A/N: I know this chapter was slow in coming (as well as short), but it's term paper time here in College Land. *grr* I'm spending more time writing about gothic cathedrals and the psychology of self-injury than I am writing fic. It pains me much. But the GOOD thing is that soon the semester will be over and I'll be free to write more fic. Whee!
Standard disclaimer: Tolkien owns the Fellowship. I own Lex. I also own Legolas' towel. *eg* But I'll behave and let him keep it as long as he needs it, even if I'd rather not. Oh yeah, I'm not making any money off of this, either. I do it for the sheer joy of tormenting the Fellowship and the readers on ff.net.
Saturday morning dawned bright, clear and perfect. It was, perhaps, too bright for those who had over-imbibed the night before.
"God, what a dream," Lex muttered, massaging her temples. The gnomes in lead shoes were back in her head. She stared at the ceiling for a few moments before realizing she was not alone in her room. She seized the railing of the loft and leaned over the edge to get a look at the futon. Four hobbits were blissfully snoring away down there.
"Oh shit." Lex realized that it had not been a dream and she hadn't done any of her promised research on getting the Fellowship back to Middle-earth (and consequently out of her apartment), though if Legolas and Aragorn wanted to stay… Lex groaned. Aspirin first, thought later. Cautiously, she climbed down the ladder from the loft and headed for the bathroom, squinting against the sunlight pouring through the windows.
Lex assumed she was the first one up, so she didn't think twice about not knocking on the bathroom door. It was the best and worst choice she had ever made. She opened the door and found herself face to face with a very shocked Legolas, fresh out of the shower, who was wearing nothing but a towel.
I have died and gone to heaven, was all she could manage to think. Lex stood speechless, taking in smooth, pale, skin, taut muscle, bare chest, the smooth curve of his shoulder into his neck, fine jaw line, and countless other wonders. Want to touch the elf… Was all her poor brain could form. It was too busy memorizing every curve, dimple and scar on the wonderful specimen before her.
Finally, Legolas spoke. "Do you not knock in this world?" He looked at her with a combination of embarrassment, curiosity and amusement. Lex swallowed hard.
"Uhm, I didn't mean … uh, yes, I should've… I thought… Aspirin… I'll check the other cabinet," she finally managed before retreating to the hall, closing the door behind her and then leaning on it for support.
Once safely away from the mind-numbing influence of half-naked elf boy, Lex could breathe again. "Fuck aspirin. I need a drink." Maybe there was some rum left.
Lex sat in the recliner in the living room sullenly nursing the bottle of rum. Why couldn't I have said something intelligent to him instead of gibbering like an idiot? How many times had she practiced the "smooth seductress" scene in her head? When her chance had come though, she had blown it like a compulsive gambler who's just gotten his paycheck. Stupid stupid stupid, she berated herself, punctuating this with another swig of rum.
Aragorn and Gimli were still passed out on the floor. Boromir was snoozing in the other chair, and Gandalf was laying on the couch, his legs sticking out over the arm and his hat firmly over his face. Legolas had yet to come out of the bathroom. Lex wondered if she could ever look him in the face again.
It was then that Lex heard the bathroom door creak open and the sound of footsteps in the hall. She was torn between her primal desire to stare and her polite instinct to not watch. In the end, staring won out.
Legolas emerged fully clothed and fixed Lex with a stare of his own.
"Uhhmm…" Dammit girl! Smooth, be smooth! "I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't think anyone else would be up. I usually knock. I hope I haven't offended you." Lex was rapidly losing herself in those beautiful blue eyes until Legolas looked away from her gaze and shrugged.
"It happens," was all he said.
I hope it happens again, Lex thought. But what she said was, "Can I get you some breakfast?"