Simple and Clean

Author's Note: Whew! I finally finished something. I have had a bad writer's block for the past few months. Which sucks big time. Anyway, this is my first completed Slash story featuring Aragorn and Legolas. This is just some sweet fluff, nothing graphic. This is based on the song "Simple and Clean" from the Kingdom Heart game. Some of the lyrics are repeated in this story.

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the characters in this story. All characters are copyrighted by J.K.K. Tolkien, and who ever else owns the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The land that stretched out before him had once been the calm plain of Gondor, but after the battle that had ensued yesterday it became a barren graveyard. The remains of Orcs, Men, Horses, and Fell creatures littered the ground. The treasured dead were still being removed from the bloodstained soil and brought to there families. The courageous steeds that brought the riders of Rohan were burned separately from the spawn of Mordor, which were to be burn the next day.

This was a battle fought by the Men of Gondor and Rohan, against the evil of Mordor with the exception of two Hobbits, one Wizard, one Dwarf, and an Elf. The Elf himself had seen thousands of other battles, but perhaps had never felt one so close to home, even though his home was far north from there, surrounded by Shadows and Spiders.

Perhaps it is as his Human friend had said long ago, 'Home is where the heart is.' For Legolas's heart was lying behind him in bed. The white curtains of the room blew around him as he turned to take a look at his beloved, his heart.

A dark-hair, dirty creature laid upon the once clean sheets of the huge bed. His rugged lines upon his looked weary, yet relaxed. His scraggly beard could have been mistaken for mud. The ranger's eyes were closed, but the Elf could almost see his piercing gray eyes stare at him with need and love.

Legolas backed away from the window and started to move towards the bed. The filthy Man lying in bed opened his eyes as he felt the bed dip with new weight.

"What are you doing still up?" came the gruff voice. "You should be resting. Another battle is to be fought in a few days hence."

The blond gave a smirk as he played with a leather binding upon the Ranger's shirt. "You forget, Human, that I am an Elf, and I do not need as much rest as you mortals."

Aragorn smiled at the familiar banter, for they had had this discussion many times as friends, more so now that they were now lovers. "Even Elves need their rest," he reminded him gently, his smile fading slightly and it was replaced with a form of anxiety. "I feared for you yesterday. When you were caught in the track of that Oliphant, I feared that perhaps an Elf could not overcome such an obstacle, even with their superhuman strength and abilities." Legolas frowned as he heard the words, but when he opened his mouth, he was interrupted. "I had once seen an Elf come into Rivendell with injuries from a wild one, and he did not survive. The image of that poor Elf haunted me today in battle and I found I could not concentrate fully until I saw you fell not only the beast but the occupants upon it also. I believe that my heart started pumping again when you landed safely on the ground, and acted as if it were no huge feat."

Legolas' smirk returned and he lowered himself next to the Man where he was cuddled up next to him. Aragorn wrapped his arms around his love's body and pulled him close. They were silent for a few moments.

"Did you doubt my skills, Mortal?" Legolas asked, humor still heavy in his voice.

"I never doubt your skills, Lovely one. I doubt my luck, especially with the ones I love."

"Never doubt luck. Especially with the ones you love. Luck will be on your side if you believe it."

"You and your 'luck'," Aragorn growled, pulling away from the Elf long enough to pin him down upon the bed. Legolas didn't move to stop him, in fact, the smile on his face encouraged the Man.

"Aye," the Elf called, barely able to contain his mirth, "Why do you think I've lived so long?"

"I would put more recognition to your Elven blood."

"That's what you think. Being with you as many ages as I have would make even the strongest Elf die from stress."

A look of mock disgust fell upon the Ranger's face and he didn't even try to hold his weight, but alas, Legolas never felt anything but the warmth it gave. "You say it with such disdain, how can you call it luck." Aragorn's voice was filled sarcasm. He had an eye roll to go with it.

"Perhaps I was lucky enough to love you enough to see past your Human flaws," Legolas said simply, unknowing that those words made Aragorn's stomach flip and his heart grown heavy the emotion that filled his eyes every time he glanced upon this beautiful creature that was below him.

Finally, after a few minutes, Aragorn was able to speak, his voice sounding choked. "I could die tomorrow."

The laughter left Legolas' eyes. "I won't let you."

"Y-you could die tomorrow," Aragorn said, stumbling over the words. Legolas lifted up a hand and brushed back a fallen lock of hair that was dangling from his love's head. He placed the wayward strand behind Aragorn's smooth ears and let his hand rest upon his cheek. His palm felt the tingle of hairs that grew upon Aragorn's flesh, but not his own. Only one of the differences between the two.

"I know." There was really no point in having this conversation. They had had it a number of times before, and they really did not have time to have an argument, especially this close to another battle.

"I wish you would stay here."

"I wish to be by your side."

"This is not your fight."

"It is my fight if you are fighting it."

"I don't want you to fight."

"I'm older than you, I think I can make my own decisions."

"I love you too much to see you hurt."

Legolas didn't have a reply for that other than a kiss upon the man on top of him's lips. It was a small kiss, not hungry or passionate, just sweet and gentle. It showed his love for him without too much detail.

"I want to fight with you. Don't push me away, and don't forbid me to fight," Legolas said, as he backed his head away slightly. "If you were to die tomorrow, I would want to be by your side as you leave this Realm. I wouldn't mind if you were by my side if I die either, you know. I actually think it's quit romantic. Love till death, right? I could even give you a small kiss before I go, you know. I might even let you shag me one last time. I don't even care if the Orcs watch. Really, I think-"

Legolas was cut off by a noise coming from Aragorn that could have been a sob or a laugh, he wasn't that sure.

"I have no idea how you came to have such a dirty mind, Legolas, and I don't want to know how you can think something like this is funny. We are talking about our deaths, here."

"I am not talking about our deaths. I'm talking about the possibility of our deaths," Legolas said, but he saw that he wasn't getting though to his love. He just sighed and pulled Aragorn down upon him, and he felt arms surround him.

"Hold me," Legolas said, "Whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on. Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all." Legolas lifted his eyes to stare at the gray ones above him. "Nothing's like before . . . but everything is the same. I love you."

He saw tears in those steel eyes and he knew Aragorn was trying not to let them fall. A had came from around Legolas and fell upon his face. A rough hand trailed smooth, ageless skin. Aragorn's head then dipped and he gave another kiss to the pink lips beneath him. It was as small and sweet as the one Legolas had bestowed upon him. They broke apart and Aragorn spoke.

"Look at us, Legolas. Here we are in this filthy and complicated world and for some reason, you are here to make it right," he said, "Simple and clean is the way you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let you go."

Legolas smiled, making the dark gloomy topic much brighter. "But you must."

A sigh escaped Aragorn's lips. "Yes," he said, "Yes I do." Then Aragorn shifted his weight, and he went back to pinning Legolas to the bed. "But tonight. Tonight, you are staying in this room with me. The whole night, and if anyone disturbs us, I'll cut off something they will miss dearly."

"Oh," Legolas said, sarcasm was dripping from his voice, "That's a turn on. You grabbing someone else's parts to-"He never finished. Aragorn's lips came crashing down upon his own and cut him off. This kiss had everything that the others lacked, except for love.

The End.