Summary: Aragorn and Arwen are trying to get a private moment.

Rating: nothing explicit, everything hinted. And I mean everything.

Written for Teitho challenge "Ideas".

Of Rangers and Caves

"The little balrogs are asleep?"

"Yes, finally. Not so easy to wait, when you know what you are missing out, eh, ranger?"

Elessar grinned, leaning closer to smell Arwen's hair. He lowered his lips to her white neck, and continued kissing it, lower and lower...

"Nana, I'm thirsty!"

Arwen sighed. "There's a cup of water on your night table, Eldarion."

"But it's dark there. I can't see it... What are you doing, Ada?"

"Oh? I'm just... checking if your naneth has enough milk for your little sister... I will give you that cup of water, and then you are going to sleep, deal?"

"So, where did we stop?"

"You were checking if I have enough milk."

"Oh, right. Most of the noble ladies have a nurse, you know?"

"Don't you dare. It's my child."

"I'm sorry, my love. I did not mean to..."

"Just stop talking and get to it. No time to lose."

"Yes, my lady. Your wish is my order." He kept kissing her, while his hands slid under her nightgown.

"Isn't the baby crying?"

"What? No, she's not."

Arwen listened for a while. "Fine, continue..."

"She is crying!"

"No, she... Yes, she's crying."

Arwen returned after a while. Her nightgown was still unlaced after nursing. She closed the door and pulled it over her head. "Now or never," she whispered.

Aragorn didn't need to be told twice.

"Nana, nana!"

The cover on the bed moved up. "What is it, darling?"

"I had a bad dleam!"

The other side of the bed was moving hastily, like pulling on pants under the cover.

"Oh... Come here. I will kiss it away, alright?"

"Can I sleep with you?"

"Uhm… Sure..."

The other side of the bed sighed, but then it smiled resignedly. "Come here, little bird. No bad dreams are allowed here."

“I’ve got an idea,” Aragorn whispered to Arwen during breakfast.

“For…?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“When the kids are asleep.”

“But that’s the exact problem…”

“No more.”

“I’m curious.”

“Are they asleep?”

“They were when I last checked.”

“Great,” Aragorn smiled. There was a big bulge under his tunic. He reached for it… and took out something round, wrapped in a cloth. “Ta-daah!” he proclaimed, revealing…

“A palantír?”

“Yes. I was thinking… Fëanor had three kids like we do, and he still managed to get another four. So I wondered, what was his secret? And I think I know now what the original purpose of the palantíri was. Look…” He put the Orthanc-stone with its base on the night table, and focused the pictures in it with his mind.

“Eldarion… Asleep. A cup of water within reach. Blanket didn’t slide down. Stuffed pony in place.”

Arwen smiled, moving closer to Aragorn. “Gilraen?”

The picture in the palantír shifted.

“Asleep. Water… blanket… stuffed kitty… no monsters under the bed… Everything in place.”

“Good,” Arwen whispered, loosening her nightgown. The picture shifted again.

“Little Celebrían… Fast asleep. Aww, she’s sucking her thumb…”

“I’m thinking about sucking something else. Would you like to explore some caves, ranger?”

The palantír darkened.

Meanwhiles in the Tower of Avallónë, Tol Eressëa:

“Oh Elrond, this is so exciting! We finally managed to tune the Master stone to communicate with the one in Minas Tirith! I’m so looking forward to see our little girl again! And I will finally get to see Arwen’s husband that you told me so much about! Do you think we already have grandchildren?”