Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review. This story was supposed to be a short comedy. Never expected it to be this long. Hope people are still finding this interesting.
I am in a rather sentimental mood now. I actually cried when I wrote chapter 11 for Prince. I am so pathetic. But anyway, that's at beta's =) So I think I will write another chapter of this to make me happier =)
Not funny though. A lot of setup for things to come, want to try to finish this soon.
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Chapter 14:
Legolas opened his eyes and found himself staring at Aragorn's bare chest. Well, it's not really bare since the Man was still clothed; but it might as well have been. His shirt was only buttoned halfway, leaving his hard, well-toned muscles in clear view for the Prince to admire. The Elf was not sure if he was dreaming, so he closed and reopened his eyes to see if the Ranger would disappear. But once again, when he was greeted by the sight of Aragorn's broad, flawless chest.
Legolas remembered falling asleep in the Man's arms, but he did not expect to wake up there as well. But whether it was a dream or reality, warmth was beginning to creep up the Prince's face as he blushed in embarrassment at the situation. He tried to move away but found himself trapped against Aragorn's larger frame by strong arms encircling his waist. Their position was definitely too intimate for the innocent Elf's liking. When he thought of pushing against the Man to free himself, he was dismayed to discover his arms around Aragorn's neck, cradling the Man's head to the top of his.
At this moment, the Prince was completely crimson from the inappropriateness of his own behavior. He realized that he must have held onto his human commander in his sleep. He had probably refused to let go, which was why Aragorn was here with him. Legolas could not believe his own wanton actions. He was royalty, well-trained in courtesy and manners. Before he came to Rivendell, he would never even dream of clinging onto another the way he did. Aragorn and this mission were having a much bigger effect on him than he anticipated. The Prince was not sure if this was a good thing.
With some effort, Legolas brought his thoughts back to his current situation. He untangled his arms around the Man and was about to try to push Aragorn away when he realized that would require him putting his hands of his commander's bare chest. The thought of touching Aragorn made the Elf blush even redder, if such a thing was possible. Forcing his mind to calm a little, he tried to think like his old self, the tactical advisor of Mirkwood. So rolling sideways out of the Man's embrace was no longer an option. Maybe I can try wiggling and leaving at the foot of the bed.
That of course was the wrong thing to do. But being a sweet, innocent Elf, Legolas would not know that. His movements caused the sleeping Man to moan in pleasure and tightened his grip, grinding a certain very hard region of his lower body into the Prince. Legolas gasped in surprise at the sudden friction, before renewing his struggles to get free. The fact that he liked the feeling of Aragorn's arousal against him disturbed the virginal Elf greatly. Legolas no longer cared that he was touching the Man. He needed to get away before the situation escalated. He shoved at his commander, pushing hard against Aragorn with his slender hands.
His efforts were rewarded when the Man regained consciousness. With sleepy eyes, Aragorn regarded the struggling Elf questioningly. It was the very first time where one of his bed partners wanted to leave his embrace after spending the night in his arms. But then, this should not be that surprising since Lasgalen was an innocent. And there was also the fact that they did not do anything; so the Elven beauty was not enamored with his prowess and skills in bed. Still, his student was the one who refused to let go; why was he in so much of a hurry to leave?
"Let me go!" cried the Elf as he gave Aragorn another shove.
"You are the one who was clinging to me earlier. It's only fair that I get to hold you for as long as I like as well," replied an amused Man, determined not to allow his student escape his embrace. The truth was that Lasgalen's struggles excited Aragorn immensely, a little too much for the Man's comfort. He decided he would at least get a kiss for his aches. After all, his student started this last night with his unrelenting hold.
This was one of the few times in his life where Legolas was at a lost of words. The silvery tongue of the diplomat from Mirkwood was legendary; he was usually full of witty or inspiring comments. The Prince opened his mouth to speak but could not find the right thing to say. Aragorn took advantage of the Elf's distraction and claimed those delectable lips again. The Man fully expected Lasgalen to react to his kiss passionately as he did two nights ago when Aragorn was trying to recapture Estel. But he was wrong. The Elf renewed his struggles and tried to turn away from the Man's touch.
At this point, Aragorn had finally figured out that the Elf actually meant 'no' when he said 'no'. You know how sometimes girls said 'no' when they meant 'yes'; and they only said 'no' because they wanted the Man to pursue harder, Aragorn mistook Lasgalen's negative response at the beginning as one of those times. Quickly, he released the Elf and rolled off the bed.
"I am sorry. I didn't realize how adverse you are to my kisses," said the Man, looking more than a little hurt. He was sure Lasgalen liked his kiss two nights ago.
"I told you to let me go," retorted the Prince.
"I didn't think you mean it. A lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'," replied Aragorn.
"Well, I am not one of them," said the Elf curtly before attempting to stand.
The Elf's keen senses told him that he was filthy and was in dire need of a bath. Training had already begun, judging by his roommate's absence. Legolas was going to try to attend as much of it as possible. Though he knew his revenge on Yulion would have to wait, since the competition of skills involved all three components of their training, he would like to observe the dark-haired Elf more. Knowing one's opponent was the key to success.
To his annoyance, his ankle still pained him. Noticing the slight wince on the Elf, Aragorn moved to his side in an instant, thinking to support Lasgalen. His kind gesture, however, was firmly brushed aside by his student.
"I can manage on my own," said the Prince as he limped out of the room towards the bath, leaving behind a very confused Aragorn.
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Aragorn was in an irritable mood. He could not understand why Lasgalen was so cold to him all of a sudden. The Elf knew how Aragorn felt about him and the Man was certain his student returned his feelings. Why did Lasgalen push him away? He hoped it was not his kiss that offended the Elf. It was just a misunderstanding; and a really understandable one at that since Lasgalen was the one clinging onto him in the first place. Aragorn might be a Man of iron resolve, but his passion for the golden beauty was enough to melt the strongest of mithril. How else was he supposed to react when the Elf tempted him with his intoxicating touch?
