Red String

Threads of a Web

 Merry raised his mug and congratulated his cousin with a hearty 'cheers!' He drank from the mug, and then placed it down with a large clank onto the bar's table. The atmosphere of the pub was of a cherry one, normal for the Shire. Smoke from pipes filled the air, and many dancing and singing could be heard. "Well, dear cousin, how do we do it?"

 "Do what?" Pippin asked before taking another large drink of his ale. "If you mean setting up our cousin so he may be happy for the rest of his life, making one of our child hood friends happy and getting away with it….I have no idea!" they laughed and rose their mugs to one another, then drank again.

 "I hear things are going quiet well." Merry smiled. "Frodo and she have been visiting one another often."

 "Do you think perhaps Frodo would tell Miranda his quest…?" Pippin asked thoughtfully. Merry placed his mug back down onto the surface of their table and gave Pippin an even look. "I mean, they may never become that close…and I don't know what effect it'd have on poor Mira…"

 "Use that nickname still?" Merry smiled sadly and looked down at his ale. "Even if they become good enough friends, Frodo will only tell her what he told us. The skims, he won't tell how he felt or what he felt. Not even Sam knows completely…I think that hurt Frodo's soul to deep for him to share."

 Pippin pretended to be awed, to lighten the mood. "Why, Merry! I do believe that you have had a deep moment."

 Merry laughed. "Aye, we all know you don't!" he raised his mug. "Cheers, Cousin!"

 "Cheers!"

 ~*~

 Miranda sighed and plopped down on the bed in her room, staring at her ceiling. She had just returned from Frodo's rooms at Brandy Hall. She had been there since afternoon tea, and had learned what she considered a great much about him. He had told of his experiences up until the town of the Big Folk called Bree. Then he had calmly asked if he could not tell anymore that night.

 Miranda rolled to her side on the bed, looking at the wall. She frowned, hopping that Frodo wasn't going through some terrible memories in order to appease her. She hopped not. People living pain for her didn't fit her, she didn't like pity. She also hopped Frodo was not telling her this to pity.

 She only hopped that he was telling her because he wanted to be her friend. Even a distant friend that rarely came to visit would be better than living alone. At least with a distant friend you would always look forward to them coming and visiting you, than not even looking forward to the next day.

  That was most likely why she enjoyed Frodo speaking with her. She had a reason to look forward to the following day, something she hadn't in a long while she sighed again, and moved back onto her back, staring at the ceiling as the sun began to set.

 Now she could think of the story that Frodo had begun. He rarely mentions the "magic" golden Ring he had received from his uncle, only a few times. When his uncle left it to him, and when Gandalf returned to speak of it's origins to him. She had noticed the slight look of a distant cloud in his eyes whenever he spoke of it, as if he were thinking of something that came much, much later in his tale.

 He did seem to be humors when he spoke of Merry and Pippin and their foolish ordeals. Nothing much had changed of them, she supposed. Miranda sighed and rolled onto her side again, getting under her covers, and nestling down in the warmness of her feathered bed.

 Miranda opened her eyes and stared at the wall. It took her a moment before she noticed that the sheet was only covering her, and it felt hot in the room. She rubbed her face into the soft pillow, closing her eyes and letting herself fall back into the blissful world that she was in. She opened her eyes again once she felt a hand on her hip, holding her nice and comforting.

 At first she was a little confused, but then she leaned back into the arms and the held her closer. She felt the breath of who was holding her on her neck, and then felt the cheek rub against the back of her neck as well. She let out a comforting sigh, and snuggled into the embrace more.

 "You're awake." The voice on the one holding her said. Miranda nodded, and closed her eyes again.

 "Yes, I am." She moved her hand down and took the hand that held her waist and ran her fingers through her lover's hand. He returned the motion with his hands and turned her to face him. Miranda smiled and the next thing she noticed was that his lips where on hers in a soft kiss. Miranda closed her eyes and returned the meeting of their lips lazily as she didn't want to leave this blissful feeling.

