Rating: PG
Chapter: 2/2
Warnings: This is S*L*A*S*H Ladies and Gentlemen, which means male/male relationships. If you're uncomfortable with this, don't read. If you read anyway, then it is your own fault. Don't say I didn't warn you! Spoiler warnings for FotR, tTT and RotK.
Disclaimer: No, I do not own these characters or anything that has anything to do with LotR. Just borrowing..
I would like to thank my beta-readers Eruantale and Golden wolf for betaing this one. Thoughts are in --. The song is Celine Dion's "Tell him". Don't own that either...
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"What?" I ask. I am starting to believe that there is something wrong with my ears. Seriously wrong. He has fallen in love with yet another girl. I wonder how much longer I will be able to take this. Him falling in love with Arwen hurt me more than anyone can even begin to imagine, and now, he has fallen in love again.
"I do not love Arwen anymore." Aragorn says quietly. "That is why I have failed her. She has offered her immortality to me, but what do I do? I fall in love with someone else."
-Is he honestly saying this?- I wonder before I, once again, cup my hand around his chin, and those beautiful stormy eyes gazes at me. -I really have to stop doing this. Lest I will lose myself and he will know.-
---
Touch him
With the gentleness you feel inside
Your love can't be denied
The truth will set you free
You'll have what's mean to be
All in time you'll see
---
I don't know if he sensed me, but as I'm approaching, he slowly turns towards me. The sun has blinded his beautiful grey eyes so he does not seem to recognize me.
"Legolas, is that you?" He asks.
"Aye, 'tis I, Estel," I answer. Our eyes lock for a while before I continue. "Is something wrong?"
He once again turns his gaze to the sunrise and sighs. "No. Nothing is wrong."
I can easily tell he is lying. I have known him almost his entire life... and I have loved him equally as long.
---
Oooh - what if
there's another one he's thinking of
Maybe he's in love
I'd feel like a fool
Life can be so cruel
I don't know what to do
---
"Aragorn," I say. I like saying that name. I wonder why I never used it before. "You have not failed the Lady Arwen. Nor will you. Failing her will be staying with her when your heart lies elsewhere. You cannot decide where your heart should rest. None can. Our heart makes the choice for us, we can do nothing about it. Look at me, I did not choose to fall in love with... with... The one I love. My heart did. And I cannot stop my heart. I will not."
-Oops-
Aragorn says nothing. He just keeps his eyes locked with mine. But suddenly, he must have realised what I said, for his eyes narrows ever so slightly and he looks harder as if searching for an answer to something.
"Aragorn," he says. "You have not failed the Lady Arwen. Nor will you. Failing her will be staying with her when your heart lies elsewhere. You cannot decide where your heart should rest. None can. Our hearts make the choices for us, we can do nothing about it. Look at me, I did not choose to fall in love with... with... the one I love. My heart did. And I cannot stop my heart. I will not."
-Oh, those eyes... What? Wait a minute. What did he say? Is he in love?!- I realise what he said and I search for a name in those enchanting eyes. I cannot find one so I just have to ask.
"You are in love?"
His hand leaves my chin, and I start to miss it right away. His eyes fill with pain and grief and I regret having asked the question, but I have to know.
"Yes." He answers, his voice being barely a whisper. "I love someone and my love will never be returned."
He will never have his love? Who can this bastard be who refuses to return the love from one as enchanting as Legolas?
"Who is she?" I ask a bit harshly.
"It is not a she."
-Great, you stupid elf. Another word and he will know. Composure. Calm down. Right.-
"But my feelings are beside the point right now. The point is, she will not hate you. She would hate you if you stayed now." I continue, cutting of his every chance to dig deeper into my heart. If he finds out, I will lose him. And I'd rather have his friendship than nothing at all.
Aragorn seems to get the hint so he smiles weakly. "You are right, as always, you are right."
"Come, you need to rest. We must continue soon. The sun is almost up..." I turn around and am just about to take my first step, when I feel his hand on my shoulder.
"Wait. There is something I must say."
He turns me so that I am facing him. I can literally se him gathering courage to say the next words, and I wonder so what they are.
"Never mind. You are right, I must get some rest.'
"Are you sure?" I ask. Whatever it was he was going to say, will I ever know?
"Yes, let us get some rest before we continue, we have been wasting too much time already." And with those words he returns to the fire, or the ashes rather, and lies down on his blanket. I sigh before I too, head for the blankets.
