A/N Hello and welcome back to Two Idiots Don't Realize They're Falling In Love #honestly thought, once these assholes are trapped with eight other people for weeks on end everyone's gonna know but they'll still be like naaahhhhh seems fake.

Too many days in Middle-Earth had caused her to wake at dawn without trying anymore. The lack of artificial lights had made her body revert to following the sun more than the hour so even being sick, she woke with the pink sky.

It took a few seconds for her to get her bearings and remember she wasn't in Rivendell. Moreover she wasn't as chilled by the morning air as usual and realized it was because she'd fallen asleep on Aragorn. Tilting her head up she found he was still asleep, his arms wrapped around her so perfectly she refused to move an inch.

In the light of day she wasn't sure how to feel about their current situation. What were the Middle-Earth rules about falling asleep in a man's arms on a two person camping trip? Boromir had insinuated the whole thing was a little uncouth but she hadn't paid him any mind. It was Boromir after all.

Josephine began to wonder if she'd been too forward when she'd laid down on him, perhaps it was a bid for comfort he was willing to give in the situation but something she'd best avoid in the future.

Psh. Because naturally she'd be falling asleep on him all over the place during the journey. What was she thinking? She was sick and had had a horrible nightmare, he wouldn't hold that against her and it likely wouldn't happen again anyway.

Which meant she should enjoy this while it lasted. Aragorn sure had a way about him that she just couldn't quite let go of. She couldn't help it. Latent fangirl tendencies or no, things were better when he was there and a lot less dim. Sure, one day he'd go off and rule Gondor and marry some Gondorian noblewoman probably. Hopefully he wouldn't end up with Eowyn only because she would then have to figure out what to do about Faramir but that was a worry for later and had less world destroying ramifications. But so long as he was willing to be a friend and offer his shoulder for support, Josephine would be thankful for it. She didn't want to spend too much time thinking beyond the end of the war anyway. It was hard enough to process the here and now, let alone her future in a world she might never get to leave.

It wasn't much longer before Aragorn began to stir and Josephine closed her eyes, hoping maybe for a few more minutes in his arms if she pretended she was still asleep. She evened out her breathing which seemed to convince him well enough because he barely moved except to touch his palm to her forehead and brush back her hair.

If he didn't fall back asleep he certainly wasn't trying to get up either and they stayed that way until the sun was coming in through the trees. Even at that, she wasn't sure either of them would've moved if a cough hadn't ripped its way up through her dry throat, cutting through the calm, quiet morning.

As she sat up, slipping out of his arms to hack into her elbow, his hand lingered on her back and he handed her a waterskin. Half of it later she'd gotten a handle on the cough and took several measured breaths.

"Your fever has broken." He said with a hint of relief in his tone as he got up to rebuild the fire. "Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded, she definitely felt a bit less like shit this morning despite nearly losing a lung. "More human than yesterday, less human than the day before. The goal is to be fine by the time we get back to Rivendell so nobody knows this happened. Specifically Boromir because he'll be smug and say he was right."

"About?"

"This trip being a bad idea. Although I think it was more that I would miss training time and the fact that he just doesn't like you very much to begin with than him thinking something bad would happen. But he'll pretend he was right and that'll make him insufferable."

Setting water to boil now that the fire was going again he reached for his pack. "Your secret will be safe, my lady." He said solemnly.

She chuckled, having more from the waterskin and finding her sore throat was going away. "See that you do, my lord."

With a smile he took several dried leaves from his pack and added them to the water. "And if I have a part in it, you will be."

The day passed somewhat unlike any they'd had together before. There was nothing to be done aside from keeping the fire going. He checked the snares and came back with another rabbit that he dressed while she napped. They ate, rested, and she continued her bastardized retelling of Star Wars until her voice started cracking again and he had to take over as the storyteller for the afternoon.

Night passed without interruption and the next morning she decided she was well enough to travel at least for a little while. He packed their things, shouldering her bag without request or comment and they set out at a slow pace. They were three days out, and it would likely take them four to get back since she had to take frequent breaks. That night she nodded off as soon as she sat down and Aragorn had to wake her for dinner. His suggestion of taking the next day to rest was quickly shot down. Josephine was determined to get to Rivendell if not on time, then as close to it as possible.

He indulged her pride, but kept a closer eye on her because of it. And her pride paid off, they got back late morning on the day after they were supposed to be back, well enough within the margins of error that Lord Elrond probably hadn't even considered sending a party out for them.

Aragorn walked her back to her room still shouldering her pack. "I will see that a tray is brought for you." He said as he sat her bag inside by the door. "And would like to request that you spend the rest of the day in bed." The look he pinned her with dared her to get caught doing anything else.

"Pinky swear, only rest today." She promised, fully intending to follow through with it.

"And given the amount of travel you've done while ill, I don't think lessons with Boromir and Gloin tomorrow would be wise."

Maybe not full lessons, but light ones couldn't hurt. "I just need a good night's sleep in an actual bed and I'll be fine."

He sighed. "Soon there will be little time for rest, please take advantage of it."

And if she didn't have a handle on fighting she'd be resting pretty permanently and then where would she and whatever purpose she had be?

Seeing her resistance he hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "Josephine, please. For me?"

She stilled, heart pounding as their eyes met. Did he know she'd likely do anything he asked of her? Because she hadn't been until that moment and now she was sure of it. "Okay. I'll take tomorrow off."

Then the moment between them snapped as a third voice came through the open doorway. Boromir.

"I trust your hunt was successful?"

Aragorn stepped back suddenly. "She took a doe. You would have been proud to see it." Knowing Boromir wasn't going to leave until he did Aragorn dipped his chin to her. "I will take my leave."

Once Aragorn was out of earshot Josephine braced herself for Boromir's questioning. She hoped he hadn't gotten any wrong impressions from how he'd found them.

"You seem weary. Was the journey back strenuous?"

She shrugged and tossed her cloak over a chair to be washed. "It wasn't bad, but I'm pretty tired. Honestly I think it might be a good idea to skip lessons tomorrow."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously but he nodded. "If you wish. I will inform Gloin if you like?"

"That would be awesome, I think I'll probably end up sleeping the rest of the day away." She chuckled nervously, feeling a drag in her limbs that begged her to sit down.

"Very well." He turned to go, catching the knob of the door on his way. "I am glad you've returned safe, little sister."

The door clicked shut and she groaned, sliding down into the nearest chair in a slump. Whatever she'd thought she'd be doing at the start of all this, being adopted by Boromir and trying not to catch feelings for Aragorn weren't them.

By the time she'd bathed and changed a tray of tea and food arrived followed closely by Lord Elrond. He barely had to look at her and check her for a fever before he declared her on the mend which she already knew. His instructions were the same as Aragorn's, rest and good food and plenty of tea.