~ The lovebirds are united again. Let there be Much Fluff ™  ~

64. An Elvish Wedding

Wynne spotted Legolas from a long distance. He seemed to be waiting for her, impatiently walking back and forth along the shore of the Anduin.

This was where they had first met so many months ago. That time she had been unwilling to come, today there was no reluctance in her pace whatsoever even though she had the exact same mission: to marry an elf.

She urged Vatna to increase her pace and the mare nearly flew across the shallow part of the river.

Legolas ran toward her and then past her to the other horse, throwing his arms around its chestnut neck. "Stelpa!" His voice was muffled by her fur.

"I knew you would miss the horse more than me!" Her grin nearly cleaved her face in halves. Oh how she loved him! She had almost forgotten how handsome he was.

With a happy laugh he came to her, taking her in his arms and twirling her around until she got dizzy.

"Let me down," she giggled. Thankfully her bruised ribs had stopped hurting during her journey here or his hard hug would have been painful.

He obeyed, and she clung to him, pulling his head down for a passionate kiss. He smelled so good, and his lips tasted so good, and she never wanted to be separated from him again.

At last they had to part and catch their breaths.

"How did your father take it?" she panted.

"Better than I had expected. The only casualties were a few wine glasses."

They kissed again and again, starved for each other after such a long time apart, tumbling down onto the grass without caring if their clothes became stained or their hose ripped.

Wynne roamed his back and shoulders with her fingers and then slipped them under his tunic and undershirt so she could delight in the feel of his silky skin and hard frame.

He caressed her hair, combing through it with his fingers. The touch sent shivers down her spine.

"Let me plait your hair." His voice was husky.

She nodded her consent. Before she met him she would never have thought a request to do someone's hair could sound so sensual.

He made one braid on each of her temples, a lot more intricate than those he had done before. While he was busy she scrutinized every inch of his beautiful face, still finding it hard to believe she had made it. They had made it.

When finished, Legolas did his own hair in the same pattern. "There. This means we are betrothed. I should have given you a ring too, but what with all the hurry..."

"I don't need a ring, all I need is you." She smiled giddily and gave him a sloppy kiss. "Thank you. So... what happens next?"

"We marry?" He looked hopeful.

"Here? Now? There are no witnesses or anything."

He smirked cheekily. "I prefer to have no witnesses."

It struck Wynne she had no idea how elves wed. "What is an elf wedding like? How is it done?"

"You want me to tell you?" His grin was wider now and there definitely was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She began to have certain suspicions. "Please, do tell."

"Well you see... when an elf really loves a woman–"

"I get it," she interrupted with a giggle. "You just mate. Like horses."

He feigned a shocked expression. "Not like horses, I shall hope."

The thought of finally being intimate gave her an expectant throb. She moved closer to kiss him again, but then hesitated. "We can't make a baby. Mother would ruin everything."

"I know, I will not let it happen." He winked. "Like you once said, I do not even like children."

"Me neither, glad we're not having any. We can have foals instead."

"And saplings?"

"Yes, Legolas, we can have saplings too."

"Good. I would choose a tree over a baby every time."

oOo

Though simple, their wedding became a lot like such occasions tend to be: slightly nervous, even awkward at times, but also fun, romantic – and sensual. And of course, not everything went as planned.

When they had made their vows and invoked Eru Ilúvatar, the creator – that had to be repeated several times because Wynne couldn't pronounce the foreign words correctly – Legolas placed his cloak on the ground for them to lay on.

A thought struck Wynne. "I don't really know how this is done," she admitted, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Neither do I. I am sure we will figure it out." He smiled at her embarrassment. "I have the basic idea, anyway. There was this Haradrim book in my father's library, with illustrations and everything. Very informative." He covered her neck in light pecks and started to unbutton the front of her tunic.

"That sounds like an interesting book. Do you think he would let us borrow it?" She helped him pull off his shirt, taking in his amazing chest. He was no less beautiful with his faint spear scar and she reached out to touch it.

"Never. He hates lending books. Says people return them with dog-ears." He popped the last button of her tunic open and pulled it off, and then did the same with her chemise. "Finally," he breathed, eyes hungrily devouring her topless body.

"Argh!" she yelled. "Ants!"

She was on her feet in a second, jumping around, frantically swapping at the angry insects. "Don't laugh! I hate ants." She quickly pulled down her hose and threw them away, and before stopping to think, she removed her underpants as well. His quick intake of breath made her realize what she had done.

"Sweet Elbereth!" He closed the distance between them in one step and pulled her to him, giving her an intense kiss as his hands found their way to her naked hips.

"Are the ants gone?" she murmured against his lips.

"I can help you check." He grinned naughtily and held her at an arm's length, eyes slowly trailing over her from head to toe.

She knew she must be blushing, but having him observe her naked body with such obvious desire was also extremely arousing.

"I cannot see any, but I am not entirely sure... l need to look at your backside, too."

"This is unfair." Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears as she slowly twirled before him. "You wear more."

"I shall remedy that." Still with his gaze locked to her body, he clumsily peeled off his remaining garments.

Wynne's eyes were drawn to the most curious part of him and she almost stopped breathing. He was so beautiful, every inch of his body was, even that part and now she wanted to have him close, touch him, feel him inside her.

Legolas found a new spot for his cloak and gently pushed her down on it, partly covering her body with his. "I have wanted to do this for so long." His eyes burned with desire.

They probably matched her own, because she was on fire too. "So take me," she challenged, pressing herself against him, skin against skin. The feeling was indescribable.

He replied with another kiss, his tongue tickling her lip until she opened her mouth to let it in.

Then he froze mid-kiss, eyes growing wide as he caught sight of something beside her. "Ai!" He flinched and rolled off her.

