Happy Sunday everyone! Wow, I was looking at my chapter list as I edited this yesterday and after this chapter, we only have two more to go! This has been an amazing journey to take with all and I hope you guys enjoy the last few chapters of this story. Thank you to each and every one of you for reading and reviewing. I love seeing my view count shoot up each Sunday with people excited for the new chapter! It means so much that you guys like my little ramblings that I post on here. Your support is truly amazing!
Be thinking about some stories/deleted scenes you'd like to see in the future and be sure to let me know in your reviews! I love getting inspitation from you guys!
Well without further ado, here is the third to last chapter of Tenderhearted! I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to hear from you!
It was a very anxious Elrohir that sat awaiting Elladan to return with Aragorn. His arms ached to hold the boy and his soul cried for the joy and love that he had locked away within himself and that now only Aragorn's presence could unlock again.
"Ada, will he wish to come", Elrohir asked fearfully as more memories of the day in the creek began to come back to him. "Did I frighten him when I collapsed?"
"Of course, he was frightened, but it was only because he was worried about you", Elrond assured him. "He has asked about you every single day multiple times a day. He will be elated to see you, my son."
Elrohir smiled and shifted anxiously, impatient to see the child he loved so much. It was only moments later when the sound of little feet running through the hall gave the elves a very limited warning to the ecstatic little boy that was barreling into the room. Elrond only just had time to move out of the way before Aragorn leapt headlong onto the bed and threw himself into Elrohir's waiting arms. All his love for Aragorn and the joy the child brought him that he'd locked away came rushing back in a stream of light to the younger twin's heart the moment the child was in his arms. Elrohir found himself caught between laughing and sobbing as he clutched Aragorn to him and kissed his little face. Warmth blossomed through him again from the inside out, driving away the agonizing chill of anguish that had held him in its clutches for days now.
"I miss you 'Wo", Aragorn said. "Lowd E'wond said you hada sleep 'cause you not feel good." The little boy pulled back and patted Elrohir's face gently with his hand. "You 'K now?"
Elrohir choked on what tried to be another sob and made it come out as a laugh instead as he caught Aragorn's hand and kissed the tiny fingers. "Oh yes, little one. I am perfect now, completely perfect."
He gathered Aragorn in his arms again and held him tightly to his chest, letting the sweet presence of the boy continue to soothe the rapidly dulling ache in his heart.
Elrond smiled at how happy his son was and gently rested his hand on top of Elrohir's head. The fëa that met his gaze this time was nearly whole once again as it should be. Shards from the far reaches of Elrohir's mind were still returning to his heart, but there were so few missing pieces now where large portions had before been gone. The wounds and grey shadows of grief from before Elrohir's heart was shattered were still there as they were things that would take time to heal. However, the bright spot of healing, light, and hope had also come back finally and it was bigger and brighter than ever.
Elrond smiled as he withdrew from his son once again. He knew he'd made the right choice and now all that was left was to explain it to Aragorn. That was a conversation he looked most forward to, but for now he was content to watch this little boy and his newest son restore the heart of his youngest twin.
That night, it was a joy filled Elrohir who sat propped up in his bed reading one of his favorite books that Erestor had earlier brought him. Aragorn, Elladan, and Elrond had spent the rest of the day with Elrohir and the presence of his family had been the greatest medicine to Elrohir's soul possible. He felt happier and more whole than he had in such a long time.
He knew there would be bad days to come. Days filled with sad memories and more tears. Grief did not evaporate overnight even when one was surrounded by as much love as Elrohir was. What the young twin did know was that he would be able to get through such days. He had the healing touch of his father, the support of his twin, and the endless smiles of Aragorn that would hold his spirit together and guide him through the hard days and into the healing that waited on the other side of them. But those days were not here and they were not now. Elrohir pushed such thoughts out of his mind, knowing they would happen in their own time. He refused to let them spoil his happiness now.
Elrohir sighed contentedly into the quiet room as he closed the book and leaned against the pillow behind him, resting his eyes and listening to the crickets chirp outside his room. Elrond and Elladan were off giving Aragorn his evening bath before it was time for him to be put to bed. Aragorn had been in Elrohir's room with them all day and Elrohir had insisted that both Elrond and Elladan at least go play with him during bath time. He couldn't wait until he would be able to play with Aragorn as well. Elrond had promised him that if he would rest in bed all the following day, he would be allowed outside the day after. Elrohir was so happy to know he'd have entire days to spend with his new little brother. His future was looking brighter to him than it had in a very long time.
