Faramir Fiction Archive

Daily brotherly love (G)

Written by Laivindur

23 May 2013 | 3387 words | Work in Progress

Title: Daily brotherly love
Author: Laivindur
Rating: G
Pairing(s): Faramir

Faramir is ordered to play a strategic board game with his older brother to make him more of a thinker than the rash doer.
Added: Chapter 4

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Chapter 1

A safe and cozy quarter in the citadel of Minas Tirith was lit up by many candles in the middle of the room. They were placed around a set of chess on a round table in the dark night.

A young Faramir in his late teens was in his bath room to releave himself when he heard the door open.
“I’ll be right there,” he called in the silence that followed.

Boromir had looked around in the comfortable room before his brother’s voice had made him wake up from his dreamy state and he closed the door gently without answering.

As Faramir washed his hands, the older brother was trailing the room with his eyes. He had not been there for a long time and saw that more colors had been added as well as more things of high value and beauty, or perhaps it was just the light.

The younger man walked to the door frame.
“You ready?” he said with a smile as he dried his hands on a towel.

“I have practised,” Boromir warned.

Faramir raised his chin in half disbelief. “You have?”
Boromir placed his arms at his sides to state the fact.

The younger brother continued, “Well, then since you have, I’ll be expecting more of you.”
He said with a confident blink and walked into the bath room again.

“Don’t be that cocky, little brother or else I am obliged to make an example of your place.” The older brother was in the perfect age and state of believing everyone else lower than himself and didn’t like this boasting attitude of his little brother.

Faramir had just gotten outside again to reveal the falling of mood at his brother’s strictness, but was determined to make this a nice evening as planed, so he made an attempt to lighten things up.

“Come on, brother. Let me at least enjoy this one thing I’m good at. This one thing I surpass you at.”

Boromir tested and measured his brother a while and cruelly enjoyed the subdued state he unknowingly had participied to inflict on his brother.
He was the one to decide whether this was to be an enjoyable time for Faramir or yet another duty. He would later understand that this inebriety he got whenever his brother waited for his approval, confirmation or recognition was pervertion.

Boromir loosened the tension with a warm smile and a snort. Faramir smiled and was glad the trust he had for his brother did not fail him. Boromir spoke gently, but firm.
“Alright, but only this once. I will not have this cocky attitude of yours anymore. This is embarrassing, you know.”

As they sat down by the lit table with the game set up ready, Boromir mumbled annoyed.
“Making me play stupid games with my little brother like we were kids. He doesn’t understand that I learn best out on the field.”

Faramir rose a brow at his boasting brother full of hormones pumping for great battles, and lowered his voice while trying not to seem too lecturing.
“You can’t go back to the field and put your men back to place for a second try.”

Boromir was silenced and looked at his brother at the other side of the table. He was mesmerized by him. He seemed so young but still so grown. Faramir smiled, and the fire in his eyes, which he’d not seen for a time, made him keep silent. Faramir continued and beckoned to the board between them.

“You can do that here. And even though you believe this stupid and pointless, it is necessary. And to keep you silent for the rest of the evening…”

Faramir made Boromir squint with his foxy smile.
“…father ordered it…as you know. So keep that to mind whenever you think of complaining.”

Boromir shifted his jaw and lifted his chin in a challenging manner. The younger brother noticed and waited for the counter. He was nervous as his brother had changed past the year, but he trusted him to be the captain he’d always pictured him to be. Not their merciless father.

Boromir saw this slight change in his little brother’s eyes. Faramir’s eyes changed always into a more cold grey when he was scared or nervous.
Boromir had to smile at that and enjoyed his last time of prosper that evening before Faramir would crush him in this damned game. “Just don’t forget your place, little one,” he said in a friendly warning tone and took the first move on the board.

Faramir smiled as his confidence and trust once again had picked the right spot. “I won’t.”

Chapter two.

“This is just too dull, Faramir,” Boromir sighed and leant back on the chair after having leant forward concentrating intently at the game.

