Chapter 14
Lissa opened her eyes slowly, but immediately shut them again as the sunlight poured in the windows. She turned on her belly, bent on falling asleep again. When she tried to turn, though, she found she was immobilized by an arm slung over her waist heavily.
"Delemir," she whispered, shaking his arm that was around her middle. She was met by an incoherent mumble. Giggling slightly, Lissa traced lazy patterns over his hand and arm. He squirmed, slightly, but not much. "Delemir!"
"Mmm," he murmured again, grabbing her hand to keep it still. "Go back to sleep."
Lissa smirked. "I can't. You have me trapped where I am and I need to turn onto my stomach," she said, exaggerating her point by trying to turn over. Another muddled mumbled was a response again, but this one was closer to her ear.
"Delemir, if you don't let me turn over, I'm going to jab my finger so hard in your side, you'll be feeling it for a week!" she threatened.
Her answer was light nibbling on her earlobe. Lissa squeaked slightly from the surprise, then reached back and bored her finger into his side. Delemir gasped from the shock she had actually done that. He grabbed his side, her hand still working a steady hole in him. Laughing, he tried to shove her hand away.
"All right, all right," Delemir murmured, lifting his arm so she could move.
When Lissa shifted onto her stomach, she turned her head so she could see him.
"Hi," Lissa murmured, surprised at how close their faces were at that moment. Delemir grinned at her, closing his eyes. "What happened last night? I sort of blanked out the time you told me you loved me. The first time outside."
Delemir involuntarily winced, feeling a pain in the heart he'd given to her only hours ago. She didn't remember? She forgot? How could she forget something like that? So, to jog her memory, he rested his lips over hers softly, shoving his feelings across to her. "You do not remember?" he asked when they drew apart.
Lissa couldn't answer him when she saw the hurt in his eyes. She felt like she should remember, had to remember. She knew it was something important that both of them couldn't do without now that something had been given as it had. Instead of answering him, she closed her eyes and embedded her face into the pillow.
Delemir took her hand and carefully threaded their fingers together, the pain ebbing when he saw she felt so terrible. He brought her hand to his chest and let it rest over his heart.
"I love you, Melissa. Last night, I—"
"Gave me your heart," she finished, mumbling it against the pillow. "I feel terrible."
"Why?" He brought her hand to his lips now and kissed her knuckles. She remembered now. Delemir felt very relieved.
She made a fainted shrugging movement and mumbled something incoherently against the pillow. Her stomach hurt slightly, but she only mused it was because she'd had a glass of red wine at the restaurant and another glass of Chardonnay downstairs in the hotel bar for happy hour. But it was more, still. She shuddered involuntarily when she felt Delemir's hand fall across her lower back.
"Delemir," she whispered as she shifted to sit up. "Please." She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin there.
"Are you all right?" Delemir asked, sitting up and placing his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm fine. My stomach hurts just a little bit, though." She sighed, pressing her hand to it. She felt Delemir rest his hand over hers as he kissed the curve of her shoulder very softly. "I'm going to go shower," she muttered, slipping off of the bed and walking to the bathroom, forgetting she needed clothes.
Delemir sighed, not knowing what to do with her. Had Onaumbar found them finally and he was trying to break them apart? Had he erased Lissa's memory of that night for a short while? Was he making Lissa feel as she was?
Suddenly, Delemir's eyes were heavy and closed. He fell asleep again as he collapsed on the bed and into a dream. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on the grass by a waterfall and a tranquil little pool. He looked around him and saw no one, or so he thought.
"So, you can't help but ask questions, can you?" Onaumbar's chilling voice asked from behind Delemir.
"Is it my fault I am inquisitive?" Delemir shot back. He turned and saw Onaumbar in a dark, hunter green cloak, covering a matching outfit of slacks and shirt. The Death Giver heaved a sigh and took a step forward.
"Yes, it is. It is also your woman's fault since she created your personality a long time ago," the Soul Stealer said. He grinned at Delemir, then walked in slow circles around him.
"What do you mean?" the Elf demanded.
"You do not remember?" Onaumbar sounded disappointed. Upon Delemir's silence, he continued. "When she was twelve she first adopted you from Lothlórien, with that other Elf, Uremir," he began.
"Uremir," Delemir whispered, remembering his friend.
"She molded you both how she wanted, relying only on a picture to know what you looked like. Other than that, you are her creation. She made you how you are now, gave you memories. Do you not remember?" Onaumbar asked.
"I do not believe you," Delemir said, lowly. Onaumbar was standing in front of him now.
"You don't? Pity, for it is the truth." The Death Giver tilted his head to an angle and sighed. "'Tis your loss."
"Surely you jest," Delemir murmured, bringing his hand to his temple where a throbbing was slowly increasing.
"I'm afraid to say this, but no, I am telling you no lies. She created you how she wanted you to be, then sent you on your way to Middle-Earth again until I killed you. Then, the Valar sent you to her world since you had too much to live for," Onaumbar muttered, none too thrilled.
"You dirty, little—"
"Uh-uh. That wouldn't be smart, my little puppet," he crooned.
"Puppet?" Delemir demanded, feeling just as that. "I am no one's puppet, much less yours, Onaumbar! You will not mold me as you claimed Lissa did ten years ago!"
"Too late, I already have. You led me straight to her," Onaumbar said slowly, then threw his head back to laugh maniacally.
When he stopped, he lifted his hands and Delemir was immobilized where he was, though he tried to make it to Onaumbar's throat. When the Death Giver tossed his hand to the side, Delemir felt a terrible pain in his chest. Groaning, he clutched his heart. His mind blurred in the pain. He finally cried out as he fell onto his knees.
A bright flash of light shone in his Delemir's face, nearly blinding him as he shut his eyes. He cried out again as he felt another sharp pang deep within him. Then, he felt a pain on his outer body, on his shoulders, like nails digging into his skin and he heard a faint voice calling his name.
"Delemir," the soft voice said, sounding faintly frantic. "Delemir, wake up!"
As the haziness cleared from the dream, Delemir saw Lissa leaning over him, shaking him by his shoulders. He saw the desperation and the fear in her eyes as she stared down at him. He felt her hands, like vises, on his shoulders, grasping him for dear life. Her skin was ice cold in terror. Then, he felt her body against his when she embraced him, tears streaming down her face from the fear of loosing him and the glee of him being awake finally.
"Delemir," she whispered, clinging to him.
"Melissa?" he mumbled, unable to move. He could still hear Onaumbar's evil laugh among Lissa's strangled sobs and gasping breaths. He felt her pull him over closer to her so he was resting partly on her lap.
