A/N: Oh my God, okay so I am SO nervous about this fanfic, because I have minimal knowledge about The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but I did as much research as I could. I loved Legolas the minute I saw him (god he is so hot!) and I loved Tauriel too. I wanted to write a story of them because there are hardly any fanfics of those two here - most of them involve Kili, which I'm sorry but I do not think is a good couple.

A guide for all elfish terms used in this story has been provided at the end. I'm not really sure about my translations, so if you see any wrong translations PLEASE let me know and give me the correct ones please. Thanks!

Summary: One night on the beach, locked out of the palace, results in a long dramatic discussion of Legolas and Tauriel's relationship. Set just before Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves are taken as prisoners in Mirkwood. LegolasXTauriel Oneshot.

The cover image for this one shot was graciously provided by GenghisKwan on deviantART. Go to the Fan Art section of my profile to check out the full image.

R&R! :D

Every night, like clockwork, the guards were ordered to lock every entrance to the castle. This had become a regular task for quite a while, since the elves of the Woodland Realm felt a disturbing chill closing in on them, and dark nights falling faster than they should. Something was coming, some thrilling yet terrifying event would be happening any day now. No one, not a soul, was allowed in or out until the doors opened at dawn.

It would be no different tonight, Legolas thought, as he made the rounds about the castle's perimeter. The sun had not yet set, but you could never be too careful with security. Legolas and some of the best warriors had spent most of the day searching the forests, finding more spider nests than the last time they went out. For this reason his father had ordered the gates closed a little early this night.

"Shut the doors," the young prince directed at the four elves standing by the main entrance, "The King wants everything locked up early tonight."

He had turned his back on them and walked almost half way down the hall before one of the guards spoke, "But what about Captain Tauriel?"

Legolas physically stopped, his eyes glued to the dark stone floor beneath him. What he felt was not panic – Tauriel was a strong elleth, she could take care of herself if she ended up in a dangerous situation. What he felt was mild curiosity at her reasons for being out so late, and not to mention he saw her in this exact same spot not more than two hours ago; he assumed she had been in the castle this whole time. Legolas cocked his head to the side, "What about Tauriel?"

"She went out with a group of new recruits to give them some field training, My Lord," the guard informed.

"They have not returned?"

"The recruits have but the Captain has not,"

Legolas sighed and raised his hands to rub his temples as he went through the choices in his head. He could leave her out there and let her deal with the consequences alone as she should, or he could go after her and bring her back.

To him, the choice was obvious. Legolas dropped his hands and returned to the front doors, "Lock up every entrance except this one. Leave it open half an hour longer, and then close it. If my father asks, tell him I went to look for her,"

"My Lord, I am sure the Captain is fine on her own," a second guard protested.

"I know,"

The bottom lip of the sun was just beginning to dip below the tree line. The sky that was a clear, bright blue only minutes ago was now tinted in a multitude of colors – the patches of atmosphere in the east grew darker, while the sky closest to the sun changed to hues of gold, pink, and orange. With every minute that the sun sank, Tauriel's excitement amplified. Her nerves lit up with such fever she could hardly contain it. The world around her was beautiful, truly beautiful, from the beetles and ants that climbed the crook of the tree she squatted in, to the flowers that blossomed on the ground, delighting her with their soft petals and sweet fragrance. A light wind blew around her, relieving her from the heat of the evening. She watched as green leaves around her kept a strong hold on their branches in the breeze, and the little pink buds doing the same – they wouldn't be there for much longer, as autumn soon approached – but mostly she stared at the sky, at the glorious light.

"Man cerig?" a deep voice asked. Tauriel didn't have to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway. Legolas stood at the bottom of her tree, his favorite bow in hand and blue eyes gazing up at her, alit with curiosity. She cast him a small grin before returning to the sky. Half of the sun had disappeared now, and the eastern darkness almost swallowed the heavens. A second shot of adrenaline struck her.

"Tauriel,"

The elleth with auburn hair gasped and dropped from her perch, landing a few feet in front of Legolas. She was losing the light, she needed to catch up.

"Tolor ar nin," she whispered to her friend. Legolas immediately took her hand in his and they ran along the forest floor with swift skill. They maneuvered through trees and leaped over their roots, the speed they ran at making their hair fly back – oh, such a wonderful feeling, the wind pushing back every strand of hair. Tauriel kept her eyes on the sun, watching it shrink and the light fade. She ran faster in order to keep it in sight, eventually letting go of Legolas' hand because they were sure to hit something in the dense forest. Hard air pumped into her lungs, her muscles protested, and her eyes practically burned from staring at the bright orb for so long, but she ignored it all. She needed to see the light.