Faramir was still patient after the first hour and had been keeping his posture through the entire game, but now he had to strighten up after he had leant back as Boromir had used a lot of time thinking and pondering at his next move. They had lost equal amount of pieces, but Faramir was pressing him to a corner.
“You use too much time caring for only a few characters. You have to see the entire game.”
“I do see the entire game, it’s right in front of me!”

Faramir tried not to smile at his annoyed older brother.

“What I mean is that you only focus on defending and using your strongest and most important characters. You have lost almost all your pawns, but they can be crucial to your strategic victory. You have not been using them carefully. Just because they’re smaller and have lesser abilities doesn’t make them useless.”

The older brother felt stupid and once again had to look at his little one for a few more seconds as he seemed to grow right in front of him. With his back at the chair and arms crossed, he frowned at the game. He was surprised and confused at the same time. Surprised at his little brother, and confused as he wanted to, but could’t tell him off.
He hated to feel trapped by someone else, but then he looked at Faramir. He was patiently waiting for him and rested his eyes on the board game, probably having foreseen all possible moves and strategies. As the grey eyes between the auburn hair met his, he had the same expectant glare as their father, though gentler.

“You wanna try again?” Faramir suggested.

“I haven’t lost yet,” Boromir exclaimed.

As Faramir shot his gaze back at the game and…did he slide down in his chair a few inches? Boromir felt sorry and wanted to apologize for his outburst, but his pride made him move one of his pawns irrationally.

Faramir stared at the move with narrow lips while Boromir waited for a lecture, a comment or a face to confirm his suspected idiotic move.

The little brother kept moving his lips skeptically while staring at the black pawn who had just opened up a victory for him. He swallowed and did not want to win. He wanted to tell their father about Boromir winning, not about how grumpy and careless he’d acted both in and after the game.

Boromir sat looking at the game and Faramir in turn, he had never seen Faramir this still throughout the entire evening.
“What?” Boromir shrugged and spoke defencively. “Was it that bad? I thought you meant me to move the pawn?” And when Faramir finally dared to meet his brother’s eyes, Boromir knew the loss and the huge stupidity at it. “Argh, damn it. What am i to do?! This drives me mad! You cannot expect me to become a better warrior by this!”

“You’ll be a better captain. And this isn’t a behaviour of a captain, brother. You really need this practise. Not only to strenghten your strategic mind, but also your discipline and patience.”

Boromir had enough of being lectured by his little brother and rose in frustration, “Stupid,” he mumbled and moved to the space of the room.

After looking over the board one last time, Faramir spoke to his brother again.
“You did lose,” and he rose to move closer to Boromir. “But as you once told me one need practise and time to become…in this case not stronger, but…better…at whatever you strive for.”

Boromir turned to him with a smile. “What happened to you, little one? Suddenly you look like a miniature of father. Only…”
Faramir frowned as his brother measured him with wonder, then he had to stop himself from stepping back as Boromir’s arms embraced him carefully.

His cheeks grew hot and he didn’t get time to enjoy the hug before it was over. Boromir smiled at the flushed little brother.
“You show good spirit when hugging your opponent,” Faramir stated as a divertion.

Boromir laughed. “Now I see the little brother I remember!”

“What? What do you mean? Just suddenly?”
“You’re blushing!” Boromir laughed a bit more, “are you not used to fysical contact? Is it that long since I’ve…”
The smile wore off and he just looked at the nervous and embarrassed young man. “Could he have been that lonely?” Boromir thought.

“No…I-” Faramir had troubles looking at the taller man’s eyes,
“I just haven’t-” he turned away and walked over to the table to sort the board. “You’re right, I haven’t had much of that, so the body reacts in quite an irrat-”

Boromir laughed once again and walked over to Faramir while talking. “I see you still try to make up logical excuses, little one. You’re so cute when you do that. Seldom you get out of trouble that way when it’s visible how nervous and-”

When Faramir turned and met his brother’s frame, something happened. None of them knew what. Faramir blamed the tension of the whole role switching, but Boromir frowned as something inside him stirred at the thought of…something he didn’t want to admit. He left in a calm matter as this had shocked him and he had to hide it. Faramir felt the usual loneliness, but smiled as he perhaps had taught his brother something.

