That night sleep refused to come to me. I just made the most important decision in my whole existence. Not that I regretted it– I totally didn't. It was just the fact that I knew everyone's fate but mine was bothersome. This wasn't a game where if I die, I can just respawn at the nearest checkpoint or continue with the remaining 2 or 3 lives left or quit the game and restart everything all over again. No.

I could literally die here.

A long sigh left my lips. After what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, I gave up the hope for sleep to overtake me. I slipped on my flat shoes and walked outside. The crisp, chilly night air hit my face. I inhaled deeply, letting the cold to seep on my skin as a means to distract me from my own thoughts.

It was a peaceful night. My surroundings were less busy even though I could still see some elves walking about soundlessly doing their business.

Craving solitude and a change of scenery, I decided to venture towards my favorite garden. As I walked, I kept my head down in attempt to avoid the eyes of the passing elves.

You'd think that after a few weeks living in an elven city, you'd get used to their unsettling beauty and curious eyes, wondering what a mortal woman doing here. I understood their curiosity and I've dealt with them well. But right now I wasn't in the mood to deal with any of it.

I let out a squeal when I suddenly hit a wall. I tumbled back, but before I fall on my butt, a pair of strong but gentle elvish arms held me back by my arms.

Note to self: Attempting to walk without looking forward in an elven city is a bad idea.

Why? Because elves were so light on their feet that they didn't make a single sound when they walk. Elves were basically supermodel ninja.

"Sorry!" I blushed furiously until I met Legolas amused smirk. I exhaled loudly as I recovered from my shock. I grumbled.

"Legolas! You should totally pay attention to where you're going!" I exclaimed with a fake dramatic frustration. "At least make some noise when you walk!"

He rolled his eyes. "You are welcome," he replied with a smug grin. I punched him lightly on his arm and we chuckled.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Leane."

"Couldn't sleep," I admitted.

Legolas nodded and said, "I too. 'Tis not the time for me to rest yet."

"Why? It's late. What business can you possibly have at such ungodly hour?" I asked.

"Elves do not require as much sleep as mortals do."

Ah, one more new fun fact about the elves. I nodded.

"I'm on my way to the garden. Care to join me?" he asked, offering his right arm which I took happily. I beamed. I did expect to find some solitude, but Legolas' presence was always calming and pleasant, so I didn't really mind.

"Of course, mellon nin," I chirped as we began walking arm in arm.

Legolas slowed his track and turned his head to look at my face. I sensed a sudden, mild surprise and happiness in my heart. It was weird to say the least; I seemed to have weird emotional whiplash these days.

"'Tis the first time you ever regarded me as a friend, Leane," he said with such softness and wonderment in his electric blue eyes. I blinked. He placed his hand on his heart and bowed his head slightly towards me with such grace and sincerity that only elves possessed.

"I shall forever cherish your friendship, mellon nin. Hannon le," he thanked me.

His words came as a surprise to me. First, I just realized that all this time I had never verbally called him 'my friend' before. I didn't think it would mean so much to him.

Second, he looked like what I felt. Was it his feelings that I felt swimming in my chest right now? I began to suspect the new anomaly more ever since I stepped foot in Middle Earth. Could it be the Infinity Ring's doing?

I should find out later.

"Oh, Legolas," I said with a sigh and rubbed his arm that held mine, "Your kindness and your sincerity never cease to surprise me. All this time since I woke up in Rivendell you've been the closest thing I have to a best friend. I thought you know that even when I never said it before," I breathed questioningly.

I gazed at Legolas, admiring how sincere he seemed at what he said. I saw only honesty in his eyes. I remembered the times when I felt like my life shattered around me, Legolas would come and eventually made me laugh, chasing my sorrow away.

A warmth tugged at my heart strings, and for some reason I felt moisture threaten to wet my eyes. But before things become way too sappy for both of us to handle, I pushed the feeling away and beamed at Legolas.

"You don't realize how many times you've helped me by just being around, even when nothing was being said between us. And I never thanked you for that," I confessed wholeheartedly, looking him in the eyes.

By now my eyes were already glazed with unshed, sappy sappy tears. I looked away chuckling in embarrassment. This didn't escape Legolas, but he didn't laugh at me either. Instead, he put his other hand on my hand that was resting on his right arm as a way to comfort me. "...So thank you, Legolas. Hannon le," I finished.

We looked and smiled at each other for a moment. Despite how much time I've spent with the elf, his gaze somehow never failed to become too much for me. And before things go awkward, I burst out saying, "Can I give you a hug?" I asked with a light laugh.

His smile widened. Without skipping a beat he let go of my arm and we hugged. I hugged him like one would hug a teddy bear, except his body was surprisingly warm, lean and hard with muscles instead of big and fluffy like a stuffed animal.