The Man could not believe it; but his day had just gotten worse. The object of his affections had limped onto the field. But instead of waving to him or giving him an acknowledging smile, Lasgalen stood close to the edge of the training area quietly, eyes glued onto a particularly handsome dark-haired Elf. Aragorn did not recall ever being jealous before, but he certainly was now. And it was a very scary sight; the twins and Haldir backed away from the Man who resembled a volcano about to erupt. They knew how skilled their human friend was with weapons; they did not want to be anywhere near Aragorn when his violent tendencies surfaced.
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Haldir considered telling the Man that his friend was only watching Yulion to study his sword fighting techniques, but finally decided against it. The rate at which the relationship between Aragorn and Legolas was developing was too slow for the Guardian of Lòrien's tastes. The training would only last five weeks. After that, the troops would be sent into battle. Even if the Prince were not summoned back to Mirkwood to resume his role as tactical advisor, the two would not have the privacy or time for courtship on a battlefield. The Man and Golden Elf must become a couple before training ends.
Haldir expected the Prince to be shy. But Aragorn's reserve was a real surprise. The Man had always been quick to act once he knew what he wanted. And the archer was sure Aragorn wanted Legolas, more than anything else in the world. Yet, his human friend held back, refusing to pursue the Golden Elf actively. The stupid Man even agreed to wait two weeks before breaking up with Arwen! It was very uncharacteristic of him. The Lòrien Elf hoped that jealous would prod Aragorn into action and staked a claim on his heart's desire.
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It did not take long for the older Elves' expectations to be fulfilled. With brisk strides, the Man marched onto the field, interrupting the dark- haired recruit's practice. Mustering all the self-control he possessed, Aragorn hissed, "I notice you are a very good swordsman. You will learn more if you spar with me instead."
Yulion was intelligent enough to know that his human commander did not want a match; the Man wanted to give him a severe beating. He wondered if Aragorn found out he was the one who drugged the ditsy blond. It was more than obvious that the pretty Elf was the Man's lover. The dark-haired Elf was thinking of ways to avoid the confrontation when Aragorn shouted, "On guard," as he took a training sword from a close-by Elf.
His human commander's strength was astounding. Yulion's arms hurt from the impact of blocking the Man's first slash. The dark-haired Elf knew Aragorn was wounded in the shoulder, so he sought to attack the weak spot. But his opponent was a seasoned warrior and fully expected him to target his injured right side. Gracefully, the Man spun to avoid the hit and tripped the Elf, sending him flying onto the ground.
Yulion barely had time to regain his feet when Aragorn attacked again. The Elf wondered if any of his ribs were broken when the strike connected before he could even move to defend himself. He was very surprised by his human commander's agility and speed. The recruit had always thought Aragorn inferior, elected commander only because Rivendell wanted all three positions. He never imagined the Man to be so gifted; Isildur's heir might even be a better warrior than the twin sons of Elrond.
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The other recruits watched the 'match' in silence, pitying the dark-haired Elf. They were all amazed at the Human's skills and made mental notes of never to disrespect Aragorn again. They did not wish to suffer Yulion's fate. Legolas watched with increasing alarm as the Man continued to beat on the Elf. It was clear to the Prince that Yulion was significantly outmatched and that the recruit would have surrendered if Aragorn stopped to give him a chance. The Man must have found out that the dark-haired Elf was the one who tricked Legolas. As angry as the Prince was with Yulion, he was determined to avenge himself fairly by beating the other Elf in the competition of skills. He did not want the Man to interfere.
Legolas wanted respect. He wanted to show everyone that he had his own mind and could take care of himself. That was why the Prince was so angry with Aragorn for kissing him against his wishes. He was not some pretty bauble that the Man could touch whenever he felt like it. Nor was he some useless creature that needed to be watched over and protected al the time. He needed to settle the score between himself and Yulion on his own, to prove once and for all that he could do things right without assistance.
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"Stop it, now" the Prince screamed.
His cries had the desired effect on the two fighters. Aragorn stopped hacking mercilessly at the dark-haired Elf on cue and turned to look at Lasgalen. The Golden Elf started limping slowly towards the area where the combatants stood.
"Are you alright?" asked Legolas, as he regarded Yulion compassionately. The Prince decided that no one deserved a beating like the one the dark- haired Elf had just received, even if the said recruit had tricked and drugged him.
"I don't know. I hope nothing is broken," replied Yulion. At that precise moment, his knees decided to give and he collapsed into the Prince's arms.
Aragorn was seething again. How dare this dark-haired recruit fall into his Elf's arms?! His annoyance quickly escalated when Lasgalen glared at him and said, "I hope you are happy. You are our commander. Your job is to take care of your recruits, not hurt them. I thought you a better Man."
Unable to contain his jealousy, rage and hurt, the Man yelled back. He did not care that the whole camp was watching anymore. "I did it for YOU! And you repay me by taking his side."
"I never ask you to do this for me. This is between Yulion and I. I don't want anyone to interfere on my behalf in the first place," replied the Prince as he limped off the field, supporting the dark-haired Elf's weight.
Aragorn responded by storming off in the other direction. He had embarrassed himself enough for a day. He did not his troops to see the moisture glistening in his eyes.
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Legolas had returned to his rooms after bringing the dark-haired Elf to his friends. He was sure the popular recruit would be taken care of now that Aragorn was no longer a threat. After a few hours of staring into space, his anger had abated. He was beginning to wonder if he should apologize to the Man. Aragorn was just trying to help after all. Maybe if he explained his feelings to his commander, the Man would understand and respect his wishes. The Prince knew he would need much support if he were to become a capable warrior. As long as Aragorn allowed him to fight his own battles, Legolas would be overjoyed to have the Man as his guiding light.
