Disclaimer: I do not own. Me Wish

Title: And Now You Are Here

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Angst

Pairing: Tauriel/Legolas

Type: Two-shot

Important Note: This is a series of conversations during DoS and BotFA between Tauriel and Legolas that never happened, but it should have. Other than the last one(s) they are all in canon scenes taken from the movies with my own imagination inserted in between them. It begins with Thranduil's 'don't give him hope' speech and goes on from there in chronological order.

'I know you're there.' Thranduil's voice disrupted Tauriel from her thoughts. 'Why do you linger in the shadows?'

She rushed down the last steps of the staircase. 'I was coming to report to you,' she replied, approaching His Majesty with her head held high, but she bowed slightly when near enough to signify her respect.

'I thought I ordered that nest to be destroyed not too moons passed,' he said, expectant.

It was that very thought that had troubled her since the capture of the Dwarves, and Tauriel began to pace. 'We cleared the forest as ordered, my lord. But more spiders keep coming up from the south. They are spawning in the ruins of Dol Guldur,' she stopped in front of him, ready to offer a solution. 'If we can kill them at their source-'

'That fortress lies beyond our borders, keep our lands clear of those foul creatures, that is your task,' the king interrupted, unwilling to hear her out.

It had Tauriel begin her restless pacing once more, a million possibilities running through her mind. 'And when we drive them off? What then? Will they not spread to other lands?'

'Other lands are not my concern,' His Majesty replied lowly, and the lack of empathy in his voice had her slowing down, staring at him incredulously.

'The fortunes of this world will rise and fall, but here is this kingdom we will endure,' he continued. Defeated, Tauriel bowed her head. His displeasure, however subtle, was not lost on her, and she decided it wise to take her leave. Turning away, she took only several steps before his voice stopped her once more. 'Legolas said you fought well today.'

She looked up, unable to stop the smile that stretched her lips, but his following words had her stunned. 'He has grown very fond of you.' Smile falling, Tauriel looked away, feeling her shoulders stiffen in response. 'I assure you, my lord,' she replied,' Legolas thinks of me as no more than the captain of the guard.'

'Perhaps he did once. Now, I'm not so sure.' His Majesty stepped forward, walking passed her in time to miss the gleam in her eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest with anticipation. 'I do not think you would allow your son to pledge himself to a lowly Silvan elf,' she couldn't stop the hopefulness that seeped into her voice.

He raised his voice in response, 'no, you're right, I will not. But still, he cares about you. Do not give him hope where there is none.' The fluttering stopped, replaced with a stony feeling of dread and possible crushed dreams that she never in the first place should have held. Collecting herself, Tauriel took her leave.

But it was only a staircase and two corridors later that she felt a presence behind her, and knowing who it was, lessened her speed so they fell into step with one another.

'Did you report to my father?' Legolas asked, face turned to face her as they walked down the passage. She did not look at him. 'I did.'

'What does he say about the spiders?'

'He says that our task is to keep them out of Mirkwood and nothing more.' She replied, determined to leave her voice void of emotion.

'This displeases you,' Legolas observed. They were nearing the armoury now, and Tauriel sped up a little to reach it faster, wanting to leave the discussion as quickly as time would allow. 'Who am I to be displeased with the king's command?' she questioned, eyes focused ahead.

'The tension in your shoulders says otherwise, Tauriel,' Legolas said, stopping her in her tracks, but they had arrived. Finally facing him, she bowed. 'My lord.' Turning to leave, she purposefully ignored the furrow of his brows at her sudden formality.

He has grown very fond of you.

'Tauriel,' he spoke, and Tauriel tilted her head in acknowledgement, unwilling to meet his gaze once more. 'It is Meren Nuin Giliath,' Legolas continued.

She nodded. 'It is. I hope you enjoy the feast.'

'Will you not spare me a dance this evening?' His question had taken her aback, and she glanced up at him. His eyes, normally hard and demanding of respect, were softened, reflecting a tender care she now recognised as fondness. His normally aloof features were relaxed and calm, patiently waiting for her answer. How did she not realize before now? Shame filled her, as well as longing she knew she could not fulfil. For centuries, she loved him, and yet was so oblivious to his feelings. How had she been so blind?

Do not give him hope where there is none.

'I do not think I will be in attendance, my lord,' she answered, hands clasping tightly behind her back to prevent them from fidgeting.

He frowned, but it was playful, tempting her to give in. 'Not even for a dance?' He must be in a good mood, she noticed. He was always, to an extent, playful with her. In childhood they had been the best of companions, and while becoming the warrior he was wrung out his mischievous behaviour and whimsical behaviour, she saw it every now and then. It surfaced when you least expected, like it had now.