Chapter three

“Bless you.” faramir smiled at his horse who had just sneezed at the dust he’d brushed off of him. “Oh, now it’s my turn,” he said before he too sneezed. The dust twirled around in the barn as he gathered himself and laughed while patting the brown stallion.
He tried to brush the dust so it didn’t bother the horse again, but walking over to the other side of the big back, he sneezed hard and leaned to the wall while laughing. It had been a hard day and he was tired. While resting to the wall he watched his friend yank at a rope by the fence. “No, don’t do that,” he carelessly mumbled, not bothering to move.

As the horse continued he let go of a tired laugh “Plundre, no. Come on.”

The horse made to yank the rope so a bucket behind the fence fell over. When Faramir heard the ruckus and a great amount of water spilling on the floor, he shot himself from the wall and cursed.

Plundre whinned and walked back as Faramir jolted out of the stall.

“Damn it, Faramir,” a boy his age barked and almost made to save his nice green horse blanket from the dirty water.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see what Plundre was doing,” Faramir said while giving his horse a look.

Plundre looked at him attentively with his ears straight forward.
Faramir walked back to him and nudged him friendly on the mule while mumbling “Enjoy yorself, huh?”

Faramir didn’t get to see his brother enter as Plundre nudged back with his bigger head.

“Stop playing with your animal and get dressed. Father wants to sup with us tonight.”

Boromir only waited for the accepting nod from Faramir before he walked off with two of his men.

In the fine room Denethor and his heir sat talking while the food was placed at the table.

Boromir proud and Denethor even prouder, and when Faramir entered, Boromir sighed at his late coming, and the father too, though with an unusual please to see him.

“Faramir,” Denethor started gladly and beckoned him to sit to his right at the small round table. He was about to continue the light tone, but then he saw that Faramir probably had been dressing while walking over as his outfit was messy and wrong at the chest.

Faramir sat down and was taken aback when his father shook his head and pulled at the shirt, trying to fix it.
“Faramir, what have I told you? Boromir help your brother, this is folly.”

Faramir blushed as his older brother smiled at him in that mocking way.

The older brother rose and walked over to the teenager.
“I’m sorry, father. I didn’t have time to both take care of things at the-”

Boromir yanked the vest so hard it interrupted the apologizing youth, and when Faramir looked up at Boromir he saw the warning frown. He started speaking again with Boromir’s fumbling at the clothes.

“I mean, I used so much time washing, and I am not used to-”

Boromir sighed. “No, you’re definitively not used to this outfit, little brother. It can’t be helped,” he let go of the clothing and strutted back to his place, “you’ll just have to look like a fool tonight.”

Faramir let his gaze end on his father after having followed his brother.

“He doesn’t look that bad, Denethor excused, “now, Faramir, tell me about Boromir’s progress in the art of strategy.”

“Very well,” Faramir blurted and nodded, “he has been showing far more progress than I- than-”

Denethor shot out a great short laugh to Boromir’s chagrin and Faramir’s misfortune, though he could not help but smile.

The steward patted his first born on the back. “Good good,” he giggled, “keep up the good work, my sons.”

They turned their attention to the food and several matters were discussed and spoken about between the adults mostly.

After a while and quite suddenly to Faramir, Denethor asked. “What do you think, Faramir?” The young boy shot his gaze up from the plate just ready to take a bite.

“What? I…” He saw his family expecting an answer, but he had not paid attention to the conversation. The father saw that when his youngest tried to mend out a guess while squinting. When Faramir made an attempt to postpone the answer by his act of thinking and shrugging, the father barked.

“Hah, you haven’t heard a word spoken. When I and Boromir talk about important matters which a pup like yourself could learn from, what are your thoughts about, Faramir?” Denethor said.

“A girl,” Boromir said while chewing his stake.

“No.” Faramir frowned at his older brother.

Denethor smiled and leaned back. “Really? And who is this girl, Faramir?”

The teenager blushed. “I said no. There’s no-”

“Her name is Velouria,” Boromir said without lifting his attention from the food.

