Disclaimer: Not mine.
The company trailed up towards the Golden House, which had been sparkling tantalisingly at the top of the hill for the past day. Aragorn and Legolas rode at almost the front of the train – Faramir having insisted a group of guards go before them – and the couple were more than a little annoyed at the pace the men in front of them set. The last time they had ridden to Edoras, they had ridden so much faster. Yet then again, they had been in the middle of a war so haste had been necessary… Now they had two boys who rapidly became bored and a daughter who was apt to cry if the slightest thing went wrong.
However, said daughter had been impressively settled, seated on her Atar's horse in front of him, playing with the horse's wiry mane. Her expression when they dismounted however, was very disgruntled, and Legolas had to distracted her with grapes to keep her quiet.
Aragorn winced as he stretched out and his bones cracked their protest. "Old man," murmured Legolas as he passed.
"We can not all be as spry as elves," shot back Aragorn resentfully. "Some of us age."
"You could never match my flexibility," grinned Legolas.
Aragorn could not think of another reply; it was true. Instead, he turned to Cariad to help him down from his horse. "Your riding is coming on," Aragorn observed.
"It has not got much else to do," Cariad mumbled back resentfully. Aragorn sighed; the boys were still not enjoying themselves. When Legolas and he had told them that they were going on a long holiday, they had thought that meant no more lessons, but Elladan and Elrohir accompanied them on the ride and made them take lessons whenever they stopped and quizzed them on all they learnt as they rode. They would get used to travelling, but they were not happy about it just yet.
"Come on now, smiles for the King of Rohan please. He is a friend," Aragorn said bracingly, "And tonight you can sleep in a bed. And you can have the rest of today and tomorrow off from lessons to explore."
Cariad cheered up slightly and skipped off towards Beti and Théo. Smoothing out his tunic and shirt, Aragorn made his way towards his husband. Legolas turned towards him, looking guilty, and Aragorn nervously asked, "What is it?"
"I may have told Rilluin that he did not have to do any more lessons for the next few days so that he could enjoy Edoras a little," Legolas confessed, taking another grape from his pouch and passing it to Liana.
Smirking, Aragorn informed him, "Well I saved you the job of telling Cariad. I have done that for you."
As Aragorn blushed, Legolas reached over to kiss the peony coloured cheeks. "Well we are generous parents."
"Yes we are," Aragorn said, leaning over to kiss his daughter's forehead as she squeezed a grape between her small, chubby fingers.
"No do not do that," groaned Legolas, pulling a cloth from his pouch. Liana was making soft whimpering sounds – distressed that her fruit had burst. He began to clean up the fruit as Aragorn frowned.
"What else do you have in that bag?" he asked.
"Everything," Legolas said, shrugging his shoulders. Then his eyes lit up with glee, "Some things that you will enjoy, I promise. But later. We are not almost making love in the Great Hall. Not again."
000
Legolas was glad of his patience as he watched Aragorn and Faramir finish greeting Éomer at the head of the hall. He was also glad that he was important enough to be at the front of the queue of people rather than at the end like Elladan and Elrohir. He also pitied Éomer for having to shake hands and greet so many people he barely knew. He knew how Aragorn hated doing it.
"Now remember what I told you boys," Legolas whispered over the noise of the shifting queue behind them. Cariad pressed back against his legs fearfully, despising the new place and so many tall, threatening looking men around him. Legolas wished he had a spare hand to comfort his younger son with, but one was busy holding Liana and the other was busy restraining Rilluin from bursting forwards. "We have to be formal now, and you can talk to him properly later. Just bow and be polite and regal as we spoke about." His lips twisted in irritation as Éowyn went against all he had just said and eagerly threw her arms around her brother's neck with unrestrained excitement. "Rilluin, what Auntie Éowyn did is a perfect example of what not to do."
