Fic Rec Fridays 2019 - part 7

The Right Tree (51259 words) by Roselightfairy, TAFKAB
Chapters: 23/23
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf, Galadriel | Artanis & Gimli (Son of Glóin), Dwalin/Thorin Oakenshield
Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Son of Glóin), Aragorn | Estel, Gandalf | Mithrandir, Galadriel | Artanis, Dwalin (Tolkien), Pippin Took, Elladan (Tolkien), Elrohir (Tolkien), Imrahil (Tolkien), Arod (Tolkien), Original Male Characters, Frodo Baggins
Additional Tags: Accidental Marriage, Sea-longing, Hurt No Comfort, Whump, Angst, angst angst MORE ANGST OH GOD THE ANGST SRSLY HOLY SHIT ANGST, gratuitous emotional torture, Unrequited Love, Pining, Rejection, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Elf Culture & Customs, Miscommunicating morons, but not in a funny way this time, the trouble with fundamental monogamy, References to suicidal ideation, Depression, Despair, Pippin should be gagged and tied up and sent home in a sack, Past Dwalin/Thorin Oakenshield - Freeform, Gimli has an IQ of -143, Geography, Boating, Hurricane, Drowning Trigger Warning, Eventual Hopeful Ending

Summary:

After hearing the gulls on the shores of Pelargir, Legolas seeks comfort and solace-- and Gimli is only too happy to oblige him. But the failure to negotiate the terms of a one-night stand instead plunges Legolas into a veritable hell of unrequited love and longing. Will Gimli come to value the gift he was given-- before it’s too late?

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A fair warning: this is NOT a so-called "rollercoaster of feels" story, this is more like a "barely-controlled freefall of OH DEAR OH NO OH WHY" that has you gripping to the edge of your seat until the very end, and you will love it for doing that.

This is a potentially cracky premise taken dead seriously, and it doesn't make for an easy story, or a happy story, but damn if it doesn't read true, and when it hurts, it hurts TOO DAMN GOOD. (But yeah, this particular bit of canon has pretty awful potential when you start to think about it.)

Recommended for excellent characterization, believable motivation, lovely fluid prose, ALL the pain and frustration, tight-wound suspense, and a gently hopeful ending. Quoth the authors: "if you're into that kind of thing, COME WALLOW IN THE PAIN WITH US."