She bowed again. 'I will try to attend.'

'I look forward to your company.'

-X-

She had no intentions of attending. Having Legolas ask her for a dance would attract the eyes of his father, and the king would interpret her behaviour as an act of defiance, a mockery in his very face. She didn't dare go against His Majesty's word like that. Once Legolas noticed her lack of presence, however, she didn't doubt that he would bring it up.

By nightfall, the feast had long begun. She decided to patrol the dungeons to keep herself occupied. She had intended to visit their new prisoners sooner or later, and tonight was as good a night as any. Most of the dwarves had long since fallen asleep, all save one. One of the youngest ones who she'd saved earlier that day.

Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers.

She remembered his farcical words as she approached his cell. His name rung in her mind, since a dwarf who could only be his brother had shouted it out not long before she had rescued his life. Kili. He was fiddling with something, throwing it in the air and catching it. When she focused, she realized what it was. 'The stone in your hand,' she murmured, 'what is it?'

He glanced at her. 'It's a talisman.' His answer intrigued her, and she leaned forward.

'A powerful spell has upon it, if any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone,' he shook his head, 'they will be forever cursed,' he raised it suddenly to her eyes, voice dropping lowly and she turned away, stunned.

'Or not,' he said quickly.

She turned back, peering at him.

'Depending on whether you believe in that kind of thing, it's just a token,' he chuckled, showing her again, less threatening this time. She stepped forward, and her unimpressed expression slowly melted into a smile.

'A rune stone,' he looked down at it. 'My mother gave it to me so I don't go back on my promise.'

She came closer, more curious than before. He had captured her attention, this dwarf had. 'What promise?'

'That I would come back to her.'

So it seemed even dwarves were capable of sentiment. Of familial love. Had she ever thought they had any less of it?

'She worries,' the dwarf continues. 'She thinks I'm reckless.'

Her smile extended. 'Are you?'

He shook his head, 'nah,' and threw the stone again in the air. But this time, he couldn't catch it and it fell between his fingers and through the cell bars. Before it could roll into the steep that led to the lower dungeons, Tauriel put out her foot and stopped it.

Picking it up and raising it to examine the intriguing stone, Tauriel read the words she couldn't understand that was carved. 'Sounds like quite the party you're having up there,' Kili observed, now standing and hands wrapped around the bars.

Her hand dropped beside her. 'It is Mereth Nuin Giliath. The Feast of Starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar, but what wood elves like best are the light of the stars,' she breathed, imagining the bright night of stars that lay outside their underground kingdom. It brought her peace and harmony, the thought of stars.

'I always thought it is a cold light,' Kili admitted, 'remote and far away.' Tauriel turned to him, frowning. 'It is memory,' she said in disbelief, 'precious and pure.' His face was that of an innocent, filled with youth that she had not seen in a long time, and realizing the force of her words, she smiled softly. Handing the stone to him, she added, 'like your promise.'

He took it without a word, and looked down, as though expecting her to now depart. But he had revived affection in her that she hadn't expressed in a long time, and she missed it. 'I have walked there sometimes,' she whispered it like a secret, and he looked up, surprised. 'Beyond the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away, and the white light forever fill the air.' She could envision it in front of her very eyes, the dreamy brightness that cast hope against the darkness that was the night sky.

'I saw a fire moon once.' Kili said. Tauriel turned again, nearing him to hear more. 'It rose over the pass near Dunland, huge. Red and gold it was, it filled the sky. We were an escort for some merchants from Ered Luin, they were trading in silverwork for furs. We took the Greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left, and then it appeared. This huge fire moon lighting our path. I wish I could show you... ' And that was all it took for Tauriel to be complete immersed into his story, sitting on the step beside his cell to listen to his adventures.

It was a night of firsts for Tauriel. She found company in a dwarf like no other she had met. Never had she expected to enjoy the conversation of a stunted man, but he had captured her in a world where the stars and the moon where the lords and kings of the sky, and she had never been so captivated by tales far from the Woodland realm. By the end of the night, the feast, and their talk of stars and the beauty of night, Tauriel felt a unique kind of peace, and felt as though she made harmony with the world.

Long after the dwarf had fallen asleep and the party was over, Tauriel crept out of the palace, keeping her dagger with her in case she encountered spiders that hadn't been killed. Sitting on the bank of a river not far from the palace, she looked up at the sky and relived Kili's tales in her mind, his every word embedded into her memory. But it was not long before she felt a presence behind her, several feet away.

'You missed the feast,' Legolas said.