"If she can do it, why can I not as well?" Rilluin asked, knowing exactly how to wind his elvish father up. Legolas merely gritted his teeth and swatted at the child lightly, and refused to say a word until it was their turn to greet the King. Legolas flashed a glare at Éowyn's retreating back before chivvying Cariad forwards – Rilluin going far more readily. The ten year old Crown Prince bowed to Éomer, and Legolas could not help but be impressed by how Rilluin judged the level of his bow; it was low enough that it showed the appropriate amount of respect to a King in his own Halls and several times Rilluin's elder, however Rilluin did not appear too submissive, as was right for the Prince of a somewhat more powerful country. Legolas made up his mind to thank Elladan and Elrohir for teaching his son so well. Cariad copied his older brother, showing perhaps slightly more deference from nerves, but that was understandable.
"Well done," whispered Legolas so that only his boys could hear him. Then he in turn, with a small smile, bowed his head at the Rohan King. He would have bowed properly had his arms not been full with his sixteen month old daughter, and had he not been an elf who, upon regal occasions, became somewhat uptight and aloof. He could not help it; he had existed almost solely in a world of formalities and age old customs. His prince's voice took over and he said, "It has been too long since our friendship has been renewed."
"Indeed that is true," Éomer agreed, courteously. "But we will speak more on this later. For now let my servants show you to your rooms."
Legolas and the children rejoined Aragorn, Faramir, Éowyn and their children, who had been waiting for them, and moved out into the Hallway so that Éomer could greet the rest of the delegation. As they walked down the hallway, Cariad giggled and announced, "Ada you look funny."
"Hush," growled Aragorn, as he fidgeted with his robe and rolled his neck around, stretching it. The crown on his head was heavy, and he hated state wear. As Rilluin laughed at him, Aragorn pulled off the crow and popped it onto Rilluin's head instead. The child gave a small squeak of protest as the crown fell down around his neck.
"It is too big," Rilluin exclaimed, pulling the metal circle off. "And too heavy."
"You will grow into it," Aragorn replied, chuckling. "And when it fits you, you will have it."
"I know, but not yet," Rilluin said, handing the crown back to his father, who took it reluctantly.
A small, unobtrusive cough interrupted them and the servant they had been following gestured to the rooms. "These four rooms have been assigned to you, my Lords. I am afraid due to lack of space and the number of guests, we only have four rooms to assign to you."
Bracingly, Legolas said, "That is fine; Aragorn and I will take one with Liana, Éowyn, Faramir, you can take Boromir into yours, the boys can share, and Beti can have a room of her own. Simple."
"We have to share?" whined Cariad. "Why?"
"It is very nice of this Kingdom to let us use these rooms, so you will go and unpack now," He knew that he could ask the servants to do it, but if it kept the children busy for a little while, they would all be grateful. "Plus Théo is going to be sharing with you, so you will have fun. Go on now."
Dragging their feet, the boys obeyed. Aragorn and Legolas easily ignored the complaints shot at the back of them, used to it.
Smiling, Aragorn wrapped his hand around Legolas' waist, and pressed close against him. "Now, we can be left on our own for a little while."
"Not really," Faramir said, watching the couple sternly. "You will have your baby with you, as will we. So I expect quiet."
"Who are you, my father?" asked Legolas, smirked as, behind him, as suddenly lascivious Aragorn lowered his mouth to kiss Legolas' neck. The elf gave a soft sigh of pleasure and leant back against his husband.
Faramir grimaced, "No, but because your daughter will be in the same room as you, can I be assured that you will not do… anything?"
Groaning under the attack of Aragorn's mouth on his neck, Legolas raised his free hand to cup Aragorn's cheek, and said, "Well I can not promise that we will not do anything, but I can promise that we will be quiet. And we expect the same of you."
Éowyn snorted, "Trust me, we will not be doing anything, if I know Faramir. And I do. Intimately."
Legolas shook his head and Aragorn broke away to speak. "You have three children, the same as us."
Éowyn merely wrinkled her nose at him, and Aragorn tugged at his husband's hip. "Come on, let us get into the room. Liana is beginning to get impatient." Said child was squirming in Legolas' arms, wanting to get down.
