Second chances
By Sinful Starlet
Chapter Three - Temperatures rising
Disclaimer: see chapter one if you're really that interested, but once more for the record (all together now!) - Not mine, never will be, anything recognisable belongs to Tolkien and a very happy publishing company!
Rating: (I wanna say it! I'm going to say it!) Hoorah! Gloriously R rated (she thinks! I swear I still don't get this whole rating system) lets just say it ain't Disney! *waves banner excitedly* WOOHOO! ELF NEKKIDNESS!
Author's note: Okay here we go! I think we all know what's gonna happen here - like I wasn't gonna go there! But all good things have repercussions so don't sue me if you don't like the ending of this chapter, I promise there is more to come! *SS*
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Chapter Three - Temperatures rising
Summary: Story continues. Things get a little heated! But do goodnights always lead to good mornings?
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The two 'friends' had to part before too long that first night, they had already been gone for some time, and they were not quite ready to risk being discovered. After a few more minutes of increasingly tender kisses, the two separated and began to walk back towards the house. Legolas walked Arwen to her room as he had done every night before that and they came to a halt just outside the door. Arwen began to reach up to kiss him again, but Legolas caught her and turned her face to kiss her on the cheek, "Soon my love", he whispered, before pulling back and saying goodnight to her more loudly, as he saw her maid approaching.
"Goodnight indeed Legolas", Arwen smiled, realising why he had pulled back from her when the maid approached them, curtsying to Arwen and then stopping a polite distance from them. Legolas smiled at her once more, and left with a parting kiss on her hand. Arwen sighed in delight as she watched him go and then beckoned for her maid to come into the room and help her to prepare for bed.
"You seem particularly cheery tonight miss", her maid Elennia, remarked as she brushed out Arwen's long hair and softly plaited it, smiling even more as she spotted the blush that came to Arwen's cheeks. Arwen couldn't help but smile herself, Elennia had been with her since she was a baby, and was the only person that had accompanied her when she had gone to Lothlorien. She therefore, had become a sort of motherly figure to her, she could never replace Arwen's real mother of course, but Elennia was a real friend and her most trusted confidant.
"You love him don't you?", she continued, watching the girl's eyes very carefully to gauge her answer. "Elennia!", Arwen said, a little shocked at the question, but she could see there was no use in lying to her, so she just smiled and nodded. "Well you know how to pick 'em love, I'll give you that much!", Elennia responded with a sly smile, prompting one of outrage from her younger companion, "He seems very charming and good natured - he'd be lucky to have you". "Thank you", Arwen smiled, laughing a little before growing more serious, "I just hope my father agrees with you".
*
Over the next few days, Arwen and Legolas made every attempt not to draw attention to their new relationship. They were of course, intending to tell Elrond everything, but they weren't quite ready to do that, the excitement of concealment not quite wearing off yet. So they tried to act as normally as possible around other people, Legolas spent time with Elladan and Elrohir, who had at last returned, and Arwen busied herself with her friends and her father. Elrond guessed that Legolas must have talked to his daughter about their spending so much time together, and he was glad at last to have a little of her company back without apparently damaging Legolas and Arwen's 'friendship'.
The days seemed long and restless at times for the young lovers, but they managed to last out until the evening, where they could safely steal a few moments together outside the house. Their love didn't weaken at all for the temporary separations, and their passion for each other continued to grow to even greater levels as they were safe in the knowledge of the other's love. At first, they could stand spending so much time apart quite easily, but over time this became harder and harder, and by the end of a fortnight, neither knew if they could stand it much longer.
In the end it was Arwen who took the initiative. One night Legolas had been out wandering the grounds by himself. Arwen, he thought, was taking a late dinner with her father, and they were not due to meet up until later that night. He walked quite at peace through the trees, listening to the calm flow of the river and watching the stars overhead, wondering every now and again about his own home and friends. His father had written again, calling him back as soon as he could leave, though he had not yet told Arwen about the letters. In fact he had told no one, not wanting to leave the peace he had found at Rivendell.
