Tolkien One-Shots Book 2!

Training (Haldir x fem!reader)

Haldir sat in silence for a moment as he contemplated your request. You sat across from him while you waited for his answer. Your request for some combat/defense training had come as a surprise, but Haldir couldn't deny that the idea intrigued him. He had been wanting to find a way to get closer to you, but he had been too shy to say anything thus far. He wasn't exactly good with feelings. Elves rarely were. Maybe this was his best bet to finally loosen up and let his feelings for you be known.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," he finally replied and you clapped your hands in glee. "Thank you, Haldir!" Haldir shook his head fondly as you darted off to get ready. The March Warden couldn't remember how or even when he began to develop feelings for you. It was strange to say the least. Many elves never got to meet the one their soul sang to and at first, Haldir denied that's what was happening.

It wasn't until weeks after he discovered his feelings that he finally accepted it. You were the one his soul and heart called out for. He hoped you felt the same, but as a human female, you weren't likely to feel the pull very much if at all. You did seem to like spending time around Haldir and at least now Haldir had a legitimate excuse to spend time with you without drawing too much attention.

*time skip*

"Again," you panted. The elf you were training with under Haldir's supervision glanced back at the March Warden. Haldir merely gave a nod of his head. He had taught you the basics one-on-one, but the best way to test if you had learned was to pit you against someone else. Haldir observed and then corrected you when necessary. You had already grown stronger.

When you had taken down your opponent, a wide grin spread across your face. "Thank you," you told the other elf before turning to Haldir. Haldir's heart skipped a beat when you beamed up at him. That smile always sent his heart racing. "When do you think I will be able to challenge you, Haldir?" you asked him when he approached you. His brows rose in surprise. "You want to challenge me?"

"Of course. What better way to properly gauge my progress than by sparring with the one training me?" Haldir pondered for a moment. There was some logic in what you were saying. "Very well." You nearly jumped for joy and Haldir had to bite back a chuckle at your enthusiasm. "Tomorrow. You've worked hard today and need your rest." Your smile fell for a moment, but you instantly brightened. "Alright. Tomorrow then. Goodnight, Haldir." He bid you goodnight and left you wondering how he was going to get through tomorrow without confessing his feelings.

It came as no surprise to Haldir when he found you already waiting for him the next morning. You were practically bouncing on the balls of your feet and your lips were stretched into a smile. "Good morning, Haldir!" you greeted. Haldir nearly laughed. No one was ever this enthusiastic to see him. Haldir has asked his brothers about it and they told him they were certain it was because you returned his feelings.

After your initial greeting, you instantly got a serious look on your face. "Do not hold back, alright?" you asked him. Haldir nodded and, without warning, moved to strike. You barely had time to block his blow. You gazed up at him with wide eyes, almost making him feel guilty. Almost. You had asked to spar with him and for him not to hold back. You were toying with him to see if he would listen.

Haldir arched a brow at your tactic. When you realized he knew what you were up to, a sly smirk made its way to your lips. "Had to try," you said before moving to attack. Haldir was quicker than you were and had many, many years of training over you so he blocked. You smiled widely, but didn't relent. To Haldir's surprise, you lasted much longer than he thought you would. You hadn't been training for very long. He was also so proud of your progress so when he finally trapped you against him, he was far from disappointed.

"You've done well," he whispered. You gave a sad little laugh. "But I lost." Haldir did chuckle at that. "You still succeeded. Do you feel as if you've failed?" You paused for a moment and Haldir practically see the thoughts running through your head. He felt your body tense a little and heat up as you realized the position you were in.

"No," you finally answered in a voice so soft he almost missed it. "Then you did not fail. You are learning. You've lasted longer against me than many have." You smiled again. "Thank you, Haldir." Haldir realized that he was still holding you against him, his shield in front of you so you couldn't really move. He let you go. It seemed as though you didn't want to move as you slowly stepped away to face him.

Haldir wasn't sure what snapped in his brain. He really wasn't. The thought of you being so far away(you weren't) set something off in him. The overwhelming urge to say something, ANYTHING, to you about how he felt was bubbling up before he could stop it. That was the one thing about elves that many people didn't understand. They felt things much more deeply than humans. That's why they seemed so stoic. They felt everything a thousand times more and if they didn't remain calm, the world would have no idea how to handle the depth of feelings coming from the race of the elves.

Something must have shown on Haldir's face because you asked him if he was alright. His eyes met yours and he just couldn't stop himself. He reached out to take you hand, pausing a moment to make certain you were alright with his actions. You didn't move away so he stepped closer again. Again, you remained still. Haldir whispered something in Elvish and you sighed. "Haldir, you know I only understand a bit of Elvish," you chided in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"I love you," he repeated in the Common Tongue. Your eyes widened in surprise. "I-I-You do?" You were so close that if Haldir breathed deeply, your bodies would touch again. "I do," he replied. After a moment, that soft smile Haldir adored came to your lips. "I think I love you too. I know Elves aren't always keen on physical affection, but may I kiss you?" Instead of answering out loud, Haldir leaned in and captured your lips with his.