The ElvenKing [A thranduil fanfiction]

Chapter 40

Greenwood T.A 2059

          Thranduil had been genuinely exhausted after the bath, enough so that he had almost fallen asleep almost immediately after lying down at my side, had I not nuzzled closer to him. He inhaled deeply and shifted with me as I tried to get comfortable at his side. Thranduil offered me a soft smile before wrapping his arm around my shoulders, drawing me closer to press his lips to my forehead. I nuzzled closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder and almost burying my face in the crock of his neck. Thranduil didn't mind the closeness, nor did I when he placed his other hand on my rounded stomach. For once it was warm and I instinctively reached for it, covering it with my own.

Mindlessly Thranduil soon started to run a few fingers through my curls, guiding it behind the arch of my ear, the motion soothing and calming for us both. With the sweet aroma of herbs, the gentle caress, we both quickly drifted off to sleep. His scent had been stronger than usual, and I tried to drown myself in it because it provided me with a sense of security. The longing for him to be at my side had only grown with the dangers that threatened us all. For a while I just laid there, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, at first fighting the sleep because my mind would constantly wander.

Eventually, I managed to fall asleep because when I opened my eyes again, it was right before dawn. I could see the red and orange undertones trying to break through the darkness still clinging to the lands. I inhaled deeply and tried to adjust my sore body. A slight stinging discomfort had pulled me out of my sleep, but it only grew worse when I moved. I tried to breathe through it, hoping it would quickly pass. It didn't, unfortunately.

Without waking Thranduil, I managed to turn around, turning my back to him but the moment I moved, Thranduil followed, wrapping his arms around me from behind and keeping me where I was. Turning around had helped the discomfort I had previously felt. I tried to withhold the smile creeping onto my lips, but I couldn't contain it because deep down I truly enjoyed it. He stretched lightly before tightening his hold on me.

His head now rested on the pillow right behind me, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck each time he exhaled. It was steady and rhythmic, enough so to let me know he was still sleeping. Once the discomfort had faded, I allowed myself to press my lips against his forearm before gently giving it a squeeze. Thranduil reacted instantly and tightened his hold on me again while nuzzling his nose into my hair followed by several deep breaths. I smiled before trying to adjust my position, easing the soreness I was still feeling. It worked for a while, but seeing as Thranduil refused to relent his grip on me, there wasn't much I could do.

In the silence of the room, my thoughts slowly gaining control. Everything hit me all at once. Everything that had happened yesterday, and what Ûtridien had said. I wiped the escaping tear away from my eye, trying my best to keep them at bay. What Ûtridien had admitted to had completely pulled everything out underneath me. He was family, not only by choice but by blood. Even the fact that he'd had a sister, something he'd told only a handful of people. Thranduil somehow seemed to sense my shift because he nuzzled even closer to me. A soft gasp escaped me when lips pressed against the sensitive skin on the back of my neck. He was awake.