Learning to Relax
by Kate of Kintail

Gimli looked up at the elf beside him, taking in the long blond hair streaming down over his scantily clad torso. The elf's face wore a calm, pensive expression as his eyes traveled over the lines of an old, leather-bound book. There was a soft fire rustling in the fireplace before them, warming the room, though it was not too warm. They sat comfortably on a couch, side-by-side, as they attempted to enjoy the silence.

The dwarf found it to be less stimulating than he might have liked, and his leg bounced up and down repeatedly to signal this. There was nothing moving apart from the slight flickers of the fire, and Legolas occasionally turning a page. A restlessness even hotter than the fire stirred within him even. Gimli, looking up still, cleared his throat. "Good book?" he asked.

Legolas smiled and nodded. "Yes. It is in fact." He did not take his eyes from the yellowed page, nor did he seem to pause in his reading at all. He was beautiful like this, acting as though normal, as though Gimli was not critically studying every detail.

He waited for a few minutes to pass before piping up again. "Would you read some of it to me?"

With a light laugh, Legolas looked down from his book. "I am afraid it is in Elvish. It would take much effort to translate as I read so that you could understand. Besides, I am in the middle. It would be take time to explain events up to this point. But if you so desire--"

"Do not go to any extra effort on my behalf," Gimli told him. The Elvish language had grown on him after their time in Lothlorien years ago, and there was nothing he wanted more now than to hear it. "I do not need to understand. I would simply like to hear your voice."

Legolas paused a moment, considering this with a smile. Gimli had never made this sort of request before, and he was sure the dwarf was up to something, as he almost always was on the quiet nights. Gimli was never as content as he to sit peacefully by a fire and relax. He enjoyed it, certainly, but was never able to relax as well as Legolas. There were but three things that caused him to relax entirely. The first was overwork. The second was a long, hard battle. And the third required work and sometimes battling, but was altogether a more enjoyable form of each and conducted beneath the covers of their bed. "All right," Legolas agreed. If Gimli could not completely relax this night, the least he could do was offer comfort in the form of his voice upon request.

And so Legolas began reading. The words were slow and beautiful in his voice, filling the quiet room with their sound. Gimli scooted closer on the couch, resting his head against Legolas' side and giving a soft sigh. Legolas smiled again, which came through in his voice, and Gimli smiled back in enjoyment. His hand casually dropped onto Legolas' thigh, and Legolas continued on with the reading, seeming not to mind it. Or seeming not to notice, though that was hard to believe knowing how observant Legolas could be.

As Legolas turned the page and went on with the tale, Gimli began rubbing his hand up and down the legging-clad thigh. Slow at first, then gaining speed as he realized Legolas was not going to falter. His hand moved inward just a bit with each rub, until the back of his hand was rubbing against Legolas' crotch. Legolas gave a light sigh at the pleasure of it, and looked down at Gimli beneath the book. He was smiling in approval, and the dwarf grinned heartily. "Go on, please," Gimli implored him. "Your voice is beautiful to me."

Something told him that just now Gimli was not as interested in the beauty of the Elvish tongue as he was in other Elvish parts. But he did as the dwarf liked and continued reading. He felt warmth against his crotch as the dwarf's hand slipped beneath his leggings and cupped what he found there. Gimli began stroking again, almost at the beat of Legolas soft, fluid words. But as he sped up, so did Legolas. The elf began taking more breaths and rushing his words. Without being asked, he lifted his rear off the couch and allowed Gimli to slide his leggings down to his knees.

Gimli stroked more aggressively now, his fingers curled around Legolas' slender member. "Lle creoso," Legolas read, trying his best to keep at it as Gimli's hand worked its magic upon him. Elves were, after all, supposed to be calm and unmoved by normal emotions as befit their long lives. The dwarf's strokes were short and firm, making his hips thrust a bit in time with the quick rhythm. Gimli turned towards Legolas a bit more, getting a better angle. Every so often as he slid his hand up and down his thumb ran roughly over the head of Legolas' cock, making the elf gasp involuntarily.

Soon Gimli's other hand joined in the excitement, fingering lightly, from cock to balls, then holding the later with a firm but tender squeeze. "Cuamin linduva-ahh yes... yassen megrille... ohh Gimli..." Legolas' attempts to keep reading had failed miserably, though he could not have been happier. He clutched the book to his chest with one hand as he rested the other on Gimli's upper back to push him on. Gimli leaned sideways, against Legolas. The top corner of the book dug into his side but he could hear the elf's heartbeat and heavy breathing which more than made up for it.

