((and this, my friends, is why I don't normally write o_O))
((Written in story format because *does this* *does that* gets a little tiring after a while, and not in italics because I love John.))
Hamilcar awoke to Bingo in his arms. The latter had his head resting on the chest of the former, and a thin line of drool escaped the corner of his mouth. Hamilcar smiled at this, then leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.
Unlike the morning not long ago when they had awoken in a meadow, Hamilcar was warm, and comfortable, and not covered in dew of any sort. In his sleep, Bingo snuggled closer to him. The sun shone in though a window. It hit an empty bottle left untidied upon the table, and reflected against the opposite wall.
This was the second time he had awoken with someone in his arms within the last few days. But then, this was the second time he had awoken with someone is his arms that he could recall.
Realising this, he also realised that Bingo was the only individual he could remember waking to.
Hamilcar remained there, unconscious form in his arms, as the sun's angle slowly changed. The seconds became long minutes. He turned his head to gaze at Bingo peacefully sleeping. He brushed back a lock from the sleeping hobbit's eyes, and in his deep sleep Bingo was not disturbed.
Letting out a deep sigh, Hamilcar considered his possibilities. It had been decided the previous night, after eavesdropping upon their muns, that what the two felt for each other wasn't love. It might have been friendship, or some form of misplaced affection, but it wasn't love. Bingo was hoping for someone else, and was merely searching for some form of comfort.
Hamilcar supposed he was looking for comfort as well. Bingo was the first person he'd really met in this draft, and he felt comfortable around him. Safe, somehow.
Hamilcar wasn't against casual involvements with others - indeed, he did not have many socially preconceived notions regarding acceptable conduct in regards to relationships to inhibit his actions at all - but somehow, this wasn't quite what he was looking for. He wanted foundation. He needed certainty.
He sighed, and made his decision.
Carefully disentangling himself from Bingo, Hamilcar slipped out of the bed and collected his discarded clothes. He dressed silently and crept, with barely a sound, to the door. Opening it, he stepped out into the bright (and already quite warm) morning. Hamilcar paused for a long moment before quietly shutting the door behind him.
Unhurriedly, Hamilcar ambled back to Perry's place where he had lived for most of his time in this draft. He arrived after a reasonably short walk, walked up the front path and quietly knocked. He was slightly surprised to find Bell Goodchild open it, and to greet him, and the both of them stood for a moment before either spoke.
"Morning," laughed the mohawked hobbit, grinning widely at his confused expression as she stood in front of him. "Not expecting me here, hmm?"
Hamilcar shook his head. "Er, no. Not really," he added, lamely.
"Perry is going off on a trip to another draft, and I was planning on heading out of town for a short while as well. He invited me along, and I'm helping him pack."
"Who's there?" came a voice from somewhere within the house. "It's Hamilcar," replied Bell, "he's just come back." Perry came into Hamilcar's view after a few moments, carrying Robin in his arms. The child was engrossed with a small toy. "Welcome home," grinned the ranger, and at his words the young hobbit looked up from what she held in her hands (which Hamilcar noted, at this point, was some form of multicoloured cube) and giggled. "You look like my daddy," she stated, simply.
"I suppose I do," he replied, slightly annoyed with himself he could once again think of nothing better to say.
"Commere," laughed Bell, pulling Robin from Perry to hold her in his stead. "I need you to help me make sure I've packed everything." Bell smiled at Hamilcar one more time before stepping back inside. The child's excited description of the "rupe ikskube" Uncle Trotter had given her faded to inaudibility.
"So, you're going then?" asked Hamilcar as he turned to Perry. The ranger nodded.
Nervously shoving his hands in his pockets, and rubbing the lint he found there between his fingers, Hamilcar added, "Could I come? I mean, there's not really... anything for me here, and I'd like to see what the other drafts are like."
Perry nodded once again. "I was thinking of asking you before I went. You do know, though, that you can never go home?"
"Yes. You told me. The Professor burned my draft along with many others." Hamilcar sighed. "I just wanted to, you know. See what other places are like."
Perry shrugged, and smiled warmly. "Well, you're welcome to join us. Will you be ready by this evening?"
"Mhmm," confirmed Hamilcar, "I just need to... write a letter. May I borrow some paper?"
"Go right ahead," said Perry and, stepped back inside, gesturing for the other to follow. Hamilcar closed the door behind him, and followed the ranger to a desk, where the latter pulled out stationary and writing supplies. "I'll be in the kitchen, finishing up with the dishes," said Perry, as he walked into the other room.
