers."Yeah, it is, sort of," he told her lowly in the quiet of the room, "especially here."
Where I am not used to be listened to.
He didn't add the last part of information, but apparently, he didn't have to. When he opened his eyes again, she looked furious, but then her hands were in his hair in that incredibly seductive way of hers, keeping him close to her."How much time do we have?"He considered the question."Well, my father and uncle will want all of us to join them for a bit. So, we will certainly be late for that.""Do you want to piss them off? Even though they might attack you for that later? Or do you want to show me off without drama?"She was giving him a choice, though it might not have been a fully fair one, since she was drawing tiny little circles on his scalp at the same time. How should he concentrate like that?"Is there a middle option?" he tried to make light of the situation.He only saw a grin flash over her face before she was on him, kissing him breathless, arms around him, twisting them until he leaned against the door. Her greedy hands skimmed over his dress shirt, though she didn't open the buttons, happy to simply draw patterns over his abs that made him catch his breath. Finally, she reached the buckle of his belt and he stiffened."Let me," she told him against his lips, reinforcing her words with a kiss when he still wasn't convinced, "you're not making me, Faramir. Everything I do, I do it because I chose to, alright?"Had he been a little more coherent, he might have tried to discern the weight she put behind the words, but right now, he could only nod. His head fell back against the door while she continued to kiss his neck, his lips, swallowing his moans, and he let himself go under.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Éowyn had seldomly been so happy about somebody's ensuite bathroom, not since that hangover after her first office party. Something she had made sure never to repeat since, of course. She grinned slightly at herself as she tugged on her clothing, the white of her jumper quite a contrast to her flushed cheeks. Fortunately, her hair was hardly mussed - despite his obvious enjoyment, Faramir had made sure to keep his hands almost completely off it. She bit her lips. So well-behaved, though she had been fully aware how much self-control it had cost him. Very very attractive, though she had to admit, it also sounded like a fun idea to try and push him past these self-imposed limits. Well, that was a plan for another day. Her lipstick was gone by now, though it had likely already been before they had even entered his room, but at least her foundation seemed to be alright and still covered what should be covered. Éowyn gave herself a last appreciative nod before she returned to her partner. He was still waiting for her at the door and she eyed him a bit critically."You should probably run a comb through your hair, love," she told him with a wink.He grinned, an honest, small gesture. While he followed her advice, Éowyn had enough time on her hands to wonder why the term of endearment came so easily, slipping off her lips even when they didn't have any company to fool. But maybe she didn't want to know."You look pristine," she told him when Faramir came back, "what's next?"He rolled his eyes."Now you will be treated to a 'how can we make our children feel bad'-special. Let's go "They held hands as they went down the stairs, for some odd reason Éowyn had the feeling it got colder and colder the lower they went. When they entered the room, she took a couple of seconds to take it all in. Just like so many other areas in the house, blue, grey, and silver dominated the colour palette, but the walls had been left white. Everything seemed somewhat sleek, maybe due to the rather minimal furnishing and lack of ornaments or whimsical decorations. Most of the present furniture was made form dark wood, maybe walnut, and looked sort of antique, though she had to admit that whatever architect had been employed had done a really good job with arranging everything in a very fashionable, modern way. There were paintings on the wall, obviously, but most of the smaller ones were held in lighter colours, less gothic and heavy than what she had seen outside. There was one huge painting however, something akin to a Victorian dynastic painting, to be precise, stiff and old-fashioned, that very much ressembled the gallery in the staircase. It was placed on the wall behind the huge dinner table around which the whole current (living) group was decorated like an odd sort of stilllife, or maybe even their own sort of dynastic painting. Denethor was sitting in the centre, obviously, almost throning, but Éowyn hadn't imagined anything less. The rest of the family seemed slightly more approachable and she wondered why they put up with this horrible vibe on Christmas Day. After all, he didn't look sick, so it couldn't be due to the hope of inheriting anything soon...
On the other hand, she also regularly went to the Lannister parties, and each and every time she asked herself why she bothered.
The father glanced at the two of them in a shrewed and rather calculating way as they entered, as soon as they had taken two seats at the lower end of the table, the inquistition already started without any smalltalk or further introduction."So, since I haven't had the pleasure to hear anything about that relationship," he stressed the words 'pleasure' and 'relationship' in a rather unnecessary way, "I would very much like to know more about it. How did you meet and how long have you been together?"
"About half a year," Faramir answered courtly, "we met through mutual acquaintances."
It was the story they had agreed on, so Éowyn just nodded with a small smile.
"And you didn't think you ought to tell your family?"
"There never seemed to be the right time. It didn't seem to fit into a business context."A slight dig against Denethor's parental concerns, or rather, his lack therof. The older man huffed."Well, I expect to be kept in the loop from now on."
He turned towards Éowyn.
"So, Éowyn, right? What do you do?"For once, the woman cursed that Faramir had introduced her by her first name - an oversight, maybe, or an attempt for normalcy - like in a healthy, happy family. Not that Éowyn knew a lot about introducing your significant other to begin with, but she assumed that's how you did it. Right now, she really would have prefered to be 'Miss Eorl', to put any kind of distance between her and this guy, even if it only was in a verbal way.There was something cunning in his eyes that she really really didn't like, nevertheless she tried to stay pleasant."That's right. And I am a lawyer, mostly labour law, but I also branch out into other fields."
He nodded. "Good. Then you are aware of the consequences if you try to get to my son's fortune."If she hadn't been so apalled by being called a golddigger - truth be told, she should have expected that - the reactions around the table would have amused her.
The other members of the older generation looked very embarrassed, the younger ones a mixture between amused and disgusted. Cersei seemed cool as a cucumber, a sure sign that internally she was debating whether she should rip his head off or gut him first. Faramir next to her seemed on the brink of exploding, so she quickly put her hand on top of his."Oh, I would never dream of doing such a thing," she told Denethor sweetly, "because I really don't need to."
His eyebrows rose so high that she was afraid they would disappear in his hairline and never show up again.
"I see. Judging by the watch you are wearing, my son was already more than gracious with his ... monetary affections."Éowyn frowned. Faramir glared. And Cersei's voice cut through the room like a well-honed dagger.
"Well, I cannot speak for your son, but said watch was a gift by my father to his favourite niece."In any other situation, Éowyn would have snorted - after all, she was Tywin Lannister's only niece old enough to wear such a watch, so that didn't say much. Both Cersei and her had once hated to use their connections as shields and swords, to have to take cover behind men - and while it still wasn't ideal, they had both by now found ways to use these connections to reach their own aims, in a chauvinist men-ruled cut-throat business world.
Aims like having Denethor blanch and quickly shut his mouth. He only nodded courtly, obviously beat at his own game. A deafening silence filled the room, until one of Faramir's uncle started to fill it with some nonsensical smalltalk. Everyone seemed more than happy to jump onto that train, it left her more than enough time to observe these people and their strange dynamic further.Faramir's oldest cousin - she supposed - and his wife had returned from outside, and for better or worse the wife had taken a seat next to Éowyn.
For better, because she reallyliked children.
For worse, because the baby seemed to like her hair and continuously made grabby hands at the strands when they came somewhat into reach.
This didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the company, who didn't wait a minute to lecture the mum on how to handle the baby, how to avoid this, how to avoid that. Kate - if she remembered the name correctly - started to shrink into herself further and further and Éowyn's heart clenched with compassion. She lightly nudged the other woman with her ellbow, when their eyes met she gave her a little smirk that Kate returned gratefully. Know-it-alls were bad enough, and these were certainly of the worst sort. Understandably, the couple excused themselves first, a graceful escape from the awkward situation, and their baby seemed to agree - Éowyn had the impression that it stopped fussing and crying as soon as they reached the exit.Once the first people had left, others seemed to take this as an excuse to be allowed to escape as well, the typical party-domino-effect. Robert,despite his friendship with Boromir, seemed only too happy to get out, which meant that her only ally aside from Faramir would have to leaveeher on her own in this menagerie. Still, Éowyn couldn't blame them, she also would be out of the door ASAP if possible. However, Denethor fixed Faramir with a 'don't you dare' stare that made her partner sit glued to the spot. The woman would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't had the feeling that that wouldn't have made everything worse - alas, she was here to be the supportive little girlfriend, and so she would be the supportive little girlfriend.Lothíriel certainly gave her a very dirty look before she strutted out of the room - it made Éowyn wonder once again what exactly had happened between Éomer and her. When she had first been introduced to her, Éomer had called her a 'friend', though the whole behaviour had told Éowyn right away that they were more than that. Back then, she hadn't quite known whether it was a friends-with benefits-situation, a hook-up, a secret relationship or mutual pining - though judging by Éomers reputation as a player, she would have bet on the affair. He had always denied it, which had made her suspect that there might be something more - a suspicion that was proven when he came home for the holidays, downcast, and wouldn't talk about her at all anymore. That had certainly not been the reaction of somebody who hadn't cared, it had been the reaction of someone who just had his heart broken. And Éowyn had very much a problem with anyone who dared to hurt her brother. So, how dare that bitch look at her like that, if she had started it all? And after all, it wasn't as if she was planning to leave Faramir like that!"I suppose we will see you at the Tower House New Year's Eve Party then?" Denethor asked slyly.Internally, Éowyn cursed. This was one of the plotholes in their story. She shook her had."No, I am otherwise engaged."Denethor looked at her for some long breaths."I wonder why you are not accompanying Faramir."His son sighed, the sound of the long-suffering. "Dad, she's got somewhere else to be. We don't need to be joined at the hip - and that is why I brought her today. But now you know why I told you that I don't need a date for the party."
Éowyn forced a laugh.
"Happy to hear that, love."
He grinned back, and then quickly kissed the back of her hand.
"Well of course."
Suddenly, he caught her hand, slightly twisted her arm and checked her watch.
"Darling, don't you have your own party to get to?"
She noded.
"In fact, I do, so I might have to leave you soon."
Faramir shrugged.
"Well, don't let us keep you then."He got up and gallantly pulled back her chair. Goosebumps spread on her arm as his fingers lightly traced over the fabric of her sweater, an accidental touch, or as accidental as anything right now could be."I thank you for your hospitality," she told Denethor, without any obvious hint of irony, "and I am sure we will see each other again soon."When he got up to shake her hand, his eyes were dark, as if he wanted to discern all her secrets, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. Everything was a little too close and too tight, from the way they were standing on the treshhold to the grip on her hand - and he knew it. It was a show of power, of dominance, so she only smiled brightly and followed Faramir out of the room.
They stopped in the entrance hall, right in front of the door and Faramir - fully the gentleman - helped her into her cloak, just to then use the lapels to pull her closer. She almost stumbled into him in surprise and he chuckled lowly, a sound that ran through her body like a dark warm current, despite all the coldness and awkwardness around them. She looked up at him, suddenly strangely breathless as their faces moved closer together."Thank you," he whispered against her lips, barely audible in the grand empty room, "and - can I call you to sort out further details?"He seemed almoat a bit bashful and Éowyn smiled.