The two ended up on a beach in front of a sparkling river. Tauriel stopped at the water's edge and stood on the tips of her toes, stretching up as far as she could to see above the trees.

"We live underground, surrounded by darkness for so long," Tauriel expressed, raising her hand to touch the rays of sunshine, "that sometimes I forget the beauty of the morning and evening sun,"

"It is beautiful," Legolas agreed. However, he wasn't looking at the sunset. What filled his sight was her – her fiery hair even more red with the sunshine on it, blowing in the gentle wind, her creamy skin that was tough from fighting yet soft as velvet, the way her clothes hugged her body in all the right places. Tauriel had been beautiful when they were elflings, and now she was exquisitely breathtaking. Legolas couldn't stop looking at her.

The last light of the day languidly vanished and Tauriel dropped her hand to her side, stepping back to be by Legolas as the world around them fell into darkness. Her excitement diminished with the light, replaced with unease and despair. She couldn't see a foot ahead of her in any direction. The only way she knew Legolas was still with her was that he had grabbed her hand. The darkness was cold and unforgiving, the wind now chilled and laced with whispers of danger. There was no telling what would jump out at them.

And then the darkened land swelled with bursts of silver light as the moon replaced the sun. One by one the stars popped into view, scrawling pictures and stories of ancient times. The area lit up like some glorious, magical wonderland, brightening up the darkest of spots and manufacturing thrilling shadows. Tauriel smiled widely at the return of the light, her eyes scanning the heavens for familiar constellations.

Legolas grinned along with her as he watched his friend twirl underneath the stars, giggling like a little girl, "Gellon ned i galar i chent gin ned i gladhog," he complimented.

Her hilarity increased, so contagious that he had begun to chuckle, "The moon and stars are just as magnificent," she claimed.

When Tauriel spun back in his direction, he caught her by the waist and held her close. She let out the smallest of gasps, staring into his sparkling blue eyes. The moonlight glinted off his features, making his long hair look almost white and his skin just as pale. A light blush came to her cheeks as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Dance with me under the stars,"

"But there is no music," she protested.

"Of course there is," Legolas began to sway, "Nature makes its own music. Come, dance with me,"

Tauriel's fingers slid underneath his, their hands perfectly intertwined. His arm slid tenderly around her frame, pressing her chest to his, and with a single spin they were off. The pair glided across the beach, tracing imaginary patters with their feet. They weaved back and forth under the beam of the fluorescent moon. They spun and twirled in a waltz so complicated it was unbelievable how she had not yet messed up. The pressure of Legolas' hold was feather light, yet heavy enough for her to know it was always right there. They laughed all throughout their dance, so much so that her face began to hurt. It didn't feel like dancing anymore, more like floating on a dance floor of clouds.

At some point it ended, and the light headed elf simply swayed in the prince's arms, staring at the face of a man so brave, so strong, so handsome and noble that it dumbfounded her how she was in his presence at this moment. Legolas graced her with a smile with teeth as luminescent as the stars themselves. Tauriel grinned back with just as beautiful a smile.

"Thank you for the dance," she whispered, removing herself from his embrace and heading in the direction of the palace, "But it is late. We should head back,"

Legolas followed her, taking her hand in his to stop her, "It is too late, they would have locked all the doors by now. Father ordered them closed early tonight."

"Where are we supposed to sleep tonight, then?"

"Why not here?" he expanded his arms over the beach, "It is a warm night. We will be comfortable out here," he plopped himself down on the sand, placing his bow to his right and removing the sheath of arrows from his back.

"Are you not afraid of the creatures that lie in wait around us?" Tauriel inquired with a teasing tone.

"Av-'osto, adulen an gi meriad,"

She scoffed, her hands moving to rest on her hips in an appalled way, "You are here to protect me? If anything, I am here to protect you. After all, you are the prince, and I am Captain of the Guard,"

As she sat down next to him, Legolas argued in a playful manner, "Ah, yes, but think of all those hungry spiders out there," he flexed his fingers at her for effect, "They prefer a woman's soft, supple flesh to a man's tougher outing. You are in more danger than I, therefore I shall be the one to protect you,"

"But you are the only heir to the elven kingdom. You will be king one day. If a pack of orcs or another group of thieves find us, they will surely hold you for ransom. I need to be the one to protect you," she reasoned with him, her sentences interrupted with fits of snickers.

"It seems we are at a draw," he noted.

"How about we agree to avoid trouble altogether?"

