Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. The story, however, is mine. ^_^

Warning: This is a slash fic, meaning there will be a MALE/MALE relationship between Aragorn and Legolas. If you don't like that concept, please turn away now. Thank you.

Anyway, on with the fic.

Drowning

The golden figure was sitting on a wooden footbridge, his slender legs swinging softly in the bleak moisture while his fingers played with the surface of the water almost tenderly. The sun was fading away slowly, leaving the world in a brilliant shade of shimmering flames, red and black and orange. The colors illuminated the face of the fair Elf and as he looked up to welcome the last breath of the sinking sun a smile warmed Legolas' features. His blond hair was moving lightly in the wind while the autumn leaves seemed to orchestrate a charming melody of life. He removed his fingers from the water and put his hands behind his head as he laid back down, eyes closed in contentment.

Soft steps were coming up and halted just a few breaths behind his still form. "Aragorn," Legolas acknowledged when he heard the mild rustle of clothes that indicated that the person moved to sit behind him. The man answered with a silent smile and put his hands on the Elf's waist to carefully lift him onto his lap. Then he leaned his head against the smooth white skin of Legolas' shoulder and breathed in deeply.

"You smell of rain and wind. Of trees and life. It is intoxicating." The man whispered, tightening his hold around the Elf's waist, cradling him closer to his own body. Legolas raised his hands to touch the arms that were encircling him. Then he turned his head slightly and opened his eyes.

Blue orbs locked with silver ones.

"Aragorn," he repeated, the smile on his face widening, "mae govannen, melethron."

"Did you miss me?" The ranger asked, his voice low and his mouth so very close against Legolas' sensitive ear. The Elf shuddered and tilted his head backwards, resting completely against Aragorn's chest.

"Why would I miss you?" The prince of Mirkwood asked, a playful gleam in his eyes.

Aragorn smirked, then lowered his mouth to catch the pointed tip of Legolas' ear. A soft moan escaped the Elf before he could stop himself.

"Are you trying to deny it?" The ranger breathed before biting down lightly. The grip around Aragorn's hands tightened. "Do you want me to show you just how much you have missed me? "

"You... you're not playing fair," Legolas pouted, not quite sure if he should be annoyed at Aragorn's repugnance to play his game or intrigued by the way the ranger managed to switch games so effortlessly.

Aragorn chuckled, then planted a small kiss on Legolas' neck. "Am I not?"

The Elf opened his mouth to answer, but those lips against his skin were admittedly distracting and robbing him of every coherent thought. Eyes half closed he shook his head and turned around to face Aragorn.

"Do not leave me, Aragorn. Ever." Legolas finally whispered as he lifted his right hand to cup the man's cheek. The man unconsciously leaned into the touch and closed his eyes as Legolas' breath warmed his skin. "I would not survive it."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss, a simple caress of both lips, wonderful in its tenderness. The perfect union of two souls, twingling and mending.

When they parted breathless eyes locked again.

"Indeed… It does seem like I have missed you," a hushed voice admitted, a hint of amusement now in his tone.

One corner of Aragorn's mouth twitched upwards into a grin. He pulled the delicate Elf closer to his body. "I'm glad you see things my way," he said, seduction thick in voice. „It will have no wait until tonight, though, since the feast is about to begin. Lord Elrond sent me to fetch you, Legolas." And was that impatiece Legolas heard?

"Just one more minute," he said, turning his head towards the horizon again. He felt Aragorn shift against him. "Just one more minute," he repeated, "before the sun rests tonight." There was a moment of comfortable silence between them as they both relished the presence of the other. It was Legolas who finally broke the haze again.

"Aragorn?" He tilted his head to melt in the silver pool that were Aragorn's eyes.

"Hnn?"

"For what reasons do you live?" Isildur's heir looked at the prince, surprise clearly written on his face.

"What kind of question is that?"

"You never know..." he whispered. "You never know what tomorrow may bring. Even we immortals aren't immune to swords or... grief."

"Don't speak of such things, Legolas. Let us rather enjoy the gift that fate has given us. We are together, are we not?"

"Tis not what I was speaking about, Aragorn. You know I would never trade a single moment with you for anything else on Middle Earth."

"Then don't worry your heart with those bitter thoughts. I would gladly die if I were to save your life with mine." The ranger said earnestly.

"Nay!" Legolas struggled out of Aragorn's embrace to fully turn around. He took Aragorn's face in both of his hands to force the man to look at him. "Nay! Don't you know that this is exactly what I am afraid of?" Legolas's hands trembled slightly. "If you were to die I would surely follow you soon after for my heart wouldn't be able to bear the grief."

"Don't say that, a'melamin!" Aragorn cried, crushing his mouth to Legolas in a reassuring kiss. Their tongues battled with fevered heat, each one of them needing to feel the other. Minutes later they parted again, both faces flushed. Then the Elf slowly buried his head into Aragorn's shoulder.

"Goheno nin," came the muffled reply at last. "Forgive me, it was not my intention to worry you."

Aragorn stroked Legolas' back softly, trying to calm the trembling form. "Ú-moe edhored, Legolas." Legolas nodded weakly, not trusting his voice enough to speak.

Aragorn sighed. "Shh... Don't trouble yourself so, mela en' coiamin." Legolas nodded again, obviously not convinced but too tired to argue anymore. He closed his eyes once again, still leaning against Aragorn's warm skin.

"Don't leave me, Aragorn…" he mumbled, almost too soft for the ranger to hear.

Aragorn wiped a golden lock from Legolas' face. "I won't."

He could almost feel the small smile on Legolas's lips.

