=0=Fortunate Son, Part Nine

For a moment there was only a seething rage, pulsing and jabbing within him as he stood in silence. Then he turned back to the fire, his face filled with anger, moving toward it in his emotional turmoil. That is when he caught a glance, just a glance and paused, the figure of Legolas once more registering.

Turning, staring at his pale face and wide eyes, he swallowed hard. Licking dry lips he gathered his emotions tightly, moving to stand in front of the youngster. Legolas stepped back, his hands clenched tightly.

"Legolas ..." Elrond whispered, resting his hands on Legolas' arms. There was a tremor and then he stilled, his wide eyes looking into Elrond's own, fear and trepidation palpable. "I'm sorry."

Legolas relaxed minutely, moving closer to Elrond. He lay his head on Elrond's shoulder, relaxing more when Elrond encircled him with his arms. They stood together for minutes and minutes and then Legolas stepped out, walking to the fire and kneeling.

"What did it say?" he asked, his voice a soft whisper. He looked up at Elrond, staring at him with sad eyes. "What did my father say that wounded you so?"

He stood silently a moment and then he sighed. "It's nothing for you to worry about."

Legolas rose and stared at him. "It is. I wish to know. My father will not come between us."

Elrond considered his words and then moved to sit on a chair. Legolas moved to another and stared at him, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Your father has made demands. First and foremost, they concern you. He wishes that you be given duties more compatible to your station. He also says that he expects that you will not be ... how did he put it ... 'molested' in any manner during your stay with me."

"Molested?" Legolas asked, offended. "In what manner?"

"Any manner. It appears that news of your game activities perhaps has reached him in some manner."

"There was a crowd watching but it was nothing. The game was nothing," he protested.

Elrond raised his hand. "It could have been enough to raise his ire."

"So what!" Legolas said, rising. He turned toward the fire. "My father isn't here. He isn't going to direct me like I'm a child. I'm not one," he said, turning his piercing gaze upon Elrond.

Elrond nodded. "I know."

Legolas considered the rage he had seen and moved closer, sitting again. "There is more, more about me isn't there."

Elrond sighed. "He does not wish that you and I form any kind of personal relationship between us, that he expects you to remain ... unbothered by me ... to put it more delicately than he did ..." Elrond sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Your father has the opinion that I am in some way corrupting you. What did he ask about when you were there?"

Legolas thought. "He asked if I was well and there were questions about what the valley and household were like. He asked about you."

"Did he now?"

"I told him nothing," Legolas said rising. He walked to the window and turned, anger on his face. "I don't tell them things that matter. My brothers and father ... they don't know what matters to me because I never tell them. Only my mother knows me. Only her."

Elrond rose and walked to him, pulling him into his arms. "Your father is a hard man, Legolas. If he knew that what he suspicions had any basis for fact, he would be here with an army."

"My father can't direct my life," Legolas said, stepping back from Elrond. "I make my own choices."

Elrond smiled, feeling slightly better. "Your father has dominion over you for a few more years. You are still in your minority."

"I can make my own way if I have to," he replied defiantly. Then he wavered, looking at Elrond silently for a moment. "I would think I have allies in the world now."

Elrond pulled him into an embrace. "You do, my green leaf. You have ports in the storm."

Legolas embraced him, holding him tightly as the misery of the moment bled away. All he wanted to do was be held. "I love you. Those days were long and empty without you."

"As they were here," Elrond said, kissing Legolas' neck. "Have you eaten?"

Legolas looked at him. "At a small pub in Bree."

Elrond nodded. "Go and bathe. Change into clean clothes and join me for supper. I miss your company and I wish it."

Legolas smiled and nodded, hesitating. "Are we all right?"

Elrond nodded and kissed him softly. "We were never wrong."

Legolas smiled, a brilliant sight and stooped, picking up his bags. He turned and stared at Elrond and turned again, leaving the room. Elrond stood a moment, staring at the door and the beautiful vision of the young man who had just left. Sighing, he turned and walked to his table, taking parchment and quill in hand. With a moment of reflection, he sat down and composed a reply to Thranduil of Mirkwood.

They moved on, traveling down the road that followed the Bruinen River. It was Elrond's road and his territory and the protocol of passage that would have permitted such a thing had not been pressed into service.

Thranduil had made decisions, deciding in the growing crisis that he would have a larger role for himself and his kingdom than usual in the past. Before, the Elves of Lorien and Imladris were first in importance, the bulk of any army rising from their populations.

Men rallied to them, the Men of the West and in the doing of things those hosts had accrued much glory. All of Thranduil's life, he had lived with the bitter ashes of his father's death, the sorrow of it turning sour in the memory. There was much to avenge he considered as they moved eastward, passing villages and towns that benefited from the influence of the Elves of the Bruinen Valley.

At his side his sons rode, a handsome sight by any measure. They were golden-haired, tall and beautiful, the way of Elves everywhere but among the Noldor. Their dark hair set them apart in Thranduil's mind, reminding him of the disorder of his own family history.

The day his father died was a black hole in his life, sucking the future downward as he struggled to pull it back up. He had to make things right and he raised his sons and daughter to standards that he felt were compatible with that goal. They would be self reliant, strong and hard enough to make tough decisions. His kingdom prospered under that outlook and he would enlarge it for his children by applying the same standards in all things.

They moved on, going noticed everywhere and when the news arrived at Imladris, the great lord of the valley was not amused. But he hid it against the time he would rectify things, so unwilling was he to show his rage again. Legolas had been shocked and he wouldn't put him in the middle of things again.

Rising from his desk, Elrond summoned an aide and gave a message tube to him. He told him that Lord Glorfindel would be taking it with him when he rode to Lothlorien the next day. He would deliver it personally to Thranduil, who would be on the road some place in between. The aide nodded and hurried away and as he did Elrond put the matter into the back of his mind. He had other more interesting matters to take care of now.