"Of course. Number is in your coat pocket. I tried to write prettily."He looked at her in suprise, apparently it had never occured to him that she might have had secondary notives for slipping her hand in his pocket earlier."I bet you did. Though -"Whatever snarky commented had wanted to utter, she kissed it off his lips. Her body pushed back against his while she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close to her, at least for a little bit longer. She smiled slightly when they pulled apart, especially since he was gaping a bit. Still, he recovered fairly quickly and gave her one of his comparatively roguish grins."Can I call you for reasons other than fake-dating as well?" he whispered conspiratorially.She probably blushed, at least her face suddenly felt hot, but instead of storming off, she stepped closer."Try and see whether I pick up."After a last peck she turned around, ready to leave this cold house alltogether.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He sighed when the door shut behind her, taking with her even the last drops of Christmas cheer. Now he felt rather cold, isolated almost, even though he was far from alone. It reminded him very much of his childhood, well, actually, this feeling seemed to overcome him almost every time he entered the house. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he simply didn't want to face his family. Though he assumed he had to now. With a deep sigh, he turned around and walked back into the sitting room. His father looked up from whatever conversations he was having with Boromir, just briefly, and nodded."Sit down."Ordered around like a dog, just great. With a groan, he flopped onto a chair, not even bothering to pretend to be excited. He had done his part, hadn't he? He ahd shown up, been social, spred Christmas vibes. Why couldn't he just leave now and do something fun? Like watching paint dry. Or carrots grow. But no. He was stuck in a weird time-wasting limbo. Finally, apparently the older man deemed him important enough to be included in their discussion - or at least Faramir thought so for a moment."I must say," Denethor started, making him raise an eyebrow, "that I am rather content with your choice of girlfriend. Surprisingly."Faramir blinked. And blinked once again, trying to get this to sink into his brain. This was literally the Denethor equivalent to "I'm proud of you." And it came very out of the blue, so much so that for a moment, the son was very very confused."I wouldn't have thought you had it in you."There they went. That was the end of the praise, it seemed."I -" he started, but Denethor cut him off with a wave of his hand."But seducing that girl - I must say, not a bad move." He raised an eyebrow. "I assume you did, right? You did pick her out on purpose, like your brother here claims? I would hate my company being played by a little gold-digger and corporate spy."Faramir huffed. And then there was his father, not worrying about his son potentially being hurt by a woman, but only about corporate. How typical. The young man also had not really a clue what his father was getting at - he had just brought home the first girl in...forever, and they were starting to talk about work?! What exactly had Boromir told their father again? Apparently he hadn't just spred news about a new partner in his life, but also spun an elaborate story about economic intrigues. If he didn't know any better, Faramir would have suspected his brother was digging his grave, big time. And yet - Éowyn had mentioned Gondor Investments as well, right before she had kissed him. Or he had kissed her. (His memory was a bit murky in this regard.) Odd. His thoughts were starting to race as he went through every interaction they had had, but then were interrupted again as his father went on - apparently, he had taken the silence as confirmation for Faramir's involvement."Well, I thought so - actually, hoped so. She is certainly smitten with you. Whatever you did," he raised an eyebrow, far too suggestively, “it apparently worked on her. She looks at you as if you hung the moon in the sky, and I do not care how you do it, but I demand you keep it that way. Are we clear?"He only stared back at his father, his face made from stone. It was years of practice kept his hands from turning into fists.Firstly, his father, usually surprisingly and uncomfortably perceptive, had it rather wrong - in comparison, he had done very little, whereas Éowyn - uhm... he stopped the thought before it could go there too thoroughly.Secondly, he doubted that his current partner-in-whatever-they-were-doing was smitten in any way - she had agreed to help him, and apparently was quite a good actress. That was all there was to it.Thirdly, it would certainly not remain like this in the long run. But Denethor didn't need to know."As you know, Éowyn Eorl is rich and well connected, an asset," Denethor went on, assumingly more for Boromir's benefit and apparently very delighted to hear himself speak, "but what is more important, she is working for Théoden Rohan. Well, I suppose you know that, of course. There have been rumours, faintly, that they want to expand, into areas where they might come into conflict with us. So, these people have been on my radar for quite a while now, including her. It comes without saying, Faramir, I want to know everything. What they want, what they plan. I don't care how you get that information. Obviously, also everything she tells you and that you can find out about the Lannisters - though that is secondary, since Boromir can give us at least some pointers through his acquaintance with Robert Baratheon."His father was mad. That was the only explanation. Batshit crazy. No normal person ordered their son to spy on their partner, did they? And their other son to spy on their friend? Though, what did he know.And why was Boromir not surprised? He should be. Unless he had known, before he had thrown him into all this chaos. And unless he was actually spying on Robert."You never told me about it," he ventured.Denethor waved his hand, as if he wanted to get rid of a fly."You didn't have to know. I didn't assume you would be ... suitable. I had other projects in motion. They didn't work out. An utter disappointment."His lip curled in displeasure."What 'projects'?" Faramir hissed.Now his hands were indeed curling in, he was feeling his shoulders tightening more and more."That cousin of yours, she had one job. One. She failed. Unsurprisingly, I expected nothing else from a woman, but it was worth a try. At least she could have had some use for the family."There was no other explanation, his father had to be talking about Lotty - his sweet, smart, bitchy, beautiful cousin. Who had hurt so much and never told him why. Faramir could take the abuse they threw at him, but he wouldn't have them do this to her, not if he could help it. He jumped up, hands pressed onto the table."What did you do to her?" he barked, though he hated the slight waver in his voice."Nothing that should concern you. You are being dramatic. You should be happy, now you get a shot."The young man's eyes flickered to Boromir, who had least had the decency to appear confused and vaguely disgusted, until he morphed his face again into the common masked of polite indifference. Alright, so he hadn't known everything either, Faramir supposed. Small mercies. He remained standing."I will make this clear. Once. Éowyn is my girlfriend, and you will leave her in peace. Just as you will keep Lothíriel out of this. Are we clear?!"Without waiting for an answer, he turned around, strutting from the room. It took everything in him not to bolt, but he wouldn't give his father the satisfaction. He had no illusion, they wouldn't leave anyone alone, but at least he had made his position clear, in case it would come to any sort of conflict. Blood was roaring in his ears - he needed to get out, and quickly, before he did something stupid. Like throwing stuff.Nobody held him back as he fetched his coat and left, though he could feel his father's and brother's presences like a dark cloud behind him. Finally, the door fell shut behind him with a satisfying click, but he didn't stop on the doorstep. His feet carrried him away, around the next to corners. He bumped into someone, heard curses, but he didn't stop. No, he had no clue where he was going, only that he needed to put distance between all these people and himself. It was cold, the air was biting into his cheeks, but he hardly felt it.He went on, right into the subway and onto the next train. The walls were rushing past the window, distracting and uniform, and yet not as monotonous as he had hoped. It was still too loud, too bustling, to clear his head, so he got off the tube again to literally resurface at Picadilly. For a moment, he allowed himself to lean again the wall of a house as his eyes wandered over the square, here he was just another little person among many. This was a beating heart, pumping just as quickly as his own still did, unwilling to calm down. There were people everywhere, but Faramir didn't feel like talking to anyone right now - not that they would have wanted to. Everyone was clearly busy with their own life, for better or worse. So for now, he would just walk on. The city was big enough to get lost in it for a couple of hours, months, even years.He breathed in the winter air, turned off his phone and disappeared into the slowly swirling snowflakes.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He texted her the next morning, when his mind finally felt free enough to do so.Nothing special, just to see how she was doing. How her evening had been. After all, he wasn't the only one with family trouble. Of course, this didn't mean anything. Of course not. They were just professional partners, after all. And yet, she had sort-of dared him to contact her - without giving any promises.
Faramir, 26 December 2023, 10:30
Hey Éowyn, this is Faramir. I hope you are alright and had a good evening. What are you doing tonight?
There was no answer, not even an acknowledgment that she had received or read the message. At first, this didn't bother him much - after all, she could be busy with family and friends, or simply not looking at her phone. And yet - he noticed his attention creeping back towards his phone, annoyingly often so, and he scoffed at himself and put it away. Far out of reach. It was fine. Totally fine.However, when he noticed later that day that she still hadn't even received the message, Faramir started to wonder. Maybe there was something wrong with the internet? Maybe he had saved the number wrongly? Dutifully, the man went to check both, but no. It all seemed to be in order. Slowly, without him noticing at first, the doubts started to make an appearance, mean, tiny thoughts that whispered that she simply didn't want anything to do with him anymore. That she had ghosted him. But Éowyn wouldn't do that, would she? She had no reason - but also no reason not to if he was honest. There was no advantage for her in playing along, as far as he was aware, and it wasn't as if he himself was a really good reason to do so. And then there were these other thoughts, and they were even worse: Replaying everything Éowyn and his father had said about her involvement both with Rohan Industries and Gondor Investments. He genuinely kept trying to make sense of it, but he couldn’t. What was worse, again there was a creeping suspicion that - despite the (he was fairly certain - or wasn't he?) mutually satisfying sex - this was all just a cruel, really big hoax.A day later, when he ahd just finished his dinner, he couldn't stand it any longer.
Faramir, 27 December 2023, 18:28
Are you mad at me? If so, can we please talk?
"You are thinking very loudly," Boromir commented dryly, "what's the matter?"Faramir looked up from his phone and the empty plate with a frown. The two of them had - after lots of shouting - settled into a tentative peace. He had decided to believe that his older brother hadn't known about anything that involved Lothíriel, though the quiet acceptance of their father's scheming still rubbed him the wrong way."Éowyn isn't reading - well, she doesn't get my messages," he admitted, "and I don't know what to think about this. I mean...""Well yeah, her phone broke," his brother commented casually, "so, of course she doesn't. And I guess it's rather hard to get a new one up there in the mountains."For a moment, there was only silence. Until -"the fuck? Why, how do you know this?""Instagram," Boromir answered, as if it was a stupid question, "you really ought to add her. They are skying in St Moritz and apparently, she wrecked her mobile there. Someone posted it in their status yesterday, with lots of schadenfreude and a Britney Spears soundtrack."The older man casually pulled out his own phone, unlocked it, and opened up the app, Faramir waited in anticipation as Boromir searched for Éowyn's profile."You're lucky that I added her beforehand, little brother," he told him, "otherwise you wouldn't see a thing. She's got all the privacy-stuff going. I was surprised she accepted my friend request at all."He handed his phone over, but Faramir was very aware of how closely his older brother was watching him. That was secondary now though, he ignored him, but let his eyes wander over the page, @WinWinEowyn.Her bio said nothing more than her name and her age, her profile picture a little white flower. There were colours everywhere, and while he would have loved to go through all of the (620) photos, he was mainly curious about her whereabouts right now. The moment he opened her status, he was assaulted by white - expanses of white, actually, a mountain panorama. The next photo showed three people on what could be a ski lift, smiling at the selfie - Éowyn on the right, Tauriel on the left, with Legolas wedged between the two of them. Well, he supposed it was Legolas, but he looked rather different without blond hair framing his face and sporting a three-day beard. Éowyn had added music to the picture - Backstreet Boys if he wasn't mistaken.Boromir had been right then, they were indeed skying, and according to the tag, St Moritz was also correct. The status changed again, and the third picture was a repost of another status, of someone called @CeeTheLionQueen. Faramir had the vague idea he knew who that was. The status now showed a video of someone - presumably Éowyn - snowboarding, and Faramir had to admit, he was impressed, not only by the quite extraordinary filming skills. And he was confused, and maybe a little bit very annoyed at the whole situation. And also, maybe a little bit hot under his collar, which bothered him even more. Who knew that a snowboarding girl could do that to a guy? He had never considered that sport to be especially sexy, but apparently, he did so now. Faramir closed the status and tapped on the last picture that Éowyn had posted on her profile. It was a group picture in what looked like a hotel bar or something like that, with the caption 'Find the odd one out' and a huge load of tags.Truly, it was easy to see what she had meant - almost all people of the picture were different shades of blond, ranging from almost silvery white in the case of Legolas, over the wheat-coloured hair of a very tall woman at the back, to Éowyn's and Cersei's golden hair. There were two other men, judging by the physical appearance he supposed one of them was Jaime Lannister and the other one Tyrion Lannister. And then, sticking out like a bloody sore thumb, there was Tauriel, right in the middle of the photo, hair a burning red and her eyebrow raised mockingly at the camera - as if she was uttering a challenge. For a moment, Faramir wondered whether she had had someone particular in mind.He handed the phone back to Boromir."You've got messages," he told him distractedly, while he pulled out his own phone. Then he opened his account, an account very few people actually knew about. No wonder Éowyn hadn't found it during her research.
@GreenArrows39
Friend request to WinWinEowyn
"Well, but how can she be on Instagram if her phone is broken?" he suddenly wanted to know.Boromir shrugged. "Using someone else's phone, I suppose.""Did you know about the trip to Switzerland?""Huh? Why would I?""Well, since you and Robert - and Robert and Cersei -"Boromir barked a laugh, though it didn't really sound amused."Robert doesn't know shit about her. I mean about Cersei. He just wants to fuck her because she's pretty. I really love Rob, I do, but he's a player - I know it, you know it. And I am fairly certain she knows it as well and doesn't care. Maybe does her own thing, dunno. So, you really don't need to be all high and mighty about these two. And other than what some people might think, my personal interest in Baratheon-Lannister affairs does not go beyond friendly advice to not embarrass himself. I'll certainly keep my head out of that mess, I really don’t want to lose it to anyone’s claws. And if you are smart, so should you. These people are weird, and all a bit crazy. The only decent one is probably Bree. That's Jaime's girlfriend, and by God I don't know why she puts up with that douchebag. Éowyn is fine though, I guess," he added."Nice to know you appreciate of the girlfriend you made me date," Faramir bit back."Little brother, we went over this already. Several times! I just tried to do damage control. And I never told you to go home with her, that's on you."Faramir was pretty certain that Boromir also wanted to add a comment about his otherwise rather celibate life, but wisely refrained from it."So, are you done bitching now? Because your girlfriend left you a message."Faramir blinked."You're telling me that now?""Just saw it. Don't get too excited though. It just says, 'Hi Boromir, my phone broke and I have no option to reach Faramir. I don't want to use business mail just in case. Can you pls tell him to DM me if he HAS a secret insta profile? If not, tell him he's old and I'll get a new phone anyway when I am back.'"A small smile started to blossom on Faramir’s lips – so she had thought of him. And she didn’t want to ghost him. That was good, right? Across from him, Boromir sighed."You've got it bad for her. Very very bad.""But it's fake. And it has an expiration date."His brother only gave him a 'sure it is'-look, before returning to his dinner. Faramir scoffed slightly. It was. Sure it was. But there was nothing wrong with liking the fake-partner.
@WinWinEowyn, 28 December 2023, 0:40
Request accepted
Hey you, so that's your secret identity. I should have known. It's obvious. Seriously, is this really working? Anyway, I am rambling. I wanted to let you know I didn't ghost you, but that sort of didn't work I guess because Boromir didn’t read my message. Unless you didn't text me in the meantime, and didn’t think of me at all, in which case this message is embarrassing. Anyway. I am maybe a bit tipsy. And I am on Bree's phone so I can't really text, but I'll get a new phone ASAP and keep the number. See you soon xx
‘Get a grip’, he told himself, calm down.@GreenArrow39, 28 December 2023, 0:43All good, though I was wondering whether you wanted to get rid of me. 😉 When will you be back?
@WinWinEowyn, 29 December 2023, 22:22
Nooooneva. Will be back tomorrow, by plane. Its soo bad for the environment Im craing for the trees. Arwen and I r having a party on 31st wanna come? Itll be fun but more with u. Luv ya xx
@bribluesaphyr, 29 Decembee 2023, 22:40
Hello Faramir, I am so so sorry. I'm Bree, Éowyn's friend. I didn't see that boyfriend of mine gave her his phone, probably in the hope she would drunk text you,I don't know. Heaven knows why he thinks these things are funny. So, anyway, it's our last night here in St Moritz, and Winnie, Tyrion, Cersei and Leggy got into the expensive stuff and now I have to babysit five adults (Jaime is a manchild anyway). And Tauriel, who keeps crying. So, please don't mind Éowyn, I don’t have the brain capacity to deal with her business right now. She will suffer enough tomorrow. She likes you, by the way.
