Two Hearts

Title: Two Hearts
Author: Big Smirk
Beta: Mel A & Meredith
Pairing: Legolas/Eldarion (Aragorn & Arwen’s son)
Archive: Library of Moria & adult-fanfiction.org
Comments: General plot comes from the challenge posted by Lady Osolone.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tolkien

Feedback: Yesss, we wants it, we wants it!
bigsmirk4u@yahoo.com

Chapter 4 -The Ride

Several days of archery practice, with covert visits to the hot pool, became a routine for the two companions. One morning Eldarion begged Legolas to let him ride Melethrien.

“It seems I can deny you nothing!” Legolas laughed, knowing that to refuse him would result in a verbal barrage of ‘why not’ in all its possible forms until he gave in.

The two of them set off riding double on Melethrien’s moon-white back. Eldarion sat behind Legolas, holding on to his waist. As they set off, Legolas felt the independent seat of the rider behind him and knew that Eldarion held on for the pleasure of the touch rather than because of any lack of riding ability. He rode as confidently as the Elves did, accustomed to forgoing bridle and saddle for the freedom of guiding the animal gently
rather than controlling it roughly through the steel bit in the fashion of men.

Not waiting for Legolas to decide, Eldarion called Melethrien to a fast gallop as they reached the open plain. The two riders moved as one with her powerful strides as she accelerated rapidly, racing light-footed across the grass. She tossed her head excitedly as she attempted to eat the air. Her long white mane whipped behind her as she flew. Her ears were laid back, so she could hear any further commands from her riders. Melethrien ran as she was bred to run: swiftly and with an even stride that made riding easy. From such a smooth stride, arrows could be shot more accurately when needed. Her pedigree endowed her with both swiftness and stamina that allowed her to chase the sun if her riders so desired.

Eldarion felt exhilarated by the ride. His face was brushed lightly by the wind-blown silky strands of Legolas’ hair as he rode. The power of Melethrien and the strength of the Elven body he held on to made him feel more alive than he could ever remember.

Legolas felt himself give in to the joy of the horse beneath him and Eldarion’s exuberance. He stretched his arms out sideways to feel the air rush past. He closed his eyes and breathed in the speed of Melethrien as she carried them safely along. Soon he felt gentle hands from behind brushing their way along his arms and out to his hands. Eldarion entwined his fingers into Legolas’ and held the Elf’s hands as they rode. Legolas felt carried away from his sadness. Eldarion felt carried toward his hopes.

They rode on until Legolas called Melethrien to slow to a walk. He wanted to rest her for a while. The geography of the area indicated the presence of water nearby. The young Prince confirmed it when Legolas asked. Eldarion wrapped himself tighter around Legolas as they rode slowly, letting the horse’s gait rock him against the one he held. To Legolas the warm embrace felt like the blanket of love it was intended to be, but thoughts of how another such blanket was lost to him forever cast a shadow over him again.

Sensing the slight change in the one he held, Eldarion whispered quietly into Legolas’ ear, “Running free is not only done on the back of a horse.”

“Some horses are no longer free to run,” Legolas said sadly.

“They can be if they see when a new gate has been opened,” Eldarion said, continuing to embrace the Elf with one arm as he ran one his other hand lightly along Legolas’ sides, then down his buttocks. Legolas was silent, but Eldarion could feel the Elf lean back slightly into his embrace.

Legolas had felt the hand traveling deliciously down his side and then coming to rest lower down. His body seemed to awaken and want more of the touch. He found himself leaning back to ask for more. Then the misery of his recent life returned to his mind, and he felt that he was betraying the times he had shared with the Prince’s father. Yet Aragorn had moved on. Legolas stiffened, moving out of the embrace.

They dismounted and let Melethrien wander to the stream. She would drink and stay near. Eldarion did not give up at Legolas’ rejection; he knew more encouragement was needed. He took Legolas by the hands and stood facing him. Without speaking, he moved forward to kiss the Elf lightly on the lips. Legolas did not draw back. Eldarion kissed him again, pressing a little harder.

Standing back, Eldarion looked into Legolas’ eyes. Some inner battle seemed to be
raging inside the Elf. His gaze would meet the young Prince as if he were about to speak, then drop down silently again.

