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“Surely the wizard could’ve found you some sort of information instead of passing you along to the hobbits.” Gimli scoffed, shaking his head. The fresh couple sat in a pair of armchairs pulled from different parts of Aragorn’s sitting room and shoved together as Legolas explained the series of events the two had missed in the last week.
“Possibly,” Legolas sighed as he leaned over the side of his own chair , further closing the distance between him and his future husband (a label that made his heart flutter every time it reappeared in his mind). “I suppose his words were true when he declared his annoyance over our coy conduct.” the elf mused.
“Gandalf is cryptic in many ways, but he is always sincere when voicing his irritation.” the ranger reminded his fellow walkers.
“Aye,” the dwarf agreed with a bit of reluctance, allowing a break in his response before chuckling to himself and turning to the elf, “but even with the unusual circumstance, was it really the best course of action to nominate Pippin of all our halfling friends?”
“That I will not take the blame for!” The elf began to fiercely defend himself, “There was no chance for me to partake in the preparations of such a scheme, they had left me out of that aspect without my knowledge and startled me with their strategy just as much as they did you.” Legolas slumped back into his chair and groaned, “Had I known they were to pull such an unorganized stunt, I would’ve been absent from the dining hall that night as well.”
“Do not dwell on the past Legolas, their antics yielded the desired results at the end of it all.” Aragorn advised, secretly wishing he was not so preoccupied with meetings for the opportunity to witness such a chaotic event. Standing from his chair, the future king made way for the door. “I am sorry to kick the newly betrothed out so soon, but I do have others to see. We will meet tonight for dinner, a small celebration in the private hall for your good news.” he stated, opening the door with one hand and gesturing for them to exit through it with the other.
“Yet another quick dismissal, though much more polite.” the dwarf teased on his way out.
“Why do I suspect that will be held over my head for a long while to come?” Legolas sighed before a mischievous smirk overtook his face, “Not that you could hold anything over my head, dwarf.” Aragorn closed the door behind them, silently laughing as he heard echoing of the dwarf’s loud resentment towards the jab.
The pair wandered down the stone streets, no real destination in mind as they enjoyed the newly rediscovered peace between them. Now that the restless tension had dissipated, the air around the two eased into a content state. There will be forthcoming trials to raise their concern, but in this moment, serenity overwhelmed their hearts and no threatening doom could rob them of it.
Legolas was abruptly pulled from his content daze as the dwarf roughly tugged his arm, dragging them into a half covered corner. Gimli once again grabbed the prince by the collar, bringing him down to the dwarf’s level and stole another kiss. Gimli’s grip forced the elf closer, causing Legolas to fall to one knee as their height became parallel.
After breaking away from their initial kiss, the prince giggled as his dwarf moved his hands to his face and began placing small pecks across the bridge of Legolas’s nose. The elf eyed a few citizens staring as they walked by and embarrassment started to bubble in his chest.
“Gimli, meleth nîn, they will see,” Legolas whispered against the gentle assault on his face. The dwarf paused his loving attack but kept their distance small.
“That one is new,” Gimli mumbled, pulling back with a grin and stroking the elf’s cheek with his thumb, “let them, I will have the world know what an alluring creation I have obtained. I have waited long enough to display my affections, and I will not wait a second more.”
“Impatient dwarf,” Legolas shook his head, “such a thing should not be done.”
The dwarf’s brow furrowed and an irked grunt escaped his throat, “surely you do not mean ever?”
“No, just don’t do it…outside,” the elf whispered, still eyeing the witnesses passing the couple, “this is rather inappropriate behavior for an elven prince.”
Gimli’s irritated gaze softened and finally released the prince from his grasp, “Aye, I understand. Forgive my eagerness, I will make better at remembering the discrete nature of my betrothed.”
Legolas waited for Gimli to allow him some space to stand, but his dwarf did not make the effort, only staring at the elf. “Gimli,” the prince tried to call the dwarf from his focus.