It was in this dazed state Gimli found his friend. The Dwarf brought some food for Legolas, knowing the Elf had not eaten since lunch yesterday. And this time, he was smart enough to bring fruits, something that the Prince could not reject on the basis of how bad it tasted.
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.
"I am just a little confused, that's all. You brought me food. Thanks, Gimli," said Legolas with a smile as he took an apple from the bag his friend offered and began to munch on it absentmindedly.
"Is there something I can help you with?" inquired Gimli.
The Dwarf knew it had to do with Aragorn. He was there to see the beating the Man gave to one of the recruits. Haldir told him that their human commander was jealous and decided to show off for Legolas. It was something Gimli could understand, the need to prove his vigor and strength to a potential mate. But he could not help feeling a little bit of pity for the dark-haired Elf.
That was, of course, until Haldir informed him that Yulion was the one who drugged the Prince. At that point in time, the Dwarf wished his friend had not stopped the beating so soon. But anyway, things were not going well between the Golden Elf and Man. As self-appointed matchmakers, Gimli was given the responsibility to talk to Legolas while the Lòrien archer spoke with Aragorn.
"Aragorn tried to kiss me this morning after I told him to let me go," said the Elf.
The Dwarf was not surprised to hear that the Man had made an amorous advance on his friend. Though he was not impatient like Haldir and was very protective of the young Prince, he could not really blame his commander for attempting to kiss the Elf. After all, Legolas was the one refusing to leave Aragorn's embrace the night before.
Not to mention, when Gimli awoke this morning and checked on his roommate, the Prince was cuddled snugly in the Man's embrace, pressing tightly into Aragorn's larger frame. They looked so perfect together that the over- protective Dwarf decided to forgive the Man for wounding his arms possessively around Legolas in a very intimate fashion. He did not have the heart to rouse either of them and disturb the moment of pure bliss.
"But he stopped when he figured out you didn't want to be kissed, right?" asked the Dwarf. He was quite certain Aragorn would not force anything upon the Elf. The Man might desire Legolas very badly, but he was almost as protective of the beauty as Gimli was.
"Yes, but he shouldn't have tried. He should have done what I told him to do!" replied the Prince, getting angry again when he thought of how Aragorn disrespected his wishes as if he was just a common harlot.
"Men are dense. They don't always get it the first time you tell them," commented Gimli.
The Elf was surprised that his friend was defending Aragorn. He knew Gimli would consider his well being before the Man's. Maybe this really was all a misunderstanding and he had no reason to be so incensed.
"Do a lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'" asked the Prince.
"Dwarves tend to be a little more forthright. So to my knowledge, the answer is no. But then, Elves are tricky creatures by nature. I suppose it is a more common thing among your people. But then you are the diplomat, you should know first-hand how many Elves say things they don't mean just to get people to do things for them," replied Gimli.
The Elf conceded that his Dwarf friend had a point. He, on more than one occasion, had deliberately concealed his feelings or pieces of information to get what he wanted in his diplomatic missions. It was a simple misunderstanding and he had overreacted.
"Do you think Aragorn is mad at me?" asked the Prince. His words on the field today were unnecessarily harsh. He hoped the Man would not be too angry.
"No, it's more likely that he is hurt. He probably thinks you like Yulion more than him," answered the Dwarf as he too began to munch on a pear he brought from the lunch area.
"That's horrible. I must go apologize at once," exclaimed the Elf as he jumped to his feet. In his excitement, he had forgotten his injuries and was rewarded by a jolt of intense pain.
"Take it easy, kid. I'll go with you. I don't really think practice will improve my archery skills much anyway. Besides, I prefer meeting my enemies head on to sitting on trees, sniping at those unsuspecting fellows," said Gimli as he moved to his friend's side. He hoped the Guardian of Lòrien was as successful with calming the Man as he was with the Prince.
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Aragorn sat alone in his room. He had locked his door upon his return from the training field. He decided he did not wish any interruptions as he wallowed in misery. The Man still could not believe Lasgalen would fall for another. He was so sure the Golden Elf only had eyes for him. But it would seem he was wrong in his assumptions. And to think he was even willing to give up Arwen just so he could be with Lasgalen. He did not know when he had turned into such a stupid hopeless romantic to fall for the Elven recruit so completely.
A rustling in a nearby branch interrupted his thoughts. As his attention was drawn to the tree, he noticed it was Milo, walking precariously on the branch, heading towards his room. He watched as the dog hesitated for a moment, as if to gather his courage, before making the final leap into his chambers through the windows.
"So that's how you get in here, little guy," said the Man. Aragorn was too depressed to be angry at the dog's intrusion.
Milo, seeing that his beloved was not angry to see him for once, jumped onto the Man's lap with joy. Wagging his tail frantically, the dog tried to lick Aragorn's face. The Man would normally have pushed the animal off, but he was sort of glad to have a non-judgmental companion. It was relaxing; having someone there, yet not having to put on the mask of cool competence as befitting of the heir to the throne of Gondor. That feeling, however, brought Aragorn's thought back to the happy times with Lasgalen on their journey to Rivendell. Without realizing, his stormy grey eyes were once again moist with the beginnings of tears.
These signs were not lost to Milo, who promptly stopped all motions of endearment and leapt off the Man. It drew itself to its full height of six inches, looking ready to battle as he barked, "Woff, wow, woo, wof, woof, woo, wow, woff, woof, woooo..." Translation: "Tell Milo who hurts Man. Will bite his butt." Yes, Milo was aware that kicking people's behinds would not be an effective attack given his stature. He was intelligent enough to know his teeth are much better weapons than his feet.
"What's wrong, Milo?" asked the bewildered Man as he did not understand dog speech. Gifted as Aragorn might be, he was not an Elf and did not have the same kind of connection with nature.
Any possibility of a meaningful conversation between the Man and dog was dashed when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Go away!"
"Come on, Aragorn, open the door. I have something important to tell you about Yulion and Lasgalen," pleaded the Lòrien Elf.
