Summary: Legolas and Estel find a strange new friend.
Disclaimer: me owning them is not good for their sanity.
A/N: This is in response to Karri's challenge and is a ONE SHOT
Legolas thumped his boots on the side of the chair, again bored with yet another meeting he was to attend. He didn't know why he had to attend these meetings, for no one ever asked him anything. His incessant thumping today however must have been the last straw for Thranduil stopped talking and glared at him. "Go outside and find a friend to play with," he ordered his son.
"I don't have any friends to play with," Legolas said.
Thranduil again halted his conversation with Lord Elrond. "Go outside and play with Estel then." Legolas looked shocked at such a request. "He is but a babe, not even seven summers yet!"
Thranduil was at his wits end then. "Go Legolas. Find Estel and find something to do."
Legolas knew when he had pushed his father too hard and the look from Lord Elrond was not a good one either. Shuffling his feet he left the council room. When he got outside into the courtyard he found Estel staring down into a hole, poking at something with a stick. Curiosity overtaking him Legolas went to see what it was.
"What are you doing?" he inquired.
Estel glanced up, ignoring the elf, just as he had ignored Estel earlier that day. Legolas knew when he was being shunned, and balling his fists up he stomped over to where Estel stood. "I said what are you doing?"
Estel then glanced up lazily. "I am trying to get this thing to come out of this hole."
Legolas forgot his mild anger and leaned down then peering into the hole that Estel was poking. His eyes began to widen when Estel reached in his hands and started trying to pull free the thing inside. He began to see the son of Elrond in a whole new light. This was not just some child, he was brave, and not scared of anything.
It wasn't until the first leg was out that Legolas gasped out loud. Before he knew it Estel had pulled free a spider. The spider was not as large as the ones which preyed on unsuspecting elves in the forests surrounding Mirkwood, but it was still at least a foot and a half long. Estel was no longer able to grasp the spider as it wiggled free from his hands and started making its way up the tree.
"Get him Legolas! You are an elf!" Estel yelled. Legolas froze. All his life his father had told him spiders were vile creatures that should be killed on sight, but this one didn't look very scary. Gathering up is courage Legolas scaled the tree till he spotted the spider sitting out on one of the branches. He scooted across the branch slowly as not to frighten it and reached his hand out to it. The fur on its feet felt soft, much like the blanket in his bed, and he found himself stroking the spider's fur.
Legolas didn't think his father was right in this case, as he climbed down the tree with the spider carefully in his arms. This spider was not trying to bite him, nor trying to kill him like his father said they would. Legolas an Estel played with the spider all day long, not bothering to go back in the house with the grumpy adults. They talked about many things and Legolas found out he enjoyed Estel's company. When it came time for dinner Legolas wondered what he would do with his new found friend.
"He can't stay out here all alone," he thought.
"Take him in the house with you and hide him," Estel suggested. "My Ada said I could keep any pet that did not try to eat me or him, or anything of value in the house."
Legolas seemed to think it over and finally shook his head. He unbuttoned his tunic and shoved the spider inside giggling as the spider's legs tickled him, and then ran past the guard sent to fetch both him and Estel.
Legolas looked everywhere trying to find a place to hide the spider, but couldn't think of anywhere in his room that the housekeepers would not find as they cleaned his room each day. "Is there nowhere that they do not clean each day?"
Legolas bit his lip as he thought, but then his face beamed with a smile. "My Ada's room! During meetings with other people the housekeepers are too busy keeping everything else clean and Ada forbids them in his room where his important papers are sometimes kept."
Racing into the room Legolas and Estel searched for a place to hide the spider that was now trying to crawl free from Legolas' shirt. "He will find him if we leave it out in the open," Legolas sighed.
"How about his bath? The spider wouldn't be able to crawl out then, and we could leave it enough water to drink in case it got thirsty."
"That is a brilliant idea!" Both boys raced into the bathing chamber and filled the tub with a small amount of water and left the spider inside, before leaving for dinner.
Dinner was filled with more boring conversation and Legolas and Estel spent most of it talking to each other. They wanted dinner to end so that they could take the spider something to eat. Once dinner was over both boys raced back down the hallway and to Thranduil's bathing chamber where Legolas fed the spider pieces of lembas and a few of his brussels sprouts that he had hidden in his pocket. The spider had been given the name Fuzzy for his furry little feet and the two of them stayed with him till it was time for bed.
Thranduil came into Legolas' room that night after wishing his guests a good night's sleep. Legolas was already asleep, curled into a ball, his hands tucked underneath his pillow. Thranduil placed a kiss on his brow, before going to his own room. He wanted to take a long hot bath, but he was simply too tired, and fell into bed. The bath could wait until morning.
All had been quiet in the middle of the night, and Fuzzy made his way out of the tub and curled up behind the shelf in the bathing chamber. Also content he slept there all night, but come morning someone entered the room.
Thranduil slept soundly and now was ready for his bath. He planned on soaking for a good hour, and had risen long before anyone else just to do so. After filling the tub with warm water left by his door by the housekeeper he sat down in the tub, leaning his head on the edge of it, and closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent of rose petals.
He was so relaxed he did not notice Fuzzy coming from behind the shelf. The spider was curious about the new person and hoped he too would have food like the others. Fuzzy slowly climbed over the edge of the tub, but the moment its feet touched the water it withdrew, it however was too late and the spider found itself splashing into the water.
Thranduil opened his eyes wondering what had made the splash but seeing as how the bar of soap was no longer sitting on the edge of the tub he thought it had merely slipped into the water. Sighing he sat up in the tub and felt around the bottom of the tub for the bar of soap. He felt it right away, but then something else brushed up against his hand. He thought nothing of it till the spider's head surfaced the water, it's black eyes staring straight at him.
The scream echoed through the palace as Thranduil jumped from the tub, leaving a trail of water behind him. He ran to find his sword to kill the spider but realized he had left it in his study. The spider wanted food, and followed behind the creature, hoping he would eventually give him some.
Elrond awoke to screams and headed for the hallway, thinking the palace was under attack, followed by each and every other member of the household. When they entered the hallway though all they saw was a very wet, and very naked King Thranduil running for his study, and reappearing still naked, brandishing his sword.
Legolas was appalled at his father, that is until he saw the spider still crawling towards Thranduil. "Fuzzy!" he yelled running to gather his new pet in his arms. Thranduil screamed at Legolas to drop the spider before it bit him, but Legolas just hugged it to his chest, rubbing the spider's head.
"Isn't it cute Ada? Look at him. Me and Estel found him yesterday and I named him Fuzzy."
Thranduil realized only then that he was standing amongst the household in nothing and ran for his room. When he came back out he wore clothing and took Legolas in his study to have a word with him.
Two hours later Legolas came out sniffling and gave the spider to one of the guards to be set free. Thranduil cringed openly when Legolas leaned over and planted a kiss on the spider's head. "There now that this is over how about lunch. I believe you were saying something about taking Legolas and Estel out riding today Lord Elrond."
Legolas forgot about the spider quickly as all boys forget things when something else much more fun comes along, but Elrond nor the household in Mirkwood would ever forget the sight of King Thranduil running naked through the halls to escape Fuzzy the little spider.