“I love you,” voice soft, Gimli let out a pleased sigh, “I realize I had not yet verbalized the feeling.” The dwarf leaned forward, gently resting his forehead against Legolas’s.
The prince pressed into the contact. “I love you.” he responded through a deep exhale, his body relaxed against the touch. Legolas felt a pang of disappointment the dwarf pulled away despite it resulting from his request. Gimli stepped back and permitted the elf to rise.
Legolas stumbled slightly as he stood, thrown off balance after hearing the dwarf whisper, “I would have thought you’d enjoy doing it outside.” Gimli laughed at the ungraceful display as the prince glared at him. The dwarf looked towards the sun then at the elf, “What time would you guess it? A little after noon?”
“I suppose.” Legolas answered in a short tone, still upset from the prior teasing.
“Great,” the dwarf grabbed his wrist and carted him through the open halls despite the elf’s protests. “Oh, does Your Highness not like being dragged around the city? My apologies, but I believe it is my turn!” the dwarf called back to Legolas with a laugh. They eventually stopped in front of a familiar room. Before knocking, Gimli smiled over his shoulder and simply stated, “We ought to give thanks where it is owed.”
Behind the wooden door stood Sam, wearing a nervous smile as his eyes darted between the couple, “Hello, friends. Please come inside.” The two entered and Gimli shot Legolas a discreet wink. The elf decided to hold back his words, waiting to see what his dwarf had planned. “What brings about the pleasure of your visit?” the hobbit asked cautiously.
“Ah, I was reminiscing of our prior conversation from a few nights ago. I was too quick to dismiss the potential match between our young Pippin and one of my kin. It was unkind. I would like to apologize, and offer my guidance.” The dwarf wore an exaggerated smile as he approached Pippin, the other hobbits and the wizard (who had visited for lunch) carefully eyeing him as he made way to his target. Legolas suppressed his smirk as he watched Gimli take his revenge.
“Oh, do not worry for me, Master Gimli.” Pippin assured, voice uneasy and gaze searching for help from his kin. “If you say it is not a fit, I will find love elsewhere.”
“Nonsense,” the dwarf said loudly, “I’ll be more than happy to transform you into a hobbit fitting for a dwarrowdam.” Gimli slowly circled the hobbit, pretending to inspect him. “First,” the dwarf lightly tugged a piece of Pippin’s hair, ignoring the small ‘ow’ that escaped the halfling, “You’ll have to grow this out, else where shall she place her bead?” Gimli next pointed his attention to Pippin’s feet, “You will most definitely have to cover those, not proper for a dwarf to walk around caves with no shoes.” The hobbit gasped at the suggestion. “Speaking of caves, you’ll surely need to learn how to mine. It is quite the exhausting job however, so we will need to build your strength,” the dwarf faced Pippin before continuing, savoring the anxious look on his face, “I’ll do this for you, Master Pippin, meet me each morning at dawn. We shall train everyday until our parting of ways, for hours if it takes, until you are strong enough to keep up with any dwarf.”
“At dawn,” the halfling squeaked, “every morning, for hours?”
“Aye,” Gimli confirmed with a devilish grin, he patted the hobbit cheerfully on the back before taking a seat at the table, “there will be plenty of time to discuss details tonight at the dinner Aragorn is hosting for us.”
“Aragorn is hosting a dinner?” Frodo asked.
The dwarf looked to the hobbit who occupied the chair across from him, and after a stretch and a yawn, nonchalantly pulled out the courting gift and set it on the table. Frodo’s eyes, as well as the rest of the hobbits’, widened. “Aye, to celebrate this.” Gimli stated plainly, mouth straight as he waited for a reaction. Legolas could no longer keep demeanor neutral, however, and a wide smile took over his face.
