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Elle felt the elf's strong, slender hands slide onto her waist and pull her forward slightly. She placed her hands on his shoulders. She was surprised to feel the unmistakable toughness of muscle even though he did not have the build of a guy with any muscles.
Elle worked very hard to control her breathing. Legolas' crystal blue eyes stared intently into her own green ones. He looked like he was studying her. Elle felt a little uneasy. The pair began swaying to the music, Legolas practically moving Elle's body for her.
After a minute or so of Legolas clearly doing all the work, the elf sighed and withdrew his hands. Elle thought his exhale sounded a lot like the winter wind through the trees.
"I apologize. I did not wish for you to dance with me if you did not desire it." Legolas held his head low. Elle didn't know what she did to make him think she didn't want this. She decided that he probably took her awkwardness for distaste.
"No, no," Elle hurriedly tried to explain, "I want to dance with you. I'm just…. Uh…." Elle faltered and Legolas gazed at her longingly. He looked like a hurt puppy to Elle. The woman took a deep breath and breathed out the word "nervous".
"Oh." Legolas said lamely. "Do you want to attempt another dance?"
Elle's breathe hitched, so she just nodded her head and smiled like the idiot she felt she was. Legolas' smile returned and he stepped forward again and put his hands back into position. Elle did the same and forced her feet to step in time with Legolas'.
The two managed until the song ended. As soon as the music paused, Legolas leaned forward and whispered in Elle's hear. His warm breath brought Elle to a field of springtime flowers under a warm sun. "Let us dance to one more. I am not prepared to let you go yet."
His head withdrew to look into her eyes again. Elle smiled and managed an "OK". The music started up again and the two began to move to the melody. Elle relaxed little by little which led to Legolas' releasing the tension in his body.
Elle thought of her mom again. "She would have loved him," she decided. "He's tall, handsome, and athletic. Sure, he's not human but I think she'd just be happy to know I just might not end up alone with eight cats." Elle giggled without noticing. Those were the things her mom would have liked about him; however, Elle liked different things about the elf. She liked that he was so patient with her. He let her think without interrupting. She liked the way he laughed and how he was actually pretty hot-headed with others. She liked how he looked at her.
She loved him.
The thought swam through her mind and travelled through her body until she felt a warm glow all over. Now that she knew, all her reservations seemed to fall away. "I could really be happy here," Elle realized.
…
Legolas felt wonderful. Elle was calming and they were dancing! His heart raced with joy. Her body under his fingers was warm and soft. He had difficulty forcing the smile from his lips and eventually gave up trying to hide his happiness. Certain elves of high rank would not be content with the Prince finding joy in a woman of Men, but Legolas ceased to care right at this moment.
Elle giggled to herself. She had been lost in her thoughts as had been Legolas as well. "What is so humorous, milady?"
Elle returned her attention to him and smiled. "Nothing."
Legolas normally allowed her to keep her thoughts to herself, but decided to question her more tonight given her joyous mood. "Nothing?" Legolas teased, "So you laugh at nothing? I believe that is a sign of instability." The elf flashed a broad smile. He did not notice that the song ended and another one began. They kept dancing.
Elle laughed again, but louder and with more feeling. She had rarely laughed like that since her arrival in Mirkwood. Legolas' chest warmed.
"I was just thinking that my mom would have loved you. She was always bugging me about finding a boy," Elle shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"I do not consider myself a 'boy', but I am glad your mother would like me. Why did she bother you? You are fairly young and still have much time to fall in love."
Elle seemed to consider his words for a moment. Legolas was treading lightly. He did not want to say something wrong and end this night prematurely. He decided to break her thoughts again. Legolas took her hand swiftly in his and spun the woman around twice. By the time he brought her back to him and had his hands back on her waist, she was giggling again. Her eyes met his and shone with pure joy.
"She was scared that I was going to become a spinster. Ya know, an old lady living in a stuffy apartment with only cats and cigarettes as friends? But I think her biggest worry was that she'd never have grandchildren," Elle said thoughtfully.
It was Legolas' turn to consider his response. He glanced past Elle to the far side of the tent and saw his father staring at them. Their eyes locked and the King smiled lovingly at his son. Legolas guessed that he had been watching them for some time. He sighed inwardly and put a small smile on his face, silently thanking his father for forcing Elle to attend tonight.
He returned his attention to his dance partner and smiled. "Were her worries misplaced, meleth-nin?" Legolas flinched spiritually. He had not meant to use that name for her aloud. His fears were misplaced, though. Elle did not understand the elvish words and did not ask about the name which surprised Legolas.
"I don't think so. I mean, I was alone most of the time. I never really had any boyfriends because I just didn't want one. I had always planned on eventually getting married though, not that I ever told her that," Elle confessed still in a good mood.
"Why did you not calm her fears?"
"I don't know," Elle shrugged and absentmindedly moved her hands to rest on Legolas' neck. "I was always kinda angry with her for no reason. I didn't like my life very much and I guess I vented on her. She knows I love her though. I never went far enough to make her think otherwise."
Legolas smiled. She was talkative tonight. He was learning more about her now than he had in the last 14 days. He was glad he postponed his journey to Rivendell until tomorrow. If they had left when planned, he wouldn't have had tonight with her.
"There was this one boy that my mom always bugged me about," Elle stated a little too matter-of-factly for Legolas' comfort. His insides flipped, but he maintained his calm demeanor as was the special talent of elves.
"Oh?" was all Legolas managed calmly. For an elf, he was easy to upset and anger.
"Yea. His name was Mason. He lived on the floor above me."
"Were the two of you close?" Legolas felt sick.
"Closer than I was to most people, I guess," Elle admitted. She cast her eyes downwards. "I always thought he was annoying, but he was always there if I needed to be around a living being."
Elle seemed unnerved and Legolas was beginning to unhinge. He kept quiet and just watched her, hoping for a sign that would quell his fears. He did not want to be merely her friend while she longed for this boy.
After a minute or so Elle spoke, "I wish I would have been nicer to him. I feel like I mistreated my little brother or something."
Legolas exhaled and shut his eyes for a second. A brother. That was all he needed to hear. He looked back at the woman he was falling deeply for and smiled. He lifted her chin with his right hand so she would be looking into his eyes. "If he knew you at all, he would know that you cared for him since you spent so much time together. Be at ease, Elle Mannon. Enjoy tonight. Your family want your happiness."
Elle seemed to be strengthened by his words and tightened her grip on the back of his neck. His body sent waves of sparks from the spot. He allowed them to wash over him as he pulled Elle into an embrace. They moved to a melody that filled the tent, but that the two did not hear
"Elizabeth."
"Hm?" Legolas had not caught the word she spoke into his chest. The woman lifted her head to look at him again.
"My name. Elle is short for Elizabeth. Elizabeth Marie Mannon."
Legolas smiled softly and brought her back to him. The two danced quietly enveloped in each other's embrace as the elven music cascaded around them, drowning out the rest of the world if only for the night.
Meleth-nin : My Love (I just got this from an online Sindarin dictionary)
