Aralas Oneshots

A peaceful night

It was a beautiful night, quiet and peaceful, the only noises an owl in the distance, and the stars were gazing down at him. They had left Rivendell just a few days ago and were camping near the feet of the Misty Mountains, but it wasn't cold yet, just a bit chilly. Not that Legolas could feel that, but he knew it must be, because the flowers were starting to get less and less and the trees had to fight the howling wind there was at daytime. 

Legolas had the first watch that night, and he enjoyed the tranquillity of it. He'd loved to take all the watch shifts, because he didn't need sleep, which every single one of the others lacked, but Aragorn didn't allow him to. You need to rest sometime, Legolas. Even an elf needs sleep on this tiresome journey. So he obeyed. But he still enjoyed his night shifts.

Suddenly he heard someone move behind him and quickly turned around. To his relief, it was only Aragorn carefully moving away the blanket and standing up to come over to where Legolas was sitting. He would take the next shift.

"I'll take over now", the man whispered in Legolas ear, and he shivered slightly. Maybe he could indeed feel the cold of the air around him? 

"But it's such a beautiful night!", the elf complained and looked up at Aragorn with a pouting face. "Let me just sit here with you and look at the stars."

The ranger sighed and then sat down next to Legolas on the hard ground. Instantly, Legolas rested his head against the man's shoulder and watched his favorite stars up in the sky. Aragorn smiled slightly and put an arm around the elf's shoulder, noticing the flowery scent of his hair.

"How is it that you always have so clean hair?", he questioned, looking into the elf's beautiful blue eyes. 

"Maybe because I wash it, unlike some others", Legolas grinned and let a strand of Aragorn's hair wander through his fingers. "Or I just don't use the sweat-and-dirt-shampoo like you seem to do!"

His hand tucked the strand of hair behind the ranger's ear and then rested on the side of his face, not wanting to let go of the soft skin on Aragorn's cheek. Gently he felt along the man's jawline and savoured the feeling it created in his heart. He noticed the stubble of Aragorn's beard under his fingers, and wondered what it would feel like, if it grew longer.

"Even if I did use your shampoo, little elf, I couldn't compare myself to you", the ranger answered quietly. "You are always so beautiful, Legolas."

Aragorn pulled the elf closer and lifted his hin with his thumb. The elven prince seemed to glow in the moonlight and made him look like an otherworldly being, too beautiful to walk on these desolated lands. Legolas still had his hand on Aragorn's cheek, but now he withdrew it and placed it on the man's chest instead. He could feel the ranger's heartbeat under his fingers.

Then he looked up and met Aragorn's deep grey eyes, that were already resting on his face. Slowly, the ranger leant closer and, their eyes still locked upon each other, met Legolas' lips with his own. Legolas heartbeat seemed to stop for a second, but then it beat faster than before. Aragorn held him close and he felt safe in his embrace and let himself be hugged, while they kissed each other. 

Aragorn broke the kiss, but only to place kisses along Legolas' jawline and along his neck, leaving a little mark right where his tunic started. His hand that held the elf slowly started to move upwards and under Legolas' shirt, feeling the soft skin he always hid from sight. Suddenly he was pushed away. The cold night air hit the man like a punch in the stomach.

"I can't..."

"Did I do someth...?"

They both spoke at the same time, Legolas sounding like he was in pain, and Aragorn thoroughly confused. But he gestured the elf to continue.

"You can't ... I don't want to...", he didn't seem to find the words, so Aragorn stepped in.

"Was it something I did?", he asked with a caring voice, hiding the hurt he felt in his chest. 

"No! ... I mean yes. But... I can't explain it", the elf declared in distress, heart racing fast in his chest. Aragorn took his hand and wanted to pull him down next to him, but the elf tore his hand away immediately, looking even more hurt.

"Sit, Legolas", Aragorn commanded gently, concern now playing in his voice. The elf obeyed hesitantly and sat down again next to the ranger.

"Did I hurt you somehow?", he wanted to know, watching the elf closely, trying to read his expression. Then he added quietly: "Don't you feel about me the same as I feel about you?"

His voice broke at the last words, and he let his gaze fall down to his lap. If Legolas didn't want this, him, he would stop. Never would he force the elf he loved to do anything he didn't want.

"No, no!", Legolas burst out. "It's not that. I...I love you, Aragorn. I truly do! I just don't...I feel uncomfortable, when you touch me like that..."

The ranger had to process the information he had received, until he understood what it meant. in the meantime, Legolas went on explaining.

"I'm sorry, I know I should feel good about it, but I don't. I never have, it's been like this for as long as I can remember. I mean, kissing you was great, but then, the rest, I would just rather not do any of that."

He was rambling, and he didn't know what to say and what not to, but Aragorn stopped him by taking one of Legolas' hands between the two of his. 

"You don't have to explain, Legolas", he said, loving eyes looking up into the elf's face. "It's fine, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I would never, ever, force you to do things you feel uncomfortable with."

Instantly the elf relaxed and smiled at Aragorn, who smiled back. But the smile became a grin when he said:

"But now to the more important parts. What was that about the kissing?"

Legolas laughed and quickly gave Aragorn a peck on the lips. 

"I adore your kisses, ranger", he told him. "I adore you!"

"Well, that fits just right, because I adore you too, little prince!", Aragorn replied, and hugged the elf again. "And as you like kisses, there will be a lot of that in the near future!"

The elf grinned and leant in to kiss Aragorn again. Even if he didn't enjoy to be more intimate with anyone, even Aragorn, his kisses he couldn't live without.

 Hi, hope you liked this one. As you may have noticed (or not haha), Legolas is ace in this story, and I hope it sounds realistic, as I'm not ace myself and I don't know how it feels. If you have any feedback on this, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know, because I always want to improve my stories, and here I'd probably need some help ;)

Bonus: I'll also write another one-shot with switched roles, where Aragorn is ace, because I can imagine both in that position. Now you can look forward to something ... :)