Legolas cocked a smirk, "You know just as well as I that will not happen," they laughed so much that he fell onto his back and took her with him. Their laughter died down and Tauriel was left hovering over him, gazing into his deep blue eyes. Her heart beat heavily, and she hoped he couldn't hear it.

Legolas admired the shimmer of her eyes, brown like the earth around him. He reached up and took one of her braids between his fingers, gently stroking the strands that bound it together, "I finneg bain," he complimented. Then his hand traveled to her cheek, satisfied to find that it was burning, "Melleth-nin,"

She tensed, yearning to lean into his touch. Tauriel wanted this, she wanted him, wanted to feel his rough lips on hers, but it wasn't right. There was so much going against their relationship already, as them just being friends. She couldn't do it. She pushed herself off him and onto her knees, "We cannot,"

He sat up, confusion etched across his face, "What do you mean we cannot?"

"You know what I mean, Legolas,"

"Why can't we?" he asked, getting to his knees as well. Tauriel refused to answer him, staring down at her hands resting in her lap and biting the inside of her cheek, "Tauriel? Tauriel, look at me," he gently took her chin in his wide hand and turned her face toward his, "Give me a good few reasons why we cannot be together,"

It was the first time she didn't feel brave doing something. Anxiety bubbled inside the pit of her stomach. She would rather take on a dragon than deny this divine creature of what she wanted as well, while also avoiding all the fears she had of evolving their relationship.

"Legolas, you are a prince, and I am just a common elleth, even if I am Captain of the Guard. It is forbidden between us, your father will not permit it. My job . . . my job is to protect you, not to court you. We cannot -"

He hindered her words with a kiss that tasted of such sweetness that it send invisible but violent shivers down her spine. Her heart accelerated in her chest and her eyelids fluttered closed. His scent overwhelmed her in a good way; he smelled of dirt and sweat, a scent she found appealing. She knew this act of romance was wrong, but it felt so right.

He broke the kiss, his lips retreating with a light smack, "Those are not good enough reasons,"

"They are perfectly good reasons," she disagreed, "They are logical reasons,"

"There is nothing logical about love,"

"You are right, there is not. That is why there cannot be anything of the sort between us. We need to be logical,"

Tauriel got to her feet and walked to the edge of the river, glad to hear the crunch of the sand beneath her feet and the streaming currents over her heart beat pounding in her ear drums. She hated saying these things, absolutely hated it. If she had any freedom to do so, she would immediately relinquish her undying love for him.

"Tauriel, no one can be logical all the time. The heart has just as much right to make choices as the head does,"

She was afraid of the outcome if she let her heart choose, afraid of the consequences, "Please, may we stop this discussion?"

"What are you afraid of?"

There it was, the one question that she did not want and would not answer.

"You are not supposed to be with me," she said with a small smile, "You are supposed to be with a beautiful princess that Thraduil approves of, get married, and rule the kingdom,"

"I do not want a princess. I want you," she couldn't see his face, but she could imagine its sincerity based on the softness of his words, "I want strong, stubborn, brave, beautiful you,"

"Well, I am afraid you shall be left to wanting," Tauriel said with a tone of disappointment, "Your father -"

"I do not care what Ada thinks,"

At this she let out a comical snort and turned away from the river, finding that he too had stood, and was not three feet from her, "You care very much what he thinks, do not deny it. You follow the king in every way possible. He tells you to do something, and you do it, as you should. Do not tell me you do not care,"

He slowly took a step toward her, as if he were approaching a wounded and frightened animal, "When it comes to this, when it comes to you, I do not care. Ada cannot control who I fall in love with," Legolas took another step, close enough to take her small hand in his large one and kiss the back of it, which took him even closer, "Ci velethrilen,"

Her heart was overjoyed to hear those words pass through his lips, and even more overjoyed when those lips came crashing down on hers. But it only lasted a second as her head took control and she gently pushed him away and turned her back on him, "Goheno nin,"

He huffed with frustration, "Tauriel -"

"Gin iallon, can we stop talking about this?"

"If you are that worried about Ada and what he thinks of you, then I will speak with him. I will make him understand what I feel for you, I will make him accept you,"

"It is not only that, Legolas. This whole thing is immensely complicated, and you would not understand," she wrapped her arms around herself like they would shield her and her greatest fears.

"How can you say that? I know you better than anyone," he inquired in a shocked tone.

"You would not understand, I know you would not,"

"Then what is it? What is wrong?"

She shook her head, denying him an answer. She wouldn't even look him in the eye, instead staring up at the moon that was now exactly above them. They had spent half the night arguing over this.

