Hey everyone! So this week is currently Spring Break so I can work on a bunch of chapters I've got going, hope you all like it. This is a request for a fluffy Barduil, which I totally approve of.

Prompt: Use Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud for a Thranduil/Bard one-shot. Brownie points for using the song's lyrics.

Pairing: The Elven King of Mirkwood (Thranduil)/Bard of Esgaroth

Rating: T

Thinking Out Loud belongs to Ed Sheeran.

The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R Tolkien.

Soft hair was spread out underneath two bodies, some dark and some light, but neither without their own special qualities. The light hair was always silken and smooth, never needed to be brushed more than once, whilst its companions was different. Curly hair that could have only been tamed by the best elvish oils, it gleamed in the moonlight and the braids that it held by the day were gone for the night. The crown that weighed that hair down was removed and the owner of the hair was sleeping against the chest of another man. Love was all around in these chambers, but this love was very limited.

When your legs don't work like they used to before.

The Elven King of Mirkwood despared to think of this human's lifespan, for in the next few decades the man who captured his heart might not be around to captivate him with those bright smiles. That lovely voice, nor would his children's laughs reach him by the end of the century and he would be alone once again without his own son. He never wanted to see the day were the mighty Bard the Dragonslayer wouldn't be able to walk. His once luscious hair would be gray and thinning while he, Thranduil, would remain the same as his love aged.

And I can't sweep you off of your feet.

Their first night together Thranduil remembered how horrified Bard was when he literally got swept into a bridal style hold, before being thrown on their bed. The laughter and the love was ever present as the night wore on, and so did the ones after that first night. The King of the Woodland Realm, who was could outlive his love several times over, and the King of Dale, who spent much time in both Dale and Mirkwood with his children.

An unlikely match but it was remarked by both elves and humans alike of the love they held for one another.

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?

He worried that when Bard was long gone from his embrace that he would forget the passion and love that they held. Thranduil constantly pondered of what would become of him after Bard and his children were gone from his life. Although he had Legolas, the king was alone in his kingdom seeing as his son went to find the man know as Strider and had not been seen in the Mirkwood in years. Yes, he Thranduil, was worried if he could remember the taste of love.

And your eyes still smile from your cheeks.

It was one of the main reasons that Thranduil had his heart stolen by the Dragonslayer, those bright smiles he had seen flashed at his children and at the time, him on occasion. He had felt his ancient heart beat with something that felt akin to need, he needed to see those smiles more often. And in time he did, he recieved them all the time and felt elated when they were wedded. As Bard walked down that long aisle in Dale's largest manor he had that blinding smile and it was aimed at him.

And darling I will, be lovin' you till we're 70.

He had vowed to Bard on that day that he would love him no matter what, and his actual vow was "I will love you even after your seventieth year on Middle Earth, even after that I will love you." It had many swooning, and the children of the two grooms were smiling and young Tilda was running down the aisle with the pillow in which their rings lay upon. Even after she tripped Legolas came to his new sibling's rescue and helped her locate the golden bands quickly before allowing her to jump on his shoulders.

And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23.

And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

Maybe just the touch of a hand.

Oh me I fall in love with you every single day

And I just wanna tell you I am

Everyday Thranduil awoke before Bard and he would sit there and smile at his fortune, how he got such a man he would never now. While he loved his wife, the former Queen of Mirkwood, she wasn't the one who could complete him. The council had told him that he needed to have a heir incase something happened to him and there would be no one in line for the throne. It had been a marriage of convenience for the both of them, but he had came to love her as they spent more centuries together. It wasn't a true love, but it was formed over time and with Legolas they were nearly a family.

It wasn't the same after his wife died, both he and Legolas felt the loss that she was, and tried to move on. He had removed everything that reminded him of her and Legolas threw himself into his studies. Both forgetting the woman who held so much love in their hearts, and now Bard filled the loneliness that he felt.

