A/N: Thanks for all the recent reviews. I've haven't heard much
recently, but I do enjoy the feedback, so please continue! Enjoy!
Ch. 17
The two of them walked in silence for a few minutes. Once they'd gotten out of earshot of the other humans, they stopped. Galadriel turned to Randy. "You are disturbed about what you just saw. Why?"
"I don't know. I just don't like seeing her with that guy."
"Why is that?" Galadriel's voice was perfectly even.
"I don't want her to get hurt."
"And why would she be hurt?"
"I don't know! I just have a bad feeling about this. Call it déjà vu—I don't know."
"What are your feelings for her?
"She's my best friend! She's—she's—I'm crazy about her. I guess I have to admit that sometime, don't I?"
"It would make it easier. What will you do about it?"
"Do about it? I don't know. I don't know how to approach her. I've known her for years. I don't want to seem crazy all of a sudden."
"Why not?"
"Why not? What?" Randy was incredulous, but tried to remain polite. "Because I'd scare her from here to kingdom come! She wouldn't even talk to me after I pulled something like that!"
Galadriel was suppressing a smile. "I truly doubt Kim would think you insane, Randy. Speak to her about your feelings. The results may surprise you." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him to think about what she'd just said.
Randy didn't come back to the humans' talans that evening, but Amy told them not to worry about it. "He'll be fine, guys. There's not a lot of trouble he could get into in Lórien. The guards would notice him, anyway. You may think you move quietly, but to us, you're like a herd of elephants. Anyway, he won't leave Caras Galadon. Just go to bed, guys."
Most of them did just that, but Kim stayed behind. Amy smiled knowingly. "Walk with me, Kim." The two of them walked down the stairs to the ground and moved a ways away from the talans. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, but I'm a little worried about Randy. I know he won't get in any trouble or anything, but he's just not one to disappear like this."
"I think you could find him if you look."
"What if he wants to be alone? I don't want to intrude."
"I'm pretty sure he'd like to talk to you. What happened between you and Boromir earlier?"
"How'd you know—never mind. This place is like Big Brother." She grinned, softening the comment. "I was just chatting with him a little. It might have seemed a little flirtatious, but it really was nothing. He was the perfect gentleman."
"Things tend to go that way here. It's your world that is so rude."
"Tell me about it. Seriously, though, I thought he might be interested, and I asked him about it…"
"That must have taken guts."
"Yeah. He might have been interested, but in another time and place, and once he realized I wasn't interested, he backed off."
"Good."
"Still, it's Randy I'm worried about, not Boromir. Boromir can take care of himself."
"I imagine so can Randy, but why don't you go talk to him?"
"You don't think I'll be bothering him?"
"No. Go find him."
"But—"
"I don't want to hear it. Go!" Amy gave Kim a little mock shove, then walked back to their talan.
Kim wandered for a few minutes before she found Randy. He was in a little clearing, looking up at the small patch of sky visible between the trees. She purposely stepped on a twig. Randy turned suddenly.
"Kim!"
"Hey, Randy. I was curious what you were up to, so I thought I'd come and find you. I hope I'm not bothering you."
"No! I mean, no, you would never bother me. I'm sorry I made you tramp out here. I just was being a little moody. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine—just a little worried about you. I know I'm probably overreacting and acting like a mother hen." Kim fidgeted with her hands in awkwardness.
"That's OK. It's good to know someone's looking out for me. Look, I—" He paused for a long moment, raking his fingers through his hair. "I think the easiest way to get this out is going to be the honest one. I saw you talking to Boromir earlier. I know I'm probably imagining things, but…"
"This place really is Big Brother. Does the entire city know I was talking to him?"
"No. I think it was just Galadriel and me." Randy furrowed his brow a little.
"And Amy. She asked me about it."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to give you a hard time. It is hard to keep Elves out of your business, isn't it?"
"Probably. Look, I did talk to him for a while earlier, but—"
"You don't owe me any explanation. What you do is your own business."
