Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tolkien´s characters, which is a pity!

Author´s note: I was in the mood for a bit of romance, and it´s always nice to imagine a sleeping Aragorn... enjoy!

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Precious

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Dim light had begun to fill the room when the Queen of Gondor awoke. For long moments she just lay in bed, enjoying the peace which inhered in the break of dawn; she did not know what had roused her, but now she did not feel like going back to sleep.

Silently, she turned to her husband, who was facing her, lying on his side. His face looked younger, fast asleep as he was; the lines around his eyes and his mouth were still there, but rather like delicate additions to his features than signs of strain.

She listened to his quiet breathing and followed those lines with her eyes; she longed to touch them but did not wish to wake him this early. He needed the rest; the kingship as well as rebuilding the country were taking their toll on him, and it was not often that he slept as peacefully as he did now. He was a light sleeper, due to his long years out in the Wild, and sometimes his mind was too overwrought to find rest; she could always tell. His whole body was tense then, and his hands clenched and unclenched in a way which told her that his worries had found their way into his dreams.

Those hands now lay motionless, the long slender fingers relaxed; Arwen sighed inaudibly at their sight, regarding the countless scars which marred them, remnants of the war. Every day she thanked the Valar that they had spared Aragorn, that he had survived and that she had a husband. Their marriage had been a gift, and she rejoiced in it in all her waking hours; she had never dreamed that it would be like this, had not dared to in fact.

Aragorn was a caring husband, and she felt so secure in the embrace of his love that she had not doubted her decision once and knew she never would. He was precious to her, and at times she started to miss him the minute he had walked out of the door.

Gingerly, cautiously she slid her fingertips in the sleeping man´s palm; he shifted almost imperceptibly, but did not move otherwise. Arwen smiled, watching her beloved while he was dwelling in the realm of dreams.

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It was already light when, unable to restrain herself any longer, she reached out with her other hand, gently caressing her husband´s ear, but careful to touch him only ever so slightly; her fingers slid down to his neck and along the collarbone before they wandered up to his face, tenderly stroking his cheek. With the tip of her fingers she finally caressed the lines next to his eye, marvelling at the softness of the skin. She was too lost in thought to notice that the rhythm of Aragorn´s breathing had changed, and was slightly startled when he opened his eyes, withdrawing her hand a little.

A smile spread over his face, illuminating his grey eyes: "Please. Do not stop", he said softly, his voice still rough from sleep.

Arwen looked at him and found herself falling in love with him anew, in that very moment. Breathless, she resumed what she had been doing, caressing Aragorn´s face with all the tenderness she had and feeling her happiness well up in her; this was exactly where she wanted to be.

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The End

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