Faramir Fiction Archive

Never Better (NC-17)

Written by Anorienbean

24 June 2006 | 6504 words

Author: Anorienbean
Title: Never Better
Written for: FaramirFiction Midsummer Swap
Pairing: Haldir/Faramir
Rating: NC-17
Type: Hurt/comfort, angst, romance, fluff :)
Beta: Nyctophobia76
Disclaimer: Not true, didn’t happen, no money made.

Written for the 2006 FaramirFiction Midsummer Swap

Request by Minx: Faramir/elf (any elf but one of the twins would be nice) - established relationship. Post war scenario - Faramir is badly injured while out hunting / or some other outdoor activity with Aragorn and his lover (the elf), better still if he has been hurt trying to save one of them, and in the process the elf comes to realize how much Faramir means to him. Also maybe Aragorn could realize how much help his steward is to him too?:) I'd love to have some nice healing scenes... and also if Faramir could also be wet and shivering and cold, the elf might need to slip under the blanket to keep him warm. And Aragorn and the elf can spend much time discussing Faramir's finer qualities while he lies there unconscious and ill.

---

The king rode ahead, spurring his horse through the woods, the terrain mapped onto his subconscious mind long ago, mindless of the forks in the trail, or the low hanging branches which he avoided with ease.

“But, sire! We will never catch our dinner if we make such a racket!” Faramir laughed as Aragorn waved over his shoulder and disappeared into a thick tangle of brush. In truth, the steward did not mind in the least being left alone with his lover. In fact, he fully intended to take advantage of the moment and study the Elf beside him. Haldir, his long hair flowing in the wind, unbraided because that’s the way Faramir liked it, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter as he rolled his eyes at the king and reigned his horse to a stop.

“He is stubborn, your king,” the Elf said as he smiled at Faramir, who was looking at him adoringly. “Just like you, I might add. Though you are handsome enough to get away with it.”

Faramir simply moved his horse to stand closer to Haldir and reached out his hand. He’d never been sure what it was about him that had attracted the Lórien guardian, and he always thought that he loved Haldir far more than the Elf loved him. But they were happy. That Haldir would sail with his kin was never spoken of, but everyone in Gondor knew it was only a matter of time, including Faramir himself. His heart would ache to say goodbye to his beloved, but he would not presume to think himself worthy enough to ask Haldir to stay behind and give up what was his rightful future as one of the first-born.

Haldir, for his part, enjoyed their lives thus far, or so it seemed. They spent their nights making love and their days relaxing or working, Faramir as Aragorn’s aid and steward of the city of Minas Tirith and one of the few who could make the king listen to reason. Haldir’s days were spent with the rangers, teaching them archery and stealth, how to blend in as much as a Man could, given that they were not Elves, and how to be perfectly silent when there was need for it. He and Faramir stole precious moments as their days allowed, sharing in soft kisses, and gentle caresses, but neither Man nor Elf had ever uttered any promises. Faramir dared not even hope one such as Haldir would want him for more than a few months or even years of pleasure, and Haldir thought that true, lasting love between an Man and an Elf was impossible, no matter what his heart might say to the contrary.

And so, they laughed and loved together, held hands and spent the majority of their time in happiness, not knowing that everything they felt would soon be put to the test by the Valar themselves.

Haldir brought Faramir’s fingertips to his lips and kissed each of them gently. “Tomorrow night, when it is Aragorn’s turn to hunt, I would like to ask you something very important,” he said softly.

Faramir’s eye clouded, but he nodded. //He’s leaving soon. He wants to make sure I understand. He wants my blessing…//

Aragorn had insisted that no guards come with them. He wanted peace and quiet, a few days away from Minas Tirith, away from the constant councils and trades, away from the decisions and stress that kept him on edge from early in the morning until well past midnight every night. Faramir would not hear of it and insisted that he, at the very least, must come along. That decision, of course, meant that Haldir would come as well. Elf and Man never far from each other’s sides, despite the fact that they were unwed even after more than two years of courting.

