The Hobbit / LOTR -oneshots

Two shy elves - Lindir

Warnings: shyness and awkwardness
Word count: 1714
Other:
Requested: by Harrytomlinson12

You and Lindir are both head over heels for each other, but both of you are shy and not exactly the most courageous. It takes some prodding from lord Elrond to get things rolling.

You felt like crying as you started collecting the apples from the ground. Not because you had injured yourself when you fell, but because everyone's eyes turned to you for the sound you had made. You just thanked Aule that it had only been apples you had been carrying, as they were quite easy for you to gather back into your basket quickly. You couldn't have imagined what it would be like if this had happened with a basket full of blueberries or even worse, a tray filled with tableware. You crawled on your hands and knees and tried to rustle up the apples as fast as you could, your cheeks glowing red with embarrassment. Your days usually consisted of making dinner and when elves started to retire into their bedrooms for the night, you would get out of the kitchens and help clean the communal spaces. You usually never left the safety of your chambers or the kitchens during the day, fearing that you might run into someone. You preferred to have your time alone, meeting other elves was always nerve-wracking for some reason.

You tried to keep the tears from your eyes as you finally managed to gather all the apples into the basket. You sighed and closed your eyes for a moment before you stood up and looked around. To your great relief, the few people that had been there to witness your fall had walked away, leaving you in a seemingly empty hallway. Brushing your beige dress clear of dust, you winced as your arm throbbed. A hiss left your mouth as you inspected it closer. The skin was irritated and red where it had rubbed against the stony steps, as you had tried to break your fall. It worked, partly, as you didn't have anything broken and the apples were fine, your arm just had to pay the price for that. It would heal in a matter of days, you would just have to clean it to prevent any infections.
"Are you alright?" A worried voice sounded from your right, and you froze for a moment. It was familiar, and you squeezed the handle of the basket tighter to your chest, hoping that it was not him. Anyone but him.

But it was. Lindir was standing next to you, his charming brown eyes filled with worry. Your heartbeat picked up, and you hugged the basket tighter to your chest as if it could hide you from his eyes. You had only ever exchanged a few words with him, being terribly shy yourself. And the fact that you had an enormous crush on him didn't help. You felt your cheeks flush red, no matter how hard you tried to fight it. He took a step closer, head tilted, his eyes still examining you with detail, clearly concerned. Not that you saw it, you were too buried in your own humiliation to see anything else.
"Y/N? Is everything alright?" Your tongue didn't want to do as you told it, you were too nervous and put off by the fact that he was so close to you, so you just nodded.
"Are you sure? Your arm looks slightly hurt, I wouldn't mind escorting you to the healers." He offered, voice soft,
"Y-Yes. N-No. I-I mean... I am alright, n-no need to go to the healers, I'll be f-fine." You managed finally, avoiding his eyes. You walked over to pick up the last apple, one that you had missed when you were crawling all over the floor. It had rolled under a bench, hiding behind the ornate carvings on the wooden leg. You picked it up and inspected it, dusting off the shiny red surface of the few speckles of dust that dirtied it. You gave him a small smile and a polite bow before you hurried out of the room.

As soon as you were out of his sight, you slipped behind a stone pillar and buried your head in your hands, shaking your head. That couldn't have gone worse. Why was it that you couldn't form one coherent thought around an elf, let alone him? But you had no time to moan over the fact, you had to hurry back to the kitchens. They were waiting for the apples, as breakfast needed preparing. You also couldn't wait to get out of the dusty clothes and into clean ones, as your shift would end when the first rays of light lifted above the horizon.

- -

Lindir shook his head sadly as he watched you walk away. This was the first time he had had the courage to approach you, and it hadn't gone well at all. He should have just ignored what lord Elrond said and left it alone. He had had his eye on you for a while now, something the elf lord had noticed and had coaxed the information out of him. After he had very reluctantly verified Elrond's suspicions about his feelings for you, the elf lord hadn't left him alone until he had promised to try and talk to you. But that had ended up just like he had feared.

As he walked past the library, he stopped, suddenly remembering a book one of the maids had mentioned you wish to read. He straightened his back and walked into the library. He couldn't just let you slip through his fingers just yet. There was something so intriguing yet appeasing about you, he couldn't quite figure out what. But he knew he had to try again before he would give up. He owed it to himself and to you. And he knew if he didn't Elrond would be on his back like a honey badger until he did.

- -

You had just settled in for the night when there was a knock on your door. Thinking it was just one of the other servants here to bring you something you left in the kitchens after your hasty exit, you answered the door wearing nothing but your nightdress.

To your horror and surprise it was Lindir, who was standing behind the door with a book tucked under his arm. You froze, not understanding what was he doing here. He was lord Elrond's confederate after all. You hadn't done anything wrong, had you? You had fallen, but the apples hadn't taken any damage and you had delivered in time, so you weren't in trouble, right? Tears pooled in your eyes at the thought. You had no other place to go if you were to be fired. You would be forced to wander the wild and you were not a fighter, at all. The danger would lurk everywhere, and you-
"You are not in trouble, Y/N, you can calm down." Lindir's serene voice broke you out of your haze of frantic thoughts.
"I-I'm not?" You were so very confused.
"T-Then why are you here?" You asked before you could stop yourself, and you lifted your hands to your mouth, in shock. But Lindir didn't even seem like he noticed, as a small flush of color had appeared on his cheeks.

He held out the book he had been carrying, and you could recognize that navy blue cover anywhere. It was The Elegy of Lady Duineth, the woman who drowned had into a river on her wedding day*. You had heard it to be a beautiful yet harrowing description of love and loss, but you hadn't read it.
"I-I brought this to you. One of your friends mentioned that you had wanted to read it but hadn't had the courage to fetch it, and I thought I could bring it to you." He was silent for a moment before he handed it to you. The cover was warm from the places he had held it, and you slid your fingers on the decorative etchings, slight dips under your fingers.
"Perhaps when you have read it, we could maybe ..." He trailed off, shifting his weight from one leg to another.
"If you'd like, we could go for a walk and talk about it." He suggested and quickly added.
"But only if you'd like, that is."

When you were silent, just staring at the title spelled with gold paint on the book's cover, his shoulder's slumped and he took a step away from your door.
"I-I understand, you must be busy. I just thought that it would be nice, but it's no problem-" He cut himself off when he felt your hesitant hand on his arm.
"Wait." Color coated your cheeks as you smiled.
"I would love that. To go for a walk with you and talk. About the b-book." A smile spread onto his lips at your words, and the nervousness of stuttering again was whisked away from your head.

You stared at each other in silence before a thrush flew above you, thrilling loudly, bringing both of you out of your haze. You brushed your hair behind your ear and Lindir cleared his throat.
"I-I better get going, lord Elrond is probably expecting me." He muttered, taking a small step away from your door. You nodded, yawning.
"Send me a note when you've read the book and we'll go for that walk." You nodded, giving him a small smile as you pushed the door closed. You leaned against it, letting out a soft sigh, a bright smile spreading to your lips. You ventured off to bed, and for the first time in a long while, you fell asleep perfectly content, a bright smile on your lips, your arm still squeezing the book.

Lindir got a note from you not two days from that.

*Also, I totally made up this book and the story, there is nothing canon about this.

I haven't been able to get any writing done because I got sick and my ability to focus flew out the window. But as soon as I get better I will return to writing, pinky promise!