bakerstreet | thursday pic prompt

It wouldn't, Legolas knew, not so fast, and he only grinned at Artemis without word, finally shedding the last garment, his leggings, with no shame whatsoever about his own nudity. It was, after all, only natural to bathe in the nude, and more than that, he knew he had nothing to be ashamed of. Not before the Men, not before the elves, not before anybody, to be true. Instead it was the thought, the knowledge, that slipping into the bath, they would be close, and in constant contact, that flustered him slightly and gave him a pause. It was barely noticeable, only just enough to make the usually smooth motions a little jerky.

No doubt, Artemis would find it laughable to hear that, after everything, Legolas still had it in him to feel shy. And especially so with that bold suggestion to shave him only moments ago.

First Legolas perched on the, not particularly comfortable, edge, before swinging his legs over and making certain he did not step or knee on anything... vital, and then he slid down all the way. The water level rose even farther, with another body submerged, but it did not overflow. Legolas settled on his knees, and not at the other end of the tub but rather right over Artemis's lap, his knees on both sides of Artemis's thighs. What of his hair reached the water, fanned out and floated freely, and a little moisture climbed up along the silken strands. It would take hours to dry it later, but Legolas wanted to get rid of the dust anyway.

"So hot it is, it is still a long while before it even grows lukewarm," he chided with a grin, lifting a hand to brush some water across a scruffy cheek and wipe what dust stuck to skin, "Your impatience is showing."

Calloused hands grabbed for Legolas' waist automatically, a similar need to protect all vital parts crossing Artemis' mind as he briefly tried to help the other man settle in comfortably - and once more he found the combination of dirt and bronzed skin an incredible blessing as heat rushed across his face. That pale skin was as smooth as it looked, and it was as if he could feel Legolas' own body heat even through the water as he hovered over him.

Once he was sure that Legolas was settled, he removed his hands, quickly, and let his arms drape lazily over the sides of the tub before he needed to think too hard about where else to put them.

But even in his embarrassment, he still met the elf's eyes easily, and this time Legolas could see the way Artemis rolled his eyes and hear the snort that followed.

"I'm giving you this generous opportunity to have your way with me," he answered without hesitation, and even while keeping his voice flat and expression carefully unimpressed, there was no mistaking the teasing for what it was. "And the sooner you get it out of your system, the sooner I get to finally sleep in a real bed."

Legolas had none of such 'defences' and his own fluster was clear as a day, even the most pale pink flush stood out against pale skin, and his stretched across the cheekbones to the very tips of his ears where it grew even redder. But his ears, blessedly, were currently hidden away beneath the curtains that his hair made. It could be blamed on the heat of the water though, even if he still had to dunk his head in the water.

Regardless, the quip was met with a sharp, amused smile and an arched brow. This was not quite their agreement, now was it? This was much more than that, even though it was all in teasing. Or perhaps exactly because it was all in teasing, Legolas couldn't help but poke fun and take this exaggeration even further.

"So you agree to doing all that I ask, with no word or noise of complaint?" He spoke slowly, in a low mischievous murmur, though that prominent blush took a lot of the edge off from his words. "What if I were to decide to keep you up all night?"

All innocent teasing, oblivious to what innuendo his words carried with them. Not waiting for an answer, Legolas reached out for the plain soap, dipping it briefly in the water and lathering his hands quickly, then, with the soap returned to its bowl, he spread all that lather on Artemis's cheeks, jaw and neck.

That quip earned a raised brow and a curious look, dark eyes considering the man before him. Any other companion, and Artemis would have left the bath then, or at the very least attempted to drown the offender out of sheer irritation. But with Legolas-

"You'd have a rather useless bodyguard come morning, I think." With Legolas, it was harder to tell how much innuendo was sincere, and how much of it was only poorly worded on his part. He could hardly call the man innocent, but he also found it difficult to believe that anyone could be oblivious.

For a man who was normally as adept at reading people as Artemis was, it was almost irksome. And with anyone else, he had no doubt it would annoy him greatly, but where the elf was concerned, he couldn't help but find a tolerant amusement in trying to figure it all out.

Any further comment, though, was interrupted by sudsy hands on his face, pulling up dust and lathering the rough stubble, and in that moment Artemis was grateful for the inn's lack of scented soaps. And yet his mind jolted in alarm. Legolas hadn't even yet picked up the dagger, but the very anticipation of it already had the tension building, jaw set a little harder and fingers twitching in the expectation to defend himself.

Breathe in. Breathe out. If there was anyone in the world he could truly trust, the man in front of him may well be it.

Truth be told, that thought still frightened him more than any other.

Legolas felt the tension, for how could he not? He felt Artemis work his jaw, the shifting bone and muscle right under his fingertips, and he took his time with it all rather than rush to grab the dagger. He thought that instead of getting it done as quickly as possible, mindless of Artemis's comfort, that it would be better to get him to relax first and perhaps even help him enjoy it.