Have a good night, Bree
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The last couple days had been a hot mess, Éowyn pondered, as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the plane window. As it turned out, that position was rather uncomfortable, so she moved her head again to lean against the headrest- not a good idea, since the movement made her stomach roll. Apparently, she really had overindulged last night, and now started to rather regret it. Just as she regretted drunk dm-ing Faramir. It was embarrassing, and Jaime might very well suffer for enabling her at some point. At least Bree, bless her, had done damage control.She really hadn't planned to go on that trip in the first place, but after the Christmas she had had, she suddenly had almost jumped onto the opportunity to partake in the "depressing Christmas ski trip" Jaime had proposed. In retrospect, she probably should have asked Faramir to come, too - though she didn't even know whether he skied. Probably, right?Well, drunk-Éowyn had at least invited him to Arwen's and her New Year's eve party. While the whole context of the invitation was rather awkward, she actually wouldn't mind him coming - but after the discussion at Christmas, she already knew he was busy. So there was no need to repeat the invitation, right?The rest of the day was spent trying to get over the hangover and getting her phone fixed - thankfully it was still salvageable, to everyone's surprise, though at the end of the day buying a new one would have probably been cheaper. As it turned out, Faramir had indeed texted her again, and this time she received the message - and his phone number.Which led to a couple of questionably silly texts that made her chuckle and smile far too much. At least she managed to refrain from sending him mirror selfies, though in truth she wouldn't have complained about getting thirst traps in return. Not that she thought Faramir would do such a thing, but a girl could dream."So, what did he write?" Arwen asked the next morning as they were standing in the middle of Marks & Spencer. Éowyn looked at her a little bit confused."Whaddya mean?""You've got that daydream look in your eyes, totally spaced out. And I bet it has nothing to do with the Gouda cheese in front of you."Her friend huffed. It was a mystery to her why Arwen insisted on the last minute stress of going shopping and didn't just order all of the stuff they would need for the party online and far in advance - but it had sort of become a tradition, and who was Éowyn to spit on such a thing. "Gouda is awesome," she argued."Not as good as nudes though."Éowyn wheezed, but her friend only shrugged her shoulders with a devious smile."Arwen, you might not believe me, but Faramir and I. WERE. NOT. SENDING. NUDES!""Aww, poor baby," her friend cooed, and huffed when Éowyn flipped her off, "you should ask him what he is wearing tonight though.""But that's weird," the blond woman argued."Nah, it's fine. I mean, what's the worst case? That he thinks that maybe you might think that he's hot? Girl, you already slept with him, so I guess he is well aware."Éowyn looked around, suspicious that someone might have overheard them, but all the other patrons around them seemed to be too busy with their own shopping to notice anything. She took a deep breath, but pulled out her phone."Alright. But if this goes badly, I blame you.""It won't," Arwen told her confidently, "text him and then let's move on to the really important stuff: Snacks!"-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-It was only after they were back at their house that she looked at the chat again, fully ready to tell her best friend how wrong she had been - only that she hadn't. Faramir had indeed sent a picture of himself. He was standing in front of a bathroom mirror in a bathroom she couldn't identify - not the one next to his childhood bedroom, that she knew now. It might be Boromir's place, since it didn't have the vibe of a hotel room, from what she could say. There was no decoration, no feminine touch visible, and for some reason that made her quite happy and relieved.The slightly odd angle of the picture and the bashful smile told her he didn't do this often, and it made everything even more endearing - but he could have probably sent her his passport photo and she would have liked it. Right now, he was wearing a dark blue suit jacket, probably the top part of a full ensemble. He had combined it with a blue dress shirt and no tie - a lot more casual than she would have expected. Éowyn wondered whether he wanted to piss off his family on purpose. However, no doubt, it looked good, really really good, and very much like the guy who would wear white t-shirts and leather jackets in his free time. Faramir was cleanly shaven, but his hair was slightly mussed, as if he had run his hand through it a little bit too often.
Éowyn, 31 December 2023, 16:10
Looks really good! Are you auditioning for a modelling job?
She put her phone away as Arwen called from her flat downstairs where they would host most of the party. While they were decorating, she cursed their last-minute planning - each year they vowed to do better, and each year they failed. Thankfully, Aragorn, Tauriel and Legolas showed up before the others, ready to hang up fairy lights and prepare bowls of finger food and snacks."You are both disgustingly rich with disgustingly well-paying jobs," Tauriel complained between two salted pretzels, "why do it all yourself?""I ask her the same thing every fucking year," Éowyn sighed.Arwen laughed. "You are all totally into it. I know it, you will just never admit it!"Éowyn smiled at her indulgently. "Arwen, I just want you to be happy. For that reason I put up with a lot of stuff.""Aww, love you too hon! That's why I want to set you up with Fari-boy. By the way, did you get the photo?"Éowyn blushed as her other friends suddenly looked at her with very much interest."Well, I did.""Aaand...?" Legolas asked with a raised eyebrow."Not your business and not half as scandalous as you might think.""But interesting enough that one of you has to shoot a hot picture of you so you can send it to him?""Nope. He didn't ask. And I can do that myself, thank you very much, duh."If she was honest, she didn't know if she could. Because Éowyn Eorl didn't usually do that sort of thing. Like, the sexy-picture-thing. And maybe she did change her outfit three times, even though Faramir was absolutely otherwise engaged, but who was counting. And maybe she was wearing that new pretty lacy underwear, but so what? She shook her head at her own reflection. Ridiculous. But she admittedly looked good in her faux-leather trousers and the green glittery top. Her hair was partly braided to show of the rather large statement earrings and a couple of bangles blinged on her arms. It was leaning more towards the "college party style" than what she would usually go for, but that was the vibe they had agreed on - after all, most people came here to escape their parents' stuffy dinners and functions.Of course they weren't ready on time - The apartment was filling rather quickly since Arwen's twin brothers always interpreted the party as a dinner invitation - which made other people (say Glorfindel and Haldir) feel entitled to do so as well. Éowyn had the feeling Legolas didn't particularly mind - or he was having a stroke, she wasn't so sure. In any case, he kept staring at the slightly older man with unabashed fascination. There was no way Haldir hadn't noticed that on his own, Éowyn wondered whether he simply wasn't interested or whether he liked to play with his food. The doorbell rang again, when she opened, she was faced with a rosy-cheeked, long-haired man with a vaguely 80s-themed outfit and a couple of boxes of equipment next to him. She smiled."Lindir! Good to see you!"Then she turned around and shouted into the hallway."Guys, I need people to carry in the technical equipment and set up stuff!" She faced the newest addition to their group again. "Unless you want to do it all yourself, of course."He shook his head. "God no, Winnie. I managed to organise a couple of lights and such things, so there is quite a bit of -hey, careful!" he called out, as Aragorn and a couple of the others all took the boxes to carry them in. The others only chuckled, but suddenly seemed to suddenly be much more careful with the equipment."Well, we better follow them so you can tell us how you want to set it all up," Éowyn told her friend. Just as she wanted to close the door, a car stopped in front of the house and five figures almost tumbled out. Well, no wonder, judging by the size they had been rather squeezed on the back bench. It was four men and a woman, and all waved cheerfully as they saw her standing in front of the house."Party service is here!" a man with curly blonde hair was calling out towards her. ad already opened up the boot and was resolutely handing out big bowls and platters to her companions. She laughed and gave them all a thumbs-up before she quickly put on her shoes to join them. When she reached the car, the woman "Hey Éowyn," she huffed and pushed something that looked like a bucket of mousse au chocolat into her arms, "sorry for us being late! But the food took longer than expected, and you know how the boys are." She gave a long-suffering sigh."Well, you are just on time, don't worry Rosie," she answered, "and I am just so grateful you are helping out! We have the snacks and part of dinner ready, but it's never enough for the whole crew.""We know that is the only reason you are inviting us!" a Scottish drawl interrupted her."That's not true, I -"She stopped as she saw Pippin grin. It surprised her every year anew that the man would leave his own business closed to join them at a home party, but it seemed to be important for him. She smiled back gratefully, just as the man with the blonde hair nudged her into her side."At least I know you invite me because I am the best personal assistant in the whole world.""That you are," she indulged him, and only rolled her eyes a little bit.Inviting someone from work might be a controversial choice, but her and Merry had always got on super well, so she didn't understand why not. Frodo an Sam, the other two newcomers, simply laughed and followed her in. By now, it was getting sort-of crowded, Éowyn noticed, however, not as badly as usually. That was probably due to the fact that Éomer and his chaos-crew was missing. While an invitation had been extended, Éowyn was fairly certain neither her brother or cousin would come. It filled her with a surprising amount of melancholy, that was only interrupted when Tauriel sauntered towards her to start bugging her. The blonde woman sighed."Yes I have invited him sort of and no I don't think he will come," she told her friend without missing a beat.Tauriel just smiled."That was oddly specific. But it answers my question. So, you are going to kiss me at 12 o'clock then?""I could imagine worse. Though I would wager you would just use me to taunt Kili and how should that faint heart of mine stand it?!"Tauriel stuck out her tongue but certainly didn't deny it. These two really ought to sort their shit out, Éowyn pondered. She herself spend the next hour being a good host and trying to give everyone at least a sliver of attention. Arwen was certainly a help, though she honestly seemed very distracted at times. Éowyn couldn't blame her - after all, she was rocking a pale blue dress with a rather modest cut in all regards but the length. A detail that Aragorn seemed just too aware of, judging by the way his eyes kept flitting to her bare legs. What for goodness sake had made them play these games today of all days she didn't know, but she was also afraid she would have to permanently bleach her brain if she asked. So she didn't.Suddenly, there was a ring at the door, and she frowned. She didn't expect anyone else - or at least she thought so."Idis, would you get that, please?" she called over the music.Her friend nodded and drifted towards the door. Suddenly, the cajoling started as a couple of men flooded into the entrance hall and bumped into Haldir and Legolas. Éowyn'S frown deepened, then she pushed her way towards the group.They fell silent as she approached, like boys who had been caught doing something they shouldn't. Her looked at them with a raised brow."Anyone wants to tell me what the hell is going on?"Éomer rubbed his neck."You didn't disinvite us. So, we understood the offer as still standing."It was only his expression, the sheepishness and slight tentativeness under the usual cockiness that kept her from kicking them out again. She sighed."Well, since you are already here..."Their smiles were blinding and they happily joined the crowd, mingling with the others. Only Éomer was lingering."What?"With a sigh, he pulled his sister a little bit to the side."Is he here?""Who?""Don't play dumb. Your boyfriend. Is he here?""So what if he is? You made your opinion about him fairly clear."He breathed out heavily."I might have been a bit harsh about it. And since you like him quite a bit, I might give him at least 50% benefit of the doubt.""That's very noble," Éowyn answered dryly, nevertheless pleased about the tentative apology, "but he isn't here anyway. Family commitments.""Uhm," he answered. He didn't claim that he was sorry, but at least he wasn't snarky about it either. "Can I get food here or is that off limits?"Éowyn rolled her eyes."Well, now that you are here anyway..."He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, my sister, I hope you know that."She shook her head as he sauntered of, knowing that he was only half kidding. Just a little break, before she was again pulled into a conversation. Time passed like in a haze, between snacks and drinks and dancing, until she suddenly found herself leaning against the door to Arwen's living room. It was a good spot for people watching, to see Tauriel being twirled around by Elrohir, apparently only too happy to forget whatever there was to forget. Pippin and Merry were in the middle of it all, not surprisingly, putting all the other dancers to shame. Éowyn could spy Legolas stand next to Aragorn and Glorfindel, though Haldir, interestingly enough, was nowhere in sight. She only hoped that was a coincident and not the beginning of a huge drama. From time to time, a gust of cool air floated through the house, shivering across her shoulders and back as it breezed through - people seemed to exit and come in again rather often, likely to go for a smoke or whatever they were doing on her doorstep. For once, she decided not to care. Worst case the newspapers would tell her tomorrow anyway.Suddenly, there was a presence behind her, not yet quite known but not unknown either. She felt it in all of her body: The warmth on the naked skin of her arms, the smell of the perfume, the simple hum of another human's presence. Éowyn turned around, smiling, to look straight into a now familiar face. When he smiled back, his own smile was slightly crooked - a mixture between self-depreciating and somehow playful. She had expected a simple 'hello' or maybe a 'how are you doing' - or even an explanation what had brought him to her party. Instead, there was a heartbeat of silence, before the words rushed out, as if he hadn’t planned to say them at all."I've been looking for you."Éowyn blinked. Then she blinked again. And then she burst out laughing.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He looked at her in confusion and fascination - confusion because he hadn't thought that the comment warranted any kind of amusement, and fascinated because the laughter made her shine with an inner glow that took his breath away. With sparkling eyes and just the faintest thought of dimples on her cheeks she leaned into him to brush her nose against his."What's so funny?" Faramir nevertheless wanted to know.
"It's ... well, it's a book-thing," she answered, still laughing, "I'll tell you about it. Sometime. Maybe."He raised an eyebrow. Some pieces were staring to piece themselves together.
"Are we talking Nobel Price or are we talking book...took?"
"Can't we talk both? And it's booktok, not took."He shrugged and pulled her closer. "Fair enough. Anyway, happy to amuse you."
"Happy to have you here."
He ducked his head a little. "I was hoping you were serious about your invitation to this very exclusive party."
"Of course! Though, I will say, surprisingly my brother deigned to make an appearance. You might - well, he is probably not your biggest fan."
Faramir looked at her quizically. "He doesn't believe in fake dating?"
She cringed. "He might not know about ... the details. Meaning the fake-thing. So..."
"So you would be happy if I were not to blow your cover," he finished the sentence for her.It was almost insulting that she thought he might do that. And yet, if it gave him an excuse to be at a party with a very pretty woman and keep her close, he would still not complain. Éowyn smiled brightly, but then her eyes widened a bit."You don't have a drink yet!"She looked as if she was ready to jump, the perfect picture of a panicky hostess. He held her tightly and didn't let go of her."I had enough to drink at the other thing," he told her honestly. Indeed, he felt slightly buzzed, not badly so, but enough to know he shouldn't have more unless he wanetd to be totally sloshed. Which seemed like a bad thing if her brother was around and might start a confrontation.
"That bad?"
"Pretty boring, actually. A lot of stuffy people in suits and ties and speeches and ass-kissing. I think the only people who had real fun were the ones who brought dates. And unfortunately, my girlfriend had her own party to host, so I thought I'd rather drop by."
"Very considerate."
"You're welcome."
"I hope you won't get in trouble, though."
"Nah. Boromir's still there. And I made an appearance for appearance's sake. And I made sure to shake a huge amount of hands. My father will complain anyway, so I might as well have some fun."He casually looked around and took in all the bodies that were moving around them. Most had adapted to the rhythm of the music - for better or worse. There were some couples and apparently some singles, all in all a mixed, casual group of about his age. He could feel a couple of curious glances, but most people simply went on doing their thing, far too busy with their own acquaintances."I feel overdressed," he commented.
"Nah, it's fine. Just lose the suit jacket." Éowyn lightly pulled at his collar. "And I told you it's a good look on you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Happy to hear that. Though, I have a complaint: I was very sad when I didn't get a picture back, by the way. But I must say, this is a good look on you, too."
"You like glitter?"
She looked down at herself.
