A/N: Hiya! This chapter is more about Reinin as a character so hopefully you guys don't mind, but I really wanted to show you guys more of who he is. I promise we'll get back to a greater focus on Legolas next chapter! Anywaaaaayyysss! Obligatory disclaimer! All characters from the actual LOTR are not mine and I take no claim to them, they are Tolkein's work and he has definitely earned all credit for them. The rest of the characters are mine though so if you enjoy them, or even just cause you feel like it, give me some love and leave me a review or follow the story!
Chapter 2
As Reinin finished setting Jason, as he had come to know the guy celebrating his birthday, up with another round of beers for him and his friends, he glanced to the end of the bar where he had left Legolas all night. He tried to keep the corner of his mouth from hitching up in a smile at the sight. It may have taken all night, but Legolas had snapped out of his thoughts all on his own. Reinin was always happy to see Legolas up and about; he spent too much time thinking about the past and, even worse, things he can't change. Reinin, however, had long since given up focusing on what had once been. All it did was bring him down and, as a bar owner and tender, he wasn't really allowed to be down. People come to bars to escape their problems and he was intent on helping them do that! So he simply avoided the things that would bring him down. He did his best to make his customers laugh and smile and have the best night possible. No one likes a sad bartender, he thought to himself with a sly grin, his eyes focused on Legolas as he emerged from the back hallway and made his way behind the bar.
"Leggy!" Reinin almost cheered as he clapped him on the back of his black shirt and handed him a bottle of scotch. "Nice t'see ya back amongst the land of the living partner, now hawabout ya go fill that nice miss's glass before I have to offer her a date with ya' for taking so long," he mused with a cocky grin spread across his face.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Reinin," Legolas attempted a grimace but the corners of his mouth hopped up giving him away and a full fledged smile quickly broke the surface, bringing a whole new life to his cobalt eyes. "Well?" Reinin nudged. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," Legolas chuckled as he went to dutifully fulfill the task.
As co-owner of The Old Oak he had to suck it up and help tend the bar from time to time, even if he wasn't nearly as good as Reinin at mixing drinks…or making conversation…or pleasing the ladies; Reinin bit his lip trying to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. But as he watched Legolas smile and make small talk with the girl at the end of the bar that he had thrown him at, Reinin couldn't help but laugh. Who was he kidding? Legolas was a lady killer and one of the best bar tenders he had ever known. Funny, attractive, smart. He could be Reinin's twin if he weren't so blonde! He laughed to himself again before bouncing to the other end of the bar and dragging his friend away from Scotch-girl. "Come on Legolas, we've got a lot to do if we want to get things closed down on time tonight," he whispered as he dragged Legolas back to the other end of the bar towards a group of waiting girls, his best friend in the whole world behind him screaming and yelling 'last call', a grin he hadn't seen in days on his face, as if they were the two greatest words in the English language.
As he closed the door behind the last customer of the evening, Legolas let out a sigh of relief and felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Tonight had been long, but somehow he and Reinin had made it through. "Alright Rein," he hollered in the direction of the hallway, "last one's gone and the doors are locked! We are home free!" And he really meant it. Legolas felt better than he had in days, weeks even. He had struggled with his ghosts, but they had finally decided to give him reprieve. He finally felt free again. A small smile fought its way to his lips as he tied his pale locks back as he moved to wipe down the counters and tables.
"Would you believe it? Nothing got broken and it doesn't look like anyone had sex in the bathroom stalls!" Reinin called back in response. While Reinin may have sounded happy about this news, Legolas knew better. "Oh, don't even pretend that that doesn't bum you out. As much as you complain when something goes wrong here, you know you enjoy it," Legolas replied, a hint of laughter seeping into his voice. "And what happened to your deliciously sexy southern accent? Bored of it already?" he asked cocking an eyebrow and flashing a mischievous grin as he pretended to flirt with a plainly exhausted Reinin.
"Oh no you don't," Reinin grimaced," I already washed the dishes. Flattery will get you nowhere. I don't care what kind of sweet talk you use, you're still sweeping up." His lopsided, cocky grin leaped to his face, "and as for your question, yes. Southern is fun, but you know I much prefer the British one," he mused as he slipped into a perfect British accent. "Although Irish is a pretty close second," he winked as one accent seamlessly became another. Legolas couldn't help but chuckle. He loved when Reinin spoke with the different accents he had picked up over the years.
While Legolas, ever the warrior, had preferred to learn about the combat and culture of a people, Reinin had always been fascinated by the way they spoke. By the subtle differences in the way that they shaped their words that caused them to sound so unique and different when spoken out loud. He prided himself on it and loved to use his knowledge to make the ladies swoon. And just because it was fun to watch them get flustered and embarrassed, he occasionally used his talent for evil. He found it far too amusing to make the poor souls of random men feel confused about their sexuality. Those nights always proved to be interesting to say the least. He was good looking and he knew it, charming and smooth in a way that flip flopped between adorable and what could only be described as sexy by even the straightest of men, and people tended to really go for his flawless accents. Give him ten minutes alone with someone and Reinin could have them following him around like a puppy dog. And half the time it wasn't even intentional! He just had that effect on people. He was just that good. That was just who he was – a beaten down soul who tried to bring a little light to the world. And people couldn't help but love and chase after that light with the dark world waiting just outside the door.