He wandered seemingly aimlessly for the next few minutes, until he was disturbed by a sound coming from somewhere behind him. He turned slowly round and peered through the trees to see what had caused the sound, but even with the moon and star light, it was a little too dark to make out anything very clearly. He did not have to wait very long however to discover who his follower was, as Arwen ran into the clearing. She embraced him quickly, kissing him once before she broke off to try and speak.
"I thought you were having dinner with Elrond", Legolas questioned, "not that I am not pleased to see you of course!". "I should hope so!", Arwen laughed, a little breathy from her run. "He was interrupted by a messenger from some of our family who live a little further to the west of Rivendell. The business seemed to be urgent so my father cancelled our dinner, and has called most of our servants to attend on him". She stepped a little closer to him, moving her head to the side so she could whisper in his ear, "They're going to be busy all night, there's no way that they'll notice I'm gone".
Her voice and face were laden with promise, and Legolas would have to have been blind not to have noticed it. Arwen smiled and gently brushed away Legolas' hair from his right shoulder and placed a single soft kiss to his neck. He sighed at the touch, and the longing behind it, but he had to make sure before he could let anything else happen. "You're sure?", he breathed at last, "What about Elennia?" "Dismissed for the evening", Arwen said, smiling and shaking her head, "this night belongs to us". Legolas knew what she was asking of him, and as much as he wanted it too, he could not risk doing anything she was unready or unprepared for.
Before he could speak though, she anticipated him and brought a finger to his lips as she spoke, "I know exactly what I'm asking of you Legolas", she breathed, "and I have never been more ready for anything in my entire life. I love you, and nothing you could say would change my mind tonight". Legolas gently kissed her finger before removing it from his lips and staring deeply into her, wanting to know for certain that he was doing the right thing. "Well who am I to refuse the lady of the house?", he questioned with a sly smile, reaching in to kiss her more passionately than he had ever allowed himself to be with her up until then.
He knew that he was Arwen's first, even if she wasn't his, and he was determined to make this night perfect for her. Without ever breaking the kiss between them, he unfastened the cloak from around her neck and parted from her just long enough to spread it out on the ground for them. He gently eased her down to a seated position and then continued his ministering to her lips and neck. Every inch of her skin tasted like the sweetest wine to him. She sighed in delight as his lips touched the base of her throat, and he lingered over that space for several moments, drinking in the sound of her voice and the gasps she made.
She reached her arm around his neck to pull him even closer into her as they kissed, while her other hand went to work on the buttons of his tunic. He pulled back for a second as he felt the tunic loosening around his chest, and gave her one last look to be absolutely certain before he withdrew her hands and lifted the tunic off over his head. The undershirt quickly followed as Arwen's hands went about their business again and she gasped in delight at the sight of his bared chest before her. He was surprisingly well built, considering how lithe he looked when dressed, and his skin seemed to glisten in the pale moonlight.
Arwen's eyes drank in the sight of him, pulling herself up to a seated position to lick away a single droplet that ran down the centre of his chest. Legolas couldn't believe the feel of her mouth against his bare skin, and yearned to be able to touch her in the same way, but he found himself almost laughing at his lack of experience because he couldn't for the life him see where Arwen's dress could be unfastened. Arwen smiled at the blush quickly rising to his cheeks and simply turned around, holding up her hair to display the laces in the back of her dress. However urgent his need became, Legolas took as long as he possibly could to loosen the gown. His fingers worked agonizingly slowly (for Arwen) at the laces, as his lips kissed every additional inch of exposed skin as he worked his way down.