Suddenly a knock pulled him from his thoughts and he did not even get a chance to call for the person to enter before the door flew open and Elrohir found himself with his arms full of Aragorn once again.
"Aragorn, you cannot just knock and enter", Elladan chided gently with a laugh, closing the door with his foot as his arms were full of a myriad of other things. "You have to wait for the person to tell you to come in!"
"Sowwy", Aragorn said, not sounding a bit sorry as he merely snuggled closer to Elrohir.
"That is quite alright, tithen pen", Elrohir laughed, noting that the boy was now dressed in his sleeping clothes. He must be getting ready to go to bed. "Did you come to tell me goodnight?"
Aragorn shook his head and Elladan dropped his armload into his brother's lap, revealing it to be the boy's favorite picture book, two soft blankets, and Aragorn's stuffed fox.
"He wanted you to read him his bedtime story", Elladan said plopping in the chair next to the bed.
"Pwease, 'Wo, pwease", Aragorn asked, grey eyes huge and imploring.
Elrohir smiled widely and gave the boy a hug. "Nothing would make me happier, little one. Which would you like to hear tonight?"
"Glowfy and the balwock", Aragorn said, excitedly bouncing on his knees.
"That one again", Elladan laughed. "We tell you that one nearly every night!"
"Uh huh, uh huh", Aragorn said, continuing to bounce. "It my favwite!"
"Alright then, little toad", Elrohir laughed. "Stop your jumping and I shall read it to you."
Aragorn immediately scrambled up to sit quietly in Elrohir's lap and the younger twin covered him with the blankets and gave him his fox before flipping to the right page and beginning to read. Before the story was even halfway over, Aragorn was soundly asleep on Elrohir's chest with one arm around his fox and the fingers of the other gently entwined in the younger twin's sleeping shirt. Elrohir closed the book silently, put it down on his bedside table, and draped his arms over the boy, his fingers gently petting Aragorn's curly hair. The twins sat in silence for a long moment as they watched the little boy sleep so peacefully. His face was especially sweet when relaxed in sleep.
"Elladan, it was not your fault", Elrohir suddenly said quietly. "None of it was."
"You heard me", Elladan said, more a statement than question.
"Aye, I heard you", Elrohir said, reaching out to grasp his brother's hand. "Ada was exactly right in what he said. You have been nothing but loving and supportive of me through all that I have had to endure these last weeks. I do not know where I would be right now without you…actually I do. I am sure I would have faded without you by my side. I know you rely on my calm and softness, Elladan, but I also rely on your strength, passion, and fire as well, more than you could realize. Because of your excitement and vigor for life, you have inspired me to have the same in times where perhaps it would have been in my nature to merely exist day to day. Besides even that, you have ever been my soft heart's most trusted protector and ever will you be. I love you brother, and I need you more than I can even describe."
"Elrohir, I love you too, muindor", Elladan said, moving to sit on the bedside so he could pull Elrohir's head over onto his shoulder. "I suppose Ada was right. We do need each other equally. I…I had begun to fear my fire was a burden to your soft heart, brother. I never want to be that to you."
"Oh, Elladan, never, never has it been so! I love your energy and passion brother. I need it to prevent me from becoming too withdrawn. We share a single fëa Elladan. You know that. The extreme counterparts to my emotions are inside you and those to yours are in me. Where others must work to find balance within themselves, we must balance each other. I see that as a blessing, my dear brother, and I would have it no other way. I…I have feared that perhaps I failed you by allowing my own anger to rule me after Nana left. I know that you express your emotions through anger and battle, but a part of me still feels like all the times you ended up injured or your anger consumed and tortured you were all my fault. That they happened because, in my anger, I failed to be your calm and quiet place of rest when you needed me most."
"Ai, Elrohir, that has never been the case", Elladan exclaimed softly. "Even through your own anger, you have always been my place of calm. Everything I did was borne of my own grief. It was a path I had to walk in order to heal just as this is one you have to. I could never have grieved properly without you being by my side. Never have you failed me, Elrohir, never once. You were the only thing that got me through those awful years."
