And I'd give up forever to touch you. They stood together on Cerin Amroth. In front of his eyes she gave up everything for him. In front of his eyes, the whole world began to unravel...
The inevitable that had hung over Aragorn for years had finally fought its way through the layers of denial and confusion, which entwined through his heart. After the laborious thoughts spanning over the time of a hundred moons, one conclusion had finally been drawn. Opening his eyes, he looked around the small room. It was darkening outside, the stars shone in their magnificent beauty against the velvet sky. A merry fire sang in the grate and a homely soft bed stood nearby. But even at the prancing pony, a place the man knew well, no comfort could be found. A swirling cauldron of emotion twisted in his gut. He felt anxious and alone, confused and empty. Depression wrapped its ugly cloak around him. So he did what men always see fit to do in these situations. Went to get a drink.
The words burned in his mind. True Love. You can fall in love with anyone. As he had with Arwen. But it was a secondary love. No matter how it makes you feel nothing can rival that of finding the one. I know that you feel me somehow. Everybody has one true love, the love that survives even death. You know the first time you see them. You feel their presence before laying eyes on them, you would walk to the ends of the earth for them, and you would give your life to protect them"¦ It is not commonly found. Perhaps the two connected souls are not embodied in the same age of the earth, perhaps they are of conflicting backgrounds, or perhaps they do not travel far and wide enough to find one another. It is usual for people to fall in love and live happily, never experiencing the breathlessness of true, pure, perfect love.
As he sat observing the merriment of the prancing ponies customers, Aragorn still felt compelled to muse over his predicament. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be. If only he hadn't seen her first. His mind had ruled over his heart these past decades, through all the time they had spent together"¦and the painful time apart. It scared him to think that what he knew was redundant and there was a world of oblivion, which he had to journey into to discover the feelings that his mind had concealed so cunningly. Surly it would be better to stay with Arwen, whom he loved and was betrothed to. He had convinced himself that Arwen was the one. She was his first love, his only love...
It had been when he accompanied Gandalf in searching for Gollum that it had finally struck him. "We must find him soon, it is the only way..." Aragorn had despaired after many days of fruitless hunting. Stopping abruptly Gandalf turned to him, there seemed to be a new realisation in his eyes. "There is never only one, son of Arathorn!" With that Gandalf flew to Gondor, in search of Isildur's account of the ring and their paths were separated. So it came to be on this night, that as yet seemed to hold no special significance to the world, that Isildur's heir finally admitted to himself he was in love with the Prince of Mirkwood.
And I don't want to go home right now. A new feeling settled down on the shoulders of the man now. He knew that he could not keep up the pretence of not loving the Elven Prince. But he could not face hurting Arwen. How could he speak of this news to Elrond? What of Legolas himself, surely it is impossible for two of the high kindred to fall in love with the same mortal man? But when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. A sense of relief filtered through the curtain of doubt. The struggle between his head and his soul had finally been laid to rest. It had tormented him for long years, since that day on Cerin Amroth. As the words left her lips he felt as if an iron fist had clamped around his heart, trapping him. But his mind had sworn love to Arwen, eternally.
And I don't want the world to see me. Aragorn was shaken from his thoughts by the arrival of four halflings. He had heard of the threat they carried, but was glad of the distraction. For hours he watched them carefully, banishing all thoughts of heartache to the back of his mind. It was not until Mr 'Underhill' as he called himself, got up onto a table and began to sing that Aragorn began to feel uneasy. As the hobbit fell from the table after a particularly exaggerated movement that accompanied his song, he closed his eyes in a silent grimace. When the hobbit appeared again it was in the very corner the man sat. And with a slight sharpness in his tone he asked Mr Baggins if he would mind having a word with him. Which the hobbit agreed to do. Later.