“You know nothing of this, shut up,” Faramir barked, and blushed even more of the anger and embarrassment. He dropped his gaze to his lap as well as his hands and spoke to his father, “I’m sorry, father. I forgot my place. Please, forgive me, Boromir.”

“You’re a good lad, Faramir. But now I want you to go to your room. It’s late and I need to speak to your brother of important matters. I see you have not reached adultery as much as I thought.”

Faramir cursed inwards and nodded politely to both before leaving feeling very embarrassed.

Chapter four

On a sunny morning, with birds twittering outside the open window, Faramir woke up all disheveled in his bed. He squinted at the sun and had to blink a couple of times before it came to him which day it was.

The grey eyes widened and he stumbled out of bed. He had to collect himself as the blood rushed to his head and he reeled over to his night desk while grasping his forehead.

“I’m never drinking that much ever again,” he murmured.

Walking over to his bathroom he smiled, remembering the evening before when drinking with his mates where he’d won a battle and the celebration had perhaps gone a bit too far.

He swallowed down a good deal of water as the maid entered. She started to remove the sheets after placing a basket next to her.

Faramir pulled off his night shirt and started washing and dressing.

“Are you alright, dear? Do you need something for me to bring?”
The maid called when going to the other side of the bed.

Faramir walked over to her in only his trousers and a plain white shirt,
“I need help with the outfit, could you help me?”

The maid had not yet gotten used to Faramir becoming of age and smiled to him as he looked down on her from his sudden gained height, “Of course I will. With no sister or-” She stopped as she did not know how Faramir felt about his mother’s passing, but as she saw his questioning and slow gaze, she continued in a soft and comforting voice, “or mother. I am honored to help you on this day.”

A sad smile from Faramir melted her heart and she turned him around to lead him to where the fine clothing was.

They walked through the hallway and Faramir was no longer as shy as before where he walked with so little clothing.

The maid straightened up when Boromir turned up. He had been looking down at the steps up to the hallway, but now that he looked up and saw his little brother, he smiled and raised his hand in greeting.

Faramir’s smile was small and humble, but had to grin when his older brother looked at him with pride. “Will you look at that! How do you feel, brother? Do you feel any older or smarter?”

The younger man chuckled and placed his hands on his sides while speaking, “I must say that all that beer you pressed into me last night actually got me back to state ‘dizzy disoriented baby’.” The maid had to smile at how they seemed to resemble one another in turn. She blushed when cleaning her throat to cut them off and get Faramir behind a door before someone else saw him.

“Go and get dressed, little one,” Boromir tapped his brother’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Faramir turned after him, “I’m not little anymore from this day.”

The resolute and gentle being stunned Boromir for a moment before he answered, “don’t expect too much, brother…I have stopped treating you like a child, but you’re still my little brother.” The unexpected lump in the older brother’s throat made him turn immediately, leaving Faramir with his small smile.

In the great party room everything was set, the breakfast was done hours ago, and guests had started to arrive for the celebration of Faramir’s 17th birthday.

“Faramir, you have become so stern and big and grown up since I saw you,” Imrahil embraced his nephew and smiled while grasping Faramir’s shoulder with a manly shake, “Denethor hasn’t tamed you so soon, has he?”

An awkward smile and uncertaint gazes made Imrahil laugh and embrace him even more, “That’s my Faramir.”

“No, uncle you don’t understand. I know father will keep an eye on me all day so I may be alittle…you know…uptight.”

“That’s fine, lad. I bet you had lots of fun yesterday, eh?”
Faramir laughed an uncertain laughter, “What? I didn’t- what do you mean?”

Imrahil blinked and waved his finger at him, “Alright, alright. I get it. I think I’ll go find your father and take his eyes off of you so you can go say hi to a certain lady waiting for you at the stairs.”

Faramir didn’t get to respond as his uncle went off.

When he saw Imrahil catching his father for a chat at the balkony, he dared to look around after the lady. He saw Mindoril standing at the stairs to the garden, his childhood friend who had come back after years away.

To be continued…

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