Tolkien reader inserts/one shots

Tension in the Fellowship (Aragorn x fem!reader)

You could see Aragorn's jaw tense when you stood, volunteering yourself to join Frodo on his quest to Mordor. You didn't understand why he was upset and no one else seemed to notice, so you didn't comment on it. It wasn't until later that you learned the secret he had been keeping. The reason he didn't want you to join him was nowhere near what you thought it was.

You finished packing and decided to find a quiet space to sharpen your sword and make more arrows for the journey. In your search, you came upon Aragorn and stopped short. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to intrude." Aragorn stared at you with those intense eyes of his for a moment before replying, "You could never intrude, Y/N." He went back to sharpening his own weapon. You arched a brow.

"That is not what it seemed like at the council meeting. You were...angry when I chose to follow." Aragorn stopped what he was doing to look back up at you. "I was not angry." You laughed lightly, the sound echoing through the empty place. "Very well. Then we should not have any problems." You didn't let him answer before you left again to find a space to be alone. You needed to relax before your journey.

*time skip brought to you by Gimli's axe*

The journey was treacherous and difficult, that was certain. But that wasn't what caused you any distress. You knew that would be the case on such a quest. What caused you distress was the tension. Tension between Boromir and Frodo. Tension between Gimli and Legolas at first. But mostly, the tension between you and Aragorn.

You still didn't understand it. Were you missing something? He said he wasn't angry, but it truly seemed like he was. He hardly spoke to you and when he did, it was short, clipped sentences. When battles did come, he kept you away. He wasn't that way with anyone else. You couldn't understand what you had done wrong. Your answer came from an unexpected place.

"I think he loves you," Sam said to you one evening as the two of you and Frodo were fishing for your next meal. After fishing in silence for a while, you decided to open up to him. He seemed wise beyond his years. You nearly dropped your net. "I beg your pardon?" you asked in surprise. "Strider. Aragorn, I mean. I think he loves you. That's why he didn't want you to come. He wanted to protect you."

You looked to Frodo, who shrugged. "Sam would know better than I. But he's probably right." You couldn't say anything. Elves were usually known for their keen observation. Apparently, you were the exception. You could hardly believe you didn't notice. It made sense though. However, there was only one way to be certain and that was to talk to the man himself. Thankfully, it was that moment Sam declared that you had caught enough fish to feed everyone for the evening.

After everyone had eaten their fill, you slowly approached Aragorn. "May I speak to you...alone?" you whispered, knowing that only he and probably Legolas could hear. Aragorn pulled his pipe from between his lips and nodded. He stood and lead you away from everyone else where you could talk in private. Once he deemed you were far enough away, he turned to face you once more, waiting for you to speak.

"You said you were not angry, yet you do not speak to me. You do not let me fight. You push me away and shut me out. What am I to believe? Your words or your actions?" All the tension and confusion you'd been feeling came tumbling out of your mouth in a way most other elves would find improper. But you couldn't help it. It wasn't that elves didn't feel. It was that they felt too much. That was why they tried to keep control, but all your control was gone in that moment, looking into his eyes.

You looked down at the ground after a moment. You couldn't keep looking at him. Your mind was running a mile a minute because you truly had no idea what to believe in when it came to Aragorn. You felt the tips of his fingers on your cheek and smelled the leather of his bracers. Your head shot up again. He had never been so gentle with you.

"They are both true, Nin Meleth. I am not angry with you. I am angry with myself. I cannot protect Frodo and you. I worry for you, Y/N. It is why I try to keep you from fighting. And why I push you away. I want only to protect you." He dropped his hand and you merely stared at him. You absolutely had caught on to what he'd called you. In the Common Tongue, he'd called you his love.

"You love me?" Aragorn smiled lightly and nodded his head. "Why did you not say so? I have been in agony thinking you were angry with me." His hand once more came up. He moved slowly, giving you a chance to reject his actions. You didn't move. You wanted to see what he would do.

At first, he simply placed his fingers on your cheeks again. His eyes never left yours. He moved his hands so they were cupping your cheeks. You could feel the slight shake in his hands. It wasn't like him to be so shaken so you did the only thing you could think of. You placed your hands on his wrists, essentially holding him there and reassuring him that his actions were okay. With a sigh, he placed his forehead on yours. You could practically feel the love radiating off of him and you wondered how you hadn't noticed it before. You grew up with this man after all. But in that moment, you realized that he was not the only one that had been hiding feelings.

"I do not need you to protect me," you told him softly, "You worry about Frodo and I will be there to protect you if you need me." He let his eyes fall closed and he breathed a sigh of relief. He murmured his love for you, the words almost lost in thick woodland all around you. "Amin mela lle," you said back, still holding him closely. You knew that, in a few moments, you would have to return to camp and to your quest, but for now, you wanted to enjoy this moment with him.