Slowly but surely Legolas' frantic heart relaxed and his ragged breaths became even and low again. His fingers released their dead grip on the ranger's clothes but before they fell down to the ground, Isildur's heir gracefully swept the precious bundle up, carrying the lithe form in his arms.

"Legolas." Callused hands were placed upon his shoulders. "Legolas." Clouded blue eyes slowly blinked away the sleep and tried to focus on the figure next to him.

"Legolas, wake up. We are about to leave, mellon nin." Aragorn's voice sounded amused.

Legolas unconsciously put his right hand on top of Aragorn's and frowned. "Mellon nin?" He murmured, a strange pained undertone in his voice. The haze in the Elf's opened eyes decreased as he fully came to consciousness. He hurriedly removed his hand from Aragorn's and stood up, scolding himself silently for not being able to control his emotions better. "Sorry," he muttered curtly before turning around to head for the rest of the group.

Aragorn stared after him for a second, brows knitted and hands still uprised. Then he shrugged and followed his comrade.

Legolas reached the two hobbits they were travelling with and greeted them with a smile. It had been two years since the destruction of the one ring and the fellowship had decided to meet again at Lord Elrond's house.

Aragorn had volunteered to fetch the Halflings to ensure that their journey to Rivendell was uneventful and save. On the way they had met Legolas who had immediately agreed to join them, all of them had the same destination after all.

"We should decamp. If we move with swift feet we should be able to reach the House of Lord Elrond in about three days," Legolas explained.

"Says the one who slept in," Frodo teased, mirth in his eyes.

Legolas laughed merrily. "Mayhaps the dream was too sweet to wake up," he answered brightly. He turned around and breathed in deeply.

"The forest smells of life, the birds are singing cheerfully while the trees tell of their lives. I can feel no harm coming. Let us continue our way, since everybody is awake now." He stressed the last part of the sentence, then ran forward nimbly as if to embrace the wood.

Aragorn watched the frisky Elf, a smile stealing onto his lips. He nodded to the Sam and Frodo, who were alternately looking from the man to the Elf, and gestured for them to follow.

When he caught up he turned his face to the Elf in an almost curious manner. "The sweetest of dreams you say?" Aragorn asked. "You must be right if it puts you in such a happy mood."

The Elf tensed slightly and if Aragorn hadn't watched closely, he would have missed the small spasm of muscles. Then Legolas forced himself to relax and smiled at his companion, leaving Aragorn to wonder.

"It was a blissful dream," the Elf confirmed. "Truly blissful, but just a dream nontheless."

"What was it about?" The man inquired carefully, now clearly intrigued.

For a moment Legolas stared intensively at the ranger, then he averted his gaze to look up to the sky.

"It was of the loveliest whispers and the most charming words. It was of contentment and perfection. And it was of fragility and noneternal life. It was of everything never meant to be."

Aragorn examined the Elf thoughtfully. "I should have learned by now no to ask an Elf a simple question for they will never give you a simple answer."

Legolas smiled at his words. Then he reached for a low branch and swung himself up with a grace only an Elf could ever hope to possess. For the rest of the day Legolas followed his friends in the safety of the trees.

When the moon climbed up the troop finally decided to camp for the night. Legolas jumped to the ground elegantly and turned to his comrades, who were cleaving their way into a small cave, in consideration of the dark clouds that were persistently coming their way.

"I shall take the first watch. After all it was me who got to sleep longest." He argued and the others nodded.

"Then I will take the second," Aragorn said and moved to unfurl his coat.

After a warm meal and a short talk Sam and Frodo decided to retire for the night. Aragorn took out his pipe, making himself comfortable near the fire. He looked up when Legolas announced that he would go and take a look around.

"Shall I accompany you?" The ranger asked, smoking his pipe with apparent pleasure. Then, as an afterthought: „It will rain soon."

"Nay, you need not. I would rather smell the sweet mixture of trees and flowers and honey than the foul stench of your weed." There he stopped but for a second. Then his smile became teasing and he added, almost as an afterthought: „Also I do not fear the wonders of rain." And he was gone.

The ramble through the woods was comforting. The woods were quite obviously happy to have a child of theirs in their midst and the leaves were waving their welcome. When Legolas spotted a pile of stones he made up his mind to stop his restless journey and sit down for a moment. A shimmering drop grazed his skin lightly and formed its path down his cheek The Woodland Elf breathed in deeply and opened his arms to embrace the rain.

So content in the sensation Legolas failed to hear any steps that might have been coming closer, any warning the trees were murmuring until a voice spoke up next to his ear.

"The autumn leaves sing their song and return to nothingness. Green leaves will become yellow, then finally brown with sorrow. Stifled with grief they will fall down to perish." A husky whisper and the feeling of fingers against his flawless white skin, scraping him lightly, carefully.

Legolas' eyes widened. He sensed soft lips on his neck - And then it was gone.

He turned around instantly, frantically looking from left to right. Nothing. No sound, no treacherous steps, no nothing. He must have imagined it.

He shook his head as if to shake off the gnawing feeling of foreboding. Then he stood up and decided to head back to his friends. His clothes were soaked and although Elves didn't sense the cold as much as humans or hobbits did, he still felt a chill running down his spine.

It was then his Elven senses called attention to a sweet smell of metallic nature. His eyes narrowed as he raised his hand to his throat, a bitter lump forming in his stomach.

When he removed his fingers to observe them he couldn't stop a small gasp.

The sticky moisture on his hands mixed with the rain and dropped silently to the ground. Fascinated he stared at the small red line that shimmered and flew away.

TBC

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Please review, it keeps the story going. The storyline is finished so far, but if any of you have good suggestions I will be more than happy to integrate them!!