"Are you all right?" she asked, rubbing his face and combing her fingers through his hair gently. "You were—You were dreaming and then you cried out. I'd tried to wake you before that when you were struggling, but you wouldn't wake up. Delemir, I was so scared." She leaned over and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to his brow. "You're burning up."
It was strange, he thought, that she said he was feverish when he felt so cold. He shivered slightly, chills going all through him, and clutched her hand by his face in his. He slowly brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm.
"I'm here now, I'm fine," he murmured, rubbing her hand gently. "There is nothing to fear."
"There is everything to fear," Lissa whispered, threading her fingers with his. "I was so scared you wouldn't wake up again, that I'd never hear your voice again. I hurt right here, Delemir." She pressed her hand over her heart.
Delemir laid his head back so it rested on Lissa's thigh. He sighed audibly, shutting his eyes from the light coming through the window and onto his face.
"I have to ask you something, Melissa," he said quietly, surprised at how calm he sounded.
Lissa caressed his cheek gently and leaned down to kiss him.
"Melissa, do not do this. I must ask you something. I know you were afraid, I know that you hurt. I believe you, but I must speak with you over something important," he said, his voice firm now. He opened his eyes and looked up at Lissa. Her eyes were slightly widened in shock, but she nodded. "All right. When I was dreaming, it was one of Onaumbar's dreams. He told me something I would like to know a true answer to."
"What was that?" Lissa asked, her voice slightly hesitant.
"He said that you created my personality to your will, then, when you were finished with me, sent me away to Lothlórien until I was killed and came back here," Delemir said, his voice finally quivering.
Lissa closed her eyes. "It was not like that, Delemir. I grew up and thought I was too big for little games like role playing on my computer," she murmured, leaning her head back.
"Explain," Delemir demanded, looking up at her. "I do not see how you could grow out of games."
Lissa mumbled something inaudibly before shifting so she way lying down on her back beside him, but not touching. She was afraid to touch him now, just as she had been afraid not to touch him when he was dreaming. "I gave up my computer life for reality when I was almost nineteen, but would still go on every now and then to check my mail. That was when I decided that I was too big for games. One day, I talked to Emily on our messenger and she asked me where you and Uremir had gone off to. I told her that I had sent you two back to Lothlórien permanently.
"She was appalled and asked why. I told her I was becoming older and was growing up. And, that I had my first real boyfriend in over five years," Lissa murmured, staring up at the ceiling. Delemir was silent, pressing her for more. "His name was James. He was very adult and grown up, so I felt I had to grow up and be more adult too when I was around him. Soon, I was like that all the time."
"What happened after that?" Delemir asked after her sigh and long silence.
"He and I dated for a grand total of three years before he left me. It was just before you showed up." Lissa's voice cracked slightly as she spoke, but she willed it to be steady. Taking a long, steadying breath, she said, "When you showed up, I guess I had just finished the first period of depression."
"Did you love him?" the blonde Elf asked warily.
"Yes. I loved him very much," Lissa said.
It stung, Delemir realized, to learn she had loved another as well. But, he thought, that was probably why she was so wary with her heart now. She didn't want it to be broken again. So Delemir turned on his side and touched her cheek.
"Melissa, look at me," he said softly, almost as soft as his touch. Lissa couldn't help but look at him. "I would never mean to hurt you in any way. You know that. You know that because I love you very much, and I will never stop loving you." He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers, feeling them tremble.
'Tell him,' Lissa's mind demanded. 'Tell him how much you love him and want to stay forever with him.' She squeezed her eyes shut as she had a mental argument with herself. I can't. I can't tell him now.
'Yes you can.'
No, I can't.
"Lissa?" Delemir's voice cut through her self-argument and made her eyes come back to his again.
"I need chocolate. I'm going to go down to the lobby and see if they have any chocolate ice cream," she murmured, sitting up and walking out of the room.
She grabbed the cardkey off of the table and quickly left the room without a backward glance, a tear brimming in her eye and falling down her cheek. When she reached the elevator, she jammed the button as hard as she could and waited for the elevator. Did it have to take so long? As the door dinged, she looked over at the door to her room, on impulse, and saw Delemir looking out of the window at her. She stepped quickly into the elevator and rode down to the lobby.
She made a quick dash over to the little store by the front desk and picked out a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She paid an extensive amount for it, but shrugged it away as she walked back over to the bar area.
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Delemir could see her, though she was the size of an ant down stairs. He'd grabbed the extra cardkey so he could go back in after watching her. He watched her sit down there, eating ice cream from the carton and conversing with another person about this or that. If he tried just hard enough, he could hear their voices...
"So, what has you eating a pint of ice cream?" the raven-haired woman asked Lissa.
She looked up from the slowly depleting ice cream and finished off the rest of it off of her spoon. "Boyfriend trouble," she murmured.
"Oh, that always does the same to me. Mind if I sit down?" the woman asked.
"Sure, go ahead." Lissa gestured to the other seat in front of her and took another bite of the ice cream. Lissa muttered something inaudibly that brought a pleasing image to her mind of wringing a few certain men's necks.
"I'm Geneva," the woman said.
"Lissa," she replied.
"Is there anything I could do to help? I'm a receptionist at a counseling office, but I know how things work," Geneva offered, making Lissa smirk.
"I'd scare you, trust me," Lissa promised. "I have some very morbid images going through my mind right now of wringing about three guy's necks."
"Wow, that's a lot. Which one is your boyfriend?" Geneva asked, as if sharing the thought bubble.
"The blonde one crying for mercy as I squeeze the words I want to hear out of him," Lissa said whimsically.
"And what words are those?" the dark haired woman asked.
"I don't know. He's already professed his undying love to me many times before. That's what made me come down here because I just explained to him the story of me and that guy with the dark brown hair that's screeching just about now. Ex-boyfriend," she elaborated.
"It sounds like you're very detailed with your fantasies," Geneva noted.
"I'm a writer," Lissa improvised. "Children's stories, but I'm working on an older person's book right now."
"Oh," was the comment. "You said there were three guys you were dreaming about wringing their necks. Who's the third?"
Lissa hesitated a moment as she dug in her purse for something, then said, "An annoying nuisance that's the cause of my boyfriend and I meeting and having this 'argument,' " Lissa mumbled over a mouthful of ice cream, making quotation marks with her fingers. "He's the one with the jet-black hair that is running away but I keep kicking him so he has to stop and nurse the wounds on his shins." Lissa grinned wryly at her fantasy. She grinned even more when she found the small, foil-wrapped chocolate. She opened it, glancing at the little fortune or promise that was in it. 'True love and chocolate will restore all,' she thought, not thinking anything of it.
