Falling Leaves - LotR

Right. My worst fanfic to date. Also my first fanfic ever. Directly from Fanfiction.net, unimproved, unchanged:

This is a SLASH story. Aragorn/Legolas slash, to be specific. If you dont like slash, you have any objection to this particular pairing, or you do not know what slash is, I would recommend you leave. Now. You have been warned. Alternate-Universey, in that Aragorn is not, in fact, betrothed to Arwen. (MY story, I can do what I like with it.) Flames will be posted and commented on. /Thoughts are enclosed in slashes because the QuickEdit is evil./

Genre: Fluff, romance, slash, don't-read-if-you-haven't-read/seen-the- book/movie/both

Additional note: Strange melding of the books, the movies, and my own imagination. Maybe a leetle OOC, but I hope not too much. Legsie is no longer an (insert random insult here) like he was in the movies. Yay! I finally updated this thing!

Disclaimer: They ain't mine. I'm just playing with 'em. I wish they were mine, though. 'Specially Arrie.

Moria
"Why're we on this benighted quest anyway?" Gimli grumbled.

"To protect Frodo, to get the Ring to Mordor," Aragorn answered quietly. He didn't blame Gimli for complaining, which in all honesty was exactly what Aragorn felt like doing. The darkness around him brought out the darkness in his heart.

"Is there any hope left, Gandalf?" Frodo's small voice echoed in the black emptiness.

"There is always hope, Frodo," replied Gandalf. "There is always hope."

/Yes, there is always hope,/ thought Aragorn, /but I cannot find it here./ He sighed. The never-ending night was depressing. He would despair, but for the Quest and the sense of duty that filled him.

"Aragorn?" A soft, ethereal voice broke the silence. Someone sat next to him, the rustling of cloth the only clue to his presence. From the voice, Aragorn knew it was Legolas, son of Thranduil, prince of Mirkwood, blah, blah, blah.

"What do you think of?"

"Despite being given the name Estel, Hope, I have no hope left. This quest is all that keeps me from despair, yet it is the need for this quest that is the cause of my despair."

"Do not lose hope, son of Arathorn. You have friends with you." With that, Legolas got up and left, no doubt to join the others. Aragorn pondered his friend's words for some time after.

Outside Moria

Aragorn wrenched his thoughts away from the sight of Gandalf slipping, Gandalf falling... Or tried, anyway. He could not think on this forever. They had to get to Lothlorien before dark.

"Legolas, Boromir, Gimli," he barked. "Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin. The time for grief is not now. Come. By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs. We must reach Lothlorien before dark."

"We will enter the Golden Wood? That is madness!" exclaimed Boromir. "None who enter there come out unscathed."

"Unchanged would be more accurate," countered Aragorn. "It is the nearest place of safety." Boromir shook his head.

"I would rather walk through a hedge of swords than enter there of my own will!" Fortunately, for Aragorn was right about the orcs, Legolas intervened before the disagreement took up much more time. He insisted that Aragorn knew best, and it was wise to listen to a Ranger, when one was with you, and that of the Rangers, Aragorn was the best. Boromir relented, grumbling, but only because Legolas looked about ready to shoot him.

Lothlorien

"Aragorn." The soft voice came out of nowhere. The Ranger looked up, startled. It was Legolas. The fair elf took a seat on the ground next to Aragorn. They sat in silence for a time. Legolas spoke first.

"He was a good friend to you, was he not?"

"Yes."

"You are not the only one who grieves. You need not hide your sadness." Hearing these words from the normally aloof elf prince, Aragorn dropped his stoic mask and dissolved into tears. Legolas drew him close and held him until the Ranger's tears were spent.

"Feel better?" asked Legolas gently. Aragorn nodded.

"Thank you," he rasped, his throat sore from weeping.

"You're welcome." Legolas's arms were still around Aragorn. Neither of them moved for a long time.

"We should return to the others, or they may start to worry what has happened to us," commented Legolas. Aragorn nodded, and reluctantly stood up, freeing himself from Legolas's hold. Together they walked back to where the rest of the fellowship rested.

Lothlorien - Next Day

/Do not despair, Estel. You are not alone./ The words of the Lady Galadriel echoed through Aragorns thoughts. He sat with his back to a mallorn tree, eyes closed, pondering their meaning. He heard a faint rustle of cloth to his right. One hand slipped from his lap where it lay and came to rest on the ground beside him. A hand that was warm, yet still cool, settled atop the Ranger's hand. Aragorn smiled. Now he understood the meaning of the Lady's words.

Chasing the Uruk-Hai

Aragorn awoke from his light sleep. Legolas was pacing around the edge of the firelight, looking unsettled.

"Friend, why are you restless?" Aragorn asked quietly. Legolas turned towards him and walked over, sitting down by the ranger.

"I doubt we shall ever see the hobbits again. I fear they are dead or worse. I wish we could go even at night."

Aragorn smiled weakly. "Would that we all had the eyes of elves! Alas, we do not, and-" He stopped suddenly, seeing how breathtaking Legolas was, silhouetted by the fire's glow.

"Vana," he breathed. "Legolas, you are beautiful." The elf turned his head slowly to look at the ranger.

"You- you think so?"

"Legolas, you are the most beautiful elf I have ever seen," replied Aragorn fervently. Legolas reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair off of the ranger's face. The human captured the elf's hand in his own and smiled.

"Legolas, it is truly a shame that I cannot perform the same service for you, so this shall have to do. Aragorn gently pressed his lips to the back of Legolas' hand. Legolas shifted position so he was almost leaning on the human.

"Aragorn, it is your turn to keep watch." The human laughed at this. He remained where he was, ears alert for any sound out of place. He heard Gimli shifting in his sleep, small animals scurrying in the grass, but nothing unusual. He didn't realize when, but he soon fell asleep.

Next day

When Aragorn woke, he thought he had been sleeping on hard ground. Instead, he felt as if he had slept in a feather-bed, which feeling was very out of place, as he knew where he should be and what he should be doing; keeping watch. Then he discovered the rather odd fact that he was held by a pair of thin and startlingly strong arms.

/Oh. I must have fallen asleep while on watch./ This was confirmed when he discovered that he had in fact been sleeping sitting up, and was still in this position.

"I thought you would sleep forever, melleth nin." Both the words and the speaker startled him further awake, though he had thought he was fully aware.

/Eru, did Legolas just say what I think he said?/ "What did you say?" he inquired, attempting to sound normal.

"Why, what did you think I said?" Legolas asked with feigned innocence. "I said exactly what you thought I said, melleth nin. Now get up." The elf gracefully rose to his feet, pulling the human with him. "Come, let us wake Gimli. It will not do for him to sleep the whole morning.

That night

Gimli was worried about his two companions. They had both been extremely distracted the entire day. While Aragorn and Legolas were both good friends, they had not spoken since the day before. He supposed that they had quarreled during the night. Not wanting what remained of the Fellowship to be separated, he resolved to confront Aragorn about his silence.

Melleth nin = My love
Vana = Fair, beautiful