A Song for Middle Earth (Legolas x OC romance)

6. A Chance to 'Rest'

Legolas' POV

Two days after arriving in Lothlorien, I found myself exploring slowly through the mallorn trees, occasionally brushing my fingertips over their silver bark.
Aragorn was off speaking with Lord Celeborn, Gimli was exploring with the hobbits elsewhere, and Boromir kept to himself with our equipment and beds; he was still severely uncomfortable here.
Eileanór I hadn't seen since our arrival. Though I'd started this walk aimless, I found myself at the base of the tree I'd seen her disappear into after our last meeting. She had tried to hide herself before I could see, I knew, but she hadn't been quick enough. Trailing my hand along the railing of her stairs, I let my eyes wander up.
The urging I'd felt in the back of my mind in Rivendell wasn't pushing me to go up. She wasn't there; it was tugging me in another direction. With a small sigh, I let it guide me, weaving me in another direction through the trunks until a soft voice reached my ears.

"I love you...like the color blue.
I love you, to the moon."

I stilled as the lyrics drifted around me. They brought warmth to the nape of my neck, the emotion in them wrapping me in a blanket that made my chest tighten. Frowning at the feeling, I continued forward.

"I love you like a farmer loves his land,
I love you like the sea loves the sand,
I love you in the rain, I love you every day."

My pace quickened, though it remained silent as I approached a small clearing in the centre of four trees. She was sitting with someone, I noticed, as I hid behind one of the trees and peeked around. Glorfindel.

"I love you like a flower loves a bee, I love you like water loves a tree.
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you and it's not enough..."

The elf hero seemed at peace as he sat against the base of the thickest tree. Eileanór was seated beside him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders while she leaned against his side with her eyes closed as she sang.

"But I love you as if it was.
I love you high and I love you low, I love you the same and I love when you grow.
Just so you know, I love you. Before I go, I love you...I love you."

I faced back down the pathway, leaning my back against my shielding tree. My fists had clenched at my side as the last notes of her song dissipated. There was a silence behind me for several moments.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Eileanór's POV

"That was beautiful, Araseldë.." Glorfindel hummed beside me, his arm tightening around my shoulders. I opened my eyes, looking up with a smile at his term of endearment; long ago he had taken up the role of a second uncle to me, giving me separate lessons in my sword skills from those given by Elladan and my father.
"I think your friend would agree." he said, his voice a little louder as his gaze drifted across the clearing.

Frowning, I followed his gaze, just as Legolas slowly turned out from behind one of the trees, his expression calm, though there was a very slight hint of sheepishness in his posture.

"I think he mistook us with that love song of yours.." Glorfindel said under his breath, his head turned so that the words were whispered against my hair. I suppressed a smile as the prince approached.

"It isn't proper to 'drop eaves', Legolas." I said, voice light with humour as I recalled the term Sam had used in retelling how he'd been drawn into our venture by Gandalf. Legolas avoided my gaze.