Supper was light and conversation was plentiful. Elrond dined, feeling young at heart again. Many of the usual dinner guests were gone, Elrohir and Elladan out with companions searching the lay of the land in a quest for information on orc activity. Glorfindel excused himself as he was leaving early and pretty soon it was just the two of them together.

Elrond smiled, pouring more wine and they sat together in companionable silence. Legolas had changed, the road grime gone from his appearance and he relaxed with his glass feeling more at home at that moment then he had in three days with his family.

"Your mood, my Lord ... it has passed?" he ventured.

Elrond smiled and nodded. "I am sorry for the storm. I have no wish to cause discord for you and your father. I would be loathe to have that happen to my own children."

"My father is driven by ghosts," Legolas said with a sigh. "My grandfather still lives among us."

"Your grandfather was an interesting man," Elrond ventured.

Legolas smiled in spite of himself. "I am sure that there are other adjectives you can apply should you care to."

Elrond smiled sheepishly.

"But I'm glad you are kind," Legolas said, reaching over and squeezing Elrond's hand. "That part of you ... the kindness ... it was unexpected and much appreciated."

Elrond looked at him, at his gentle eyes and sighed. "I cannot imagine not being kind to you, not taking all the time necessary for you. Your father is a fool." For a moment it was quiet and Elrond shook his head. "That was wrong. I apologize."

Legolas smiled. "Accepted."

Elrond rose and pulled Legolas to his feet. "Let's go outside."

They turned and walked together, moving to the balcony to stand alone. Candle light lit the room behind them and the glow of stars in the sky gave weak light to the woods surrounding them. The fall of water filled the air.

"I missed the waterfalls," Legolas said, moving to the railing and looking out. "They sound like music to me."

"When we first came here it was as if we had found a blessed place. The waterfalls were healing in those dark times."

Legolas turned and looked at him. "You have age and wisdom. What do you see when you look at me?"

Elrond considered his question, noting the interest and the unease in the youngster's eyes.

"I see someone who will grow great in wisdom. I see someone who is worthy of love." Elrond smiled. "I see someone who will never cease to surprise me with the twists and turns of their personality."

Legolas smiled, relaxing. "I wondered if we could find common ground. I knew that I wanted it but I wondered if that was an illusion, some kind of foolish desire from someone infatuated by another different from my own experience. I wanted to know."

"And what did you find out?" Elrond asked, closing the distance between them. He stood close to Legolas, close enough to look into his eyes and feel his will slipping away.

"I found someone who loved me, someone to love," Legolas replied, his breath catching in his throat. He slid his hands up Elrond's arms, stepping into them as they closed around him. "I found a home."

Elrond pulled him into an embrace and felt his heart fill with emotion. The youngster held him, sighing deeply and they stood together quietly. Nearby, sitting on a chair enjoying the solitude, Glorfindel watched.

He considered the message that he had been given, the probability that it was a heated reply to something Thranduil had sent and he made a decision. He would go straight to Mirkwood. He wouldn't meet Thranduil on the road.

He sat and watched as they stood together and when they turned and walked inside, he sighed. The night was still as he watched the sky change from evening to morning stars.

It was quiet in the bedroom, Elrond's room, and as they stood together he considered their moment. He hadn't been with anyone in more years than he could count and now he was with someone who could have walked out of his dreams. Legolas held him, kissing his neck and he felt all of his reservations fall away.

This wasn't the son of his worst enemy. This wasn't his squire, a very young man who was infatuated with him, a person he was responsible for. This was his lover, someone he had waited centuries to find and this one's pleasure was all that counted in his mind.

Legolas was tall, as tall as he was and that was a novelty in and off itself. He had never had a lover this tall, he considered. Nor had he ever had one this young. He sighed and kissed Legolas softly, the youngster almost as hesitant as he was. It was a novel feeling.

"All I wanted the whole time I was gone was this moment and now I feel ..." Legolas began.

Elrond smiled. "You are not alone."

Legolas slipped his arms around Elrond's neck, leaning in for a kiss. "I want you."

Elrond sighed, his pleasure complete. "Come," he said, moving closer to the bed. He paused and stroked Legolas' face with his fingers. Then Elrond reached down and unfastened his shirt, moving it off his shoulders so that it fell to the ground. He sighed again, his fingers tracing a path from Legolas' shoulders, down his chest. It was hard and pale, well muscled from exercise and all he wanted to do was rub his face on the smooth perfection of it.

"That feels so good," Legolas whispered, closing his eyes and letting his head fall backward. His pale throat called to Elrond and he touched it, leaning in to trail kisses along its pale length. "More," he whispered, smoky eyes gazing into Elrond's.

Elrond felt his body surge, need rising in him and he nodded, reaching down and unfastening Legolas' trousers. They slid down, pooling at his feet and with them went his shorts, revealing his firm legs and ass to Elrond's hungry eyes.

He pulled Legolas into his arms, his hands sliding down and gripping firm flesh, the youngster melting into his body as he did. All he wanted was to bury himself in that flesh but he knew that would not come soon. There was much to experience and to learn before such an intimate step and the first time together wasn't the moment for such trust.

"Remove your clothing," Elrond whispered, watching as Legolas hurriedly complied, his fevered hands making short work of his remaining clothing. Elrond chuckled, watching as Legolas hopped out of his boots, a grin forming on his perfect features as he found the humor himself.

He stood naked before Elrond, a chuckle on his lips and then his expression stilled, the fire and desire in Elrond's eyes striking him mute. He stood staring back, the tension between them great and as he did, Elrond began to disrobe.

=0=TBC

c2010