(Author's Notes: this is a request made by dear Cali! Hiiiii! 💕 Also I just searched for a random old English name and got stuck with Durward so forgive me if it sounds odd hnnggghhh I also don't know how to write fight scenes wodkendpawhejiw)
"Durward, you will be sparring with (Y/N)."
"Yes, my lord."
Faramir approached Boromir, trying to be discrete. But Boromir could easily detect the frown on his brother's face because of his decision.
"Brother, you think it wise to partner (Y/N) with Durward?" Faramir asked. "You know how he was and what his opinions were when (Y/N) joined the guards."
Boromir smirked and placed a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "That is precisely why I partnered them-so that Durward will see why (Y/N) was allowed to be one of us."
They looked at where you and the other guard were standing. From afar, it seemed as if the two of you were merely standing and waiting for the signal to start practicing. They couldn't see that Durward was sending you glares and you were trying your best not to roll your eyes at the man.
The guards of Gondor were mostly made up of men and only a handful were women. The women that had found their way into the guards were always stationed to be gatekeepers or were always stationed to guard places that, in your humble opinion, did not really need to be guarded. They were not directly saying that, in their eyes, women were weak, but with these simple things you could tell what their opinions were.
So when you joined, you weren't going to let them get away with pushing you around. No, you were going to make a stand and climb your way up in the ranks. And you did. You were now the right hand of Faramir. But even when you showed what you were really made of, there was one who absolutely loathed the idea of having you there.
And that person was your sparring partner today.
"The guards is no place for a lady," Durward spat. "You should not be wearing armor nor holding a sword or a bow and arrow. You should be at home, wearing skirts and holding a needle and thread."
"Your words make me want to become an elf instead of being someone like you, Durward, for even Mirkwood's captain of the guards is a female," you said. "Women have the freedom to choose what they want to wield. And whatever choice they make, it does not make them less of a woman."
Durward scowled, his hands turning into fists. You did the same as you saw Boromir partner up the last few people.
Boromir took a deep breath.
"Start!"
Durward ran forward as soon as the word left Boromir's lips. He threw a punch but you saw this and you squatted down to avoid his blow. Your sparring partner was driven by anger and you took it as an advantage. You stretched out your leg and swept it under his feet, making him stumble. But he managed to stay upright and Durward decided to land a kick on your stomach.
You fell onto the ground and groaned but there was no time to think about the pain. You rolled away just before Durward's foot could squash you. Quickly getting up on your feet, you pulled on his leg. This time Durward fell and before he could get up you punched him on the face.
"Stop!"
With much effort you pushed yourself up and rubbed your knuckles on the hand you used to throw a punch. You preferred the bow but you understood the need to be able to fight in hand-to-hand combat. Good thing the sparring was short or else you would have had more bruises.
As you walked towards where the others were gathering, you did not notice Durward get up and run to you. He tackled you down and pinned you under him. Caught off guard, it took you a moment to understand what was going on but before you could react, Durward's fists made contact with your face.
The others who saw the commotion ran and pulled Durward off of you. He thrashed and struggled but Faramir took it upon himself to make him stay put by punching him, causing Durward to loose consciousness.
"(Y/N), are you alright?" Boromir asked.
You nodded weakly. "Nothing I have not undergone before. Your punches were heavier than his, my lord."
"Durward attacked her after you had told us to stop sparring," someone in the crowd said. "She had already beaten him before your signal."
You accepted the hand Boromir offered and he pulled you up on your feet. "He was probably offended that a woman defeated him," you grumbled, reaching up to touch your cheek. Great, bruises and more blood.
"He forgot that the woman he was fighting was someone my brother and I had been training with since we were children." Faramir joined them and sighed. "I shall take you to the healers, just to be sure."
Boromir nodded at this. When Faramir and you had gone, he approached the guards under his care and gave them more instructions before letting them go back to their stations.
Luckily you ended up without any serious injury. The healer patched you up and told you the bruises were going to be there for a while (something you were already used to but yes you were going to admit that you would still prefer to look presentable at times when wearing a dress). After that Faramir insisted he walk you back to your house.
On your way home, Faramir suddenly pulled you into the stables where at that time no one was occupying. You were about to question his actions when he gathered you into his arms and pulled you close to him.
"Faramir-"
"Shh," he said. His hand found its way to your face and his fingers hovered over your bruises. His expression darkened. The urge to find Durward and actually throw him out of Gondor was getting stronger. But Faramir found peace again when you caught his hand and leaned against his touch.
"I am alright," you assured him. "It is nothing."
"You cannot blame me for not wanting you to be in the guards," he said. "It is not because I do not trust your skills. It is because I do not want to see you get hurt."
You sighed and kissed his palm. "I know. But I want to be here. I want to fight for Gondor. And fighting means getting hurt and even risking your life."
"Do not," Faramir hissed, his expression pained, "talk of risking your life for I will not let you die."
"But..."
"For if you die, then how will I live?"
Faramir closed the distance between your faces and claimed your lips. The kiss told how torn he was. He didn't want to hold you back but he didn't want to lose you. And so you kissed him back with equal fervor, assuring him that he won't lose you, that you will stay with him and hold onto him.
When you pulled away to breathe, you pressed your forehead against his and smiled.
"You won't lose me, Faramir," you promised.
He nodded and smiled.
The both of you stood there, trying to calm the beating of your hearts, but your moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat and saying, "I hope to be an uncle soon."
The two of you jumped, immediately breaking the embrace. You and Faramir stood there awkwardly under the gaze of Boromir who was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed and with a teasing grin on his lips. Months of trying to keep your relationship a secret and here you are now, busted by Faramir's older brother.
"Brother, I..."
Boromir chuckled. "I want to be an uncle, little brother. I want a nephew or a niece to spoil!"
You blushed and turned away. The fact that Boromir approved of this relationship made you happy but Boromir's demands were certainly quite bold.
"Brother we-"
Poor Faramir was left trying to still find a way out of this but Boromir was rolling his eyes at his little brother. There was no point in hiding this from him.
"You think I would not know, would not see how you two act around each other," Boromir said, reaching out to pet his horse. "Your eyes shine when you see her, little brother. And her smiles are brighter when you are around."
Boromir turned and walked towards the door. You and Faramir were still blushing but Faramir could not hold back his smile. He knew his brother would approve of this and Faramir certainly felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
The both of your cheeks were still red but they burned brighter when Boromir said before leaving, "I am serious about being an uncle. I expect you to start planning or so help me I will actually start organizing your wedding."
Bistado
-(Filipino; Philippines)
Meaning: busted