Stepping forward and taking Legolas’ hands, he waited until the Elf looked at him once again.

“Please let me love you,” Eldarion said with more passion than he had ever uttered in his twenty years. He let go of Legolas’ hands and moved in closer to wrap his arms around the slim waist. He took in the delicate mouth with another kiss. The Elf trembled with restrained desire. The fragile moment lingered before Eldarion finally felt hesitant arms wrap around him in return as if Legolas were holding something he was desperately afraid would break.

“Do you not see how I love you?” Eldarion whispered breathlessly, holding him tighter.

Suddenly, Legolas stiffened again and pulled away. He walked quickly over to
Melethrien even though a mere call would have brought her trotting to him. The Elf’s behavior puzzled Eldarion momentarily before he understood.

“You have heard such words before,” he thought aloud.

Legolas looked back over his shoulder at the young Prince and nodded silently.

Legolas feared the love being offered. His strangled heart no longer had the freedom to beat as it desired. He wanted to return the Prince’s love, but he could not bear to lose it. A man’s life is too short…yet…perhaps love, in whatever time it has, is worth holding on to. Besides, Aragorn had made his choice long ago; maybe it was time to finally accept it, and yet he knew that somehow he had. He had felt things since coming to the court, and they were not bound to Aragorn. He was alive again because…

Tears obliterated both his vision and thoughts as a well of emotion rose to the surface in an uncontrollable surge. Pure love erupted in his heart, stealing his breath, as the image of it formed in his mind - Eldarion! Legolas realized that he had fallen in love with the Prince. The world burst into color in a wonderful but frightening way. The Elf stood speechless, feeling like his legs would give way beneath him. He took a step toward Eldarion, then stopped and turned away again.

No! He could not live through this. Never again. No! It hurt too much.

Eldarion saw Legolas teetering on the edges of sadness and salvation. He ran to the shaking Elf, determined not to let hill bll back into the gray world.

Reaching the Elf, Eldarion spun Legolas around firmly and placed one hand on Legolas’ chest and the other on his own. Feeling the two hearts beating and locking his eyes to Legolas’, he mentally dragged the Elf back into the world of the emotionally living. When he saw Legolas’ focus return to him, he formally spoke his intention with a compellingly solemn intensity.

“Though I am young, I do not give my heart lightly. I have waited for you since before I knew of you. I desire no other, and if I must wait for you until the leaves fall from the trees a thousand times, then I shall.”

Legolas’ eyebrows shot up as Eldarion’s words penetrated the last of the gray shroud. The Prince shared his immortality! The last of the gray dissolved, leaving the Elf aware of the faint glow surrounding the Prince, showing beyond all doubt that he spoke the truth.

Legolas realized that the love being offered was love for him, and him alone, and that it would always would be. This time there was no need to clutch the broken pieces of his heart. No longer would he have to dig deep within and try to find enough of the fragments to force himself to exist for another day. Legolas stood as the words and the emotion behind them reached him as he thought he would never be reached again.

In that moment, he knew he could live again. Placing his hands over Eldarion’s, he gave his answer.

“Eldarion, the leaves have fallen without me for the last time.”

Eldarion cried out in relief and happiness as he crushed himself against the one he loved.
He felt the final hesitation melt from Legolas as the Elf finally kissed him deeply in return. Tears of joy ran down both of their cheeks.

Joy quickly turned to mutual passion as their kissing intensified. Catching their breath, they looked into each other’s need-filled eyes and knew that they desired more than a joining of their mouths. The Prince swiftly guided Legolas to the ground and lay on top of him. He had waited so long for this moment. The impatience of youth overcame him as his hand roamed frantically down the body beneath him and into the Elf’s leggings. The hand wrapped around the rapidly growing penis before Legolas had realized it, though he was not surprised.

“It seems that a bow is not the only thing you like to wrap your hand around!” Legolas giggled as he shifted his hips and lowered his leggings to give the Prince easier access.