They slept in the same chambers, took their meals together, and stole secretive glances when each thought the other was not looking, yet still, there had been no formal bonds or vows. It was none of his business really, Aragorn thought, but it only made sense that two such obviously devoted lovers could make a commitment to each other, when all of Gondor could see that they were meant to be together.

They’d been gone for three days and were not expected back for at least a week. Both the Men and the Elf were comfortable living in the forest. Arwen had no grounds to object as her husband and his companions set off on horseback with only a single look back and a wave over his shoulder as they’d sped off over the rolling hills.

As the night began to fade around them, Faramir built up a fire around their little camp and smiled at Aragorn, who was regarding him thoughtfully. Haldir had wandered off, as it was his turn to catch their dinner, and they’d heard little from him as he’d silently moved away. “Why don’t you just ask him to marry you, Faramir?” Aragorn smiled at his friend and steward as the young man face flushed. “Everyone can see how much you love him.”

Faramir looked down and shook his head. “He used to feel sorry for Arwen,” he said after a moment. “Before…before he and I became lovers, he told me that for an Elf to bond with a Man would cause nothing but heartbreak and could lead to no good end. So I know he would say no, even if I did get the courage to ask.”

”Have you ever stopped to think that he might say yes?” Aragorn asked. “That he might not want to sail to Amen after all? I mean…he’s still here with you.”

“He has nowhere better to go, just yet” Faramir said, standing and heading toward the tent he shared with his lover. “Lothlórien no longer needs to be guarded, and his brothers are content to spend their time alone with each other. He will sail one day. He will make love to me, kiss me goodbye, and sail to the undying lands with his kin. We both know it…we simply chose not to talk about it.”

Aragorn shrugged and stood as well. “I think you might be wrong my friend, but it is not my place to interfere.” Wiping off his breeches, the king took the small tins they used for plates and nodded toward the river. “I’ll rinse these so we’ll having something clean to eat off, but in the meantime, I suggest you give my words some thought. I am an excellent judge of character, Faramir, and I know love well enough when I see it.” With that, he walked toward the river, plates in hand, without looking back.

“It isn’t enough,” Faramir said to himself. “Certainly not enough to give up his immortality…”

His words were cut off by a scream coming from the direction Aragorn had just taken. The rattling of what could only be their tin plates hitting a rock spurred the steward faster as he crashed through the underbrush, stopping abruptly on the edge of a cliff he didn’t remember being this close at all. As the moon slipped from behind a passing cloud, Faramir saw why. The ground had given way several feet from where it had gracefully sloped down to the river; now all that was left was a steep incline that led straight into the icy water. As his eyes scanned the white foam blow him, Faramir could see the dark, lifeless shape of a man, face down, being slammed against rocks and the heavy, thick logs that had fallen with him.

Without a second thought, the steward threw himself from the side of the cliff, gasping as his body was engulfed in the frigid water only moments later. He tried to swim toward Aragorn, but his arms and legs were slow to respond, and he could not think clearly from the cold that was already eating at the last threads of his consciousness.

Finally, though, his frozen fingers closed over something familiar, and he realized with a start that he’d somehow managed to reach his king. With slow, jerky movements, he turned Aragorn over and shoved him toward the bank. Haldir, who had heard the king’s cry as well, but had been much further away, grabbed Aragorn and hauled him out of the water where he sputtered and gasped for air as he tried to figure out where he was and how he’d gotten there. All he saw, however, was a pale, lithe body diving into the water before him, and another, darker body further downstream, just as it crashed hard against a large boulder that reached up toward the sky from it’s sturdy hold beneath the ground.

Struggling to his feet, the king began to shiver even as he ran alongside the river, watching helplessly as Haldir himself was tossed about in the suddenly raging rapids only to emerge several yards beyond Faramir’s limp body. The Elf was strong, however, and managed to swim against the stream to reach his lover. Endless hours seemed to pass as Haldir reached Faramir and made his way to the shore. Faramir was not moving, and as Aragorn drew nearer, he could hear the Elf pleading with his lover to wake up, to speak, to do anything just to let him know he was alive. Still, the steward did not move, and Haldir’s anguished eyes met Aragorn’s as he fell to his knees and gently laid Faramir on the ground.

