Picture Drabbles

Thranduil

The red leaves stirred beneath your feet as you strode through the misty forest. It was unusual for it to be so vivid this time of year and did nothing to ease the growing of dread in your heart, the colour too reminiscent of blood, to close to what you had witnessed too many times from your own people in the many wars.

Shuddering, you chase away the memory and keep your gaze on the figure that was just ahead.

It felt like you had been following Thranduil for a long time now, although why, you couldn't quite recall. Perhaps it was curiosity? Perhaps something else? But here you were, in a place of memory, following the man you loved.

You stilled as he stopped a few feet from you and watched as his shoulders seemed to sink in a silent sigh.

"You should not have come." He said quietly.

"Why?" You asked, wanting to understand.

Thranduil turned, his gaze sad, his blue eyes dulled with pain. "Because I cannot put you through this."

You frowned but neither of you closed the distance to the other. "I am here because I want to be. Nothing you could say or do will change that."

Thranduil closes his eyes for a moment and you watch as he thinks.

Finally, he looks at you again. "Forget about me. I will do nothing but hurt you." He paused. "That is all I have done to those around me."

"No." The word was out of your mouth before you even realised it. "I could never Thranduil, and will never, and you know that that is not true."

He breaks away and stares at the leaves covering the ground. "Can you not see it? I did this."

"Thranduil..."

"No." He said bitterly, desperately. "I did this."

You stepped forward to cup his cheek, bringing his gaze back to yours. "You cannot keep bearing this guilt. You were defending your home, your pride, your right as king. This is not on you Thranduil. We all knew what we were going into."

He shuddered and held your hand to him, closing his eyes. "I don't think you understand. I love you." He let out a slow breath. "I cannot put you through this. I cannot let you be with me."

"And yet here I am." You said gently. "Thranduil, no matter what you say, you cannot convince me to leave. As I said, I am here because I want to be." You take his face between your hands, pressing your foreheads together. "I love you too and that means we are together in this, no matter the end."

With a noise that was caught between a whimper and a groan, Thranduil pressed his lips to yours, waking you from the dream.

Your eyes fluttered open to meet his blue ones and he brushed the hair from your face.

"You were dreaming again." He mumbled softly. "I am sorry I weigh so heavily upon you."

With a smile, you move closer to him, resting your hand over his heart. "You do not. I am right here and here I shall stay."

His arms wrap around you, pulling your firmly against him and he pressed kisses into your hair. "For which I shall be eternally grateful. I love you Y/N."

"And I you, Thranduil." You closed your eyes as his fingers brushed through your hair.

"There are no red leaves here." He said so softly that you almost missed it, but it made you smile as you drifted back into sleep knowing that maybe, things were weighing on him a little less now that he knew you would stay.