Slipping through my fingers all the time
Fëanor x Nerdanel
Summary: When Nerdanel woke up and the other side of her bed was cold, she panicked. Or: Nerdanel is afraid to lose the people close to her again.
When Nerdanel woke up and the other side of her bed was cold, she panicked.
Since Fëanor had moved back in with her three weeks ago, her bed had not been cold when she woken up. Instead, she had felt his gentle fingertips on her cheeks, his breath on her neck or she had opened her eyes to his warm smile.
It had taken a long time before Fëanor had dared to speak to Nerdanel again. He had been reembodied months ago, but he had been afraid she would hate him and he had told her he couldn't bear it if she had hated him.
The truth was that Nerdanel had never hated him. She had been angry. Very angry, in fact. But she hadn't hated him.
And now he was back and she had always woken up to his warmth, but this time it was different. Fëanor wasn't there.
Had she perhaps just dreamed it all? Had Fëanor never really returned? Had these dreams only arisen out of her desire to have her beloved husband back?
Panicked, she sat up, slipped out of bed and ran through a house that was far too big for her alone. She had thought all these years that she would drown in the sheer size of the home that once was filled with love, now that the laughter of her sons and the warmth of her husband were gone.
As she turned a corner, she bumped into someone.
"Fëanáro!" she gasped. Fëanor stood in front of her, a cup of steaming tea in his hand.
"Nerdanel? What is wrong dear?" He carelessly placed the cup on the nearest cupboard and turned to her.
"Fëanáro." she whispered, because she was so relieved to see him. She felt so light that she wouldn't have been surprised if she had suddenly been able to fly.
It was only when Fëanáro's fingertips gently touched her cheek to wipe away a tear that she realized she had started to cry.
"I thought- I thought you were gone," she whispered and sniffled.
He frowned worriedly. "But my dear, why should I be gone?"
"I- I was afraid I might have dreamed it all." she whispered softly. "That you had never really returned."
Fëanor placed his hands gently on her cheeks and then leaned forward to kiss her eyelids. "I am here." Then he kissed down the bridge of her nose. "And I will never leave your side again." He pressed his lips to hers and and wrapped his arms around her to pull her tighter against him.
"I am yours forever, Nerdanel," he whispered against her lips. "And I will never leave unless you ask me to."
"I never want to be without you again, my dearest Fëanáro." she breathed and kissed him again. "Why are you up so early?"
He rested his forehead against hers and rubbed their noses together. "I made you some tea to wake you up. You were still fast asleep when I woke up and I thought it would be nice."
"But why so early?" she asked gently.
Fëanor pulled her closer and kissed her again, harder this time, which was exactly what Nerdanel needed, because the feeling of his kiss lingered on her lips after he had already pulled away. It was a reminder that he was there. "We were supposed to visit Maitimo and Findékano today. And they live a bit out in the country, so we have to leave early."
In her panic, Nerdanel had completely forgotten.
"I am sorry," she whispered quietly.
Fëanor shook his head. "My dearest." He kissed the corner of her mouth. "You have done nothing wrong. Never. It touches me deeply that I still mean so much to you after all this. But rest assured, I would never make the mistake of leaving again, because you and our children are what give my life meaning. You are the true treasures I should have fought for, and I know that now."
"Oh Fëanáro." She gently stroked his cheek. "Let us put the past behind us once and for all and be happy that we have each other again. I love you."
"I love you too, Nerdanel." he whispered against her lips before kissing her again.
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World Turned Upside Down - a Fëanor/Nerdanel fanmix
"Prettiness" - Noe Venable
I have never been one for prettiness (prettiness)
Thinking of lace 'bout makes me puke
But the thing I just bought has a little bit (little bit)
I'm putting it on and I'm thinking of you.
"Nothing Without You" - Vienna Teng
All my books are lying useless now
All my maps will only show me how to lose my way
Oh, call my name; you know my name
And in that sound, everything will change
Tell me it won't always be this hard
I am nothing without you, but I don't know who you are.
