Title: Gift for Blackvelvetband 2006

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Lord of the Rings, post-trilogy

Pairing: Legolas/Gimli

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or their world. This is fanfiction and I'm just playing for fun, not making any money.

Summary: Legolas is sick, and discusses it with Gimli one morning.

Notes: Written for BVB as a holiday gift. Enjoy! This sort of follows suit with my other 'Legolas falls ill when visiting Gimli' fics

 

Gift for Blackvelvetband 2006

Legolas came awake in the morning not to sunlight but the bright light of candles all about the room. A sheet and down-filled comforter were tucked tightly around him, and several firm pillows supported his head. In such a comfortable state, Legolas did not want to move and might have allowed himself to drift back to sleep, if not for Gimli. From where he lay, on his side, he could see Gimli just inches in front of him. His dwarf was sitting up in bed, without a pillow between him and the wall of the cave, legs bent at the knees to allow him to hold and view a bunch of papers he was concentrating on.

 

Gimli glanced over at Legolas and his face lit briefly with a flash of surprise at seeing him awake. Gimli shuffled the papers in his lap into a pile and smiled at Legolas. "When I agreed to oversee these caves, I had not counted on there being so much to read."

 

Legolas smiled back. "When I agreed to your invitation to visit, I had counted on spending more time with you."

 

Gimli reached over and drew his fingers through some of Legolas' blond hair. "When I invited you, I had not counted on you catching a cold within a day of your arrival." His hand swept down and pressed a finger against the very tip of Legolas' nose.

 

Legolas' face twitched around the touch, then his eyes closed and his breath hitched. "Gim... doh-don't... ihhhhh... don't do that... I'm going to... ih-sneh-ih-ih-H'Chishhh!"

 

He glared playfully at Gimli, but before he could extract his arms from beneath the warm covers, Gimli had a handkerchief to Legolas' nose and was rubbing. "Just proving a point."

 

Legolas sniffled and rubbed his nose into the handkerchief. "Why did your point have to sniff, sniff, involve me sneezing?" He rubbed his nose harder, his breath shallow and quick now. "You know once... ihh... once I start, I can't... ihhh!" Gimli held the handkerchief right up to Legolas' nose, and Legolas could feel the warmth of Gimli's hand through the handkerchief. "ihhh-Hitchoo! Hihshhh! ihhh... ihhh-ih-EhKShhhh! Kishoo! KTchoo! Sniff! I cad't stob," he finally finished. All sniffles and snuffles now, Legolas was grateful when Gimli folded the handkerchief and wiped his nose with a dry portion. "Ub... Gibli? I believe I deed..." He gave a thick, wet sniff.

 

Gimli refolded the handkerchief and pinched Legolas' nose, making it easy for him to blow. "You are getting much better at that," Gimli said, kindly, wiping again.

 

After going through all the many years of his life without more than a few little sniffles, Legolas had been making up for that during the last several months on his visits to Gimli in the Glittering Caves. No stranger to colds, the dwarf had tons of handkerchiefs on hand and plenty of advice, including how to blow one's nose.

 

"Soon you will be so good as to give me pointers." Gimli bent over and kissed Legolas' forehead. While he was there, Legolas took advantage and reached out, his hand on Gimli's cheek. Legolas lifted his head and kissed Gimli tenderly on the lips. "Mmm." Gimli growled playfully and cocked his head. He set his papers aside to give Legolas his undivided attention. "Might give me pointers about kissing, too."

 

Legolas smiled. "Your kisses are magical. You don't need my advice for... that... ihhh..." A look of disappointment crossed his face. Affection would be infinitely easier to show if he did not need to sneeze every several minutes. Gimli pressed the handkerchief into Legolas' hand, now that it had shown itself. Legolas made swift work of it, pressing it to his face. "ihhhHitshhh! Ihshhhh!" And then blowing his nose miserably.

 

Gimli's hand was back, not against Legolas' nose this time, but on Legolas' head, stroking over the shiny, soft, blond hair. The touch was more than warm, it was soothing and immediately sent Legolas into another comfortable, peaceful state. Even the tickles he felt in his nose backed off for the moment. He concentrated on the touch, as Gimli's fingers moved about, brushing against the sensitive tip of Legolas' ear to brush hair back. He twisted strands around his finger and dragged the back of his hand against Legolas' soft cheek as he let go of the hair. The elf's skin was hot. He reached up and brushed fingers across Legolas' forehead. The elf's skin was sweaty. "How are you feeling?" Gimli asked, his voice soft with concern. "Any better at all?"