Pursing her lips upon remembering the dance she had promised, Tauriel stood and turned to face him. 'I was on watch over the prisoners, my lord. Patrol duty.' She bowed, and knew that no matter how many times she said it, she could never get used to the formality she set between them.

'Guards are relieved of patrol duty in the dungeons during the feast.' Legolas pointed out, and Tauriel stiffened. 'It is their first night in Mirkwood. They may have been tempted to escape whilst we were celebrating.'

Legolas stepped forward, and although she knew she shouldn't, Tauriel met his gaze.

'So you missed the feast to converse with a dwarf?'

She froze. Had he seen her? Had he come down to the dungeons as well? In search for her? The questions flitted through her mind as he neared, stopped a mere foot away. Their proximity was too much for her comfort. She took a subtle step back, if only to abide by her king's words.

Do not give him hope.

Will you not spare me a dance?

'Forgive me, my lord,' she bowed again. 'but my presence would have been unworthy in the company of nobles and the royal family.'

'It wouldn't have for me.'

Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a slow, steady breath.

'If you excuse me, my lord.' She bowed once more, and quickly left the riverside. She hadn't missed the betrayed look on his face, the fleeting pain that had passed through his eyes . Lungs tightening, Tauriel silently returned to the palace.

-X-

'Tauriel. Leave, now.' Thranduil ordered, and Tauriel had no choice but to retract her daggers. Sending a last glare at the orc filth that kneeled before her, she left the throne room, filled with renewed purpose. Had it been any other time, she would have doubtlessly eavesdropped on the interrogation, against orders or no. But today, she had no time to waste. The orc had nothing else to tell her, so she took her bow and daggers, and left the palace without a word. She felt the guards' eyes on her as she walked into the forest, but they had no reason to doubt their captain. She would never give them a reason to.

It was only several hours later, when she was by the river that the dwarves had escaped through with barrels, did she allow her to stop. Orc blood stained the stones and formed puddles in the crevasses, and she did not deny the satisfaction it gave her to know that there were less orcs in the world now than there was in the not one morning ago.

After several moments however, she felt it once again. A presence. His presence. Whether he was many feet away or right behind her, she always sensed him. His aura had embedded itself into her senses, and years of longing had done little to aid her in forgetting the feeling of the presence of her prince. Regardless, she could not take the risk should it be an orc behind her, and whipped out her bow as she spun around, aiming with precision.

Legolas stood before her, his arrow pointing in her direction. Narrowing her eyes, she spoke, 'in gannen le orch.' A lie, but she did not despair over it.

'Ci orchim, dangen le.' He replied. They lowered their bows, and Tauriel turned towards to horizon as he neared. 'Tauriel, you cannot hunt thirty orcs on your own.'

She glanced at him slyly. 'But I'm not on my own.'

A softened smile graced his lips. 'You knew I would come.'

She but offered him a knowing smile.

'The king is angry, Tauriel. For six hundred years my father has protected you, favoured you. You defied his orders. You betrayed his trust.' She frowned at his words. He stood beside her now, and they locked eyes.

'Dandolo na nin. E gohenatha.' He murmured, encouraging, but she would have none of it.

'U-ohenathon.' She said fiercely, 'Ci dadwenithon, u-ohenathon im. The king has never let orc filth pass our lands, yet he would let this orc pack crossed our borders and kill our prisoners.'

'It is not our fight.' Legolas insisted.

'It is our fight,' she pierced him with a stare. 'It will not end here. With every victory this will grow. If your father has his way, we would do nothing. We will hide within our walls, live our lives away from the light, and let darkness ascend.'

She sensed it, the change in his eyes, the shift in his emotions. 'Are we not part of this world?' she asked, softer this time. 'Tell me, mellon, when did we let evil become stronger than us?' It was all the words she needed to say. He watched her for a moment longer before sighing through his nose. 'The dwarves will be heading towards Laketown.' He said.

She smiled, 'if we are quick on foot, we will be able to reach them in time.'

And quick on foot they were. They covered much distance before they made camp at nightfall, building a small fire to fight off the cold although they knew neither of them needed it. For most of the journey, they spoke little. Tauriel had nothing to say, nothing she was allowed to say, at least. It was only hours later when they watched the stars lying on their backs did he break the silence. 'Are you going after them to heal the dwarf?' he asked.

She was taken aback by his question, but answered nonetheless. 'I go after the orcs that follow them. He may be entitled to be the King Under the Mountain, but Thorin would be of no use dead. Your father wants the jewels in that mountain, does he not?'

He did not respond.

'A war is coming. Once that dwarf becomes king, I see the battle that will ensue. And I wish the death of all the orcs in the land.'

