Title: All I Can Be
Author (including email): Gabriel (gabesaphr34k@hotmail.com)
Pairing(s): Aragorn/Legolas
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas spend one last night together before Aragorn is to wed Arwen. Fluff and sap.
Disclaimer: Anything and everything that sounds like Tolkien is Tolkien and I own nothing. The
song is Collin Raye (-ah! country!-) I just wrote the story itself.
Warning (only if necessary): slash
Authors Note (if needed/desired): This is my jump into the LotR fandom. My name is Gabriel and I
hope you guys and gals enjoy my lil story here. (And if anyone has a mp3 of this song, please let
me know! I cannot find one and I want it... I've old got me trusty olf cassette tape.) '...' denotes
Elvish (cuz I'm too lazy to look up what I want to say). ~*~ ... ~*~ denotes song lyrics. Et
maintenant... la fiction.


All I Can Be (Is A Sweet Memory)

~*~ ~*~
All I can be is a sweet memory
That drifts through your mind time from time
~*~ ~*~


The fire crackled, its light playing over the golden locks of hair that lay splayed over the satin pillow case. Calloused but gentle fingers brushed through the silken fall of hair, worshipful if a bit sad. Why did fate have to require of them such things? In the morning, Aragorn would leave, never to be in his love's arms ever again. He would leave and go to meet his fate, to wed the woman he considered a sister and no more, to be crowned King of Men, and to most likely never see his precious Elf again.

The Man sighed, propping himself up on one arm to look upon his sleeping lover.

~*~ ~*~
I can never be more than a knock on your door
Just a shadow that's gone with the sunshine
~*~ ~*~

'Why must it be this way?' Aragorn whispered, his sad eyes lovingly caressing the gentle lines of the sleeping prince's face. 'Oh Legolas... I hate that I have to hurt you this way, that I have to leave you.' 'It would only be more painful if we let it continue,' the Elf whispered back, eyes focusing on the man above him. A long fingered hand reached up to brush stray strands of wavey brown hair from his beloved's face. His blue eyes were solemn as he gaze into Aragorn's gray ones.

~*~ ~*~
For you know I'm not free
And I never can be
~*~ ~*~

A wild look flitted through the steely gray eyes. 'We could leave... you and me, together. No one would notice till morning, and then we'd be long gone.'

'Estel...' Legolas breathed, using the man's Elvish name. He was the only one Aragorn knew to still use the childhood name bestowed upon the human by the Lord Elrond, and it warmed the doomed man's heart to hear it from those sweet lips. 'You know well and good that we cannot. I love you, you know this, but our love is fated to end and for you to marry the Lady Arwen, to whom you are betrothed. You are Man's last hope, the last of your line. Maybe were you to have an heir it would be different, but you don't, Aragorn. You have your duty to your people, as I have mine.'

~*~ ~*~
And your bound to get restless in time
All I can be is a sweet memory
That drifts through your mind
~*~ ~*~

Heavy silence fell as both knew the Elven Prince's words to be true. 'Were it not so... Legolas, I could...'

"Aragorn..." When the man gave him a hurt look, Legolas paused and restarted his statement. 'Estel, there is now way... I could not wait around your white palace while you took care of Kingly business and you must produce an heir, it is not the heir but the bloodline that is necessary.'

"You know me too well, meleth," Aragorn chuckled, laying his head upon the blond archer's bare chest.

~*~ ~*~
Tonight I'll share the silence
While lying here with you
Sands of time have trickled down
Just a precious few
~*~ ~*~

Neither spoke, words were no longer important, this time they shared was to be used not for discussion but for farewells that could not be said with breath.

Lips worshiped salty skin and traded sweet kisses full of painful longing, fearful of parting lest they end their last too soon.

~*~ ~*~
You're young and so beautiful
And I'm glad that I'm here
But the ending is painfully clear
~*~ ~*~

But wouldn't there last kiss be all too soon anyway? After all, dawn was on the approach was was the man's imminent wedding. This joyous day full of sadness for two involved.

'I love you so much,' Aragorn breathed into the sweatty hollow of the pale throat, placing soft kisses along the smooth column. 'Elbereth, you're beautiful... How can I let you go? How can I willingly give up half my heart, half my soul to guide Gondor. It seems impossible to ask!'

'But ask it of you they do,' Legolas soothed. 'Were it not so, but the truth is all to clear.' A pause. A kiss. 'I will stay with you until the day you leave this Middle Earth, if it is within my power...' Both knew that most likely the Elf could not keep his promise, this parting would grieve him so.

~*~ ~*~
All I can be is a sweet memory
Of someone you had to leave behind
Who loves you and needs you
But never could give you
A ring for your finger so fine
~*~ ~*~

'I wish there were some other way,' Aragorn breathed. It seemed like all they could do was repeat themselves. Surely there had to be a way, surely...

~*~ ~*~
So tonight we'll just borrow each other
Tomorrow we'll find we've run out of time
All I can be is a sweet memory
That drifts through your mind
~*~ ~*~

'Enjoy this night, beloved,' the Prince said quietly, his musical voice almost choked. 'Make love to me as if it were our first time, make me remember this night as I do that one.'

Softly, with the same quiet worship Aragorn had always bestowed upon his beloved, the Man kissed his prince. 'Yes, my love. I will make us forget the coming dawn and what it holds for us. Tonight I will love you as if it were not for the last time.'

~*~ ~*~
For you know I'm not free
And I never can be
And your bound to get restless in time
All I can be is a sweet memory
That drifts through your mind
~*~ ~*~

'I love you, Estel... Aragorn, my King, my heart... my soul...'

~*~ ~*~
All I can be is a sweet memory
That drifts through your mind
~*~ ~*~

The end.

So what did you guys think? Give me your honest opinion. Was it shit? Was it gr8? What'd you think? Drop me a line: gabesaphr34k@hotmail.com

Gabriel

"You hacked a bank across state lines from your house? What are you stoned or stupid?" ~ Phantom Phreak, Hackers