He pulled her even closer. "I like you. Just you. And the glitter is nice, but I was explicitly referring to your trousers, actually."Faramir could have sworn she was blushing, but it was hard to say in that light. Then she suddenly entangled herself from his arms and took his hand. She pulled him out of the room, out of the appartment and up the stairs towards the door of her own appartment. He followed her, obviously. Faramir was slightly surprised when she pulled out her key to unlock the door, he had assuemd everything would be open. However, never one to let an opporttunity go by, he used the moment to let his hands run all over her sides and hips while he was standing behind her.
"You have locked your appartment?"
"Uhum, and Arwen locks her breakable stuff up in here, too, while we celebrate downstairs. But I supposed you didn't want to smash the suit jacket of this 3500 pound Dolce & Gabbana suit on the pile downstairs."Once again, he was surprised by her eye for detail, and maybe just a little bit intrigued by the idea of being up here alone with her. Okay, maybe more than just a little. Before she could open the door, he suddenly pulled her back against his body. Faramir could feel her breath hitch under the hand that he had splayed over her belly."What are you doing?"
"Oh, I think you know exactly what I am doing."
"You are distracting me!"
"Maybe."He lightly started to kiss up her neck. For a moment, she melted against him, but then seemed to remember her objective and decisively pushed herself off him to open the door. They were just over the threshold and she had just pushed the offending suit jacket down his arms, as sounds from the kitchen made both their heads shoot up. Éowyn quickly hung the jacket on a hook, then motioned for him to stay and slowly inched towards the other room to peek around the corner. Just a couple of seconds later, she was almost sprinting back towards him, obviously amused and weirdly disturbed at the same time.
Wordlessly, she gripped his hand and pulled the confused man out of the door again. The door slammed shut, then she deeply breathed out."Yeah. I didn't need to see that."
"What?"And yet, a suspicion started to rise in him."My bestie and her man in my kitchen doing things I don't want to think about on a conscious level. I need to disinfect my brain. And maybe the countertops."Faramir grinned, even though some mental images - not including Arwen, mind you - proved deeply distracting."Can't blame the man. Though, how did they get in?"
"She has a key. I might revoke the privilege now."With two steps, he had her backed up against her own door."Let them," he told her, "be nice."She crossed her arms in front of her body in a gesture that didn't look half as defiant as she probably thought."Are you going to tell me to be a good girl now?"Faramir didn't know what came over him, but suddenly he had caged her in with his hands. His palms rested against the door on both sides of her head, close enough so that he could play with strands of her hair."Would it work if I did?"His voice was low, though there was still a teasing edge to it. And yet, because they were standing so close, he could feel her shiver slightly."So, I guess that means it would," he continued.When she blushed and wouldn't meet his eyes, he lightly nudged her chin up with a finger so her eyes met his again. They were expressive and dark and very very wide." - but I won't unless you ask me to," he concluded softly.Then Faramir kissed her, once, then again, softly. He felt her breathe out once as she pulled him against her and he dimly wondered what this was all about.Worry later, he told himself, more and more distracted by her wandering hands.When he played with her hair and slowly kissed down her neck, he could feel her pulse flutter and hammer under her skin, his was likely quite the same. His other hand came to rest on her hip, anchoring her against the door. If anyone wanted to exit, they would have a little problem. Well, tough luck. Then he shifted his kisses to taste her lips again.The distraction was perfect, when suddenly, voices got louder and louder from below. It was like a tidal wave that was coursing towards them, a roaring and cheering and clinking and whooping. He pulled away from her mouth, and yet, for a moment, Faramir was confused."Five - four - three -"
Oh, a countdown! New Year's Eve! Right!
Somehow, during their making out, he had totally forgotten the party's ocassion.
He should get his bearings, he should - Éowyn's and his eyes met just on the count of one, and before he could further think about it her lips crashed against his with an intensity that made him stumble back. He held her, just well enough to keep them both from tumbling down the stairs and potentially break their necks, and kissed her back - for the last year, for New Year's Eve, and for the next year. For one past night together, for this one, and maybe some more to come. For her and for him and for whatever crazy thing this was."Happy New Year!" he told her quietly as they finally leaned back.She smiled softly. "Happy New Year to you too, Faramir."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lines of light were playing on Éowyn's face as she woke up, a sure sign of daylight that was peeking through the gaps between the curtains. She hummed and closed her eyes again, burrowing into the warmth of her blankets and the body behind her. Slowly, her thoughts started to get into something resembling an order: It was the first day of the New Year, she was in her own bed, but not alone, and even without turning she had a very clear idea whom she was currently sharing bodyheat with. So - they kind of had been here before, one could say.She smiled a little to herself, a smile that only got broader when she suddenly felt lazy kisses all over her neck and shoulder. Goosebumps started to form down to the small of her back, especially when strong hands started to trail over her waist and belly.Éowyn could feel every callous, such a surprise on a businessman. Archery, he had told her, which explained especially the marks on his fingertips. And probably a couple of other things about his fingers. She hadn't complained."Good morning."Her voice caught and came out horribly croaky and she could feel he was starting to laugh against her hair. His breath puffed across her skin and tickled over her neck. She aimlessly swatted behind her, but had to giggle, too. Éowyn turned in his arms and looked at the man sternly, then cleared her throat exasperatedly."Good morning. I hope you slept well," she tried again.He smiled."Hi to you, too. And yes, I did. I really need to get these pillows, too. How are you?"The woman checked in on her body. Head. Check. Neck. Hmm. Back. Well enough. The rest - "Good. Sore.""Sounds contradictory to me."He certainly seemed smug. Little shit! Or not. She groaned, but he only laughed. Éowyn wondered whether he was like that with his real friends as well, carefree and funny and able to make naughty jokes, or whether this was rather a bed-thing for him."How are you?""My back burns like hell, and you know it," he deadpanned, "woman, you've got killer-nails.""Sorry?"He only shrugged."I'll live. Can I kiss you now?"She nodded and he rolled her onto her back. She had expected a peck or something like that, but he seemed to have other ideas in mind.It was certainly quite a bit later when they ended up next to each other again.He casually pulled her into his chest again and she curled against his body. The way he was combing his fingers through her hair was soothing, and she felt she must be close to purring like a cat."So, who is going to blow up your phone this time?" Éowyn suddenly wanted to know.He shrugged."My dad, most likely. Complaining about my absence."Her eyes widened in alarm, but he just grinned."Don't worry, I turned off my phone. Lay down again!""Well, then let's just hope my brother doesn't choose today for a surprise visit.""How likely is that?""Did he corner you last night?"She could feel him wince."That means he did. Did he threaten you?""Maybe. Though I after the drinks he had and after just having started the new year with you, I felt considerably less threatened than I was supposed to, I believe."Éowyn snorted. She could imagine."Well, at least his holiness will likely stay away for now then. What do you think about breakfast?""You mean afternoon tea? Good plan. In a second."She had almost dozed off when suddenly something shifted in him, as if a thought had just crossed his mind. He was tensing up, his chest became a little bit harder under her head. Maybe she should have looked up, to see his face, but she felt that whatever it was, he was more likely to tell her if she didn't pry.Éowyn had no delusions, she didn't know the man well, but she had the feeling he was a lot like her in that regard - someone who would close like an oyster as soon as he was pushed too far.So, she just relaxed against him, with one arm slung across his waist. He stilled his hand at the nape of her neck. almost as if he had forgotten it was there, and breathed out more deeply."I need to go back to Edinburgh," he finally started, a bit tentatively.There was clearly regret in his voice, though she didn't quite get why. After all, this was only understandable! His whole life was up there, his friends, his job. He was in London because he had to be, not really for his own amusement - if it was her, she would try to get out of it asap as well.Sure, he now had a fake-girlfriend / friends-with-benefits or whatever this was, but certainly no reason to even consider staying. Or worrying about considering to stay.She hummed in approval."Give the city my regards."He snorted a bit, but she could feel he was melting back into the bed again. His hand resumed his carressed across her hair."I know you are terribly busy," he said, "but if you like, I - it would be lovely if you were to visit me."Faramir sounded almost shy, and now she really was getting curious. Éowyn popper her head up to look him in his face. He seemed a bit bashful, and she raised an eyebrow."Good for the cover, you mean?" she asked.She would have sworn the tips of his ears turned red."That was actually not what I was thinking about," he answered firmly, "just - you know, visiting. City trip. Friends, visiting.""So, we are friends now?"Éowyn was only half teasing, she was actually curious about his answer. Faramir frowned, it was like a dark cloud was passing over his face, and for a moment, she regretted her words. Then, his expression cleared into something Éowyn was certain must be his 'corporate-expression', and she regretted the words even more."I kind of thought so."She gave him a bright smile, and ruffled one of her hands through his hair."Good. I think so too."It seriously should have scared her, the thin ice they were sliding on, the way this had already turned fromjust-sex tofake-girlfriend-and-sex tofake-girlfriend-and-more-sex tofake-girlfriend-real-friend-and-sex.A slippery, emotional slope into doom. Right now, this was the moment to take a step back, look at it rationally, put some distance between the two of them, and go back to professionalism. Just the fake-relationship, long distance, and then break-up.Should have - would have.Of course, once in her life, she decided to be stupid. Maybe it was the sun on her skin, or his hand in her hair, or the soft smile he gave her. Maybe it was the butterflies in her belly and the last whispers of the night.Let's blame it on the rest of the alcohol still in her system."And if I were to visit you, just theoretically, of course. Do I have to sleep on the couch?"He gave her one of those tiny, secret smiles, the ones where only the corners of his mouth quirked up, but his eyes sparkled."I suppose I could share my bed with you, if you insist.""Well then, I see what I can do," she answered brightly.Reckless. Exhilarating. All for the plot, of course.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Faramir double-clicked on the zoom icon. Waited. Tapped against the screen of his Macbook. Waited. Cursed the technical gadgets, then himself. Waited. Cursed his internet connection. Moved his mouse, called himself an idiot, and tried again.
Finally, a window opened, and he breathed out in relief. The grainy picture became clearer, and soon, Éowyn was smiling at him from the other end of the line."Hi!"
The perspective seemed odd, no, wait, she was moving in front of the screen, rummaging somewhere he couldn't see. She also sounded a little bit out of breath, as if she had just rushed in. Curious. Actually, now that he looked a bit closer, the woman looked in fact a bit flushed, as if she had just come back from a run, which certainly didn't match the blouse-and-blazer-combination she was wearing - unless that was what they were going for in activewear these days. After his visit in the gym last week, he was fairly certain they still weren't. The mental image of Éowyn in skintight leggins and a sportsbra made him almost blush, and he wondered whether it was okay to think about these things. After all, she wasn't really his grilfriend - but on the other hand, he had seen her with considerable less clothing. So maybe that gave him some leniency...Faramir looked at bit closer. Her makeup was perfect - of course, not that it had bothered him if it weren't - and her hair totally glossy and clipped out of her face, but little curls started to tumble down in front of her temples, a sure sign that she had been sweating.
It was almost odd how well he knew these little tells, how much they had embedded themselves in his brain."Hello you!"
He leaned back against the couch, balancing the laptop on his thighs, and gave her a broad smile. It was genuine, truly genuine.
"Did you just get in?""Yeah, just dashed through the door," she confirmed.
Yes, absolutely high on adrenaline and vaguely stressed. Maybe even a tad hangry? He would have to get to the bottom of that."You could have texted me and postponed the call, you know," he offered. After all, this was not a business-meeting, or at least not the usual kind."Nope. I mean, it all worked out," she declared firmly.There was some more shuffling, then a nausea-inducing wobbling of the picture. Apparently, she had picked up her laptop and was now carrying it around. The picture cleared again, and he found he - the laptop - had been placed on the kitchen bench. An odd space and a perspective far too close to a TikTok-video for his taste, but at least he could see more of her now. And actually, now that he thought about it, he probably would pay money to see the woman do a TikTok challenge, preferably a dance.
Gosh, now he sounded creepy even in his mind.
They had started these zoom-meetings soon after his return to Scotland. It had made sense, after all, they needed to be informed about the other's life, in case someone asked questions.Sure, they could have texted - and they had and they did, mostly memes - but the truth was, he had wanted to see her. It had been a shitty, annoying, snowy-rainy day, and when he had read her message, he had only thought about how much better it would be if he could talk to her right now - for no particular reason. Just to see her smile and her eyes twinkle and then raise one eyebrow and tell him everything would be fine.
To his huge surprised, she had agreed, the birth of their zoom-calls.It was an odd mixture between business and pleasure - scheduled like work, with a content that was anything but. Rationally, he knew it was the desperate attempt to maintain a barrier where barriers were quickly dissolving between their fake-date-arrangement, a building friendship, and a weird long-distance romantic relationship that was purely based on sex. They joked and flirted and then jumped back a huge step and it made him want to rip his hair out and yet he loved every second of it."You don't mind if I make myself some dinner, do you?" she now asked and ripped him out of his train of thoughts, "I didn't have time today for literally anything. Meetings back to back, let me tell you, love."She started to rant about her day, though mostly the traffic on her way home, apparently oblivious about the term of endearment that slipped out despite their lack of audience."Actually," she suddenly stopped, "if you could just wait a teeny tiny sec?"She looked so hopeful that he couldn't help but nod.
With a bright smile, she blew him a kiss and disappeared out of the frame. Faramir could hear the clicking of high heels - which was odd, because she never ever wore shoes inside. One of her pet-peeves, which meant she seriously had dashed inside for the call without even taking them off. He didn't quite know what to make of it. He threw his cat a questioning look, but Mory only went on licking his paws, totally unimpressed by Faramir's emotional torrent. Traitor!
Suddenly, she was back, and he had to grin a bit.
Gone was the blazer, instead she had changed into an oversized hoodie, and probably some sweatpants. Her steps were quiet now, so finally, the shoes were off, and she was just braiding back her hair in a big messy french braid.Unfortunately, that made him think of how she didn't want her hair pulled in bed, and that made him think of Éowyn in bed which suddenly made him very glad that the laptop only showed his upper body."That's better," she sighed, oblivious to his discomfort, "I guess."It sounded almost tentative. Faramir smiled, focussing on her and her obvious insecurity. "Now you look comfy. Girl, feed yourself before you fall over from hunger."She chuckled.
