The sound of his Ada's voice woke him, but not the gentle sounds of Thranduil calling softly from the doorway, or scooping him up from the bed to hum or sing a song with the birds in the morning light. Giving his beloved Greenleaf several minutes to fully wake up, still safe, snuggled and warm before starting getting him ready for the day.

This time Legolas was startled awake, his heart pounding in his chest so loud it seemed to echo in his ears. This time is his father's voice was not soft, and loving like he was used to but panicked. Scared.

Something was wrong with his Ada.

Legolas threw the covers back and struggled out of his new ( much bigger) bed, laying on his stomach he dangled his legs carefully off the edge and slipped onto the soft rug that covered the usually ice cold stone. He rushed to the open doorway but paused, staring into the impossible dark that was their home in the middle of the night after the fires went out.

He didn't like the dark, especially when he had to submerge himself into it. You never knew what was hiding in the dark waiting to gobble little elflings up for a snack. He had seen some of these creatures, the night his Nana left and had no intention nor desire to ever see them again. That was why he never left his bed at night when he needed something, he just called for Ada. And Ada would come.

In the other bedroom, across the sitting area, Thranduil made a noise that sounded nearly strangled and that was all it took to spur Legolas' feet into one of the fastest sprints they had ever accomplished. He got across the room and into the safety of his Ada's bedroom before any monsters had a chance to so much as a poke one of his toes.

He might have celebrated, but his eyes were fixed on the figure in the bed. It appeared the weird noise he had made was him waking up, still gasping for breath like he had been drowned and eyes staring emptily at the empty spot in the bed next to him.

Legolas knew the signs of a dark dream when he saw them, as he suffered from them regularly himself, but his Ada always knew what to do and say to make him feel better. He didn't know what to do. But then he noticed his Ada's tears.

Ada never cried.

His tiny feet finished their journey and came to a stop by the bed, usually, he would just climb up and plop himself down in his Ada's lap but he had been warned by Galion to be very careful not to startle him at night because then he might accidentally hurt him. He didn't like surprises, Legolas knew that unless it was a drawing or flowers or a mid-day visit.

"It's just a dark dream, Ada. It's okay." Legolas tried to say it softly but felt like he didn't do a very good job of it when his Ada jumped noticeably with a tiny gasp. "Don't cry. It's okay."

Before he knew it, warm strong hands lifted him up off the ground and onto the bed, plopping him in what used to be the spot he always wedged himself in between his parents. There had been no wedging for some time now.

Legolas looked into his father's eyes and saw his sadness, saw that the dream wasn't fading with wakefulness. They didn't always fade for him either, but his Ada would always bring him back to his own bed where he could tell him stories and tickle him until he didn't remember the dream anymore. Because Ada knew how to fix things.

He didn't know, but that didn't mean Legolas did not intend to try.

Without waiting for words or an invitation he crossed the distance between them and pulled himself onto his father's lap, wiping at every damp spot he could find in the dark, "I'm sorry I can't make it better."

He didn't say anything for a long while just wrapped Legolas in the strong arms he loved so much, holding him a close as possible without suffocating or hurting the small being. Then, after a while he kissed Legolas' head, rearranging them both so at least there was a chance of the elfling sleeping the rest of the night, "You do make it better, my little leaf. You always do."

…

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