"Oh, my. I guess you aren't feeling as bad as you seem to be," Geneva said.
"Maybe. Depends on which guy I'm killing and how much cookie dough I'm munching on when I'm imagining it," Lissa said.
"Well," Geneva began, "you seem perfectly fine, but I think you should go up and talk to your man about this thing you two are going through. After you finish your ice cream, of course."
"Yeah," Lissa agreed over another mouthful of ice cream. "I might bring some back up and share it with 'my man.' "
Geneva laughed, then her attention set on a tall, dark, and handsome man that walked through the lobby doors. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Lissa. I hope you and your boyfriend settle things," she said, standing.
"Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around." She waved as Geneva went to the man and they began talking over this and that. Lissa shook her head and put the top back on the half full ice cream carton and started back upstairs to deal with whatever needed to be dealt with.
Then the thought hit her about the promise on the chocolate. She sprinted the rest of the way to the room, ignoring any odd looks.
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Delemir sighed loudly when he heard a key in the lock of the door and Lissa coming in. He had rehearsed his apology about a thousand times now, but it still sounded so stuffy and polite. And stiflingly boring. So, he decided to wing it as he stood up from the couch and walked over to Lissa. She breezed straight past him, tossing the key on the table and going to the refrigerator that had a clone in every room. He watched her, stunned that she hadn't acknowledged his presence with even a mischievous glance yet, and saw her stuff a little carton of ice cream in the top. She stood, then, and faced him expectantly.
"Lissa, I need to—"
"Be quiet, Delemir, before your big mouth puts you in bigger trouble," Lissa said and pulled something out of her pocket. She quickly unfolded the foil and read it aloud. "'True love and chocolate will restore all.' " She looked up at Delemir expectantly. "Do you understand it?"
"I honestly doubt we are on the same train of thought," Delemir murmured, staring at a spot on the wall just past her.
"Delemir!" she exclaimed, sounding very exasperated. "You're an Elf! You're supposed to be smart! Come on, think, boyo!"
"Boyo?" Delemir questioned.
"Irish." Lissa sighed. She knew she had to take this step now, and confirm it. She took a step forward and slipped her arms around his shoulders, clasping them around his neck. "Do you truly love me?" she asked, quietly.
Delemir winced, stunned by the suddenness of her question. But he nodded his head firmly, his eyes telling no lies. "I do," he told her. "My love will never ebb, but only grow for you. My love will not fade, even after spending years together with you. I love you, honestly and truly, Melissa." He understood what she meant, and he let her know by his elaboration.
"Good," Lissa murmured before she pressed her lips softly over his, asking for sweet tenderness rather than demanding passion. She grinned when she felt how stunned Delemir was again. Though it took him a moment to react, he did and slipped his arms around her gently. 'That's more like it,' she thought.
Though he soon dominated the kiss in a chauvinistic way, Lissa didn't care, as long as he was kissing her and only her. A thought of that blonde from the mall the other day came to mind, and made Lissa draw back for a breath and kiss him again, with slightly more unconcealed passion. Jealousy, she mused, made her feel good in this case.
"Lissa."
She felt her name formed against her lips when she drew back from Delemir only a moment. She grinned more and rested her lips against his in a softer, more patient kiss that lasted only five seconds before she pulled back to see Delemir.
"Yes?" she asked, breathless. Unsteady breathing met unsteady breathing as they both tried to gather their thoughts.
"I can't remember," Delemir said, rubbing her cheek. "I can't remember anything except that I love you so much."
Lissa was now discovering it hurt to hear that when she wasn't able to say it back. Why couldn't she? It was only three simple words. Wait, she thought. Not simple words. There was no way to describe what those words meant to each person, much less herself. But she banked that feeling and replaced it with amusement.
"Let's go swimming," she suggested, but stayed in Delemir's arms. When he leaned forward and kissed her once more, she never expected what was going to happen next.
"You taste like ice cream," Delemir murmured when he drew back. He saw Lissa's lips part slightly before she laughed.
"That's because I just finished eating a cup of ice cream downstairs," she told him. 'I love you,' she thought since she was unable to say it. 'I love you more than you can imagine.'
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Delemir watched Lissa sigh as she stepped out of the pool, water dripping from her body and bathing suit. He looked over her slim body, slightly tanned still. He'd found out she had a year-round tan from her heritage of being Slavic. His eyes stopped at her navel on the trip back up to her face as she dried herself off. There was something shiny at her belly button.
Standing, he decided he would find out what that was. It was a good thing they were the only ones in the pool then, he mused.
"Hey," he said, catching her hand in his before she threw the towel down. "I noticed something."
"What?" Lissa looked up at him with curiosity as he kissed her palm, his gaze dropping to her stomach. She began to wring the water from her hair when Delemir began to pull her back to the pool.
"I have to show you," Delemir was saying as he started down the steps again.
"What are you doing, Delemir?" Her voice sounded like his had the day they finally decided to be in a relationship and she'd cornered him in her room; slightly frightened and disturbed by her behavior.
"Showing you what I noticed. Come on," he told her, still on the bottom step while she was at the top.
She smirked and made a noise that he registered as a laugh. "That's assertive—hey!" Lissa shrieked as he pulled her into the pool. "Delemir!"
He merely grinned at her wickedly. "Let me show you what I noticed," he said, bringing her out to the deeper part of the pool. "I've never noticed it before, which slightly puzzles me since we've been at this hotel for a while and we've gone swimming everyday."
"Delemir, you're frightening me," she said sarcastically. "Tell me—" Then her words ended on a gasp as he splashed water at her and touched her neck. "Is that it? You've seen my neck a lot; what's new about it?"
"Nothing. I'm just making you a little more weird so you can share in my irony when I unearth to you what I've found out," Delemir said, kissing her gently. His hand trailed down her back slowly, lingering here or there and sending a jolt through her system.
Oh, the things this guy could do to Lissa to make her crazy in one sitting—without breaking any of his or her rules. When his hand circled to her waist, she felt a wave of panic go through her until she felt his hand go over her belly button.
"What?" she asked, leaning against him. Boy, she was glad the lifeguard wasn't there.
"This thing on your stomach—what is it?" he asked her, leading her to the shallow edge of the pool.
"That?" Lissa looked down where her belly button was. "I had my belly button pieced a few years ago—like three or four or something. Like it?"
"It's interesting," Delemir said, looking at the gold colored heart dangling in the hollow on her stomach where she'd once received nourishment from her mother.
"Yeah. So was the time when I showed my mom and dad," Lissa joked, sitting down on the steps as a lifeguard came in. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "A lot of yelling and punishment."