"Alright alright. How was your day anyway?"So, he started to tell her, while she was cooking - warming up - some sort of pasta dish. Despite her work, she kept acknowledging his story with humms and a couple of questions - more than his family often did, though truth be told, the bar was low."What about Gawein and Elaine?" she suddenly wanted to know, "are they dating now?""Uhm, yes, sort of," he answered with a small smile, "though one lady from accounting isn't happy.""Morgan, wasn't it? The bitch who always mixes up EndNote and Google Notes?"It struck him then. She had told her about his co-workers during their last call, two weeks ago, in a small off-handed comment, and she still knew. That always-busy, seemingly always somehow stressed woman had remembered his unimportant, minor comments. Maybe it was just the way she was with all her friends, but anyway, Éowyn cared, and damn him if that didn't made his stomach do loopy things."Yeah," he just brought out. "But maybe don't call my employee a bitch.""She is though, isn't she? Not because of the mixup though."Thankfully, she was distracted by her food for a moment, cussing at the pot, then she brought her plate and drink over to the screen. Apparently she had decided eating standing was absolutely appropriate and happily ignored Faramir's side-eye."Did you eat?" she wanted to know instead.He nodded."Schwarma is not a regular dinner," she commented."How do you know I had schwarma?"She shrugged.
"Good guess, love. And now I know for certain, because you blush when I am right.""I don't!"Éowyn rolled her eyes.
"Sure you do!"He actually had had butter chicken, but damn him if he told her, if she looked so cute and smug right now. Their conversation moved to simpler topics, until she had finished and put her plate away. Yep, he found out, she was wearing sweatpants. And yep, maybe he used the time she was rummaging around to stare at her butt.
Then, the wobbling started once again until she sat on her couch as well. She sighed."Are you going to tell me what is really stressing you out like that?" he wanted to know.She shrugged, a clear sign she either didn't think that it was important, or she didn't want to talk about it. Both were concerning, just like the dark shadows under her eyes. In the light of her ambience light, he could see them more clearly, despite the good make-up."A lot to do. The eternal strife for perfection. You know the drill. A kind of new and annoying co-worker," she made a face."Can I help?"Éowyn smiled at him."No, I don't suppose you can. You can't fight them all, my knight in shining armour. But thank you for asking."He nodded, but didn't push."How are the others doing?"Éowyn grinned a bit evilly, obviously happy about the change of topic."Tyrion's got a new girlfriend. Her name is Shae. It's hilarious, Tywin hates and loves her equally. He simply can't decide. I feel a lot of kinship with her, though I am quite sure your dad on the opposite simply hates me.""Nuh uh, hate-love, more likely. Or hate-brag behind out backs, I am sure."She gave him a questioning look that morphed into delight when Minny decided to wedge her nose in front of the camera."Aww, aren't you a sweety!" she cooed.
He could have sworn her voice went up at least three octaves in pitch and he laughed. Faramir couldn't quite see it, but he was quite certain she was making a face at him while she kept talking to his cat and fully ignored him for at least five minutes. Only when that little fluffy critter got bored and curled into a ball next to him, she batted her eyelashes at the man."How's your brother?""How's yours?" he asked back, unamused."Touché."He gave her a knowing look, apparently both their older brothers had currently turned into sore spots. From the little Éowyn had told him, Éomer kept interfering with her work and seemed to be in an overall bad mood. His own brother was simply - absent. Thanks to Catelyn Tully, most likely. Still, he couldn't begrudge him his luck in love - he just hoped it was real. Damn it, he so hoped it was real."There are rumours about other ventures up here going around," he finally answered, "my family seems quite concerned about it, but I think they are overreacting. Maybe. Hopefully. I don't have any serious reports that anyone is trying anything. If there was though," he bit his lip, "then that would mean they were targeting my branch. Specifically mine, you know? And I seriously don't know how to feel about that."
He frowned.
"Do I appear like such an easy target?"Éowyn huffed.
"Bullshit. You're good - or so they say."
She winked.
"And as you said, you don't even know if anything is happening at all. There is always talk - if you don't believe me, just go to one bloody Lannister dinner. It proves the fact - enough suspicion for five lifetimes. And then, even if it were to happen, if somebody were to expand towards you, how do you know they are targeting you? Maybe you and your part of the company are simply collateral damage? I mean, it's cute that you think that the world revolves around you, but consider that it maybe doesn't."He had to laugh.
"Thank you for keeping my ego in check."Suddenly, her eyes became soft.
"We both know you don't need me for that.""Come visit me," he blurted out."It's March, Faramir," she laughed, "won't you be back soon for Easter anyway?"He shook his head.
"No, I decided to skip the whole holiday-stuff. You have seen how it is... I did the family-thing for Christmas, but that's seriously enough."She almost pouted.
"But you could come and see me?"He raised an eyebrow and tried to play it cool. It probably didn't work particularly well, if he was honest.
"Miss Eorl, are you propositioning me?""Maybe? Is it working?"Since he was starting to feel a bit hot under his collar he had to say that yes, it was probably working a little bit too well."I am still trying to stay out of my family's clutches," he told her, "but I'd very much like to see you."She smiled, delighted, if he wasn't mistaken.
"I see what I can do."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Éowyn was as a general mood, pissed. Really, there was no other work for it.Nobody appreciated her work (nothing new), yet she was expected to work overtime (she already had accumulated a critical amount of extra hours) and hadn't been allowed any time off either. In fact, when she had handed in her request for a Friday off - read, she had called her uncle - she had been told her presence was utterly necessary and there was absolutely no way she could leave earlier.Truly, she knew that a lot of it had to do with her uncle's new advisor who had carved out a space for himself in record time. Whatever decision, Théoden would listen to him, for worse, in Éowyn's opinion. This new guy had an agenda, she was sure of it. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to find any dirt on him, so if there was, he was very good at hiding it. He kept hanging around her, a constant disgusting presence really affected, leering glances and touches that were always so close to being inappropriate and yet so propper that her uncle brushed away her complaints. No amount of bitching about it and good advice from Arwen would help - it felt as if the walls were caving in on her. She found she really needed to get away, and quickly, because she was suffocating.As much as she hated it, in the end she had decided to call in Éomer's help, who at least seemed to notice something was off with the new guy. It had taken even him quite a bit of convincing and most likely all of his 'male influence', but finally Éowyn found herself with half a Friday off. Well, now for once they would see what would happen without her, she thought darkly.At least Faramir seemed happy to have her visit him, allegedly. Éowyn sighed, but then shook her head at herself. No, nope, no doubts. She had decided to trust him when he had invited her over the phone. Usually, she would have felt like an imposter, but something in that soft and yet cheerful voice had set her at ease. Now, she wouldn't change her mind. They were friends, after all, she reminded herself, just friends. Well, a friend she wouldn't mind sleeping with, but that was besides the point, wasn't it?He had promised to pick her up from the airport, which was currently her priority. After all, she didn't even know where he lived, somehow it had never occured to her to ask. She sighed and stretched out her legs as best as possible in the tiny Easyjet seat. Yeah, she hated flying like that. Absolutely not what she was used to, call her snobbish, but there hadn't been any other seat left at that specific time and day.Actually, just to make a point, she had sent Cersei a picture earlier, and the horrified voicemail she got back actually made her crack up. For her cousin, this looked like 10 metres away from doom. For her knees, it certainly was.They were still protesting while she almost stumbled through the airport, feeling ungraceful like a little filly with her handbag and her trolley. She knew she had probably packed far too much stuff, but who knew. Better be over- than underprepared. There was quite a bit of hustling and bustling everywhere around her and she had no idea 'what' she was looking for - a businessman in with bespoke suit and tie, a guy in a dressy going-out outfit, or someone in casual wear. With Faramir, everything seemed possible. Quite a oversight on her part, if she was honest. Suddenly, she felt rather awkward and underdressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, even though she had actually debated her outfit for far longer than she would ever admit. Well, no matter how much of a fortune said sweatshirt had cost - it still was a sweatshirt. She hoped he wouldn't mind.She was just craning her neck once again, when she finally noticed the man standing at the side of the chaos. He wasn't looking in her direction, but she recognized the leather jacket and the comparably long hair. Éowyn started out in his direction when he suddenly turned and saw her. A smile spread over his face and he started to move as well until they met somewhere in the middle. Without questions, he engulfed her in a hug - slightly awkward since she refused to let go of her trolley and bag. His eyes flickered to her lips just for a moment before they pulled apart, and Éowyn wondered what the etiquette for fake girlfriends was in this case - Kiss or no kiss?But Faramir was already too far away and had he just asked her a question?She blinked owlishly and he chuckled."I wanted to know whether the flight was okay.""Crammed," she huffed, and he laughed, apparently not seriously concerned.Then he held out his hand, obviously an offer."Ready to go? Do you want me to take your trolley?"Éowyn seriously appreciated that he was asking and didn't simply take it. She shook her head - after all, he already went through the hassle of picking her up, he didn't need to carry her stuff as well. Faramir didn't seem to mind either way. She took his hand and he pulled her towards the exit and out into the dark that had totally fallen in the meantime. He had parked behind the airport, orderly, a model citizen, and Éowyn almost laughed when she saw his car. Seriously, she would have to look at it again, tomorrow in full light, but it certainly was tiny. Cute, but tiny. She had the suspicion his father had quite a couple of things to say about it.He opened the boot of the car."Now you may help me," she told him.He just laughed and dropped her suitcase in as if it weighed nothing. Luckily for her, it gave her a perfect excuse for checking him out. Then he motioned towards the door."If you would?""What, you don't open the door for me?" she teased him.Faramir rolled his eyes, but she would have sworn he was blushing. Still, that cad didn't open her door! Rude! Then they were in the car and on their way, and it could have been awkward, but it wasn't. The radio was playing softly in the background as they were driving through the nightly city into a rather central but still comparably calm area. Éowyn kept looking out of the window until he parked his car on the side of the road."Alright, here we go."He seemed excited, it was not a little bit nervous, as he shooed her out of the car. Once she stood in the street, Éowyn took a moment to look up and down the side of houses. Everything was calm, pretty, a nice area. Very picket white fence. She could see why he liked it. As Faramir fumbled with his keys, Éowyn's anticipation grew, her curiosity piqued about the place he called home. Then they were going up the staircase. And up. And up. Until they reached the top floor of his building - so, scrap that, maybe not so picket white fence at all."You've got the penthouse?"He hummed."You never said.""It didn't come up."Éowyn huffed in disbelief, she could imagine at least 5 contexts in which he could have told her that he had probably spent seven figures on his apartment. Or maybe a bit less, since apparently there wasn't any elevator. She was distracted by him unlocking his door though, standing beside him, she couldn't help but steel glances at his profile. Her musings were interrupted when he stepped forward and opened the door with quite some flourish."After all, I don't want any further complaints about rudeness" he told her with a little bow.A flutter of excitement rushed over her as she eagerly followed him inside. The warmth of the space enveloped her, not just in terms of the heating, but also the colours. She couldn't suppress the smile that spread across her face as she quickly looked around. It felt surreal to be there, but good.She copied him and took off her shoes, leaving her trolley and bag next to the door."Do I get a tour?" she broke the silence."Of course!"He seemed relieved that she had started the conversation and pulled her further into the apartment.The first thing she noticed was that it was a lot bigger than anticipated, bigger than hers anyway. Probably more a high than a low seven-figure-value. High ceilings were decorated with ornate mouldings and the rooms were probably a bitch to heat in winter, somehow she wasn't really sure whether he cared. The dark, sleek hardwood floor was comfortably warm under her feet and she wondered whether the just debated heating was integrated into the floor.Everything seemed open and airy, and Éowyn felt a strange sense of belonging wash over her. The whole thing was exactly the way she liked it, with a spacious living area with more sofas than one person had any right to have. There was a fireplace - of course there was - nestled in a corner. On the side of the room the dining table looked as if it had been made of driftwood, and next to it the room seamlessly transitioned into a fancy pancy kitchen. Granite countertops that sort of looked like hers and quite a bit of chrome gleamed under the soft glow of recessed lighting.She turned towards him."Are you fucking serious?"He seemed surprised. "Uhm yes? Why?"She shook her head."Being all shocked about my apartment when you have this."She made a vague gesture with her hand."This?""The fanciest apartment ever, but you pretend not to, for some messed up reason. That's so hypocritical!""Takes one to know one, I guess," he almost snapped, "complaining about your job and at the same time trying to move up the ladder?"She glared at him. "DOn't make your apartment about my job! And you have no fucking idea what is going on at my job. You have no fucking idea how privileged you are as a man. No idea about the extra work, the comments, and the leering. And besides, aren't you doing exactly the same, trying to fit in?"She crossed her arms in front of her body. This had been a bad idea, coming here, she figured now. "Yes, maybe, I don't know!" he sounded exasperated, angry, tired, "are you here to berate me? What is going on Éowyn, I don't get it!"Truthfully, she didn't either, she only knew that the last weeks had been horrible and he had hit where it hurt. That he was scarily horribly perfect and she wanted - needed - to lash out and prove to herself that she was wrong. That he was just like anyone else."I love it. All of it. It's fucking perfect, and that's so - ugh, I hate that. And I hate you, and most of all, I hate myself."She could see the exact moment when he realized what was going on. His features softened, but before she could turn away, he was already in front of her."It seems we are in quite a pickle then. Because I sort of like you."Éowyn was still fuming, but more to cover her insecurity than due to any real anger. The fact that he was standing so close really didn't help, with a green sweatshirt and those perfectly fitting jeans. It was all quite confusing, and there was only forwards or abckwards now. Being stuck, thinking, didn't work right now.So, before she could think about it further, she was kissing him, furiously and almost deperatedly.He caught her with both of his arms wrapped around her waist as he pushed back against her storm, but after a couple of moments, he leaned back, away from her.Éowyn frowned. She had been confused before, but now the confusion was reaching next levels. He wanted her, that much was obvious, so why was he stopping?"What's the matter?"He shrugged almost helplessly."Don't get me wrong. As much as I obviously do enjoy kissing you," he gave her a crooked grin,"I want you to kiss me because you want to. Not because you are confused, or furious, or scared."When she just stared at him a bit blankly, he went on with a rather self-depreciating smile."Partly because I feel it's taking advantage, but I have to admit, even if it's shameful, for the most part it has to do with my pride. I don't want to be a distraction."He shrugged again.Éowyn stepped back, out of his arms, and nodded courtly."So - you still want me around?"It was a quiet, timid question.Faramir looked confused."Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?""Uhm, I kind of just ... blew up at you?""So?" He still didn't really seem to get the problem, "we are friends, aren't we? Uncomfortable truths is kind of a thing, isn't it? And you're not totally wrong, though, I wasn't fully honest about stuff and I do play it down. And I'm sorry for what I said about your job. So, if you want to stay, you are more than happy to stay."A faint smile started to play around her lips. "I'd like that."Faramir's face lit up like a Christmas tree."Great! Besides, you haven't even seen the best part yet"She huffed, but he pushed her over towards one of the window sills. It was broad enough to comfortable sit on it, probably his idea of a reading nook, and as she looked out, her breath caught in her throat. The large window pane offered a panoramic view of the historic city skyline. Now one could only see the outlines and lights in the windows, but by day it would flood the room with natural light."And I thought you want to make me hate you less?!" she grumbled.Éowyn had the feeling he didn't really care any more, as if he had unlocked a secret recipe that made him very much unbothered."I knew you'd appreciate it. I basically got it for the view. And for the terrasse." He motioned towards a door that led towards the outside. "And maybe simply because it felt right somehow."They kept standing next to each other as they looked out of the window. Everything in her was screaming to reach out and touch him, but she didn't dare. "We are quite a pair, you know?" he suddenly murmured, almost to himself."It seems so," she admitted grudgingly."That's not so bad then, isn't it?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