"I do not need to know any more than what I saw today, Haldir. Just leave me be," yelled the Man. Milo was beginning to get agitated as well. Noticing that his beloved wanted the visitor to leave, the dog started barking at the door, making rather obscene threats in his own tongue.
"Aragorn, open this door at once. If not to hear me out, let me in to have a go with Elrohir's dog. The little mutt needs a lesson in manners," exclaimed a very indignant Guardian of Lòrien. He had never been so insulted in his life; and to receive such words from a dog, he would never be able to live it down if he did not punish the creature very severely.
"What's going on?" asked the Lord of Rivendell. He could hear the noise from his library many corridors down. He already had a huge headache from the incident with Arwen's parrot; he did not need another problem with Elrohir's dog. Elrond was considering banning all pets from the palace from now on.
The parrot Estel was dying. The critter had not eaten for three days ever since it was brought back to Arwen after its escape. It no longer talked or sang or responded in any way to external stimuli. If the bird were an Elf, Elrond would say it was dying of grief. But since it was not, the Elf- lord had no idea what ailed Arwen's pet. He had promised his daughter to examine it more closely.
That was why Elrond was in the library, with a half-dead bird lying in a cage, consulting books on medicine for animals. The Lord of Rivendell might be a legendary healer, but he specialized in mammalian bipeds, namely Elves, Humans and Hobbits. Until today, he had never needed to extend his skills beyond the realm of the free peoples of Middle Earth. He decided that after he figured out what was wrong with Estel, he would find a way to mute Elrohir's dog.
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Aragorn heard the annoyance in his foster father's voice. It was a rather rare occurrence and at such times, one must be extra careful. The Man knew his lover's temper was hereditary; and the Lord of Rivendell could be very intimidating when angered. Promptly, the human commander of the Joint Army opened his door.
"Nothing," lied the Man.
The annoyance in Elrond vanished as he saw his teary-eyed foster son opened the door. He had not seen human Estel fighting back tears since the boy was ten years old. Something was seriously wrong.
"Estel, what's wrong? You can tell me," asked the Lord of Rivendell gently.
"Nothing is wrong," replied Aragorn very quickly, looking at the floor.
Elrond raised his brows at the Man and Haldir felt the need to explain. The Lòrien Elf knew the Elf-lord was against the affair between Arwen and his human foster son. He would be relieved to hear that Aragorn was attracted to another. In fact, Haldir was certain the ancient Elf would help with his cause of pushing the Man towards Legolas.
"Aragorn likes this recruit at camp. But he thinks the Elf likes another. He is moping now," said the archer.
"Haldir!" exclaimed a blushing Man. He did not want his foster father to know that he desired another when he was still dating Arwen.
"I see. Does this Elf actually like another or does he return Estel's affections?" asked Elrond, curiosity piqued. It would be good news indeed if his human son loved another besides his daughter. If things continued between Arwen and Aragorn, he was sure that his headstrong daughter would give up her immortality for the future King of Men. The Elf-lord loved the Man like his own child and wanted happiness for Estel; but he would prefer not to lose his favorite daughter.
"Lasgalen returns Aragorn's affections. It was all a misunderstanding. This other Elf drugged Lasgalen yesterday; he merely wanted to settle the score in person instead of having my human friend here interfere with his plotting," explained the Guardian of Lòrien.
"That dark-haired Elf was the one who poisoned Lasgalen? You knew all along and you didn't tell me?" screamed the Man at his Elven friend.
"You never asked. Besides, from the way you beat him up, I thought you knew already," smirked the archer.
"You!" hissed Aragorn, not knowing whether to choke the Lòrien Elf or thank him. He now understood why Lasgalen was so angry with him on the field. His student saw warrior training as his one chance to show his worth to his family. Lasgalen did not want people to think he needed the Man's help in everything; he wanted to avenge himself with his own strength.
"Now that everything seems fine with you, I should return to my parrot patient. The poor thing will not last much longer without treatment. Since it appears that my daughter will be losing one of her favorite beings to another, I should try to save the bird from death for her," said Elrond before heading off.
"The parrot is dying?" asked Aragorn.
"Yes, it won't eat or sleep. It just sits there motionless, staring out into a distance towards the recruits' barracks," replied the Elf-lord.
"I think I know how to save it. If you give him to me for a couple of days, I will return him to you fully healed," said the Man.
Elrond knew there was not much he could do for the bird until he did more research. There was no harm in leaving parrot Estel in human Estel's care for a bit. If he found any possible remedy, he could always come here and try it on the bird.
"Okay, as long as you promise to keep it alive," replied Elrond as he headed back to the library to fetch the parrot.
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"Now that everything is settled, I should go back to the training field. I am the archery instructor after all," said Haldir as he watched the Lord of Rivendell disappeared down the winding corridors of the palace after dropping off Estel the parrot. The Elf knew Legolas would be here soon and wanted to leave to give the couple more privacy.
"I will go with you," offered the Man. He felt much better after hearing the truth. He wanted to stop by the gardens and pick some flowers for his Elf after practice. Aragorn felt a need to apologize to Lasgalen for his behavior and presumptions.
"No!" cried the Lòrien Elf in alarm. It would not do for the Prince to come here to find an empty room.
His cry brought Gimli and Legolas rushing towards the room. Actually, the Prince was still limping, he was just doing it very quickly.
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.
"Nothing at all, my friend. Let's go to practice and leave those two alone," said Haldir as he practically dragged Gimli out of the room.
Milo too sensed that his beloved wanted some privacy and trotted off with his tail between his legs. The dog knew he did not have a chance with the Man, seeing the perfection of the Golden Elf. So it was, that Aragorn and Legolas were alone at last, ready to make amends and have a sincere discussion of their feelings and relationship. Oh, yeah, parrot Estel remained in the room, but he was in a cage and half-dead, so he did not count.