So honey now

Take me into your loving arms

On this night he held the Man in his arms tenderly, and lovingly kissed the top of his head. He had a long day and dragged himself into their room and found the dark haired man already asleep and smiled softly. Thranduil lived for moments like this, to be able to make these moments last for a lifetime. The sky outside their window was bright with the full moon and the stars twinkled in delight. Bard twitched as Thranduil brought him closer to his chest, his eyes fluttered open and looked at the elven king in annoyance. The blonde grinned, if anything Bard the Bowman was not someone you wanted to rouse from slumber.

"What?" he growled out, his weary eyes blinked up at him. And in that moment there were many things he could have said, but he didn't say not even one of them.

"Go back to sleep."

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars.

Bard gave him a tender kiss as the sky outside was alight, and the sihlouette of Thranduil was breathtaking. As was the amount of passion that he responded with, but the Man was too sleepy to return it with as much and quickly fell back asleep. It seemed that the King of Dale had a rough day too, it was hard for Bard to deal witht the dwarves of Erebor. When the Lady Dis came on the first caravans to the Lonely Mountain he was there to greet her with Bard and Dain, but it turned that the dwarrowdam was just as hardheaded as her brother.

She wanted nothing to do with him and by extension Bard, when she saw the hand he rest on his love's lower back she sneered. "You have pledged yourself to a no good betrayer Bowman, in the end he will leave you. Some way, some how," his eyes had narrowed at her hateful bigotry toward his person. Just like Thorin, she refused to acknowledge him at all and focus on Bard and Dain. While he understood her grief at standing in front of her sons' as well as Thorin's graves, he would never know what he had done to warrant her fierce words.

"It is all YOUR FAULT! If only you extended aid to us when Erebor fell this wouldn't have happened! You slimy, tree-shagger! How dare you leave the dwarves of Erebor to face dragonfire twice!?"

His control snapped and the civility he managed to maintain around her crumbled like a Morgul Arrow.

"Do not talk to about dragonfire! I know its wrath and ruin," he bent at the waist so she could see directly into his eyes. And the once flawless skin of his face melted into a disfigured visage, and stopped her rant before it started. "I have faced the Drakes of the North! And knew what the wretched flames could bring, what they would bring. Do not speak as it you had been burned by such evil," he whispered, so that she might listen to him. His scars still throbbed with pain and his once pristine blue eye was clouded a milky white, signaling its blindness. Despite those foul memories the princess brought up Bard was there to help him, and the King of Dale dragged him to a different corridor.

Place your head on my beating heart

Thranduil slid to the floor and rested his back against a large column built into the mountain, Bard follwed his lead and lay his head on the elf's chest. There they sat and Bard listened as heartbeats grew calmer and the anger left Thranduil slowly, but not once did he use a spell to hide his scars. "Lets go home," Bard murmured and helped his love back on his feet before kissing his scarred cheek. Together they walked out of Erebor, hand in hand with their scars revealed to the world.

I'm thinking out loud

Maybe we found love right where we are.

~.~.~.

When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades.

Bard often wondered when Thranduil slept, what will become of them when he grows old and his hair all but gone. When he can't walk without assistance and his children have had families of their own. When he lays on his deathbed a wrinkled, old man whislt Thranduil looked the same as he did on their wedding day. He never wanted to age if it ment spending eternity with Thranduil.

And the crowds don't remember my name.

When history forget about Bard the Slayer of Smaug, when he is just another name in history will Thranduil still remember him? The elf could live long enough to see him turn into nothing but another name, just another human who had roamed Arda. Would he be truly forgotten by his love? Bard always stopped himself from thinking these things, it was hard to forget someone that you loved. He will always be loved by someone when he's gone.

When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm,

I know you will still love me the same.

Even when he can never handle a bow like he once did he knows that Thranduil's love will never sway, not when those once nimble fingers don't run through his hair anymore. It gives him comfort that he will be loved to the end of his days, and thats all he can ask for.

'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen

Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory.

