LOTR/Hobbit ~Collection of Preferences~

Confessions ~ Thranduil

"Sleep well."

"Same to you."

So he leaves, rather a mess. He feels... embarrassed, for the first time in a while. Not to mention heartbroken. He's a fool, he shouldn't have done that, he shouldn't have done that. Why couldn't he just keep his feelings to himself? He's done so for years now, decades further wouldn't be an issue. Still, his heart sinks at the idea of eternally pining for you, never speaking his feelings. As he reenters his chambers, he leans against the closed door, hand running down the wood as he gives a sigh. At least he said it aloud, to your face. Even if you only believe it happened in a dream, he's still a little relieved to have revealed it.

Ah, well, sleep won't come easy to him now. He might as well stay up. He glances around, realizes he left the candle in your room, and lights another one, sitting down at his ornate desk. He does not read reports very often, he leaves that to you, but you wanted him to read this particular one because there were details you knew he'd want to look over. Barely five minutes pass before he has to set it down, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. He cannot stop thinking about you. Even this report, the only connection to you being that you handed it to him, has you dancing across his thoughts.

No rest for the heartbroken, he supposes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You wake up the next morning, bleary-eyed and confused. That dream was so... vivid. Thranduil coming to your room in the dead of night, saying things that didn't quite make sense, that you don't fully remember, and then revealing he loves you. You shake your head at yourself as you slip out of bed. Oh, what a fanciful dream, born of wistfulness and nothing more. Still... as you brush your hair, stretching your neck to rid it of slight soreness, you can't help but reflect on the dream. Imagine that, him telling you he loves you.

Then you see it in the mirror.

Your brush falls from your hand. It was only out of the corner of your eye, but when you rise from the vanity, rigid in posture, it's still there, on your bedside table:

A candle.

It has burned out by now, but you know for a fact you did not have it in your room when you went to sleep last night. Which can only mean...

It wasn't a dream.

You scramble to dress, tucking your hair into a quick, loose updo that will probably come undone in a half-hour or so anyway, and are out the door in minutes. Hurrying down the hall, you take the short flight of steps up to his chambers two at a time, footsteps falling heavier than usual on the wood. His door is unlocked, to your relief, and you fly in, a little out of breath from your haste.

He's standing on the balcony, staring out at his realm. It's a little peculiar, as he's still in his nightwear, save for a shawl wrapped around his shoulders. You remember it from the 'dream'. Has he been awake since then? He turns at the sound of the door closing behind you and freezes in place. You are both still as deer in a hunter's sight for a long, long moment.

"I love you, too."

He doesn't respond, and you blush.

"It was not a dream, right?" The question comes out a bit weaker than you meant it to.

He lurches into motion and you do the same, quickly meeting in the center of the room. His lips are on yours in an instant and you kiss back greedily, seeking the affection you've longed for from him for so long. He runs his hands along your body and you tangle yours in his silvery hair, holding each other ever closer. The kiss lasts for a good couple of minutes and you're both breathless by the time you pull apart.

"No, not a dream," he affirms, quite belatedly, and you lean your forehead against his, fingers trembling as you slip them out of his hair and down to his shoulders. "How did you..?"

"The candle."

"Ah." He gives a short nod, causing his nose to brush against yours. "Yes."

"Yes." 

A soft smile grows on your lips and you lean into his embrace as he starts to sway.

"Say it again?"

"I love you."

You cannot see his face anymore, leaning your head against his shoulder, but you're certain he's smiling.

"I love you, too."

HCIOY: Oh, what a turn of events! He could not be happier with how this went. He truly thought that if you realized it was not a dream, you either would not bring it up or reject him entirely. What little hope he'd had for your returned affections was buried away in his mind until you burst in, barely put together, and announced your own love for him. And oh, that kiss... He can still feel his lips tingling.

YCIOH: Reflecting now, you aren't surprised he tried to play off his confession last night to a drowsy you as a dream. He's never been the best with rejection, and you suppose your bewilderment came across as such. He just needed a little push, and what could be a stronger nudge than an outright 'I love you, too'? It was certainly a bolder move than you'd usually choose, and where the courage to follow through with it came from, you haven't a clue. Still, as you hold him close, you thank the providence of the heavens for seeing your pining come to an end in favor of a long-overdue relationship.

Up next: Confessions ~ Lindir