 He gave a sigh of content and laid his head on her shoulder, his face buried in her neck. Miranda moved her other hand up into his curly hair and began to run her slim fingers through his thin hair. Miranda and he kissed again and she opened her eyes, looking up at the one she was sharing this moment with.

 It was Frodo.

Miranda jolted up in her bed and took a deep breath, fanning herself with her hand. She lay back down in bed and looked up at the bland ceiling above her. Maybe she liked Frodo more than she thought?

 ~*~

 Frodo stood and answered the door the next afternoon. He opened it gracefully, and saw Miranda standing there. She had on a similar outfit to the one that she wore when he had gone to her home, except the colors were more creams. He let her in and closed the door, offering a seat.

 "Merry wondered where you were." Miranda said, sitting down in the offered seat.

 Frodo gave a weak smile and sat down in the seat across from her. "I suppose he has every right, I haven't come out and talked to him in a few days." He looked at her through the corner of his eyes. "I apologize for cutting my tale short, last night, Miranda…I was, not sure how to continue."

 "Don't worry, please." Miranda smiled. "Frodo…" he looked at her. "I don't understand why you want to tell me this. I just don't want this to be out of pity for me…that you are visiting me and that I am visiting you out of pity…."

 Frodo was silent for one long moment. "You want me to spend time with you out of friendship and not sorrow." He concluded. Miranda nodded. Frodo turned to her, taking her hands in his. Miranda's eyes went wide and she fought not to blush. She couldn't look him straight in the eyes, not after the dream she had that morning! Frodo held her hands softly. "Do not worry, Miranda, this is not out of pity. We both need to spend time with others." Miranda nodded numbly.

 "I left of at Bree, didn't I?" Frodo asked, pulling his hands and folding them in his lap. "We had gone to the Prancing Pony Inn, where Gandalf had told us to meet him. Once we were accommodated, Sam brought to my attention the tall, strapping, and grim and shady character in the corner, watching us…" he glanced over at her. "Pippin, being himself – young and foolish, decided to get drunk and nearly blew or cover, so I had to be a hero." He said the last word forcefully.

 "I jumped onto the table we sat at, and began to sing." Miranda suppressed a laugh. "I made quiet a fool of myself, and slipped on the wood. I fell off, and the Ring fell onto my finger, and I disappeared to the naked eye….but, not all eyes." He said softly. Miranda did not ask what he meant. "When I had taken the Ring off, the strapping man from the corner took me upstairs and threatened me. Sam, Merry and Pippin….still rather junk, came in. We learned the man's name was Strider, and he had been sent by Gandalf to lead us to Rivendell."

 "Why?"

 "Because…how he said it, was that Gandalf had been tied up in some business in far off lands." Frodo answered simply. "It had turned out that the Black Riders that I told you of had reached Bree since the Ring had fallen onto my finger." He paused. "Strider and Pippin created decoys of us to distract the Riders while we slept. The next morning, we headed out from Bree, along with Bill the Pony, an animal that Sam had saved from his owner."

 Frodo continued his tale until they reached a place called Weathertop. He kindly asked if he could stop for the night, and Miranda agreed. He showed her to the door, said good bye, and waited to close the door till she had gone from eyesight.

 Miranda walked home, looking at the clear night skyline. She heard running feet behind her and she turned around, seeing that Frodo had stopped behind her. She tilted her head. "What is it?"

 "You left your coat." He said and handed it to her. Miranda smiled and took it in her hands.

 "Thank you."

Merry and Pippin smiled, watching the two from their window in Merry's room.

"Seems like things are going better than planned!" Pippin smiled.

 Merry nodded. "Yes, indeed."

-*-

 A/N: Sorry for the long time no update, school and also I had to plan a bit for this one. Mushy dream this chapter had, I know. I was in the mood to write something like that….but it also adds to the story ^^

AnImE_DemOn1: I'm glad to give ideas to fellow non-slashers!

Myheartxyourknife: Thanks, I have tried to make this some what realistic, even if its Middle-Earth ^_^

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