Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Imagines

Eomer ~ Coronation

Eomer had always told himself that he didn't believe in love at first sight.

That was until he saw you.

You were filthy and weary from having chased after orcs and Uruk-hai for several days without rest, but it was clear from the set on your shoulders that you were used to this sort of travel, standing your ground with the other three travelers you were with, a determined set in your eye.

Eomer hardly understood it then, after all, more important things were on his mind, but you stayed there, like a shadow, so he was not surprised when he saw you again.

Except for when his heart almost stopped at the sight of your wounds.

The battle for Helms Deep was over and you looked utterly exhausted sitting on a crumbled stone, your hand dripping blood, but you did not seem to notice.

Eomer had rushed over.  "Are you alright my lady?"

You blinked wearily up at him, confusion in your gaze.  "Pardon?"

He kneels in front of you and takes your hand, only to see it wasn't your hand that was injured, it was your shoulder.

"You are wounded."  He said steadily.  "My lady, you need to-"

"Y/N."  You had said tiredly, causing Eomer's gaze to meet yours. "And thank you for your concern Eomer,  but I shall be fine."

Eomer frowns though.  "No wound should be looked lightly on."

But you give him a small smile, one that he wasn't willing to admit made his heart skip.  "My brother is getting some supplies to treat it, you have nothing to worry about."

"Your-"

Aragorn came jogging back.  "Here we are Y/N, you sure you don't want me to look at it?"

You wave Aragorn off.  "I've tended to my own wounds many times Aragorn, I shall be fine."

Eomer looked between the two of you, not quite sure how to react.

Aragorn just looked amused.  "Very well, try not to make it worse then."

He walks away, Eomer watching after him.

You snort in amusement.  "Don't take us too seriously, we've always been like that."

He looks back at you with a frown.  "But that was inappropriate?"

You give a one shouldered shrug.  "It's how we deal with things."

Still looking worried, Eomer eyed off the wound.  "Well, let's at least clean that wound."

"I promise I can do it."  You leant over and picked up the things that Aragorn left.  "I've been a ranger long enough to know how to take care of a shoulder wound, I've had enough of them."

You went to stand, but had suddenly found yourself unsteady.  Eomer only took a second to take your arm and put you back on your feet.

He looked at you amused.  "Clearly not when you are so tired."

You huffed a little and let him guide you back to the ground, sitting once again and trying to ignore the throb from your shoulder.  "It has been a long few weeks."

Eomer nods and looks back at your shoulder.  "Do you mind?"

You shake your head, suddenly not willing to have the strength to try and deal with it.  Eomer's hands were steady as he carefully moved your armour away from the wound, which he could tell was actually quite deep.

"Don't look so grim."  You grumble.  "It is only a shoulder wound."

"A deep one."  He held your gaze for a moment but quickly found himself dragging his eyes away, heat flooding his cheeks.  "It will need stitching."

"I figured solely from the amount of blood."  You leaned forward and shuffled a little through the supplies Aragorn had brought, eventually finding what you were looking for.  "Think you can handle a stitch?"

Eomer had snorted in amusement and tended to your wound, his hand steady and gentle.  It left you wondering what was truly under all the dirt, blood and soldier visage.

He wondered the same for you.

Neither of you were blind to what was happening as the weeks went on.  For the first week alone, Eomer would come and check on the wound, making sure it was alright despite you both knew it was, and it wasn't hard to miss the two of you often sitting and talking.

But you both knew it wasn't the time.

War was on your doorstep and you had to remain by Aragorn's side as Eomer had to remain by Theoden's.  Neither of you said much about it, simply taking the time together when it came.

You both wondered whether this was what love truly was.

It wasn't until you saw Aragorn one night, his fingers absently brushing over the pendant around his neck, that you realised it was.

You had told Eomer the night you followed Aragorn into the paths of the dead.

"Then don't go."  He breathed, holding you close.  "Stay."

You held his face between your hands and kissed him lightly.  "You know I can't Eomer, my duty is to m brother in this.  I swore an oath to follow wherever he led."

Eomer knew this, but it did not make it any easier.  He had kissed you deeply then, one that poured all he thought to you and that you returned with equal fervor.

He hadn't been able to bear watching you leave.

You had found him after the battle, sitting numb and broken outside the house of healing.  As he saw you, he scrambled to his feet and pulled you close, neither of you saying a word as he buried against your neck and gripped you tight, your hands stroking his hair, reassuring him that you were there.

You made sure that you were together in the final desperate battle.

It seemed like so long ago as you watched Aragorn be crowned, a smile on your lips, standing off to the side, for once clean and well dressed and looking better slept than what you had probably been in years.

You didn't know it at the time, but Eomer wasn't watching the coronation, he only had eyes for you.

As Aragorn had reached Eomer in the parted crowd, he had smiled and nodded, looking over to you.

With all eyes suddenly on him, Eomer had strode forward, his head high as he knelt before you.

"Y/N,"  His words were meant only for you but that they carried across the crowd.  "I don't think that I have ever truly met a more remarkable woman in all my life, even covered in blood and dirt as you were the first day we met, you have been on my mind."  He holds your gaze as you felt your heart hammering.  "And I have found myself falling more than I ever thought possible.  I am yours Y/N, and if you will have me, I would be honoured to call you my queen, my one, my love."

Your breath caught as for a single moment you were speechless, before you were nodding, not registering the tears or the cheering crowd as you threw your arms around Eomer, who pulled you tightly to him, laughter in his voice as he told you again and again that he loved you.

Eomer didn't believe in love at first sight, but with you in his arms and by his side, a joyful smile on your lips, he definitely was going to reconsider.