So his hands stayed on Artemis's cheeks, thumbs rubbing in gentle circles, careful not to get any of the suds in his eyes.

"Then we would stay another night, to allow you to recuperate," and instead of staying silent, he continued this exact line of conversation to try and keep Artemis's focused on something else alongside the touch of his hand and what was about to come. "You did say that I can have my way with you tonight."

And he was laughing then, finding it all more funny rather than filthy, and hoping the mirth would infect Artemis just as much, or at the very least distract him. His fingers worked all that time too, tracing lines and planes, fingertips prickled constantly by the sharp stubble. But what discomfort came with that, Legolas ignored in favour of the comfort of his dear companion.

"A surprising lapse of judgment on my part, I see now," he said with a feigned grimace, the briefest hint of a smirk touching his lips to show he found no real irritation in the teasing.

For he was grateful for it, even if he had no idea how to show it. His skin felt too tight on his body, nervous energy still thrumming through his veins, but between the conversation, the pacing, Artemis knew he could allow it to burn out.

His pulse still beat heavily in his ears, but less rapidly now. Legolas's careful hands slowly massaged out the the tension along his jaw, and even the ever stoic assassin couldn't deny how soothing the touch was, as was the close intimacy of it all. While a part of him would no doubt never become used to it, it made for a soothing distraction once he could calm the whirl of urgent thoughts with the constant, silent reminder to himself that the man meant no harm.

He breathed out a sigh. Let his eyes fall shut under the gentle ministrations. Forced himself to hold his composure, ever taking pride in his ability to mask his feelings, his concerns. Though Legolas had proven time and again to be more perceptive than most, under that carefree demeanor of his.

"Though I guess I can hardly take it back now, lest you sulk over it all night." Artemis blinked his eyes open, looked up at Legolas with dark eyes, and rolled his shoulders in a seemingly nonchalant shrug. "Here's your chance to impress me."

Edited 2016-09-14 02:59 (UTC)

Legolas felt beneath his hands the grimace more than he saw it, not under the cover of white suds and lather. But he felt the twist of skin and flesh, and saw in Artemis's eyes the mirth that touched his lips as well, and he had to shake his head playfully in disbelief at those words.

"I will trust your fair judgement now, then," he continued, both the conversation and the work of his hands, now smoothing down the column of Artemis's neck. Here especially he would need to be careful, his touches non-threatening, delicate as if he were touching something most precious. In a way, he was, too. But he brought no extra attention to it otherwise, speaking lightly, "That you will not invent faults where there are none, just so you may say you are not impressed!"

Cheerful and upbeat, knowing full well that if this were, indeed, to happen, it would be all in jest. Much like Legolas's own words right now were. And his fingers continued their trek, following the line of muscle that began just behind the ear and ended at the hollow between collarbones, in an elegant v-shape. The stubble did not reach that far at all, in fact, it didn't reach farther than just over the curve of the chin and jaw, but Legolas took this moment to just touch as well.

Cheeks flushed, he let his hands slip to the water with the last, only subtly intentional brush of fingertips along the bared sternum. Legolas laughed, taking in the sight of Artemis with white fluff all across his face, from cheeks down.

"White beard would not suit you at all," he said matter-of-factly, once the giggles subsided.

Under that soft touch, Artemis let his eyes slide shut again, hyper-focused on those small points of contact. Only for a moment, before he turned his gaze on his companion again, taking in his ever cheerful demeanor, enjoying the sound of his laughter.

Even if it was at his expense.

Still, the elf's teasing was infectious. As was his smile, and a soft one of his own touched Artemis's lips, his gaze falling to the side as he shook his head.

"So what I'm gathering is a spell of youth is the next step of our journey?" he mused lightly, a chuckle escaping before he could stop it. A sign he was relaxing, if nothing else, and again he found himself grateful for the other man's seemingly endless patience, if not still just as surprised by it. And truth be told, he hadn't the heart to tell Legolas that chances of him living long enough to worry about such a thing were low indeed; the peace of the moment was too comfortable to break.

Instead he shifted, brought one arm back into the tub to grab the one brushing down his chest. Wrapped calloused fingers lightly around it, his thumb kneading small circles into Legolas's palm. Something to keep his own hands busy, to keep from reaching up to wipe away the lather on his face before the other man had finished, or drumming his fingers useless on the side of the tub until the nervous energy fully died down.

Legolas did not shake off Artemis's hand, even though it stopped him from carrying on with the task. He could use both his hands as efficiently, but for this he would prefer to have both available and free, if only as a single mistake could cost him a lot. If not Artemis's life, then his trust in him and his ability. That was still a tender and tentative thing, Legolas was wholly aware, and he did not want to ruin it with impatience and rushing. They had the time, the water was hot still and it would remain so for a while, indeed.

So he submitted his hand to Artemis's rule, whatever he wanted to do with it, and arched both eyebrows at that question.

"Would you like that? To be eternally young and travel the world with me, watching the centuries pass and all the world change like the river flows with no end in sight?"