Haldir seemed immune to the cold, or, at the very least, unaware of it, as he pressed his lips against Faramir’s and tried to force air into his lungs. “By the Valar, Faramir if you die, I will never forgive you!” Long Elven fingers pressed hard over the steward’s heart, searching for any sign of life and finding none. “If you die, I will die as well,” he whispered fiercely, “I will follow you wherever you go, but you have to let me! You have to take me with you!”

His lips pressed against Faramir’s mouth again as the young man’s chest filled with air, then sank down again as soon as Haldir pulled away. In desperation, Haldir picked his lover up in his arms and held him close. Aragorn tried to intercede, but the Elf pushed him away, lost in his grief. He looked up toward the heavens and begged the Valar to save his beloved, to please, just please, bring him back, or at least allow Haldir to follow him wherever he went.

The Valar were not heartless. Seldom had they seen such anguish, and with the soft murmur of but a few words, Faramir suddenly gasped for air. His eyes were wide with fear, and he wasn’t sure where he was or how he’d gotten there. Blue eyes gazed down at him with joy as loving arms pulled him closer. Faramir’s arms wound around Haldir’s neck as he clung to his lover, shivering from the cold as well as from the fear he’d seen in beloved blue eyes for a moment before Haldir had realized he was still alive.

Haldir rocked his lover back and forth in his arms and pulled him closer still. “Gods, I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. “I thought I’d never get the chance to tell you again how much I love you.”

The words briefly touched Faramir’s mind before he lost consciousness. He knew a brief moment of happiness before the pain took over, pain in his legs and head, the ache of broken bones, and a chill that seeped into his very soul.

After a moment of panic, Haldir realized his lover was still breathing and looked pleadingly up at Aragorn. “Why does he sleep again? Why are his eyes closed?”

Aragorn placed one hand on Faramir’s head. “I don’t know Haldir, but at least he is alive. Now let me treat him.”

“Treat him as I hold him then,” Haldir said, lowering Faramir to the ground but keeping both hands underneath his shoulders. “I am not letting him go.”

Aragorn simply nodded, seeing that Haldir meant every word. His hands moved over the steward’s, wincing when Faramir would moan in his sleep as an especially tender or sensitive part of his body was touched. Each time it happened, Haldir growled, but said nothing else.

Almost half an hour later, Aragorn sat back and sighed. “His hip has been dislocated, his right leg is broken in several places, along with his right wrist. He has a concussion and some broken ribs, and I can only pray he has no internal injuries. I think that is all…but I cannot be sure.” His face was pale, and he ran one hand wearily over his face in frustration. “It is my fault…all of it. I wasn’t paying attention, I wasn’t watching, I…”

”Just make him better,” Haldir interjected. “However it happened, it is done, and I only want him well again.”

”We need to get him back to Gondor,” Aragorn said, “but he cannot ride...”

“Then I will carry him,” Haldir said quietly as he ran his fingers through Faramir’s hair.

“We are days from Minas Tirith on horseback,” Aragorn argued. “You cannot carry him all the way.”

“I can and I will.” Haldir’s voice was firm, as he gazed lovingly at Faramir for a moment before looking back up at Aragorn. “When can we start?”

Aragorn started to protest, but the fire in the Elf’s eyes before him stayed his words. “I will set the broken bones and find him something for the pain. We can leave at first light.”

Haldir nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Do it quickly before he wakes,” he said softly.

Shaking hands moved over Faramir’s hip again, and he took a deep breath. “Hold him tight,” he warned as he let his hands trail down to grip his steward’s leg and tugged hard at it. The hip bone was wrenched back into place, and Faramir moaned weakly. His eyes fluttered open, and his face immediately clouded with pain. “Hurts,” he murmured softly. “Hurts everywhere...”