So - what now?Faramir was utterly lost. This was not how he had the evening expected to go, and he had no clue what to say or do to make anything less awkward. He was itching to touch her, and yet he had just blocked that himself - so it was kind of a no-go. He sneaked a look at her, she seemed just as tense as himself.He had argued with girlfriends before, but in these cases, the lines had been defined beforehand, he knew where he was standing. With Éowyn, he never knew. Maybe that was the problem.And yet he liked her, quite a lot, and he seriously wanted her to stay."What would you like to do now?"Her head whipped around, and she was blushing."Uhm -"He raised an eyebrow, and she blushed even more."Yeah?""Does it sound like I am coming onto you if I propose Netflix?"He chuckled despite the tension."Kind of. But since you have been talking about this new show nonstop, I will believe you.""Good. Well -"Faramir looked at her critically."Taking a chance that it sounds wrong as well, but do you want to get changed into something more comfortable while I get snacks and stuff?"She nodded."Good plan. So, which room?"She looked between the different doors that were visible from the open space. Truth be told, he knew where he would have wanted her - his bed, obviously - but he also knew it would be a pretty bad idea right now. So, he nodded towards the room two doors down."I would recommend that one. Otherwise you either end up in my office or my storage space."If she was disappointed, she didn't show, which was only a little bit disappointing in return. Instead, she fetched her bag and suitcase. Suddenly, he remembered something."Did you have dinner?" he called after her.She stopped in her tracks."Uhm, nope. I totally forgot about that. You?""Neither. What do you feel like having?"She shrugged."Pizza?""Alright," he agreed, "pizza's good. What kind?""Margarita. Pomodoro, basil, buffallo mozzarella."He nodded."Sure, I'll order some."Éowyn nodded happily, apparently the idea of food lifted her spirits quite considerably. Faramir got to work, he was nothing but efficient, and when she returned from the guest room, he had ordered the pizza and set up two bowls of crisps and saltlets. As always, she made him stop in his tracks - leggins certainly were a good look on her, and most likely she didn't even know. She flopped down next to him on one of the sofas and he turned on the TV.It was a good show, certainly, but his attention really wasn't on it. He was far too aware of Éowyn who had settled down in a respectful distance with one leg tucked under her body. Still, she seemed rather stiff in the face of the fact that this whole thing should actually be relaxing.Only when their pizza came and they got distracted by their meals did she relax a little, after frowning at the pineapple on his pizza, of course. Still, she seemed somehow weary, and it probably had nothing to do with the offending fruit.Their dinner was gone just as they had finished one episode, so he turned halfway towards her."Would you like another?"She seemed torn."Yes in principle. But -""But what?"She picked up one of his blankets, then slid over until she was leaning against his side. Éowyn took his arm in her hands to drape it around her and flipped the blanket over her legs before she curled into him like a cat. A wave of warmth hit him, and it didn't only have to do with her body temperature."That alright?" she asked.He hummed in affirmation. At least it was considerably less awkward, as long as he didn't wonder too much about the implications. She was certainly relaxing now as the TV played on, and Faramir couldn't help himself but play with a couple of wayward strands of her hair."Comfortable?""Almost." She started to sound a bit drowsy."What's the matter?" "Your jeans are scratchy.""Excuse my fashion choices, I didn't pick them for their pillow-abilities. But I will be sure to wear something else then.""Nah, they look good," she murmured, eyes fixed at the screen again.He shook his head, but noted the fact that she had apparently checked him out. After a while, he could feel her getting heavier and he slightly nudged her shoulder."Hey, bed's more comfortable for sleeping than the couch!""You're comfortable. Don't wanna move," she murmured.Faramir chuckled, then he entangled himself from her, which made her growl like an offended cat - well, rather mewl, if he was honest. He picked her up, blanket and all, and tried valiantly not to think about the last time he had picked her up to do fully different things with her. Éowyn didn't seem to have these problems, she snuggled against him while he carried her into the guestroom and carefully deposited her on the bed. When she blinked up at him, he couldn't help himself and run a hand through her hair. She smiled, he could see it in the sliver of light that was falling through the open door."You are always happy to stay," she told him, slightly more coherent now.Faramir smiled back, nodded, and disappeared into his room before he could do something incredibly stupid. Like staying. Needless to say, sleep didn't come easily. ~ 0 ~He was up early, after all, he didn't want to waste time sleeping while she was visiting him, but when he stepped into the hallway, everything was quiet. Good, time to prepare coffee, he thought, but when he reached the kitchen, he stopped. The courtains were opened wide and morning light was flooding in. On the broad window sill, there was a fluffy pile, a pile with a head that now turned towards him. Éowyn smiled, though she still looked pretty tousled and bleary-eyed."You were right - that view is something else," she told him."How long have you been here?""Don't know. I watched the sunrise, then dozed a little."She motioned towards the pillows behind her back."Bed's not comfortable?""Oh, yes, it is. But I didn't want to wake up your cat." It was only then he noticed Mory had curled up on her lap."Very considerate. But unnecessary. She simply would have followed you back into your bed," he commented dryly, "she's that kind of cat."Éowyn grinned. "Smart girl.""Oh yes, They've got me fully wrapped around their paws."Just like that woman had wrapped him around her finger, but he didn't want to think about that right now. Instead, well, instead he decided to be stupid, apparently.He stepped behind her so that he was able to look out of the window over her head. He could see just a tiny bit of the castle in the background, lit up by orangy sun-beams. Everything seemed peaceful and clear, the sky, the world, his life. An illusion, but a nice one."What do you want to do today?""What would you usually do?"He pondered for a moment."Work, most likely. Or being dragged out to have a pint with a couple of friends. Going to the cinema if I am really rebellious.""No clubbing?" she asked with an arched eyebrow."Not really. Too much of a time investment - it kind of knocks me out for half of Sunday as well."He didn't add that clubs, and crowds, and talking to people in a non-business, non-friendship context usually made him nervous. Dancing even more so. And besides, clubs made him feel old."Alright, what about you choose the day, and I choose the night, since apparently you can't be trusted with that," she proposed.He huffed, trying to mask a sliver of vague anxiety."Girl, if I am not mistaken, your evenings aren't much more creative than mine, usually. You work, come home, work out if you feel like it, and go to bed. You go out for drinks to bitch with Arwen and the others if you have a lot of energy, but that's about it.""Or I call you," she added."Uhumm."She twisted fully and the blanket finally shifted off her lap. Mory jumped down with an accusing "meow", but he was distracted by her rather decisive attitude when she looked up at him."Faramir Steward, you might think whatever you want of me, but you are a valuable part of my very sad restricted social life so -"He might have kissed her just to shut her up, before she made him confess stupid things. Like, that calling her often was the best part of his week.Or he might have kissed her because the bright morning light had made him bold and forget why it wasn't a good idea to begin with.He certainly kept kissing her because she seemed quite on board with the idea, her head tilted up and one hand on his neck to keep him close. When she leaned back to smile at him, the sun was reflecting on her hair."Good start. Now breakfast?"He nodded."Sure. And maybe then I could show you what I like about the city?""Well, of course, sounds good. Both ideas," she confirmed. Faramir smiled."Alright, what would you like for breakfast?""Whatever is convenient, don't worry on my account."" Well, toast or pancakes? Or cereal?""Hmm, what about toast today and pancakes tomorrow?" She wanted ro know."As the lady demands."She hopped off the ledge while he made his way to the kitchen and first fed the cats (of course) before taking everything one might need out of the fridge and cupboards. It was nice, he had to say, to sit here in the morning sun with her, enjoying the calm in companiable silence. Éowyn had crossed her feet around one of his ankles in a very familiar and very confusing, casual gesture. He wasn't sure whether she had even noticed she had done that, because as they finished, she simply entagled herself without any further comment."So, what's the dresscode?" she shot over her shoulder.He looked at her aghast."Why should there be a dresscode?""Well," she looked a bit bashful, "we might run into someone you know. Or you might want to post photos. So, I thought -""Don't worry about it," he cut her off, "truly. Whatever you would usually wear is fine. Christ, whatever you want to wear is fine."It was slightly concerning that she was so worried about these things at all, and it kind of made him wonder whether it had to do with stuff that other men had said to her. She nodded. "Well, uhmm, alright. I'll see you in a minute then."Since he was fairly certain that a minute was not to be taken literally, he decided to take a quick shower before getting his hair into something ressembling an order. He decided to wear casual jeans with a nice knit sweater, just in case. Apparently, Éowyn had come to a rather similar conclusion, since she was dressed in jeans and a sweater as well, even though hers was a soft pale yellow with a small turleneck. He could see she had put on some make-up, but less than he had expected, and braided her hair into what Lotty called a half-do or something like that. Faramir smiled."Ready?""Sure. I just needed to throw stuff into my handbag."She nodded towards the bag she was holding in her hand, notably not the one she had carried last night - which had been a 20.000 pound Birkin Bag, if he wasn't fully mistaken."What's wrong with the other?""Can't wear it cross-body, and I want to have my hands free," she commented off-handedly, while she already put shoes on.He chuckled. "Others would be appalled about this fashion statement.""Well, the let the Others take 'em," she commented dryly, "are you ready to go?""So impatient," he teased her."Well, yes. I want to see your city," she told him.Faramir nodded, quite pleased."Alright, I am ready, too. So, it's out of the door and to the right."They strolled down the street while he pointed out things left and right. In some instances, she had a couple of her own anecdotes to add, and he was once again reminded that she hadn't studied too far away from here.In fact, all of this felt very familiar, and yet strangely like a holiday. Everything seemed just a bit brighter as she was walking next to him, surprisingly relaxed. At one point, she even turned fully towards him and walked backwards, as if she didn't want to let him out of her sight while she was wildly gesticulating and continuing with her story.Well, what could he say, since he was a good fake boyfriend, he also caught her around the waist before she could stumble onto the street, which led to a very surprising and very public kiss next to a traffic light. Suddenly, they were rudely interrupted when somebody called out his name. He felt Éowyn stiffen in his arms as they broke apart and turned around.A man was jogging towards them, he was about Faramir's height and dressed like an Under Armour model. Faramir smiled broadly - they truly could have run into worse people."Éowyn, meet Beregond."Recognition skimmed over her face, after all, she had heard the name often enough, he supposed. She gave his friend a smile, one of the one-million-dollar ones, and he could see the exact moment when it hit the other man's neurons. Yep, that was what he felt like every time she looked at him."A pleasure, I have heard so much about you," she told him sincerely.Beregond smiled back."Well, the pleasure is all mine. Though it took Faramir long enough to introduce us, after all, he talks about you all the time."Éowyn blushed a bit, but raised an eyebrow at him."Does he now? Then I hope it's only the good stuff.""Of course it's only the good stuff," his friend replied smoothly.Faramir wondered whether he really talked so much about her - he had to check that at some point, though he secretly already knew what he would find."Well, what are you lovebirds up to?" Beregond wanted to know, "other than causing public disturbances through very public snogging."Faramir shrugged. "This and that, a little bit of sightseeing. No definite plans.""Well, if you don't know what to do, you are always happy to join our D&D evening!" Beregond declared, "Faramir will be dearly missed. Well, anyway, don't let me keep you - see you Rami, and enjoy your time in Edinburgh, Éowyn!"As he jogged off, he could see the woman was frowning."You had a prior engagement?""Well..." he started, "it's more like a standing thing.""I didn't want to keep you from seeing your friends!""Oh no, I mean, it's fine!" he tried to reassure her, "I will see them again next week. They will manage one week without me."She didn't seem convinced, but there was an obvious glint in her eyes."What do you play?""In D&D? A human, mostly. A ranger, actually.""A ranger? I would have thought a scholar," she argued."I did play a scholar for quite a while, actually, but I thought it was time for a change. What about you? Have you ever played?"He didn't know what he had expected, but not her enthusiastic nodding."Yes. And I usually play a shieldmaiden. Or a healer. Depending on my mood."It made him happy, knowing she didn't find it odd but played herself - maybe a stupid thing to find attractive, but there he was, absolutely smitten.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"And you are sure you don't mind missing time with your friends?" Éowyn asked once again.He shook his head. "Nope. Not at all. I'm all yours."There was something sly in her eyes when she looked up at him, then a small smile."Good. Then I'll keep you all to myself. We have some time until we need to be there though.""Do we need to get back to my flat in the meantime?""Not necessarily. But I think for what I have in mind, you would probably prefer to be dressed differently."He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you are planning, so I cannot confirm or deny," he pointed out with some humour."True. Seems you need to trust me on that."He kissed the top of her head. "I do, though. Trust you."She gave him a crocked smile. "Don't. It's a dangerous business."Éowyn was right about that - trust always was, just like these feelings fluttering in his belly when she was looking at him like that. But Faramir didn't want to think about that right now, so they continued their mostly aimless trip through the city until the sun was slowly setting. At some point, their fingers interlinked and they walked on like that, connected, hand in hand. It seemed so official, this public display of affection, but with Éowyn, it somehow didn't feel so scary.No matter what the future would bring, Faramir thought, he would always remember this day fondly.Was this how normal, functional relationships worked, he wondered. No tension, no stress, no constant fear of overstepping. Enjoying the time together without always being on the run to the next experience, to the next thrill.He took a couple of photos, but he already knew he wouldn't post them. This was just for him, he had no need to show her off. When evening started to creep in, they ambled back towards his place. Once inside, he started to go through his (ample selection of) suits. They had accumulated over the years because he somehow never threw them out - after all, they still fit. Did he almost always wear the same two ones if he could help it - maybe. They were comfortable."Dark suit?" he asked her, and she nodded."Yep, because it will probably make you feel more comfortable than showing up in jeans." She winked. "But it doesn't need to be black.""Grey or blue?""I don't mind, your choice!""You are so not helpful!""I know! Now, if you'lle excuse me for a moment."She almost danced over to her suitcase to carefully pull a couple of items out, then she hopped back and through the room. Faramir couldn't help but watch her and she pretty certainly knew. He heard the bathroom door close and would have lied if he said he wasn't curious what she would be wearing. Maybe it would give him some idea about what she was up to and what their plans were, because he had no real idea. Maybe they would go to the theatre?As it turned out, he should have worried less about that but more about the fact that he had the feeling his brain was breaking when she came out of the bathroom again.This green dress, that couldn't be legal. It was about tea-length and flowing down her body like a silk waterfall. While it didn't obscenely cling to her curves, it also did nothing, absolutely nothing, to hide them either. Overall, she looked stylish, but somehow - young. But young in a good way. In the "fun, flirty, college night" sort of way that comes with dancing, laughing, and making out in the corridor on the way to sticky bar bathrooms. Beer and champagne and a headache the next morning. (And maybe someone in your bed.)Not that Faramir had much experience with it, but he had been a member of a sports club and a couple of societies after all, so there had been some adventurous socializing at university. Never some unknown person in his bed though, not really his style - far too shy."You look fantastic. But I do not think I can let you go out like that," he joked.He regretted the words as soon as he had set them as a shadow crossed her face and she seemed to almost flinch back."There is a jacket to go with it -""Goodness, no, I was joking!" he tried to reassure her, slightly panicking, "I told you I would never try to control what you wear!"