A.N.

What in the world went wrong with the first version of this chapter? Well, here's the actual story, y'all, sorry about that :)

You've Given Me This

For the prompt "Giving or receiving gifts"

Traditionally, Eowyn thought, this wasn't right at all. Not for her, and not for Faramir either. She was a bit surprised by that, actually, because her husband was still afraid to be unconventional. She often thought it was almost like Faramir had drawn a box around himself, drawn the lines many times over, and was always careful not to step over a line. Even when it came to something as innocuous as celebrating a holiday.

The winter festival was a big deal in Gondor. There was feasting and parties that lasted long into the night, shops were flooded with exotic foods and expensive gifts, and everyone spent two or three weeks on holiday with family and friends.

But every time Eowyn tried to talk about what they would do for the winter festival, Faramir had seemed strangely evasive. She had just assumed he was feeling unsure about the upcoming holiday-after all, he didn't have any family in Gondor anymore, and Ithilien wasn't exactly "party central", as Merry Brandybuck would have said. So Eowyn let the matter rest. Until that evening, when they had cleared away the supper dishes and Eowyn had sat on the sofa while Faramir had stoked the fire, and then had slipped behind her to clasp his arms around her stomach and hold her gently. Eowyn had tipped her head back to smile a hello, then gone back to the book she was reading. After a year of tutoring from Faramir, she was finally able to read adventure stories, and she was enjoying her newfound love of learning.

Suddenly Faramir had sighed and held her a bit tighter. "Eowyn?"

"Hm?"

"Eowyn, I have been thinking about...about the winter festival."

"What about it?" Eowyn asked, her voice softening.

Faramir paused-hesitated, unsure. "What if we...what if we didn't go to Minas Tirith for the holidays. What if we just stayed here? Just us."

Stayed in the country? Alone? For the holidays? Even in Rohan, where the winter festivities were short-lived, such a thing would be almost unthinkable. And yet...

Eowyn looked up at Faramir. He was trying to appear casual, unconcerned with what her answer would be. But she could sense his fear, and suddenly she wanted with all her heart for him to step out of the box he had so carefully constructed.

"My dear," she said, very softly. "If that is what you wish, I would like to do that very much."

"I...I have no gift to give you...I meant to buy you something when we went to the city...but the thought of being back there...it..." Faramir didn't-couldn't?-finish.

Eowyn took his hand and laid it over the cover of her book. "You gave me this. Adventure and peace, and contentment and challenge, all at once." Then she moved his hand over her stomach, and arched her back so he could feel the tiny bulge just beginning. "And this."

"And what?"

Eowyn looked up at him and giggled.

And suddenly Faramir was holding her so, so tight, and the book tumbled to the floor, but neither of them noticed.

"Fara-" she said at last, after being kissed breathless. "Fara, I think we have plenty of gifts here at home. I lived all my life in the royalist of royal courts, and I do not want that anymore. I want quiet, and peace, and you and this little one, and a holiday spent just the way we like it."

"Really?" Faramir asked, his eyes shining damp in the firelight.

In answer, Eowyn gave him a kiss.