Notes: Hello everyone!

Thank you very much for the kind comments!

This chapter is a bit of a filler that is filled with fluff... But I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Chapter 13

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Outside the sun was shining and the birds were chirping; it honestly looked like the beginning of a Disney movie. Or maybe a musical.

Éomer was fixing a button on his shirt -Éowyn wasn't very neat when she did it, so he preferred to do it himself -when the doorbell rang.

After the last visitor they had -Dany knocking on his door to ask if he dated Susan -Éomer was much more careful with opening the damn door. He approached carefully and used the magic eye to look before opening.

"Oh no." He groaned.

It was Lothíriel.

After all that conversation last night -how many times he'd wished he could just disappear -he was not ready to see Lothíriel. He was probably going to say something idiotic -as he usually did -and she'd think he was stupid or worse: a wanker.

"Éomer! Is that Lothíriel?" Éowyn called from the bathroom. "Open the door for her! I'll be out in a minute."

Éomer cursed under his breath, before opening the door. He could be mature about this. Lothíriel hardly reached his chin, she couldn't do anything to him. He was bigger and meaner!

He pulled the door open.

"Hello, Éomer!" She gave him her sunniest smile.

Éomer almost closed the door again. She was wearing her glasses.

She looked perfect with them.

"Hi, Lothíriel." He cleared his throat. "Éowyn told you to come in. She's taking a shower, but I think she'll be done soon."

"Thank you." She passed him. "Do you know where her computer is? She asked me to come take a look at it."

"It's there." He pointed at the notebook that Éowyn had suspiciously left outside her room.

Lothíriel pulled the chair and took a seat in front of the machine. She was humming something under her breath, and Éomer was almost sure it was a country song -she had a weak spot for American country, especially Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood (he'd never admit he knew that).

She took of her jacket and pushed her glasses higher on her nose. Éomer really wanted to stop looking but it was impossible.

Susan was too kind to really bug him with this silly crush he had on Lothíriel. She'd tease him every once in a while, but she never pushed him too much. At least not until recently with the whole thing of calling Lothíriel for Eothain's wedding. Éomer was, in a way, happy for that. He worried that, if Susan asked too many questions, he'd speak of things he really wasn't ready to talk about. He remembered clearly the first time he saw her.

Éomer was a simple man, with simple ideas; he didn't need much to be happy and he wasn't an ambitious person, he'd never been. For a while he'd been angry at the world. Right after his uncle died there was so much chaos in his life, he felt the only person he could really trust was Éowyn. He became tired, stressed and snapped a few too many times with people that truly didn't deserve it.

The happiest day of his life was when he concluded the proceedings regarding his uncle's estate and could go back to this profession and his life.

Along with Éowyn, he found a new place to live and things were great.

Then Margaery and Lothíriel moved in.

He heard the commotion before he even saw them. Margaery had two brothers helping and Lothíriel had all the males of her family helping. There were too many voices in the hallway and stairwells.

He managed to escape to go buy groceries and when he came back they were still there bringing things up. He offered help to one of the men -Amrothos, one of Lothíriel's brothers, he found later -carry stuff up.

That was the first time he saw Lothíriel.

When he entered the apartment she was there, barefoot and giggling as her father twirled her around the living room.

Éomer had been sucker punched twice in his life, and that moment felt like the third time. Her smile, her eyes, her laughter… It took his breath away.

So he retreated to his grumpy somber ways, helped to put a bed together and left as fast as possible. He hardly knew a thing about her, he wasn't about to start getting crazy ideas.

He tried -very hard -to stay away from her. He felt they were completely different people, who belonged in different universes. Lothíriel was a brilliant person, intelligent beyond his understanding, an educated, well-spoken woman, who also happened to come from a good family and was the closest thing to a princess he'd ever seen in life.

On the other hand, there he was. Éomer was pretty sure the only word that could describe him well enough was 'rough': around the edges, time, ride, looking, just a plain rough person.

He didn't feel like he could talk to anyone about this whole thing, because he felt pretty ridiculous to be having this kind of thoughts, like he was 16 and had a crush on someone.

He was lucky Susan came crashing into his life with chicken-pox. And he wasn't saying he was happy she got chicken-pox, because those days weren't fun at all, but anyway…

Susan managed to crack some of his barriers and got him talking about Lothíriel. She thought it was cute and she was supportive.

Then Robb Stark became single and Lothíriel started hugging him like he was a Care Bear. And Éomer had no right to feel jealous, but deep down… Why the hell lie? He felt jealous.

Susan insisted that Lothíriel didn't see Robb that way, and she might even be right. But still… Robb would be perfect for Lothíriel. Definitely better than Éomer.

Susan could roll her eyes as much as she wanted; he was not being dramatic.

However, as he sat there and watched her tapping away on Éowyn's computer, Éomer couldn't help but think of all the things he admired about her: her eyes, her smile, but -most of all -her mind. Lothíriel was brilliant and this was what Éomer like the most about her.

It really pained him when she called herself silly or diminished herself for whatever reason. Lothíriel's mind -her intelligence, her memory and even her tendency of getting distracted -was the most beautiful thing Éomer had ever seen.

"I didn't know you were an expert on computers too." He said after a while, because he was staring way too much.

"Hum?" Lothíriel turned to him, then opened a smile. "I wouldn't say expert. I just like working with them."

Éomer eyed her. "Is this like those times when you say you aren't so good at something, even though you're really good at it?" He asked carefully.

"I do that?" She inquired confused.