The more he spoke, the more he felt the weight hidden in those words, but it did not crush the cheer, only softened his gaze and gentled his voice.

The gentle circles being rubbed into the palm of Legolas's hand stopped. He met the elf's eyes, and for a long moment only stared at him with a hard, indescribable look.

There was something to that otherwise innocent question...something that left a tightness in his chest that he couldn't explain. He had no doubt of the sincerity behind those words, despite how hard a small part of him still looked for the ulterior motive hidden within.

He was surprised to find how much he found himself wanting exactly what Legolas was suggesting.

With a soft exhale he released the man's hand, his gaze dropping as he reached up to rub at the back of his neck - an anxious gesture unnoticed even by him.

"It sounds like a nice dream," he murmured softly. Something he can't say he had ever had in his life, when he thought about it, for when was the last time his dreams of the future had been free of pride and blood? He chuckled at that. A forced sound, as he shook his head and smiled a crooked smile, needing to keep this light, keep this joking. Keep this from dragging his thoughts to darker places. "And I can think of a great many people that would take offense to the vile Artemis Entreri outliving them all."

His hand released, Legolas made sure it was free of slippery suds, then wiped both hands dry in a towel. He needed a steady, firm grip on the dagger, and it seemed like there would be no better moment than now to begin — Artemis was relaxed and distracted both —, so he picked up the knife and continued talking to keep up the distraction.

"I do not care for those people," he said, gently tipping Artemis's face to one side, with a simple touch to the temple, to have best access, "What they like or what offends them, it matters little to me."

He had to bite back his own fraying nerves, for reasons entirely different than Artemis's own. It was not something he had ever done before, for reasons obvious enough; elves did not shave, and never was he close enough with a Man or a Dwarf to get to do it for them. Artemis was first, like he was first in some other matters that Legolas had yet to voice. To his credit, at the very least, his hand did not shake, not a single tremble disturbed him, and the first swipe, while unpractised and not particularly successful in a clean shave, did not take off a chunk of skin with it. Legolas frowned, wiped the blade on a clean rag and tried again.

This sure was turning out to be more difficult than he initially thought it would be.

And there it was. For a moment there, Artemis had almost hoped that in their banter, Legolas would have forgotten about the promised shave. At the very least, he had hoped that perhaps forgoing it altogether to instead lounge more comfortably in a warm bath would have seemed a more enticing offer, rather than risking the assassin's supposed wrath should anything go wrong.

There was no doubt that their teasing exchange and gentle touches had helped him to relax more than even Artemis had thought possible, but the moment the blade was in the other man's hand...

The hand that held Legolas' fell underwater to his lap, while the other briefly clenched, relaxed, and then repeated the action, a silent attempt to release the tension seeping back into him. But he allowed Legolas to move him as he needed, lips a thin line and dark eyes never leaving the elf's own. The alarms in the back of his mind, though still present, were quieter, the thrumming pulse of blood in his ears less frantic, but Legolas was thankfully, blessedly slow, and careful. Almost confident in his actions to anyone that may not have been watching his face as intently as Artemis.

He didn't flinch at the first touch of cold steel to his skin, which he was distantly proud of. But he also didn't breathe until long after it had been taken away.

"A good stance to have," he agreed, only speaking while the other man had the blade far, far away from his throat. He could trust Legolas more than any other, and it would still mean very little if a thoughtless action on his own part caused the elf to startle and leave lasting damage. "And one I'd share if the thought of their anger didn't bring great satisfaction."

Another stroke came easier, now that Legolas knew what to expect. He was still learning in the process, but he was also a quick learner, especially when he cared to put his mind to something, as this most certainly was one of those things. Not only to not hurt Artemis with his failure, but also to simply please him with a job well done. It was an offer made to make his life easier, to help him relax — though it had already backfired on that terribly —, not to make it more difficult or unpleasant, after all.

"Waste not your thought on their anger," he chided gently, playfully, arching his brows as his gaze flickered between the task at hand and meeting Artemis's eyes, "I could show you the same satisfaction from simply living; I think I could also show you better if you had wanted."

It was a strange sound of the blade scraping along scruffy skin, it felt strange as well, and it was not as smooth as he hoped, not even with the motion more practised, a little more confident.

"There is no greater joy in life, after all, than... the life itself, yours and of all that grows around you."

Again, he pulled back when the blade gathered soap and shaven hair, grabbing the same rag as before to wipe it. He took his time, just long enough so that Artemis got the time to speak, if he wanted to— it was not too hard to notice how quiet (and tense) he got when the blade was too close.

thursday pic prompt

but ofc! he can make it up to him for it C8

it might take some stumbling but he'll come up with something :'>

just don't be a cat and bring him dead things :'|b

...and most of his options just went out the window :'|||

askdjhahsd the one acceptable dead thing is something they can eat, ok

THAT he can certainly do B) no worries he's got this

I also wanted to make a flute joke, but couldn't find a good way : (b but Legolas likes music too

someday he'll play something for him :c because yay emotions?

yes, good 8')

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