"Mmm, I bet. If it was about four years ago, then you were around nineteen?"
"Yes." Lissa grinned menacingly. "I went through a phase then, I think, where I was much more rebellious than I was at age thirteen."
"Rebellious? You? Impossible," Delemir said, feigning shock.
"Let's go back upstairs. I need to call Emily and tell her what we found out," Lissa said, standing and picking up her towel to dry off again.
"What did we find out again? I am currently unable to remember that," Delemir said as he watched her dry off.
"'True love and chocolate will restore all,' " Lissa quoted from the chocolate wrapper. "I did put it in my pocket, right?"
"No," Delemir said solemnly as he stepped out and took Lissa's towel. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed and 'O'. "I did."
Then her features turned bland as she stared at him. "That wasn't funny. Don't do that again," Lissa said. "Can I have my towel back, please? I want to dry my hair."
"Why? You're just going to go take a half hour shower and wet it again," Delemir said, but gave her the towel anyway.
"I don't want to drip chlorinated water all over the hotel and in the elevator on the ride up," Lissa murmured, toweling her hair off.
"The elevator?" Delemir didn't sound too entirely thrilled.
"You want to walk barefoot up twenty-four flights of stairs?" Lissa looked at him skeptically. "Actually, if you really want to be technical, it's really twelve flights of stairs because—"
Delemir rolled his eyes at her as she continued her technicalities about the stairs. "Are you finished?" he asked her, wringing the water out of his hair.
"Yes, if you are," Lissa murmured, watching him. "We really do need to do something about that." She grinned.
"What? About what?" Delemir asked as he pulled on the shirt he'd brought down with him and Lissa pulled on her corduroy overalls. She picked up a towel and began to dry her hair.
"You hair." Lissa grinned at his reaction. He narrowed his eyes and took his hair in his hands possessively and protectively, setting his jaw and pressing his lips together in a thin line.
"Absolutely not. I have never cut my hair before, so it would seem strange, should that ever happen. No," he protested, grinning.
"I was only joking," Lissa said, yawning slightly.
"Are you all right? You seem quite tired," Delemir stated a few minutes later when Lissa was almost done drying her hair. She yawned again, shutting her eyes.
"I'm fine. You're right, I'm just tired," she murmured. "I think I woke up in the middle of the night last night and sat there to think for a good while, but I don't remember."
Delemir eyed her strangely before saying, "Do you remember what you might have been thinking about?" warily.
"How cute you are when you're quiet," she said, opening her eyes and meeting his. She twisted the towel around until it looked like it'd snap then whipped it at his rear, missing on purpose by mere inches. "Go."
"Do you mind if I have the shower first?" Delemir asked as they walked out of the pool area and to the bar.
"Sure. Fine. Whatever," Lissa said, for the first time really hinting at her fatigue as she rubbed her temple where a slight throbbing was beginning.
Delemir hit the button for the elevator and it dinged almost at once, probably either still on the lobby floor or on the first or second floor. He walked in after Lissa, then three other people stepped on for the ride. He watched Lissa carefully, noting her movements thoroughly, though there few to document. When they stepped off on the twelfth floor, Lissa stumbled slightly, but continued on to the complete opposite side of the hallway to their room.
Lissa knew Delemir was watching her like a blasted hawk, and she hated it since she knew exactly why he was watching her. She was too tired, though, to do anything about it but to deal with it.
As she opened the door to the room, she felt much more tired than when she was out in the hallway. She blamed it on the sudden temperature change from cold to warm.
Sleep.
She jumped at the word inside of her head, but calmed down best she could when she felt Delemir's hands come down on her shoulders. She smiled, slightly weak, and turned to melt against him.
"I love you," Delemir murmured, wrapping his arms around her gently. He felt her breathing, the slight unsteadiness in it, and how she clung to him as if she would fall without him. It worried him enough for her to be so tired, even after swimming; but adding the extreme exhaustion and her clinging just scared him.
"Are you certain you are feeling well, Melissa?" He felt her wince at the usage of her full first name. Then he felt her tense in withheld agitation.
"Yes, Delemir. I'm fine. Just fine. I'm only a little tired, which is normal for after swimming," she murmured, unable to hold back the aggravation her voice as much as she'd liked. She cursed herself for the tone of voice she'd used towards him. "Look, just take your shower and I'll nap a little bit and be good as new, all right?"
"All right," Delemir murmured, becoming distant. He sighed lightly before he bent down to rub his lips over hers in a quick kiss. "May I wake you when I finish showering?"
"Sure," Lissa murmured, blown away by the gentleness in the single, brief caress. "As long as you kiss me once more like you just did." She closed her eyes slowly, awaiting the feel of his lips on hers.
If Delemir could paint, he would do so then and call the finished portrait "Awaiting A Kiss" from the look Lissa had over her features. Her lips were slightly parted in anticipation. Her eyes were shut, their lids fluttering every now and then. Her cheeks were flushed from either the heat he brought to her blood or from the yearning for sleep. So, instead of painting the picture, he took a mental photo of it to store away in his brain.
He gently kissed her again, fluently, and felt Lissa wrap her arms around him. She rubbed her hands down to his lower back, causing his muscles to quiver slightly. In turn, he nipped at her bottom lip, deepening the kiss, and felt her lips tremble under his. As she parted her lips in an invitation, he declined, feeling her fatigue just from touching her.
"When I wake you, we will finish the mystery," he promised her as he drew back. He saw her nod before turning away. "Sleep with the thought that I love you."
And, as Delemir left to take his shower and Lissa went into the back bedroom to nap, that was the worst mistake either of them could ever make. And it was only the beginning.
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Uh-oh. What's the mistake they both made? You'll find out in a couple days. Hopefully three in the final chapter! I think it'll be the final chapter, then an epilogue to tie up the loose ends I leave. Anyhow. DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lord of the Rings. I have stopped putting copyrights, or at least major ones, in here to ease my editing time when I do sit down and fix it to publish. And, considering this chapter was written over a couple day period, with a lot of breaks in between, I do not remember if there are any other copyrights I'm obliged to list. So, forgive me if there are and I have forgotten. And, just a quick note, you guys rock my world by reading this, whether you review or not. Even if no one reviewed it, I would have published it anyway once I found the idea. Or, rather, it found me. So, thanks for reading it and letting me know! Hope to see you on the next chapter!
PS- *hallelujah chorus sings* I did NOT get sick, praise God! And, last night I read ALL of the remaining stuff for Love's Philosophy, thank you Lord. And, by the end of March, Love's Philosophy will be done, and you'll have a teaser from the sequel, hoo-rah, lol. But, anyway. R/R!
