A Man Who Flies From His Fear May Find He Has Only Taken A Shortcut To Meet It by LadySternchen  

Cats- Finarfin

“Are you actually afraid of cats?”

Arafinwë would give much not to have to see the knowing smirk on his friend’s face.

“I…”

“Well, I have bad news” Elulindo says in mock sorrow “We have plenty of them in Alqualondë, and need them, too, so the mice and rats don’t get too cheeky. And worse news for you still, Eärwen loves them. So it is either her or your fear of cats, I’m afraid.”

Elulindo’s words make Arafinwë blush so much that he is sure that one could bake bread on his face.

“Am I that obvious?” he asks through gritted teeth.

“Ah, Ara… you wear your heart on your sleeve, and always have done. You can hide your feelings for my sister no less than your fear of cats. But despair not. While they are absolutely convinced that just one look of them can kill you, they are luckily not dangerous at all, and generally really rather nice and soft and fluffy. Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Arafinwë asks nervously, falling into step beside Elulindo.

“Down to the quays. There are always plenty of cat there, they wait for the fishers to return and give them dinner.”

“But…”

“Exposure therapy, that is the key.”

Arafinwë cannot shake off the feeling that what Elulindo is really doing here is testing his devotion to Eärwen, and he is not at all sure how he feels about that.