Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
*******
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it,
and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden
to itself." - Oscar Wilde
******
The sun broke over the mountains, spreading its orange glow over the sleeping land. This day would find them safely back in Rivendell and Legolas was both relieved and disappointed at the prospect.
Annowe sat up next to him and yawned. Today she would be in the river and her heart soared with joy at the thought.
They silently gathered their blankets and packs and started walking northward toward sanctuary. Legolas could feel her mood lift as they approached the Loudwater.
"I take it you are feeling better this morning," he asked cautiously.
"Yes," she admitted. "Mostly because of you." She smiled at him and saw the tips of his ears turn pink at the compliment.
"I merely listened," he said, trying not to smile too broadly.
"Sometimes that is all it takes," she reminded him gently.
****** When the river finally came into view, Annowe gave a shout of joy and took off running, leaving a trail of equipment and clothing in her wake. Legolas had to smile as he followed behind her, picking up her discarded items along the way. Sometimes he felt like the senior in their relationship.
He reached the river and sat down on the bank waiting for her to surface. She burst up through the water near him, laughing with delight.
"Oh, Legs, this is great!" she sighed contentedly. "You should join me. It's quite refreshing!"
As soon as the words escaped her lips she realized the implications of what she had said and her eyes opened wide in fear.
Legolas saw the look in her eyes and his blood froze. "Do you no longer trust me?" he asked softly.
"No, it me I don't trust," she admitted shamefacedly lowering her gaze.
Yes, he knew exactly what she was talking about and nodded to her. Without a word, he tossed her leggings and under tunic into the river at her and she smiled at him gratefully.
She slipped into her clothes as he stripped down to his leggings. Cautiously, he waded into the river up to his waist. She moved closer to him to offer her support.
"Now, remember, elves can drown," she warned him. "Take it slow." "Yes, I know," he said and slid into the water up to his neck. "But you won't let me drown."
She laughed. "No, not if I can help it. Your father would have my hide!"
"That much is certain," he agreed with a grin.
She kept close to him, refusing to let him get into the water over his head until she was certain of his ability. He was learning quickly and enjoyed the feeling of the cool water against his skin.
Without warning, he plunged his head under the water and tried to swim off. Annowe gasped in horror, thinking that he had been pulled under by the current and quickly submerged to rescue him. She found him several feet away, just floating there and grinning from ear to ear, his pale hair floating eerily around his head.
"Monster," she mouthed to him in mock disgust. He could be quite impish if the mood struck him and it obviously had.
Deliberately he slid his hand to his throat in the choking signal and watched her carefully. Her heart skipped and she hesitated, uncertain of what to do.
Slowly, she slid over to him and motioned him to surface. He shook his head and gazed into her eyes. She cursed his beauty, his race, his stars, and anything else she could think of as she put her lips on his and breathed into his mouth, closing her eyes so she would not have to see him so close.
He relaxed and closed his eyes when he felt her lips on his. He was certain that she would drag him to the surface instead of breathing into him but he was pleasantly surprised to find that she had fallen for his trick. Not that it was much of a trick, more like a blatant ploy.
She finished blowing air into him and took her lips from his as she opened her eyes. His dark eyes opened and crinkled at the corners in a smile. Affectionately, she touched her nose to his and he replied in kind. Cautiously, she touched her lips to his, keeping her eyes open to gauge his reaction. He looked back at her steadily and returned her tentative kiss.
Casting caution to the wind and damming the consequences to Mordor, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him like she'd wanted to for years. A great wave of relief swept over him and he slid his arms around her, holding her close as they sank lower into the depths of the river.
*******
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it,
and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden
to itself." - Oscar Wilde
******
The sun broke over the mountains, spreading its orange glow over the sleeping land. This day would find them safely back in Rivendell and Legolas was both relieved and disappointed at the prospect.
Annowe sat up next to him and yawned. Today she would be in the river and her heart soared with joy at the thought.
They silently gathered their blankets and packs and started walking northward toward sanctuary. Legolas could feel her mood lift as they approached the Loudwater.
"I take it you are feeling better this morning," he asked cautiously.
"Yes," she admitted. "Mostly because of you." She smiled at him and saw the tips of his ears turn pink at the compliment.
"I merely listened," he said, trying not to smile too broadly.
"Sometimes that is all it takes," she reminded him gently.
****** When the river finally came into view, Annowe gave a shout of joy and took off running, leaving a trail of equipment and clothing in her wake. Legolas had to smile as he followed behind her, picking up her discarded items along the way. Sometimes he felt like the senior in their relationship.
He reached the river and sat down on the bank waiting for her to surface. She burst up through the water near him, laughing with delight.
"Oh, Legs, this is great!" she sighed contentedly. "You should join me. It's quite refreshing!"
As soon as the words escaped her lips she realized the implications of what she had said and her eyes opened wide in fear.
Legolas saw the look in her eyes and his blood froze. "Do you no longer trust me?" he asked softly.
"No, it me I don't trust," she admitted shamefacedly lowering her gaze.
Yes, he knew exactly what she was talking about and nodded to her. Without a word, he tossed her leggings and under tunic into the river at her and she smiled at him gratefully.
She slipped into her clothes as he stripped down to his leggings. Cautiously, he waded into the river up to his waist. She moved closer to him to offer her support.
"Now, remember, elves can drown," she warned him. "Take it slow." "Yes, I know," he said and slid into the water up to his neck. "But you won't let me drown."
She laughed. "No, not if I can help it. Your father would have my hide!"
"That much is certain," he agreed with a grin.
She kept close to him, refusing to let him get into the water over his head until she was certain of his ability. He was learning quickly and enjoyed the feeling of the cool water against his skin.
Without warning, he plunged his head under the water and tried to swim off. Annowe gasped in horror, thinking that he had been pulled under by the current and quickly submerged to rescue him. She found him several feet away, just floating there and grinning from ear to ear, his pale hair floating eerily around his head.
"Monster," she mouthed to him in mock disgust. He could be quite impish if the mood struck him and it obviously had.
Deliberately he slid his hand to his throat in the choking signal and watched her carefully. Her heart skipped and she hesitated, uncertain of what to do.
Slowly, she slid over to him and motioned him to surface. He shook his head and gazed into her eyes. She cursed his beauty, his race, his stars, and anything else she could think of as she put her lips on his and breathed into his mouth, closing her eyes so she would not have to see him so close.
He relaxed and closed his eyes when he felt her lips on his. He was certain that she would drag him to the surface instead of breathing into him but he was pleasantly surprised to find that she had fallen for his trick. Not that it was much of a trick, more like a blatant ploy.
She finished blowing air into him and took her lips from his as she opened her eyes. His dark eyes opened and crinkled at the corners in a smile. Affectionately, she touched her nose to his and he replied in kind. Cautiously, she touched her lips to his, keeping her eyes open to gauge his reaction. He looked back at her steadily and returned her tentative kiss.
Casting caution to the wind and damming the consequences to Mordor, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him like she'd wanted to for years. A great wave of relief swept over him and he slid his arms around her, holding her close as they sank lower into the depths of the river.
