Greenleaf (Legolas x Aragorn)

Chapter III

With a heart as heavy as an old stone, Legolas left the room where he had just met Lady Galadriel. Despite all the pain he was bearing, his elven senses allowed him to feel the air move as the door closed behind him. Minas Tirith's corridor was empty to Legolas' pleasure. He needed a break to think and he did not feel like taking it somewhere other than where he was standing right now; in the middle of a cold and empty corridor. He could not say how long he stayed there, looking into nothingness and trying to figure out what had just happened. If it was not for his dream then the discussion he just had would have been the most mysterious thing he ever lived, and many were the elvish stories his ears had heard. When going in, his only question was if the king would be one to stab and kill him, now it is more like an entire lake of wonders. To the Elf's mind this exchange had been quite useless, unless if you consider making the situation worse something useful. Now he still needs answers about what he was already questioning but also about his feelings, about Aragorn's trust, about the true meaning of his friendship with the king, about the veracity of what he saw, about the consequences it would have- Anyway, it would require a book to list it all.

Legolas and Aragorn's former relationship was something the Elf missed in this instant and on many other days, he wanted to feel blessed and safe again, he wanted to get back to the friends they once were on their previous adventure. But his recurrent dream was not the only reason their relationship could not go back to what it had been, Legolas could not forget what happened the last time he celebrated peace with Aragorn, what happened during their last encounter and what had remained unspoken since then. The Prince of Mirkwood had heard what Lady Galadriel had told him sooner and how she warned him about his choice of focusing on the true meanings of their relationship. But Legolas' curiosity could not ignore Aragorn's point of view, however, no matter how strong this curiosity could get, never the elf would dare to ask the king about it. If the man had forgotten about it then maybe it was best it remained that way. Legolas was no fool to take the risk of bringing it back to his mind.

Besides the answer it was supposed to bring, Legolas had not chosen to meet Lady Galadriel specifically on that day for no reason. He had thought about it as a way of escaping any causerie with Aragorn once the meeting had been brought to an end. It was something he wanted to do, of course, but it had proven itself to also be a necessary excuse for Legolas to be first to leave the Meeting Hall. Yes, he was avoiding Aragorn and he was wise enough to be well aware of the situation, yet he was not trying to change it. He had made sure that the whole thing was planned so he would not have to spend too much time with the king. But destiny is stubborn, it had brought them together years ago and it still was unchanged. Legolas could not act smart and his plan was destined to fail because the future had chosen so.

"Legolas!" His plan was already diving in the wrong direction, Aragorn had just spoken and revealed it. When he heard his name in his friend's voice, Legolas kept his back to him. His lungs took a deep breath that only he could perceive and his mind got anxious that his face was going to reveal too much of his grief once he would face the king he had longed to meet.

But his lack of reaction would have said more about it than his pale face if it had lasted longer, so he turned around and saw him walk closer. Despite all the hurtful feelings he had for the man at that time all he felt was content. The only thing he could think of was the smile Aragorn held on his lips when their eyes met, he just wanted it to last centuries but the king broke it once he spoke again. "It is so good to see you on this sunny day, my friend." Legolas had grown to know the man's way of being, he knew he would speak again and then take him in an embrace that -if he was overly dramatic- the elf would not survive. And he was right, the man's words echoed again in the empty corridor. "We have been away for too long, it seemed like ages. It is a great thing that those years apart are done now."