"Take This Longing" - Leonard Cohen
Your beauty lost to you yourself
Just as it was lost to them.
Oh, take this longing from my tongue,
Whatever useless things these hands have done
Let me see your beauty broken down
Like you would do for one you love.
"Cannonball" - Vienna Teng
Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
And it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball.
"If I Were a Weapon" - Suzanne Vega
I feel more like a needle
Always pulling on the thread
Always making the same point again
And wondering if you heard what I just said.
"Where's the Girl?" - Voltaire
Where's the girl I fell in love with?
Where'd she go?
Where's that kind and gentle princess
Of my dreams?
Where'd she go?
Why'd she go away?
Where'd she go?
Why'd you take her away from me?
"Storm in a Teacup" - Susan McKeown
I'd forgotten what it looked like
To look in your eyes and see all that madness and mistrust.
"House Where Nobody Lives" - Tom Waits
What makes a house grand ain't the roof or the doors
If there's love in a house it's a palace for sure
Without love, it ain't nothing but a house
A house where nobody lives.
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Smile Again
Nerdanel x fem!Fëanor
Summary: Finwë kicks Fëanáro out when he finds out that his daughter is in love with another woman. Fëanáro receives help from an unexpected source and gets to talk to Nerdanel, the woman she loves, about everything.
Sequel to: Be Yourself
"What do you think you are doing!"
Fëanáro had never seen her father so upset before.
Just a few minutes earlier she had confessed to him that she was in love with Nerdanel, another elleth, and her father had not taken it well at all.
"You are a disgrace to this family!" he shouted as he ran after her. Fëanáro had already packed her things in preparation because she had feared something like this would happen. Why couldn't her father accept her as she was? "I just hope Findis does not become as spoilt as you. You should be more like your Ammë!"
Tears came to Fëanáro's eyes at the mention of her mother. She wonder what her Ammë would think of her daughter if she saw her now. Would she be angry too? Would she perhaps even understand or accept her daughter?
"You- "
"Finwë, what is going on? Why are you yelling? "Indis had come out of one of the neighbouring corridors, apparently having heard the shouting.
"This is none of your business. I will throw my daughter out. "Finwë snorted in Fëanáro's direction.
Indis' jaw dropped. She seemed to be as surprised at Finwë's reaction as Fëanáro was. "But why, I mean- "
"I should have done that a long time ago, the day I realised I had a girl and no heir," he said and Fëanáro didn't recognise her father at all.
Her heart felt as if it had been pierced with several needles. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly.
Nerdanel. she thought as she cried. Nerdanel. My dear, beautiful, strong Nerdanel.
And then she suddenly felt someone put their arm around her shoulders. "It is all right," Indis said gently, "Come on, I will take you outside."
They didn't say anything for more than half the way out, just walked side by side in silence. Indis' arm was still around her shoulders and after a while she whispered softly, "I do not think there is anything wrong with you, Fëanáro."
Fëanáro looked up, puzzled. She had not expected these words from Indis. She hadn't expected Indis to be the one to tell her something like that at all. Her stomach clenched. Had she possibly misjudged Indis?
"With the Vanyar, it does not matter who you love as long as you are happy," Indis continued. "Are you happy with yourself?"
It took her a moment to fully understand this question. Mahtan's words flashed through her mind again. 'Your purpose in life is not just to be a wife or a mother, Náro, it is to be yourself.'
She nodded slowly.
Indis smiled gently, an expression she rarely gave Fëanáro. "Then there is nothing wrong with you."
Fëanáro fiddled nervously with the strap of the bag that she had hung around her shoulder earlier.
"So you think it is okay if I - if I marry an elleth?" she asked quietly.
Indis nodded. "Absolutely. A cousin of mine married another woman and they still live a perfectly happy life. If something makes you happy, Fëanáro, which does not bring hurt to anyone else, then you do not have to answer to anyone but your own feelings and thoughts."
