Saviour Chapter 12

It was dark, but Legolas was not tired. The moon was full above them, and it was so peaceful out in the middle of nowhere, with no one to ever interrupt them, no one to ever pull them apart. He had thrown his robe over Aragorn to keep him warm, but the human had kicked it down so that it only just covered his waist. Carefully, Legolas traced a finger down the curve of his lover’s back, up to his shoulders where Aragorn’s head was pillowed on his bag.

The soft curls were splayed out on the leather sack, and Legolas could not resist playing with them, just a little bit. Not much more than two months had it been, and passion soared at so many moments. But Aragorn insisted that they keep it secret, and Legolas was quick to concede. This was theirs, it did not matter if Erestor and Glorfindel knew, they would never tell or treat them differently, but it was a secret that would keep Aragorn and Legolas warm every night, as if they were not kept warm enough by each other.

“What is it melda nin?” asked Aragorn, opening his eyes. “Why can you not sleep? You ought to.”

“I was just thinking,” Legolas told him softly. He swooped around to talk to him. “You do not have to get up, go back to sleep.”

Aragorn gave a soft moan, and he stretched out on the cold grass. “I am awake now. How long until dawn?”

Glancing up at the sky, though he did not need to, he already knew, Legolas replied, “Three hours. Do you know what day it is today?”

“I do,” smirked Aragorn. “But I do not expect any gifts, I am quite happy with just you.”

“And yet I have a gift for you,” Legolas announced.

The human started upwards. “Really, you do? Because I was rather hoping that you would, honestly.”

Rolling his eyes, Legolas told him, “I do know these things Aragorn. I am not as much of an utter fool as you think me to be.”

“I do not think of you as a fool,” Aragorn exclaimed, reaching out towards his lover. “Surely you know that.”

“I do, but it is fun to tease you meleth nin.” Legolas gave a feral grin, and Aragorn hit him playfully in the arm. “Now close your eyes.”

Cautiously obeying, Aragorn asked, “Why?”

“You will see,” came Legolas’ voice. Impatiently, Aragorn waited, hating that he could not see anything. He had a lover who was the most beautiful elf in all of creation and yet he was been begrudged the sight. If only for a few moments, it was still something he hated.

Cold metal chain slipped over Aragorn’s head and rested on his chest. Legolas’ long hands guided Aragorn’s hair out of the metal so the curls rested over the top of it. “There we go.” Legolas’ lips met his, for just a moment, and he said, “You can open your eyes now Aragorn.

Aragorn glanced down, and found the chain and pendant that Legolas always wore around his own neck. He blinked up at Legolas in confusion, and realised how odd it was to look at Legolas without the silver on his neck and chest. Many a night he had spent just playing with the pendant, wishing that he could be attached to Legolas forever as it was. “You can not give me this. This is yours; your mother gave it to you. It has always been yours.”

Calmly, Legolas put his hands over Aragorn’s, whose hands were trying to take the chain off. “Do not do that, Aragorn. I want it to be yours. My mother gave it to me because she loved me, as a symbol of her love for me. This is a symbol of my love for you.”

With a sigh, Aragorn put his hands back down, and told him, “But… it is so beautiful. It suits you so much more because you are so beautiful. I can not live up to that.” Yet he gazed down at it, transfixed by the way the mithril shone in the moonlight. Looking up at Legolas’, seeing his light hair glowing, crowned by the moon, Aragorn knew the truth of his own words.

“You are the most beautiful thing in this clearing,” whispered Legolas, “And it belongs to you now, melda nin, it belongs to you.” He caressed the human’s face tenderly, “And it becomes you far more than it ever suited me. And if it help you at all, all that I own belongs to you as well. So this is… the first of many things.”

“And yet the most precious, after you,” Aragorn said, with a pleased smile. Legolas beckoned him close and the human sat between the V of the elf’s legs, feeling more than comfortable as Legolas’ arms held him tight. With the elf pressing kisses over him again, he knew that everything was perfect. He had the most perfect lover, no one could ever ask for more.

Though he did not know how they would continue, he knew that their love would, for a long time. A very long time. He did not know how he would die, or when, but he did know that Legolas’ love would not, ever. The Kingdom of Gondor could wait for him, it could find another descendant, pick anyone from the Dúnedain, or it could put up with him and his male lover and the lack of descendants that would come with him. Yes he would fight for it, that was his duty, but he would be fighting for Legolas first.

Legolas would always come first. Because Legolas loved him had saved him.