"Please Legolas", she sighed, as he continued oblivious, "I could do that quicker myself". "Ah but where would the fun be in that?", the male elf whispered, moving his mouth away from her back just long enough to speak. He at last reached the last lace, and moved back around to face his love, and recapture her mouth with his. The kiss deepened as they lay down again and the gown slipped down off her shoulders, joining the growing pile of Legolas' clothes beside them. The feel of her bare skin against his was driving Legolas crazy. Arwen was not his first, but he had never felt like this before, and he never wanted the feeling to end.
*
AN. Okay I know it was kinda mean to leave it there, but I really suck at writing love scenes (as you probably guessed by reading that) so you can probably imagine the rest a lot better than I can write it! Anyway, on with the story...
*
Sometime later that night, Legolas lay awake, unwilling or unable to sleep. Being with Arwen had been the most incredible experience of his life, and he loved her more than he ever thought possible. She moved in her sleep, seemingly a little cold, so Legolas pulled another blanket on to the bed and pulled her closer to him. How they had managed to stay apart long enough to move from the woods back to Arwen's bedroom he had no idea, but the second they were inside with the door closed behind them, clothes were scattered wildly and they fell back on to the bed together, tangled up in each other.
Arwen had finally slept, though Legolas did not find rest came so easy to him. He loved just laying there next to her, watching her sleep - the rise and fall of her chest, the soft sighs she made as she dreamed. He never wanted the night to end, but before he knew what was happening, exhaustion finally overcame him, and he too slept.
*
The next morning Elrond walked the halls uneasily. He had resolved his cousin's business about two hours ago, but it had had the whole house in uproar, and it was so close to dawn that there seemed no point in sleeping. He had sought counsel from some of his most trusted advisors, but there was one voice that he would have liked to hear, though had feared to wake. He strode through the house towards his room, thinking the hour was not too early now, so stopping and knocking politely first, he entered the room.
He had received no answer at the door, and as he entered the room and his eyes adjusted to the relative lack of light, he noticed that his bed had not been slept in. It was too early for the young prince to be up and about already, but not too early for him to be awake he thought, so he took a brief look around the room to see if he could make out any sign of his young guest. As he walked past the desk underneath the largest window, his robes caught the corner of a pile of papers and sent them fluttering to the floor. He stooped to pick them up again, and though he tried not to read their contents, his eyes did catch one particular phrase. He stood slowly, and now could not help but read the entire letter. His face became grave, his young friend had apparently been lying to him.
*
He would have to confront Legolas about the matter sooner or later, but now he had other things on his mind. He walked down the hall to another room, again knocking before entering. If there was one person who could explain the actions of Legolas to him, it would be her. He again received no answer, but it would not be unreasonable for him to go in, so he quietly walked into the room, closing the door just as quietly behind him. He moved through the room past the screen which obscured her bed from any visitors to her door, and was completely shocked at the sight that befell him.
His youngest child was sleeping quite peacefully on her bed, the sheets wrapped round her doing little to disguise her lack of clothing, and she was curled up in the equally bare arms of..."Legolas!". The elf lord could not believe it. He never thought that of all people, Legolas would abuse his hospitality like this. He crossed slowly over to the bed, making no sound whatsoever as he crouched down next to Legolas and spoke quietly into his ear. Legolas awoke in an instant to be confronted by a clearly displeased Elrond.
He tried to whisper something of an explanation, but Elrond shook his head. "Get dressed", Elrond said so quiet that only an elven ear would have heard it, "and don't wake her". He moved back to allow the younger elf what little dignity he had left as he untangled himself from the arms of his lover and rapidly pulled on his clothes. "Come with me", Elrond said as soon as this was done, and though Legolas would have done anything to have just told Arwen where he was going, the expression on Elrond's face told him that this was clearly not an option.
*
AN. Ooh tension! And I know that was a mean place to leave that, but it makes you want to read on right? *she hopes!* Feedback is of course, always welcomed, but if it's just to tell me I'm a lousy writer it's probably not worth it! More story soon - oh any by the way, it gets a little gloomier for the next few chapters - sorry! *SS*