 

"I don't think so," said Legolas. "I still feel tired and my throat burns. Sniff! And my nose... well, you have been witness to its exploits thus far this morning. Sniff!" He dabbed the handkerchief to his pinkish nose and noted the discomfort of that action to himself, not letting Gimli see that he felt his nose was so sore. Gimli seemed to sense something was amiss, because he reached over and got a new handkerchief for Legolas, taking the damp one from Legolas' fingers and making Legolas forget any discomfort again because of a kiss that came with the folded square of cloth. "I wish this was over," Legolas said. Quickly, worrying that he would be misunderstood, he added, "This cold, I naturally. I wish I were rid of this cold."

 

Another kiss was Gimli's answer that he wished the very same thing. "So long as you do not rid yourself of it by giving it to me."

 

Legolas laughed, and coughed from laughing. Gimli immediately rolled out of bed. There was a decanter and some mugs on a table at the far end of the room, and Legolas watched the dwarf walk straight over to it. He poured Legolas some water and headed back.

 

Even though he was coughing, Legolas was utterly unable to take his eyes off Gimli. The dwarf looked exquisite nude. His skin was a natural, light bronze, offset by a half dozen or more black, tribal tattoos. They were mesmerizing, but did not draw attention to Gimli's other considerable attributes: bulging biceps, perfect pectorals, and lickable nipples- one of which had a small golden ring pierced through it. Strong legs with curved calves, beautiful brown eyes, a soft round nose. Then there was Gimli's fiercely dark, curly hair on his head, his beard, his underarms, and his chest. Though Legolas' favorite was the soft nest at Gimli's crotch from which a thick cock dangled, resting against a velvety set of balls.

 

Gimli climbed back into bed and back under the covers. Legolas sat up a little and took the cup, sipping water that only soothed his throat for a brief instant at a time. His eyes betrayed him, however. "What are you thinking about?" asked Gimli, knowingly.

 

Legolas drank every last drop, then gave the mug back to Gimli. As Gimli set it aside, on the bedside table on top of his papers, Legolas' eyes fell on Gimli's chest again. His finger found Gimli's unobstructed nipple and gave it a tiny pinch, then strayed to one of Gimli's smaller but more intricate tattoos. The design was one of flames, forming interweaving circles above his heart. Legolas' fingers traced around the design, around the endless pattern. Legolas loved every inch of his dwarf, but this tattoo was perhaps his most favorite.

 

"That one," explained Gimli, "That one is the reason I never catch these colds from you."

 

Legolas' finger stopped, and he looked at Gimli thoughtfully. They had discussed the nature of Legolas' colds many times before, but this was a new one for him. He had always assumed that the reason Gimli never caught his colds was because his was an elvish cold, most likely brought about by being exposed to the dim and damp caves for prolonged periods of time. Legolas blinked confusedly at Gimli.

 

"It is a dwarvish sign known for its protective elements. It keeps me safe."

 

"Funny," said Legolas, his finger resuming its rounds. "I thought that was what your axes were for."

 

His lips curved into a small smile. He caught hold of Legolas' hand and brought it to his mouth with a kiss. Legolas felt a rush of excitement and scooted closer to Gimli amidst the pillows and blankets.

 

He savored the sensation of soft lips and rough hair against his hand, until Legolas had to reclaim his hand to find his handkerchief. "ihhh-HihhChuhh! Ihhh... IhShhh! Hshhhh!" He blew his nose and remembered that was painful to do only after he'd begun.

 

"Do the elves have any such symbols or remedies?"

 

"We hab... sniff! We have herbs," Legolas said, though it was a weak comparison. The first time he fell sick like this, he had gone out for those herbs. However, a miserable search resulted in nothing but the knowledge that the right sorts of plants did not grow in this region of Middle Earth. He had thought, once, about bringing some with him during his visit, but thought that assuming he would catch cold was only tempting the fates. By now, he had simply given up on them.