"Come on then," Legolas pushed open the door with his elbow and set down his daughter on the carpet. Then he looked up. "We have been in this room before! This is where we slept when we stayed here last."
Lowering himself down onto his bed, letting his back sink into the mattress, Aragorn sighed, "We have had good times in this room, in this bed. In this land."
Legolas was unable to restrain a shudder as he placed several pieces of paper and chalks on the floor for Liana to play with. "I do not think that we had an enjoyable time together here." He was shivering as he lay down next to Aragorn on the bed, and pulled him into his arms.
The elf's grip on him was too tight to be comfortable, and Aragorn, one eye lazily watching Liana scribble on the paper, softly asked, "Why, what do you remember? I remember the first night in weeks that we slept in a bed. And I remember an amazing amount of pleasure in this bed."
Irritated at how his hands trembled slightly, Legolas said, "To start with, we argued, a lot."
Aragorn rolled onto his husband's chest, so that they were front to front, and ran his fingertips lightly over Legolas' pale, elegant features, with reverence that such beauty was his to wake up next to morning after morning. "I was heavily pregnant and hormonal. Sometimes I could not control my feelings; we were under a tense situation. But I am sorry." He lowered his lips to Legolas', but the elf turned away.
"You should be sorry; you hit me in this land," Legolas could not help let a small growl penetrate into his voice.
Aragorn sighed and buried his forehead into the crook of his husband's neck, "I am sorry, I told you that I was. Melda, do not be angry at me for something I did ten years ago, in a fit of… something. Meleth nin, please look at me, you know how sorry I was that I did that to you."
"I know, it is just… what I remember happened here. On the way to Helm's Deep. In these lands… you feel from the cliff and my memory of this place, now that we are bringing up our memories of Rohan, is of that pain and grief, thinking that you were dead. The pain of that, Aragorn," Legolas' voice cracked as he spoke, agony in his eyes as he met Aragorn's.
"I am sorry my love," Aragorn could say no more than that; he had atoned for what was his fault long ago, because it had happened long ago.
Legolas shivered again and raised his hand to bury his fingers in his husband's thick curls at the back of his neck. "That is alright my love, I am sorry too. I should not have brought it up; it was wrong of me. You were happy and I ruined it, I always ruin things and that is not fair and…"
"Hush," Aragorn soothed, raising his hand to stroke Legolas' hair back from his face. "Do not get so upset, and do not speak such nonsense. You never ruin things, you always make them perfect for me. You always work so hard to make things perfect for everyone. Sometimes you forget to make things perfect for yourself as well."
"I am not as important as you," Legolas said, brushing Aragorn's words aside. "You are the one I need things to be perfect for, in order for me to be happy."
"You do not realise it works the other way as well do you?" Aragorn said, shaking his head at the realisation. "Melda, if you are not happy here in Rohan then I can not be either! We will leave early, now if you wish. I do not want you hurting."
However, Legolas shook his head and raised his hand to caress Aragorn's cheek. He gave a small smile. "I will survive Aragorn: the boys want to spend some time with their friends before we leave them behind; you and Faramir have work to do; and besides all that it would be rude to leave so early. You would get in trouble and it would not be diplomatic for Gondor.
"But Legolas, if you are hurting," Aragorn tried to protest, and Legolas' chest ached at the earnestness in his husband's eyes and the fear for his welfare.
"I would not be hurting if I do not think about it, and you do not remind me," Legolas said calmly, with a smile, trying to raise Aragorn's spirits and settle him. "Just stay here with me, where I can see you and know that I will not have to feel that agony again for a long time."
Aragorn sighed and buried down, holding Legolas close and being held tight in turn, as his heart wept inside. He hated being reminded of how Legolas would be left behind when he died, and he was reminded of it every day when he woke next to startling beauty each morning. Legolas looked the same as the day they had first met, so long ago that he could not remember it. He was reminded of it every day that he looked in the mirror, and spotted another grey hair at his temple; the slight wrinkles at his forehead, worn deeper by decades of heavy cares. "I wish you did not have to feel that, not ever melda. I wish I could save you from it."
