Chapter Text
You were on a standard long-distance ranger patrol given that you had set out in springtime; in winter the group made more effort to stay close to settlements where possible. This patrol had been predominantly in the wilds for nearing three months and the weather was now warming to summer. These long trips could be trying, but in this case, your small party was led by Strider and limited to his foster brothers and Legolas, a Mirkwood elf who had ridden with you these last five years. Other than the fact he was Silvan, loyal, good company, and an impeccable fighter with both blades and bow, you knew little about him. You suspected Legolas was much older than your 1980 years. There was sometimes something in his bright blue eyes that spoke words of sorrow to your fae when you met his gaze, and it was matched in his voice when you heard him singing softly to himself on night watch. When Legolas first arrived he and Strider spent days tucked away in Lord Elrond’s study. Strider likely knew his backstory, he certainly kept the blond close, never being assigned outside of your core group, but you knew all you needed until Legolas opted to divulge more.
On the whole, this patrol had been a pleasant one, there were the normal things to resolve in the small towns and villages you encountered, and as rangers, you had gladly brought skill, strength, knowledge, and healing where it was required on your travels, all of which had been gratefully received. Strider and Legolas like you were happy to accept gratitude in the form of a spare soft bed and shared meals, maybe some fresh provisions to move off with, but the twins as was their way, had continued their charm offensive across middle earth. As such, the gratitude that the younger, unattached members of the settlements often offered the handsome peredhels was less tangible and far less practical. You had always deemed it lucky, that they were at least better able to control their fertility than their rampant libidos, or there would be more than a few villages where babes had pointed ears, and rangers were no longer so welcome!
It had only been a few days since you left a small settlement where the twins had found themselves well appreciated, leaving with all their physical needs sated after your group had spent several days repairing fencing to prevent lambs straying whilst Strider and Ro had treated a significant portion of the community for a sickness caused by a carcass fouled water supply upstream from the village. There were few young males in the village, most had left to seek better opportunities, but many of the young women had looked considerably brighter following their visit and the twins incessant flirting. The twins for their part, had not bedded down with the rest of you in the cozy barn turned over to you for a single night of your stay.
Strider and Legolas however took no such comfort, and over the course of the trip, there had been mounting tension between them. Initially, Dan had taken much joy in stoking it and teasing mercilessly, but the awkwardness had become palpable now the five of you were alone in the wilderness together again, and both twins were becoming intolerant of the strained silences and avoidance between the two. It was a matter of time before something combusted.
Your group was nearing the open plains so had elected to stop for a few nights to rest and recharge before what would be several days of hard riding with breaks only sufficient to rest your mounts. You were tending to the horses at the chosen campsite by the side of a lake. The position was beautiful, a wide clearing in the old deciduous forest with a meadow to one side where the horses could browse and a lightly banked shore of glass smooth pebbles sloping gently down to the lake which shone cool and clear in the late afternoon sun. Legolas and Strider sat apart from each other, Strider with his pipe, sat on a rock staring out over the lake, and Legolas perched on the root of an ancient oak, mending arrows, having readied the fire with deadwood to be lit later.
Ro strode up to you as you cast the bedrolls you had just unpacked over a bough to beat and air before the night. “We’re headed straight out after larger game, to give plenty of time to preserve the meat before we move out. We’ll unlikely be back until after dawn.” He said before peering thoughtfully at his foster brother then with what appeared to be a sad look at the blond as they periodically glanced tentatively at each other, before he earnestly met your eyes, “For Eru’s sake see what you can do about those two!” he said indicating your comrades and tossing you two of the six skins of brandy that had been purchased on your last stop.
Elladan appeared behind him, grinning over his brother’s shoulder at the questioning look on your face. “You honestly would have thought they would have twigged by now how to work these frustrations out eh?” He laughed broadly whilst making a crude shaking motion with his fist. You rolled your eyes at him but were more than used to his sense of humor, and the priority his mind seemed to place on topics of a carnal nature, having grown up in Rivendell.
You glanced briefly over your shoulder at the pair by the lake. “Not everybody’s problems are limited to those that can be solved simply by their own hand, Dan as you well know!” You chastised, laughing at the look of mock hurt and innocence on his face.
