Faramir Fiction Archive

Half-Hearted Holiday (NC-17)

Written by Laurëlóte

29 September 2006 | 19511 words

Title: Half-hearted Holiday
Author: Laurëlóte
Beta: Minx
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Faramir/Éomer
Summary: Faramir and Éomer don’t get along; how far are they prepared to go for the woman they love?
Feedback: Feedback is always highly appreciated. Send it to laurelote@hotmail.co.uk
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, they all belong to Tolkien, I’ve merely borrowed them

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Chapter 1

With eyes fixed to the floor, they looked very much like a couple of children being scolded by their mother for play fighting or missing their lessons, but they were not. They were fully grown men, and the lady addressing them was clearly not happy with their behaviour towards one another.

“I have no idea what your problem is,” fumed the voice in front of them. “All I want is for the two of you to get on. Is it really that unreasonable to want my brother and future husband to be able to have a conversation for more than five minutes without is resulting in snipes and cheap insults?”

Faramir and Éomer exchanged a look, it was not that they disliked each other exactly; it was just that they were so different.

Faramir had just been named as Steward of Gondor, and although being brought up as a ranger, he was a scholar at heart, a reluctant soldier who would much rather spend his time studying texts and seeing to paperwork.

Éomer on the other hand was a soldier through and through. He had never wanted to be the King of Rohan as was now his fate, he was much happier protecting his country, patrolling the borders, ridding them of orcs.

In any other circumstances they would never have bothered speaking to each other at all, but they had been thrown together, sharing only one thing in common, Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan.

Faramir had met Éowyn in the Houses of Healing. Together they had been working through their grief caused by the loss of loved ones during the war of the ring. Left in Gondor for the final battle at the gates of Mordor they had comforted one another, there had been an attraction from the start and they cared for each other deeply.

Éomer wanted nothing more than for his sister to be happy, he only wished that she had chosen someone more suitable. He had wanted her to marry a soldier; someone who could protect her if necessary and look after her.

To him, Faramir was weak. He had heard many of the rumours of the steward being feeble and useless. Indeed, he had seen it for himself on previous visits to Gondor.

His mind wandered back to the last time he had visited Minas Tirith, a couple of years ago. From his balcony, he had watched Faramir, who had not long made the rank of captain, on the archery range, and to put it mildly, he was terrible. He had watched as the young man missed the target again and again.

Having been told that the youngest son of Denethor was better with a bow than a sword, Éomer wondered how he ever made Captain of the Ithilien Rangers, and concluded that it could only be due to his parentage.

This was not the type of man he wanted for his beloved sister, Éowyn. Especially since is meant that he would no longer have her by his side back in Rohan. But deep down he knew she loved Faramir, and that was the only reason he had agreed to the marriage between them.

What he did not know, was that at the time of seeing Faramir practising his archery, the Gondorian had been recovering from an injury to his left shoulder, his normal draw arm, and so had taken it upon himself to learn to draw a bow with his right. He was now a completely ambidextrous archer, and probably one of the best in the whole of Gondor.

“I spoke to Aragorn,” continued Éowyn, “and he agrees that the two of you should spend some time alone together before we return to The Mark.”

It had been agreed that Éowyn would return with her brother to help restore some normality to the realm of the Horse lords before returning for the wedding. While Faramir would remain in Gondor tending to his duties as steward, and helping to restore Minas Tirith back to its former glory.

It was Éomer who ventured to speak first. “What exactly are you asking of us dearest sister?”

“I want the two of you to take a couple of horses and spend a few nights in each other’s company in the wilds. Go fishing, kill some orcs, anything, I do not mind. Just spend some time together and learn to get along.”

The men looked at each other once more, they could not think of anything worse. Days in the wild with no one but each other for company. They could not stand even being in the same room as one another.

Faramir did not want to dislike Éomer, and in the beginning had tried to get along with him, but the Rohirrim had made it quite clear that he did not think him worthy to marry his sister.

Much experience with his father had caused him to avoid altercations as much as possible, and to show as little emotion as possible to any insult he was given. Therefore after receiving the first few insults Faramir had given up all attempts of friendship, choosing instead, to spend as little time as possible with Éomer.

The words had upset him deeply, stirring up feelings he had never dared feel while his father was alive, then, he had stored up his emotions, until they could be released on some unsuspecting orcs in Ithilien. Without his usual methods of release, the last thing he wanted was for Éowyn’s brother to realise the effect his comments had on him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, Éowyn placed a finger gently against his lips requesting silence.

“Before you protest that you have duties to tend to here my love, Aragorn has already agreed that you can have the time off,” she said softly, and then moving to address them both she added, “Do this for me, please. For I love you both dearly and it would mean so much to me.”

Everyone who met her knew that Lady Éowyn was a difficult woman to say no to; especially when her words were combined with that sad, pleading look she always used which brought men to their knees before her.

It did not take long for the two men to give in, and they both found themselves agreeing to the trip. It was, after all, what Éowyn wanted and it would make her happy. They would only have to put up with each other for a few days and then maybe she would let the matter drop if she felt they had at least tried to get along.

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