Author: theambernightingale
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing: Legolas x Reader
Warnings: Mentions of abuse, sadness, fluff.
Summary:
After a devastating cavalry charge against the orc army at Helm's Deep, the Fellowship settle down until King Theoden gives the word to leave. Tinuviel shows up, a little worse for wear, but still alive.
Other:
Y/N - Your Name
Y/L/N - Your Last Name
S/C - Skin Colour
H/L - Hair Length
H/C - Hair Colour
E/C - Eye Colour
Y/R - Your Race

The elves of Mirkwood neglected to stay after the battle, leaving more than half their force with the healers at Helm's Deep while the rest of them headed off for Mirkwood again - King Thranduil was so far not leading his people out of Middle Earth.
The surprise attack launched by the elves had come with dire consequences and a steady flow of stretcher bearers entered and exited Helm's Deep carrying elves to the healers and heading out for more.

The last stretcher to be run in carried the worst wounded warrior anyone had ever seen.
Their hair was soaked with blood, severe burns ran up the left side of the elf's body and there were several gushing wounds in their torso.
A red headed elleth has immediately uncorked several potions, ordered Aragorn to hold the patient down and poured the liquids onto the wounds, eliciting heartbreaking screams of pure agony from the still-conscious elf.
The elleth with the potions smeared several different herbs over the wounds and chanted in Elvish while Legolas and Y/N watched in concern.

Several hours later, the same injured elf entered the peaceful common room of the Fellowship.
Tinuviel looked far better than she had earlier. She was clean and bandaged, her sword hanging at her side as per usual.
Tinuviel smiled slightly at the sight of Legolas and Gimli sitting either side of Y/N, the elvish prince with one arm around the H/C.

'I'm back.'

-

Some days later, the Rohirrim had returned to Rohan and were celebrating their victory at Helm's Deep.
Legolas and Tinuviel wore matching outfits - silver-white tunics, grey leggings and dark grey boots.
Legolas was participating in a drinking game with Gimli, the elf solidly downing tankards while the dwarf guzzled his ale and slopped it all over himself.

Tinuviel was entertaining some of the younger riders with tales of her deeds off to one side - her words and her looks eagerly taken in by her audience.
Y/N kept an eye on Aragorn, who had just accepted a tankard of ale from the pretty young Eowyn.
Y/N scoffed quietly. How Aragorn could possibly let Eowyn entertain the idea of a future with him while the dazzling Tinuviel was present was beyond the Y/R.

'I feel something,' Legolas said, confusion lacing his words. 'A tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me.'

'Whaddid I say?' Slurred Gimli. 'An Elf can't hold hish liquor like a dwarf...'

Gimli's eyes crossed before rolling up into his head as he passed out on the floor, much to the amusement of Y/N.
Legolas gave Eomer, leader of the Rohirrim Riders, an innocent look.

'Game over.'

Y/N calmed down enough to realise that a tipsy elf may not be the best thing to have around, and placed a gentle hand on Legolas' arm.

'I think you should go to bed.' She said quietly, aware that Eomer was nodding in agreement somewhere to her left.

Legolas offered no resistance as Y/N entwined her right arm with Legolas' left and led him towards his room in the suite the Fellowship had been offered.
Y/N eased the door open quietly in case someone had retired early and was sleeping before leading the woodland prince to a door on the far left of the cosy common area.
The room Legolas had been given was airy and moonlit so Y/N had no need for candles as she led the unresisting Legolas to a divider where a loose shirt and breeches were draped over the top of the folding wood.

'Legolas?' Y/N asked.

'Hmmm?' The elf replied.

'Are you alright?'

Legolas didn't reply, but he wasn't alright. The ale he had downed in large amounts had taken full effect now and he swayed drunkenly on his feet.
Tutting, Y/N unlaced his silver tunic and helped the elf pull it off, blushing brilliantly when she caught sight of his muscular chest - he was an archer, and he had amazing muscles.

Y/N helped him pull on a loose blue shirt and decided she wasn't going to help him with his leggings - he'd be comfortable enough in them.
Careful not to let Legolas blunder into anything, Y/N helped the elf to the enormous bed in his room and tucked the sheets in tight so he couldn't escape.
The Y/R requested five watertight buckets from the servants and placed two in Legolas' room - one on each side of the bed - for when he woke up with a wicked hangover.

She then turned to her room next door.

-

Y/N was startled by a piercing cry of fear.
Without thinking, she bolted to her door and burst into the common room just after Aragorn and before Legolas and Gimli. The cry came again.
From Tinuviel's room.
Aragorn was faster than Y/N as he crossed to the elvish Ranger's door in four long strides and wrenched it open, sword in one hand.
Y/N arrived moments later and recoiled as a throwing knife embedded itself millimetres from her nose in the wooden door.

Tinuviel was having an extremely violent nightmare.
The elleth's cries formed words now, words that Y/N herself had screamed more than once over the course of her life.

'Anin gell nîn, no! I'll do anything to make you stop! Ada, Anin gell nîn!'

Aragorn stood over Tinuviel's thrashing form and yelled over her in Elvish.

'Av-'osto... daro! Tinuviel, echuia!'

Y/N winced at the Ranger's raised voice - Tinuviel had shared a similar past in that her father had heavily abused her until Lord Elrond rescued her and nursed her to health, helping Tinuviel overcome her fear of men.
Tinuviel may have overcome her fear, but that didn't mean that some of it still lingered like a coiled snake in long grass, ready to strike at her when she least expected it.

Tinuviel awoke, disoriented and distressed, to feel Aragorn's iron grip around her wrists. What would have been an attempt at calming her down only served to frighten Tinuviel more as she recalled how the cold manacles felt around her wrists a mere three thousand years ago when her father held her captive.
Y/N tried to reach her terrified friend, tears spilling down her S/C cheeks in fear for Tinuviel.

Two strong arms wrapped around Y/N's waist and stopped her from rushing into the room. Y/N thrashed violently, blinded by her own tears as another voice was added to the commotion.
Legolas pressed Y/N to his chest, pulling her from the room and across the common area to the Y/R's room, making sure to whisper random but pleasant sounding words in Elvish to draw the distressed Y/R's focus away from Tinuviel.

Legolas closed the door with his foot and moved Y/N's shaking form across the room to the enormous double bed.
The elven prince pulled Y/N into his arms, wrapping them snugly around her and refusing to let go until she calmed down.
His heightened elvish hearing allowed Legolas to make out what sounded like Tinuviel still struggling.

He silently hoped that Y/N couldn't hear what he could.