Disclaimer: The characters such as Elladan, Elrohir, and Aragorn are the soul property of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written purely for my own enjoyment. This goes with the story "Guess how much I Love You" by Sam McBratney, so the storyline is all his. Please don't burn me!
5 year-old Aragorn, who was headed to bed, held tight to Elladan's head so he wouldn't fall off his shoulders. Elrohir followed close behind, occasionally jabbing Aragorn's sides with his fingers, making the small child shriek in laughter and roughly pull Elladan's hair.
"Knock it off, El," said Elladan about the fifth time it happened. "or I'm going to give you some trouble when we get to Estel's room."
"Uh-oh, I'd better watch out now!" Elrohir moved forward and gently poked Aragorn again, earning Elladan a small kick in the chest.
Elladan adjusted Aragorn's legs and rolled his eyes. He turned around and faced Elrohir, whose laughing was becoming contagious. "Are you ever going to grow up?" he said, trying and failing to not let the giggling out. He took his chance and aimed a gentle swipe at Elrohir's head.
Elrohir easily blocked his twin's arm and laughed again. "I will when you do!"
Aragorn waved his small hand in front of Elladan's face, redirecting his attention. "Be nice, 'Ladan! I still want you to hold me up!" he began to laugh again.
Elladan laughed, reached up and ruffled Aragorn's dark curls. "Don't worry, Estel. I'll be nice."
Aragorn wrapped his arms around Elladan's head again as the three entered his room.
As Elladan gently tossed Aragorn onto the bed, the small human turned and looked at both the twins as he untucked his quilt. He waited until he was sure they were both listening.
"Guess how much I love you."
"Oh, I don't think we could guess that!" said Elrohir, smiling again.
"This much." Aragorn sat up and stretched out his arms as far as they would go.
Both Elladan and Elrohir had even longer arms, and both copied Aragorn, stretching them as far as they would go. "But we love you this much." They said.
Hmm, that's a lot, thought Aragorn.
"I love you as high as I can reach." Said Aragorn, standing on the bed and reaching for the ceiling.
Both twins got on the bed and did the same. "We love you as high as we can reach."
That's very high. Thought Aragorn. I wish I had arms like that.
Then Aragorn got a good idea. He jumped off the bed, tumbled upside down and crawled up his wall with his feet.
"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.
Both twins followed and Elladan picked him up. "And we love you all the way up to your toes," he said, swinging Aragorn up over his head.
"I love you as high as I can hop!" laughed Aragorn, bouncing up and down.
"But we love you as high as we can hop," smiled Elrohir, hopping so high he cleared Aragorn's bed.
That's good hopping, thought Aragorn. I wish I could hop like that.
"I love you all the way down the fields as far as the river," cried Aragorn.
"We love you across the river and into the mountains," said both the twins.
That's very far, thought Aragorn. He was almost to sleepy to think anymore.
Then he looked out his window, out into the dark, silent night. Nothing could be farther than the sky, or the stars.
Elladan gently picked up the small human, walked over to his bed, and tucked him in. Elrohir followed and sat down next to his twin.
"I love you right up to the moon." said Aragorn, and closed his eyes.
"Oh, that's far," said Elladan, looking at Elrohir, who smiled back. "That's very, very far."
Both the twins leaned over and kissed Aragorn good night.
Elrohir smiled and whispered close to Aragorn's ear.
"We love you right up to the moon . . ." he looked at Elladan, who leaned forward and joined in. " . . . and back."
The EndPlease review!