Legolas and Tauriel: What I Did For Love

4: The Walk

A/N: Ok, I know nobody reads the author's notes (at least I don't) but for the people that do I want to say that this chapter was fun to write. But the next chapter is gonna be even better. It's gonna kill me to write Thranduil's part, though. :( But it gets better in the sequel, I promise. (Yeah there's gonna be a sequel. There's just way to much to the story to not have one) Anyway, have fun reading and if you have any thoughts on the story PLEASE comment. I've only got one comment so far but it really made my day to get it. So thanks peach453!

[Tauriel POV]

Legolas had asked me to go for a walk with him. He had done this countless times before. Why did this time feel different? Was it the way he had looked at me when he said it? But he had looked at me like that before, just not when he had asked me to do something with him. What was it?

I waited by the door like he had asked and after about five minutes he came walking down the hall. He broke out in a smile when he saw me.

"Here, take this," he said, handing me a fur-lined cloak that he had slung over his arm. He was wearing one just like it. But instead of letting me take it from him, he swung it around my shoulders and tied it under my chin. I stared up at him, startled.

"I could've done that myself," I said.

He shrugged. "But I did it for you." He offered me his arm.

I grinned at him. "I seem to remember you challenging me to a race."

"And I seem to recall asking you to walk with me. Not run."

"We can walk after we run." And I sprinted out the door.

"Hey!" Legolas shouted after me. He set off in pursuit.

I could hear his pounding feet getting nearer and nearer. I knew I couldn't win this race on the ground but as much as I didn't want to admit defeat, I knew it would be cheating to take to the trees. Legolas slowly inched his way ahead of me. I clenched my jaw in determination and poured more energy into my legs, willing them to move faster. It worked for a moment. The gap between us slowly lessened. But then he realized how close I was and he put on a new burst of speed.

If we had had a longer way to run I might have won; I could tell he was tiring. But the clearing we always walked to (when we took walks) was only about a mile from the palace and when we reached it he was still in the lead.

We collapsed on the ground, Legolas panting like a dehydrated dog. I was tired and slightly out of breath but not as bad as he was.

"I told you, you need to run more," I teased. "You're so out of shape from a winter of relaxation and laziness."

"Funny, since you lost," he gasped between breaths.

"But you are, by far, the more tired."

"But I still won."

"It was a short race."

"Short! It was a good mile!"

"Yeah and had it been much longer, I would have won."

"Whatever."

I giggled and stood up. The heavy winter cape felt too hot, despite the cold January day. I didn't want to take it off, though, because I knew I would soon cool off and be glad for the extra body heat.

I held out my hand to Legolas and he grabbed it and stood up. There was no snow but there were plenty of soggy leaves on the ground and both our cloaks were covered in the. I began to pull them off of me and Legolas followed suit.