Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit-Imagines and Oneshots

Legolas- Bruises (modern AU)

Trigger warning: scenes of abuse and injury

You swung the gates of the farm open, dead leaves crunching under your boots. A morning breeze swept down the hill as you walked back up the trail towards the shop. You shivered and hugged your arms around yourself. 

Legolas could be seen in the distance swinging bales of hay onto the wagon for hay rides later today. The hay had to be switched out every now and then, and because he had those strong arms and broad shoulders, he was the perfect man for the job. And you certainly didn't mind watching. 

You quickly turned away when you realized you had been staring too long. You had a boyfriend, you reminded yourself. Catching feelings for someone else would not help your current situation, either. 

"(Y/n)!" You heard someone call. You looked and saw Legolas waving his arms wide to get your attention, a joyous smile on his face. He had spotted you. You smiled and waved back. 

The shop was a refurbished old red barn nearby the parking lot of the farm that was owned by Legolas's aunt and uncle, though they didn't live on the same property. This farm had been in their family for generations, and had just about everything you could want on it: animals, orchards, watermelon and pumpkin patches, etc. It had been your home away from home for the past two years you had been working here. Your job was mostly to take care of the shop-- keep it seasonally decorated, sell the homemade products, and be a warm, welcoming face for the thousands of visitors that came every year. 

You unlocked the barn and stepped inside, inhaling the warm, spicy scent. You plugged in the lights and lit the candles, setting the calm fall ambiance for the day. As you made your way to the cash register, you passed a rustic mirror and stopped.

You looked so pale. I should've made the time to put on make up this morning. You didn't think it would've been necessary after a full six hours of sleep-- that was a lot for you these days. You tilted your head up to see the mark on your neck and collar. Hickeys, scratches, and little bruises decorated your skin, though it wasn't as bad as usual today. You sighed and adjusted your scarf before getting on with your job.  

You started up the coffee maker and tidied up the counter as the sweet smell of pumpkin spice latte filled the barn. As you reached across the counter to place a pencil in a jar, your sleeve got pulled up just enough to see the bruises around your wrists. Just then, Legolas barged through the doors and you quickly pulled your sleeve back down.

"Look what I found!" he said. 

Before he could get any closer, you snapped at him. "Legolas, muddy boots!"

His smile dropped and he looked at his boots that were clunky with mud. He stepped outside of the barn and stomped and scraped them on the gravel floor before reentering and smiling again.

"Thank you," you said, "I did not want to vacuum again so soon."

He walked up to you and stood closer than a coworker probably should, and you knew he knew it. He held up a (f/c) wildflower. 

"For you, my lady," he said sweetly. 

You gasped and took it from him carefully. "I thought this kind was gone for the year!"

"Then this one must be the last of the season," he said as you rolled the stem between your fingers. "I remember you said they were your favorite."

Your heart fluttered. How did he always remember the things about you that you didn't even remember sharing?

"Why thank you," you said with a genuine smile, which made his smile even bigger. "I love it."

"I'm glad. May I?" he asked. You hesitated, but when you realized what he was asking, you handed him back the flower and kept your head angled a bit low so he wouldn't see anything he shouldn't while he slid the stem over your ear.