PART 12

To: underthetrees at ardamail . com
From: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-22 09:22:34

Subject: watch our soccer game on Saturday plz?

Hiya Legolas!

Just wondering what's up? I haven't seen you around for ages. The Twins said you were over to them a couple of days ago – why wouldn't you let me know? Now I missed the chance to see both you AND Arwen!

Anyway the thing is the Rangers have got a game next Saturday, we face the Red Eye and I've got two free tickets so why don't you grab *someone* and come see? You need to get out more. Plus I need cheerleaders.

I'm mailing you the tickets right now. If your dad refuses to drive you I could talk with the twins and they'll pick you up. So no getting away that way!

Highfives from your friend,

Aragorn

PS. have you logged on to tumblr recently? DS.

To: underthetrees at ardamail . com
From: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-22 14:29:16

Subject: re: watch our soccer game on Saturday plz?

Hi Aragorn,

I'm not sure and there's no one for me to go with but thanks for the consideration. But you don't need to bother the twins about driving me; I'm feeling a bit down and will probably just sleep.

But thanks anyway. And I'm so, so sorry for neglecting you – next time we'll include you, I swear!

Cheers,

Legolas

PS. How so? The twins were acting kind of weird when I was there, Arwen said it was something about tumblr but I haven't seen anything…yet…that might have caused it. DS.

To: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
From: underthetrees at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-22 18:01:59

Subject: re: re: watch our soccer game on Saturday plz?

Hi Legolas,

Sorry to hear that. But if I buy you a drink after, what about that?

PS. you'll figure it out one way or the other! Trust me. DS.

To: underthetrees at ardamail . com
From: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-22 22:21:34

Subject: re: re: re: watch our soccer game on Saturday plz?

Oh you're just saying that so that I'll convince Arwen to come with me…

To: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
From: underthetrees at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-23 00:12:01

Subject: re: re: re: re: watch our soccer game on Saturday plz?

Come on, do a friend a favour!

The phone rings so suddenly that Legolas turns away from the sharp sound instinctively and then, slowly, untangles himself from the blankets and fumbles to pick up the cell and answer.

"Hello?" His voice is tired and hoarse, unelvenlike and raspy.

"Legolas! It's me. Did I wake you?"

"Not really."

"I didn't think Elves even slept."

"I wasn't sleeping." More like moping. Not that he needs to admit that. "So. Um. Had a nice day?" He glances at his watch to check that it really is day. He's spent the last few hours locked in his room, unable to care. 11:22 a Saturday morning.

"Yes! Very fulfilling." The Dwarf sounds rather mysterious when he says that, smug and proud and happy and Legolas curiously wants to know what he's been up to; naturally Gimli refuses to give a straight answer. "You'll see," he only says, stubbornly – ugh, the stiff necks of Dwarves! "What about you, Las?"

"Nothing," he answers miserably, tiredly dragging a hand through Estel's fur when the cat tries to make him cuddle him and the Elf just hasn't the heart to push him away. "Just. Resting, I suppose." And missing you.

"I had a sort of question."

"A 'sort of' question?"

"All right, a question."

"Yes…?"

"Would you." There is a very long pause. Oh god, he's going to hang up. Or faint. Or be interrupted. A house fire is going to break out. A hurricane will hit Erebor and cut the connection. And he'll never hear what Gimli means to say. Oh Valar! Oh Eru …! A knife is slowly twisting in Legolas' heart. Please let Gimli hurry up and finish the question already!

"… Would you like to be my boyfriend?"

For a minute there is no reply at all, and Gimli's heart jerks and hits the ground heavily like a rock hitting the bottom of an icy black pond; then there is a shrill sound. A cry (or scream more like) and Gimli has to distance the phone from his ear for a bit lest he go deaf.

Once the Elf has quieted down the Dwarf readjusts the cell against his ear, grinning widely. "That's a yes, then?"

"WE'RE BOYFRIENDS, GIMLI! WE'RE - uh, sorry Ada, I didn't mean to disturb," the Elf suddenly coughs a bit out of earshot and Gimli's laugh of relief and joy and pure joy threatens to overcome him. Legolas swiftly returns though, whispering loudly as if sharing a great conspiracy: "Gimli, we're boyfriends!"

Thranduil knocks on the door announcing its lunchtime three quarters of an hour later, when Legolas is busy logging onto Facebook and hunting down Gimli's profile and changing relationship statuses. The older Elf arcs an eyebrow, looking at the manic grin on his son's face with some confusion. "Iôn nîn, has something occurred?"