Lissa opened her eyes slowly, but immediately shut them again as the sunlight poured in the windows. She turned on her belly, bent on falling asleep again. When she tried to turn, though, she found she was immobilized by an arm slung over her waist heavily.
"Delemir," she whispered, shaking his arm that was around her middle. She was met by an incoherent mumble. Giggling slightly, Lissa traced lazy patterns over his hand and arm. He squirmed, slightly, but not much. "Delemir!"
"Mmm," he murmured again, grabbing her hand to keep it still. "Go back to sleep."
Lissa smirked. "I can't. You have me trapped where I am and I need to turn onto my stomach," she said, exaggerating her point by trying to turn over. Another muddled mumbled was a response again, but this one was closer to her ear.
"Delemir, if you don't let me turn over, I'm going to jab my finger so hard in your side, you'll be feeling it for a week!" she threatened.
Her answer was light nibbling on her earlobe. Lissa squeaked slightly from the surprise, then reached back and bored her finger into his side. Delemir gasped from the shock she had actually done that. He grabbed his side, her hand still working a steady hole in him. Laughing, he tried to shove her hand away.
"All right, all right," Delemir murmured, lifting his arm so she could move.
When Lissa shifted onto her stomach, she turned her head so she could see him.
"Hi," Lissa murmured, surprised at how close their faces were at that moment. Delemir grinned at her, closing his eyes. "What happened last night? I sort of blanked out the time you told me you loved me. The first time outside."
Delemir involuntarily winced, feeling a pain in the heart he'd given to her only hours ago. She didn't remember? She forgot? How could she forget something like that? So, to jog her memory, he rested his lips over hers softly, shoving his feelings across to her. "You do not remember?" he asked when they drew apart.
Lissa couldn't answer him when she saw the hurt in his eyes. She felt like she should remember, had to remember. She knew it was something important that both of them couldn't do without now that something had been given as it had. Instead of answering him, she closed her eyes and embedded her face into the pillow.
Delemir took her hand and carefully threaded their fingers together, the pain ebbing when he saw she felt so terrible. He brought her hand to his chest and let it rest over his heart.
"I love you, Melissa. Last night, I—"
"Gave me your heart," she finished, mumbling it against the pillow. "I feel terrible."
"Why?" He brought her hand to his lips now and kissed her knuckles. She remembered now. Delemir felt very relieved.
She made a fainted shrugging movement and mumbled something incoherently against the pillow. Her stomach hurt slightly, but she only mused it was because she'd had a glass of red wine at the restaurant and another glass of Chardonnay downstairs in the hotel bar for happy hour. But it was more, still. She shuddered involuntarily when she felt Delemir's hand fall across her lower back.
"Delemir," she whispered as she shifted to sit up. "Please." She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin there.
"Are you all right?" Delemir asked, sitting up and placing his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm fine. My stomach hurts just a little bit, though." She sighed, pressing her hand to it. She felt Delemir rest his hand over hers as he kissed the curve of her shoulder very softly. "I'm going to go shower," she muttered, slipping off of the bed and walking to the bathroom, forgetting she needed clothes.
Delemir sighed, not knowing what to do with her. Had Onaumbar found them finally and he was trying to break them apart? Had he erased Lissa's memory of that night for a short while? Was he making Lissa feel as she was?
Suddenly, Delemir's eyes were heavy and closed. He fell asleep again as he collapsed on the bed and into a dream. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on the grass by a waterfall and a tranquil little pool. He looked around him and saw no one, or so he thought.
"So, you can't help but ask questions, can you?" Onaumbar's chilling voice asked from behind Delemir.
"Is it my fault I am inquisitive?" Delemir shot back. He turned and saw Onaumbar in a dark, hunter green cloak, covering a matching outfit of slacks and shirt. The Death Giver heaved a sigh and took a step forward.
"Yes, it is. It is also your woman's fault since she created your personality a long time ago," the Soul Stealer said. He grinned at Delemir, then walked in slow circles around him.
"What do you mean?" the Elf demanded.
"You do not remember?" Onaumbar sounded disappointed. Upon Delemir's silence, he continued. "When she was twelve she first adopted you from Lothlórien, with that other Elf, Uremir," he began.
"Uremir," Delemir whispered, remembering his friend.
"She molded you both how she wanted, relying only on a picture to know what you looked like. Other than that, you are her creation. She made you how you are now, gave you memories. Do you not remember?" Onaumbar asked.
"I do not believe you," Delemir said, lowly. Onaumbar was standing in front of him now.
"You don't? Pity, for it is the truth." The Death Giver tilted his head to an angle and sighed. "'Tis your loss."
"Surely you jest," Delemir murmured, bringing his hand to his temple where a throbbing was slowly increasing.
"I'm afraid to say this, but no, I am telling you no lies. She created you how she wanted you to be, then sent you on your way to Middle-Earth again until I killed you. Then, the Valar sent you to her world since you had too much to live for," Onaumbar muttered, none too thrilled.
"You dirty, little—"
"Uh-uh. That wouldn't be smart, my little puppet," he crooned.
"Puppet?" Delemir demanded, feeling just as that. "I am no one's puppet, much less yours, Onaumbar! You will not mold me as you claimed Lissa did ten years ago!"
"Too late, I already have. You led me straight to her," Onaumbar said slowly, then threw his head back to laugh maniacally.
When he stopped, he lifted his hands and Delemir was immobilized where he was, though he tried to make it to Onaumbar's throat. When the Death Giver tossed his hand to the side, Delemir felt a terrible pain in his chest. Groaning, he clutched his heart. His mind blurred in the pain. He finally cried out as he fell onto his knees.
A bright flash of light shone in his Delemir's face, nearly blinding him as he shut his eyes. He cried out again as he felt another sharp pang deep within him. Then, he felt a pain on his outer body, on his shoulders, like nails digging into his skin and he heard a faint voice calling his name.
"Delemir," the soft voice said, sounding faintly frantic. "Delemir, wake up!"
As the haziness cleared from the dream, Delemir saw Lissa leaning over him, shaking him by his shoulders. He saw the desperation and the fear in her eyes as she stared down at him. He felt her hands, like vises, on his shoulders, grasping him for dear life. Her skin was ice cold in terror. Then, he felt her body against his when she embraced him, tears streaming down her face from the fear of loosing him and the glee of him being awake finally.
"Delemir," she whispered, clinging to him.
"Melissa?" he mumbled, unable to move. He could still hear Onaumbar's evil laugh among Lissa's strangled sobs and gasping breaths. He felt her pull him over closer to her so he was resting partly on her lap.