If anything Bard loved those dazzling smiles that Thranduil graced him with everynow and then, and it made his day much more bearable. Dealings with Erebor was hard as well as maintaining Dale, a city which he didn't live in. As Bain grew older Bard had let his son become the Master of Dale, and as he watched over the growing city a report would be sent to his father in the Woodland Realm. For at least three months of the year he would come to live in Dale and take care of any necessary things that needed to be cared for.

During his three months away from Thranduil, the king became cold and the other elves were hesitant to go near the irrate king. The subjects of the Woodland Realm always waited anxiously for Bard to return for he and on occasion Tilda could warm Thranduil's heart. He always wondered how he managed to fall in love with Thranduil, but he would never know.

I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

Maybe it's all part of a plan

I'll just keep on making the same mistakes

Hoping that you'll understand.

He acknowledged the fact that he was not perfect, nor was Thranduil; neither of the two would ever be anything of the sort. So when ever one of them made a mistake the other was understanding. Thranduil was well aware of the fact that Bard had never ruled over people before, like Bard knew that Thranduil sheltered his emotions because he had got them crushed before. It was like a circle, a neverending momentum that they knew how to play well. Others would see their game but would never understand how the two of them perfected it so well, and they never would.

The maids were the most educated of their little game, the little mistakes made by both. They were more than bewildered when both would soon come to an understanding or a median to come to terms with. One in particular, Sírdes was by all accounts a greedy woman and she wanted only the best for herself. So it was only natural for her to set her sights on the Elven King of Mirkwood himself, and no matter the decades she spent trying to get his attention he would never see her. Oh, how she remebered the infuriation when that upstart bargeman took her love away. She would make him leave.

But baby now

Take me into your loving arms.

It was never Thranduil's intention to ever lead on anyone, for he only had eyes for Bard; though when Sírdes had come to him with urgent news he never thought about what might happen. The young Silvan elf had ran up to him with urgent news from Bard, and he had left his large throne in a flurry of silk. "What is wrong Sírdes?" he asked anxiously. He had not time to react when the maid threw herself at him and laid her cold lips upon his own, and the sound of a growl had stirred his reactions. The king flung her away from him and looked to the source.

"Bard."

The former bargeman only threw him a disgusted look before running off, his heart looking broken as he did so. Thranduil looked to his guards, who stood frozen in their spots as they watched the entire thing unravel in disbelief. "Throw her in the dungeons, a hundred years or more is not my concern on how long she will remain. There is no excuse for her actions," he commanded before running off to the only place he knew where Bard would go.

It was a spacious place, on that he had commisioned for Bard and he spotted his dark hair love sitting on a lone bench in a hidden alcove. He was staring without seeing as Thranduil sat next to his love, and conveyed his thoughts with actions. Bard smiled, knowing very well what had happened and that the elf was trying to apologize for something he didn't do wrong. "I know my love, I do. If I had no left I would have beheaded her," Bard whispered.

He smiled as the blonde tugged him into his lap and rested the King's head on his chest.

"This beats only for you."

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Place your head on my beating heart

He loved Bard, but he knew it would never last and the elf would be heartbroken again. Forty years later he would remember his words as he held hands with the former King of Dale. As his love gave his last breath surrounded by his children and grandchildren, even Legolas returned to see his stepfather. They all loved him well, and soon after the death of Bard the Dragonslayer King Thranduil began to fade but wouldn't leave the Middle Earth until twenty more years. After the brief almost takeover of Arda had spent the rest of Thranduil.

He faded away after Legolas returned home and he saw his son for the last time.

~.~.~.

I'm thinking out loud

That maybe we found love right where we are, oh

(Ah la la, la la la, la la la, la la la la)

So baby now

Take me into your loving arms

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart

I'm thinking out loud

That maybe we found love right where we are

Oh maybe we found love right where we are

And we found love right where we are

I hope you guys like this, a request from one of my friends from AO3.

Ragehappy Mavin Fan