---
I love him
Of that much I can be sure
I don't think I could endure
If I let him walk away
When I have so much to say
---
I cannot sleep. Not with him lying two feet away. I do not think he is sleeping either, he sighed just a minute ago. I try to count the stars, which usually makes me sleepy. But I only count to thirty before the silence is broken.
"Estel?"
He is using my elvish name again. "Aragorn," I sigh, "call me Aragorn. That is my true name. Now what were you going to ask?'
"Aragorn," he corrects himself, "what was it you were going to tell me earlier?'
I close my eyes. -Let me go to sleep, before I ruin everything!-
"Really, Legolas. It was nothing."
Now I hear him getting up. -He is not coming over here, he is not coming over here!- I silently plead, but the gods are probably sleeping for a few seconds later, he crouches next to me. I sit up and gestures for him to sit down. He does so and turns his beautiful eyes towards me.
"Aragorn," he says. "It must be something, or you would be sleeping by now'
My eyes roam over his body. -By Elbereth, he is without his shirt!!- I quickly avert my gaze to the ashes from the fire. "You are cold," I whisper so quietly I am surprised that even he heard my words. I open my blanket to so he can crawl in to the heat.
Even though I my eyes are elsewhere, I know he smiles "You of all men should know that elves do not experience cold." He seems to think for a second but then he apparently decided to take me up on my offer. He crawls in and sits down in front of me. That way, I can close the blankets around us, shutting out the cold. It feels so right to have him in my arms like this. He then continues: "And, you are changing the subject."
-This is so hard. How can I possibly tell my best friend, an elf, that I love him? More to the point, how can I do it when the elf in question is in my arms, resting his back on my chest?-
---
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself
---
He is holding his arms around me. Not for the reason I want, but still. I am in his arms. It feels so good, so right. I unconsciously snuggle closer to him, and before I even have the chance of stopping myself I whisper the words I promised I would never utter aloud.
"I love you."
Suddenly time stops. It is like everything around us holds their breath... waiting. A million thoughts cross my mind, a million curses for my stupidity, in the few seconds, which to me seems like eternity. Then, slowly I can feel my love shift behind me. I panic, for I think he will move away. I turn around, using all my eleven abilities. But when my eyes meets his, I don't find the hate, anger and loath I thought I would find, but rather relief, joy and.. Love? Somewhere far away, I register his voice.
"Legolas Greenleaf, by Elbereth, I love you too."
No this has to be a dream. He loves me? "But you have fallen in love. You said so."
He laughs and embraces me hardly. It is a free and happy laugh, happier than I have heard him ages.
"Silly. It is you."
Me?
"Me?"
"Yes, you." He says.
It finally sinks in. He loves me. I have the heir of Isildurs love and affection. We lock eyes, but suddenly, I found his lips to be far more interesting, and before I know it, our lips seals in a fiery, loving and passionate kiss. My head is spinning, and my heart is threatening to burst with joy. He loves ME!
---
Love is light that surely glows
In the hearts of those who know
It's a steady flame that grows
Feed the fire with all the passion you can show
Tonight love will assume its place
This memory time cannot erase
Your faith will lead love where it has to go
Never let him go
---
SPLASH!
What?
SPLASH! SPLASH!
What is this moisture? I am kissing Aragorn, the sun is up, the birds are chirping from our joy and he loves me. So where did this-
SPLASH!
-Moisture come from? And why is he shaking me and shouting my name all of a sudden?
"LEGOLAS! The storm is over us, Wake Up!!"
The storm? The storm! I jump up, ready to make a run for a cave not far away. Gimli has already reached it and I am right behind Aragorn, when I suddenly remember. I grab a hold of his sleeve and we stop dead.
"Legolas, what are you doing? We are getting soaking wet! Come on!"
---
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself
---
"Aragorn," I say calmly.
He calms down, sensing that I am about to say something important.
"Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I love you of all my heart." But right there and then, the rain increases so my words are lost.
"I can't hear you for all the rain. What did you say?" He shouts.
"I love you!"
He shakes his head while pointing to his ears, turns around heads of in the direction of the cave. I once again grab a hold of his sleeve and when he turns around, mouth open in annoyance, I meet him in a kiss, equally fiery and passionate as the one from my dream, only, this is real. I slip my tongue in and he goes tense at first but slowly he relaxes as he adjusts to the sensation of my tongue exploring his mouth. And when I break the kiss, he looks disappointed. I cup his face in my hands and look deep into his eyes. Love and joy is what I see. I then repeat myself.
"I said I love you."
The End.