"What?" She turned to see a small spider walking beside her head. "That scared you?" She laughed at his foolish look.

"Donlikespiders," he mumbled.

"But that's tiny."

"It looked bigger up close."

They moved Legolas' cloak to a third spot, then to a fourth.

"Any ants?" Spiders? Pine needles? Sharp stones?" she asked tiredly when they tried a fifth location.

"Nay to all four."

"I miss beds," she lamented. "Now, where were we?"

"I was going to take you."

That time there were no interruptions and as he finally came into her she felt complete, like she had received a missing part of herself she had not even known she lacked. This was meant to be, they were meant to be.

"I love you so much," she breathed.

He answered something inarticulate and soon she lost all coherent thought too. Her focus went inward, her world narrowing down to what was happening between them. Their bodies moving in unison, his hand caressing her breast, her fingers in his hair, their desire, their love.

When it was over a short while later, Legolas' eyes were large and filled with wonder. "That was... I cannot even describe it." Then he looked slightly worried. "Did you like it? Was I good?"

"Like it? I loved every second. And you are better than good, you are perfect."

"Oh Wynne, you are an amazing woman," he burst out. "Is it even possible to love someone this much? My heart hurts."

Wynne's heart hurt too, and her eyes stung like she was going to cry. She kissed him, tenderly and slowly, pushing his tousled hair and messed up braids back from his temples. "I am so happy," she breathed.

Then she rested her head on his chest, still slightly damp with perspiration, smelling his familiar scent and hearing his heartbeat slow down to its normal, steady pace.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close while the sun set and the sky turned pink.

Wynne had never felt more loved, never more calm and safe.

oOo

"Legolas?"

"Aye?"

"Maybe we should do it twice, you know, just for good measure."

"I think you are right. One cannot be careless with important occasions such as weddings. They must be performed thoroughly." He turned to look at her, a spark of excitement returning to his eyes. "Just let me catch my breath, will you?"

"Don't be too long at it." She nestled herself closer. "What, aren't you a warrior? You should not tire so easily." She stroked his strong arm admiringly.

oOo

The following morning, Wynne stretched her stiff limbs, blinking in the glaring morning sun. A crow's beady eye observed her from a nearby branch. "You. You woke me up." She scowled at it.

She sat, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It had been a late night.

It was Legolas' fault, he had kept her busy until the sky got rose-tinted with the rising sun. Well, not only his fault, she had initiated it after all.

The blankets were soaked with dew, and were those earwigs under her pillow? Ew! Why had she not thought of bringing a tent? Sleeping in the open was horrible. And cold. She had to stay fully dressed, despite the blanket.

A splash from the river drew her attention. Legolas was up early as usual, washing his hair in the middle of the stream. In the morning light it shone like molten gold.

Her husband was so beautiful it hurt.

Her husband. Her. Husband. She still had to remind herself he was finally hers.

But why was he wearing his shirt? Nobody would see him out here in the wilderness, except for that crow perhaps, or the occasional black swan. Somebody ought to remedy that. And with somebody she meant herself, of course.

With slow, willing steps she proceeded toward the elf, starting to unbutton her tunic as she went. "Good morning, Leggy!"

He looked up, smiling. "I told you not to call me that."

"So what then... Legs perhaps?"

He smirked. "No way. I am more than just a pair of good looking legs."

"Indeed you are. I like many of the parts above your legs!" She had hoped for a blush but there was none. Instead his smile waned and his gaze grew intense.

"How about... Lego?" She pulled off her tunic and threw it in a messy heap on the river beach. "I like the sound of that. The fierce Lego Warrior!"

"Nay." He approached her slowly, wading through the waist deep water. She rolled down her hose and stepped out of them.

"I could call you Laddie like Gimli." In a smooth movement she slid off her chemise and tossed it behind her.

"Absolutely not."

"Now you sounded almost exactly like your father." She removed her underpants and walked into the silky water, whimpering playfully at the coldness.

"I am probably related to him somehow."

"Possibly. No lake monsters around?"

"This is a river."

"True! Let me get that for you." She gripped the hem of his shirt and helped him shrug out of it. He pulled off his linen underpants and hurled both garments ashore. His shirt fell partly in the water, but neither of them cared.

Wynne stepped into his arms. While he trailed kisses down her neck, she caressed his muscular back and arms. Then she let her fingers travel up to the shoulder, and further, tracing his jawline to the ears. She pinched and massaged his earlobe and enjoyed the resulting hoarse grunt.

"The Valar help me... Where did you learn that trick?"

"I just have a knack for this, I guess."

He lifted her up, balancing her with one hand under her bottom and the other cupping her breast, softly rubbing her nipple with his thumb. Then he bent down and circled it with his tongue.

"Where did you learn that trick then?" she panted. She buried her fingers in the wet, golden strands of his hair.

"Trial and error. You seemed to like it yesterday? Besides, it was in that book."

"It sure is fun to learn new things."

"Very."

He carried her out deeper and she leant back to float on the water, her hands in his with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"This was a new one," he remarked. "I like your legs around me. Makes me feel like a meara."

Wynne didn't reply, only tightened the grip, willing him to come closer. As close as it was possible for two people to be.

And that he did.

For some reason, their journey to Ithilien took several weeks longer than usual.

A/N:

So, finally they got each other. :) This was by far the fluffiest scene I ever wrote. Hope you enjoyed it!

I'm amazed by all kind support I have received while writing this story. I can't express how much it means to me. I'm really grateful! ♡

Dedication:

This chapter is dedicated to Raider-k, my American pseudo twin! ;) A brilliant writer whose stories I can really recommend. She helped beta-read the river scene, and has repeatedly cheered me on along the way. Big hug! ♡♡♡