Fic Rec Fridays 2020 - part 45

[katajainen]

Acceptable Losses (4687 words) by DeHeerKonijn, Roselightfairy
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Characters: Gimli (Son of Glóin), Legolas Greenleaf, Aragorn | Estel
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Angst, Violence, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Legolas is a BAMF, Mild Sexual Content, text and images, explicit images, Whumptober 2020

Summary:

There is little Legolas would not do to ensure Gimli’s safety - and when his husband’s life is threatened, he proves it beyond a doubt. But even as he recovers afterwards, Gimli must remind Legolas to take care of himself as well.

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So this one ticks all the right little boxes:

#1: BAMF Legolas and Gimli as a damsel-in-distress. But although blood-soaked and half-feral battle god Legolas very much rocks my boat, the daring rescue is less relevant than what comes after.

Because in essence, this is a Hurt/Comfort story (box #2). And in spite of what the initial setup might imply, it’s a two-way street. So instead of charting a smooth if grumpy recovery for Gimli, the situation is used to wind up the tension until something must break.

And break it will. But perhaps not quite the way you’d think.

Without giving too much away, the resolution is as emotionally intense as the art is gorgeous, but the brittle edges of fear and worry and relief will make ribbons of your heart. (What I’m trying to say with many fancy words is that it’s top-notch tender loving comfort that turned me into a blubbering mess. Aka: little box #3.)

Just read the thing and love it already!