Fic Rec Fridays 2019 - part 52

The Best of Both (1463 words) by Roselightfairy
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: Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Son of Glóin)
Additional Tags: Old Married Couple, Sailing To Valinor, Gift Fic

Summary:

Near the end of Legolas’s and Gimli’s time in Middle-Earth, Legolas takes their ship on a test sail.

---

Like a bite of good dark chocolate after the holiday excesses, this piece is the perfect blend of tender and bittersweet where the affectionate old & married fluff is well tempered with the themes of longing and loss -- but as motivating forces rather than a simple source of grief.

Not to mention that it contains one of the best metaphors I've ever seen used to evoke the conflict of sea-longing, and I'm not saying it lightly. (Even on a reread, it still ends me.)

And while there may not always be time for devouring a novel-length epic, this bite-sized length is a good fit for any spare moment.

(Also in case anyone is wondering about the source of inspiration mentioned in the A/N, that story is not available online anymore, but you can PM me for the author's contact info.)