Estel came back of course. To check on him Elrohir thought. To make sure things had not all fallen apart in his absence.
"So he sleeps." His foster brothers voice sounded softly behind him.
"Yes, and I followed instructions brother. Your sutures remain in place."
"Well, thank goodness for that." Estel folded himself into the chair beside him. "I did not fancy holding him down to repeat that process yet again."
"He thinks you are angry at him."
"That is because I am angry at him. He was as much a fool in this as you and it could have ended in disaster. He knows better than this. He is not a child, much as he occasionally acts as one."
"Remember the sealonging, Estel and watch your words." It made him anxious, the sealonging and Legolas' unhappiness when he was under its spell.
"I know about the sealonging, Elrohir. Believe me I will never forget it. But it does not excuse him this. It does not give him permission to forget himself like this and I will tell him so...as I tell you so."
"He was miserable when he came to Imladris, you did not see—"
"I have seen. I know him better than you do Elrohir."
He did not like that. Estel suggesting he was closer to Legolas than he.
"Well that will change!" He bit back. "The day will come when I know him best."
"Good." Estel was not in the least perturbed. "It cannot come fast enough, for perhaps then you will know him well enough to avoid the kind of drama we have seen today. But at the moment you could do well to listen to me for you do not seem to know him at all." He reached out to touch Legolas' forehead gently while Elrohir watched. "And I tell you, Legolas deserved harsh words from me today and he needed to hear them. And now it is done, he has listened and we move on. But I never forget the sealonging when I deal with him, never!"
Then Estel fixed him with a glare so fierce it forced him to drop his head.
"I do not need you to remind me of that." he continued, "It excuses him many things but it does not excuse him this. Had your blow been an inch to the left it could have killed him. What then, Elrohir? Could you have lived with that? Could I, who caused your distraction? The pair of you were playing with fire."
He was right, and Elrohir knew he was right . . . And Legolas had known it too.
"Brother," Estel's voice softened then infused with love. A hand fell gently upon his own. "Legolas is a mystery, a conundrum, an enigma. And he can be beyond infuriating. If you want to pursue this you must learn to understand him better than you do now. Or it will end in tears, as it nearly did today."
"I know that."
"Do not speak about me as if I was an imbecile, Aragorn." The voice, out of the blue startled them both and Elrohir turned in surprise to see a glint of green looking up at him.
"Do not behave like one then!" He was briefly taken aback by his brothers sharp reaction until he glimpsed the smile, brief but affectionate, and the answering one, a flash of brilliance lighting the darkened room. They were teasing.
His surprise must have showed upon his face for it was him Legolas spoke to next.
"The day has not yet come, Elrohir, that I need defending from this dishevelled human. Let him lecture me as he will. I will tell him when he is out of line...and ignore him when he is wrong."
"You ignore me far too often!" Estel protested.
"Then you are wrong far too often!"
"Ah, Legolas," His brother sighed but it was with a smile. "You cause me too much grief. You frightened me today. Tell me you have heard me this time."
"I hear you every time. Sometimes I choose not to listen." And Estel rolled his eyes at that.
"Choose to listen this time...please." A soft touch on the shoulder was all it took for Legolas to acquiesce. He smiled, shrugged his shoulders and admitted defeat.
"This time I have." He returned the gentle touch. "It will not happen again, Aragorn."
And Elrohir could only marvel then at his brothers skill to negotiate Legolas. How had he never noticed this casual, tender, guidance before?
The door when it opened surprised all three of them.
"Elrohir, can we talk?"
It was his sister standing there, the last person he expected and beside him he felt Legolas' tension spark into life.
"Hold yourself." He heard Estel whisper in the silvan's ear. "Stay in control Legolas."
Then with a quick pat on the shoulder his brother was on his feet, across the room and at Arwen's side.
"You did not tell me you would come here." He murmured as he held her close and Elrohir felt he intruded on something private as he watched.
"I needed to." The smile she gave him was a sad one, and how he hated to see his sister unhappy.
"And what about what Elrohir needs?" Legolas' voice cut through the air, sharp like a knife. "Is it only what you need that counts and his happiness is worth nothing?"
"Legolas—" There was a warning in Estel's voice as he spoke but Elrohir raised his hand to intervene. He would not stand here helpless while the three of them argued about his destiny.
"This is my problem, Legolas," his voice low as he whispered it in his lover's ear. "My problem to solve. Let me do it and be there to pick up the pieces. I know you are angry but let me do this."
And he saw it then, the fear flitting round the edges of those wide, flashing eyes. He knew it was there nowand he understood it. He would not let that fear damage them yet again.
"There is nothing to fear here." He picked up the hand that lay there, fist clenched and cradled it in his own. "I am yours. I know my own mind and that will not change. I will not add to your grief."
For he knew what Legolas saw when he looked at his sad, grieving sister. He saw Elrohir's conflict, his uncertainty, his indecision. He saw Elrohir turning his back and walking away. And that would not happen; not now.
"We need to talk, my sister... but not here." And he watched Arwen's eyes sweep over them, seeing all as she always did. Did she see the fear behind Legolas' eyes or just the stubborn, determined, angry face he hid it behind?
"I know." She came towards them, bending over Legolas where he lay, placing a kiss upon his brow. "Will you forgive me, Legolas?" She asked quietly, so softly Elrohir did not think Estel, on the other side of the room would hear her.
"Do not make Elrohir feel guilty for loving me." Legolas' voice was just as soft, as quiet when he replied. "I thought you would know how that feels."
"I do know how that feels." He watched as his sister trailed her hand tenderly down the side of Legolas' cheek. "I do know." But then she lifted her head and the smile she gave Elrohir seemed to bright to be real.
"Shall we talk then brother, somewhere else, away from the ears of those who love us?"
And she took his hand reminding him of all the times long ago he walked with her, her small hand in his, her little girl steps stumbling along beside him, her laughter as she sang her childish nonsense, happy in the company of the big brother she worshipped.
It was all he could do not to cry.