Aragorn clung precariously to consciousness. He couldn't pass out yet. He was nearly there. The lights of Imladris got closer and closer. The rocking motion of his horse tried to tempt him into sleep, and he tightened his arms around Legolas' unconscious form.

Relief filled him as they finally got to the courtyard. No one was there, which wasn't surprising. It was the middle of the night, after all. Aragorn had been riding nonstop for three days, and he felt sick to his stomach with exhaustion, though he knew that was nothing compared to how Legolas must be feeling – at least, when he was awake.

His best friend had been stabbed in the stomach, shoulder and leg with poisoned blades. The prince was feverish and had been in and out of consciousness.

"Ada!" Aragorn was unable to get much strength into his weak voice. He called out again. "Ada!" He knew that if he tried to get off the horse, he would fall, so he simply sat there, swaying. Someone would come.

Sure enough, when he brought his tired eyes up, a blurry figure was running toward him. Aragorn saw long, dark hair. It had to be either his brothers or Elrond, though his vision was too fuzzy to make out their face.

Aragorn was barely aware of hands catching him as he finally passed out.

When he woke, he was in a warm, soft bed. Aragorn blinked, and the familiar walls of the healing hall came into focus.

"Legolas?" He coughed, his mouth unbearably dry.

Someone pushed a glass of water into his hand. "Drink, Estel. Legolas will be fine. Ada patched him up. He'll be a while healing, but he'll recover."

Aragorn gulped the water and handed the glass back to Elrohir. A quick glance showed Elladan sitting several feet away at Legolas' bedside. The prince looked so pale.

"Oh no you don't." Elrohir's hand was on his shoulder before Aragorn could so much as lift himself a inch off the bed. "You're not going anywhere."

"I'm not injured this time, 'Ro, I swear!"

"I know, Ada examined you himself. You're suppose to take it easy, though. You put a lot of strain on your body."

Aragorn shook off his brother's hand and stumbled over to Legolas' bed. Elladan quickly surrendered his chair, and the man fell gratefully into it. He carefully took Legolas' hand and squeezed it. "I am here, mellon nin."

At the sound of his voice, Legolas' eyelids flickered open. "Estel?"

"Yes, it is me. We are in Imladris, in the healing halls."

"Great," Legolas groaned. "How long until I can get out of bed this time?"

That made Aragorn chuckle. Of course, that would be the first thing Legolas asked. "You'll have to check with Ada."

Several arguments and negotiations later, Elrond agreed that Legolas could return to his chambers the next day, as long as he accepted help with bathing, dressing and walking, and agreed to no strenuous activity.

Aragorn gladly took on the task of caring for his friend. The next day, he had a bath drawn up, and helped a grouchy Legolas undress.

"I don't need help." Legolas winced as he tried to get his tunic over his head, pulling on his stitches.

"Sure you don't." Aragorn rolled his eyes, gently disentangling the tunic from the prince's hair before pulling it over his head. He got Legolas' pants off, and put an arm around him, slowly walking to the bathing chamber.

Legolas hissed and stiffened, and Aragorn tightened his arm slightly. "Careful, mellon nin. You are still badly hurt."

The prince spared him a vexed glare, but he slowed down a bit, and they made it to the bath tub without further mishap. Legolas sighed as he sank into the steaming water, and Aragorn took a seat in the chair next to him.

"You don't need to stay here, Estel."

"Yes, I do. Ada said that you're still very weak and in danger of passing out. I won't have you drowning in here."

Legolas rolled his eyes and started washing. He did ok until he needed to wash his back. Twisting around to reach it had him grimacing, and Aragorn quickly took the wash cloth. "I'll do it."

He started rubbing soap onto the prince's back, quickly abandoning the cloth and using his hands. Aragorn found he liked the feeling of his friend's skin under his, and delayed the moment when he'd have to move away by starting to massage Legolas' back and shoulders.

Legolas moaned softly, leaning forward to give Aragorn better access. The sound went straight to Aragorn's cock. His fingers paused for a moment, but Legolas made an impatient noise, and he quickly started up with the massage again.

With every sound out of Legolas' mouth, Aragorn's cock grew harder. What was wrong with him? He'd given his friend massages before, and seen him naked plenty of times. They'd cared for each other after various injuries more times than he could count.

Mortified, Aragorn tried to urge his cock down, but it stubbornly resisted. He found himself staring at Legolas' pale thighs and broad shoulders, and resisting the urge to lick one of his ears.

Stop it, Aragorn! He's your best friend. This is creepy.

His body didn't take any notice of his harsh reprimands. "All done," he said in a slightly choked voice, helping Legolas lean back, which the prince did automatically at his urging. Even though he knew it was wrong, that he'd be taking advantage of his friend's trust, Aragorn couldn't help looking at Legolas' cock through new, lust-filled eyes. What he saw surprised him. The prince was just as hard as he was.

