(Author's Notes: this is getting too long and too confusing someone send help.
To be honest, you guys who leave a like and coment are the ones keeping me going. It's sad to think that not all the people who have previously liked my other one-shots are here to read my other works that I absolutely wanted others to see but I know there are other reasons why. They might not really like reading series or long stories like this or they might not really appreciate this kind of trope. But it's okay. I will keep doing things that make me happy in hopes it brings happiness to other people. I really am sorry though if this sucks
Warnings: None, I included some fluff, I hope you find it fluffy enough I'm sorry if it isn't fluffy enough
Dedication: If you want me to dedicate you the next part, feel free to tell me!)
"(Y/N)?"
A familiar voice was calling out your name. You felt a warm hand touch your shoulder and shake your form softly. You groaned, forcing yourself to open your eyes. Who on this world was trying to wake you up this early in the morning?
"(Y/N), wake up," the voice whispered, clearly amused by how you were squinting your eyes.
When you saw the long strands of silver hair and blue eyes, you quickly sat up and gaped at your visitor. It was Thranduil, in his dark red robe, silver tunic, and dark brown pants. Nothing adorned his head except for his silver locks. He smirked at your surprised face and rolled his eyes.
"Wh-What are you doing here?" you stammered, trying to fix your appearance. You are indeed aware that he is King but you didn't think he'd sneak in to one of his guest's bedroom and wake them up.
"Would you like to go on a walk with me?"
"Thranduil, do you usually go on walks before sunrise?" you asked incredulously. The sky was turning a dark shade of blue—an indication that the sun was starting to rise somewhere—but it was still quite dark outside. And it was also quite chilly.
The King of Mirkwood raised his eyebrows, as if that wasn't a problem or a weird thing to do. You could have accepted it if he went jogging, but do elves even jog for their health?
"Would you like to go on a walk with me?" he asked again, offering his hand for you to take.
You sighed and took it, allowing him to gently pull you up on your feet. You stopped him when he was already pulling you towards the door. When he asked you why you were stopping him, you told him you wanted to grab a cardigan or a coat or even your blanket to protect you from the cold.
Thranduil looked at you for a few moments before shrugging off his dark red robe and putting it around your shoulders. As he secured it on you, he said, "I keep forgetting that Men are more susceptible to the cold than we are."
You thought he would only be leading you on a walk in the caves, maybe even in the garden. But to your astonishment, Thranduil was leading you outside of the caves. His stride was difficult for you to keep up—he was used to walking at the front due to leading other people. You had to jog to match his steps. Thranduil seemed to notice though, because he quickly slowed down and even placed your hand on his arm. It was a way for him to remember that he had a companion.
The two of you followed a path marked by polished stones buried on the ground. You thought you'd have trouble seeing where you were going but the sun was rising rather quickly, lighting up the sky and the forest. Even though you were wishing you were still in bed, you were happy that Thranduil decided to ask you if you would accompany him. There's just something so beautiful about being up and about when everyone is still asleep.
"I want to show you something," Thranduil said.
You looked up at him. "What is it?" you asked.
"You shall see when we get there."
A few steps further, you noticed that Thranduil was leading you away from the path. You were careful not to let your feet be caught by the roots or slip because of the moss growing on the forest floor. There were times you had to find another way through because the trees were growing rather closely to one another. But soon the forest grew less dense and you ended up in a spot void of any plants.
Except for a large tree in the middle.
Compared to the trees surrounding it, this tree's leaves weren't green like how it is supposed to be in the arrival of spring. Some branches were bare, others on the verge of letting go of the remaining leaves, which were still in the colors of autumn.
This tree looked so familiar to you.
"I hope you do not mind me waking you up so early in the morning just to look at a tree," Thranduil said, interrupting your thoughts. He was looking up at the tree with sad eyes. "It is my favorite tree and my favorite place to visit in this forest."
"What makes it your favorite tree out of all the ones in this forest?"
"It feels different than the others. Even though it turns green like the rest of the forest in spring and summer, it stands out." He stepped closer to the tree and pressed a palm on the trunk. "The forest is full of evil magic, but this tree brings me peace and joy. I do not know why but I like it here."
You smiled and mirrored his actions. Thranduil looked down at you and he felt his heart melt at how calm your expression was. He was glad that what made him calm also brought peace to you.
"I also brought you here in hopes that this can help you find a way home." Thranduil walked around the tree. "I have had an experience here once, long ago."
You tilted your head and followed him, waiting for him to continue his story.
"While I was visiting this place years ago, I suddenly heard someone laughing. When I looked around, no one was there. It was rather strange since none of us really let the young ones venture out here on their own. But when I returned my gaze on the tree, I saw a girl standing here," he said. "The child had peculiar clothes like yours. But then she disappeared behind the tree and I never saw her run out or appear again."