His hand quickened even more, not stopping for anything now, just pumping. He felt Legolas moving along with him, thrusting his hips forward into Gimli's fist and leaning back at the same time. Along with heavy breaths were now soft moans or vocalized sounds that were less intelligible. "Uhh... huhhh... ahhh..." They rose in desperation and rose in pitch, until suddenly there was nowhere further or higher for them to go. Legolas buried his face into Gimli's bushy brown hair when he burst, his groan muffled significantly.

Legolas pulled back when it was over, taking deep breaths to collect himself. Gimli pulled back and looked up at him, grinning madly. Legolas smiled back, and shook his head mischievously. He pulled his leggings off all the way to allow himself more freedom of movement. Then he pushed Gimli back against the couch. The book slid off his chest and onto the floor with a thump, and neither elf nor dwarf moved to recover it. Legolas pinned Gimli down against the cushions and leaned over him with a hot and slightly breathless kiss. Then he ran his face down the dwarf's chest, snuffling at the parts of his shirt which, when pulled in a certain direction, reveled skin. His nose and mouth slid up one sleeve with a kiss. And his tongue prodded playfully between two shirt buttons. It worked its way to the ties of Gimli's trousers, which were pulled at by his teeth until they came untied.

Legolas tugged the trousers down, and then off completely. He parted Gimli's legs but a little and squeezed himself between and mostly on top. The elf rubbed his face in the mass of bushy brown hair there, inhaling his lover's scent. A musky, rugged smell that surged through him invitingly.

"Legolas..." Gimli whispered self consciously, reaching down for him. "No..."

His hand lashed out, batting Gimli's away. Legolas' breaths were warm against Gimli's crotch. "You pleased me as you saw fit. Now it is my turn to please you." He lifted his head and smiled at Gimli, a twinkle in his eyes. "You would not deny me that?" Gimli shook his head, still a bit hesitant. "I enjoy you. Every bit of you, scent included. If I wanted something sweet I would live with flowers. What I want is you." Gimli protested no more and lay back with a sigh, staring at the wood-paneled ceiling and trying to relax.

It was difficult to hold still for long, however, when an elf's mouth has set to work on you. He groaned deeply from the start, as every touch inspired a tingle in his loins. Every time a finger stroked his sack, every time the tongue circled his cock, every time teeth grazed gently against his shaft. He inhaled and exhaled loudly at each varied touch. And he gave a sharp, happy gasp when Legolas took him in his mouth completely. They fit together so perfectly like this, Legolas able to suck easily, head bumping against the back of Legolas' throat but not enough to make him gag. Gimli was perfect, and Legolas' technique refined. Gimli pumped in and out, and Legolas licked and sucked and bobbed his head up and down all the while.

Legolas' hands gripped the dwarf's strong thighs, stroking and rubbing inward the way Gimli had done with him at the start. Gimli reached down and placed his hands on Legolas' head. He could not see the elf's face, only a mass of long, blond hair which was abnormally unruly in its current form. He dug his fingers into the mane, grabbing hold. As the sensation rose within him, he grabbed more tightly and groaned more loudly.

He soon could not imagine why he had protested even the least bit at the start. Legolas was clearly enjoying himself, and his talents provided considerable pleasure. Gimli closed his eyes, the soft tangles of hair and hot, wet mouth enveloping his cock were the only sensations real to him now. He his hips rocked forward. His back arched. His breathing caught. Then Gimli tightened and, from the back of his throat, gave a deep and unrestrained groan of pleasure.

Legolas grabbed hold of the dwarf, holding him steady as he shook from the intensity of his climax. Then the elf swallowed and lifted his head with another soft smile that stretched from mouth to eyes. It made his whole face glow. He ran the back of his hand delicately across his mouth and swallowed again. "Relaxed now, are we?"

Gimli nodded heavily with a deep sigh. He let the elf scoop him up into strong, warm arms for a comforting hug. He nuzzled back, his cheek against Legolas' chest where his tunic parted. The elf's hands ran up and down his back, and Gimli snuggled closer. "How good is that book, really?" he asked softly, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

"It is good," Legolas said fairly, his eyes gazing down at the book as it rested on the floor. "But not that good." He rose, pulling Gimli up with him, and the two crossed the room to their bed at once. As they lost the rest of their clothes, their warm bodies hit cool sheets. They both closed their eyes in a tangle of limbs and relaxation.