Aragorn frantically tried to think, attempting to remember whether Legolas had ever become aroused by his touch before. Now that he considered it, Legolas did tend to turn his back to Aragorn a lot when Aragorn was tending to him – that or pull blankets over his lap, no matter how hot the weather was.

Oh.

Legolas glanced around, no doubt wondering why Aragorn had frozen, and saw the direction of his eyes. The prince's face went scarlet and he leaned forward again, doing his best to hide his erection.

"Legolas." Aragorn moved into the prince's line of vision and stepped back a little, giving the elf a clear view of his own arousal. Legolas' eyes widened, and he brought his gaze hesitantly to Aragorn's.

"Let's get you dry." Aragorn helped Legolas out of the bath, resisting the urge to touch him and more than was necessary until the prince had been dried off and his hair toweled. Legolas reached for his clothes, but Aragorn caught the elf's hands. "No need for clothes just yet."

The man steered Legolas to the bed and lay down beside him. He tentatively moved closer, letting their lips brush lightly against each other. Legolas gasped and pressed into the kiss, opening his mouth and letting their tongues entwine.

Aragorn groaned at the sensation. He'd never felt anything so good. He'd had other lovers before, but none of them had set his body afire like Legolas was doing. His already hard cock was near to bursting, and he couldn't resist rubbing it against Legolas' member. The touch sent urgent waves of pleasure through him, and his head was filled with the need for release.

Legolas hissed in what Aragorn recognized as pain, and he saw that the prince had tried to move too quickly, pulling once more on his stitches.

"Just lie back," he said quietly. "Let me take the lead."

"Only because I'm injured," Legolas gasped breathlessly. "When I am well, I will have you."

"You will," Aragorn agreed. The thought of Legolas taking him had his cock threatening to spill once more. "For now, be still."

He slowly licked his way down Legolas' chest, finally coming to his cock. Aragorn took it into his mouth, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around the head. Legolas' cry told him that the prince was about to come, and Aragorn couldn't have that. He clamped one hand on the base of the elf's cock.

"Estel… please…" Legolas writhed under his touch, his head whipping frantically from side to side. "I need to come."

Aragorn loved seeing Legolas like this, and wasn't willing to relinquish the sight any time soon. Keeping his hand firm, stopping the prince from coming, Aragorn swallowed Legolas' cock, taking it deep into his throat.

Legolas bucked his hips desperately as his body tried to come. He was shaking with the need for release, and it was making Aragorn so wild that he was sure he'd spill on the bed. He pulled off Legolas' cock and brought his fingers slowly to the prince's ass.

Aragorn glanced up, and Legolas nodded eagerly in response to his questioning gaze. The man reached for a healing salve meant for Legolas' wounds, but it would work just as well for this purpose. He liberally coated his finger, and slipped it inside the elf's ass.

"Estel – please – more –"

Legolas was panting and he writhed eagerly on Aragorn's finger. Soon, Aragorn had three inside him, and he had to clamp his hand once more around the base of Legolas' cock to stop the prince from coming as he found the pleasure spot deep inside him.

Legolas was practically crying in frustration, and Aragorn knew that neither of them could hold out much longer. He spread salve over his cock and slowly pushed into the prince. Legolas stiffened slightly, and Aragorn paused, giving him a moment to get used to the sensation.

Then Legolas pulled him in for a fierce kiss and tilted his hips slightly. The motion had Aragorn on the edge of his control, and he started moving, slowly at first but then faster and faster. They broke away from the kiss for air, never ceasing the frantic rhythm they had worked up.

Legolas was making a keening noise that was going to be the end of him. Wanting the prince to come first, Aragorn took his cock in hand, giving it a few sure strokes. That was all he needed. Legolas howled in pleasure as he came, his entire body clenching so tightly that Aragorn thought he might faint from the intense feeling as the elf's ass contracted wildly around his cock.

He cried out nearly as loudly as Legolas as he came too, finishing himself in Legolas' ass with hot bursts of mind-bending pleasure. It was all he could do to make sure that he missed landing on the prince's stomach as he collapsed heavily. Aragorn managed to land next to him, and gently pulled Legolas into his arms.

For a while, it was quiet as they both caught their breath. Legolas was the first one to speak. "I didn't know you felt like that."

"Neither did I," Aragorn admitted. "I don't think I did before. Something changed, without my even realizing it. How long have you…?"

"Ever since I met you. It's always been you, Estel, only you."

Aragorn nuzzled into the prince's neck. "Whatever I felt in the past, now, you are the only one for me. I've always loved you. I don't know when that love changed from the love of a brother to that of a lover, but dear Valar, it has. Will you be mine?"

Legolas' kiss was sweet, and his smile filled the room with radiant light. "I am already yours, Estel. And now you are mine. Only you."

"Only you," Aragorn agreed.

Both of them were smiling as they drifted off in each other's arms.