At a Glance by Shaz

Aragorn's POV

"It's you Legolas."

I said it. I cannot believe I finally said it after all this time.

I pour my heart out to him. "I love you Legolas, I have always loved you I just never realised just how much until I saw you again at the council."

"I get so jealous when others look at you, and they do look at you Legolas, I have seen them all, male and female and I cannot stand it."

"I want us to be together."

His face is blank.

Oh no maybe I should not have told him, he will hate me now I just know it. He does not want me. He is a Elf prince only a beautiful Elfin princess would be worthy of him, not a man, king or no.

I cannot look at his blank expression any longer I should never have told him my feelings.

I feel the tears begin to gather in my eyes, I cannot let him see me cry because of him so I lower my head and try to fight them back.

Why hasn't he said anything?

The silence is intolerable, even the stream seems to have stopped flowing. I cannot stand it any longer!

I get up and take one more look at him before I leave, before he can reject me.

He still has not moved

I should have known better.

How could I have been so foolish?




Legolas' POV

Aragorn loves me? How can this be? How can he love me? What about Arwen?

I watch his lips move but I do not hear the words they are forming for the sound of the stream is rushing through my head like a waterfall. I try to answer him but find I cannot.

He is waiting for me to say something, there is hope in his eyes but I still cannot answer. I want to tell him I feel the same that if it were possible I would gladly give up my immortality for him so we could spend the rest of our lives together.

He lowers his head again; this time I can clearly read the emotion he is tying to hide.

Grief.

I want to hold him and tell him it will be all right but I cannot move any part of my body. All I can do is sit and watch him slowly fall apart. I cannot even close my eyes. He gets up to leave. I want to stop him; I want to reach for him to hold him tight and never let go. He is leaving now; it breaks my heart to see him in such a way but I cannot force myself to stop him from leaving.

I can no longer sense his presence and I find that I can now get up.

What is wrong with me?

I close my eyes trying to stop the tears I can feel in my eyes from flowing but it does no good and I feel them slowly tracing down my cheeks. I do not wipe them away.

Only now I can faintly whisper "I love you too Aragorn."




Aragorn's POV

I'm not too far from camp now. I must get a hold of myself...they cannot see me like this. I stop and take a few deep breaths and try to wipe the tears from my eyes. If only the people of Gondor could see me now, their king crying over being rejected by an Elf!

The last of my tears have been shed and I dry my eyes ready to face the others.

Frodo looks up at me as I walk wearily into camp. "Where is the firewood?" he asks

The firewood! I completely forgot about it! I quickly look for an explanation as to why I haven't done what I set out to do in the first place. "I realised we don't really need any, it would just be a burden to carry and we are not staying here longer than tonight anyway." It was a poor excuse but to seams to have worked.

The little hobbit nods and walks over to his bedroll and sits down next to Sam. I look to my own bedroll; it is next to Legolas'.

He is not back yet.

I no longer feel tired; I do not wish to be near him if I can help it. I feel like a fool.

I decide to volunteer for first watch, the only watch of the night for I do not intend to wake anyone tonight, I would rather be left to my thoughts.

Gandalf calls to me. He is still sitting on the same tree root he was on when I left. I go to him and sit down next to him.

He stops smoking his pipe and looks at me in the eye. "What grieves you Aragorn?"

I am getting sick of people asking me that question tonight so I come up with an explanation I'm sure he expects to hear.

"I miss Arwen." I answer quickly.

The wizard gives me a curious look from under his hat. "Are you sure that is the answer in your heart?"

My eyes widen. Does he know?

"Do you by any chance know where our Elf is Aragorn? I wish to speak with him about Moria, he is worried about entering those mines and I would like to know why."

"You two are quite close, you wouldn't happen to know what it is about Moria he fears do you?"

The last person I want to talk about tonight is Legolas.

"I do not know where he is Gandalf but I am sure he will be back soon enough, I will take first watch."

I get up and go to tend to the small fire.

The hobbits, Boromir and Gimli are now all sound asleep and soon enough Gandalf settles down and after a while I can hear his even breathing, signifying he is also asleep.

Now that I am left alone to my thoughts I cannot stop the tears from falling once again.

Why does it hurt so much?




Legolas' POV

How long have I been standing here? Too long. I had better head back; I will be needed for the watch.

I start to jog back to camp, Aragorn's words never leaving my mind or the look on his face when he thought I rejected him. I will make it better, I will tell him how I feel and all will be well again. I hope.

Long before I reach the camp I can hear someone quietly crying so as not to wake the others. It is Aragorn. I run faster.

I get within a few feet of the outskirts of the camp when the excruciating pain suddenly hits me. It starts in my chest and spreads throughout my body. I silently gasp and fall to the ground, darkness claiming me before I can call out.
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