“I know, meleth,” Haldir whispered. “We’re doing what we can to stop the pain.”

Faramir’s eyes rolled back in his head, and Haldir turned to see Aragorn setting his leg. Haldir rested his cheek against his lover’s and closed his eyes. “Gods, I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I should have been closer, I should have gotten to the river sooner.”

“No, Haldir you….” Faramir shook his head, but before he could go on, he was racked by a deep, wet cough.

Aragorn closed his eyes for a moment then quickly finished setting the broken leg, before moving up to set Faramir’s wrist. “We need to get him warm and dry,” he said softly, so that only Haldir could hear. “I’m not even sure if we’ll be able to move him tomorrow.”

“Build up the fire, I will take care of him,” Haldir said, gently picking his lover up once again and making his way back to their tent. He looked up at met Aragorn’s eyes for a moment. “And, Aragorn, watch where you’re going, please? I will not leave him for any reason.” His eyes clearly stated what his words did not, and Aragorn nodded in understanding.

Less than half an hour later, Haldir had gently removed Faramir’s clothes and tucked several blankets around them. The front of their tent was open and close to the fire, so warm air seemed to swirl around them in the confines of the thickly woven canvas. Faramir was still shivering, however, and despite the herb-laced tea Aragorn had brewed for him, he was still in great pain.

Haldir undressed and slid beneath the blankets to gently pull his lover closer. As Faramir trembled in his arms, the golden Elf pressed his lips against Faramir’s forehead, feeling the heat and sweat that covered his skin. The broken arm and leg were throbbing, and each time it seemed Faramir was about to sleep, his slender frame would be racked with more deep coughing. “Try and relax, love,” he whispered, “we’ll be home soon and back in our bed.”

Faramir moaned softly and burrowed closer to Haldir. “This shouldn’t change anything,” he whispered, his lips moving lightly against his lover’s skin. “You should still sail as planned. I will be fine.”

“Sail?” Haldir’s fingers combed lightly through Faramir’s hair. “I’m not planning on sailing…in fact that was what I wanted to talk to you about.” He pulled back to look into his lover’s dear face, but Faramir’s eyes were already closed again, and he was resting. The blond Elf sighed and wondered what had gotten into Faramir’s head to make him think about Haldir’s sailing at a time like this.

Careful not to jar the broken limbs, Haldir shifted until Faramir was curled up against him and sang softly against his ear, hoping to soothe him even in his sleep. He watched over his lover all night, listening to the forest around them and wishing with all his heart that he hadn’t wondered so far from their camp earlier.

Aragorn had a rather large breakfast ready for them by the time the sun came up the net morning. Faramir, who had slept uneasily, opened his eyes to see Haldir smiling down at him, gently running his fingers over Faramir’s face. “Morning, meleth,” the Elf whispered. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was thrown into a bolder in the middle of a raging river,” Faramir said, closing his eyes as the pain in his limbs began to take hold once again. Before he could say anything else, he started coughing again, each jolt of his body a painful reminder of his broken bones and bruised muscles.

He was still feverish and shivering when he could finally draw his breath again but bit back a protest as Haldir untangled himself and gently tucked the blankets back around him. “I’m just going to get us something to eat, love. I’ll be right back in a moment.”

“Let him drink this first, for the pain,” Aragorn said as he handed a small cup of warm tea inside the tent. Haldir took it and carefully propped Faramir up against him. Faramir was looking paler by the moment, and his face was still clouded with pain as he sipped the bitter tea and closed his eyes again. “I can’t ride,” he said softly. “And we cannot stay here forever.”

“We are going to take our time, and I am going to carry you,” Haldir whispered.

“Carry me? Haldir you can’t! It is too far and…” Once again, his body was racked with deep, wet coughs and desperate gasps for air. Haldir pulled Faramir back against him and waited for the spell to pass, closing his eyes when his lover finally stopped and clung to him.