"You can only do that by living forever, meleth nin, and we both know that you can never do that. We just have to put that moment off for as long as we can," Legolas sighed, unable to stop a slight shade of bitterness creep into his voice, unwelcome, spiderlike. He regretted not having been able to squash it, not wanting to hurt Aragorn further, but the prospect of Aragorn being taken from him for eternity was something he could only with because Aragorn was right there on his chest, breathing, living, loving. He shook his head and sat up, pulling Aragorn with him.
His face pressed into Legolas' chest, Aragorn did not want to move. He wanted to see his children, he wanted them in his arms with Legolas. He wanted them safe, though he knew that they were already. Shivering, he tried to shake off his thoughts. Behind him, silent, Legolas drew away and towards Liana. Aragorn closed his eyes and sat back, tired and aching from his journey, and emotionally worn out, until Liana was pressed into his arms. "Hello my rosy cheeked, bright eyed little love," he said, forcing himself to smile and finding it easier than expected. There was something about Liana's four toothed smile and sparkling brown eyes that could cheer him up, could cheer anyone up. She was the future, and with her there, the future was going to be beautiful and full of life. With her there, he could forget that the future brought the end.
"I am going to take a bath and get out of these dirty riding clothes," Legolas said, a hand on Aragorn's shoulder as he too watched Liana, bouncing herself up and down on her father's lap. "You are alright to look after the children." The sentence sounded suspiciously like a statement rather than a question, and Aragorn frowned. However, he knew that this holiday was designed to make him closer with his children.
This did not stop him from asking, "Can I not come with you? To bathe with you?"
"No you can not. Play with your children," Legolas said, and disappeared out into the hallway with clean clothes to seek out a bathroom.
Aragorn pouted to himself and returned his eyes to his daughter. "Oh if I must play with you then I suppose I shall," Aragorn said, pretending to be upset. But he knew that Legolas not only needed to clean his body, which no doubt would be flawless and completely devoid of grime despite the journey, but he needed the time to sit and think, deal with what he had remembered. Aragorn knew how, long ago, Legolas would have forced the memories from his mind, and he and Aragorn had never discussed it together.
Liana just looked at him.
000
One arm around Aragorn, and Cariad snuggled back on his lap, Legolas was happy. He did wish that Rilluin would stop dancing around after the dogs though. He also wished that Éomer would stop talking about the war. That would make things perfect. It would also make Cariad calm down and relax; Cariad did not calm down in the presence of men if they spoke so much and so highly of violence.
Aragorn, close against him, spoke, and Legolas knew that he was thinking of the same as him. "Please do not glorify us so much, we did not do as much as you say. Rohan did so much for our side, mellon nin."
Cariad twitched slightly at the elvish, knowing what it meant and perhaps – Legolas hoped – calming slightly. He did not know and ran his fingers calmly over Cariad's smooth blonde hair. He wondered how much of the action was to calm himself rather than Cariad. He was trying to relax, he really was, but he knew that it was clear to Aragorn, whether through the bond or not, that he was not totally calm. The hand squeezing on his knee was proof of that.
Yet Éomer was speaking again, breaking from his thoughts. "You… we could not have won without your fathers' help, boys, and never forget it. Your fathers are heroes."
Legolas' lips twisted as much as he would allow them, and he wished that Éomer could say these things without Cariad in the room. New places, new experiences, new men in particular were difficult for them and Legolas knew they had to try and find a new way to deal with that problem. But he did not know how. Softly, Legolas said, "With no offense meant, Éomer friend, we do not want our children to see us how you see us, as soldiers, fighters, Kings, Princes… that is not the side we present to them."
Before Éomer could speak, Rilluin piped up from where he was stroking one of the hounds lying by the fireplace. "But Atar it is good that you fought and that you won. You saved all those lives."
