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Please, please review.
Ecstatic today. Two towers comes out tomorrow!! Going to midnight show =) Me going to see my Elf !! Too happy to write anything other than Never Been Kissed, so here is another chapter. It's kind of short though. Need to leave at a reasonable time for the show.
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Chapter 15:
The Man and Elf stared at each other for a long while, both determined to apologize for their behavior, but both unsure of how to begin. On more than one occasion, they would try to start speaking at the same time, which would invariably end in, "Umm... you go first" , "No... after you" , then "I...", before hesitating and falling into silence again.
They waited so long that the half-dead Estel began to regain consciousness. In its disorientated state, it opened its eyes to find the image of its beloved in front of him, almost close enough to touch. Parrot Estel decided that it had died and was now in heaven. Valar had taken pity on him and put him in the care of an angel that resembled the golden Elf he loved. Strange though that its weakness remained after death, parrot Estel hoped it was not permanent for it would like to sing and dance vivaciously to please his angelic owner. Gathering its strength, the little bird let out a chirp, which brought both Aragorn's and Legolas' attention to its cage.
"What happened to him?" asked Legolas as he opened the cage and took the small parrot out gently.
"He is dying of grief. He loves you and misses you terribly," said Aragorn.
"Poor thing," said the Prince as he stroked the bird's little head tenderly. Parrot Estel knew at that moment that he must be in animal heaven.
"Yeah, I know how he feels, since I am in love with the same Elf," commented the Man.
"Did you just say you are in love with me?" inquired the Prince timidly.
"I, umm, I... Umm yes," stuttered Aragorn as he realized that he had casually said those words when he described parrot Estel's feelings. It was a strange coincidence that both Estels' hearts were captured by the same beautiful Elf.
"Aragorn.." began Legolas.
"Please don't say anything yet. There is something I must say before my courage runs out. I am really sorry for my behavior this morning. It's just that I care so much about you that I sometimes don't know what to do. I've never felt that way about anyone before," blurted out the Man.
Aragorn was accustomed to making declarations of love; he was tall, dark and handsome and experienced in the ways of courtship. But this was different as he truly meant every word he spoke. The Man suddenly felt very vulnerable and decided he did not like the sensation one bit.
"Aragorn, I was going to say that I love you too before you interrupted. I know I shouldn't, but I do. I don't know what to do either," confessed the Prince as he continued caressing Estel absent-mindedly.
By now, the intelligent bird had figured out that he still lived and that it was in its beloved's hands. It was just using every ounce of his self- control to stay quiet and still so the Elf would not stop his administrations. And there was also the fact that he was too weak to move, but that's just a minor detail.
"Oh, Lasgalen," exclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf into a tight embrace. Aragorn would have held his hands instead, but the Prince was stroking Estel. The Man was unsure if his student was object to the more intimate embrace, but he did not wish to squash his namesake either. His foster father would be so angry if anything happened to parrot Estel.
The Elf was pliant in his arms, sighing softly as Aragorn hugged him. He would have wound his arms around the Man if he were not holding the poor little bird. They remained together for what seemed an eternity. When they finally parted, knowing there was still much else to discuss, both felt keen disappointment at the lost of the other's touch.
"Aragorn, I really appreciate you trying to take care of me. But there are some things I need to do on my own," said the Elf.
"I know. The truth is that I didn't attack Yulion because he drugged you. I didn't find out about that until later. I did it because I was jealous since you were looking at him so intently. You are right to say I should be better than that. I didn't know what came over me. I am sorry if my actions made you think I didn't believe in your abilities," confessed the Man.
"I am not the one you should be apologizing to. I cannot believe you hurt Yulion out of jealousy," chastised the Prince at this shocking revelation.
"I promise it won't happen again. And I will apologize to Yulion for my horrible behavior," pleaded the Man, wanting to please his Elf. Truth be told, he was not sorry for teaching the dark-haired recruit a lesson for tricking and drugging Lasgalen.
"Alright, but if you ever act so rashly out of jealousy again, I won't forgive you for insulting my feelings for you. I am not someone who gives my affections easily," said the Elf as he gently laid down parrot Estel onto a cushioned chair.
