Lotr oneshots

Return to Mirkwood- Thranduil x reader

Okay, so I don't even know how I ended up back here. In Mirkwood, of all places. It feels like a lifetime since I was last in these woods-literally, because it has been. The moment I got that letter from Thranduil, inviting me back, I didn't think I'd actually come. But here I am.

I used to run around here with him when we were kids, chasing each other through the trees, sneaking around the palace, getting into trouble (mostly me), and laughing like there was nothing more important in the world than just being together. But that was a long time ago. Things are... different now. He's different now.

I pull my cloak tighter around me as I walk through the massive oak trees, the ones I used to play under. It feels like the forest is watching me, like it remembers me. Every part of this place feels familiar, but also foreign, like I'm visiting a memory I can't quite touch.

I turn a corner and-there he is.

Thranduil.

For a moment, my heart stops. He stands near the edge of the courtyard, his back to me, gazing out over the forest. That same golden hair of his glows under the moonlight, and for a second, he looks like a vision, like someone out of a dream. But then, reality hits, and I remember that he's the Elvenking now, the one I've spent so many years away from.

I swallow hard, trying to calm my nerves as I walk toward him.

"Your Majesty," I call, my voice a little breathier than I expected.

He freezes. And then he turns, his sharp eyes meeting mine. There's this flicker of recognition-of something unspoken-but it quickly shifts into his usual mask. The cool, composed King of Mirkwood. But there's something more there too. Something in the way he looks at me.

"(Y/N)," he says, his voice low, almost like a whisper. "You've returned."

I can't help the little laugh that escapes me. "Yeah. Guess I have."

For a moment, we just stand there, staring at each other. The air between us is thick, filled with things we've never said, things we probably should've said before.

"You've changed," Thranduil says after a beat, his eyes running over me in that familiar way.

I raise an eyebrow, trying to sound casual. "I could say the same about you."

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips, though it's gone too quickly to be sure it was even there. "I have not forgotten our time together," he says, and it's... softer than I expected. "You were always... different from the others."

I laugh, though it's a little unsure. "Yeah, I was the troublemaker. Can't imagine why you'd remember me."

His eyes flicker, his expression unreadable. "No," he says slowly, taking a step toward me. "You were... free."

I'm hit with a mix of nostalgia and... something else. The old me-the wild, carefree me-feels so far away now. But when he says that, I almost want to go back there. To that version of myself.

"Well," I say, trying to ease the tension, "I wasn't supposed to leave, you know. It wasn't my choice."

His gaze softens. "I know," he says quietly. "You had to find your own way. I understand that now."

I look away for a second, my heart aching a little. It feels like there's so much to say, but it's like I'm afraid to say it. But at the same time, I don't want to let this go. Not now.

I take a deep breath. "I never meant to leave. But... I'm here now."

Before he can respond, a voice breaks in.

"Father."

I turn to see Legolas standing there, looking amused, though there's a little curiosity in his eyes as he glances between us. Of course he'd show up right now. He's probably been lurking in the shadows, watching the awkward reunion unfold.

"Legolas," Thranduil greets him, his voice back to that usual King tone, though there's a soft edge to it.

"I was just... checking on our guest," Legolas says with a playful grin, eyeing me before shifting his gaze back to Thranduil. "It seems like you're busy, Father."

"Ah," Thranduil says, a flicker of something passing through his gaze. "Yes. You may take (Y/N) to her chambers."

I can't help the sigh of relief that escapes me. "Thank you, Legolas."

Legolas shoots me a wink, and with a small bow to his father, he leads me away. But as we walk, I can still feel Thranduil's gaze on my back, like it's burned into me. I don't know what he's thinking. But I know what I'm thinking.

---

Later that evening, I'm in my room. It's massive, beautiful-everything you'd expect from the palace of the Elvenking. But it's too quiet, too still. And no matter how comfortable the room is, my thoughts keep wandering back to him.

To Thranduil. To the way his eyes lingered on me, the way he said my name.

Just as I'm about to let my mind go too far, there's a knock at my door.

I open it, and there he is. Thranduil. Of course. Standing there like he owns the place, but there's something softer about him now, something a little more... uncertain. His usual confidence is still there, but there's something else too, something... real.

"May I come in?" he asks, his voice quiet, almost like he's afraid of interrupting something.

I step aside, my heart racing for reasons I can't quite explain.

He enters, his presence filling the space. For a long moment, neither of us speaks. It's the kind of silence that's heavy with unspoken words. And for the first time, it doesn't feel awkward. It just feels... necessary. Like we're both waiting for the right moment.

"(Y/N)," he says at last, his voice low and serious. "I've missed you."

It's the way he says it-so genuine, so unlike the King I've heard stories about. It hits me like a wave, and suddenly, I can't breathe.

"I've missed you too," I say, almost too quietly.

He steps closer, and for a second, I wonder if he can hear my heart pounding. His eyes never leave mine. Slowly, he reaches up, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch sending a shiver down my spine.

"I've wanted this for so long," he says softly, his voice almost a whisper.

Before I can even process what he's said, he's kissing me. And, okay, wow. It's nothing like I expected. It's soft, like he's asking for permission. But it deepens quickly, and suddenly it's like time doesn't exist anymore.

We both pull away breathless, the room still buzzing with the electricity that seems to pulse between us.

"I... didn't know what to say," he admits, his forehead against mine.

I smile, a little breathless. "It's okay. Neither did I."

For a long moment, we just stand there, letting the silence stretch out, but this time, it's comfortable. Like maybe, finally, we're both where we're supposed to be.

Thranduil may be the Elvenking, but right now, all I care about is that he's here. And maybe-just maybe-I'm here too.

And for the first time in years, I'm not running away from the feeling.