The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

Farewell

Elrond POV

"Have you seen Legolas?", he asked me. His face was emotionless, but I knew him for too long that I didn't know what he felt. 

"He is in his room. Will you see him now?", I replied. Aragorn turned around at once, but I took his sleeve and stopped him. "You should wait until he returns, I think it may not be the best time for him to see you."

"I need to talk to him", was the only thing Aragorn said, his voice silent and drained, his eyes filled with worry. 

"He is leaving", I told him. 

"No."

It was just a whisper, but an elf hears even whispers. I looked the man in the eye, to state my point, that he shouldn't visit Legolas right now. It wouldn't be a good idea. I don't think that a conversation between the two of them would work, Legolas was too upset and it would turn into a fight soon enough. And also, I needed to talk to Aragorn myself. What had happened when he and my daughter where away?

"Tell me what happened", I demanded. 

Aragorn's shoulders sagged and he seemed to shrink together. I had never seen him like that before and it made me worried. Surely nothing that bad could have happened, could it?

"We kissed", was all he said. When I continued to look at him, he unwillingly added: "Arwen and I. She lent over from her horse and we shared a short kiss. I must assure you that it was not inappropriate, at least not very much. But Legolas saw us."

"Did you like it?"

He didn't answer, but studied his hands to avoid eye contact.

"Aragorn, you must answer me!", I reprimanded him. 

"Yes."

This was not good. Not good at all. Not for my daughter, not for Aragorn and not for Legolas. The little hope I had had left, that we could all just forget what happened if Aragorn sorted it out with Legolas disappeared. I looked out the window. Now was the time for me to use some of my skills to read Aragorn's mind. Maybe if I knew his feelings I would be able to solve the problem. 

The amount of feelings and thoughts that hit me as I entered his mind was overwhelming. I have not often before seen such feelings, like the ones he felt for Legolas. They were so strong that it felt like they entered my head too, but they were pushed underneath the surface by his feelings of friendship with Arwen. He loved her, as much I could see, but it was a love of friendship. Still, he confused it with something else, that made him confuse his feelings for Legolas too. The only thing he knew for sure was that he needed to apologize to him. He wanted him to stay. 

Aragorn loved Legolas. But I was worried for Arwen. This was complicated, for all of us.

Aragorn POV

When Elrond finally let me go I felt drained on all energy. He had read my mind, I had felt him there, but I didn't blame him for it. At least I didn't have to explain my feelings to him, when I didn't even get a hold of them myself. 

I knocked on the large wooden door, before I opened it. Legolas was lying on the bed, his face away from me and looking out the window. I closed the door behind me, but stayed right there.

"I'm sorry", I whispered. "Please forgive me, Legolas!"

He turned around and sat up. His eyes were red and I could see he had been crying. But now his expression was dark, like I had never seen him before. This sight made my eyes almost water, too, but then he spoke and I shut down the tears.

"Don't be", he said in a low voice, that made me shiver. He sounded so hurt, and I knew it was my fault. "Our fates decide that we shall not see each other again. Our paths most likely are destined to never cross again, so you can do whatever pleases you, as long as you respect other people's lives. But you have shown me, that friends are not important to you, and you don't care about the feelings of others. I am sorry for thinking otherwise."

Each word hit me like a knife in my chest and it was worse than actually being stabbed by orcs. I had been so stupid. I had thrown away a friendship that meant more to me than I would ever allow myself to believe, just because of a kiss that didn't even mean much to me. Life was so easy normally, even in battle with the darkest creatures, is had always been manageable, how could it be so hard right now?

"Farewell Aragorn, son of Arathorn. May your fate bring you happiness and joy and may you find a woman you love and whom you will live a wonderful life with. We will not meet again."

Legolas stood up and walked to the window, facing his back to me. 

"No. Don't go, please", I begged him. The tears had started falling onto my cheeks, but I couldn't stop them, I didn't even want to. "I have done wrong, I shouldn't have let her kiss me. Legolas, you must understand! I would never hurt you!"

"And yet you have done so", came a silent answer from him. A sob escaped my lips, and he turned around to face me again, another expression on his face now. It was not angry, but sad, and filled with love, and I knew he started to understand what I was trying to tell him.

"I have never felt so much for another before", I continued. "I couldn't control my feelings, and I still can't as you can see."

A small smile crept onto his face. 

"I first needed to figure it out, but now I can see clearly again. I love you, Legolas. Don't leave me!"

His face froze, then he spoke:

"Don't say it if you don't mean it."

"I do mean it! I love you! Please, believe me!"

He closed his eyes, and a tear ran down his cheek. Finally I stepped forward and closed my arms around him. Now that the realization hit him, he broke down again. I cupped his face in my hands and stroked his tears away with my thumbs. Then I kissed him once, on the lips.

"Believe me, I will make it good again, you just need to let me."

"I know you will", he whispered. "But I can't. I must leave. The time I have lost is too much already. Please go now, or I won't be able to return home and let you go."

No. Don't. I will make it right again. But he gently pushed me away and turned around again. 

"Please Aragorn. Leave."

And I left, because what should I have done? In that moment I left my heart behind, and I knew it would never be repaired. He was leaving and I would never see him again.