"Ni melig?"

The question was so unexpected that she had to look at his youthful face, "Man?"

"Ni melig?"

"Legolas -"

"Listen to me," he interrupted, replacing a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear, and then cupping his hand along the back of her neck, "I know you love me, but you are refuting it. I want you to look me in the eye, and tell me you do not love me,"

"Legolas, please -"

"Tell me you do not love me, and I will drop the subject. That is what you want, is it not? To pretend this never happened and go on as we were? I will continue to love you in silence if you can do it. Tell me you do not love me, and I will never speak of this again,"

This was her chance; this was an out, a way to make sure she still had him in her life but to avoid the trials and tribulations that would come with loving him. Tauriel looked him in the eye, in his beautiful blue eye, and willed the worlds to come out. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find some way to force out the simple five words. Her throat formed a lump, preventing her from speaking, and her heart nearly stopped at the thought of never admitting her feelings.

"I cannot," she whispered at last, just as his lips came down on her again. His free arm went around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Tauriel wrapped her arms around his neck, her nimble hand combing through his long hair. Legolas' tongue ran along her bottom lip, and she allowed him access to her mouth. When she became breathless she pulled away to catch it. Legolas didn't even give her a chance; he planted kisses along her collar bone and up her neck, giving her flesh a little nip and lick on occasion that would make her lose her breath as quickly as it had come.

"Then what are you afraid of?" he asked.

"I am . . . I am . . ."

Tauriel froze, her bliss numbing. Legolas ceased his antics when he noticed she had stopped responding. She bit her lip and stared unseeingly at a spot of sand over his shoulder.

"Tauriel?" he asked softly, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, "You know you can tell me anything. What is it?"

"I am . . ." she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder and feeling him tighten his hold on her. In the quietest tone she had, she spoke her fear.

"Sorry?"

She sighed again and looked into his muddled face, "I am afraid of the future,"

His expression only grew more confused, "Why?"

"I am afraid of the future. I am afraid that if we incline our relationship into something more romantic that fate will throw something at us that will not allow us to be together. I am afraid that your father will not allow you to love me, or one of us will be thrown into an arranged marriage, or even one of us dying. I do not know if I can handle being without you,"

Legolas wanted to chuckle at her fears, but restrained himself, knowing it would only make her angry. He kissed her forehead, murmuring against her skin, "Melleth-nin, most of your fears are irrational. I will talk to Ada about us, and arranged marriage is out of the question, and so is death,"

"And what if you find someone you love more than I? What if I find someone I love more than you?"

"That you do not have to worry about," now he pressed his own forehead against hers in order to look into her dazzling brown eyes, holding her face gingerly in his wide hands like she was made of glass, "Because I know for a fact that no one, human, dwarf, orc, or elf, will love you more than I; that I can guarantee you. I will love you with all my heart for eternity, and nothing will stop me from doing so,"

The sky above them was cloudless and a lighter shade of black. The wind had stopped blowing, and the birds hadn't woken yet. The only sound that could be heard was the river behind them. Tauriel looked to the east and saw a sliver of the sun rising. Like an arrow laced with love and adrenaline, her dread vanished altogether. Gold, rose, and orange hues returned to the sky, as did the daylight. Tauriel lifted her hand and acted like she could touch the rim of the bright circle. They had been awake all night long discussing their relationship.

"Gi melin, ernil-nin," she cooed, pressing a quick, sweet kiss to his chapped lips.

"Gi melin, Tauriel," he whispered back, "Are we okay now? Will you be my love?"

"Yes, I will be,"

Legolas could not have smiled any wider. He kissed her again, releasing the elf only for a moment as he retrieved his bow and sheath of arrows, and then bringing her back in the circle of his arm before leading her off the beach, "Let us go home, we need some rest,"

As they headed into the forest in the direction of the palace, Tauriel let out a yawn while asking, "Do we not have duties today?"

Legolas smirked, "I believe we can take a day for ourselves. Now, there is only one question: your chambers, or mine?"

Translations:

elleth = elf

man cerig = what are you doing?

tolor ar nin = come with me

gellon ned i galar i chent gin ned i gladhog = I love to see your eyes shine when you laugh

av-'osto = do not fear

adulen an gi meriad = I'm here to protect you

i finneg bain = your hair is pretty

melleth-nin = my love

ada = father

ci velethrilen = you are my love

goheno nin = forgive me

gin iallon = I beg of you

ni melig = do you love me?

man = what?

gi melin = I love you

ernil-nin = my prince