Éowyn bit her lip."So - it's fine? The dress?"She pulled her hair to the side, revealing an almost fully bare back from the clasp at her neck down to artistically draped folds of fabric around the height of her belly button. Faramir blinked a couple of times, then tried to answer as sensibly as possible -"I still don't know what we are doing, but if you say it is appropriate for where we are going, then it is. And if you are sure you won't freeze to death in the meantimes. And it certainly looks more than fine. It is gorgeous on you, but you could wear a flour sack and you would still look stunning."The questions about what she was or wasn't wearing under this dress would probably send him into a coma soon anyway. She blushed."Thank you. And no, I won't freeze, promised. There truly is the jacket. But dude - You have cleaned up very nicely yourself, though. Grey definitely matches your eyes."Her eyes wandered up and down his body, certainly appreciative. Now it was him who was becoming flustered."I try my best. Shall we?"She nodded - though blushed again as he helped her into a shrug that was more an excuse than anything else and then her coat. She picked pumps to go with the outfit, looking at the heel they could probably also serve as weapons. The dark green and red soles stuck out against her light skin and while they couldn't be comfortable, they definitely looked amazing. These heels clicked loudly over the ground as the two walked back into the city centre and into a side street. The whole time he was wondering how she could be relaxed like that and how her feet didn't hurt, but he didn't dare ask. Some things better not be questioned.He also noticed that Éowyn found the way with the ease of someone who came here fairly often. Something popped up in the back of his mind, and yet he was too distracted by their conversation to truly look where they were going. "Voilá!" she suddenly pointed out, and Faramir did a double take as he realised where they were standing.He heard Éowyn laugh, apparently the disbelief was showing on his face. Mith & Ril had always been a bit of a dream of his, an unfulfilled one, until now, apparently. "You said you wanted to go!" Éowyn said, suddenly a bit insecure, "so ... I thought we could go together. My treat."With his father, these sorts of engagements would have always been an opportunity to show off - the connection, the taste, the wealth. When he looked at Éowyn however, he only saw a young woman dressed for a night out, but for fun, not business. Someone who didn't bring him here for the society, but because he had told her that he would like to try it. Because she wanted to do him a favour - and maybe, a part of him wondered, maybe because she simply wanted to go with him to a restaurant. Just a date night. It sounded so mundane, but it was actually very very sweet. "Uhm - yes, sure. I mean, I would love to," he answered slightly dumbly, "you just surprised me. A lot."A small smile stole on her lips and she tugged on his hand again as they made their way towards the entrance. It was a little strange, she literally walked in as if she owned the place, no hesitation. Inside, they were greeted warmly by a young waitress. She was quite short and kept looking him up and down with objectively beautiful dark eyes that didn't do anything for him."Miss Eorl, good evening! And Mr Steward, I suppose? A pleasure to have you, and welcome at Mith & Ril."He was slightly taken aback by the very informal address and the confidence, almost slight arrogance of the waitress - it wasn't what he had expected. "Faramir, this is Arianne," Éowyn meanwhile introduced the girl. "A pleasure," he nodded, wondering what about the name paired with the dark hair and shrewed dark eyes seemed so familiar. "So, you are the mystery boyfriend. We were all very curious about you." She winked at Éowyn. "Anyway, your table is ready - we managed to get you your favourite, no need to say thank you!"She led the two of them to a table at the edge of the restaurant next to a huge window. The steps were silent on the orange carpet that had been draped over the dark wooden floor. The same orange could be found on Arianne's navy dress as detail at the cuffs, the hem and the lapels. Overall, the whole restaurant was exactly like Faramir ahd always pictured it. Sleek and structured, fancy, but not too much, not uncomfortable or harsh. A place where you wanted to sit and talk. He pulled out Éowyn's chair and she laughed a little."My gosh, you're so cute! I'll be back with the cards ... at some point!" Arianne prattled on.The waitress flittered off and he looked towards his companion, slightly flabbergasted. This was certainly - special."Well, that's Arianne for you. Don't worry, she can be very professional, but I have known her for quite a long time and she takes that as an excuse to be a bit of a brat. She also tries to crash on my couch whenever she is in London. Oh, and she is also far too curious about my private life, as you probably figured out.""That is .... unusual?" he tried to be polite."Oh, definitely. But she is usually very good company, so I don't really mind it. She is just as spoilt as she is smart, very Gen Z as well, and tells me far too often that my brother is hot. The problem is only, she never comes alone. There is always at least one cousin with her, and my poor living room doesn't survive much of a sleepover party. Neither does my pantry.""She seems like a character.""Indeed. And fair warning, I think there is a betting pool on me of some kind.""What kind?""I assume it was whether I'll be eternally single, whether I am a lesbian, or whether I made you up when I called and made the reservation for two."He smirked. "You usually don't come here with gentlemen?""Nope, I don't tend to go with gentlemen who are not part of my extended family or well-known friend group. And yes, you may feel honoured now."Faramir smiled, more gently. "I do, very much so."Arianne brought the drinks menue, this time more quietly and only with a smirk that seemed to say far too much. As the man studied it, he found the wine list seemed longer than the list of British prime ministers. His father would certainly appreciate it, he thought, though probably not the fusion-aspect of the kitchen that they were about to taste. But why was he thinking about his father anyway?Èowyn didn't even open hers but ordered a very specific red wine from the top of her head."I am predictive," she explained, "and the wine is great. I actually got to know it when Legolas brought a bottle to a party one night. Pretty sure he stole it from the wine cellar. I never asked and I never will."When their waitress re-appeared a bit later with their drinks and started to list options for specific special starters in lightning speed, Éowyn finally snickered."Girl, you are paid by the hour, not by the word you are saying! You can breathe!"Arianne rolled her eyes but she started again, now in a speed that was actually intellegible. They ordered a mix of everything and as she left, Faramir rubbed the bridge of his nose."So, now I do need to ask, how are you involved in all of this?"Éowyn didn't look at him and for a moment, she only played with the napkin, then sighed. "I am a silent partner."He blinked - this was so odd, and so not odd at the same time. Other people owned cars, she owned horses, Birkin Bags and apparently a restaurant. No big deal. "How come?"Éowyn smiled. "It's a nice story, actually. I knew the chef before, but not closely. More by reputation, really. Family knowing family, you know how it is. The Martells have their own ventures everywhere, but normally not much overlap with my family. Anyway, we met at a party, got talking, as these things usually go. I was a college kid, stuck, and he had been all around the world and had these bloody crazy stories. Anyway, as it turned out, he wanted to open a restaurant, and he needed money to do so. Given his reputation, putting my money on this place was probably objectively the most stupid decision I could have made. I did the maths, and then did it anyway. Obviously, my own family was far from happy at first, but they have all come to appreciate my investment.""I am sure they have.""I am sure you will, too, in a moment."He took her hand. "I already do, thank you."Éowyn bit her lip. "You are such a charmer!"Maybe he was, he pondered, but she made it easy by being beautiful and smart and funny and kind and lovable. Before he could tell her though, Arianne and another young woman who looked suspiciously similar and quite happy to see Éowyn brought the appetizers. Faramir noticed the look she was giving him, as if she was trying hard not to laugh. If Éowyn hadn't warned him about the betting pool, it certainly would have made him feel insecure."Why do Martell-girls work in service in a restaurant?" he asked her lowly when they had returned to the kitchen.The blonde woman just shrugged."I guess you call that character building. They dearly need it. And after all, Arianne the little princess wants to take over daddy's company one say, so she better plays along with what he proposes. Nym is kind of the same story, but to be fair, I think she is mostly in for the money and to spend time with her dad, as far as you can working here call spending time."He nodded and picked up the first filled pastry, gathered a thought, but got utterly distracted when the flavours exploded on his tongue. From Éowyn's giggle, he assumed the rapture msut be visible on his face."Gosh, you are so adorable!" she told him brightly."This-" he stopped, then started again, "this is so bloody good."She just kept giggling. "I know.""What's so funny?"She was still smiling, but quietly now."Nothing, I just love that you love it."He wanted to kiss her right then and there, no matter where they were or who was watching. Just as he shifted a bit towards her, there was a bang behind him. His eyebrows shot up, but Éowyn just rolled her eyes good naturedly."And here we go."A moment later, whispers filled the room, they rippled like a breeze over a field. Then a man - medium built, dark hair, and sporting a disarming smile - was approaching their table. Oberyn Martell, famed chef, cooking-book author and TV presentor, well-known for his indulgence - not just for food, but for life's pleasures.Éowyn got off her seat to embrace him."Éowyn, like a shining light, as usual," Faramir could hear him drawl, "and you have brought a visitor?."He released Éowyn to turn to Faramir who moved to shake is hand. His grip was strong and the slightly younger man could see that he was looking him up and down. Faramir could see something sharp and cunning under the veneer of flirting. This was a smart man, and moreover, a perceptive one. He wondered what Martell saw in him. An average guy out for dinner? Or the spoilt younger son of an influential family?"Oberyn, this is Faramir," she introduced him, though Faramir was sure by now his name had already made the rounds in the kitchen."Steward, nice to meet you."Yeah, this man knew exactly who he was. He could see Oberyn was giving Éowyn another look."El was right - you really do have a type, girl," he told her."El tattles too much," Éowyn shot back, but with little heat. Faramir wondered what this was about."Anyway, lovely to see you - though by God, you could have brought the pretty blond guy, too, since you were at it!"Éowyn laughed."Legolas? Really? Just invite him, fo goodness sake! I was simply in town. And you know I always try to make time and visit when I am here.""Of course. And I always appreciate it."There was fondness in his gaze, but certainly also mirth and flirtiness."Now, tell me, what so you seek in your meals today? What will it be? Something bold and fiery? Or something unexpected, that lingers on the tongue and surprises you with every bite?"Éowyn leaned forward and for a moment bit her lip, which made Faramir acutely aware of the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes off her.“Bold and fiery,” she answered, her eyes gleaming with challenge. “Something that makes me feel alive.”Oberyn grinned, his eyes alight with admiration.“A woman after my own heart. But I knew this already." He winked at her. "And what about you, you unknown variable?” he asked, turning to Faramir with a sly smile. Only many many meetings with difficult clients had prepared him for this whiplash that came from the sudden flirting, something he had certainly not expected. He kept his face neutral and hoped by God he wasn't blushing. It probably was not working, but at least his voice was even.“I would prefer something balanced. Harmony in chaos, you could say.”The chef clapped his hands together, clearly delighted. “Ah, a philosopher! Éowyn, I like this one, you should keep him. I don't know where you found him, but good on you! Very well then. Boldness and harmony for the love birds.”He winked at Éowyn before straightening up and turning to leave. As he disappeared back into the kitchen, Faramir chuckled under his breath.“Bold and fiery, is it?”Éowyn shrugged with a smirk. “I thought he might appreciate the challenge. Always give him something unexpected, and he will get all excited, like a poodle chasing his tail. It's adorable.. Besides, I’ve been promised a legendary meal.”Faramir finally reached across the table to take her hand, his thumb gently tracing circles on her palm. “I think the chef’s interest extends beyond his food.”Éowyn laughed, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, he is a horrible flirt, but no, he's not interested in me. That ship has long sailed, still, he loves messing with me and he feels kind of protective about me. You, on the other hand ... yes, he wanted to mess with you, but I know him, and you did indeed spark his interest."Suddenly, she captured his hand in hers, to raise it to her lips and kiss it lightly. Her eyes held his, insisting and clear, and he suddenly had the feeling he was on a rollercoaster and very quickly descending. "But I am not known to share, sorry."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The restaurant doors swung shut behind them, cutting off vocies and laughter and the crisp night air of the city brushed against their flushed cheeks. Éowyn pulled her coat closed, her eyes were shining in the street lamps of the quiet street. Faramir walked beside her, his arm loosely draped around her waist, his own soft chuckles mingling with hers.“These people, they are utterly incorrigible,” Éowyn said, shaking her head, though her tone was light with amusement.Faramir grinned. “You seemed to enjoy it.”“Did I?” She raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “I think you enjoyed it more. The way Arianne batted her eyelashes at you. And Oberyn - gosh, you two! I think I was the third wheel!”“I was merely admiring his culinary philosophy,” Faramir protested, though his grin widened, "I will have you know, he is not exactly ... my type. Besides, I seem to recall you challenging him to make something as fiery as you are.”“Fair enough,” Éowyn replied, laughing again. “It was a pretty nice meal, though.”“It was,” he agreed, but his gaze was fixed on her. She could just melt into a puddle right here, Éowyn decided. She also wondered whether second desert might be an option. Her cheeks turned warm."So - if Oberyn is not you type, what is your type? Arianne?"Faramir chortled."Female, yes. But not Arianne, even though she is pretty, no doubt. No, I am more for - let's see... beautiful blonde grey-eyed lawyer-workaholics with inconveniently long hair who steal blankets and bitch at my father, I guess. Who are fishing for compliments."She laughed and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Good. And I mean, it's working""It is, it seems."Still caught in the energy of the evening, they wandered without a destination, eventually stumbling upon a small, lively bar tucked into the corner of a narrow street. Warm light spilled out from its windows, and the faint hum of music beckoned them inside. Faramir seemed to know it, at least he appeared utterly unperturbed as he headed towards the door, so Éowyn decided to trust him on the choice of location."Bar?""I thought we might - just for a bit?""Why not - But we are so overdressed, love," Éowyn told him with a glance at the other patrons inside.Faramir shrugged. "Yes, we are. Indeed. But to be honest, I don't really feel like fancy clubbing right now.""Alright. No clubbing then. But your tie needs to go - it's always the tie with you!"When he looked at her quizically, she pulled him into the shadows of the street, away from the windows of the bar, and started to undo the knot in his tie. It took her definitely a lot longer than it should have, but in the meantime his hands had found their way into her coat, under her shrug and onto her open back and God, wasn't that distracting.
