August 1462

Fari was grateful for the settlements growing up along the East Road, because it meant they could stay in an inn again that night. Nobody knew them there, so there was no questioning them getting a room together. Fari had a brief hope they could get married somewhere along here, and then they wouldn't have to go to Lake Town, but was disappointed when he learned they were all subject to Bree's mayor.

The room at the small inn wasn't as nice as the Pony, but it was better than sleeping in their cloaks along the road. At least the bed was comfortable. Of course, the mattress could have been filled with rocks and Fari didn't think he'd have noticed. He barely remembered Goldi taking his jacket off him and the next thing he knew, he was waking up to morning sunlight and Goldi's beautiful face leaning over to kiss him.

"Our first night sleeping together and you fell asleep on me," she giggled.

"Sorry. I wouldn't have been able to do much anyway." He pulled her down for another kiss. He could certainly do something now.

She pulled away, though, and got up. "I got you some breakfast," she said. She picked up a bowl of porridge from the table next to the bed. Fari's stomach growled in response to the smell of oats and apples.

"We'll have to get going soon," he said between mouthfuls of porridge. "I'm sure our dads are looking for us and I want to put some distance between us and them. We'll need to spend some time in Rivendell, to look through the library."

"Won't the elves try and stop us?" Goldi asked.

Fari shrugged. "There's only a few left. I don't think Celeborn would do anything. He seems the type to stay out of other people's business. Elladan and Elrohir, well, they know what it's like to decide to go against your father's wishes." Fari shoveled in a few more mouthfuls of porridge. "I've been there with Dad. They sent most of the books and papers to Minas Tirith, but there's still some things left in the library. I'm hoping the copy of Bilbo Baggin's book will still be there, or maybe some maps. Then we can get an idea of where we're going."

"What if they find us before then?"

Fari sighed. "I don't know. Try to persuade them to let us go, I guess. My Dad might agree, but I think yours will be more difficult."

Goldi snorted. "I think you can be sure of that."

Fari pushed the porridge around in his bowl. "Your dad's going to try to kill me," he said. "And I hope my dad's feeling sympathetic, or he might just let him."

"He won't kill you, Fari. We are betrothed, after all." Goldi wrinkled her nose. "He might just try to knock you around a bit."

Fari stuck his tongue out at her. "Let's just hope Uncle Merry's not with them. He'd probably hold me down so your dad can hit me!"

Goldi snorted. "You Tooks. You seem to have a real talent for ravishing daughters."

Fari frowned at her comment, anger suddenly flaring briefly. He didn't know why that should make him angry. Fearful, perhaps, because he was still pretty sure Sam was going to kill him, no matter what Goldi thought. He shook it off and smiled. "Well, I haven't actually done any ravishing yet." He wagged his eyebrows at her. She blushed and turned away from his gaze to look out the window.

"We should get going then, before Dad catches you and you never get a chance to do any ravishing." She looked at him over her shoulder and her eyes held promises.

Fari nearly dropped his spoon.

-o-O-o-

The next inn was even smaller. The patrons seemed to consist mainly of traders who bought goods from the local farmers and woodcutters to sell in Bree. The inn and the surrounding settlements were all new since Fari's last trip to Rivendell over a decade ago. Men were quickly expanding towards the realm that was being abandoned by the elves.

Fari and Goldi ate quickly and silently in the common room. There had been a tension between them today that had started with their morning conversation. Fari had spent most of the ride squirming in his saddle. Just the sight of Goldi seemed to shoot straight to his groin--he was surprised he hadn't popped the buttons off his trousers. It was certainly going to be an interesting night, trying to hide it from her in the same bed. It was the first night they'd be together and neither on the verge of collapse from exhaustion.

They went to their room and Fari avoided looking at either Goldi or the bed, because that set his imagination going in places he wasn't sure Goldi would approve of. But since there wasn't much else in the room to look at, he decided he might as well get in the bed and close his eyes and try to get his body to calm down!

He slipped under the blankets, still fully clothed, and tried very hard to not watch Goldi pull at the laces of her bodice. It was the kind that laced up the front, so when she loosened it, her breasts sagged free, straining against the light cloth of her chemise. Fari groaned as he felt the twitch in his trousers and he closed his eyes. Think of something else. Anything! The bed sagged when Goldi got in the other side.

"Well," she said. "Here we are. And you're not sleeping this time."

Fari's eyes shot open in shock. Was she...?

Goldi rolled over and kissed him, hard. He responded instantly, pulling her over so that she was half on top of him.

She broke the kiss and looked in his eyes. "I love you, Faramir."

He reached up and ran his fingers through her light blonde curls. "I love you more than anything."

She smiled at him and then they were kissing again, and Fari rolled them over so that he was on top. His erection was pushing against her hip and he knew they should stop, but right now, with everything that had happened, he just didn't want to.

He ran his hand up her leg, under her chemise, knowing she'd let him know when he had gone too far. His hand made it up to her hip with no resistance. He decided to venture into unknown territory and slid his hand over, across her belly and then lower until he felt soft curls. The expected protest never came. Instead she sighed and tightened her grip on his shoulders.

"Goldi?" he asked, pulling back to look in her eyes.

"Yes." She kissed him and pushed against his hand. "I want to, Fari. I don't want to wait anymore."

He let out a shuddering breath, unable to really believe they were going to do this. He rolled away from her, attacking the buttons on his trousers. He kicked off the trousers, pulled off his shirt, and rolled back to her.

She had removed her chemise while he was busy and he could only stare at her in awe. He'd spent a lot of time trying to imagine what she looked like naked and she was even more lovely than he imagined. He reached out a tentative hand to touch her breast, brushing his fingers around the dark pink nipple.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Fari." She took his hand, tugging him down to her. He moved over her, settling on top of her, skin to skin, and she tilted her head to kiss his neck, scraping her teeth against his skin. He moaned. She knew what that did to him.

He needed a couple tries to find the right spot. She gasped and tensed when he pushed into her. He took a shuddering breath when her warmth enveloped him. "All right?" he asked.

"Fine. Just fine." She took a breath, then smiled up at him. "You're in me, Fari."

He nodded and kissed her. "You're mine, Goldi," he whispered. He kissed her again and twined his fingers in her hair, then pushed deeper into her warmth. He couldn't get close enough to her, he wanted to touch all of her at once, to hide himself in her warmth and never let go of her. He'd never have to be alone again because she was his, and he needed her more than anything, and suddenly nothing else existed except for his Goldi. He looked into her eyes, losing himself in the love he saw there, holding her gaze even as the climax took him.

When he was aware again, she was giggling underneath him. "You're squishing me," she said and poked him in the side.

"Hey!" He grinned at her and slid over, still half on her, their legs entwined. "You're beautiful," he said and nuzzled his nose against her ear.

She stroked a finger along his face. "You're handsome." She giggled again. "Even when you make funny faces while you're bedding me."

Fari huffed. "I give you a compliment, and you make fun of me?"

She shrugged, still giggling. So he licked her ear, just to make her squeal.