Timing Is Everything

5. Houston

People were bustling around the set just after Peter declared a break, having finished a scene with Legolas putting the dwarves into the dungeon and talked briefly with Tauriel.

People were starting to chat or either loosened up as some drank coffee. 

Everyone but not me. That day I was still busy and there were so many things left to follow up. It was one of the hectic days for me on set, especially with CJ being not present here.

I went to the chair where I placed my bag earlier, but now the chair was gone. My eyes scanned for the brown bag, only to find that someone had moved it on top of a wardrobe behind one of the cameraman, who shamelessly took my chair and sat on it. I sighed.

I stretched my arm up, jumped and grunted several times in an effort to reach the bag. All to no avail. Shit, this was wasting my time! I grew frustrated and growled angrily. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

I heard behind me before I yelped. Orlando appeared out of nowhere, grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up. I finally was able to reach the bag.

Once he set me down, I sighed. 

"Thanks. But why don't you just reach out for the bag yourself instead of doing that?" I asked, annoyed.

Orlando-- or Legolas, went still into his character and looked down at me innocently with a rather stoic face, eyeing me with curiosity.

Oh boy, here he goes again.

"Why, my lady, do you require an explanation about the method I used to assist you? You sound rather upset."

"Because you made me feel inferior! It's like when I was still a child and you're my dad. He even still doing that when I went to college! And now you," I whined. 

I was annoyed, partly because of frustration over the things I still have to do (if I made a list for it, it would've reached the floor) and partly because the memory of my dad treating me like a child came into mind.

One day he was visiting my dormitory during college and I was reaching for a box on top of a cabinet. Dad waltzed in and lifted me up for me to reach the object I desired, a thing he always did since I was five, successfully embarrassing me in front of my roommate. 'Good job, my little princess,' he would said as he grinned teasingly at me. 

Being 5'2 was never easy. Why couldn't I inherit my dad's tall gene? The universe loved me so much and blessed me with my mom's short gene.

"Tell me, my lady. Is this because of your insecurity about your height?" he questioned me with a concern, and for a moment I believed that he was being sincere.

But I knew better.

I scowled, disapproving the fact that he teased me about my height.

Legolas arched an eyebrow in a mild surprise, but kept his elven calm and collected facial expression. He took my hand gently and his icy blue eyes gazed into mine as he began to speak solemnly.

"Nay. Do not ever think lowly of yourself ever again," he said, stressing in the world 'lowly' in a pun to tease me. 

"...Even though you're a mortal, I always see you as an equal. And even though you're not as tall as any ellith, I still find myself enchanted by your beauty. You have my heart, melleth nin."

I fell silent as his eyes bore into my soul, hypnotizing me. Legolas was stroking my hand as he waited for me to respond, his blue orbs searching mine.

A chuckle was heard somewhere, and I was snapped back to reality.

Damn it. For a moment I was in Middle Earth, I swear. I even forgot that I was annoyed. Somebody should give Orlando an Oscar.