Hamilcar sat down, and after much pausing and thinking and rewriting, this is what he came up with:
--
Dear Bingo,
I am terribly sorry to leave like this, with you awaking to nothing more than a letter hastily written as you sleep, so many questions left unasked and unanswered.
I considered waiting until you woke on your own, but I realised that I would once again be unable to explain what I mean. I'm not always the most eloquent, especially when I'm put on the spot.
I am leaving, though I'm not sure for how long. Perry is off to visit another draft. Bell Goodchild, along with her granddaughter Robin, are going as well.
I have enjoyed my time with you, and I am sorry we had to part like this. I hope we may meet again. I hope we may still be friends. Please take care.
Yours with sincere affection,
Hamilcar
--
Hamilcar folded the letter, addressed it to Bingo on the back, and placed it in his pocket. He walked into the kitchen, and said a short goodbye to Perry, explaining he would be back shortly. He then left the house.
He set back out toward Bag End. Several birds sang above him, though he did not look up to them, and kept his eyes focused on the road ahead of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the yellow flowers growing along the side of the path. They were beautiful, he noticed distantly. After turning his head to glance briefly at the brightly coloured petals for a moment, he decided to stop. He pulled one gently from very low on its stem, and it came away after a few gentle tugs.
He continued on.
The few clouds in the sky were drifting apart. It would be a bright and clear day. In the distance, he could hear some young children laughing loudly. They were playing some form of tag. He thought he could remember playing a similar game, though he wasn't certain.
As he neared Bingo's shed, his steps grew slower and slower. He eventually came to a stop, and stood several feet in front of the door. The air was still, and the sun warmed the ground. He could smell the water from the previous night's rain evaporating all around him. In places, he could see steam as the water vapor rose into the sky.
He pushed the door open carefully, and was relieved to find Bingo still asleep. He walked to the table, and placed the letter next to the candle that had burned down to its holder during the night. Hamilcar arranged and rearranged it, before finally leaving the letter alone, satisfied it was it was correctly placed. After considering it briefly, he placed the flower he had picked on his walk on the table as well.
Hamilcar strode quietly to the door, and opened it. He stood there a moment, looking back at the resting figure. He waited there much longer than he knew he should have.
Hamilcar awoke to Bingo in his arms. The latter had his head resting on the chest of the former, and a thin line of drool escaped the corner of his mouth. Hamilcar smiled at this, then leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.
Unlike the morning not long ago when they had awoken in a meadow, Hamilcar was warm, and comfortable, and not covered in dew of any sort. In his sleep, Bingo snuggled closer to him. The sun shone in though a window. It hit an empty bottle left untidied upon the table, and reflected against the opposite wall.
This was the second time he had awoken with someone in his arms within the last few days. But then, this was the second time he had awoken with someone is his arms that he could recall.
Realising this, he also realised that Bingo was the only individual he could remember waking to.
Hamilcar remained there, unconscious form in his arms, as the sun's angle slowly changed. The seconds became long minutes. He turned his head to gaze at Bingo peacefully sleeping. He brushed back a lock from the sleeping hobbit's eyes, and in his deep sleep Bingo was not disturbed.
Letting out a deep sigh, Hamilcar considered his possibilities. It had been decided the previous night, after eavesdropping upon their muns, that what the two felt for each other wasn't love. It might have been friendship, or some form of misplaced affection, but it wasn't love. Bingo was hoping for someone else, and was merely searching for some form of comfort.
Hamilcar supposed he was looking for comfort as well. Bingo was the first person he'd really met in this draft, and he felt comfortable around him. Safe, somehow.
Hamilcar wasn't against casual involvements with others - indeed, he did not have many socially preconceived notions regarding acceptable conduct in regards to relationships to inhibit his actions at all - but somehow, this wasn't quite what he was looking for. He wanted foundation. He needed certainty.
He sighed, and made his decision.
Carefully disentangling himself from Bingo, Hamilcar slipped out of the bed and collected his discarded clothes. He dressed silently and crept, with barely a sound, to the door. Opening it, he stepped out into the bright (and already quite warm) morning. Hamilcar paused for a long moment before quietly shutting the door behind him.
Unhurriedly, Hamilcar ambled back to Perry's place where he had lived for most of his time in this draft. He arrived after a reasonably short walk, walked up the front path and quietly knocked. He was slightly surprised to find Bell Goodchild open it, and to greet him, and the both of them stood for a moment before either spoke.
