A/N: Sorry it took so long, writers block!
Speaking from the Heart
May woke the next morning to the smell of sausages and eggs frying. She smiled with her eyes still closed, and breathed it in. But then suddenly the realization hit her and she leaped out of bed, ran out into the hall, skidded around the corner and raced into the kitchen.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Baggins! I- I slept in late, which unusual because I usually don't and---" Frodo was staring at her with an amused grin. "What?"
"Nothing," he laughed, "it's just—you are acting so much like your brother."
"I am?"
"I remember he slept in after a late night of drinking with Pippin, Merry and me at the Green Dragon. We had to practically carry him home he was so drunk!"
May laughed, her mental picture of her brother in a drunken stupor was extremely diverting.
"When he raced in the house to wake me up he was stumbling about with his hand to his head. He found me here as you have found me: already up and cooking myself a bit of second breakfast. You slept through first."
May laughed lightly, but then sobered and apologized again.
"It is all right, May! Come, sit."
"Oh, no, let me serve you—"
"I insist." Frodo said in tone that suffered no argument. May reluctantly sat down.
Frodo put a plate of food in front of her, a glass of milk, a fork and knife and a napkin. Then he set his place and sat down in front of her.
The two had a very pleasant breakfast. They chatted about trivial topics, the weather and such. When they were done May cleaned the kitchen and with Frodo's help for he insisted upon it.
Afterwards May declared that Bag End was in need of some more color. She decided that she would go out into the fields and pick some wildflowers to hang and dry, and to also, afterward, cut some of the flowers from the garden and put them in vases. Frodo offered to go with her and she gladly accepted.
The fields of Hobbiton were filled with dozens upon dozens of gorgeous flowers. Frodo and May spent half the day picking all kinds of wildflowers.
"There are these beautiful flowers in the realm of Lothlórien, home of the elven Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel. 'Elanor' these flowers are called. Their coloring is that of a pale yellow and they are shaped like stars."
"I wish I could have seen them," May said wistfully.
"Maybe, someday you will," Frodo quietly replied, hoping that he one day could perhaps take her there.
May snorted. "Very unlikely Mr. Baggins. According to those maps you have lying about in your study, it is quite the distance from here to Lothlórien."
Frodo sighed. "True."
"But," May said with a smile that set Frodo's heart beating faster, "there is such a thing as wishful thinking, which might get me there someday."
Frodo did not reply but gave a soft smile as his thoughts began to drift back to his experience in the Golden Wood.
The sun had begun to set when the two decided to head back. May stopped in the garden to pick a few daisies to put as a centerpiece for the dining room table.
Their nightly sit by the fire was quiet and peaceful as usual. May sat in the chair beside Frodo as usual. Every night she'd been working on things she had pulled out from her mending basket, but tonight she was working on embroidery. May was embroidering a square piece of fabric, which would be framed at its finish. The border was that of linked violets and the words were in the Tengwar. It would say "mae tollen," meaning: "welcome." May had just begun on the letters when Frodo looked up from his manuscripts.
"May?"
"Yes?"
"Might I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. Anything, Mr. Baggins."
"Would you look over these five pages and tell me if it's ready to be copied down in my book. I really would like to know what you think."
"I would be glad to!" May put aside her embroidery and eagerly took the papers out of Frodo's hands.
Frodo sat in nervous anticipation as he waited for her to finish her perusal. Why was he so nervous? Why was her opinion so important to him? The hobbit slowly turned his gaze to May as she sat reading with intense concentration.
Why?
Suddenly his heart spoke out before he could stop his mouth.
"I love you."
May's head immediately rose up and he was greeted with an incredulous expression when she turned to face him.
"What did you say?"
Suddenly the door to Bag-End opened.
"We're back!" Sam's voice announced.
Speaking from the Heart
May woke the next morning to the smell of sausages and eggs frying. She smiled with her eyes still closed, and breathed it in. But then suddenly the realization hit her and she leaped out of bed, ran out into the hall, skidded around the corner and raced into the kitchen.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Baggins! I- I slept in late, which unusual because I usually don't and---" Frodo was staring at her with an amused grin. "What?"
"Nothing," he laughed, "it's just—you are acting so much like your brother."
"I am?"
"I remember he slept in after a late night of drinking with Pippin, Merry and me at the Green Dragon. We had to practically carry him home he was so drunk!"
May laughed, her mental picture of her brother in a drunken stupor was extremely diverting.
"When he raced in the house to wake me up he was stumbling about with his hand to his head. He found me here as you have found me: already up and cooking myself a bit of second breakfast. You slept through first."
May laughed lightly, but then sobered and apologized again.
"It is all right, May! Come, sit."
"Oh, no, let me serve you—"
"I insist." Frodo said in tone that suffered no argument. May reluctantly sat down.
Frodo put a plate of food in front of her, a glass of milk, a fork and knife and a napkin. Then he set his place and sat down in front of her.
The two had a very pleasant breakfast. They chatted about trivial topics, the weather and such. When they were done May cleaned the kitchen and with Frodo's help for he insisted upon it.
Afterwards May declared that Bag End was in need of some more color. She decided that she would go out into the fields and pick some wildflowers to hang and dry, and to also, afterward, cut some of the flowers from the garden and put them in vases. Frodo offered to go with her and she gladly accepted.
The fields of Hobbiton were filled with dozens upon dozens of gorgeous flowers. Frodo and May spent half the day picking all kinds of wildflowers.
"There are these beautiful flowers in the realm of Lothlórien, home of the elven Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel. 'Elanor' these flowers are called. Their coloring is that of a pale yellow and they are shaped like stars."
"I wish I could have seen them," May said wistfully.
"Maybe, someday you will," Frodo quietly replied, hoping that he one day could perhaps take her there.
May snorted. "Very unlikely Mr. Baggins. According to those maps you have lying about in your study, it is quite the distance from here to Lothlórien."
Frodo sighed. "True."
"But," May said with a smile that set Frodo's heart beating faster, "there is such a thing as wishful thinking, which might get me there someday."
Frodo did not reply but gave a soft smile as his thoughts began to drift back to his experience in the Golden Wood.
The sun had begun to set when the two decided to head back. May stopped in the garden to pick a few daisies to put as a centerpiece for the dining room table.
Their nightly sit by the fire was quiet and peaceful as usual. May sat in the chair beside Frodo as usual. Every night she'd been working on things she had pulled out from her mending basket, but tonight she was working on embroidery. May was embroidering a square piece of fabric, which would be framed at its finish. The border was that of linked violets and the words were in the Tengwar. It would say "mae tollen," meaning: "welcome." May had just begun on the letters when Frodo looked up from his manuscripts.
"May?"
"Yes?"
"Might I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. Anything, Mr. Baggins."
"Would you look over these five pages and tell me if it's ready to be copied down in my book. I really would like to know what you think."
"I would be glad to!" May put aside her embroidery and eagerly took the papers out of Frodo's hands.
Frodo sat in nervous anticipation as he waited for her to finish her perusal. Why was he so nervous? Why was her opinion so important to him? The hobbit slowly turned his gaze to May as she sat reading with intense concentration.
Why?
Suddenly his heart spoke out before he could stop his mouth.
"I love you."
May's head immediately rose up and he was greeted with an incredulous expression when she turned to face him.
"What did you say?"
Suddenly the door to Bag-End opened.
"We're back!" Sam's voice announced.