Title: Dream of Him
Rating: T
Imagine: Imagine Gimli playing matchmaker between you and Boromir, while you're secretly playing matchmaker between Gimli and Legolas.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Middle Earth. It all belongs to Tolkien.
Warnings: Fluff, mentions of a homosexual relationship.
Spoilers: Spoilers for The Fellowship of the Rings.
Author's Notes: Originally posted on my tumblr blog, Helmaninquiel.
I felt Gimli stand beside me stiffly, as the cold wind blew from the east, making my fingers quiver around my bow.
"Hello, Gimli," I greeted quietly, my eyes surveying the land below your camp. The Plains, and dangerous ones at that. "How are you?"
"Aye, tired and weary from the travels so far, but nothing I can't handle." I gave a small smile at the dwarf's stubbornness. "And yourself?"
"In desperate need of new scenery," I admitted. "There are only so many plains I can stand to look at before it all becomes the same."
He grunted. "Well, I don't know about scenery, lass-"
I knew what he was trying. It had become obvious after the multiple mishaps with the stream – there were only so many times that Boromir could accidentally walk in on me bathing due to the dwarf's forgetfulness. The dwarf lacked subtlety, in all honesty. And I did my best to divert his attention, with my own form of ... meddling. Boromir preferred to call it matchmaking. "Legolas looks lovely tonight," I spoke. Gimli started, surprised by my words. "A nice change of pace, don't you think?"
Gimli cleared his throat, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Why, yes, I suppose. If you're into elves, that is."
I suppressed a smirk, doing my best to morph it into a soft, serene smile. "I'd imagine his hair is quite soft. For all this wind, I can't keep my hair untangled for the life of me, yet there must be some elf magic around him that keeps it looking so smooth." Gimli grumbled something, but I continued, relentless. "And those arms. So strong, to send an arrow so far, yet strike its mark true."
"Are you sure I'm the right person to talk to about this ache in your loins for an elf?" I couldn't help but laugh at the absurd conclusion he came to, though one that I knew was... hopefully, getting to him. "Why, if you want a strong lad, you should look to Boromir. He carries that long sword like it's a dagger and his hair is just as majestic as Leg- as you claim Legolas's to be."
I hummed, pretending to give it much thought, but the slip up was evidence of partial success. "I suppose, but... Boromir doesn't have the light steps of an elf, either. If there's one thing that's hard to come by on this journey, it's light steps."
He grunted. "Well, I suppose he does have that. Boromir does walk around like a bear sometimes. You know, my father ran into a man that turned into a bear once? Beorn was his name, lived near Legolas's kingdom, and could be a great foul beast one day and a skittish man the next."
I could see the indirect push towards Legolas, meaning I was doing my job well. "Really?" I asked. "And just how did Legolas come across this bear man?"
"Oh, he didn't. Came across my father sure enough, kept him prisoner – King Thranduil even tried to kill him once. Nasty business, my father said. But if there was anything to strike down great Gloin, it would be the king's merciless word. Legolas and some captain I've forgotten the name of were sent after to kill them if they couldn't bring them back-"
"So you must have known Legolas a long time, then?"
Gloin cleared his throat. "I'm meant to be talking to you about Boromir."
I gave him a smile. "It's alright. I prefer to hear about Legolas."
He grumbled. "I'm going to bed, lass. You keep watch."
"With pleasure. If you're so smitten with Boromir, perhaps you'll dream of him?"
He narrowed his eyes at me, not impressed. "You're up to something."
"Me?" I asked, astonished. "Whyever would I be up to something, most of all with you? I know that just by putting a snake in your bedroll, I'll earn a good axe to the head." He grunted, as if agreeing, before he stormed off. "Dream of him!" I called back and he shot a murderous glare at me. I giggled quietly to yourself, turning back to the plains.
I wasn't alone long, Boromir stepping where Gimli had disappeared. "Ah, up to your tricks again?"
"Simply being endearing and cunning, is all," I answered with a smile. Glancing towards him, he met my gaze for a moment, before he seemed to turn a bit red and look out at the sea of grass. "If Gimli wishes for us to keep walking in on each other bathing, then I will simply have to tease him about his relationship with Legolas. Or the relationship that I am hoping they will form."
Boromir chuckled. "I see. And has your meddlesome matchmaking succeeded so far?"
"It worked marvelously well for the first try. I simply reminded him of all the attractive qualities of Legolas, and Gimli couldn't help but agree." I shot a sly smile to the blonde lord. "And then he wouldn't stop talking about you. Perhaps you've got yourself an admirer."
Boromir looked horrified. "What?"
I giggled. "It'll be alright. I'll push Legolas onto him. Unless. . . you return Gimli's sudden affection, of course, in which case-"
"Gimli's sudden affection, as you call it, for me likely comes from the fact that whenever he gets me into a conversation, he won't stop talking about you." I didn't need to even say anything about that matter, because Boromir continued with the conclusion I had reached at the last stream I had been to on my journey. "He's having us run into each other on purpose."
"Mmmhmm," I agreed. "And now that we've stopped trying to take baths when another from the fellowship is missing, he is particularly adamant on painting you in gold for me."
"What is he doing that for?"
"I suspect he's trying to get us to court each other," I admitted. "Or more. I'm not quite sure how committed Gimli is to these antics, but we aren't the only ones who have noticed. Aragorn seems to be deeply amused by it as well."
"I sincerely apologize if I've been too forward or behaved out of turn-"
"Boromir, please. If anything, I have been the forward one." He cleared his throat, and in the starlight, I could see a twinge of pink on his cheeks. "Though I don't apologize for it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to whisper things to Gimli while he sleeps in an effort to sway his dreams."
"Sorcery," Boromir muttered, amused. But he paused suddenly as I started to walk away, leaving him to finish the watch. "Wait, you don't apologize – wait a minute-"
I merely giggled, settling down on my already laid out bedroll, and I glanced back to Boromir, standing by the edge of the stone clearing, dumbfounded. "Thank you for taking my night shift, Boromir. I truly do appreciate it." Boromir glanced to me, still trying to decipher my words, but he merely nodded, as if accepting the switch in night duty. "Wake me when you grow tired, and I will gladly take them back."
Gimli perked up. "How very kind and gentlemanly of him. You'll have to keep that in mind next time he runs into you in the stream-"
"Maybe it'll be you he runs into. Though, if you ever do want to intentionally have someone run into me, remember Legolas, please-"
Legolas choked on some lambas bread, and I winced, not really intending him to hear that – the last thing I wanted was to give the elf guide the wrong idea. But Aragorn said something to Legolas in Elvish, patting the elf's back to keep him from choking, and Legolas turned back to his normal pale pallor instead of a brilliant scarlet. Gimli, however, didn't. Aragorn was chuckling as he stepped around the little hobbits scattered around in their sleep.
"We had best get some rest. We should reach Lothlorien in a few days." I glanced towards Boromir, standing firm as he stared out into the plains, a fond smile touching my lips. Perhaps tomorrow the fellowship would stumble upon a stream. I glanced away from him quickly before Gimli caught me. A bath tomorrow would be nice, with perhaps an unexpected visitor. But the idea that Gimli finds that information out, well, it would be like forfeiting in the game.