"I am not proud of all those deaths that I caused, even if it was for the best," Legolas said, frowning at Rilluin unhappily. He remembered a conversation long ago, with Aragorn, about the different ways elves and humans saw things, when Aragorn had voiced his wish that their son would see the world in the same way Legolas did. However, it appeared that Rilluin thought like his human father, and it made sense. However much Legolas tried to instil in his children his values, they were still raised in a human city and public opinion therefore often overrode his.
"You never talk about it Atar, you should," Rilluin complained. "You could tell good stories."
"I would rather that thank you ion nin," Legolas said, demurely brushing the words away.
Rilluin's shoulders sagged and he looked down at the dog with his head in his lap. After a long awkward pause – Éomer glancing between fathers and sons, and all others looking down at their laps – Rilluin asked, "Can we get a dog, Ada?"
Snorting, amused that his son had asked him rather than Legolas who was usually in charge of decisions like that, Aragorn said, "No."
"Why not?" It was Cariad that asked the question this time, not Rilluin. The young blonde, watching Éomer from the corner of his eyes, squirmed down from Legolas' lap and approached the dogs. A terrier gambolled forwards and began licking at Cariad's cheek. "Dogs are so nice."
"Because you have a cat," Aragorn pointed out, taking advantage of the fact that Cariad had left his husband's lap empty and hitching closer. Seeing her brothers playing with something she thought looked fun, slid down from Aragorn's lap and toddled forwards to jump on a dog. "And you both have horses. Who you do not go down to play with enough."
"But we would love a dog!" exclaimed Rilluin.
"And they could have one from here," Éomer put in. "We just had a litter down at the stables."
Aragorn glared at the King of Rohan, annoyed that he was siding with the children and encouraging them. Before he could insult Éomer's heritage, the door opened – to a chorus of barks from the pack of dogs – and each of the children, whose seats were in the right position to see the door which was behind Aragorn and Legolas, came small screams. Legolas leapt to his feet immediately in defence of his children, sure that there was fear in that note.
Yet Aragorn leapt up behind him, and though Legolas strained to reach the children, Aragorn grabbed him and pulled him back. "Peace melda."
It took a moment for Legolas to take in the scene and, after his immediate tension, relax. He blinked and realised that all was well, and Rilluin and Liana were rushing towards the newcomer, and Cariad had stayed in his place with the dogs. They were not hurt, they were still well. He turned to the newcomer and relaxed further; his fear melting into happiness.
"Gimli Gloinson, you scared me," Legolas growled, moving forwards. Aragorn released his arm, and Legolas knew that he was grinning at his old friend.
"You are an elf, and I am hardly light footed. You should have heard me coming," Gimli exclaimed. He turned from the slightly embarrassed Legolas, who was drawing away to mutter to Aragorn, and towards Rilluin who was skipping excitedly at the presence of the dwarf.
"Uncle Gimli, Uncle Gimli," chanted Rilluin, dancing around the dwarf's feet. He lifted Liana up with a grunt and made her dance with him too.
"Rilluin be careful with her, please," Aragorn put in, a little nervous at the movements. He too was now ready to spring forwards, as Legolas had been moments before, to grab at Liana if Rilluin dropped her.
"You are no fun," grumbled Rilluin, placing his sister back down on the ground. Aragorn pushed the hurt of the childish words away, and knelt down by Cariad instead. The golden haired child had not moved from his seat, though the dog he had been petting had moved away at the entrance of Gimli.
"Are you going to say hello to Gimli ion nin?" he murmured, not surprised when Cariad shuffled closer to him.
"Must I Ada?" he asked in a whisper, jumping when Gimli clapped his hand down on Rilluin's shoulder. Rilluin was as tall as his guardian already, possibly taller.
Behind Aragorn and Cariad, Legolas moved away to speak to Éomer, leaving the two of them in privacy. Aragorn spoke gently to his son. "No you do not have to, but it would make me happy if you did. Gimli is going to be riding with us on our journey so it would be nice if you could talk to him. But no you do not have to if you do not wish to."
"But you want me to," Cariad said.
"You do not have to little one."
"Maybe later?"
