Tolkien reader inserts/one shots

Time for Bed (Thranduil x fem!reader)

Thranduil sighed wearily as he approached the corridor that held the chambers he shared with you. It had been a long day. Longer than most and he wanted nothing more than to bask in your loving embrace and drink a goblet or two of wine before bed. Thranduil cared deeply for his people, but he needed your comfort at the end of the day.

He opened the door to your chambers, furrowing his brows when he found it empty. Before he could become even more confused, he heard your voice singing softly in the room adjacent to yours. Thranduil turned and entered the other room. He fought back a smile as he watched you rocking Legolas and singing softly. You didn't have the best voice, but the young elfling didn't seem to care. Like Thranduil, Legolas merely wanted a bit of comfort and soothing before sleep.

Your (e/c) eyes glanced up at Thranduil as you finished your lullaby. You smiled at your husband. Thranduil watched you stand and place Legolas in his cradle before coming over to him. "They kept you late tonight, husband." Thranduil gave you a tired smile. "The responsibilities of being king, I'm afraid." You chuckled under your breath and lead Thranduil from the room back to your chambers.

"You are a magnificent king, Thranduil. Our people are fortunate to have you, but you cannot keep this pace, my love. No one could. You must learn to relax; to slow down and enjoy the simpler things," you told him, pouring him a goblet of his favorite wine and gesturing for him to sit down. As soon as he sat down to drink, you began running your fingers through his nearly white locks. He practically preened under your touch as he always did. While most elves did not usually engage in physical displays of affection, behind closed doors, Thranduil craved it from you.

Your fingers deftly worked part of Thranduil's long hair into a small braid, singing softly as you did so. It was a habit you'd had since you had become pregnant with Legolas. You'd wanted to be prepared in case your children asked you to braid their hair. You had stubbornly stated that you were going to be the one to raise your child, not a nurse or governess. Not that Thranduil minded. He adored watching you with your son and the thought having more children with you was never far from his mind.

Your soft voice filled the room. Thranduil finished his wine and let his eyes close, the long day finally catching up with him. You were right. No one could go on forever at the pace Thranduil did. The soothing melody coming from your lips along with the feeling of your fingers in his hair had Thranduil nearly falling asleep where he sat. It was positively lovely.

A light laugh caused Thranduil to open his eyes once more. He glanced up at you, prompting you to place a light kiss to his forehead. "Time for bed, my love," you whispered. Thranduil reluctantly nodded and rose gracefully. His eyes followed you of their own accord, as if they were afraid that you would disappear if he stopped looking. You climbed into bed to wait for him to finished preparing himself to sleep.

Thranduil joined you in bed a moment later, only to have your arms wrap around him. You pulled him close and sighed. It seemed to Thranduil that, as much as he needed your affection after a day like this, you need his in return. He brought your hand to his lips, placing a feather soft kiss to it as he whispered words of love he kept only for these private moments for you.

A little while after, you began to hum again while the fingers on your free hand gently slid through Thranduil's hair once more. Thranduil felt himself relaxing under your touch. His eyes grew heavier as each moment passed and soon, Thranduil let himself succumb to sleep.

You continued what you were doing with a soft smile on your lips even as you felt Thranduil fall asleep. He needed the rest and you were happy to provide whatever he needed to get it. So, you stayed where you were, in your husband's embrace, humming softly and running your fingers through his hair until you felt yourself falling asleep as well. The both of you slept better than you had since Legolas' birth. In fact, a maid had to come and wake you the next morning, finding you and Thranduil still in the same positions you'd fallen asleep in. Thranduil kissed you deeply before rising from bed. He was ready to face another day if it meant he got to return to you when it was time for bed.