She started to wonder whether she
A) should simply drag him back to his place right now
or
B) climb him right here and pray nobody would come by.But then she heard him mutter under his breath as his fingers hit he folds of her dress at the small of her back and decided that 'nope, maybe he should suffer a bit as well'.
She leaned back just a little and with far too little speed and far too many touches for it to be accidental she folded the tie and squished it in his coat pocked. Then she opened the top buttons of his dress shirt. He kissed her ebfore she could continue, demanding enough for her to interrupt what she had been doing for a moment.
His hair had never been fully gelled down to begin with, which was a good look on him, and afterwards it had become even more tousled."Good, let's go!" he told her with a smile.The bar was nothing like the upscale restaurant they had just left. She shouldn't have worried about the dresscode though - it was cozy, and buzzing, just a bit rough around the edges, and nobody cared. After work drinks and college students all mingled, mostly chatting, some listening to the guitar player who was singing at the side. They made their way to the bar, where Faramir ordered two drinks while Éowyn scanned the room, her eyes glittering with mischief. She found a solitary empty bar chair and took it as a perch while she waited for her friend?date?partner? to come back with the drinks.
When he handed her the whiskey, she smirked."I think we were there once before."He clinked his glass against hers. "And look how that turned out."She took a sip of her drink, but then she set it down on the table next to her. Faramir put his empty glass down as well and was leaning toward her. It was so easy to simply turn a little bit more and brush their lips together in a kiss that was so soft and careful at first, more a tease than the real thing. Then the energy shifted. The world around them blurred when Éowyn’s hands tangled in his hair and he came even closer, practically caging her in against the bar. She was utterly and completely lost- in her mind, and in him. Someone nearby whistled, and Éowyn broke the kiss with a laugh, her forehead resting against Faramir’s shoulder. “We’re behaving like teenagers,” she murmured, though she didn’t sound the least bit regretful.Faramir grinned into her hair, one of his hands still resting on her waist, the other one on her thigh - regretfully on the outside of her dress. “We’ve earned it, don’t you think?”
He sounded surprisingly unapologetic as well.“Yes,” she said softly, brushing her lips against his once more. “We have.”"Now -" his voice dropped lower, making her belly swoop in a very exhilarating way. "I was told, once, by someone you might or might not know, that on these kinds of occasions I am apparently meant to very clearly spell out - what was it - 'Éowyn, I want you in my bed and do really inappropriate things to you? Does that sound about right?'"She probably gaped a little, because sure, she had been hoping that dress would get her there, but had not expected the effect to be that ... profound. An spelled out, in a public place. By God, she was not going to complain though!"I hoped you would say that," she answered, a lot less lightly than she would have liked. "Well then - come on!" He stepped back and she followed, drowning the last of the whiskey on the way. It occured to her that they had meandered quite a bit closer to his place already, thankfully so, because these shoes were starting to get pretty uncomfortable. The moon was full and bright and it was quite beautiful, a perfect cool spring night. The air smelled vaguely like flowers, mixed with the scents of a city - it was comforting, but she saw very little of it, too focused on Faramir who didn't let go of her hand.
Éowyn sighed happily as the house and the opportunity to take the Louboutins off finally came into view - it would be bliss, she already new. Faramir kept glancing at her as she was leaning next to him in the elevator, but right now he seemed more fascinated than anything else.
They made it through the door and into his flat in a vaguely civilized manner, before she felt herself being pulled forward. There was a "thump" - probably a door that was kicked close, then lips on hers. Just like the first time he lifted her up bridal style before walking to his bedroom with her."Could you open the door really really quickly?" he asked, "I don't want the cats in the bedroom, not right now."She laughed. "What a surprise. But sure."They actually managed to slip into the room, but given the judging meows from outside, they certainly had been heard."I fed them before we left," Faramir told her, "don't believe them, they are not starving."He sat down with her on his lap, which basically gave him access to all of her body. She pushed his thin jacket off his shoulders, her coat own must be laying somewhere at the entrance door, she assumed. Then she turned to her own heels - and stopped. After all, she had chosen the heels because they looked great with the dress - and that meant...Éowyn scrambled off Faramir's lap and leaned over to the bedside table to turn on the light. Then she tapped against his feet until he spread his legs and she could step in between rich in front of him. With a bit of flourish she flipped all of her hair over one shoulder and turned so her bare back was turned towards him."Would you help -"She couldn't even finish the sentence, he had already reached up to carefully unhook the little elements of the clasp. His arms wrapped around her middle and she could feel kissed down her spine, on her sides, upper, lwoer, wherever he could reach. Well - let's give him something to work with then, she thought.
With a little shake of her shoulder, the dress fell down to his arms and as he let go, to her hips and she pushed it further so it started to pool around her heels. One step, a turn - and well, maybe she should go look for a new fake-boyfriend, because this one seemed to be broken by her little show.
He blinked, then suddenly muttered something that sounded mysteriously like "fuck, baby" (she would need to come back to that) and the next moment she found herself flipped onto her back on the bed with her feet hanging off in a slightly weird angle. Yep, fencing reflexes, certainly. He was hovering half above her while his hand glided down her thigh to her knee to pull up her leg slightly. Before she could ask what he was doing (options, so many options), he had taken off her shoe and repeated the whole process on her other side. Indeed - bliss."Take your suit off!" she complained, or rather, whined, "I don't want it to get all wrinkly."Truth be told, given what he was doing to her, a wrinkly suit was probably not what she should be most worried about if she was honest.She rolled to her side like a lazy cat to watch him as he complied, and oh goodness, who needed smutty books about stripping college athletes if they could have a college athlete stripping right here?!
But then he froze, as if someone had dropped water over him, and it made her stomach drop and a totally not-so-nice way. What was wrong? Everything had been going great so far and his jacket and shirt were already off and -A thought crossed her mind and she scrambled first to her knees and then off the bed and towards him to throw her arms around his neck. Fireworks when off from wherever their skin was touching, and it was touching a lot, as she looked at him seriously."You are so god-damn attractive it's unfair. Whoever told you differently is blind, or tasteless. And love, okay, let me rephrase this, you make me so fucking frsiky I will go seriously mad if you don't do anything about this like - pronto!"She did remember that he indeed did move to do something about it right away, but how they had ended up on the bed with her under him again holding on for dear life - not so sure. Had you asked her before, she would have probably told you that after all that shit men had given her that week (or in general), being flat on her back under a man who might as well play sports for a living was certainly not the position for her. Right now though, she couldn't quite remember why. Reason was pretty far away, it seemed, for both of them.It was good, not thinking, maybe for the first time in weeks.For that reason alone though, she almost expected regret to catch up with her as soon as her pulse had settled down again, but strangely, regret never came. Instead, she leaned against the door on her way back from the bathroom while the cats were finally purring at her feet."Can I stay with you tonight?"He didn't seem surprised, but still happy."Sure. But there will be a cat somewhere, probably.""I'll live."She stole some random shirt from a pile on a chair and scrambled into bed next to him, now with less frenzy and more time. His stubble was obvious under her fingertrips, though would probably be even a lot more obvious on her thighs in the morning, she supposed. He was smiling."Thank you so much. This evening - it really -," he stopped and shook his head in that self-deprecating way of his. "I loved it.""Good. That was the idea."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
She woke up so comfortably she didn't want to move, even more comfortably than in the guest room - and that had been nice already. There was cluttering somewhere, and she wondered whether the cats were up to some mischief, but when she turned to the side to ask Faramir, she could see the bed was empty. The woman frowned, but then the door opened, and he came in, two steaming cups in his hands."I had to feed the cats before they make a racket," he explained.Of course, he did. These cats were spoiled little brats.
Though she truly wondered how he had gotten out of bed so quietly. Maybe he was a secret agent after all, or she had slept more deeply than expected. After all, he had tired her out. She slowly sat up, realized she wasn't wearing anything as the duvet slipped down, noticed how he didn't even hide that he was glancing at her breasts, which resulted in a sort-of staring contest. After a couple of moments, he was blushing like crazy, but her face felt quite hot as well. "Would you like something to wear?" he offered in a tone somewhere between laughter and bashfulness.She let her eyes wander down his body, took her time - "yeah, that would be nice."Faramir set down the two cups and went to find the shirt that had ended up next to the bed, together with her underwear, shaking his head to himself. She supposed there wasn't much space for dignity left at this point, but after last night, that was probably overrated anyway. Dressed at least minimalistically, she finally accepted the coffee, smelling the aroma of definitely fancy Italian beans. Yes, the guy was loaded, everything about him screamed that, not only the threadcount of his sheets. He raised an eyebrow but slid back into bed next to her and leaned against the headboard. After she had taken a couple of sips and put the mug to the side, she put it aside and turned towards him. "So ...""So?""Is this a thing now?""What?"
He raised an eyebrow, curious."You calling me” baby”?"She could have asked other things, because truly, a lot of issues seemed unresolved nowadays between them, but this was what slipped out."Did I?"
Faramir seemed amused.
She wasn't sure whether he truly hadn't noticed he was doing that last night or whether he was trying to play it down. It was somewhat funny either way."You sure did!""I did not!""You so did!"He suddenly pulled her onto his lap, so that her legs bracketed his hips. In retaliation, she pushed against his shoulder, until he was leaning back as far as possible again and Éowyn was looming over him, her arms on both sides of his face and caging him in.
Given where he had his hands and how she enjoyed that, she wasn’t quite sure whether she made as much of a point as she had planned.He scrunched his nose, as if he was truly thinking deeply about this. Then sighed."I concede, it might have happened. Does it bother you?"She truly considered that for a moment. It would have, with most men, and in most other contexts - the implications of helplessness, and being guileless. The obvious vulgarity that often came with it. But with him, it had been unplanned, not a nickname bestowed on her to assign her any position, more something ripped from him because of her own power, because she had made him lose his mind and get out of character so much that at some point, elaborate speech had gone down the drain. It also sounded incredibly endearing in his remaining posh-boy pronunciation.
So, it was rather a compliment, she supposed.
"No," Éowyn answered truthfully, "because it’s not something you'd usually do. I take it as compliment and consider it an achievement."His smile was once again a bit bashful, but hands wandering down her back now certainly were not.
"Yeah - it's definitely a first.""Good."
She kissed his lips, then drew back again."We haven't talked about -""- there wasn't much talking involved anyway," Éowyn corrected him with a smile. Faramir sighed. "True. How can it be that I know such miniscule details about you like the colour of your underwear, but almost nothing of the big picture? Of what you do all day?""I work. And it's not any different with you," she argued back."So, how come?""Don't be daft. It's the NDAs. It's that simple. Because we are both tied up to our throats in family companies and NDAs. And your social media sucks, especially yours. And each time me meet we rather end up in bed than talk. Even though I do enjoy talking to you, don't worry," she laughed a bit ruefully. "But I think you know the most important stuff anyway.""You are an awfully efficient distraction, Ms Eorl. Well - are you gonna push into my market?"She blinked and leaned back.
"That's a very direct question and very whiplashy.""Indeed. I love to surprise.""No, you don't. You're an awful people pleaser," she corrected gently. "Anyway, are we talking about me, or my uncle's company?""Either?""You know that even if I knew what they are up to, and I am neither saying I do or I don't, I couldn't tell you, Just as you are not going to tell your fake-girlfriend what your dad is cooking - let's be real. For all we know, we are literally fucking with the competition."Suddenly, he was cradling her cheek. "I think we are beyond the fake-part, don't you think?"
He was fully ignoring the second part of her statement, maybe because there was nothing to say to it.Éowyn's heart skipped once, then once again. This was one of these moment that screamed "bad idea". Where she should insist on their boundaries, guard her heart, or even better, return to how it had been. But what could she say - there was nothing as alluring as a bad idea on a Sunday morning in a handsome man's bed far away from home. A nice man, even more so. Like, really nice, not "nice" nice. Kind nice. So of course, she said yes. When he beamed at her, she thought it might even be worth the definite fallout.
And her friends would get a good story out of it, she thought, so there was that. What seemed like an awful lot of time later, he was combing through her hair, detangling the sweaty strands, when she looked up from where she was now laying on his chest.
"I am not a smart choice, you know that, right?"He did that gesture again, the one he always did when he was thinking, or wondering, or insecure, or a little exasperated.
Gave her the crooked smile."Is this more serious than a fling to you?"A pretty easy question. Suddenly a pretty easy answer.
She nodded."Well, I guess it's not so bad then."
And with that, the whole thing seemed settled for him. She wondered whether it truly was, or whether they were just lying to each other, and especially to themselves. If they were, they were both lying beautifully though.