Title: Ribbons In Her Hair
Fandom: Lord Of The Rings
Summary: The thing Sam remembered the most about Rosie was her ribbons. Because he gave them to her.
Genre: romance, drama
Characters: Sam, Rosie
Pairings: Sam/Rosie
Warnings: pre-movies

Ribbons In Her Hair

So be not afraid, my love.
You're never alone, love.
While you wear my ribbons
to tie back your hair.
Once I was a simple man.
A poor common farmer.
I gave you six ribbons
to tie back your hair.
-"Six Ribbons" by Green Carnation

The first time he sees her he falls in love. They're only children and she's a wee slip of a thing, a tiny fair-haired dancer skipping down the road past him, curls bouncing against the nape of her neck, wild and askew with nothing to hold them back. He's not the only one who notices her, of course, and he knows with a sinking heart that he doesn't stand a chance to win her, that she'd never look at him when she could have her pick of the Shire.

But she has his heart and even if he's too shy to tell her so he has to show her. He makes his way to the little store and the counter with all the ribbons, the inexpensive, simple ones in bright colours, even as he wishes he could buy her the fancier ones. He has just enough money for six, and he carefully chooses the ribbons. One red, one brown, one blue, one green, and two yellow, to put sunlight in her hair, rich, vivid colours.

He ties them up in a little package, twined with a daisy chain, and leaves it on her doorstep, tucked against the crack so she won't miss seeing it.

The next day when she skips past him and he sees her hair glittering in the sun there's six ribbons wound through the curls, four of different colours and two of yellow. She can't know who gave them to her yet she turns his way and smiles at him, a wide smile that dimples her cheeks and sets her eyes to dancing, a smile that takes his breath away and fills his heart.

And he knows in that moment that he'll never see anything as beautiful as Rosie Cotton with ribbons in her hair.