Ignoring Faramir’s protests, Haldir rocked him gently and gave Aragorn a grateful smile when he handed a plate full of food into the tent. Faramir, of course had little appetite, but when Haldir began to pout and refused to eat himself, his lover finally gave in and picked at the food with his good hand.

The simple act of eating exhausted him, and that, combined with the tea soon put him back to sleep.

When he next awoke, he was being carried through the woods, cradled against Haldir’s chest, and Aragorn was walking beside them. “Good evening, Faramir,” the king smiled. “We were just going to stop and brew you some more tea.”

“It isn’t necessary,” Faramir said, shifting in his lover’s arms and muffling a soft cry as his sore limbs began to burn with pain again.

“You’re hurting,” Haldir chided him, “so it is necessary.”

Faramir buried his face against Haldir’s neck and closed his eyes, hating that he was such a burden. “You could just leave me in a cave, and come back with more men,” he whispered softly as Haldir sat down and gently repositioned him and Aragorn hurried away to find more herbs.

“You really think I’d leave you?” Haldir asked sadly. “Here I’ve been trying to get up the nerve to ask you to marry me, while you’re trying to think up some way to either get me to sail away, or leave you in the forest…”

“Marry you?” Faramir sputtered, distracted from the pain for a brief moment. “But…but you’re sailing, and you’re immortal, and I’m certainly not worth you giving that up for!”

“I’m not sailing, and you are worth everything.” Haldir pressed his lips to his lover’s cheek and let his fingers trail over Faramir’s face. “This isn’t exactly how I planned on asking, but…will you? Marry me, that is?”

“I…you…Haldir, we…you can’t mean that. You’re just feeling sorry for me because I’m injured…”

“No, I was going to ask you before you were injured. If you remember, I told you we needed to talk about something.”

“But…”

“Do you not want to marry me?” Haldir’s voice was low and filled with doubt. “I mean, if you don’t, I would certainly understand.”

“No…I mean, yes…I…Gods.” In his agitation, Faramir squirmed in Haldir’s lap and felt his body protest. “I want to, more than anything, but…”

Broad shoulders relaxed, and Haldir’s smile returned. “Then just say yes.”

Faramir thought for a moment that his fever or the pain, or a combination of both was making him hallucinate or hear things. “Haldir, I’m sick. I know that. I can barely breathe, I have a fever, and my body is broken. We are still several days away from Minas Tirith, and honestly…I might not even make it back there alive.”

Haldir pressed his finger over Faramir’s lips. “Do not even think such things,” he demanded. “You will make it back, and you will be fine. Aragorn is a healer, and I simply refuse to let you do anything but get well.”

With a soft sigh, Faramir tried to quieten the pounding of his heart. “Even if I do live, Haldir, I might very well never be able to be the man I was before…”

”Then I shall love you as the man you turn out to be,” Haldir said softly, quieting his lover with a kiss. His head turned to the side for a moment before his eyes met Faramir’s once again. “Aragorn is coming back. He can marry us right now, if you’ll agree.”

Faramir hesitated for only a moment. He could tell that Haldir would listen to no argument, and in truth, the mere fact that his lover had asked him for this had lessened his pain greatly. “Aye,” he said softly. “I would love to marry you.”

At that moment, Aragorn entered the small clearing with a handful of herbs. He stopped short when he saw Faramir’s formerly pale face now flushed with excitement. “Did I miss something?”

Faramir smiled and shook his head. “As a matter of fact, you did. Haldir just asked me to marry him.”

Aragorn’s mouth dropped open, and he began to laugh. “It’s about time. He’s been wanting to ask you for months now.” He laughed harder at Faramir’s wide-eyed astonishment. “Well, he has! So when is the big day?”

“Today,” Haldir interjected, causing both Men to look at him in bewilderment. “Can you marry us now?’

If Faramir had any thoughts still lingering that Haldir was only trying to humor him, they were quietened at that moment. He looked up at his lover and smiled. “You are serious?”