 

"Herbs? Bah!" said Gimli. "Elvish remedies are worthless. What you need is a good strong ale to knock that cold right out of your head."

 

Slowly, Legolas smiled. "Actually, there is another remedy that comes to mind. Better than ale or herbs. And readily available, as well."

 

"Is there?" Gimli asked, perking up. "Why have you not mentioned it before?"

 

"Sniff! I thought it might not be at my disposal."

 

Gimli seemed even more interested in it, now. "On my honor, I would not deny my lover a thing in my kingdom! Tell me?"

 

Legolas withdrew for a moment, with awful timing. He cupped both hands and his handkerchief to the lower half of his countenance. His eyes closed and his breaths were hot and heavy through the handkerchief. "ihhh... iiihhhh... Yih-Hihshoo! ihhhChoo!" He felt Gimli's hand stroke his head again, as he sneezed a few more out. "Hihshuhh! IhhhShihhh! Sniff! ehhShooo!" For the sake of his pained nose, he decided to forgo the blowing, and just wiped his nose.

 

"Legolas?" Gimli prodded. "Your cold... how can I help you?"

 

Legolas made his move, rolling forward towards the dwarf, his legs and arms spread wide. He straddled Gimli and then sat up, his rear on Gimli's thighs. The coldness of the room struck him then, and quickly he pulled the blankets up around his shoulders to cover himself as best he could.

 

The sight of him like this, naked and shivering yet initiating intimacy must have been humorous to Gimli, for he chuckled. And he kept chuckling until Legolas' long fingers wrapped around his cock and Legolas' hand began moving up and down. And then his laughter turned into moans. "If this will not drive your cold from you, nothing will," said Gimli.

 

Gimli reached forward for Legolas' cock as Legolas planted himself upon Gimli. Legolas leaned forward as he moved himself up and down, bringing the blankets with him so they formed a sort of warm tent around the two. Legolas' chest came close to Gimli's, as he moved and Gimli gave his thrusts in time. It was almost as though he could feel Gimli's sign of protection against his own heart, as he felt Gimli's strength repeatedly drive into him.

 

They went faster than usual, for the sake of Legolas' nose. Yet he still had to stifle two sneezes into his shoulder before they finished. The sneezes shook him, but Gimli's hands kept him in place, then resumed their stroking of Legolas. It was so irresistible that Legolas lost himself only a few seconds later, and Gimli was close behind.

 

Afterwards, Legolas lay right on top of his lover, heavy but not too heavy for Gimli. Gimli wrapped his arms around Legolas and held him close despite the dampness between them that was Legolas' seed and Gimli's perspiration. And Legolas stayed there, even as he felt another need to sneeze. He reached out for the handkerchief, but it was just out of reach. He pressed a finger beneath his nose and held his breath, his eyes closed.

 

Then Gimli stroked him again, the strong hand moving from the top of his head, down to his neck and to his back. Legolas rose and fell slightly with each of the dwarf's mighty breaths. And every bit of Legolas relaxed at it all, including his nose. Without sneezing, Legolas lowered his finger and rested his hand on Gimli's chest. "Did it work then?" Gimli asked, half-jokingly.

 

Legolas smiled and kissed Gimli's chest, where his head lay. "If it did not, I am afraid we may have to do that again."

 

"And to think, I called elvish remedies worthless!" Gimli chuckled. "Now I nearly hope you still have that cold of yours."

 

Legolas lifted himself up just a little, to look Gimli in the face. He sniffed wetly, having no problem doing so. And he smiled, knowing what would be next. His fingers closed upon his handkerchief.

 

Gimli's eyes met Legolas', then Gimli pressed his finger to the tip of Legolas' nose. "Did it work?" he asked again, playfully.

 

Legolas sniffed again and wiggled slightly. Then he pulled back with a sharp breath. His eyes closed, nose twitched, and mouth dropped open. "ihh... doe... ehh... defidedly dot yet... I'b-ihhh! I'b goig to... ihh... sdeeze... ihhh-HIHShhhh! hehhh-ihhh-Ihshihh! ihhhShooo! ihhhhChishhh! I require bore healig. Snfff!" Gimli held him tightly as Legolas rubbed his nose dry.