Tolkien Elven Imagines and Headcanons Volume 1

138. Caranthir - Sun Sickness

Caranthir x human!Reader

1.5k words

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Your day had been one of fun swimming down at the river with Caranthir, an idea you had suggested weeks ago. While he had seemed disinterested at first, he had clearly taken it high into consideration, waiting for it to be hot so the water would be enjoyable. Today had been blazingly and unnaturally hot in Thargelion, even while spending time down at the river the relief seemed minimal after a while.

Of course being mortal you were far more susceptible to the harsh elements than your lover was. Yet the cool and running water of the river had offered you a small and short lived relief. You and Caranthir both had swam leisurely, speaking casually with one another and sharing in loving affection. The luxury of being so far away from prying and nosy elvish eyes. The time had been nostalgic, reminding you of all the times from when you were a child. Happily had you indulged Caranthir the tales, and he listened patiently to your every word.

Yet now that you were back, you were suffering from the long lived fun in the sun. Your skin brightened from a soft pink to a deep red, and Eru it was painful. You hissed sitting in front of your vanity as you looked yourself over. Your cheeks, nose and forehead bright red almost rivaling Caranthir's natural rubicund features.

You should have taken more breaks in the shade... You mentally chastised yourself, pulling the collar of your modest underclothes down to investigate your painfully crimson shoulders. The door to your shared chambers opened up, in stepping your husband who only frowned at your reflection. To anyone on the outside it looked callous and harsh, but you knew better than anyone it was a look full of concern.

"Are you sure you are alright?" He asked in his deep and soft voice, a question that Caranthir never indulged in unless he was positive you truly weren't alright. Slowly you began to nod, ignoring the lightheaded feeling at the gesture,

"Yes my love, I am. Why do you ask?" You pressed gently, turning to face him in your chair, a wave of dizziness washing over you at such a simple movement. Yet once again you ignored the strange sensations, it was just sunburn. There was no need to raise alarm, you had been a little dizzy from being in the sun all day before. It was nothing you couldn't handle.

"Y/N... You are redder than I." He pointed out bluntly and with a deeper frown as he folded his arms over his chest at your answer. You only let out a soft breathy chuckle at his words, feeling woozy and lightheaded again but still you pushed it aside.

"It is just sunburn my love, it is common for humans after spending so long out in the sun." You assured him lightheartedly, a smile pulling at your lips but it turned into a grimace as the skin wrinkled and pulled irritating the raw skin. Caranthir huffed at the way you brushed his concern off to the side, he was not entirely unaware of what sunburn was. You had, had it before and had been a light pink for about a week. Maybe a little longer, Caranthir had detested it knowing that it made your skin so sensitive and made you uncomfortable. Yet he had taken your word for it when you said you were okay, but now to him this was clearly different.

"I am aware of what sunburn is, Y/N." He said in a grumpy, matter of fact voice, only closing his eyes as a heavy sigh followed out behind his statement.

"Though I am not inclined to believe you. Come let us see a healer." You frowned at his words knowing that despite how harmless his request sounded, Caranthir wasn't asking you to go see a Healer. He was telling you that, that was what you were going to do right this second. You only sighed at his words and stood from your chair, moving towards the door and grabbing the thin and lightweight robe. Caranthir patiently waited for you to properly cover yourself before, he slipped your hand in his and began to lead him down the hallway.

For the first few minutes that you both walked down the hall a small wave of dizziness began to wash over you. You only blinked it back, your husband still concerned about moving forward and getting you to the Healing Halls in a timely manner. Though the more you walked, the dizzier you began to grow until you could no longer ignore it.

"Cara..." You breathed out as you stopped abruptly grabbing your head with your freehand, making your shoulders begin to burn and sting with discomfort... They were beginning to feel swollen, and as you winced even your cheeks felt tight and uncomfortable. It was quickly becoming clear that Caranthir's idea of going to the Healing Halls wasn't a bad idea after all. When you had stopped, Caranthir had too.

Concern blatantly etched on his face, his frown only growing. Compared to the elves you were considerably more fragile, yet you were nonchalant about it. He supposed that was what happened when you dealt with these issues personally. Without a second thought, seeing as you were at a stand still, Caranthir gently lifted you from the floor and began to hurry down the halls. Though he wore a simple expression of concern on his face, you could feel the way his heart pounded against his chest as he hurried through the halls in a flurry.

In an instant it felt like you were in the Halls of Healing and just then did your wave of dizziness seem to wear off, yet Caranthir only continued to clutch at you snuggly. It didn't take long for a healer to deduce that something was wrong with you, and you couldn't tell if it were the expression on Caranthir's face or your red skin that got their attention.

One waving for him to follow where you were taken to an empty room, Caranthir only releasing you once he sat you carefully on the bed to be examined. The healer gently motioned for you to remove your robe as Caranthir began to describe what it was he saw to them, and you only did as you were instructed. Wincing and trying not to hiss in pain as you peeled it off yourself.

"I have seen them sunburn before, but never to this degree." He concluded to the healer in a flat and unamused tone, and the Healer only nodded at his words. Beginning to gently lift the collar of your night clothes to see your shoulders, they were blistering red. Leaving the healer to frown slightly at the sight of it,

"Fortunately, Y/N will indeed be alright." The healer began, walking over to a cabinet and opening the doors pulling out a container with green paste inside.

"I have seen this several times before, it is a mild case of sun sickness, my Lord. Nothing too serious with the right treatment and care." The healer began in a warm and gentle voice, bringing the glass container to you to hold.

"Applying this will help with the pain and the swelling, and make sure to stay hydrated and out of the sun." The healer finished speaking to you both, and you sat there quietly staring at it in silence. Caranthir sighed out and only nodded at the healers words, thanking them leaving you two alone in silence.

"I'm sorry Cara... I genuinely didn't know. I didn't think it could be like this." You explained beginning to unscrew the cap on the jar, so you could at least give your swollen face some relief. The paste cool beneath your fingers, and as you touched your face you couldn't help but grimace at first. But it was quickly followed by a heavy sigh of relief as it began to cool your skin, Caranthir watching you in silence the whole time as you did so.

"No.. Don't." He began in reference to your words and your apology, "It was just... I was... worried. I'm not mad." Caranthir concluded shortly and with hesitation, how could he not be worried? Not when you were almost the color of his burgundy tunics and clearly in pain. Your life was already incredibly short, the idea of even something as simple as being outside in his care and exposed to the sun this way unsettled him. Though he wouldn't make the same mistake again, even if it infuriated you he wouldn't risk it.

"Could you apply this to my shoulders and back?" You asked him, keeping your gaze down on the jar in hand. Caranthir hummed out in approval at the request approaching you to hold out his hand for you.

"Yes... but let us do so in the privacy of our room." He responded as you took his hand and helped you off the bed, you were grateful for his help and his precaution. Without another word Caranthir squeezed your hand, leading you back to your room where he could tend you, happily. He was utterly grateful that you were in fact okay and it was something you'd recover from, he simply couldn't imagine his life without you so soon...