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Please, please review. This story was supposed to be a short comedy. Never expected it to be this long. Hope people are still finding this interesting.
I am in a rather sentimental mood now. I actually cried when I wrote chapter 11 for Prince. I am so pathetic. But anyway, that's at beta's =) So I think I will write another chapter of this to make me happier =)
Not funny though. A lot of setup for things to come, want to try to finish this soon.
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Chapter 14:
Legolas opened his eyes and found himself staring at Aragorn's bare chest. Well, it's not really bare since the Man was still clothed; but it might as well have been. His shirt was only buttoned halfway, leaving his hard, well-toned muscles in clear view for the Prince to admire. The Elf was not sure if he was dreaming, so he closed and reopened his eyes to see if the Ranger would disappear. But once again, when he was greeted by the sight of Aragorn's broad, flawless chest.
Legolas remembered falling asleep in the Man's arms, but he did not expect to wake up there as well. But whether it was a dream or reality, warmth was beginning to creep up the Prince's face as he blushed in embarrassment at the situation. He tried to move away but found himself trapped against Aragorn's larger frame by strong arms encircling his waist. Their position was definitely too intimate for the innocent Elf's liking. When he thought of pushing against the Man to free himself, he was dismayed to discover his arms around Aragorn's neck, cradling the Man's head to the top of his.
At this moment, the Prince was completely crimson from the inappropriateness of his own behavior. He realized that he must have held onto his human commander in his sleep. He had probably refused to let go, which was why Aragorn was here with him. Legolas could not believe his own wanton actions. He was royalty, well-trained in courtesy and manners. Before he came to Rivendell, he would never even dream of clinging onto another the way he did. Aragorn and this mission were having a much bigger effect on him than he anticipated. The Prince was not sure if this was a good thing.
With some effort, Legolas brought his thoughts back to his current situation. He untangled his arms around the Man and was about to try to push Aragorn away when he realized that would require him putting his hands of his commander's bare chest. The thought of touching Aragorn made the Elf blush even redder, if such a thing was possible. Forcing his mind to calm a little, he tried to think like his old self, the tactical advisor of Mirkwood. So rolling sideways out of the Man's embrace was no longer an option. Maybe I can try wiggling and leaving at the foot of the bed.
That of course was the wrong thing to do. But being a sweet, innocent Elf, Legolas would not know that. His movements caused the sleeping Man to moan in pleasure and tightened his grip, grinding a certain very hard region of his lower body into the Prince. Legolas gasped in surprise at the sudden friction, before renewing his struggles to get free. The fact that he liked the feeling of Aragorn's arousal against him disturbed the virginal Elf greatly. Legolas no longer cared that he was touching the Man. He needed to get away before the situation escalated. He shoved at his commander, pushing hard against Aragorn with his slender hands.
His efforts were rewarded when the Man regained consciousness. With sleepy eyes, Aragorn regarded the struggling Elf questioningly. It was the very first time where one of his bed partners wanted to leave his embrace after spending the night in his arms. But then, this should not be that surprising since Lasgalen was an innocent. And there was also the fact that they did not do anything; so the Elven beauty was not enamored with his prowess and skills in bed. Still, his student was the one who refused to let go; why was he in so much of a hurry to leave?
"Let me go!" cried the Elf as he gave Aragorn another shove.
"You are the one who was clinging to me earlier. It's only fair that I get to hold you for as long as I like as well," replied an amused Man, determined not to allow his student escape his embrace. The truth was that Lasgalen's struggles excited Aragorn immensely, a little too much for the Man's comfort. He decided he would at least get a kiss for his aches. After all, his student started this last night with his unrelenting hold.
This was one of the few times in his life where Legolas was at a lost of words. The silvery tongue of the diplomat from Mirkwood was legendary; he was usually full of witty or inspiring comments. The Prince opened his mouth to speak but could not find the right thing to say. Aragorn took advantage of the Elf's distraction and claimed those delectable lips again. The Man fully expected Lasgalen to react to his kiss passionately as he did two nights ago when Aragorn was trying to recapture Estel. But he was wrong. The Elf renewed his struggles and tried to turn away from the Man's touch.
At this point, Aragorn had finally figured out that the Elf actually meant 'no' when he said 'no'. You know how sometimes girls said 'no' when they meant 'yes'; and they only said 'no' because they wanted the Man to pursue harder, Aragorn mistook Lasgalen's negative response at the beginning as one of those times. Quickly, he released the Elf and rolled off the bed.
"I am sorry. I didn't realize how adverse you are to my kisses," said the Man, looking more than a little hurt. He was sure Lasgalen liked his kiss two nights ago.
"I told you to let me go," retorted the Prince.
"I didn't think you mean it. A lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'," replied Aragorn.
"Well, I am not one of them," said the Elf curtly before attempting to stand.
The Elf's keen senses told him that he was filthy and was in dire need of a bath. Training had already begun, judging by his roommate's absence. Legolas was going to try to attend as much of it as possible. Though he knew his revenge on Yulion would have to wait, since the competition of skills involved all three components of their training, he would like to observe the dark-haired Elf more. Knowing one's opponent was the key to success.
To his annoyance, his ankle still pained him. Noticing the slight wince on the Elf, Aragorn moved to his side in an instant, thinking to support Lasgalen. His kind gesture, however, was firmly brushed aside by his student.
"I can manage on my own," said the Prince as he limped out of the room towards the bath, leaving behind a very confused Aragorn.
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Aragorn was in an irritable mood. He could not understand why Lasgalen was so cold to him all of a sudden. The Elf knew how Aragorn felt about him and the Man was certain his student returned his feelings. Why did Lasgalen push him away? He hoped it was not his kiss that offended the Elf. It was just a misunderstanding; and a really understandable one at that since Lasgalen was the one clinging onto him in the first place. Aragorn might be a Man of iron resolve, but his passion for the golden beauty was enough to melt the strongest of mithril. How else was he supposed to react when the Elf tempted him with his intoxicating touch?