"Randy, we've been friends since we were little kids. We've lived together since we were in high school. Don't talk to me about it being only my business. Listen, we were talking, and probably flirting a little, but," she played with her fingers some more as she continued, "it really was nothing. He might have been interested, but not here and now, and I wasn't interested, either." It had been awkward telling it to Amy, but she was glad Amy had made her put it into words. It was much easier now than it would have been otherwise.
"Can I be really nosy and ask why not? He's good looking, he's rich, he's…"
Kim held up a hand to stop him. Her heart was pounding. She had to get this out, now. "He's not you." She looked up at him evenly, but her heart kept skipping beats. Randy drew in a sharp breath. She swallowed hard. She shouldn't have said it. It was a mistake. She dropped her head, only to feel it pulled up, Randy's fingers under her chin. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek, then turned his hand over and cupped her cheek.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that, Kim. I'd never hoped I would hear it." Kim's heart skipped a couple more beats. Randy let his fingers slide back to her chin, lifting her head so she was staring directly into his eyes. He brushed his fingers across her lips. Kim closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation. When she opened them again, he was looking at her warmly. He didn't do anything, just stood there, and after a moment Kim brought a hand up to the back of his head and pulled it down to kiss him.
They both stood there for a moment, a little shocked, then Randy wrapped his arms around Kim and pulled her firmly against him, kissing her for a long time. Neither was sure exactly how much time had elapsed when they finally pulled apart, but it had felt like the blink of an eye.
"Um, I know the others aren't terribly worried, but we probably should get back…" Kim had a hard time getting the words to come out. Her head was spinning.
Randy nodded. "Yeah. Um…" Kim smiled a bit. She didn't know what to say either, so she kissed him again. After a couple more kisses, they made their way back to the talan, arms around each other as they walked. Randy walked her to the door of the women's talan, just above the men's. "Good night, Kim."
"Night, Randy." She kissed him quickly, then went inside. Amy was sitting in the central sitting room. Kim smiled at her. Her eyes must have told the story. Amy got up and hugged her, then they both went to bed.
Ch. 17
The two of them walked in silence for a few minutes. Once they'd gotten out of earshot of the other humans, they stopped. Galadriel turned to Randy. "You are disturbed about what you just saw. Why?"
"I don't know. I just don't like seeing her with that guy."
"Why is that?" Galadriel's voice was perfectly even.
"I don't want her to get hurt."
"And why would she be hurt?"
"I don't know! I just have a bad feeling about this. Call it déjà vu—I don't know."
"What are your feelings for her?
"She's my best friend! She's—she's—I'm crazy about her. I guess I have to admit that sometime, don't I?"
"It would make it easier. What will you do about it?"
"Do about it? I don't know. I don't know how to approach her. I've known her for years. I don't want to seem crazy all of a sudden."
"Why not?"
"Why not? What?" Randy was incredulous, but tried to remain polite. "Because I'd scare her from here to kingdom come! She wouldn't even talk to me after I pulled something like that!"
Galadriel was suppressing a smile. "I truly doubt Kim would think you insane, Randy. Speak to her about your feelings. The results may surprise you." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him to think about what she'd just said.
Randy didn't come back to the humans' talans that evening, but Amy told them not to worry about it. "He'll be fine, guys. There's not a lot of trouble he could get into in Lórien. The guards would notice him, anyway. You may think you move quietly, but to us, you're like a herd of elephants. Anyway, he won't leave Caras Galadon. Just go to bed, guys."
Most of them did just that, but Kim stayed behind. Amy smiled knowingly. "Walk with me, Kim." The two of them walked down the stairs to the ground and moved a ways away from the talans. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, but I'm a little worried about Randy. I know he won't get in any trouble or anything, but he's just not one to disappear like this."
"I think you could find him if you look."
"What if he wants to be alone? I don't want to intrude."
"I'm pretty sure he'd like to talk to you. What happened between you and Boromir earlier?"