"Of course," Aragorn said, "Whenever you are ready. Thank you, Cariad." He rose slowly and stepped away from the child, pleased that Cariad was willing to make that step.
"You are amazing," came Legolas' soft voice, close to his ear.
"I thought you knew that when you married me," Aragorn said, teasing. "And I had hoped you knew it when you met me."
"As soon as I met you, I knew," Legolas murmured, "And do not doubt it."
Behind them, they heard a quiet chuckle, and Aragorn turned to see Éomer laughing to himself. "What do you find so amusing, King of Rohan?" he asked.
Éomer shook his head apologetically: "I do not mean to laugh, but your family… your relationships. They are chaotic, and they are… family! I do not have a wife or children, not yet, but when I do I want it to be like this."
"What do you mean?" asked Legolas, curious. Almost automatically, Aragorn leaned closer to him.
"You do not see it as I do, as an outsider," Éomer said, "But you and Aragorn are so close, constantly, touching whenever you can, almost as if you do not believe the other is there. Always a part of you is with the other." Unconsciously, Legolas' hand rose to the Ring of Barahir around his neck. "But you are still with your children, watching over them, parents yet friends. You jest and tease each other and they jest and tease with you, but at the same time there is the deepest connection of love and care, like a thick rope connecting you all. It is fascinating."
Frowning at him, Legolas thought about how true those words were but at the same time, he had not expected words of such intellectual depth from the human King. It was Aragorn who spoke. "Thank you, I think."
Smugly, Éomer said, "Yes you should be thanking me."
"Well thank you then," Legolas said, slightly more gracious than his frowning husband.
A soft voice came form Aragorn's ankles. "Da, up-py?" Aragorn looked down to find Liana leaning on his leg, pulling at him. Her eyes were wide with expectation but she was rubbing at one of them.
Bending down, Aragorn scooped his daughter up into his arms. "Hello my sleepy little one. What has Uncle Gimli been doing to wear you out so?"
"I think it was more likely that it was Rilluin," said Legolas, sending a mock glare at his eldest friend, who had been encouraging the races. Aragorn merely pressed a kiss to Liana's curls, where she had leant it exhaustedly against his shoulder.
"Well I am going to put this sweet one to bed," Aragorn said quietly, which was a pointless activity because Gimli ad Rilluin were playing slightly raucously in the corner. However, Legolas did not want to let go of his husband, wanted to go with him and turned grinning to Éomer.
"Just to check that you want a family alike to ours, you may borrow our boys for a small time whilst we settle Liana and perhaps take a small nap ourselves." Or one of them could. Legolas might just watch. "That way you can befriend Cariad, which will require the more sensitive side of you, and Rilluin, which will require something quite different."
Seeing Éomer's face change colour, Aragorn added, "Do not worry, Faramir should be here in a short while with Théo and Beti. They will play with each other and leave you to speak to Faramir."
"Enjoy," Legolas said, smiling as he swept his husband and therefore his child out of the room. As the door closed behind them, Legolas wound his fingers through Aragorn's free hand and grinned at him. "I like the way your mind works, human."
"And I like the way yours works, my Prince," Aragorn said, grinning back. Legolas debated as to whether Aragorn was hinting that he should be calling him 'my King' but refrained when Aragorn spoke again. There was hesitation in the Dúnedan's voice. "Is this what our holiday is going to be? Stolen moments whilst we leave our children to others?"
"Aragorn, that is what it was before. Why? Did you expect it to change?" Legolas asked, trying to keep his voice gentle though he knew that it wavered, letting in some of his hurt. He had to balance caring for the children and spending time with Aragorn, and there would never be enough time to spend it with him for there was not enough time. They did not have enough time. But it was the same with the children. Legolas wished he could stay awake so he could stay with them for every minute given.
"No it is just… I do not know; when was the last time we did something spontaneous? Just fled from the onlookers, threw ourselves at each other and damned the consequences? Without having to rope someone in to look after the children and plan when we leave and return?"