"Are you all right?" she asked, rubbing his face and combing her fingers through his hair gently. "You were—You were dreaming and then you cried out. I'd tried to wake you before that when you were struggling, but you wouldn't wake up. Delemir, I was so scared." She leaned over and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to his brow. "You're burning up."
It was strange, he thought, that she said he was feverish when he felt so cold. He shivered slightly, chills going all through him, and clutched her hand by his face in his. He slowly brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm.
"I'm here now, I'm fine," he murmured, rubbing her hand gently. "There is nothing to fear."
"There is everything to fear," Lissa whispered, threading her fingers with his. "I was so scared you wouldn't wake up again, that I'd never hear your voice again. I hurt right here, Delemir." She pressed her hand over her heart.
Delemir laid his head back so it rested on Lissa's thigh. He sighed audibly, shutting his eyes from the light coming through the window and onto his face.
"I have to ask you something, Melissa," he said quietly, surprised at how calm he sounded.
Lissa caressed his cheek gently and leaned down to kiss him.
"Melissa, do not do this. I must ask you something. I know you were afraid, I know that you hurt. I believe you, but I must speak with you over something important," he said, his voice firm now. He opened his eyes and looked up at Lissa. Her eyes were slightly widened in shock, but she nodded. "All right. When I was dreaming, it was one of Onaumbar's dreams. He told me something I would like to know a true answer to."
"What was that?" Lissa asked, her voice slightly hesitant.
"He said that you created my personality to your will, then, when you were finished with me, sent me away to Lothlórien until I was killed and came back here," Delemir said, his voice finally quivering.
Lissa closed her eyes. "It was not like that, Delemir. I grew up and thought I was too big for little games like role playing on my computer," she murmured, leaning her head back.
"Explain," Delemir demanded, looking up at her. "I do not see how you could grow out of games."
Lissa mumbled something inaudibly before shifting so she way lying down on her back beside him, but not touching. She was afraid to touch him now, just as she had been afraid not to touch him when he was dreaming. "I gave up my computer life for reality when I was almost nineteen, but would still go on every now and then to check my mail. That was when I decided that I was too big for games. One day, I talked to Emily on our messenger and she asked me where you and Uremir had gone off to. I told her that I had sent you two back to Lothlórien permanently.
"She was appalled and asked why. I told her I was becoming older and was growing up. And, that I had my first real boyfriend in over five years," Lissa murmured, staring up at the ceiling. Delemir was silent, pressing her for more. "His name was James. He was very adult and grown up, so I felt I had to grow up and be more adult too when I was around him. Soon, I was like that all the time."
"What happened after that?" Delemir asked after her sigh and long silence.
"He and I dated for a grand total of three years before he left me. It was just before you showed up." Lissa's voice cracked slightly as she spoke, but she willed it to be steady. Taking a long, steadying breath, she said, "When you showed up, I guess I had just finished the first period of depression."
"Did you love him?" the blonde Elf asked warily.
"Yes. I loved him very much," Lissa said.
It stung, Delemir realized, to learn she had loved another as well. But, he thought, that was probably why she was so wary with her heart now. She didn't want it to be broken again. So Delemir turned on his side and touched her cheek.
"Melissa, look at me," he said softly, almost as soft as his touch. Lissa couldn't help but look at him. "I would never mean to hurt you in any way. You know that. You know that because I love you very much, and I will never stop loving you." He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers, feeling them tremble.
'Tell him,' Lissa's mind demanded. 'Tell him how much you love him and want to stay forever with him.' She squeezed her eyes shut as she had a mental argument with herself. I can't. I can't tell him now.
'Yes you can.'
No, I can't.
"Lissa?" Delemir's voice cut through her self-argument and made her eyes come back to his again.
"I need chocolate. I'm going to go down to the lobby and see if they have any chocolate ice cream," she murmured, sitting up and walking out of the room.
She grabbed the cardkey off of the table and quickly left the room without a backward glance, a tear brimming in her eye and falling down her cheek. When she reached the elevator, she jammed the button as hard as she could and waited for the elevator. Did it have to take so long? As the door dinged, she looked over at the door to her room, on impulse, and saw Delemir looking out of the window at her. She stepped quickly into the elevator and rode down to the lobby.
She made a quick dash over to the little store by the front desk and picked out a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She paid an extensive amount for it, but shrugged it away as she walked back over to the bar area.
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Delemir could see her, though she was the size of an ant down stairs. He'd grabbed the extra cardkey so he could go back in after watching her. He watched her sit down there, eating ice cream from the carton and conversing with another person about this or that. If he tried just hard enough, he could hear their voices...
"So, what has you eating a pint of ice cream?" the raven-haired woman asked Lissa.
She looked up from the slowly depleting ice cream and finished off the rest of it off of her spoon. "Boyfriend trouble," she murmured.
"Oh, that always does the same to me. Mind if I sit down?" the woman asked.
"Sure, go ahead." Lissa gestured to the other seat in front of her and took another bite of the ice cream. Lissa muttered something inaudibly that brought a pleasing image to her mind of wringing a few certain men's necks.
"I'm Geneva," the woman said.
"Lissa," she replied.
"Is there anything I could do to help? I'm a receptionist at a counseling office, but I know how things work," Geneva offered, making Lissa smirk.
"I'd scare you, trust me," Lissa promised. "I have some very morbid images going through my mind right now of wringing about three guy's necks."
"Wow, that's a lot. Which one is your boyfriend?" Geneva asked, as if sharing the thought bubble.
"The blonde one crying for mercy as I squeeze the words I want to hear out of him," Lissa said whimsically.
"And what words are those?" the dark haired woman asked.
"I don't know. He's already professed his undying love to me many times before. That's what made me come down here because I just explained to him the story of me and that guy with the dark brown hair that's screeching just about now. Ex-boyfriend," she elaborated.
"It sounds like you're very detailed with your fantasies," Geneva noted.
"I'm a writer," Lissa improvised. "Children's stories, but I'm working on an older person's book right now."
"Oh," was the comment. "You said there were three guys you were dreaming about wringing their necks. Who's the third?"
Lissa hesitated a moment as she dug in her purse for something, then said, "An annoying nuisance that's the cause of my boyfriend and I meeting and having this 'argument,' " Lissa mumbled over a mouthful of ice cream, making quotation marks with her fingers. "He's the one with the jet-black hair that is running away but I keep kicking him so he has to stop and nurse the wounds on his shins." Lissa grinned wryly at her fantasy. She grinned even more when she found the small, foil-wrapped chocolate. She opened it, glancing at the little fortune or promise that was in it. 'True love and chocolate will restore all,' she thought, not thinking anything of it.