Dawn broke across Bree. Aragorn sat at the window as he watched light transform the small town. It had been a long night. He had revealed his true identity to the hobbits and prevented the Nazgul from killing them. A letter from Gandalf had finally reached the hobbit that carried the ring, Frodo. He would take them to Rivendell. His gut squirmed. Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
Aragorn arrived in Imladris with only Merry, Pippin and Sam. Frodo had been injured during an attack from the Nazgul. Glorfindel (an Elf from Elrond's house) had found them in the wild, and taken Frodo ahead to the healing skills of the elves. He found Arwen — or rather Arwen found him, near a waterfall as dusk fell. They spoke briefly, and then she left him to his thoughts. She knew something was wrong. Maybe she put it down to the threat of the ring. Maybe she wanted to put it down to the threat of the ring. When everything's made to be broken.
He went to the quarters where he slept and lay upon the soft elven bed. He almost drifted into a gentle sleep but his body nor his mind would relax. Suddenly he sat up and crossed the room to the window. Legolas was riding up through the gate of Rivendell. Somehow, Aragorn had anticipated this. But that had not made the eventuality any easier. He sunk down onto the floor and put his head in his hands. Occasionally hopes that Arwen could understand chased each other around his mind. He stood up and shook his head. Taking a deep breath, he left the room. Something needed to be done.
On his way to find her, Aragorn saw him. He stood alone by the same waterfall the man himself had just hours before. Silver moonlight danced across his pale skin, his hair stirred in the soft wind. Aragorn turned quickly and headed in the other direction, almost immediately walking into Arwen. She looked from him to the figure by the waterfall behind him with sadness crystallised in her beautiful eyes. Taking a deep breath, he was ready to launch into a speech of great passion. But Arwen held her hand to his lips and shook her head gently. Aragorn looked to the ground as tears began to form in his eyes. He looked up into her face, where a kind smile had formed. She put her head on his shoulder, and his arms encompassed her in one last embrace. I just want you to know who I am.
And all I can taste is this moment. Days had passed since Aragorn and Arwen had parted. It was a strange sensation, one the man was not too sure he liked. Plus the iron fist that held his heart captive persisted. Talk to Legolas — it was impossible. They had been friends for long years. And to be friends was not only important to Aragorn, but he felt it was essential. The beauty of the Prince made him appreciate life, the skill of his bow was inspiring, the love he placed in the world around him was... No. It was impossible. And all I can breathe is your life.
It was dark. Rain lashed down upon the quiet calm of Rivendell. Aragorn stood alone by a window watching the water, imagining it washing away all his doubts and fears. Then he went outside into the open, allowing nature to drench him and cleanse him of all the negativity that clouded his mind. He began to run. Forcing all his energy into the movements, he ran into the forests that surrounded the secret valley. It felt good, a sense of freedom was connected with the straining muscles and pumping blood. For miles he pushed and pushed. Until all his energy had left him, until all his thoughts were blurred, until he was in a separate world where nothing could touch him. Not heartache, not fear, not pain. He collapsed on the soft bracken floor inhaling deeply, allowing the world to wash over him in a sea of unfocused images. He lay there until his breathing was once again even. Then he stood up and walked slowly through the still pouring rain back to his only real home. Cause sooner or later it's over.
As he walked through the gates of Imladris he could feel the presence of the Elven Prince close to him. He slowed to a halt, considering going to talk to his friend. Though it seemed that it was not his choice. No sooner had the man stopped; he was pulled out of the stinging cold into a small room near the gates. Where he looked into the deep eyes of Legolas. I just don't wanna miss you tonight.
In that moment, the entire world changed. It was almost like their contact had sparked a reaction that affected all their surroundings. But what was happening, the man could not tell. As their eyes connected, all breath escaped from his body and the cold fist seemed to loosen its grip. Slowly, as the summer sun melts away the frost of winter, the indefinable atmosphere between the two friends settled into understanding. One true love... when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Legolas put his head on one side and gracefully brushed the wet hair out of Aragorn's eyes. The man turned his head to lightly kiss the Elf's fingers. When their lips met the sweet music of nature embraced them. Legolas nuzzled his forehead against Aragorn's cheek. "Amin mela lle" He whispered softly.
"Amin mela lle," replied his one true love.
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Story notes: Well, theres nothing too original but i wanted to submit a fic as a tribute (albeit a pretty bad tribute) to tolkien cause its his eleventy first birthday today. (Well on the day I'm submitting it) Hooray for him!!!
