Boromir hated it when they stopped to get some sleep. He still didn't know whether it was night or not, in the darkness that was Moria, no one knew what time of day it was. Boromir reluctantly put Pippin down when the fellowship stopped, somewhere on a corridor in the tunnels of Moria. He sat down next to Legolas, who he could see faintly thanks to the light from Gandalf's staff. The elf took his hand again and gave it a light squeeze.
Pippin suddenly giggled, breaking the silence. "Boromir and Legolas are holding hands again," the hobbit announced and Boromir stifled a sigh. Legolas caught his eye and the elf deliberately laid his head on the man of Gondor's shoulder. This action received shocked looks from everyone apart from Gandalf.
"Erm… is there something you two wish to tell us?" Aragorn asked, looking every bit as shocked as the hobbits and Gimli.
"What on middle-earth would we need to tell you Estel?" Legolas asked, playing innocent.
Gandalf then chuckled and sent Boromir and Legolas a smile. Boromir panicked, he hoped that Gandalf didn't think that he and Legolas had that type of relationship; he and Legolas were friends, nothing more. Boromir shuddered at the thought of his Father ever hearing about this. Especially if he heard it from Gandalf. Denethor hated the wizard, he'd kill him if he could, simply because of how close he was to both Boromir and Faramir. Gandalf was the only Father figure that Boromir could remember. Boromir shuddered again. He hated the thought of anything happening to the wizard. "Are you, ok?" Legolas whispered in his ear, effectively breaking Boromir's line of thought.
"Yes," Boromir whispered back. "I was just thinking."
"Obviously about nothing pleasant then," Legolas said.
"No, it was most decidedly unpleasant," Boromir told him.
"Then think of something else, or don't think at all," Legolas told him.
"That's what Merry and Pippin always tell me," Boromir informed the elf who still had his head resting on his shoulder.
"Then maybe you should take their advice," Legolas suggested.
"It's hard to do so at times," Boromir told him truthfully.
"Well, what a sight you two make!" Gimli said, ending the conversation. "Sitting there holding hands, using each other as pillows and whispering in each other's ears!"
Everyone dissolved into laughter apart from Gandalf, Legolas and Boromir. Legolas felt Boromir tense beneath him and he done the only thing, which he could think of, he shifted and wrapped his arms around Boromir in a hug, letting the man bow his head on his shoulder. Boromir remained tense in Legolas's embrace and kept his arms firmly by his sides, even as he did rest his forehead on Legolas's shoulder. Boromir took a deep breath and tried to calm down, he could feel everyone's eyes on him and desperately tried to block it all out. It wasn't just Gimli's comment that had gotten to him, but more the situation in whole. He knew that Gimli had meant what he had said as a joke, it was just eerily similar to something that his Father would of said to him and Faramir. Taking another deep breath he attempted to push all thoughts of his Father and younger brother out of his mind. But it was easier said than done, images kept flashing in front of his eyes although he had them squeezed tightly shut. Images of his Father screaming at him when he had found him and Faramir holding hands, images of secret hugs and being stiff and proper in public. Images of tears running down Faramir's face when their Father had decided that they relationship that they shared wasn't proper. Images of how Faramir had looked when he'd had to carry him back to their rooms after one of the worst beatings he could remember, and all because his Father thought that he and Faramir had a relationship that he didn't approve of. Which they most certainly didn't!
Boromir was surprised when he felt another pair of arms embrace him lightly. A head resting on his shoulder and hair tickled his chin. He guessed that it was one of the hobbits, either Merry or Pippin he thought, but which one he didn't know. He was however, surprised when he felt a slight dampness on his shoulder. Whichever hobbit it was hugging him, was clearly crying, and that Boromir would not stand. He was not going let his pain hurt others! That was something he had fought against for his entire life, and he was not going to fail now and he was certainly not going to fail Merry or Pippin! Boromir shifted slightly, so that although his head was still on Legolas's shoulder and he was still on his knees, he could wrap his arms lightly around whichever hobbit it was. "Hey now, little one," he whispered quietly. "What's with the tears?"
His only answered was a stifled sob and Boromir gently rubbed the hobbits back. "Come on now, what's wrong?" he asked again. "I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."
"We're the ones who need to help you!" Pippin choked out, as Boromir now realised that it was Pippin who he was hugging.
"Shush, I'm fine, honestly," Boromir tried to reassure the young hobbit. He took his head off Legolas's shoulder and pressed his forehead to Pippin's. "I promise."
Pippin pulled back a bit. "Promise?" he asked.
"Promise," Boromir told him.
"Good!" Pippin threw his arms back around Boromir's neck, hugging him tightly.
"Are you ok now?" Boromir asked, whispering in Pippin's ear.
"Yes," Pippin whispered sleepily as he snuggled further against Boromir, who allowed himself to be pushed down into a sitting position.
"Oh no you don't," Boromir told him, just loud enough for the other members of the fellowship to hear him. "You are not falling asleep on me!" This caused giggles, although Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli were still looking at Boromir with slightly worried looks. Merry however just giggled and settled himself down next to Pippin. Aragorn couldn't help but to smile at the sight, Boromir seemed fine now and Merry and Pippin seem set on using the man from Gondor as a pillow once more.
Boromir noticed Aragorn smiling at the sight that he and the hobbits made, but someone else had noticed as well. Frodo took his chance and pounced on Aragorn, pushing the future king down and settling in to use him as a pillow. The rest of the fellowship dissolved into laughter at the look on Aragorn's face.
"Well, what's this?" Boromir teased. "A ranger caught off his guard?"
This time everyone dissolved into laughter, including Aragorn. "Yeah, I'll admit that I didn't expect that!"
Still giggling slightly, Merry and Pippin snuggled against Boromir's chest and the man lay down, resting his own head on his pack and lightly wrapping his arms around the two hobbits. Boromir shut his eyes as Gandalf distinguished the light from his staff, but Boromir knew that sleep would be a long time in coming.