His arm encircled me around my shoulders and my upper back. I caught a fresh scent that resembled grass and leather. Momentarily, I felt safe despite my anxiety moments ago before I stumbled upon him.

The hug was brief but warm. Eventually I loosened my hug on him and let go, grinning broadly. His expression mirrored mine, letting me know that we shared the same platonic feelings towards each other.

I waited to see if he wanted to say anything, but since nothing came up, I broke the silence by asking, "Let's go now before I get too emotional and cry," I mumbled playfully.

He tilted his head. "There's nothing wrong with that," Legolas commented seriously, giving me his kind smile.

"Oh yes. It will be wrong. I'm not gonna cry in front of such a fine warrior like you," I said with a lopsided grin.

We began to resume our walk and he spoke again.

"Why, that's what friends are for," he disagreed, "Crying is not a show of weakness," he added looking at me meaningfully, "One day you're going to trust me enough to let yourself cry in front of me."

I blushed. My my, that was probably the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me.

"One day, Legolas. One day."

We sat there at the garden of Rivendell at our usual spot. The moonlight gave a mystical beauty over the flowers, giving it a mysterious yet enchanting look towards my surroundings. I made a mental note to visit the garden again in the future at night time.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? At first I assumed that the garden is going to be dark and dull without the sunlight, but wow I was wrong," I commented lightly on the view, filling in the comfortable silence between us.

"Aye," agreed Legolas softly, and he turned to rest his intense eyes at me, "It is".

The pale moonlight hit a part of his face, softening his features and now it seemed as if his skin had a glow to it. For a moment I was transfixed as I gazed at him.

'He was sooo pretty, like a unicorn,' I thought. Before I could stop myself, my mouth blurted out a silly question without thinking.

"Are you single?"

Legolas lifted a neat eyebrow in surprise. Inwardly I panicked, but I maintained my serious face as I continued quickly, "Because I just realized you can be really sweet when you're not being sassy and sarcastic," I added, trying to conceal my stupid outburst by teasing him.

His face tilted in a way that says 'seriously?' and I shrugged, grinning like an idiot.

"Aye, I am single," he confirmed before a smug expression filled his face. "But that does not mean that I do not have some ellith showing their attraction at me. In fact, there are too many of them in Mirkwood."

I snorted at the smug look on his face.

"...and in Lothlorien. And Rivendell," he listed. Legolas positively looked like a brat now. "...and just to be clear, 'tis you who is sassy and sarcastic for most of the time. I am merely defending myself at your attempt to annoy me," he explained with a feigned solemness. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright playboy," I said with a chuckle.

"What is a playboy?"

"It is um... hard to explain," I said lamely, "It's a good thing, though," I added quickly.

Well, I didn't think it's a good thing, but some men in in the city would definitely be proud of that title.

Legolas squinted his eyes in suspicion but let the matter go. I said no more of it. I was not gonna risk offending a crown prince by telling him what it truly meant.

"What about you, Leane? Is there a man waiting for you back in your world?" he asked, curiosity evident in his intelligent eyes.

"No," I said meekly, "Though there was a guy that I had a little crush on. But I guess now that I'm stuck here..." I shrugged.

"A crush?"

"Um, it means someone that I'm attracted to."

"Do you love him?" Legolas asked as he looked at me attentively. I shook my head.

"It was just a crush, Legolas. I don't think it was something deep like, love, though I don't know, it might grow to something more if I'm still back there at my world."

"I'm truly sorry, Leane. You are strong. I hope that someday you'll find someone in this world to love," he looked at me with sympathy and a hint of concern. I chuckled softly.

"It was just a crush, Legolas," I told him to let him know it was nothing big.

"I still do not fully understand how love works for mortals, but most elves would fade and die out of heartbreak when they are separated from the ones they love. You mortals have very strong hearts."

I frowned. "You mean, elves can die of heartbreak? Like literally?"

"Aye," he answered. It took me a few seconds to process that and to react.

"Oh my god. That's awful," I cringed. "I didn't know that. I thought elves can only die because of physical injuries like men. I didn't know about the heartbreak."

No. The movie said nothing about that.

"Aye, elves can die of injuries in battle, but we can also die of heartbreak," he confirmed. "If an elf lost their will to live, sooner or later they will fade and pass from this world."

My heart clenched at the information. I couldn't imagine an elf, much like Legolas, to face such tragic fate after walking on Middle Earth for thousands of years. Legolas' expression softened at me.

"Worry not about me, mellon nin," he smiled comfortingly at me, "Before we lose our will to live, elves are bound to hear the call of the sea and yearn to sail to Valinor, our last resting place where the Valar will take care of our spirit where we will live forever."