He did not turn to look at her. 'And how about the wounded dwarf?' She purposefully avoided the topic, but upon him bringing it up twice, she did not see use in stalling. 'I also wish to save his life.' She admitted.

'How could you be taken with a dwarf you met not a sunrise ago?' he questioned, and she didn't imagine the tightness in his voice. She knew she didn't.

'I am not taken with a dwarf, Kili or any other.' She replied simply, refusing to elaborate.

I nogoth, aman a tir gin, Tauriel?

Tauriel closed her eyes. He could think what he liked, she decided. She had orders, strict, precise orders to stay away from the king's son romantically. To keep their relationship as platonic as possible. And yet, it felt as though they passed the boundary of a prince and his captain a long time ago, and no distance or cold behaviour could change that.

Legolas did not speak. She imagined what plagued his mind, and cursed herself, her recklessness for allowing things to go so far. Turning her head slightly, she glanced at his face. He was watching the stars, mouth set in a stony line and eyes unwelcoming as they stared. She yearned to reach out, smooth the creases that tainted his forehead, run her fingers under his cheeks to soften the stiff muscles.

Do not think of me, Your Highness, she thought sadly, I am unworthy of your thoughts.

Suddenly, he sat up, getting to his feet and collecting his bow before turning towards the forest that was behind them without a word.

'Where are you going?' She asked, pulling herself up.

'To take a walk.'

She understood that there was no invitation, and watched him disappear into the forest, the trees swallowing him as he walked further away. Tauriel lay back down, despite the tug in her heart urging her to follow him. He wanted to be alone, and she understood that. Respected it. It gave her time to retreat into her own thoughts, lose herself in the tales Kili spoke of, and the sorrow in her soul that refused to go away no matter how much she ignored it. The stars were brighter than usual tonight, she noted, watching the constellations. A long time ago, she heard that pictures formed in the sky, the stars aligning in formation to produce something so human, so familiar. She often searched for such images, but her constellation spotting was of that of an amateur, and she found none. The thought of constellations brought forth a memory, from many centuries ago, when she was but a little older than an elfling.

It was of her and Legolas, running like mad children through the forest after training, chasing each other, daring one another to take up a task.

Sometime during sunset, she picked up a rock from the ground, found amongst the moss and bark, and raised to him. 'Steal this from me if you can, Your Highness,' she mocked, and darted through the trees. Legolas' laugh rang in Tauriel's mind, echoing like the soothing instruments played in the palace. And steal he had, chasing her without reserve for what felt like hours, and when he caught up, Tauriel slowed her step enough for him to tackle her to the ground. They fell with an oomph and his hand gripped her own.

Tauriel laughed breathlessly, but when it faded, she noticed the stare in Legolas' eyes. He leaned forward, orbs glistening with an emotion she couldn't place, and for one heart-stopping moment, she believed he would kiss her. But the thought did not last long, as he simply loosened her hand from him and grabbed the stone that now rested in her palm. 'Got it,' he smirked, but the emotion was still there, dancing like fire.

Without warning, Tauriel flipped him over and pinned him down, pulling the stone from his hand. 'Not anymore.' She stated airily, and he gave a chuckle, soft and tender. Tauriel could not think of what to do, and although her first thought was to climb off him and let him stand, she paused at his words.

'Look,' he murmured, arm rising to point his finger passed her shoulder. 'It is an elk.' Slowly sliding off him, Tauriel lay beside his form and glanced up at the sky to where he pointed. 'I do not see it.'

Legolas took her arm, hand gliding over her forearm and wrist as he gently took her finger in his and pointed, leaning in closer until their heads touched ever so slightly. 'It's there,' he murmured, using their entwined hands to trace the elk in the stars. Once she spotted it, Tauriel smiled. 'So it is an elk. Stars make them seem beautiful and graceful.'

She felt rather than saw him smile, lips ghosting over her cheek as he turned his head. 'No star would be able to embody the beauty and grace of you, Tauriel.'

A crunch to her left shook Tauriel out of her memory, and on reflex she pulled out her dagger and got to her feet at lightning speed. But it was only a squirrel, stepping onto dry leaves and thin sticks. It glanced at her momentarily, and then scampered off. Looking around, she realized Legolas had still not returned. Putting out the fire, she grabbed her bow and set out to find him.

It was not hard. She believed that somewhere in the past centuries, a thread had tied her to her prince. Like a bond, and because of it, she never failed to find him wherever he was. Absentmindedly, she wondered if he felt the same connection.

She found him in a clearing, shooting arrows at a far off tree, undeterred by the darkness.