"You still with me man?" Legolas snapped back to reality to find Reinin waving a hand a mere two inches in front of his face. He quickly swatted it away before shoving Reinin playfully, "Yeah man, I'm with ya', now can we please call it a night and go back to the apartment?" Reinin tilted his head to the side as he pretended to think the question over. "I'm not gonna take you back to my apartment on the first date," he teased, "I mean, you have to buy me dinner first. Or at least a drink or two. What kind of man do you take me for?" he joked, cocking one hip out and resting a hand lightly on top of it. "Riiiiigghhhtt," Legolas muttered, " and you call me a girl."
Reinin stuck his tongue out in mock annoyance, but it was quickly replaced by a smile as an odd sense of pride swelled in his chest at having achieved the effect he had been going for. He leaned against a chair as Legolas grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of beers from behind the bar. "Good enough?" Legolas teased, cocking his eyebrow once more. "Meh, good enough," Reinin shrugged. "Let's just go home. I'm beat." He threw his cleaning cloth in Legolas' direction, before making his way to the hallway and opening the door to the 'closet' that lay in wait at the end of the narrow passage. As it swung open with an eerie creek Reinin climbed the stairs hidden inside, bounding up two at a time and leaving Legolas to close and lock the door behind them.
"Quick question," Legolas called from behind him, "do you even have your apartment key?" A scoff sounded in the dark, followed by a jingle, a click, and a soft light as the door at the top of the stairs swung open. "I'll take that as a yes," Legolas chuckled as Reinin hopped through the door, shoes and shirt already on their way off." I swear dude, you are getting worse every day. Not even inside the actual apartment yet and you're already half naked. I swear it's a good thing you actually care who you make your bond with, or I'm fairly certain you would be the biggest man-whore this continent had ever seen," Legolas muttered as he locked the door to the apartment and slipped off his boots. "I could never be a man-whore," Reinin choked out, his voice dripping with mock offense, "it would probably drive you insane to see me with other people, and I can't have you getting jealous now can I? You'd probably kill every last one of them with that bow of yours." Legolas rolled his eyes in reply as he crossed their small living room and entered his bedroom, opening the wine bottle with his teeth as he did so, the cork slipping out with a quiet pop. "Whatever you say Rein," he called back in between gulps of the sweet liquid trickling down his throat.
He sat on the edge of his bed and stared out the window at the faint lights that glowed in the distant world outside, twinkling in and out like the coals of a fire as it dies, with Reinin's footfalls, only audible because of his superior elf hearing, approaching ever closer. As Reinin came to lean against his door frame, Legolas offered a half hearted smile. "Thanks for putting up with me Rein. Sorry I was out of it most of the night." Reinin's lean body shifted away from the door as he entered into the small room Legolas called home and grabbed one of the beers resting beside him on the bed. "Not a problem Legolas. It's what I'm here for," a serious, faraway look crossed his face; a look not quite a smile and yet not quite sadness either. "We only have each other. We have to stick together. Plus, you're my brother. You always will be," he whispered, the Sindarin coming out perfectly as if he never spoke any language besides his mother tongue. The sound like music to their elvish ears; a whisper of a song long since forgotten.
"Goodnight, mellon nín," Reinin whispered, the sound barely even a breath, before exiting the tiny room and crossing the apartment to his own, taking a swig of the beer as he did so.
As he entered his room he couldn't help but take it all in. The walls the color of grass in spring, bright and crisp. The double bed in the corner, covered in its hunter green sheets - the same color as his eyes. The simple wood night stand beside it, cluttered with cd's and photographs of he and Legolas. A small potted plant in the corner across from the bed. He would always long for the forest, he knew that. Despite his attempts, his room would never be anything close to the forest he, as an elf of mirkwood, loved so much. He could hide his pointed ears all he wanted. He could keep his hair shaggy instead of long like Legolas'. He could use contacts to hide the light of the Eldar race that shone as golden flecks, a star field, in his eyes. He could talk the language of men and try to fit in and make them happy. He could try and try and try to look like one of them, to blend in amongst the world of men. But he would always be an Eliel. He would always have elvish blood, untainted and pure. And because of this, he would never quite fit in, he would always feel a little bit alone. A little bit like he could never really belong. A man stuck between two worlds. He would always hate himself for everything that he was and everything that he was not. He would always resent what he was. But he had Legolas.
His best friend and brother, the most beautiful of all the Eldar race, to remind him that being an Eliel is not really a bad thing. That it was all in his head, and that he was not alone. He may be different, but it was in the best way possible. He was special, he was one of a few to survive the millennia. Legolas was always there to remind him that there was nothing wrong with him. He was the only one Reinin had, he helped him keep pushing forward even when he didn't want to. Legolas always had his back and always snapped him out of it when things got to bad. And for that, he was eternally greatful that they had met that cold winter day that their whole lives had changed. He quickly cut that thought off before it could take control and get out of hand. He couldn't think about things like that.
Reinin let out a deep sigh as he flopped face first into bed, his pillow and blankets nearly swallowing him alive in their soft embrace. As he slipped off the edge of consciousness and into sleep, a single tear escaped his eye as he forced a smile into his pillow and shoved all of his self loathing out of his mind, once again the thought resounding in his head: no one likes a sad bar tender.