Legolas winced as he thought about it, "Probably the last time we were here."
"Exactly," Aragorn exclaimed. He would have thrown his hands up in his air had one of them not been clutching Legolas' and the other holding his precious daughter. They stopped in the hallway, and Aragorn raised the joint hands to Legolas' chest, breathing heavily and growled, "Sometimes I just want to run away with you, leave everyone behind and have you to myself forever. But then I see her or one of the boys and I could not, would not, but…"
Unable to watch his husband torture himself and longer, Legolas interrupted, "I know Aragorn. I feel the same sometimes. We spent a human lifetime together, just us, before we had children." He smirked suddenly. "Can you wait Aragorn? Because in little more than a decade we will be left on our own, the children will have moved away from us. So when they are old enough to be left on their own, I will steal you away for so long you will be begging me to take you back to them. Until then we do what we have always done." He could not help but run his thumb down his husband's cheek, caressing.
Aragorn leant into the touch with an upset sigh, "I am happy, so happy, so why do I feel so…" He shrugged his shoulders, unable to find the words.
"Because you are away from home and you are tired and you are worrying about too much." Legolas said, frowning at his husband, trying and failing to hide his concern. "So I am going to steal you away for an hour or so and we are going to hide you away under the covers." His eyes flicked over to Liana, already sleeping on Aragorn's shoulder. "And no I am not speaking to you about anything more than sleeping."
"I know, later, when I can keep my eyes open and talk in sentences," Aragorn said, smiling. He followed is husband into their room and settled Liana down in her cot. She made a small mew as she snuggled down. He felt Legolas wrapping himself around him. He did not know why he felt so emotional and doubtful, and he knew that Legolas was reacting to that, but maybe some sleep would make him feel better.
000
"Ada, Ada!" That was Rilluin's excited, too grating voice.
"Atar! Let go and wake!" Where one brother was, the there was not far behind.
Across the room, Liana began to cry demandingly, joining her voice to her siblings.
"No," moaned Aragorn, keeping his eyes closed tight against the light, and wishing he could close his ears from the sounds as well. He was warm, he had been so fast asleep and Legolas' body was close against his. It always astonished him how Legolas' body fit so perfectly against his, as if they were made to compliment each other. He was not moving. Legolas' steady breathing behind him showed that the elf was not that willing to move either.
"Rilluin go and get Liana out of her cot before she turns crimson," sighed Legolas, still. Aragorn buried deeper back against the warmth of his husband, which soothed his aching muscles.
"What about me?" asked Cariad, bouncing and making the bed move. "You can come lie here Cariad and wait for me to wake up." He pointed to the spot in front of him, and let Cariad squirm in against him. Aragorn tickled him with lazy fingers because moving one hand was easier than his entire body. And his eyes.
"Bored already," Cariad said, moments later.
Aragorn sighed internally and replied, "So tell us what you did whilst we were asleep."
He was able to doze for a while whilst Cariad and Rilluin excitedly explained, how great Uncle Éomer was, how fun it was to race the day, across the fields, how they did tricks for them, how adorable the puppies were, how Rilluin had gotten caught trying to smuggle one to his room (that of course was Cariad). When the boys had gone, to give their fathers privacy to get out of bed, Legolas seized Aragorn into a fierce kiss which made Aragorn moan until Legolas drew away with a triumphant grin.
"What was that for?" asked Aragorn, running his thumb over his slightly bruised lips. "Not that I do not appreciate it."
"Because you are amazing," Legolas said. When Aragorn just looked at him without comprehension, Legolas rolled his eyes and continued, "You did not listen, did you? Cariad played with Éomer, they were getting along, having fun, unafraid. Without us there for him to glance at us for reassurance."
"Oh," Aragorn ignored the involuntary smile which he knew was spreading across his cheeks. "Then you probably ought to kiss me again, I think I deserve more."
A/N: this entire chapter was hell to write. But now its done and I apologise for its rubbish nature because it's awful I know, and I can go collapse and… revise. Urgh. Please review; I need some sunshine.