'You'll have plenty of time to kill tomorrow, what is your rush?' She asked with a teasing lilt to her voice.

'It helps me think,' he replied nonchalantly, shooting another before he turned to her.

'About what?'

His eyes burned. 'Things that do not concern you.' It was cold, meant to cut deep and leave a scar, and Tauriel felt the searing pain run to her core. It was, she realized, the scar she had left him, purposefully meant to affect her. But not push her away.

'Amin heraetha.' She whispered.

'You've done nothing to be sorry about.' He replied. Without her noticing, he had put down his bow, and Tauriel watched him carefully, trying to convey her apology.

'I have hurt you.'

He remained silent, and she stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She felt her eyes beginning to prick. Slowly, he reached for her hand, clasping it in his own. 'Will you heal what you have hurt?' He murmured, watching their hands as he ran his thumb along her knuckles, sending delicious sparks throughout her entire body.

'I cannot.'

'Mankoi?' His voice cracked, betraying the emotion he had tried to hide, and Tauriel felt her heart break. 'I am your captain.' She said, yearning bleeding into her words. 'I deserve nothing from you. Not your friendship, nor your love. I cannot heal you the way you want.'

He leaned in closer, their eyes finally making contact. There was something in his gaze, an unnameable emotion she could not define but strong enough to momentarily stun her. Her bow fell from her hand, and she gripped the material of his tunic.

'It is I who is undeserving, Tauriel. But it does not stop me from wanting,' their foreheads touched, 'from needing.'

Her heart beat erratically in her chest, so soundly that she was sure he could hear. But if she concentrated, she could feel his heart beat in his chest where her hand lay. A litany of thumps that was as fast as her own. She could feel his breath on her lips, a welcome warmth in the cold that surrounded them. His eyes were different when she glanced up from his lips. She found them softened, unguarded, hopeful. Unexpectedly, he nudged her nose with his own, and her eyes widened, her breath leaving her entirely. He smiled softly at her reaction, and the vulnerability he displayed her affected her more than she would like.

No star would be able to embody the beauty and grace of you, Tauriel.

Without warning, Legolas leaned down, capturing her lips with his own, and Tauriel's eyes fell closed as she embraced the rush of emotion that coursed through her body. His hands left hers, entangling themselves in her hair instead, and she pulled him closer. A sigh left her as she poured her love and passion into the kiss, unable to hold back centuries of feelings any longer.

'Tauriel,' he whispered against her lips, breathless as he returned for more. 'A'maelamin.' The confession had her mind spiral out of control, and she kissed him harder, more desperately. He laid her down on the moss, towering above her form. For a single moment, she remembered the Elvenking, but the thought deserted her once Legolas returned the kiss with equal ferocity. Lost in the warmth that was his love, Tauriel surrendered herself to him, only pulling back to breathe. He bent to kiss her jaw, scattering pecks along the column of her neck as her arms pulled him closer.

It was only when she felt brightness, a certain light hit her did she open her eyes and realize the sun was rising. The night had long left them, and she gently pulled Legolas away. 'We must leave soon,' she murmured. He leaned in for one last, dizzying kiss before standing and pulling her to her feet. Desire burned in his eyes, but a peaceful, unusual happiness entwined with it. Bringing her in for a close embrace, his arms wrapped around her body. 'Nin melog?' he murmured in her ear.

Her throat constricted, but she couldn't deny him any longer. Could not deny herself any longer.

'Gin melin.'

'Then marry me.'

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS (NOT GUARANTEED ACCURATE):

Meren Nuin Giliath: Feast of starlight

In gannen le orch: I thought you were an orc

'Ci orchim, dangen le: If I were an orc, you'd be dead

'Dandolo na nin. E gohenatha: Come back with me. He'll forgive you.

'U-ohenathon. Ci dadwenithon, u-ohenathon im: I will not. If I return I will not forgive myself.

Mellon: Friend

I nogoth, aman a tir gin, Tauriel?: Why does the dwarf stare at you, Tauriel?

Amin heraetha: I am sorry

Mankoi: Why?

A'maelamin: my love

Nin melog?: Do you love me?

Gin melin: I (do) love you

That's part one of this two shot, guys! Hopefully you enjoyed reading it, and will be kind enough to leave a review of your thoughts? I hope I pleased everyone with this piece. The second and final part should be up in less than a week, probably even tomorrow night If I've got no homework. The second part will be from Legolas' point of view, and will span through the story line of DoS and BotFA respectively.

Most of this is unedited, by the way, and I apologize if I've made some huge typos or mistakes.

Let me know what you think!

xx