"Well, someone has to feed him while I'm gone, and I was just wondering if
you might -"
"You want me to take care of Nightrunner while you're away?"
Boromir smiled a bit weakly. "Well, yeah."
"There's more to it than feeding him," Faramir grumbled.
"The servants do that, if you ask them to. Just keep him in your room."
"But what if he doesn't like you when you come back?"
"Oh, he will," Boromir said, and scratched the purring cat between the ears. Faramir smiled.
"Yes, dear brother, I will take good care of you kitten while you're gone to Imladris."
Nightrunner stood on Boromir's lap, crawling up to perch on his shoulder and curl around his neck like an unnatural scarf, purring even more loudly and very lazily glaring at Faramir.
"Thank you," Boromir said, leaning across to lay a hand on his brother's shoulder. Faramir sighed.
"When are you leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow."
Faramir made an indistinct sound in his throat. "Be careful, will you?" he asked quietly.
"I'll be careful," Boromir promised. His younger brother nodded mutely. Nightrunner pulled back as the two embraced tightly, then wound himself around Faramir's neck. Boromir laughed, his voice muffled. "I'd better go," he said after a moment, pulling back. "I'll make sure to visit you again before I leave, but could you take Nightrunner now? I really don't have much time to take care of him."
"All right," Faramir said, hiding his resignation. Boromir put a hand on his shoulder again.
"Take care of yourself, Faramir. No matter if anything happens to me, you're my brother, and I love you."
"Love you too, Boromir."
Boromir nodded, and turned smiling from the room. Nightrunner meowed and came down to sit on Faramir's lap. Faramir waited until he heard the door shut after his brother, then lifted the small black form and set him carefully on the floor. He let out a long sigh.
"I hate cats."
"You want me to take care of Nightrunner while you're away?"
Boromir smiled a bit weakly. "Well, yeah."
"There's more to it than feeding him," Faramir grumbled.
"The servants do that, if you ask them to. Just keep him in your room."
"But what if he doesn't like you when you come back?"
"Oh, he will," Boromir said, and scratched the purring cat between the ears. Faramir smiled.
"Yes, dear brother, I will take good care of you kitten while you're gone to Imladris."
Nightrunner stood on Boromir's lap, crawling up to perch on his shoulder and curl around his neck like an unnatural scarf, purring even more loudly and very lazily glaring at Faramir.
"Thank you," Boromir said, leaning across to lay a hand on his brother's shoulder. Faramir sighed.
"When are you leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow."
Faramir made an indistinct sound in his throat. "Be careful, will you?" he asked quietly.
"I'll be careful," Boromir promised. His younger brother nodded mutely. Nightrunner pulled back as the two embraced tightly, then wound himself around Faramir's neck. Boromir laughed, his voice muffled. "I'd better go," he said after a moment, pulling back. "I'll make sure to visit you again before I leave, but could you take Nightrunner now? I really don't have much time to take care of him."
"All right," Faramir said, hiding his resignation. Boromir put a hand on his shoulder again.
"Take care of yourself, Faramir. No matter if anything happens to me, you're my brother, and I love you."
"Love you too, Boromir."
Boromir nodded, and turned smiling from the room. Nightrunner meowed and came down to sit on Faramir's lap. Faramir waited until he heard the door shut after his brother, then lifted the small black form and set him carefully on the floor. He let out a long sigh.
"I hate cats."