“True! But not everybody has the wit to recognize when they may!” Elrohir grumbled, casting an odd look towards the blond before his eyes moved to his foster brother, and his brow furrowed, “Nor how unbearable it makes them!” He finished grumpily.
Elladan flashed you an exaggerated look of sympathy followed by a flash of his charming smile as he chimed in again, “We feel bad leaving you with them! But the bottom line is, they are both too stubborn, or stupid to see what is under their own noses; and unless someone points it out to them, or one of them decides to stick something in another, they will implode with lust, or brood and blush themselves to death!” He turned to his brother “You are the healer and I the mere cook my dear brother; do you think it’s possible to blush to death? I mean the shade Estel turned top to toe when you soaked Legolas’ bedroll and suggested he share with another, it must have drawn the blood from every vital organ he has?” Dan grinned as his twin rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation at him.
Ro seemed to recover his humor a little at the memory, it had in fact been his bedroll the blond ultimately shared, in apology for the accidental dowsing his own had had by Ro’s hand when it rolled down the bank where Ro had carelessly left it, and into the river. “What Dan is trying to say rather ineloquently, is ‘good luck', and ‘we promise to make it up to you!’” Ro grinned rakishly and leaned forward, placing a gentle and chaste, but tantalizing kiss on your lips that made a surge run through you, reminding you how long it had been for you too. Both ellon detected the pheromones released by the lust that flared in you, and Dan moved in close behind you, placing his hands firmly on your hips, nuzzling and kissing the back of your neck as Ro deepened the kiss, his tongue seductively probing your mouth, you began to lean into him, your need growing even as you recognized it.
“Maybe they aren’t the only ones requiring a reminder that the needs of the rhaw should not be denied?” Dan whispered in your ear, sending a spike of desire and annoyance through you. For all else, the twins were experienced and generous lovers, and at the hint of their hands and mouths on you, your body had willingly responded as it had so many times before, but you were frustrated that they had caught you off-guard. To add insult to arousal, they broke contact, “don’t worry, if you bring our little brother and his fair prince to their senses, and they leave you out, I promise you our full attention tomorrow, and we will set them to butchering the meat as punishment!” Elladan laughed, and the two were gone.
You sighed, as your body was left smoldering by the departing pair. Trust the twins to spark desire that you hadn’t even considered existed moments before, but now that you did, was a day out of reach. You looked back at the pair by the lake. Having finished his pipe, Strider hadn’t moved, but his eyes gravitated towards Legolas, and he was agitatedly refilling his pipe whilst gazing at the elf, deep in silent thought. You watched as he uncharacteristically lit the pipe a second time and Strider’s gaze came up to meet yours. You decided to oblige the twins, resolving to break the tension between the two. With a skin of brandy in hand, you strode towards where the fire was now set, grabbed Legolas by the wrist, and pulled him towards Strider.
“We need to make a drying rack!” you called out as you approached Strider, twisting the top off the skin with your teeth and thrusting it at Legolas, holding his eyes until he took several good gulps. “But there is no rush, the twins will not be back until the morning,” you lightly plucked Strider’s pipe from his hand and sucked on it, inhaling deeply, letting the smoke curl through your blood and relax your mind. You indicated for Legolas to hand the brandy to Strider who looked rather intently from you to the whetted lips of the elf who handed it to him before swigging deeply. “We have time to relax and swim before the warmth of the sun wanes.” You suggested, offering the pipe to Legolas who looked at it doubtfully, but took a drag anyway and came away coughing gently as he handed it back to its owner who smiled broadly, a little emboldened by the brandy
“I fear some of our mannish pleasures may be a little harsh for such a pure rhaw!” Strider mused, fumbling the pipe a little and burning his fingers as he grasped it too close to where the pipeweed still glowed.
Legolas reached for the injured hand, inspecting the reddened fingertips, “You would be surprised at the harsh treatment such a body can take! From mannish pleasures or otherwise.” Legolas countered, his face the picture of innocence as he met Strider’s eyes just a little too long before releasing his hand. It was Strider’s turn to cough, as surprise at the blatant innuendo caused him to suck too deeply at the pipe. Legolas watched, eyes sparkling with amusement and mischief.