"Oh, my. I guess you aren't feeling as bad as you seem to be," Geneva said.
"Maybe. Depends on which guy I'm killing and how much cookie dough I'm munching on when I'm imagining it," Lissa said.
"Well," Geneva began, "you seem perfectly fine, but I think you should go up and talk to your man about this thing you two are going through. After you finish your ice cream, of course."
"Yeah," Lissa agreed over another mouthful of ice cream. "I might bring some back up and share it with 'my man.' "
Geneva laughed, then her attention set on a tall, dark, and handsome man that walked through the lobby doors. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Lissa. I hope you and your boyfriend settle things," she said, standing.
"Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around." She waved as Geneva went to the man and they began talking over this and that. Lissa shook her head and put the top back on the half full ice cream carton and started back upstairs to deal with whatever needed to be dealt with.
Then the thought hit her about the promise on the chocolate. She sprinted the rest of the way to the room, ignoring any odd looks.
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Delemir sighed loudly when he heard a key in the lock of the door and Lissa coming in. He had rehearsed his apology about a thousand times now, but it still sounded so stuffy and polite. And stiflingly boring. So, he decided to wing it as he stood up from the couch and walked over to Lissa. She breezed straight past him, tossing the key on the table and going to the refrigerator that had a clone in every room. He watched her, stunned that she hadn't acknowledged his presence with even a mischievous glance yet, and saw her stuff a little carton of ice cream in the top. She stood, then, and faced him expectantly.
"Lissa, I need to—"
"Be quiet, Delemir, before your big mouth puts you in bigger trouble," Lissa said and pulled something out of her pocket. She quickly unfolded the foil and read it aloud. "'True love and chocolate will restore all.' " She looked up at Delemir expectantly. "Do you understand it?"
"I honestly doubt we are on the same train of thought," Delemir murmured, staring at a spot on the wall just past her.
"Delemir!" she exclaimed, sounding very exasperated. "You're an Elf! You're supposed to be smart! Come on, think, boyo!"
"Boyo?" Delemir questioned.
"Irish." Lissa sighed. She knew she had to take this step now, and confirm it. She took a step forward and slipped her arms around his shoulders, clasping them around his neck. "Do you truly love me?" she asked, quietly.
Delemir winced, stunned by the suddenness of her question. But he nodded his head firmly, his eyes telling no lies. "I do," he told her. "My love will never ebb, but only grow for you. My love will not fade, even after spending years together with you. I love you, honestly and truly, Melissa." He understood what she meant, and he let her know by his elaboration.
"Good," Lissa murmured before she pressed her lips softly over his, asking for sweet tenderness rather than demanding passion. She grinned when she felt how stunned Delemir was again. Though it took him a moment to react, he did and slipped his arms around her gently. 'That's more like it,' she thought.
Though he soon dominated the kiss in a chauvinistic way, Lissa didn't care, as long as he was kissing her and only her. A thought of that blonde from the mall the other day came to mind, and made Lissa draw back for a breath and kiss him again, with slightly more unconcealed passion. Jealousy, she mused, made her feel good in this case.
"Lissa."
She felt her name formed against her lips when she drew back from Delemir only a moment. She grinned more and rested her lips against his in a softer, more patient kiss that lasted only five seconds before she pulled back to see Delemir.
"Yes?" she asked, breathless. Unsteady breathing met unsteady breathing as they both tried to gather their thoughts.
"I can't remember," Delemir said, rubbing her cheek. "I can't remember anything except that I love you so much."
Lissa was now discovering it hurt to hear that when she wasn't able to say it back. Why couldn't she? It was only three simple words. Wait, she thought. Not simple words. There was no way to describe what those words meant to each person, much less herself. But she banked that feeling and replaced it with amusement.
"Let's go swimming," she suggested, but stayed in Delemir's arms. When he leaned forward and kissed her once more, she never expected what was going to happen next.
"You taste like ice cream," Delemir murmured when he drew back. He saw Lissa's lips part slightly before she laughed.
"That's because I just finished eating a cup of ice cream downstairs," she told him. 'I love you,' she thought since she was unable to say it. 'I love you more than you can imagine.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Delemir watched Lissa sigh as she stepped out of the pool, water dripping from her body and bathing suit. He looked over her slim body, slightly tanned still. He'd found out she had a year-round tan from her heritage of being Slavic. His eyes stopped at her navel on the trip back up to her face as she dried herself off. There was something shiny at her belly button.
Standing, he decided he would find out what that was. It was a good thing they were the only ones in the pool then, he mused.
"Hey," he said, catching her hand in his before she threw the towel down. "I noticed something."
"What?" Lissa looked up at him with curiosity as he kissed her palm, his gaze dropping to her stomach. She began to wring the water from her hair when Delemir began to pull her back to the pool.
"I have to show you," Delemir was saying as he started down the steps again.
"What are you doing, Delemir?" Her voice sounded like his had the day they finally decided to be in a relationship and she'd cornered him in her room; slightly frightened and disturbed by her behavior.
"Showing you what I noticed. Come on," he told her, still on the bottom step while she was at the top.
She smirked and made a noise that he registered as a laugh. "That's assertive—hey!" Lissa shrieked as he pulled her into the pool. "Delemir!"
He merely grinned at her wickedly. "Let me show you what I noticed," he said, bringing her out to the deeper part of the pool. "I've never noticed it before, which slightly puzzles me since we've been at this hotel for a while and we've gone swimming everyday."
"Delemir, you're frightening me," she said sarcastically. "Tell me—" Then her words ended on a gasp as he splashed water at her and touched her neck. "Is that it? You've seen my neck a lot; what's new about it?"
"Nothing. I'm just making you a little more weird so you can share in my irony when I unearth to you what I've found out," Delemir said, kissing her gently. His hand trailed down her back slowly, lingering here or there and sending a jolt through her system.
Oh, the things this guy could do to Lissa to make her crazy in one sitting—without breaking any of his or her rules. When his hand circled to her waist, she felt a wave of panic go through her until she felt his hand go over her belly button.
"What?" she asked, leaning against him. Boy, she was glad the lifeguard wasn't there.
"This thing on your stomach—what is it?" he asked her, leading her to the shallow edge of the pool.
"That?" Lissa looked down where her belly button was. "I had my belly button pieced a few years ago—like three or four or something. Like it?"
"It's interesting," Delemir said, looking at the gold colored heart dangling in the hollow on her stomach where she'd once received nourishment from her mother.
"Yeah. So was the time when I showed my mom and dad," Lissa joked, sitting down on the steps as a lifeguard came in. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "A lot of yelling and punishment."