Haldir simply nodded and looked back up at Aragorn. “Will you?”

“It would be my honor,” the king said, bowing slightly toward his two friends.

Faramir struggled to sit up in Haldir’s lap and moaned in pain and frustration as his body rebelled yet again, and he started coughing. His ribs and chest ached, not to mention the broken bones in his arm and leg. //How can he want me like this?// But when he finally stopped coughing, and his gaze met Haldir’s, he saw nothing but love and concern.

“Here,” Aragorn offered him the small cup of tea. “This will help.”

“Not until after we take our vows,” Faramir said hoarsely. “Then I will drink it.” Resting his head against Haldir’s shoulder, he let his good hand worry the lacings of the Elf’s tunic. “Though I may sleep through our wedding night. Gods, Haldir, I‘m sorry.”

Haldir shook his head and tilted Faramir’s face up with one crooked finger. “Can I hold you tonight?”

“I…”

”Just answer my question, meleth. Can I hold you tonight?”

“Aye.”

“Then it will be perfect,” Haldir said firmly.

There was little Faramir could say to that as he tried to ignore the pain and focus on Aragorn’s words. He repeated his vows and pressed a kiss against Haldir’s neck, and moments later, they were married.

“It’s late,” Aragorn said softly as they completed the ceremony. “We should stop here for the night.” He looked at Faramir face, happy but once again pale from the pain and noticed, for the first time that Haldir looked exhausted as well. The Elf had refused to let Aragorn carry Faramir, and, after seeing how Haldir’s touch seemed to soothe his steward, he’d given up on trying to make a stretcher to carry him on. Haldir’s nearness seemed to give Faramir strength, and Aragorn wasn’t about to do anything that might hinder that.

Haldir whispered to Faramir as Aragorn set up their tents and then carefully tucked him into their makeshift bed. Faramir coughed when laying down flat, so Haldir had simply let his new husband lean up against him, no small feat as the exhausted Elf had nothing to lean up against himself. Still, Faramir finally managed to sleep after he’d taken more of Aragorn’s tea, their vows still ringing in his head, and his new husband’s hands moving lovingly over his body.

Several hours later, Aragorn sat just outside of the tent and cleared his throat. “How is he, Haldir? And how are you?”

Haldir opened the edge of the tent and gave Aragorn a tired smile. “He is resting,” he whispered. “His breathing seems a bit easier, and the tea has helped with his pain, I think.”

“And you?”

”Me?” Haldir blinked and for the briefest of moments, Aragorn saw the exhaustion that blanketed the Elf’s handsome face before he quickly covered it with his usual calm exterior. He smiled and waved his hand. “I am fine…only worried about him.”

“I’m worried about both of you,” the king said softly. “You’re exhausted, Haldir. If you don’t get some rest, you’ll do Faramir no good at all.”

“Just concentrate on him,” Haldir murmured, letting his fingers brush lightly thorough Faramir’s hair. He paused for a moment and shook his head. “He actually thought I was going to sail and leave him.”

Aragorn smiled down at his steward and nodded. “I know. He told me. He has never thought himself worthy of your love and never even considered that you would chose him over your rightful future in Aman.”

Faramir snored loudly, and both Haldir and Aragorn chuckled as Haldir’s hands moved lightly over his husband’s arms. “I knew I wouldn’t sail only a few weeks after I met him,” the Elf said, easing himself into a more comfortable position. “You felt the way he did, did you not? That Arwen shouldn’t have stayed here with you, shouldn’t have given up her life to be with you?”

Aragorn simply nodded.

“Some things are simply meant to be,” Haldir continued. “Arwen was meant to be with you, just as I was meant to be with Faramir.”

“I think he is a very lucky man,” the king said after a moment. “He had already been through so much when you met him. Between the way his father treated him and the loss of everyone dear to him, I was always worried about him.”

“He is strong,” Haldir whispered. “The bravest Man I have ever known, and he has the grace and beauty of one of the first-born themselves.”

