Hurt/Comfort Exchange reveal: “A Road Bright and Swift”, Legolas/Gimli (LotR books)

The authors for the Hurt/Comfort Exchange have been revealed! And I got to write Legolas/Gimli, with immortality-mortality angst, and oh-no-he’s-dead-oh-wait-he-isn’t, and a tentacle monster. And camping. :D

A Road Bright and Swift (15653 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Characters: Gimli (Son of Glóin), Legolas Greenleaf
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mortality, Immortality, Pining, Angst, Immortality Angst, Post-Battle care, Mistakenly Believes the Other is Dead, Physically Injured Character Comforting Emotionally Distressed Character, Cuddling & Snuggling, Swimming, Camping, Moria | Khazad-dûm
Summary:

Gimli, freshly-wakened, was lying with his head propped on one hand, his blanket at his waist. And he said, his voice morning-hoarse, "If my memory doesn't fail me, we'll be reaching the River Limlight soon. I'd dearly love a wash."

Legolas's heart seized and tightened. The Limlight was in the very north of the forest, and once across it, they would emerge from their easy wandering, cracking out of the chrysalis to the pain of the open air. No more Fangorn, no more careless peace, no more Gimli at dawn stretching his muscles limber and grumbling about the wear of a bootsole.

And all the future losses lined themselves up.

This requester’s tags were a festival of sheer delight and I included all but one of them; they worked really well together. Immortality angst + mistakenly believing the other one is dead? YES PLEASE. Add in my favorite ‘physically injured one comforts the emotionally distressed one’? O YES PLEASE. And in chatting with marycrawford, I was reminded that the books never do let us know what happened to the Watcher In The Water... HMMMM. :D