Éomer sighed. "Lothíriel, you do it all the time."

"I don't think so." She scrunched her nose. (Éomer would not think it was cute.)

He arched a brow. "Susan told me your thesis for your PhD is brilliant."

"Hardly." She replied immediately. "It's actually quite a simple subject inside Astrophysics."

"Is that so?" Éomer said dryly.

"Oh." Lothíriel paused. "I just did it, didn't I?" She sighed.

"You did." Éomer confirmed. "Look, nobody likes an arrogant person, that's true. Susan probably only puts up with Peter because he's family."

Lothíriel giggled and Éomer felt stupidly proud of making her do it.

"But what you do isn't modesty." He indicated gently. "You're brilliant, but you still feel the need to say you aren't."

She bit her lower lip and looked down and Éomer worried he'd gone too far. They weren't friends exactly and he had no right to put his nose on her life.

"Do you…" She cleared her throat. "Do you really think I'm brilliant?"

"I don't think, I know." He indicated. "How can you possibly think otherwise? Don't the girls tell you that?"

"They do." She shrugged. "But they're my friends."

He as confused. "So?"

"Friends sometimes say things just to make you happy." She indicated.

"I don't think so." He told her honestly. "Sure, friends sometimes say things to encourage you, but a good friend knows when to be honest too. And I believe the girls wouldn't tell you that you're brilliant just because. They must really think so."

Lothíriel was pressing her lips together.

"What?" Éomer asked slightly unnerved by the look on her eyes.

She opened a smile that threatened to blind Éomer with its intensity. Her eyes were sparkling with something between delight and mischief.

"If I say you're cute…" She started, "Are you going to get angry with me?"

Éomer spluttered for a full minute, making Lothíriel giggle again. "Cute?" He repeated.

"You are." She insisted. "I always thought so because of little Sam and how he adores you, but this was extra cute. And here I thought you couldn't stand me…"

She said it like an afterthought, something she considered quite obvious and didn't pay much attention to, but the fact she thought he couldn't stand her sat heavily within Éomer. He was an idiot.

Something his sister and Éothain would happily agree with.

He took a deep breath. "I can stand you quite well." He forced out. "I know I'm not the most talkative person of this building…"

"That's Margaery." She informed him. "She's the one that says more words per day."

"How do you…" He shook his head. "Never mind. The point is, despite my ways, I don't dislike you, Lotty. I think you're smart and charming."

"Really?" Her eyes became round behind her glasses.

Why did she have to be this adorable?

"Really." He confirmed.

She put her elbow on the table, then used her hand to support her face. "Thank you." She smiled at him.

"You're welcome." He said, even if he felt he should've stopped talking a long time ago. But there was nothing wrong in letting Lothíriel know she was an amazing person. She was.

"Hey, Lotty!" Éowyn came out of her room, toweling her hair dry. "Sorry for taking this long."

As the two women started talking, Éomer realized something: it had taken too long. Éowyn always boasted the fact she could take a shower in under 10 minutes and get ready in another five; especially if she was staying home, like it was the case.

Éowyn had taken way too long to get ready.

Which meant…

He was going to kill all of them.

XxX

"It was cute." Lothíriel admitted.

"Good for you, darling!" Margaery cooed. "Éomer clearly thinks you're a charming young…"

"I never thought he'd even know I existed." Lothíriel commented.

The women around her groaned. "Trust me, Lotty… He notices you." Dany told her simply.

"Flat white for Susan!" The barista called, and the woman waved at him.

"Apparently he does." Lotty mused.

"Hot chocolate for Lotty!" The barista called again and Dany, who was closer, recovered the cup for her friend.

"Maybe he likes you." Tauriel offered, ignoring all the dirt looks her friends were sending her. She didn't think that subtle was going to work here.

"Caramel Frappuccino for Marjorie!"

Margaery groaned. "Again this?"

Sansa snorted. "What are you complaining? I bet he's going to call me…"

"White chocolate mochaccino for Sandra!"

Sansa rolled her eyes. "I knew it! I spelled my name, but he was clearly not paying attention."

"That's why I always say Lotty." Lothíriel informed them. "Otherwise I get called anything from Loretta to Lobelia."

"But let's get back to Éomer…" Margaery pressed.

"Double espresso for Danielle!"

"I'm going to sue them all." Dany spoke through gritted teeth.

Margaery snorted.

"Éomer doesn't like me." Lothíriel spoke, completely sure.

"How do you even know that?" Éowyn demanded.

"I don't think I'm the type of girl Éomer would be interested on."

Tauriel opened her mouth to contest that, when… "Chai Latte for Tania."

"Come on, man! You aren't even trying anymore." Tauriel protested.

"Éomer probably like girls like Tauriel." Lotty pointed out. "Tall, amazing women that can kick people's arse and run a marathon every day."

"I can't run a marathon every day." Tauriel indicated.

"Or like camping." Lothíriel added after a minute. "He probably likes girls that camp."

"Earl Grey for Eleanor!"

"I'm going to punch him." Éowyn decided.

While Tauriel took Éowyn away and Dany went to complain about the whole thing to the barista, Sansa, Susan and Margaery traded looks.

Great. Now Lothíriel thought Éomer had a type.

Just peachy.

Notes: Ah Éomer... You silly goose.

The "Starbucks" part is a joke my friend Ayla made when I started writing this fanfic. She said those girls would be the nightmare of anyone working on Starbucks, so i decided to write the scene... hahahah

I hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know your feelings.