The Elven Gates [CONTINUING!!]

Chapter 29 - The Two Towers

A camp was made just within the last trees sprawling out across the edge of the forest. The others began making themselves comfortable around a stone ring which I soon realized warranted a fire. While Aragorn threw out blankets and bedrolls and Gimli gathered who-knows-what for cooking, I decided to make myself useful and gather some wood. I followed a deer path away from the camp and acquired a keen interest in all the sticks around me once I heard light- too light to be human, definitely not dwarf- footsteps following at a safe distance behind me. Legolas, probably trying to follow.

I continued my quest for something to burn until I noticed the footsteps stopped. When I turned around to see if the prince had decided to make his presence known, I saw nothing. He probably went back to the camp. That would explain why he stopped walking.

The moon was exceptionally bright that night. The light seemed to reflect off of every leaf in the forest, the whole canopy held a strangely ethereal glow- something I would expect from Lothlorien. The leaves beneath my feet seemed to twinkle when I stepped, tilting under the weight. The forest was quiet save for a few birds softly calling in the distance. It was beautiful. I took my time.

After a little while, my wood pile was arguably large and I decided to head back to the others. That was, until I heard the sound of rushing water and sprinted blindly towards it. In any other situation I would've stopped myself, told myself it was a bad, reckless decision, and maybe thought it over a bit more, but I was completely overcome with a need to dunk my face in a creek. I know how weird that sounds.

I only ran for about a minute before I reached it, a small, meandering creek that flowed over some rocks creating the bubbling I had heard. I slowed to a walk and made my way to the bank. If I wasn't breathing so hard I probably would have sighed or something. I thought the moonlight was beautiful on the leaves, it was gorgeous on the water. Little reflected patches of light danced in the currents. A few leaves drifted downstream. I sat down on a rock next to the flowing water and placed my pile of sticks on the ground. I could lean back against a sturdy tree behind me- it felt oddly like home.

I expected to be more on edge because of what happened last time I was at a creek- falling to my death/an alternate reality- but for some reason I wasn't. I almost wanted to rest here and join the others in the morning.

"Na van evíneg? [Where did you go?]" I heard from off in the woods behind me. Way to ruin the moment, buddy.

"Telin [I'm coming]." I hopped off the rock to start gathering up my pile of sticks. I heard leaves under boots and looked up to find Legolas. How did he get here so quickly?

"It's beautiful," he said softly, gesturing to the water, "It's a shame there's no pool nearby to see reflected stars."

"That would be something."

I turned to look back to Legolas from the water and opened my mouth to speak. I didn't. I wanted to say something about some other things that I happened to find equally beautiful- something about the stars I could see reflected elsewhere just by looking in his eyes but I didn't. I couldn't say anything. It was too much. Remembering how I felt last time I saw him alone (or not so alone) in the woods, I knew I felt too much. It was something I had to think over, to untangle before I could let it out.

There was a moment of hesitation that I regretted. I closed my mouth and turned back to the water.

"Rhoevien."

Please don't.

"Rhoevien, I've needed to talk to you."

No no no nooo.

It was too late. "What is it?" I replied. I realized the task of untangling my feelings wasn't the problem- I wasn't ready to untangle. I almost didn't want to.

"You have no reason to trust me. I understand this." He lifted his head and sighed. "I've expressed that I do trust you, however, with everything I have- if I remember correctly."

I shifted the pile of sticks in my arms to keep them from slipping. It was the wrong move- cue awkward silence.

"I, uh... Yes. You've said that." No he hadn't. He hadn't said it mattered to such an extent. 'I trust you, Rhoevien' I thought it was a courtesy, a forgiveness for what the others took as an ultimate betrayal. He took the sticks from me and set them on the rock I had been sitting on.

"It still stands." My hands were in his and they were so warm, and I realized what a long time it had been since I had so much as touched another person. He ducked his head and looked directly into my eyes, worry showing in his. "Know this."

I curled my fingers around his knuckles where our fingers intertwined and rested my forehead on his shoulder. I would have hugged him but I already felt too awkward, so I settled for pulling our hands between us on his chest and trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier." I felt him let out a deep breath. Relief, maybe? Last time he'd tried this I didn't exactly open up to him.

"You said that-"

"No I didn't," I screwed my eyes shut but I felt tears slipping down my cheeks anyway, "I never apologized. I just- I just made excuses for why I did it and that still doesn't make it right."

He untangled our fingers and pulled me close, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and letting his free hand rest on the back of my head. I buried my face in his shoulder. That was probably going to have to change soon, because I could feel some snot coming on with the crying and didn't want to be that person.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so..." I shrunk comfortably into his embrace. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like this. He pet my hair in some attempt to soothe me and I felt his lips press against the side of my head. The guilt swallowed me.

"I forgive you, Rhoevien, I-" He pulled away and looked right into me. His gaze was pained. He started to speak and it seemed like he'd changed his mind. "I forgive you."

"It's all different anyway," I laughed lightly, wiping leftover tears from my eyes, "From the books and stuff, I mean."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Well, it's not like I'm going to finesse you or anything, I have no way of knowing what's going to happen." I looked off to the forest around us and furrowed my brow. "Not sure if that's a good thing or not."

I looked back up and met his gaze and realized that it was closer than it had been before. And he was leaning in. And I could've sworn with the name of every god of every people because I had no clue how to do this. And his face was right there and our noses were brushing and his gaze flicked from my eyes to my mouth and I realized I should probably be doing something so I leaned in too. 

That's when I realized I really, really had no clue how to do this. I took a shot in the dark and moved my hand to the back of his neck and pressed our lips together. It was, uh, interesting. I closed my eyes. The tears started flowing again.

He pulled away and ran his thumb through the tear trails on my cheek. I smiled.

"Either way, I be there for you through all of it." He pulled me into a hug again and my head fit just under his chin. "I guess we'll get to explore it together, then?"

A/N: I've got like 3 disclaimers including

1. this is so short omg I'm so sorry

2. I've never written a scene like this before pls forgive me lmao I had to Sit Down like twice

3. I was listening to a really feels-y song and I don't know what this is at all (Anchor by Novo Amor)

Actual update coming soon! (but y'all know the type of person I am so take that w a grain of salt)