Erebor, Lonely Mountain

4. Legolas | Rain

Tumblr : lilyofthesword-writes

Pairing: Legolas x Reader

Word Count: 1,422

Warnings/Disclaimers: Starts off sounding a bit angsty but turns fluffy about midway through.

***

Whoever glorified adventuring was not being one hundred percent accurate. It had its moments - a cool breeze under the warm sun, the moonlight cascading through a canopy of tree leaves, a quick skirmish to spice things up... But others are rarely mentioned. It was one of those instances you found yourself in right now. As much as you enjoyed your newfound companionship in the Fellowship, the brooding thunderstorm overhead was enough to squelch the mood for anyone.

Aragorn, like the rain, refused to let up, wanting to cover as much ground as possible during the day. They had yet to reach the Path of Caradhras to cross over the Misty Mountains. The sooner you all could reach Mordor to destroy the Ring, the better. That was about the only thing keeping the misery of tangled hair and soaked, mucky shoes at bay.

You barely took notice of the shift in light indicating the setting sun, the dark clouds shielding out most of the light to begin with. Far at the head of the group, Legolas jogged up to Aragorn and halted him with a hand on his shoulder. They spoke low, almost frantically, as they waited for the rest of the Fellowship to catch up. Furrowing your brows, you picked up your pace to keep up. Were they arguing? Legolas glanced behind them, worry lines etched on his forehead upon catching your confused gaze.

Shaking his head with a huff, Aragorn spoke up for everyone to hear him, "There is a cave up ahead. We shall rest there for the night."

The sigh of relief was unanimous with the Hobbits being the most vocal about it. Well, it was mostly Merry and Pippin.

"It's about time!" Merry started.

"My feet are so muddy, it makes me wish hobbits wore shoes," Pippin complained, kicking his feet as he walked in an effort to remove the excess muck.

You swiped at some of the hair the rain plastered to your forehead with a laugh. "And to think I was just wishing I did not need shoes. These are absolutely drenched!" You teased.

Despite the torrential downpour, the cave was nice and dry. Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas went off to search for wood while the rest of you prepared for camp. After helping set up the three's bedrolls for them, you snuck off to a hidden alcove at the back of the cave to quickly change into dry clothes.

There wasn't much luck finding dry wood for the fire, but Gandalf made up for that with the help of his staff. Sam started cooking over the fire while everyone else huddled close to it for warmth, clothing strewn about nearby in hopes they would be dry by morning.

Dinner would still be a ways off, so you took the time you had to fix your hair to some extent. Undoing the braids, you carefully combed your fingers through the strands to rid them of the knots and tangles caused by the wretched rain. A small hiss of pain made its way to your ears, Legolas as its origin. Seems he had the same idea as you though he certainly had more difficulty with it.

Even elves could not fully combat the natural elements. His nearly white golden locks, normally plaited and draping past his shoulders without a thread out of place, were tangled and beginning to frizz, though not nearly as terrible as yours. His nose adorably scrunched upwards with every snag he ran into. Of course you wanted to help the elf who you had been fancying since you met him in Rivendell. You plucked yourself up from your spot and quietly sat next to the elf prince.

"You sound like you are having trouble. Would you like help?" you said trying to keep your voice light.

Legolas stilled a moment before huffing and running through another set of tangles. "I am, yes. I would much appreciate your assistance," he relented, his voice barely above a whisper, cheeks dusted pink.

You nodded with a reassuring smile as you moved to kneel behind him to be at the right height. Gently pulling his hair behind his shoulders, you started working through the ends. As you made your way higher in his blonde locks, you couldn't help but notice how soft it was despite the recent harsh rain and general outdoor exposure. The closer you were to the roots, the silkier the threads became.

"Is this alright?" You wanted to be sure you were not hurting him.

All you received was a nod. Legolas had peacefully closed his eyes and was leaning into your touch.

You were rather surprised at how much you enjoyed combing someone else's hair, even going so far as to tenderly run your nails across his scalp as you untangled the remainder of his tresses, eliciting a quiet yet content sigh from him. If only you could keep doing this. Pulling back, you sat on your heels in contemplation.

A small part of you realized this was the closest you had ever been to the elf. You usually kept quiet and towards the rear of the troupe, preferring to watch from afar, content with the friendship you currently held.

"Would you like me to braid it for you like you had before?" You tried to hide the hopeful tinge seeping out of your voice.

"Please." He looked over his shoulder, the corners of his mouth tugged slightly upwards.

You carded your finger through one section of hair and picked up a small part to begin the first braid. Taking your time, you delicately weaved the strands together with the utmost care to replicate the style he had before the storm. To your disappointment, it did not take long to complete no matter how slowly you moved.

Before you could pull away to say you were finished, Legolas swiveled around to take your hand in his. The elf's sky blue eyes held a candied innocence as he brushed his lips against your knuckles. "Thank you," he spoke his words just as softly.

Heat bloomed in your cheeks. You had surely not expected that much of a response. "You-you're welcome. I'm happy to help."

Across the other side of the fire, Merry and Pippin could be heard as snickered whispers. They kept looking up at the two of you with mirthful eyes as they nudged Frodo for his attention. He merely smiled and shook his head. Boromir was pointedly looking away like he was on watch. Gandalf was definitely smiling as he smoked his pipe, and Aragorn hid his tiny smirk behind a fake grimace while sharpening his blade. Sam was the only one who was genuinely immersed in his own deed of cooking a stew large enough to feed everyone. To be honest, you had been so focused on Legolas, you forgot about the others.

Legolas mutely cleared his throat, his ears now tinged red as he made the same observations. "Mele-Mellon nin," he corrected himself before continuing shyly, "Would you like for me to help with your hair?"

This was happening. This was actually happening. You swallowed to keep your pounding heart from leaping out of your throat. "Y-yes, please. That would be nice."

You shuffled forward closer to the fire as he situated himself behind you, settling on his knees with you in between. He started just as you had, starting with the ends and slowly gliding up to your roots. His fingers tenderly massaged your scalp before taking up some of your locks to plait. You now understood his bliss from earlier as it flowed through your relaxing muscles. This needed to happen more often, not just on an adventure.

Legolas finished interlacing your hair in a flash, his fingers much more adept to the craft despite elven tresses being much easier to work with. Swinging around, he replanted himself next to you.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," you smiled softly at him.

His lips mirrored yours. "It was a pleasure." He placed a hand over yours and sucked in a breath. "Mellon nin, you are freezing!"

He squeezed your digits before letting go to wrap an arm around your shoulders, tucking you into his side. You were a little confused by his sudden actions. You didn't feel that cold, but he was definitely warmer by comparison, so who were you to complain. Resting your head on his sh