Gandalf was the first to break the silence, shaking his head and chuckling to himself before turning back to the book in his hand. Merry shook himself from his stunned state and pointed to both Legolas and Gimli. “Did you, did it, are you-” the hobbit failed to finish each sentence as his eyes shifted between them. Any tension in the air was wiped clean as Gimli broke into a roar of laughter, no longer able to keep a calm face. Sam and Pippin both heavily exhaled as Frodo joined Gimli, though his laugh was a bit softer.
“I am sorry, though not truly, Master Pippin. For you have played your tricks on me, and now I played mine.” the dwarf announced, chuckling through his words.
“Does this mean I do not have to train with you?” the hobbit desperately asked. Once receiving a reassuring no from the dwarf, Pippin flopped himself on the chair next to Gimli, body melting into the seat as the fear slowly left his body.
Legolas closed the distance between him and the dwarf, and spoke through his own laughter while placing a hand on Gimli’s shoulder, “Be gentle with him, Master Dwarf, for he has done me a great favor.”
“Aye, I suppose you’re right.” Gimli sighed, accepting the elf’s words, “Maybe then, I am truly sorry Master Pippin.” His words would have seemed sincere if not for the smirk that they came from.
“Yes, yes.” Pippin lazily dismissed the false apology, “Anything for such a friend.” Merry and Sam took their own seats at the table while Legolas remained standing, leaning into Gimli ever so gently.
“Enough with these games, I want to see the book.” Sam insisted. Gimli obliged, gently sliding it over to the other hobbits. The halflings began to slowly flip through the pages. Sam let out a soft gasp as he studied the journal. “It’s remarkable,” he whispered. Legolas felt his ears warm when hearing the compliment, and shyly smiled as the dwarf turned to look at him.
“Aye, remarkable,” Gimli said softly, then turned his gaze back to the hobbits, “I am eternally grateful for all your help. Well, almost all of you” The dwarf’s last sentence was passive aggressively pointed to the wizard who still sat by the fireplace, seemingly ignoring the whole exchange.
“I hope that is not directly at me, Master Dwarf,” Gandalf said, not bothering to raise his head, “I may have not provided the information Master Legolas needed, but I sent to him to a reliable source. Besides, I would not have come up with such a gift.” The wizard withdrew back into silence as Gimli begrudgingly accepted his logic.
“You drew each of these from memory?” Frodo asked Legolas, calling attention from the irritating wizard.
“Yes, many of them I’ve known for a long time. All I had to do was search my memory for which ones I presented to Gimli on our journey.” the elf explained.
Gimli scoffed, “All you had to do, you say that as if it makes the accomplishment any less impressive.”
“Elves live a long life,” Legolas shrugged, “You would need a decent memory if you too were born nearly 3 millennia ago.”
“There you go again, saying impressive facts so casually,” the dwarf scowled at his betrothed.
“Enough with facts!” Merry aggressively interrupted, “You promised us a seat on this party planning committee, and I believe it is time for our first council meeting.” Pippin perked up at the suggestion, nodded his head in agreement.
“Party planning?” Gimli’s voice heavy in both confusion and amusement. .
“Ah, I-” a light blush spread across the prince’s cheeks, “I may have exchanged roles in our wedding planning for help with the whole courting endeavor.”
“Well, that is an interesting thing to learn,” the dwarf snorted, "any other information involving my betrothal that I have not been made aware of?” The hobbits thought for a moment while Legolas avoided Gimli’s gaze in slight embarrassment.
“It is a different type of information I suppose,” Frodo finally spoke up, pulling out the notes that he retrieved from Aragorn’s sitting room, “there’s still the suggestions of debate points for the second phase of courting in here.” Frodo flipped through the papers, “oh, and Faramir’s fighting techniques.”
Gimli took the short stack of notes, thumbing through them with an approving nod, “Impressive, you’ve had quite the help.”
“Yes,” Legolas replied sheepishly, redness still clear on his face, “though it was not easy to at first accept.” The dwarf briefly patted the hand still on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort his future husband before returning to study the techniques provided by Faramir, mumbling to himself about the moves the steward added and their effectiveness.