"Morning," laughed the mohawked hobbit, grinning widely at his confused expression as she stood in front of him. "Not expecting me here, hmm?"
Hamilcar shook his head. "Er, no. Not really," he added, lamely.
"Perry is going off on a trip to another draft, and I was planning on heading out of town for a short while as well. He invited me along, and I'm helping him pack."
"Who's there?" came a voice from somewhere within the house. "It's Hamilcar," replied Bell, "he's just come back." Perry came into Hamilcar's view after a few moments, carrying Robin in his arms. The child was engrossed with a small toy. "Welcome home," grinned the ranger, and at his words the young hobbit looked up from what she held in her hands (which Hamilcar noted, at this point, was some form of multicoloured cube) and giggled. "You look like my daddy," she stated, simply.
"I suppose I do," he replied, slightly annoyed with himself he could once again think of nothing better to say.
"Commere," laughed Bell, pulling Robin from Perry to hold her in his stead. "I need you to help me make sure I've packed everything." Bell smiled at Hamilcar one more time before stepping back inside. The child's excited description of the "rupe ikskube" Uncle Trotter had given her faded to inaudibility.
"So, you're going then?" asked Hamilcar as he turned to Perry. The ranger nodded.
Nervously shoving his hands in his pockets, and rubbing the lint he found there between his fingers, Hamilcar added, "Could I come? I mean, there's not really... anything for me here, and I'd like to see what the other drafts are like."
Perry nodded once again. "I was thinking of asking you before I went. You do know, though, that you can never go home?"
"Yes. You told me. The Professor burned my draft along with many others." Hamilcar sighed. "I just wanted to, you know. See what other places are like."
Perry shrugged, and smiled warmly. "Well, you're welcome to join us. Will you be ready by this evening?"
"Mhmm," confirmed Hamilcar, "I just need to... write a letter. May I borrow some paper?"
"Go right ahead," said Perry and, stepped back inside, gesturing for the other to follow. Hamilcar closed the door behind him, and followed the ranger to a desk, where the latter pulled out stationary and writing supplies. "I'll be in the kitchen, finishing up with the dishes," said Perry, as he walked into the other room.
Hamilcar sat down, and after much pausing and thinking and rewriting, this is what he came up with:
--
Dear Bingo,
I am terribly sorry to leave like this, with you awaking to nothing more than a letter hastily written as you sleep, so many questions left unasked and unanswered.
I considered waiting until you woke on your own, but I realised that I would once again be unable to explain what I mean. I'm not always the most eloquent, especially when I'm put on the spot.
I am leaving, though I'm not sure for how long. Perry is off to visit another draft. Bell Goodchild, along with her granddaughter Robin, are going as well.
I have enjoyed my time with you, and I am sorry we had to part like this. I hope we may meet again. I hope we may still be friends. Please take care.
Yours with sincere affection,
Hamilcar
--
Hamilcar folded the letter, addressed it to Bingo on the back, and placed it in his pocket. He walked into the kitchen, and said a short goodbye to Perry, explaining he would be back shortly. He then left the house.
He set back out toward Bag End. Several birds sang above him, though he did not look up to them, and kept his eyes focused on the road ahead of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the yellow flowers growing along the side of the path. They were beautiful, he noticed distantly. After turning his head to glance briefly at the brightly coloured petals for a moment, he decided to stop. He pulled one gently from very low on its stem, and it came away after a few gentle tugs.
He continued on.
The few clouds in the sky were drifting apart. It would be a bright and clear day. In the distance, he could hear some young children laughing loudly. They were playing some form of tag. He thought he could remember playing a similar game, though he wasn't certain.
As he neared Bingo's shed, his steps grew slower and slower. He eventually came to a stop, and stood several feet in front of the door. The air was still, and the sun warmed the ground. He could smell the water from the previous night's rain evaporating all around him. In places, he could see steam as the water vapor rose into the sky.
He pushed the door open carefully, and was relieved to find Bingo still asleep. He walked to the table, and placed the letter next to the candle that had burned down to its holder during the night. Hamilcar arranged and rearranged it, before finally leaving the letter alone, satisfied it was it was correctly placed. After considering it briefly, he placed the flower he had picked on his walk on the table as well.
Hamilcar strode quietly to the door, and opened it. He stood there a moment, looking back at the resting figure. He waited there much longer than he knew he should have.