“Aye.” Aragorn smiled at his sleeping steward for a moment, thinking of all the ways his life had changed since Haldir had came into his life. “He is a different man now…one filled with laughter and joy. I think all of Gondor has rejoiced at the change that has come over him.”

“I’m glad I could bring happiness to him, but it is nothing compared to what he has given me,” Haldir said, stifling a yawn. Pressing a kiss to the top of Faramir’s head, he burrowed down further into the covers, careful not to wake his lover.

“You are good for each other,” Aragorn said, resting one hand on Haldir’s shoulder. “Now, rest, my friend. We need to set out early in the morning.”

Faramir shifted in his sleep and moaned softly, but did not awaken.

“He will be all right, won’t he?” Haldir asked, almost afraid of hearing the answer.

“We will make sure of it.” Aragorn bowed slightly to Haldir and backed away. If love could cure his steward, then he would be up and about in no time, he was certain of that.

“You have to be all right,” Haldir whispered against Faramir’s ear. “I could not stand to lose you.”

As if in response, Faramir turned his head to the side, resting his ear over Haldir’s heart. Moments later, both Man and Elf were asleep, holding each other even in their dreams.

By the time the trio made it to Gondor, they were all exhausted. Haldir’s strength and devotion had done more to heal Faramir than anything Aragorn had done, and both the king and his steward were well aware of that.

Even when they reached the city, Haldir refused to release Faramir, and only let him go to carefully lay him down on the bed in their chambers. There was little else Aragorn could do, as the bones were already set and the herbs he’d given Faramir were the same ones he would have given him had they been at home. At least now, he was comfortable in his own bed, and his husband was curled up contentedly against him, at his beck and call for anything and everything he might want.

Faramir slept for several days after their return, waking only to eat and let Haldir bathe him. Slowly his strength began to return. It still seemed a dream to him, that he was married to Haldir, but as his friends congratulated him and stopped by to wish him well, he finally began to accept that he was, indeed, married to the beautiful Elf who had not left his side for even a moment since his injury.

His bones healed quickly and well, and his breathing became easier with each passing day. They had yet to celebrate their wedding night in a manner that would seem befitting, and though Faramir felt guilty, he knew there was little he could do until he could move without pain.

Some three weeks after his injury, Faramir smiled at his lover as Haldir began gathering a small tray with a bowl of water, soap and a sponge. His splints had been removed earlier that day, and he had surprisingly little pain. Aragorn had insisted that he was still not ready to walk yet, and though Haldir had fashioned a chair with wheels on it, both Man and Elf enjoyed it when Haldir carried him.

“I think I would like a real bath tonight,” Faramir said as Haldir sat the tray on table by their bed.

“Then I will have the servants bring us some warm water,” Haldir smiled, leaning over press a kiss to his husband’s lips. “We can relax until then, and I shall join you, if you don’t object.”

“I was hoping you might.” The light was back in Faramir’s blue eyes, and they were once again filled with joy instead of the pain that had taken residence there in the previous weeks. “I was also hoping we could celebrate our marriage.”

Haldir’s heart skipped a beat as he pulled back to look at his lover. “You…you were?” Seeing that Faramir was almost back to his old self, the Elf swallowed the lump in his throat and slid from the bed. “Maybe I can see if they can’t hurry up a bit with that water…”

By the time the large, sunken bath was full, Haldir and Faramir were both aroused. They’d spent the greater part of an hour on the bed, doing nothing more than kissing and touching, both lovers afraid that any sudden movement would reawaken Faramir’s pain.

A soft knock on the door caused them to draw apart, and Haldir pulled back to smile at his husband. “I think our bath is ready,” he whispered hoarsely.

