Summary: takes place the day after the Archery for dummies chapter, in return for that "lesson", Aragorn attempts to show Legolas one of his own skills. Things don't exactly go as planned...

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"Hey, Lassie!" Aragorn slid up behind the elf. Legolas glared at him, the nickname Lassie still not his favorite, but a smile broke through and he and Aragorn cracked up laughing.

"You know, we should probably thank Gimli for coming up with that. Or not, he would probably tease you even more, " the man slung his arm around his companion's shoulder. Then, smiling he added,"And I still need to thank you for our little 'lesson' yesterday. "

"Your welcome, fine sir!" Legolas bowed ridiculously, his hair falling into his face. "Though, I still think you could use improvement. A lot of improvement." At this, Aragorn stuck out his bottom lip in a forced pout. He wasn't that bad, considering he had never shot a bow before, and he was human. Archery wasn't exactly a skill that came naturally to men than it did to elves. Fortunately, Aragorn would rarely have the need to shoot. He was skilled enough with the sword.

"Tell you what." Aragorn started,"How about I teach you how to set up a tent, so I have something to mock you about."

"What makes you think that I can't set up a tent? I have spent the greater part of my life traveling." The elf replied.

"Because I've seen what you sleep under. Don't even try to tell me you're just lazy! Come on, it'll be fun!" It was true, instead of sleeping with the rest of their companions, Legolas sat in a secluded spot underneath the stars, with his green hooded cape propped above him as a rain shield. And when Aragorn said it would be fun, he meant it would be fun to watch the elf struggle with a simple task that most children are capable of.

The elf finally gave in, due to the puppy-dog eyes Aragorn was now sending his way. "Alright. How about tonight? Then we can just get this over with. "
Aragorn nodded. "Deal."

. . . . . . .otp.

It was a clear night, and stars shone down upon them like the eyes of past travelers, who had gotten lost on the road. When Legolas said this aloud, Aragorn replied by saying that that was the creepiest thing he had ever heard. It really wasn't.

Aragorn had brought along all of the supplies they needed, and they were now scattered across the grass before them. Their inventory included a set of wooden rods, a thin, sheet-like fabric, and a few fresh apples. They chose this spot because it was out of the way of everyone else, and if Legolas screwed up, he would be saved from embarrassment.

"Ready?" Aragorn asked, dramatically sweeping his arm over their pile of junk. Legolas nodded and stepped to pick up one of the rods. Aragorn continued: "It's simple, really. You start by taking one of those rods and you stick it into the soil, as deep as you can get it." Legolas followed this direction, but was stopped by Aragorn telling him to leave enough of it above ground to drape the cloth over. The exasperated elf pulled the rod out further, sighing. "You couldn't have told me that earlier?" This gained a mischievous grin from Aragorn. Aragorn tosses him the next pole, and despite the elf's supernatural reflexes, it skittered to a halt beside an old oak tree. Legolas bent down to retrieve it, giving his 'teacher' a good reason to blush. Before Aragorn could look away and hide his flushed face, Legolas had straightened and spotted him staring.

"How about we finish this, and you can ogle later. This was your idea, after all." Aragorn had already taken the second pole from Legolas and trust it into the ground. There was one more step until they were finished. He grasped one end of the cloth and threw the other to his student. Together the two of them draped it across the rods. One end of the tent was taller than the other, and the middle sagged a bit, but it was theirs, and they loved it.

"Come on, I want to see how the inside looks!" Legolas excitedly dragged his Aragorn to the tent. From the inside, it didn't look much better, it was only a sheet draped over two big sticks, and there wasn't much to look at, only the apples in the corner that had remained uneaten. Aragorn moved to put his arm around Legolas, who nestled into his side. While Legolas was jokingly admiring their failed project, Aragorn turned him around so they were facing each other.

"Lassie, I love you." Said Aragorn, looking into the elfling's eyes. For the second time that day, he blushed, waiting for the elf to respond.
"I love you to, Ari." Aragorn looked puzzled.

"What?"

Legolas shrugged. "I just thought that if you were going to call me Lassie all the time, I would..." He trailed off.

"Well, I think it's adorable." He embraced the elf, even though Legolas was about a head taller. The two remained in that position for a while, until they heard a voice.

"Legolas? Aragorn?" The noise startled Aragorn, who jumped backwards, and tripped over earlier's discarded fruit. Flailing for a moment, he grasped Legolas's hand. In a jumble of legs and arms, the couple tumbled onto the ground, taking the tent with them.

"Um... Hi? Am I interrupting something" Eowin asked. Legolas shook his head no, and Aragorn turned away sheepishly. "Oh, okay. I was wondering of either of you had any apples left over? My horse is hungry again, and I'm out..." Add her nervous shuffling to the fact that they did have apples, which were the reason they were in such a compromising position, Aragorn and Legolas couldn't help but laugh. Eowin looked confused, but let it slide, as Aragorn had found one of the apples in the tangled mess of the tent and handed it to her. As she retreated, neither Legolas nor Aragorn moved, just sat there enjoying each other's company in silence, under the stars of lost travelers.

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A/N Sorry, cheesy and short. But that's how I work. If you don't like it, don't read anymore. Read, rate, review, or not, whatever works. Bye!