The Man could not believe it; but his day had just gotten worse. The object of his affections had limped onto the field. But instead of waving to him or giving him an acknowledging smile, Lasgalen stood close to the edge of the training area quietly, eyes glued onto a particularly handsome dark-haired Elf. Aragorn did not recall ever being jealous before, but he certainly was now. And it was a very scary sight; the twins and Haldir backed away from the Man who resembled a volcano about to erupt. They knew how skilled their human friend was with weapons; they did not want to be anywhere near Aragorn when his violent tendencies surfaced.
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Haldir considered telling the Man that his friend was only watching Yulion to study his sword fighting techniques, but finally decided against it. The rate at which the relationship between Aragorn and Legolas was developing was too slow for the Guardian of Lòrien's tastes. The training would only last five weeks. After that, the troops would be sent into battle. Even if the Prince were not summoned back to Mirkwood to resume his role as tactical advisor, the two would not have the privacy or time for courtship on a battlefield. The Man and Golden Elf must become a couple before training ends.
Haldir expected the Prince to be shy. But Aragorn's reserve was a real surprise. The Man had always been quick to act once he knew what he wanted. And the archer was sure Aragorn wanted Legolas, more than anything else in the world. Yet, his human friend held back, refusing to pursue the Golden Elf actively. The stupid Man even agreed to wait two weeks before breaking up with Arwen! It was very uncharacteristic of him. The Lòrien Elf hoped that jealous would prod Aragorn into action and staked a claim on his heart's desire.
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It did not take long for the older Elves' expectations to be fulfilled. With brisk strides, the Man marched onto the field, interrupting the dark- haired recruit's practice. Mustering all the self-control he possessed, Aragorn hissed, "I notice you are a very good swordsman. You will learn more if you spar with me instead."
Yulion was intelligent enough to know that his human commander did not want a match; the Man wanted to give him a severe beating. He wondered if Aragorn found out he was the one who drugged the ditsy blond. It was more than obvious that the pretty Elf was the Man's lover. The dark-haired Elf was thinking of ways to avoid the confrontation when Aragorn shouted, "On guard," as he took a training sword from a close-by Elf.
His human commander's strength was astounding. Yulion's arms hurt from the impact of blocking the Man's first slash. The dark-haired Elf knew Aragorn was wounded in the shoulder, so he sought to attack the weak spot. But his opponent was a seasoned warrior and fully expected him to target his injured right side. Gracefully, the Man spun to avoid the hit and tripped the Elf, sending him flying onto the ground.
Yulion barely had time to regain his feet when Aragorn attacked again. The Elf wondered if any of his ribs were broken when the strike connected before he could even move to defend himself. He was very surprised by his human commander's agility and speed. The recruit had always thought Aragorn inferior, elected commander only because Rivendell wanted all three positions. He never imagined the Man to be so gifted; Isildur's heir might even be a better warrior than the twin sons of Elrond.
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The other recruits watched the 'match' in silence, pitying the dark-haired Elf. They were all amazed at the Human's skills and made mental notes of never to disrespect Aragorn again. They did not wish to suffer Yulion's fate. Legolas watched with increasing alarm as the Man continued to beat on the Elf. It was clear to the Prince that Yulion was significantly outmatched and that the recruit would have surrendered if Aragorn stopped to give him a chance. The Man must have found out that the dark-haired Elf was the one who tricked Legolas. As angry as the Prince was with Yulion, he was determined to avenge himself fairly by beating the other Elf in the competition of skills. He did not want the Man to interfere.
Legolas wanted respect. He wanted to show everyone that he had his own mind and could take care of himself. That was why the Prince was so angry with Aragorn for kissing him against his wishes. He was not some pretty bauble that the Man could touch whenever he felt like it. Nor was he some useless creature that needed to be watched over and protected al the time. He needed to settle the score between himself and Yulion on his own, to prove once and for all that he could do things right without assistance.
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"Stop it, now" the Prince screamed.
His cries had the desired effect on the two fighters. Aragorn stopped hacking mercilessly at the dark-haired Elf on cue and turned to look at Lasgalen. The Golden Elf started limping slowly towards the area where the combatants stood.
"Are you alright?" asked Legolas, as he regarded Yulion compassionately. The Prince decided that no one deserved a beating like the one the dark- haired Elf had just received, even if the said recruit had tricked and drugged him.
"I don't know. I hope nothing is broken," replied Yulion. At that precise moment, his knees decided to give and he collapsed into the Prince's arms.
Aragorn was seething again. How dare this dark-haired recruit fall into his Elf's arms?! His annoyance quickly escalated when Lasgalen glared at him and said, "I hope you are happy. You are our commander. Your job is to take care of your recruits, not hurt them. I thought you a better Man."
Unable to contain his jealousy, rage and hurt, the Man yelled back. He did not care that the whole camp was watching anymore. "I did it for YOU! And you repay me by taking his side."
"I never ask you to do this for me. This is between Yulion and I. I don't want anyone to interfere on my behalf in the first place," replied the Prince as he limped off the field, supporting the dark-haired Elf's weight.
Aragorn responded by storming off in the other direction. He had embarrassed himself enough for a day. He did not his troops to see the moisture glistening in his eyes.
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Legolas had returned to his rooms after bringing the dark-haired Elf to his friends. He was sure the popular recruit would be taken care of now that Aragorn was no longer a threat. After a few hours of staring into space, his anger had abated. He was beginning to wonder if he should apologize to the Man. Aragorn was just trying to help after all. Maybe if he explained his feelings to his commander, the Man would understand and respect his wishes. The Prince knew he would need much support if he were to become a capable warrior. As long as Aragorn allowed him to fight his own battles, Legolas would be overjoyed to have the Man as his guiding light.
