A/n: This is my first fanfic. It came while I was listening to my FotR soundtrack. I hope you like it. Please rate and review! I love any constructive criticism and comments you have that can make my writing better. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Tolkien. If I did, then I wouldn't be writing these fanfictions...
The Two of Us
What a lovely night it was—the night of Bilbo's birthday party. I sat at a table, watching Sam Gamgee trying to dance with Rosie. What a funny sight! Just as I was getting ready to get something to eat, a handsome hobbit lad popped up before me.
"C'mon, Yasa!" he exclaimed, pulling me to my feet, "Will you dance with me?"
"Of course I will, Fredegar Greenhand," I said, straightening my skirt, blushing slightly.
I took his hand and we twirled in the midst of dozens of other gleeful hobbits. Faster and faster we spun with the lively tune of the music in our ears and the feel of his arms around me. My heart soared as I twirled. Round and round, the lights above and around the dance floor blurred as my skirt twirled around my legs. Laughter and music surrounded me. A stray curl that had escaped the bun at the base of my neck fell into my face. He gently tucked it behind my ear, looking at me strangely. As a slower dance started, he pulled me closer. As he looked gently into my eyes, he brought his face closer to mine, but just then, the song ended. A fast paced song began and again we twirled. My cheeks burned in embarrassment when I noticed several people beginning to stare.
The world faded away and all that existed were the two of us. My skirt swished around my bare legs as we twirled with his arms around my waist. He looked into my eyes, and I looked into his. Middle-earth no longer existed—only us. Suddenly, a shout from the other guests startled me out of my reverie. A great dragon of fire swooped down upon the party as everyone dived to the ground, screaming. As everyone present watched, the dragon burst into a flame of fireworks as everyone cheered, rising quickly.
Fredegar helped me to my feet. I dusted off my dress and began walking towards the party tree, but the hobbit lad took my hand and led me away to the dark lane running by the field. He looked at me sadly. He pulled me closer to him as he pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. But, as suddenly as he had held me, he let me go and was gone down the dark lane into the night. I stared after him, dumbfounded and confused.
"Fredegar, wait!" I gasped, but no one is there to hear my plea. He was gone, drifted into the night. Drawing a shaky breath, I slowly fell to my knees. Suddenly, I felt so alone, so lonely. "Please wait," I whispered, bending down, resting my head in my hands. A tear trickled down my cheek and splashed onto my light green party dress.
Days drifted by into weeks since Bilbo's birthday party. I felt suddenly lost in my own world and I didn't know why. I continued to dwell on that night when nothing had existed but Fredegar and me. Although my heart asked "why should I care?" I could still see the party tree all decorated with colorful lamps and feel his arms around me.
But I did not see him again. Every evening I went to work the Ivy Bush Inn behind the counter, serving someone here and putting something away over there. Fredegar Greenhand was nowhere to be seen.
Everything remained the same until a month later. The sun was already beginning to turn the clouds hanging about the horizon warm pinks and oranges as I walked home early one morning. I shivered and wrapped my shawl tighter about my shoulders as a cold wind whipped down the road.
As I opened the gate leading to the garden of my small hobbit hole, I stumbled over a small bump in the stone pathway and fell to the ground. I could not stand it anymore. Several tears of frustration ran down my face. I shivered as a fresh gust of wind thrashed around me. As the wind died away once again, I suddenly felt something warm encircling me. Someone pulled me up and wrapped me in a tight, warm embrace. When I looked up to see who it was, I looked straight into the face of Fredegar Greenhand.
"Fredegar," I whisper breathlessly, biting my lip.
"Yasaecla," he answered, drying away a stray tear from my face with his thumb, "I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"
"The same place I have always been," I answered tearfully, wrapping my arms around his neck, "I've been waiting right here."
Fredegar pulled me closer to him, resting his forehead on my shoulder. "I missed you," he whispered tenderly into my ear. He kissed my forehead and loosened his embrace.
"No! Please, don't leave," I begged earnestly, snatching his hands and holding them tightly.
"I'm not going anywhere, Yasa," he said softly, stroking my cheek, "I'm going to take you inside. It's cold out here."
"Oh . . . okay."
I turned around and headed for the door. As I opened the brightly painted round door, Fredegar took my free hand and followed me inside. Before I knew what was happening, he had a small fire crackling merrily in the fireplace and a pot of tea boiling on the hearth.
"There we are," he said cheerfully, getting up from stoking the fire, ". . . Yasa?" He walked over to where I stood in the doorway of the kitchen. He gently sat me in a chair near the fireplace and turned towards where the teapot was bubbling. After throwing some tea leaves into the pot, Fredegar carefully poured the steaming liquid into two teacups. "Yasa . . . I . . ." he began uncertainly, carefully setting the pot onto the table.
The strain in the room was almost tangible. "I can't stand this much longer! Why did he leave me like that only to appear now?" I thought desperately. I bit my lip to keep the tears that were welling up in my eyes from falling.
Fredegar looked down at me uncertainly before seeming to make a final decision. He suddenly fell to one knee in front of the chair I was sitting on and took my hand. The tears that had been gathering in my eyes finally overflowed and raced down my face like tiny waves. He took my hands in his and kissed them. "Yasaecla," he began again, "Where I was I cannot tell you now, but this I can tell you: I love you and I always have and I want to be here for you always . . ." Fredegar paused, tilting my tearstained face to look at him. "Yasa . . ." he whispered. I blushed; I had never heard him speak so tenderly, so passionately, before.
Fredegar pulled a small wooden box out of his pocket. He carefully opened it and slid the most beautiful ring that I had ever seen onto my finger. "Yasaecla Burrows, will you marry me?" I gasped, staring wide-eyed at the delicate golden trinket on my finger. I looked up disbelievingly at the lad before me. He gazed back at me shyly, waiting for me to reply.
"Fredegar," I answered breathlessly. I couldn't look away from the deep brown eyes that gazed back at me. "Of course I will, Fredegar Greenhand," I managed to whisper at last, looking down at the band around my finger.
My betrothed took my hands in his again and pulled me to my feet. Before I knew what was happening, he held me in a tight embrace and pressed his lips against mine. Neither of us ever knew how long we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms. However, this I do know: during that period of time, nothing existed but the two of us.