"How'd you know—never mind. This place is like Big Brother." She grinned, softening the comment. "I was just chatting with him a little. It might have seemed a little flirtatious, but it really was nothing. He was the perfect gentleman."
"Things tend to go that way here. It's your world that is so rude."
"Tell me about it. Seriously, though, I thought he might be interested, and I asked him about it…"
"That must have taken guts."
"Yeah. He might have been interested, but in another time and place, and once he realized I wasn't interested, he backed off."
"Good."
"Still, it's Randy I'm worried about, not Boromir. Boromir can take care of himself."
"I imagine so can Randy, but why don't you go talk to him?"
"You don't think I'll be bothering him?"
"No. Go find him."
"But—"
"I don't want to hear it. Go!" Amy gave Kim a little mock shove, then walked back to their talan.
Kim wandered for a few minutes before she found Randy. He was in a little clearing, looking up at the small patch of sky visible between the trees. She purposely stepped on a twig. Randy turned suddenly.
"Kim!"
"Hey, Randy. I was curious what you were up to, so I thought I'd come and find you. I hope I'm not bothering you."
"No! I mean, no, you would never bother me. I'm sorry I made you tramp out here. I just was being a little moody. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine—just a little worried about you. I know I'm probably overreacting and acting like a mother hen." Kim fidgeted with her hands in awkwardness.
"That's OK. It's good to know someone's looking out for me. Look, I—" He paused for a long moment, raking his fingers through his hair. "I think the easiest way to get this out is going to be the honest one. I saw you talking to Boromir earlier. I know I'm probably imagining things, but…"
"This place really is Big Brother. Does the entire city know I was talking to him?"
"No. I think it was just Galadriel and me." Randy furrowed his brow a little.
"And Amy. She asked me about it."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to give you a hard time. It is hard to keep Elves out of your business, isn't it?"
"Probably. Look, I did talk to him for a while earlier, but—"
"You don't owe me any explanation. What you do is your own business."
"Randy, we've been friends since we were little kids. We've lived together since we were in high school. Don't talk to me about it being only my business. Listen, we were talking, and probably flirting a little, but," she played with her fingers some more as she continued, "it really was nothing. He might have been interested, but not here and now, and I wasn't interested, either." It had been awkward telling it to Amy, but she was glad Amy had made her put it into words. It was much easier now than it would have been otherwise.
"Can I be really nosy and ask why not? He's good looking, he's rich, he's…"
Kim held up a hand to stop him. Her heart was pounding. She had to get this out, now. "He's not you." She looked up at him evenly, but her heart kept skipping beats. Randy drew in a sharp breath. She swallowed hard. She shouldn't have said it. It was a mistake. She dropped her head, only to feel it pulled up, Randy's fingers under her chin. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek, then turned his hand over and cupped her cheek.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that, Kim. I'd never hoped I would hear it." Kim's heart skipped a couple more beats. Randy let his fingers slide back to her chin, lifting her head so she was staring directly into his eyes. He brushed his fingers across her lips. Kim closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation. When she opened them again, he was looking at her warmly. He didn't do anything, just stood there, and after a moment Kim brought a hand up to the back of his head and pulled it down to kiss him.
They both stood there for a moment, a little shocked, then Randy wrapped his arms around Kim and pulled her firmly against him, kissing her for a long time. Neither was sure exactly how much time had elapsed when they finally pulled apart, but it had felt like the blink of an eye.
"Um, I know the others aren't terribly worried, but we probably should get back…" Kim had a hard time getting the words to come out. Her head was spinning.
Randy nodded. "Yeah. Um…" Kim smiled a bit. She didn't know what to say either, so she kissed him again. After a couple more kisses, they made their way back to the talan, arms around each other as they walked. Randy walked her to the door of the women's talan, just above the men's. "Good night, Kim."
"Night, Randy." She kissed him quickly, then went inside. Amy was sitting in the central sitting room. Kim smiled at her. Her eyes must have told the story. Amy got up and hugged her, then they both went to bed.