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The Terror Change Brings

Summary:

Legolas has know he likes men ever since he was a child. It's never been an issue. Until now. Because he's found his life partner of choice, and now he has to tell his father it's a man.

Notes:

It's National Coming Out Day here in America, not sure if that's an international thing or just here, but may your day be blessed regardless of where you are.

As a gay trans man myself, coming out is going to be a large part of my life for the next few years, until I work through all of my family. I dream of a world where I won't have to tell everyone I'm gay and fear for my life, a world where being straight is just an aspect of some people's lives, not the norm.

I don't think Tolkien would have approved of this scenario, considering the time period in which he lived and in which his works were written, if anyone finds anything in any of Tolkien's work proving otherwise I'd love to hear it. But hey, that's what fanfiction is about, right?

I'm taking my personal experiences with several different people and using them as a base for everyone's actions and fears. Anxiety is not rational, I knew 100% that there was no chance my parents would ever hurt me or throw me out when I told them, yet I was still so anxious I couldn't speak. It might not make sense, but it just is.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Legolas had known that he liked men since he was a very young child. His first crush had been on an ellon his age named Paranor. He had never understood the other boys his age and their obsession with the elleths their age. 

 

 

 

The first person he told was Tauriel. She had patted him on the head, and dragged him to the shooting range. 

"It doesn't... it doesn't bother you?" She gave him a weird look. 

"Why would it? I like boys, do you think I'm weird?" 

"What? No!" 

"Then how is it different?" Legolas frowned. 

"It just is." 

"Because you're a boy? There's nothing wrong with boys liking boys. My brother married a man. They have a daughter together. Are they weird?" Legolas shook his head. "You're just you, 'Las. This doesn't change anything. I'm still going to kick your ass here." And she fired at the target, hitting the center. Legolas gasped in mock horror, and raised his own bow. 

Later, when they were walking back from the fields, Tauriel stopped. "You know what? This does change something." Legolas' heart stopped. "Now we can talk about cute boys together." Legolas laughed, and slung an arm around her shoulders. 

 

 

 

The next people he came out to were the House of Elrond. It happened by accident, really, in a state of panic. 

Elladan and Elrohir had been teasing him about crushes, asking and prodding, trying to see which young elleth the young prince found cute. 

"Come one, Legolas, there must be some young elleth that has captured your eye." Elrohir teased. Fed up and uncomfortable, Legolas whirled around. 

"No! There is not! I do not like girls!" Moments after he said it, he realized his mistake and covered his mouth in horror. Tears filled his eyes and terror his veins, and - without waiting to hear a response - Legolas fled. He heard them shouting after him, but he was too frightened to turn back. 

 

Elrond was standing in his study, watching the Legolas running out his window when the door to his study slammed open. 

"Ada! Ada!" His two eldest sons burst into the room. 

"What is it?" 

"Legolas-"

"He came out to us-"

"I don't think he meant to-"

"He was very upset-" 

"We did not mean to hurt his feelings-"

"And now he's gone! He ran off!" Elrond held up a hand. The twins had a frustrating habit of completing each other's sentences and it could be quite difficult to follow them sometimes. 

"Slow down. So. Legolas came out to you as... something and then ran away?" Elrohir nodded. 

"We were teasing him, asking about any crushes he may have, and he shouted at us that he didn't like girls and then ran away." Elrond hummed. 

"You two stay here, I will go after him." 

 

Legolas was sitting by the river, head buried in his knees. 

"So, Elladan and Elrohir tell me you do not like girls." Legolas' head jerked up, and his eyes were wide with terror. "That is of no consequence, young one. Why did you run away?" 

"You do not... you do not care?" Elrond frowned and shook his head. 

"Why would I?" 

"Why would we?" Both elves startled when the twins stepped out from behind a tree. "All that changes is now we shall tease you about whichever cute ellon you have found." Legolas flushed. 

"Aha!" Elladan shouted. "I knew you have someone. Tell us." 

 

 

Which leads him to now, standing outside the door to his father's study, hand held tightly in Aragorn's, shaking in fear. 

"It will be alright, Legolas. Your Ada loves you, he will not throw you out." Legolas nodded, squeezed his lover's hand, and then let go. He knocked gently on the door and took a shuddering breath. 

"Come in." Legolas pushed open the door. Thranduil was sitting at his desk, and he looked up when they walked in. He gestured and they both sat in arm chairs across from him. 

"Ada, I have something to tell you." He took a deep breath. Aragorn squeezed his arm. "It is big. But it is not bad! I just..." 

"Breathe, Legolas." Aragorn murmured forcefully from beside him. Thranduil looked worried. 

"Ion-nin, what is going on?" He reached a hand across the desk, and Legolas grabbed it tightly. 

"Ada, I have found my chosen. And I am afraid you will not accept him- Jukkete." Thranduil raised an eyebrow. 

"Such strong language, ion-nin. Alright, you is this young man you has captured your heart?" Legolas stared in awe at his father, mouth falling open slightly in shock. 

"You do not care?" 

"That you have found your chosen? No, but I would like to meet him." 

"No. You do not care that he is male? That I have fallen in love with a man?" Thranduil shook his head. 

"As long as you are happy, I do not care whom you chose to court, or chose to take to your bed." He smiled gently. "Besides, I have long suspected you were attracted to men rather than women. Now please, my son, tell me who this man is, to be so fortunate and so spectacular to have won over my son's heart." Legolas flushed slightly, and removed his hand from his father's to entwine his finger's with Aragorn's. 

"It is Estel, Ada." Thranduil smiled, then turned to Aragorn with his famous glare. 

"You are a brilliant young man, Estel, and I would be honoured to bring you into my family. But. If you ever ever, hurt my son, you will pay." Aragorn swallowed nervously. 

"I have no intentions of hurting Legolas, hir-nin. In fact," he paused and looked at Legolas for a moment for before turning back to the king. "With your permission, I would ask for your son's hand. In marriage." Legolas made a strangled noise, but Aragorn held Thranduil's gaze. The Elven King nodded. 

"You have it." Aragorn smiled, and slipped from the armchair to the floor. He took Legolas' had in his and kissed it. 

"You have been by my side my entire life, meleth-nin. I can think of no other I would want to spend the rest of my life with, and so I will ask to you, will you marry me?" Overwhelmed with emotions, Legolas nodded, one hand covering his mouth. He let Aragorn lift him up out of the chair and carefully swirl him around. Thranduil watched on smiling contentedly, heart warmed to see the pure joy from his child and his lover. Tomorrow there would be talk of marriage and weddings and what they wanted, but for now that all could wait, and the two could simply be happy together. 

Notes:

I will be moderating comments on this, in an attempt to keep any young LGBT people from seeing any possible hate. Know that if you come to my work with the intent to belittle me, or the community I write about your comment will be removed and you will be ignored. By all means, leave constructive criticism, I'm always open to hear how I can improve, but do not leave hate.

 

Also fun fact: The name of Legolas' first crush translates to "naked man".

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