"You think the child is from my world?" you asked, feeling your heart beating faster.
He nodded. "Although I am not sure about it," said Thranduil. "I apologize if this is unhelpful."
You looked up at the leaves and admired their warm tones of autumn. The days where you would stare at the tree in your backyard ran through your mind and you suddenly felt homesick. But at the same time you were filled with joy to find that, if ever this tree is indeed the same or linked to your favorite tree in some way, someone also finds its presence comforting.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Thranduil," you said. "Thank you for being so thoughtful."
Thranduil couldn't help but look away and hide his blush by turning his back to you. If he could only order his heart to be still and his cheeks to hide his blush, he would have done so. You still needed to comb your hair since you didn't have the chance to (you had just woken up when he pulled you out of bed) and your eyes still looked so tired. But how do you manage to look so beautiful to him?
He thought his dreams were already enough to charm him. But now that you were real and with him, he wasn't prepared at all.
"Thranduil, is everything alright?" you asked.
After gaining his composure, he turned to face you with raised eyebrows. "Yes, I am alright," he said.
You chuckled at him before lifting your chin up to look up at the canopy. The sun was now up in the sky and its light was making its way through the gaps in between the leaves. You closed your eyes and sighed in bliss. But you had to open them again when you felt him stop just in front of you.
His blue eyes looked at yours and you felt as if there was the intent of never looking away. It was a feeling that might have bothered you if you didn't feel the same way. You both stood there, gazing at each other's eyes, listening to the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds.
Finally taking his eyes off of you, he reached into his pocket and took your hand gently. You watched as he put on a silver bracelet with an intricate leaf charm. After putting it on, he held your hand for a few moments, admiring how the bracelet suit you perfectly. You felt blood rush to your cheeks and you averted your gaze when he smiled at you bashfully.
"What is this for?" you whispered.
"A reminder of the forest we walked through together," he answered. "Truthfully I wouldn't have given you the bracelet if you had shown disinterest on my favorite tree."
You laughed. "Well I sure am lucky I have my own favorite tree back in my world."
As you two continued to laugh, someone called out from afar, looking for the King of Mirkwood. A few moments later an elf emerged from the trees. It was Legolas along with the head of the guards. You remembered her name—she's Tauriel. She's very nice and you could sense her loyalty but also her adventurous and curious side. When they saw the both of you, Tauriel bowed her head with her hand over her chest while Legolas grinned.
"My King, we have guests from Lothlorien. They bring a message from the Lady Galadriel," Tauriel said.
Thranduil sighed, his face contorting into an annoyed expression. He already knew what was going on in Mirkwood—for goodness' sake, he is King! But not only that, his time with you was interrupted. After sparing you an apologetic glance, he gestured for Tauriel to lead them back to the path.
"Let us go back, (Y/N)," Legolas said when he noticed you were still standing by the tree.
"May I... May I stay here for a little while? I promise I will catch up," you said, seeing the worried look Thranduil was giving you. "I just have to look at something first."
All three of them were clearly reluctant to leave you alone, but after promising you'd only be there for a few minutes and after swearing that they will indeed drag you if you didn't keep your promise, they walked away and left you alone.
You touched the trunk and knitted your eyebrows. Indeed there was something different here. The moment you stepped closer to the tree, you felt like you were back in your world. It was the feeling you get whenever you come back home after staying in someone else's house.
Remembering Thranduil's story about the little girl he had seen before, you walked to the back of the tree with your hand still in contact with the trunk. If this was indeed the same tree you have in your backyard, it would have your name etched on it. You had scratched a rock against it to form your name when you were little because you liked to think it was your tree.
It was your tree.
And there's your name.
You leaned closer, feeling your throat hurt. The idea of having something familiar with you in a world where you don't know anything brought you comfort. There is still a piece of home here with you.
You caressed the name and smiled.
But more thoughts invaded your mind. What does this tree have to do with you being here? You dug up a box buried by its roots and after that you were brought to Mirkwood. Why on Earth is your tree here? And is it a coincidence that you and Thranduil cherished the same thing and saw each other in your dreams?
So many questions but you couldn't think of any answers.
"(Y/N)!" you heard Legolas shout from the distance.
"Okay, okay!" For being able to live thousands of years, they sure are impatient.
You were about to walk back to the path when you saw something different. Instead of the trees around you, you were back in your backyard. The backdoor was there, just a few feet away from you. There was your house and you could see your bedroom window upstairs. There was no longer any canopy, only the clear blue sky. You were no longer in Mirkwood. You were home.
But the moment you stepped away from the tree, everything vanished. Your house and your world vanished right before your eyes, and you were left feeling even more hopeless and homesick.
You were once again in Mirkwood.
'Nineteen'