Pippin had dragged his chair over by Merry after retrieving some paper for notes of their own. After titling the parchment, he turned up to Legolas who was reading Faramir’s notes over Gimli’s shoulder, “I think the obvious first step would be deciding the location.”
They both answered at the same time without facing the hobbit.
“Obviously Erebor.”
“My home in Greenwood.”
There was a moment of silence as the couple turned to each other in disbelief.
“A prince is expected to be wed in his kingdom.” Legolas flatly stated.
“Dwarven weddings are large events to be experienced by all, I am not toting the entire mountain to Greenwood.” the dwarf argued.
“As my father’s heir, it will be required for the ceremony to be in the home of my people.” the elf retorted.
“What difference does it make where the ceremony is? From what you described of your kin’s marriage traditions, we could be wedded behind a bush!” yelled the dwarf as he threw his hands up. Legolas’s offense was apparent at the dwarf’s crude jab, red face twisting as he furiously looked for a response.
Before the lover’s quarrel turned into a full force argument, Merry thought of a quick solution, “It sounds like to me, there will be two weddings.” The hobbit pointed to Pippin where to separate their plans in the making. “Twice the celebration, twice the joy!” the halfling said as cheerful as he could, hoping to easy the tension.
Gimli turned his attention back to the pair of wedding planners and sighed, “I’m afraid such plans will have to wait, my friends.” The dwarf looked down at the page of debate suggestions that Frodo had made, “We still have quite a bit to get through before then.”
Legolas took a deep breath himself, returning to a calm state and thought of the next trial. Skimming over the bullets made by their hobbit friend, droplets of dread made home in his mind as he pictures saying any of them to Gimli’s father. The elf looked back at the pair, “How are weddings in your home? Perhaps we can run away to the shire and make a nice life for ourselves.”
“Now I’ll really have to call your bravery into question, elf,” Gimli laughed, “surely you’re not afraid of a friendly fight of words?”
“I am more worried about the fight of weapons,” the prince quietly admitted and leaned against the dwarf once more, “especially when it regards my own father.” Gimli snuck his arm around Legolas’s waist and gave it a tight squeeze. A blush crept back on the elf’s face.
“Don’t underestimate me lad,” the dwarf smiled up at Legolas, “but if yer really concerned, we just won’t let it come to that. I believe I forgot to disclose it last time we spoke of the second step, but you don’t typically argue alone. You may have those in support of you in attendance to help your case, and between the two of us, I’d say our combined experience could argue stars into the dirt and earth into the sky.”
The elf couldn’t help but return the smile with the way his dwarf was beaming up at him, “My younger self would be shocked by the amount of times I’ve admitted a dwarf right over the past few months alone,” Legolas pushed some of Gimli’s fiery mane back and stroked the dwarf’s forehead with his thumb, “but I doubt I’d lose with the most defiant dwarf that ever walked these lands on my side.”
“As well for me, there is no chance I’d lose, not with the world’s most irritatingly persistent elf standing with me.” Gimli’s grin grew wider as he pulled the prince closer.
There was a shuffle behind them as Gandalf stood from his arm chair. “You two will be just fine,” he said while dusting off his robe and placing a marker in his book. As he walked to the door, the wizard turned to the majority of his fellowship, “but if not, you may call on me yet.” With that, Gandalf left the group to continue their buzz of excitement for celebrations to come.
As the hobbits continued their chatter, the couple shifted when Gimli reached back for his courting gift. Legolas bent forward, succumbing to the urge to lay his cheek on the dwarf’s head despite being in plain view. They both looked down at the page Gimli turned to.
Finger tracing the star shaped flower sketched into the paper, Gimli whispered to the elf, “Never thought I’d care for such a celestial thing,” Legolas knew he wasn’t only speaking of the flower, “and yet, it means more to me than words could explain.”
“You must be reading from my heart,” the elf whispered back, “for you speak its contents so clearly. But I will try, in due time.”