Faramir nodded and wrapped his arms around Haldir’s neck. He fastened his lips against warm skin, marking Haldir as his own as he was gently cradled against a strong chest and lifted easily from the bed. Haldir shivered and hurried toward their bathing room, where he carefully deposited Faramir on the bench and quickly removed both their robes. Moments later, he was stepping into the water, his eyes half lidded with pleasure as Faramir’s lips continued moving over him. His arousal was pressed firmly against his belly, and he could see that Faramir’s own length was hard and weeping as well.

As Haldir sat down, the water rose to just cover his nipples and he moaned softly as his lips sealed over Faramir’s in a deep kiss. Faramir settled in his lap and slid one hand between them, lightly stroking Haldir’s erection underneath the water. One of Haldir’s arms rested behind his lover’s shoulders, holding him close as his free hand trailed lightly over his beloved’s skin.

When they pulled away from the kiss, Faramir’s eyes were dark with desire, and he felt more loved than ever as his husband’s eyes reflected that same need back at him. He reached behind Haldir for the small vial of bath oil and brought it between them. Without a word, Haldir held out his hand and watched as his husband poured a generous amount of the oil over his fingers.

Faramir parted his legs and nuzzled against Haldir’s neck, smiling as the Elf trembled beneath him. A slick finger was soon trailing over his entrance, teasing the sensitive skin mercilessly, causing Faramir to curse softly under his breath. “Haldir, please…it’s been too long,” he murmured. “I need…” His words were lost in a soft moan as Haldir’s finger slid inside him. A second finger was quickly added as Haldir ravished his mouth, their combined need almost overwhelming them both.

When Faramir’s body accepted Haldir’s fingers easily, they were removed, and Haldir gently turned his husband away from him, the only position he could think of that wouldn’t cause the injured limbs to bump against the side of the bath. Faramir, leaned his head back on Haldir’s shoulder and felt loving hands grip his hips and position him over the thick column of flesh that stood proudly up from between the Elf’s legs.

The steward moaned as he was impaled, Haldir’s length moving deep within him, inch by torturous inch, spreading Faramir open, stretching and filling him completely. Long arms wrapped around his chest, and teasing fingers moved over his nipples as Faramir’s body adjusted to the intrusion. Within moments, Faramir took control, settling his good leg underneath him, and moving up and down on his husband’s straining sex. He found a rhythm that suited them both, Haldir’s hands on his hips helping him move, harder and faster with every passing moment.

Faramir tilted his head until he could kiss his husband again, and one arm wrapped back around Haldir’s neck. As if on cue, long fingers wrapped around Faramir’s cock, stroking him in time with their movements. Haldir began to thrust up as his free hand rested on Faramir’s stomach, guiding him down again and again.

Faramir could do little other than writhe on top of his lover, gasping for air, his skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat despite the water around them.

They tried to draw out their lovemaking for as long as possible, but it had been too long, too many nights of being close but unable to do more than share sweet kisses, and before long, both their releases were upon them. Haldir thrust up hard one last time, crying out his lover’s name as he spilled deep within the clenching channel. Faramir was right behind him, his back arching, cock sliding through Haldir’s hand even as he forced himself back down on the pulsing length inside of him.

Shuddering from head to toe, Faramir rested his head on Haldir’s shoulder again and pressed a kiss against his neck. “I love you, my husband,” he murmured.

Haldir wrapped both arms around him and smiled. “And I love you,” he whispered, feeling his lover relax back against him.

By the time Haldir lifted Faramir from the water again, both Man and Elf were relaxed and sleepy. Faramir tried to stand on his good leg, but Haldir was having none of it, settling his lover back in his lap on the small bench against the wall to dry them both off, then kissing him soundly as they made their way back bed.

A soft knock on the door caused them both to sigh and pull the covers up to their waists.

“Faramir? Haldir?” Aragorn’s familiar voice drifted through the door, but he didn’t try to open it. “I just wanted to see how you were feeling.”

Faramir settled back down in the bed and rested his head on Haldir’s shoulder. His leg and arm still felt a bit out of sorts, his ribs were slightly sore, but the smile on his face was content. “Never better, sir,” he called out to his king. “Never better.”

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