A look of uncertainty crossed Eldarion’s face as he wondered if his technique was enjoyable for the Elf. Legolas read the expression and reassured the Prince of the pleasure he was giving by moaning contentedly as the youngster worked and experimented with different speeds and rhythms. He was rewarded in turn by the increased confidence of the hand stoking him. The Prince was more skillful than he realized, and he soon had Legolas writhing with intense, long overdue arousal. Legolas let his body respond freely to the touch without using his mind to delay his release. It had been so long since he had been made love to, and it felt so good to let go once again. A faster release would also reassure the inexperienced hands upon him. Eldarion remembered the sad Elven face that had arrived at the court and was overwhelmed with emotion to see that face now crying silent screams of pleasure beneath him. It brought tears to the young one’s eyes.

It was impossible to know which of them experienced the most pleasure as Legolas cried out during his climax and Eldarion cried out with the happiness of having given such joy to the one he had longed to love in this way. The tension left Legolas’ body as he shot his warm white love into Eldarion’s hand. The Prince looked down at proof of the Elf’s return to life; his tears continued to fall at the significance of the moment. He knew how much it meant to both of them.

Legolas saw the tears, and, as he sat up, he kissed them away in gratitude before he rolled Eldarion onto his back, removed his leggings, and took his turn to stroke. He figured that the type of str the the Prince had tried were most likely to be the ones he himself enjoyed, so Legolas started to return exactly what he had been given. The result was an almost immediate orgasm for Eldarion of an intensity he had never been able to bring out by himself.

Legolas grinned at the exhausted Prince recovering his breath. “We’ll have to work on your endurance!” he teased.

They put their leggings back on and lay side by side for an afternoon doze. Eldarion looked lazily at the detail on Legolas’ tunic. Fine blue lines swirled in a flowing pattern of criss-crossing curls over the chest and upper arms. Tracing his finger along one of them, he asked a question he had wondered about for some time.

“Do these have a meaning?”

“Yes, they are comfort patterns,” Legolas informed him.

“Please tell me about them!” Eldarion asked eagerly, sitting up with wide eyes and wondering why his father had never spoken of them.

Legolas also sat up and began to tell Eldarion one of the Elven secrets. “Every Elf likes to be touched in a particular way. Each pattern is individual. This is my pattern,” he said gesturing at his chest. “To bring comfort to an Elf you trace the pattern on the tunic with the flat of your hand, and to arouse one sexually you trace the pattern with one finger.”

Eldarion thought of all the patterns on the clothes of the Elves he had met and asked, “Are you not embarrassed to show such personal information for all to see?”

“We do not hide our sexuality from ourselves as men do; we wear it proudly. It is as much a part of us as our faces or our hair,” Legolas explained simply.

“Then why did my father not tell me of this?” Eldarion asked.

“He would have soon. Perhaps he still thinks of you as a boy. Parents are both the first and yet last to see their children grow,” Legolas smiled.

Eldarion sat speechless as he absorbed the new knowledge.

Legolas continued the lesson on Elven culture. “It is also useful in healing. If one needs to be comforted and can not speak, the carer need only trace the pattern to help. This is useful when caring for those injured in battle. Eventually we all learn each other’s patterns, and so we can trace them even when naked.”

Eldarion thought about that for a while before a look of confusion crossed his face. He asked, “Are there not patterns that all Elves like?”

“Yes, there are.”

“Then where are they drawn?”

“They are carved in our buildings. Have you not seen the architecture of Rivendell?”

“Yes!”

“Did you notice the patterns in the candle holders, in the bases and tops of the support columns, and the arches in the roof?”

“Yes!” It all made sense to Eldarion, but then he wondered how others must see it. “What do visitors think of this?” the Prince asked astounded at how open the Elves seemed to be.

“They do not know,” Legolas laughed. “We tell them suitable historical tales that explain it. Some species would not feel comfortable being surrounded by the truth, so we create a more comfortable one for them.”

Eldarion immediately understood the responsibility that came with the knowledge and the choice of whom to give it to. Then another thought crossed his mind.

“What is my pattern?”

“Well, we shall have to discover that!” Legolas promised, “But now we must return.”

As they rode back, a thought loomed in Legolas’ mind; what would Aragorn think of their pairing?


TBC