My mind traveled back to the ending scene of The Returns Of The King, where Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, Lord Elrond, Frodo and Gandalf boarded a ship that sailed to the direction of the sun on the horizon that was stretched across the sea.

"Do you hear it yet?" I questioned curiously. "The call?"

"Nay," he said smiling. I nodded thoughtfully.

"Just let me know if you ever feel like you're about to be bored to death. I'll annoy you back to life," I chirped, an effort to light up the mood. He let out a small laugh and shook his head.

"Oh, I am certain. With your lively spirit around I can live forever. Your presence alone might as well wake the dead back to life."

Zombies.

Here we were, in the middle of the night in a dark, deserted garden. My mind decided to turn the pretty garden into a chilly graveyard. I couldn't help imagining a hand digging its way up from the ground and caress my feet...

I shuddered as The Walking Dead scene played in my mind.

A warm fabric that smelled like grass and leather was draped over me. Legolas fixed the elven material to cover my back. He assumed I was cold when I shuddered at The Walking Dead imagines in my head.

"I'm okay Legolas, it's not that cold," I said trying to give him his cloak back, but he shook his head and refused.

"Nay, you need it more than me. Elves are resistant to cold."

Dang elvish perks!

"Hannon le," I said smiling. We then settled into comfortable silence, neither of us wanting to continue our talk about elvish death factors. Suddenly I remembered something about the council earlier and decided to ask him.

"Earlier in the council, when the Fellowship of the Ring was formed, I noticed you were upset," I started. "Why? Wanna talk about it?"

Legolas tensed beside me upon the question and looked at me with a stoic face. Then he looked away. I feel sadness inside me, but I know this feeling wasn't mine.

It was Legolas'.

Just then I realized that I might be prying into his personal space so I quickly added, "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just forget I ever asked about it," I mumbled guiltily, dismissing the topic.

"Nay, do not feel sorry, mellon nin," said Legolas and he let out a sigh. "I was merely hoping that you won't be coming with the Fellowship. But then you came," he said solemnly. A melancholy look appeared in his eyes. I was silent as I listened to what he said and he continued.

"This is going to be a very dangerous and hard journey, Leane, especially for a lady. All of us who chose this path are putting our lives at stake. I can't help but fear for your life," he told me with worry latched in his tone. "If it is up to me, I'd rather you stay, here in the safety of Imladris." He was looking away at the flowers before us before he abruptly turned his head and looked at me intently, "You can still walk away from this, Leane."

I swallowed thickly at the things he said. An option to elude this madness. But nevertheless, it was too late. I had already made my mind.

"You're worried about me," I shook my head fondly at him, "What have I done to deserve a friend like you? Hannon le, Legolas," I said again for the third time tonight. "Thanks for worrying about me, but my decision is made. I was brought here for a reason and deep down I know that I'm supposed to take this path," I told him with determination in my voice. I heard Legolas soft sigh. I continued.

"You know I have the knowledge about the fate of this Fellowship. But what I have is only a part of it, and even then they are not set in stone yet. I have my own part to do and I made the choice to see that the fate goes just as the way it should be."

He looked at me solemnly. I could see that he wasn't happy with my answer, but understanding dawned on his expression. He caught my message between the lines.

The Ring would be destroyed.

I continued talking, lowering my voice so our conversation were ours alone. "The fate that I know is not yet laid before us, we still have choices to make and face its consequences. As for me, I am ready for whatever it is, as I know you will be too," I told him seriously and squeezed his arm to reassure and comfort him.

"Leane..." he whispered, seemingly in lost of words to say, which was rare for a smart elf such as him. He knew I was right.

He took my hand softly, brought it to his lips and kissed it. To say that I was shocked at the gesture was an understatement. The gesture sent butterfly flying on my stomach. If I didn't know any better, I would mistake it as a romantic move, but knowing Legolas and his elvish way of life, I only smiled.

"I will be fine, Legolas. Besides, having you by my side, I'm positive we can kick some ass and kill orcs," I announced, feeling myself filled with a sudden want to cheer his heart.

Legolas finally cracked a smile at me. A yawn suddenly escaped my lips and his smile turned into a chuckle.

"Come now," he declared, rising up from his seat and offered a hand at me, "Let me escort the sleepy lady back to her chamber."

I groaned. "Don't you lady me again," was the only sleepy reply I could give him as I took his hand and let him walk me back to my room.

***

[Author's Note: What's the point of this book again? Fluff. I know the thing between Leane and Legolas is a slow build, but I hope the wait is worth your while! So what do you think of this chapter? Let me know in the comments below and don't hesitate to tell me anything at all. Your constructive critics and opinions are truly expected. If you enjoy the story please consider voting and let me know, they made my day (I hope you know by now I'm a comment whore lol). Thanks for reading, awesome readers! Cheers 💙]