Of Futures Past (Legolas)

38

As the party drew on, Alana paid careful attention to Legolas's eyes, raising her eyebrow at him unimpressed every time she caught him.

"Dance with me?" She asked as the song changed to a faster beat, with a captivating smile on her face.

Legolas nodded without hesitation and followed her onto the dance floor, taking her hand in his. As they danced, Alana giggled as she spun, seeing Legolas's face just as happy as her own. They faced each other again, and Alana saw as Legolas's eyes dipped, her cheeks burning as she pushed his chin up with the hand on his shoulder. 

Alana huffed, cheeks red, as she caught him for perhaps the fifth time since she had convinced him to dance with her. "Are you sure all you feel is a 'slight tingle in your fingertips'?" Alana asked mockingly.

"Quite sure. Why do you ask?" Legolas replied, grinning boyishly.

"Well, your eyes can't seem to help themselves from wandering today. It is quite unlike the usual gentleman you are." Alana accused.

Legolas smirked and for a moment, Alana's heart stopped. "That has nothing to do with alcohol, meleth nin."

"What does it have to do with then?" Alana challenged, chin raised.

Legolas moved his face closer to hers, his blue eyes holding a playful intensity that made her breath catch. "It has to do with how beautiful you look when I make you blush."

Her crimson cheeks were decorated with a flustered smile as his words were registered.

"Of course, I can't say it has nothing to do with how flattering that dress is."

Alana slapped his shoulder, eyes wide, as her heartbeat sped up tenfold. Legolas just smiled, continuing to lead her around the room with any other partners who were dancing. 

When the song ended, Alana started to cross her arms, then hastily uncrossed them, glancing around the room before walking over to Aragorn and Eowyn, leaving Legolas on the dance floor hurriedly. "I'm grabbing a drink."

"That eager to escape are you?" Aragorn teased.

"He hasn't stopped teasing me all night. He knows exactly how to make me flustered, and he's all stoic so I can't even do anything." Alana complained, making annoyed eye contact with Legolas across the room. His slight smirk only aggravated her more, making her reach for a drink on the table behind her and angrily taking a sip.

"That is only because he is jealous of the looks other men have been giving you, Alana." Aragorn replied bluntly.

"Oh, don't be silly, he has nothing to be jealous of. He's just doing this because he can." Alana rebutted.

"Why don't you just play his own game back at him?" Eowyn suggested. "I guarantee you could make him flustered if you used...you know... the right assets."

Aragorn shook his head in disgust. "I will take my leave of you ladies before I have to hear any more about my sister's 'assets'." 

Alana chuckled, then turned her attention to Eowyn intently.

"Well, first of all, that dress is quite flattering already, so you shouldn't need too much of a push." Eowyn started, before giving suggestions on how to beat Legolas at his own game.

After Eowyn's pep talk, Alana made her way back to where Legolas was standing.

"What were you talking about with Lady Eowyn?" Legolas wondered amusedly.

Alana grinned coyly up at him. "Oh, nothing. The two of us have just grown quite close over the past couple days."

Legolas narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Another dance?" Alana asked, eyes wide and innocent purposefully as she pulled gently on Legolas's hand.

"What are you trying to do?" Legolas questioned.

Alana smiled, looking at him through her lashes. "If you don't want to dance, I'm sure one of the soldiers would be happy to dance with me."

Without a second's hesitation, Legolas was leading Alana onto the dance floor, eyes dark. Alana's left hand crept up his arm to reach his shoulder deliberately slowly as she stepped slightly closer to him than necessary. Legolas only gripped her waist tighter, pulling her even closer. As her cheeks flushed, she became aware that any half-made plan she had was already backfiring.

"Still acting rakishly, I see." Alana remarked, voice low.

"Still looking beautiful." Legolas praised.

Alana managed to smile without blushing as she raised an eyebrow. "I would appreciate more compliments like these."

Legolas returned her expression. "Then I am obviously not complimenting you enough, meleth nin."

"Not as much as random soldiers." Alana quipped, narrowing her eyes scrutinizingly. "I much prefer hearing them from you."

Observing the fall back to his usual, emotionless expression, Alana frowned, wondering perhaps, if Aragorn had been correct. At the sudden change in mood, Alana forgot all about her attempts to break Legolas's un-flusterable character, and looked up at him concernedly.

"You know... Aragorn told me something quite funny."

"What's that?"

"He claims that you were... jealous of those soldiers." Alana said the words hesitantly, observing the subtle twitch in his jaw and the darkening of his eyes. After a moment passed, Alana spoke again. "You were, then?"

"I did not like the way they looked at you." Legolas's tone was clipped, and his startling blue gaze was faraway, not looking at her.

"Legolas, look at me." Though his eyes found hers, his gaze remained far off. Alana sighed, pulling him off the dance floor to a corner of the hall, and cupped his face with her hands. "Legolas, it does not matter if they look at me." Her thumb traced his cheekbone delicately. "I am only looking at you." Alana lowered her voice to a whisper, cheeks flushed as she reverted to Sindarin. "I love only you." Legolas suddenly returned to focus at the words as his pupils suddenly dilated, his hands gripping Alana's waist. Alana leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss on Legolas's jaw, and she heard his breath hitch, saw his cheeks turn pink.

"You..." Legolas trailed off, his eyes full of awe and love.

"I love you." Alana repeated in the Common Tongue. "Only you."

With those words, Legolas let go of his previous restraint as he pulled Alana flush against him, leaning down with one hand behind her neck as his lips met hers. Her eyes closed immediately, and her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, weaving her hands into his hair. It was at once the most gentle and most intense feeling Alana had felt in her entire life. Her whole body felt warm, and relaxed, and so awake all at once as she pressed herself closer to him. 

As they pulled away, they leaned their foreheads against each other, smiling tenderly. Legolas pressed another quick kiss to her lips, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too."