Elrohir smiled in relief and squeezed Elladan's hand tightly in his own. It felt good to have talked to his brother in a way they had not done in a long time and to open up about the fears he had carried for many a year. "I suppose we have found yet another thing we have in common, my brother. We both seem to carry around far too much misplaced guilt on our shoulders."
"Aye, I suppose we do", Elladan chuckled. "Let us then make a promise. Whenever I feel I have failed you or hurt you, I shall not carry it silently upon my shoulders. I shall tell you how I feel and you will be honest as to whether that something actually did hurt you or if you actually did need more from me in a situation. You shall do the same and I shall always be honest with you as well. Gwesta, muindor nin?"
"Gwesta, muindor nin", Elrohir said with a smile, gripping his brother's hand tightly again to seal their promise.
Elladan smiled and rested his head on top of his brothers, contentment and love flowing freely and openly between the brother's fëar. Before long Elrohir began to yawn and lean more heavily into his brother's side as his emotionally taxing day caught up with him.
"Lay back and go to sleep, Elrohir", Elladan murmured. "You still need your rest."
"Stay", Elrohir asked sleepily, tightening his hold on Elladan's hand.
"Of course, I shall", Elladan murmured, leaning down to kiss Elrohir's forehead. "Lay down and I shall put out the lamps."
Elrohir nodded and gently lifted Aragorn from where the boy still slept on his chest. He laid the boy next to him and scooted slowly over to the other side to make room for Elladan before pulling Aragorn back against his chest and cuddling the small body warmly to him. Elladan slipped from the room to put on his own sleeping clothes and then returned to crawl into the bed with his two brothers, careful not to disturb Aragorn. He habitually began to fuss with Elrohir's blankets, as he'd done while his brother had been unconscious and in the grip of the chill to make sure he was warm, and quickly got a smack on the hand for his trouble.
"Knock it off", Elrohir grumbled. "I am quite old enough to put myself to bed, naneth."
Elladan laughed, his heart relieved beyond measure that Elrohir truly had finally returned to his old self. "You do not know how much I have wanted to hear that out of you these last days, brother!"
Elrohir chuckled, knowing how unnerving it was when Elladan was so still, quiet, and unresistant to help when he was very injured. He imagined his brother must have felt the same for him. Elladan laid back against the pillows and the twins' hands joined together on top of their littlest brother who slept between them, their eyes filled with love for him as they watched his small chest rise and fall steadily in sleep.
"Goodnight, muindor, le melin", Elrohir murmured to his twin.
"I love you too, muindor", Elladan replied. "Sleep well."
"Goodnight, tithen gwador", they said together to the sleeping child between them. "We love you so much too."
That night when Elrond peeked into Elrohir's room to make sure his son was asleep, his heart seemed to still with the joyful shock of seeing all his sons sleeping peacefully together. It brought such delight to him to see his family finally at peace and happy together. Gently he tiptoed into the room and kissed each one of his sons in turn; Elladan, Elrohir, and finally little Aragorn. Already Elrond found himself with a father's love for the little boy. The child absolutely belonged with them and Elrond was as happy as his sons that Aragorn was staying permanently.
Quietly the elf lord shut the door back behind him as he left to retire to his own room for the night. He was looking forward to the first truly restful evening he would have after his many sleepless nights of late.
Dream Plane: Hahahaha, that's what I get for rushing to do my chapter editing and responses like 10 minutes before we ran out the door to go visit my grandparents out of town! Thanks for drawing my attention to that typo. I went back and fixed it!
Yes Elrohir has woken to far more hope than he ever dreamed of now that Aragorn will be staying permanently with them. He was the key that could bring back that joyful side of Elrohir's spirit. Now they all can't wait to tell Aragorn himself about the arrangements!
Thank you as always for reading and reviewing!
Elvish Terms:
Ada – Father (familiar)
Fëa – An elf's spirit
Gwaesta – Swear (to promise)
Le Melin – I Love You
Muindor Nin – My Brother (by blood)
Naneth – Mother (formal)
Tithen Gwador – Little Brother (by adoption)
Tithen Pen – Little One
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