"Mmm, I bet. If it was about four years ago, then you were around nineteen?"
"Yes." Lissa grinned menacingly. "I went through a phase then, I think, where I was much more rebellious than I was at age thirteen."
"Rebellious? You? Impossible," Delemir said, feigning shock.
"Let's go back upstairs. I need to call Emily and tell her what we found out," Lissa said, standing and picking up her towel to dry off again.
"What did we find out again? I am currently unable to remember that," Delemir said as he watched her dry off.
"'True love and chocolate will restore all,' " Lissa quoted from the chocolate wrapper. "I did put it in my pocket, right?"
"No," Delemir said solemnly as he stepped out and took Lissa's towel. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed and 'O'. "I did."
Then her features turned bland as she stared at him. "That wasn't funny. Don't do that again," Lissa said. "Can I have my towel back, please? I want to dry my hair."
"Why? You're just going to go take a half hour shower and wet it again," Delemir said, but gave her the towel anyway.
"I don't want to drip chlorinated water all over the hotel and in the elevator on the ride up," Lissa murmured, toweling her hair off.
"The elevator?" Delemir didn't sound too entirely thrilled.
"You want to walk barefoot up twenty-four flights of stairs?" Lissa looked at him skeptically. "Actually, if you really want to be technical, it's really twelve flights of stairs because—"
Delemir rolled his eyes at her as she continued her technicalities about the stairs. "Are you finished?" he asked her, wringing the water out of his hair.
"Yes, if you are," Lissa murmured, watching him. "We really do need to do something about that." She grinned.
"What? About what?" Delemir asked as he pulled on the shirt he'd brought down with him and Lissa pulled on her corduroy overalls. She picked up a towel and began to dry her hair.
"You hair." Lissa grinned at his reaction. He narrowed his eyes and took his hair in his hands possessively and protectively, setting his jaw and pressing his lips together in a thin line.
"Absolutely not. I have never cut my hair before, so it would seem strange, should that ever happen. No," he protested, grinning.
"I was only joking," Lissa said, yawning slightly.
"Are you all right? You seem quite tired," Delemir stated a few minutes later when Lissa was almost done drying her hair. She yawned again, shutting her eyes.
"I'm fine. You're right, I'm just tired," she murmured. "I think I woke up in the middle of the night last night and sat there to think for a good while, but I don't remember."
Delemir eyed her strangely before saying, "Do you remember what you might have been thinking about?" warily.
"How cute you are when you're quiet," she said, opening her eyes and meeting his. She twisted the towel around until it looked like it'd snap then whipped it at his rear, missing on purpose by mere inches. "Go."
"Do you mind if I have the shower first?" Delemir asked as they walked out of the pool area and to the bar.
"Sure. Fine. Whatever," Lissa said, for the first time really hinting at her fatigue as she rubbed her temple where a slight throbbing was beginning.
Delemir hit the button for the elevator and it dinged almost at once, probably either still on the lobby floor or on the first or second floor. He walked in after Lissa, then three other people stepped on for the ride. He watched Lissa carefully, noting her movements thoroughly, though there few to document. When they stepped off on the twelfth floor, Lissa stumbled slightly, but continued on to the complete opposite side of the hallway to their room.
Lissa knew Delemir was watching her like a blasted hawk, and she hated it since she knew exactly why he was watching her. She was too tired, though, to do anything about it but to deal with it.
As she opened the door to the room, she felt much more tired than when she was out in the hallway. She blamed it on the sudden temperature change from cold to warm.
Sleep.
She jumped at the word inside of her head, but calmed down best she could when she felt Delemir's hands come down on her shoulders. She smiled, slightly weak, and turned to melt against him.
"I love you," Delemir murmured, wrapping his arms around her gently. He felt her breathing, the slight unsteadiness in it, and how she clung to him as if she would fall without him. It worried him enough for her to be so tired, even after swimming; but adding the extreme exhaustion and her clinging just scared him.
"Are you certain you are feeling well, Melissa?" He felt her wince at the usage of her full first name. Then he felt her tense in withheld agitation.
"Yes, Delemir. I'm fine. Just fine. I'm only a little tired, which is normal for after swimming," she murmured, unable to hold back the aggravation her voice as much as she'd liked. She cursed herself for the tone of voice she'd used towards him. "Look, just take your shower and I'll nap a little bit and be good as new, all right?"
"All right," Delemir murmured, becoming distant. He sighed lightly before he bent down to rub his lips over hers in a quick kiss. "May I wake you when I finish showering?"
"Sure," Lissa murmured, blown away by the gentleness in the single, brief caress. "As long as you kiss me once more like you just did." She closed her eyes slowly, awaiting the feel of his lips on hers.
If Delemir could paint, he would do so then and call the finished portrait "Awaiting A Kiss" from the look Lissa had over her features. Her lips were slightly parted in anticipation. Her eyes were shut, their lids fluttering every now and then. Her cheeks were flushed from either the heat he brought to her blood or from the yearning for sleep. So, instead of painting the picture, he took a mental photo of it to store away in his brain.
He gently kissed her again, fluently, and felt Lissa wrap her arms around him. She rubbed her hands down to his lower back, causing his muscles to quiver slightly. In turn, he nipped at her bottom lip, deepening the kiss, and felt her lips tremble under his. As she parted her lips in an invitation, he declined, feeling her fatigue just from touching her.
"When I wake you, we will finish the mystery," he promised her as he drew back. He saw her nod before turning away. "Sleep with the thought that I love you."
And, as Delemir left to take his shower and Lissa went into the back bedroom to nap, that was the worst mistake either of them could ever make. And it was only the beginning.
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Uh-oh. What's the mistake they both made? You'll find out in a couple days. Hopefully three in the final chapter! I think it'll be the final chapter, then an epilogue to tie up the loose ends I leave. Anyhow. DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lord of the Rings. I have stopped putting copyrights, or at least major ones, in here to ease my editing time when I do sit down and fix it to publish. And, considering this chapter was written over a couple day period, with a lot of breaks in between, I do not remember if there are any other copyrights I'm obliged to list. So, forgive me if there are and I have forgotten. And, just a quick note, you guys rock my world by reading this, whether you review or not. Even if no one reviewed it, I would have published it anyway once I found the idea. Or, rather, it found me. So, thanks for reading it and letting me know! Hope to see you on the next chapter!
PS- *hallelujah chorus sings* I did NOT get sick, praise God! And, last night I read ALL of the remaining stuff for Love's Philosophy, thank you Lord. And, by the end of March, Love's Philosophy will be done, and you'll have a teaser from the sequel, hoo-rah, lol. But, anyway. R/R!