You smiled at the easy feel of the banter, maybe the task the twins had set would be more quickly resolved than you had feared. “Come! Before the sun sets, there will be time aplenty around the fire later for drink and smoking. Last in the water cooks supper, let us hope it is not Strider or we will have need of more liquor!” You teased your leader who was looking at you as one who was suddenly disorientated and conflicted.
As you started removing your clothes, you noticed a reluctance in the two males. Having been raised as elves, there was generally no shyness around bodies in their natural form, and in the years working closely as rangers, you had seen each other disrobed many times. But Strider’s awkwardness triggered a memory in you of teenage Estel, who had avoided the public baths he had once loved, becoming self-conscious as his maturing body broadened and became more obviously human. But after a few years of hiding himself in the privacy of Lord Elrond’s private bathing rooms, his confidence had returned, and now he barely noticed the sometimes curious, and often lustful glances that his broader muscled frame, lightly dusted with dark hair over his lower arms, legs, chest and between his legs, attracted when he used the elven baths at home.
A quick glance from the angle you stood at, revealed that Legolas’ provocative comment had succeeded in sending Strider’s blood where he would prefer it wasn’t, and you smiled inwardly, realizing that it was the bulge at his crotch that Strider was awkwardly trying to conceal. Looking to Legolas, you could see he was for his part trying to hide how his eyes seemed to flit from yours to Strider’s form, having removed his own tunic, his normally dexterous fingers were now fiddling distractedly with his undershirt.
With a deep sigh at the threat of returned awkwardness, you flung your removed garments over a branch between the two, obscuring the line of sight, and turned dismissively away towards the lake. As you turned, your quick eye saw relief flood over Strider’s face as he hurried to remove his clothing and break for the cover of the water. Not for the first time, you realized the twins may have picked up on something you had missed, in spotting an attraction between the two, but they were far less understanding if Strider was reluctant to admit it. Disapproval over who a person of age chose to share physical pleasure with was a very mannish concept as far as they were concerned, and the days of teasing now made sense, Dan, in particular, was clearly frustrated that Legolas had not taken things into his own hands to prove it so.
You chanced another look at Legolas who had finally removed his clothing and hung it close to your own. There was no doubt about it, he was truly beautiful, medium height for an ellon but tall compared with most men, lithely built, his strong shoulders dropped to a powerful chest with pale pink nipples that bore the thin silver rings you had been told were traditional in his realm. The exquisite upper body was complemented by a neat waist and tight rear that stretched into slim but powerful legs. It was easy to see what Strider had found to admire in the elf. You smiled to yourself about the twin’s jibe about Legolas being Strider’s prince, he was so perfect, it was not hard to imagine him as such. You looked back across to Strider, Legolas’ natural regality was not poorly matched in him, you had always been admiring of his looks, and the fact that after years of watching him grow into his leadership, you still liked him so well, had done nothing to dampen that.
Your mind inadvertently drifted to a picture of Strider and Legolas together as Dan’s crude solution that one should should ‘stick something in the other’ unhelpfully volunteered itself to your conscious thought and something flared hot in your core. You inwardly cursed the troublemaker’s skill for mischief, even from afar, as the thought made the images in your mind truly explicit, adding to your newly stirred arousal. Arousal you attempted to lock in chains as you battled to still an indulgent swivel of your hips. Arousal that was not missed by Legolas as he clearly picked up the wave of pheromones and glanced at your flushed skin as you watched Strider. He smiled mischievously “care to share your thoughts?” He asked cheekily.
“Oh sweet Eru no!” You responded a little too readily, a blush darkening your already lust flushed cheeks. “Unless you will share yours” you taunted back, aware you were out on a limb and a thin one at that.
“You look upon him with fondness!” Legolas smiled, unapologetic that the flare in your arousal had caught his attention, equally, his scent began to call to you, and you cast your eyes down him to see his body responding in kind. One side of his mouth lifted into a disarming, lopsided smile as your eyes roved over him. Unlike Strider, Legolas was perfectly comfortable with you seeing what his body was openly declaring.
“As do you, but I don’t believe Strider would begrudge either of us that pleasure!” You grinned back and gave Legolas a knowing look, as you made for the water.