It was in this dazed state Gimli found his friend. The Dwarf brought some food for Legolas, knowing the Elf had not eaten since lunch yesterday. And this time, he was smart enough to bring fruits, something that the Prince could not reject on the basis of how bad it tasted.
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.
"I am just a little confused, that's all. You brought me food. Thanks, Gimli," said Legolas with a smile as he took an apple from the bag his friend offered and began to munch on it absentmindedly.
"Is there something I can help you with?" inquired Gimli.
The Dwarf knew it had to do with Aragorn. He was there to see the beating the Man gave to one of the recruits. Haldir told him that their human commander was jealous and decided to show off for Legolas. It was something Gimli could understand, the need to prove his vigor and strength to a potential mate. But he could not help feeling a little bit of pity for the dark-haired Elf.
That was, of course, until Haldir informed him that Yulion was the one who drugged the Prince. At that point in time, the Dwarf wished his friend had not stopped the beating so soon. But anyway, things were not going well between the Golden Elf and Man. As self-appointed matchmakers, Gimli was given the responsibility to talk to Legolas while the Lòrien archer spoke with Aragorn.
"Aragorn tried to kiss me this morning after I told him to let me go," said the Elf.
The Dwarf was not surprised to hear that the Man had made an amorous advance on his friend. Though he was not impatient like Haldir and was very protective of the young Prince, he could not really blame his commander for attempting to kiss the Elf. After all, Legolas was the one refusing to leave Aragorn's embrace the night before.
Not to mention, when Gimli awoke this morning and checked on his roommate, the Prince was cuddled snugly in the Man's embrace, pressing tightly into Aragorn's larger frame. They looked so perfect together that the over- protective Dwarf decided to forgive the Man for wounding his arms possessively around Legolas in a very intimate fashion. He did not have the heart to rouse either of them and disturb the moment of pure bliss.
"But he stopped when he figured out you didn't want to be kissed, right?" asked the Dwarf. He was quite certain Aragorn would not force anything upon the Elf. The Man might desire Legolas very badly, but he was almost as protective of the beauty as Gimli was.
"Yes, but he shouldn't have tried. He should have done what I told him to do!" replied the Prince, getting angry again when he thought of how Aragorn disrespected his wishes as if he was just a common harlot.
"Men are dense. They don't always get it the first time you tell them," commented Gimli.
The Elf was surprised that his friend was defending Aragorn. He knew Gimli would consider his well being before the Man's. Maybe this really was all a misunderstanding and he had no reason to be so incensed.
"Do a lot of people say 'no' when they mean 'yes'" asked the Prince.
"Dwarves tend to be a little more forthright. So to my knowledge, the answer is no. But then, Elves are tricky creatures by nature. I suppose it is a more common thing among your people. But then you are the diplomat, you should know first-hand how many Elves say things they don't mean just to get people to do things for them," replied Gimli.
The Elf conceded that his Dwarf friend had a point. He, on more than one occasion, had deliberately concealed his feelings or pieces of information to get what he wanted in his diplomatic missions. It was a simple misunderstanding and he had overreacted.
"Do you think Aragorn is mad at me?" asked the Prince. His words on the field today were unnecessarily harsh. He hoped the Man would not be too angry.
"No, it's more likely that he is hurt. He probably thinks you like Yulion more than him," answered the Dwarf as he too began to munch on a pear he brought from the lunch area.
"That's horrible. I must go apologize at once," exclaimed the Elf as he jumped to his feet. In his excitement, he had forgotten his injuries and was rewarded by a jolt of intense pain.
"Take it easy, kid. I'll go with you. I don't really think practice will improve my archery skills much anyway. Besides, I prefer meeting my enemies head on to sitting on trees, sniping at those unsuspecting fellows," said Gimli as he moved to his friend's side. He hoped the Guardian of Lòrien was as successful with calming the Man as he was with the Prince.
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Aragorn sat alone in his room. He had locked his door upon his return from the training field. He decided he did not wish any interruptions as he wallowed in misery. The Man still could not believe Lasgalen would fall for another. He was so sure the Golden Elf only had eyes for him. But it would seem he was wrong in his assumptions. And to think he was even willing to give up Arwen just so he could be with Lasgalen. He did not know when he had turned into such a stupid hopeless romantic to fall for the Elven recruit so completely.
A rustling in a nearby branch interrupted his thoughts. As his attention was drawn to the tree, he noticed it was Milo, walking precariously on the branch, heading towards his room. He watched as the dog hesitated for a moment, as if to gather his courage, before making the final leap into his chambers through the windows.
"So that's how you get in here, little guy," said the Man. Aragorn was too depressed to be angry at the dog's intrusion.
Milo, seeing that his beloved was not angry to see him for once, jumped onto the Man's lap with joy. Wagging his tail frantically, the dog tried to lick Aragorn's face. The Man would normally have pushed the animal off, but he was sort of glad to have a non-judgmental companion. It was relaxing; having someone there, yet not having to put on the mask of cool competence as befitting of the heir to the throne of Gondor. That feeling, however, brought Aragorn's thought back to the happy times with Lasgalen on their journey to Rivendell. Without realizing, his stormy grey eyes were once again moist with the beginnings of tears.
These signs were not lost to Milo, who promptly stopped all motions of endearment and leapt off the Man. It drew itself to its full height of six inches, looking ready to battle as he barked, "Woff, wow, woo, wof, woof, woo, wow, woff, woof, woooo..." Translation: "Tell Milo who hurts Man. Will bite his butt." Yes, Milo was aware that kicking people's behinds would not be an effective attack given his stature. He was intelligent enough to know his teeth are much better weapons than his feet.
"What's wrong, Milo?" asked the bewildered Man as he did not understand dog speech. Gifted as Aragorn might be, he was not an Elf and did not have the same kind of connection with nature.
Any possibility of a meaningful conversation between the Man and dog was dashed when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Go away!"
"Come on, Aragorn, open the door. I have something important to tell you about Yulion and Lasgalen," pleaded the Lòrien Elf.
