The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

Explanations

Third person POV

"Ah, a good breakfast is the only wish of a dwarf", Gimli said, and took a big bite of his sandwich. "And with such enjoyable morning entertainment", he added, giving the boy next to him a meaningful look. But Mattei just continued chewing his piece of bread. He was confused, and he didn't understand why Gimli had found the situation so amusing. He didn't even understand why Aragorn and Legolas had decided to sleep in some lonely room far away from the others, and why they had taken off their clothes. He found it was rather cold everywhere in the fortress, so there really was no reason to walk around dressed in nothing at all.

"Master Gimli?", he asked the dwarf. "Why didn't Aragorn have his clothes on?"

The dwarf almost choked on his beer (he always drank a mug of beer in the morning, to "wake up") and spit half of it over the table. 

"I mean, obviously ... ", he started, but he really didn't know how to explain this to the boy. How could he have known he was so innocent? "I'm really not the right person to talk to. Maybe you should go ask him himself, he'll explain, I'm sure."

Mattei watched him for another second, then answered:

"Fine, I'll ask him when he comes to eat."

"Yeah, laddie, that's good, very good", the dwarf grinned into his beard.

Legolas POV

We entered the hall together, and even though no one cared about us, it felt like all eyes were turned towards us. I didn't dare hold Aragorn's hand, I was too ashamed of the recent situation. Aragorn directed us to an empty spot between some elderly women, who were talking about how to best weave baskets, and pulled me down next to him. He seemed not affected at all, and started eating immediately. Hesitantly, I took a small gulp of water from a cup he handed me, and grabbed a small apple from a bowl. Suddenly a small voice spoke up behind us.

"Master Aragorn and Legolas, may I sit next to you?", Mattei asked and, when Aragorn nodded slowly, squeezed in between me and the old woman. "I hope you have slept well."

I felt my cheeks redden again almost at once, but luckily Aragorn answered.

"Yes, very well, thank you. What brings you here, my boy?", he asked with a kind voice, but I knew he must be as embarrassed as me. 

Mattei squirmed on his place on the bench, but then said:

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead", Aragorn encouraged him, taking another bite of bread.

"I was wondering ... what were you doing in that room, it's so lonely. And why didn't you wear any clothes?", the boy said, and I saw that he himself wasn't quite comfortable. Suddenly I noticed Gimli watching us from another table, and I started to understand what was going on. Later on, the dwarf would get a real scolding from me, that he wouldn't forget very soon.

Aragorn slowly finished chewing his bread, and slowly, he swallowed. I could almost see his mind racing, trying to make out the words he would say to the boy. I gave him a look, that clearly said: You'll have to deal with this, I won't say a word.

"Well, it's quite difficult to explain", he started and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "How should I start this?"

The boy waited patiently, as Aragorn collected his thoughts. I felt a bit cramped, squeezed in between the two of them, and it was only with great effort that I still sat there, because my instincts told me to just stand up and walk off, to escape the situation.

"Do you know what happens between two people that love each other?", Aragorn suddenly said, and I almost gasped. This was what he wanted to talk about? I thought he'd come up with some kind of lie, but I obviously had forgotten how honest this man was. 

"No", Mattei replied. "Are you two lovers?"

"Well, I think you could call it that, yes", came the answer, and I felt Aragorn's hand rest on my leg under the table. "Sometimes, you want to show the other person, just how much you love them", he continued. "It is not something you want to be disturbed in, therefore Legolas and me were in such a lonely room."

"But what exactly did you do?" Mattei didn't give in. I uncomfortably squirmed aroun on my seat. "Why didn't you have clothes on?"

"Er ... well", Aragorn cleared his throat nervously. "Clothes would be in the way, as you come very ... close to each other."

"So Master Legolas didn't wear his clothes either?", the boy questioned curiously. 

"No", Aragorn said to my horror, and I had to take a deep breath to stay calm. 

"But ... then you were both naked. Then you saw each other ... naked?"

Poor Mattei was really confused, and even though this was really uncomfortable, I loved him for his innocence. 

"That is just the point", the future king of Gondor told him. "We wanted to see each other ... without clothes, and then we..."

Suddenly he stopped, and I noticed all eyes of the people around us on the table were turned towards us with shocked expressions on their faces. Which I totally understood, as Aragorn was just about to explain the act of love to a little boy in the middle of a huge dining hall. He cleared his throat once more, then leaned over to Mattei.

"I think the rest Gimli should explain to you."

And the conversation was over. 

Gimli POV

They were watching me, and I knew exactly why. They had sent this Mattei boy back to me, and they both had huge grins on their faces, so I knew there was some kind of teasing going on. The boy slumped down on the bench next to me and asked with that stupid innocent voice of his: "So, what's the act of love?"

I choked on my sandwich, while the elf and the ranger put their heads together and laughed at me.