They had arrived at the edge of a small forest from where she could quickly reach Mahtan's house.
"Findis and I will visit you often if you do not mind, and if you have any questions, or have simply forgotten something in your haste, then let me know. You are not alone in this situation."
She held out her arms, giving Fëanáro enough time to turn away or to otherwise communicate that she didn't want this before wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. "Change is always scary, but you are strong and I am sure you can handle it. You can do it." Fëanáro buried her face in Indis' shoulder. She hadn't realised how much she had needed a hug after everything her father had just said.
"Thank you Indis." she whispered softly.
"I do not think it will happen, but if Mahtan is mean to you or kicks you out, let me know. I do not think you would like to come home, whether I convince Finwë that there is nothing wrong with you or not, but I am sure you could stay with my parents for a while." She paused for a moment before adding the last sentence, "In a way, they are your grandparents too."
Fëanáro hugged Indis tightly once more before letting her go. Just the thought that Indis still saw her as family after all the ugly things Fëanáro had thought and said about her.
"Thank you." she said again because she didn't know what else to say. She wanted to apologise for her behaviour towards Indis, but the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth.
Indis seemed to realise this because she smiled again and kissed Fëanáro on the forehead. "It is all right."
~•~
Fëanáro was almost at Mahtan's house when her head finally seemed to realise what had just happened. Her bag slipped off her shoulder and her eyes filled with tears.
Her father had said she was unnatural. He had shouted at her. Finwë had never shouted at her before, no matter how angry he had been. Finwë in general did not raise his voice often.
Fëanáro buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly.
It suddenly felt so wrong to be here. She should never have left. She should have just kept her stupid mouth shut and said nothing. It would have been better for everyone involved. It would have been-
"Fëanáro?"
Nerdanel!
She would have recognised that voice anywhere. She lifted her hands from her eyes and stared at Nerdanel, perplexed. She had plaited her red hair into a braid that hung down over her left shoulder. She was wearing a somewhat worn white top and a yellow skirt that reached down to her ankles.
Fëanáro's stomach fluttered a little as she looked closely at Nerdanel. She had rarely looked as beautiful as she did now, although she always looked wonderful. Maybe it was the light of the trees that made her hair shine so bright. Or maybe it was the fact that her mere presence pulled Fëanáro out of her gloomy thoughts.
"Nerdanel." she said quietly, her voice trembling terribly, and gave in to her longing to approach her. However, she had completely forgotten that her bag had slipped off her shoulder and so she stumbled over it and let out a surprised cry.
She expected to hit the ground, but that didn't happen. Instead, two strong arms caught her and set her back on her feet.
When Fëanáro lifted her eyes, Nerdanel's nose was only a few millimetres away from hers. She could now clearly see very small freckles under her eyes, which had not been visible from even a small distance. Nerdanel's arms, which had caught her, were still around her. She swallowed.
"Atar mentioned that your father might throw you out, but he did not mention why." Nerdanel scrutinised her. Then her voice softened and Fëanáro realised that she had been checking her for injuries. "If you want to talk about it, we can do that any time, but we should get you home for now."
But before Fëanáro could do anything, Nerdanel had already swung her bag over her shoulders and put her arms around her again, this time to sling Fëanáro over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"What- what are you doing?" Fëanáro asked, completely horrified and surprised.
"Well, what," Nerdanel snorted in amusement. "I am preventing you from falling again."
Fëanáro slapped her hands in front of her face again. This time, however, it was to hide her red cheeks and not because she was crying.
No one said anything the whole way to the house, or at least Fëanáro thought Nerdanel didn't, because her heart was pounding so hard in her ears that she couldn't really hear anything. Her thoughts were also completely focussed on the hand that Nerdanel had wrapped around her knees.
When they finally arrived in the guest room that Fëanáro had often stayed in already, which was probably her room now, Nerdanel set her down again without much difficulty and put the bag on the bed.
