'You never gave up on me, did you? Even if everyone said what we had was a lie.'

'No.'

'Everything was so terrible and chaotic that it didn't lose me many companions I wouldn't have lost otherwise, at least. Learned pretty quickly not to keep expressing what I - felt.'

'You're an idiot.'

She can't help the wave of affection that spills over the link, though. A glimpse of her loneliness, her vulnerability, her fear.

She fears Luthien will give up on believing.

'She loves you, though.'

That hurts.

(Love hasn't stopped the last two rejections. She doesn't have to worry about holding that thought in, since she literally can't transmit it. Can't let anyone suspect what's going on.)

'Love isn't always enough. Not against fear.'

'You've given up everything for her, though.'

'She'd need to trust that.'

'We haven't known each other long, in the life of an elf, and - '

'There's things I can't change. Rivers I can't divert.'

'I don't - know that she'll understand that. Accept it.'

'I left a simulacrum as Melkor so I could slip out of the role. I don't want it to succeed, not at anything. But some things that would hinder it would cost me. Cost my ability to protect her.'

'Have you considered just telling her? Not just who you were, but - all the constraints you're operating under. The trade offs you have to make, and let her decide if her safety's worth it.'

'Who I was might be too big a truth to swallow as it is.'

'Better to reveal it on your own terms.'

'And you can't hide it from her forever. She'll find out, eventually, and - I get why you wouldn't tell her immediately, you want more comfort, but if you take too long she'll feel lied to. More than she already might.'

'The thought's occurred to me that the life of a mortal's a lot less time than 'forever.''

'It'd be hard to hide it even that long, Beren, and you know that.'

'And she'll grieve.'

'I know.'

'I don't want to exist in a world where she's rejected me.'

'Then figure out the best way to tell her.'

'I'd suggest starting with 'not impulsively, not after it's become suddenly relevant, not after she's already begun to suspect.''

'...You know, being dumber than you makes me feel incredibly stupid.'

'I love you too.'

'Platonically' and 'sarcastically' are both very clear from the wash of his emotions.

'Brat.'

'Of course I am. Felagund is really a terrible after-name. They should've called me Prestachen.'

She takes a moment to parse that as 'troubling child,' then loses her composure and actually laughs out loud.

'It'd be extremely accurate.'

Another wave of amused fondness.

'For talking to her... You should probably also make sure she feels really loved and safe and relaxed first? Honestly while you guys are staying here might be a good time - it's definitely before anything relevant could happen, since this quest kind of makes the Melkor stuff very, very relevant.'

'And she's safe here. She has friends. You can fairly easily pamper her right before telling her. Make sure she's feeling okay and all.'

'...That might be the best option, yeah.'

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

'Look after your own happiness too, alright?'

'I will.'

She's smiling when Luthien's done with her bath, then goes to spend her own time luxuriating in warm water and soft soap.

She's... Not in the mood to do the same teasing routine about getting spoiled about soaps as last time. It's too raw.

So she just says, "I'm going to have to make pleading eyes at Finrod until he gives me a few cakes of this stuff. It's better quality than anything we had in Dorthonion."

"It's got a nice smell, too."

"It does."

"Any favorite scents?"