"I do not need to know any more than what I saw today, Haldir. Just leave me be," yelled the Man. Milo was beginning to get agitated as well. Noticing that his beloved wanted the visitor to leave, the dog started barking at the door, making rather obscene threats in his own tongue.
"Aragorn, open this door at once. If not to hear me out, let me in to have a go with Elrohir's dog. The little mutt needs a lesson in manners," exclaimed a very indignant Guardian of Lòrien. He had never been so insulted in his life; and to receive such words from a dog, he would never be able to live it down if he did not punish the creature very severely.
"What's going on?" asked the Lord of Rivendell. He could hear the noise from his library many corridors down. He already had a huge headache from the incident with Arwen's parrot; he did not need another problem with Elrohir's dog. Elrond was considering banning all pets from the palace from now on.
The parrot Estel was dying. The critter had not eaten for three days ever since it was brought back to Arwen after its escape. It no longer talked or sang or responded in any way to external stimuli. If the bird were an Elf, Elrond would say it was dying of grief. But since it was not, the Elf- lord had no idea what ailed Arwen's pet. He had promised his daughter to examine it more closely.
That was why Elrond was in the library, with a half-dead bird lying in a cage, consulting books on medicine for animals. The Lord of Rivendell might be a legendary healer, but he specialized in mammalian bipeds, namely Elves, Humans and Hobbits. Until today, he had never needed to extend his skills beyond the realm of the free peoples of Middle Earth. He decided that after he figured out what was wrong with Estel, he would find a way to mute Elrohir's dog.
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Aragorn heard the annoyance in his foster father's voice. It was a rather rare occurrence and at such times, one must be extra careful. The Man knew his lover's temper was hereditary; and the Lord of Rivendell could be very intimidating when angered. Promptly, the human commander of the Joint Army opened his door.
"Nothing," lied the Man.
The annoyance in Elrond vanished as he saw his teary-eyed foster son opened the door. He had not seen human Estel fighting back tears since the boy was ten years old. Something was seriously wrong.
"Estel, what's wrong? You can tell me," asked the Lord of Rivendell gently.
"Nothing is wrong," replied Aragorn very quickly, looking at the floor.
Elrond raised his brows at the Man and Haldir felt the need to explain. The Lòrien Elf knew the Elf-lord was against the affair between Arwen and his human foster son. He would be relieved to hear that Aragorn was attracted to another. In fact, Haldir was certain the ancient Elf would help with his cause of pushing the Man towards Legolas.
"Aragorn likes this recruit at camp. But he thinks the Elf likes another. He is moping now," said the archer.
"Haldir!" exclaimed a blushing Man. He did not want his foster father to know that he desired another when he was still dating Arwen.
"I see. Does this Elf actually like another or does he return Estel's affections?" asked Elrond, curiosity piqued. It would be good news indeed if his human son loved another besides his daughter. If things continued between Arwen and Aragorn, he was sure that his headstrong daughter would give up her immortality for the future King of Men. The Elf-lord loved the Man like his own child and wanted happiness for Estel; but he would prefer not to lose his favorite daughter.
"Lasgalen returns Aragorn's affections. It was all a misunderstanding. This other Elf drugged Lasgalen yesterday; he merely wanted to settle the score in person instead of having my human friend here interfere with his plotting," explained the Guardian of Lòrien.
"That dark-haired Elf was the one who poisoned Lasgalen? You knew all along and you didn't tell me?" screamed the Man at his Elven friend.
"You never asked. Besides, from the way you beat him up, I thought you knew already," smirked the archer.
"You!" hissed Aragorn, not knowing whether to choke the Lòrien Elf or thank him. He now understood why Lasgalen was so angry with him on the field. His student saw warrior training as his one chance to show his worth to his family. Lasgalen did not want people to think he needed the Man's help in everything; he wanted to avenge himself with his own strength.
"Now that everything seems fine with you, I should return to my parrot patient. The poor thing will not last much longer without treatment. Since it appears that my daughter will be losing one of her favorite beings to another, I should try to save the bird from death for her," said Elrond before heading off.
"The parrot is dying?" asked Aragorn.
"Yes, it won't eat or sleep. It just sits there motionless, staring out into a distance towards the recruits' barracks," replied the Elf-lord.
"I think I know how to save it. If you give him to me for a couple of days, I will return him to you fully healed," said the Man.
Elrond knew there was not much he could do for the bird until he did more research. There was no harm in leaving parrot Estel in human Estel's care for a bit. If he found any possible remedy, he could always come here and try it on the bird.
"Okay, as long as you promise to keep it alive," replied Elrond as he headed back to the library to fetch the parrot.
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"Now that everything is settled, I should go back to the training field. I am the archery instructor after all," said Haldir as he watched the Lord of Rivendell disappeared down the winding corridors of the palace after dropping off Estel the parrot. The Elf knew Legolas would be here soon and wanted to leave to give the couple more privacy.
"I will go with you," offered the Man. He felt much better after hearing the truth. He wanted to stop by the gardens and pick some flowers for his Elf after practice. Aragorn felt a need to apologize to Lasgalen for his behavior and presumptions.
"No!" cried the Lòrien Elf in alarm. It would not do for the Prince to come here to find an empty room.
His cry brought Gimli and Legolas rushing towards the room. Actually, the Prince was still limping, he was just doing it very quickly.
"What's wrong?" asked the Dwarf.
"Nothing at all, my friend. Let's go to practice and leave those two alone," said Haldir as he practically dragged Gimli out of the room.
Milo too sensed that his beloved wanted some privacy and trotted off with his tail between his legs. The dog knew he did not have a chance with the Man, seeing the perfection of the Golden Elf. So it was, that Aragorn and Legolas were alone at last, ready to make amends and have a sincere discussion of their feelings and relationship. Oh, yeah, parrot Estel remained in the room, but he was in a cage and half-dead, so he did not count.
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