Fëanáro, however, made no effort to unpack it but simply sank to the floor and stared at the opposite wall. She wonder if Mahtan would allow her to paint it.
"Nerdanel to Fëanáro, are you okay?" she looked worried. How long had she been staring at the wall? It had seemed like only a few seconds had passed. "I know it must be hard, but if it helps, please swallow your pride and tell me. I can help. I want to see you laugh again."
Fëanáro swallowed hard. "Atar threw me out because- because I am different from how he had wanted me to be."
Nerdanel nodded. "What did he want you to be?"
"Normal." she admitted, looking down at her hands. "He just wanted a normal daughter, and instead- instead he got me!"
Nerdanel reached out, but when her hand touched Fëanáro's, she flinched as if she had been burnt.
"You- you should know something before you touch me again." Fëanáro whispered softly and blushed. Perhaps Nerdanel didn't want to touch her ever again if she knew the truth. That thought made her heart hurt.
She took a deep breath. "I am in love with you."
There was silence for a moment. Fëanáro gritted her teeth with tension. Then Nerdanel burst out laughing.
Fëanáro stared at her in incomprehension. Did she not believe her? Did she think it was so unlikely that Fëanáro liked her like that?
"Did you tell Atar about this?" asked Nerdanel, to which Fëanáro nodded in confusion. Why was that important?
When Nerdanel saw Fëanáro's uncertain and, to Fëanáro's displeasure, tearful face, her laughter stopped abruptly.
She leant forwards and placed her hands on Fëanáro's cheeks. "I told Atar a few weeks ago that I was in love with you and I was just imagining how funny it must have been for him." Then her face became more serious. "Your Atar kicked you out because of this?"
Fëanáro nodded and only then realised what Nerdanel had just said. "You- you- " But she didn't feel able to say any more.
"What?" Nerdanel winked, just as she had done the day Fëanáro had realised her feelings for her. "Has the skilled Fëanáro lost her tongue?" Then Nerdanel's hands darted down in a flash and began tickling Fëanáro's sides.
Fëanáro laughed out loud. "Nerdanel! What are you doing?"
"You were so sad!" laughed Nerdanel and continued to tickle her mercilessly. "I just wanted to see you laugh again."
Fëanáro fell over backwards laughing and Nerdanel followed her. It was only a few seconds later that Fëanáro realised that Nerdanel was now practically lying on top of her. Her red plait reached down to Fëanáro's ear and the ends of her hair tickled her too.
Nerdanel stopped tickling her and blushed a little, probably because she had noticed the position they were in.
"Fëanáro?" she asked gently.
She swallowed. "Yes?"
"Can I kiss you?"
She nodded, not daring to say anything. She was sure her voice would have trembled far too much.
Her eyes fixed on Nerdanel's lips until she realised that she should probably close her eyes. That was how kissing worked, wasn't it?
So Fëanáro closed her eyes and flinched slightly when Nerdanel's lips touched hers. Nerdanel placed her hands in Fëanáro's and gently stroked her palms as she moved her lips against hers.
Fëanáro barely had time to realise what the kiss felt like because someone cleared their throat at the doorway.
Nerdanel parted her lips in shock and Fëanáro's head wanted to jump up, which is why hers bumped into Nerdanel's.
"Ouch." Nerdanel cursed softly out of surprise, but didn't seem particularly annoyed by it.
Mahtan stood in the doorway with his arms crossed and grinned. "Well, I see you have settled in already, Náro."
Fëanáro turned bright red and wanted to bury her face in Nerdanel's shoulder, but Nerdanel, who didn't seem to care at all that her father was standing in the room, had already pressed her lips to hers again in a brief kiss.
Mahtan just laughed and said. "I will close the door. Just please listen so you hear when I call for dinner, my dears."
The next time Nerdanel broke away from Fëanáro, she gave her another quick kiss on the cheek and then bit her lip. "I am really glad to have you."
"Oh, Nerdanel. "Fëanáro reached out to touch her cheek. "What would I do without you?"
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