"Yeah, something," Legolas answers giddily not looking up and his ada's sharp eyes can easily see the screen and the letters thereupon; and how the young blonde is replacing the single with in a relationship with some fellow named 'Gimli Glóinsson'.

A terribly unelven name.

Thranduil freezes.

"Legolas…"

"Just a minute."

"… Iôn, who is Gimli Glóinsson?"

The Sindar turns to him sharply, a little out of breath. "My – my boyfriend, Ada."

"So," Glóin asks across the table while they're digging into some lovely seasoned steak with mashed potatoes, "that Legolas fellow you brought over, is he a classmate?"

"Nope. But my beta reader and boyfriend," Gimli states proudly, and his father promptly chokes on a piece of sun-dried tomato.

"YOU HAVE A WHAT?!"

The youth rolls his eyes, albeit his fists are tightly clenched, his body tense like a bowstring in case of attack. "I'm nineteen."

"Yes! My point exactly! You aren't even fifty yet – you are far too young to undertake a serious relationship! And that name, Glóinsson – it is not Elven, is it?" Like a hawk zeroing in on its pray, Thranduil grabs his shoulders to make him face him. "Do not tell me it is some Man you've met when associating with that Aragorn or Elrond's twin terrors!"

"Not exactly. He's not a Man," Legolas answers vaguely, "or an Elf. Or related to Aragorn or the twins in any way. He's. Um. He's a Dwarf, Ada."

"Well, it could be worse," his father admits after a long silence. "Legolas, wasn't it? What's his family name?"

"He's the son of some Thranduil from Mirkwood."

For a moment the older Dwarf just stares at him. Eventually, there's a mutter in Khuzdul: "Of all the people in Middle Earth … Oh, do me a favour boy and make sure to not let your friend Thorin know about that detail. His grandfather Thrór had a rather serious disagreement with that Elf, Thranduil, sixty-eight years ago."

Unable to drown his curiousity Gimli leans in. "Oh? What happened?"

"The Elf wanted to take over the Lonely Mountain Gems Inc.; did everything in his power to persuade them, even tried to force them into bankruptcy. Not that I know all the details. He's got a keen longing for fine stones, apparently. Ever since then Thrór has refused to admit affairs between his business and that of that Elf, even if it could possibly benefit the Lonely Mountain."

If his father is antagonized about it and Thrór tenfold so, then he'd better not mention it to Thorin, Gimli quickly summarizes, because his friend has got a short fuse and maybe he'll withdraw his wishes of good luck if he finds out that Legolas is the son of his grandfather's old nemesis. Yeah, better keep quiet about it.

"Just make sure you're careful, son. Now would you pass me the salt, please?"

A Dwarf of Erebor.

A Dwarf. Of Erebor. Dating his son. His son! His only child! Who is only nineteen years old, a mere babe! So young and small and tiny and his only beloved son - and now dating one of the Nogothrim!

Legolas looks at him with wide pleading eyes like a doe with a hurt hind leg: "Please don't ground me again, Ada."

To: underthetrees at ardamail . com
From: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-24 19:56:39

Subject: WHAAAAT!

I saw that fb update and…

LEGOLAS YOU SLY, SLY ELFLING!

CONGRATS! But a DWARF?! Your dad must be out of his mind!

Now you've GOT TO CELEBRATE. We could must go out after the game on Saturday. I'll buy you a couple of rounds! Is he with you now? Bring him! I've got to meet with this lucky fellow who's finally managed to catch your eye! (plus he needs a stamp of approval) How and when did you meet?!

To: JustAnotherRanger_84 at ardamail . com
From: underthetrees at ardamail . com
SA 2013-06-24 21:09:07

Subject: Re: WHAAAAT!

Yeah, no kidding. Ada nearly had me grounded - again. And thanks! You know, maybe I'll turn up for that game after all even if soccer isn't my thing. You're offering the drinks afterwards, after all.

Valar, I haven't been this happy and giddy and feeling so awesome in ages! I'VE GOT A BOYFRIEND, ARAGORN!

But Gimli lives in Erebor, so I'm not sure if or when we could meet again IRL and I miss him already and Ada still refuses to mention his name, like it's some kind of plague … :/ We met on LJ back in January, he's writing this fic and I'm beta reading, and one thing kind of led to the other yeah? He's awesome. You'd like him, I think. He's got a really great red beard, very Dwarfish.

Thanks for everything. Now I've got to see if Ada is still alive and breathing, I heard some china smashing half an hour ago

Hugs,

Legolas

PS. SWEET ERU. I'VE. GOT. A BOYFRIEND! *dies flailing* DS.