"You don't know how honored I am to have your affections, beautiful," replied the Man as he took Lasgalen's hand. When the Elf smiled at him, he beamed, thinking he had never been happier before.
"Aragorn...." sighed the Prince as the Man leant into him and placed a wondering kiss upon his mouth. In response, Legolas parted his lips for his beloved, allowing Aragorn entry. Their tongues waltzed slowly as they explored each other's taste and touch. Parrot Estel watched with teary eyes as its beloved found comfort in the arms of another. Yet, it did not make a sound, not wanting to interrupt the lovers' kiss. It too could tell that the Man and Elf were perfect for each other, two parts of a whole.
All too soon, Aragorn was forced to break the kiss for the need of breath. Still holding his beloved's exquisite azure eyes with a smoldering gaze, the Man reluctantly relinquished his claim on the Elf's delectable lips, now moist and slightly swollen from their shared passion. Legolas was the first to recover from the heart-melting kiss. As much as he hated to ruin the moment with his question, he had to ask.
"What about Lady Arwen?"
"I liked her, but what I feel for her can never compare to the love I feel for you. I will break up with her as soon as you are able to defend yourself. I do not want any harm to come to you should she blame you for my change of heart," replied Aragorn.
"I suppose that means I better start practicing even harder," said the Elf with a brilliant smile.
"Do you have any food for Estel?" asked Legolas, as he eyed the dying parrot. The Elf felt responsible for the poor creature's declining health. If he had not befriended the bird, it would be fading from grief.
"Elrond put some sunflower seeds over by the cage," replied the Man, still holding onto the Elf's hand.
"I don't think it's up to eating solid food on its own yet. Do you have some juice or porridge?" said the Prince, content to let Aragorn keep his hand for the time being.
"No, but I will go get some," replied the Man, as he reluctantly let Lasgalen's hand go. He didn't really care much about the bird, but he wanted to bring something to eat for the slender Elf. He knew how horrible the food at camp was, which was why the ranking officers of the army always returned to the palace to get their meals. Aragorn figured his Elf could use some better tasting nutrition.
"I can go with you," offered the Elf, as he found himself sorely missing the feeling of Aragorn's hand upon his own.
"No, you rest. You need to recover as soon as possible. We have much to do before you can hold your own against Arwen. And I can barely wait to begin our official courtship," said the Man as he headed for the door.
"So you think I am that hopeless?" whispered the Prince, thinking that Aragorn thought he was so pathetic he would not be able to defeat a girl in a fight for quite some time.
"I don't mean that as an insult to your abilities, beautiful; but we are talking about an Elf maiden capable of giving Elrohir a severe beating. We don't want to take any chances," said the Man with a chuckle as he strode out of his chambers to the kitchens.
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Legolas spent the entire day in the Man's rooms, nursing Estel, learning how to bandage wounds, being fed delicious fresh strawberries and getting his feet massaged by a very skilled Aragorn. The Prince could not remember being happier in his entire life. At nightfall, the Man walked him back to the barracks with parrot Estel in tow. Before they parted, Aragorn gave him yet another stunningly sweet kiss at the door.
"I want you to rest for the next two days. We will begin our special training on Friday after the competition of skills," said the Man sternly after he broke their lip-lock.
"As you wish, my lord," replied the Prince before opening the door.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow that I can say goodnight till tomorrow, my beautiful Elf."
Legolas gave the Man a final smile and whispered, "Till tomorrow, my lord," before slipping silently into his room.
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As soon as the Elf closed the door, he began to hum a joyous tune as he walked to his desk to put down the cage that held Estel.
"I trust.... what is that blasted bird doing here?!" cried Gimli. He meant to say "I trust that things went well", but was so dismayed to see his opponent from his first night at camp again that he lost his train of thoughts. As fond of Legolas as the Dwarf was, there was no way the parrot was staying here with them! Gimli would rather die.
"Estel is dying. He is just staying with us until he gets better," replied the Prince calmly.
"We cannot keep him here, it is against the rules," reasoned the Dwarf.
"It's okay, Aragorn put him in my care. We will not get into trouble for it," said the Elf as he opened the cage and took out the bird.
"No! You can either have it as roommate or me! I will not sleep under the same roof as that thing," exclaimed Gimli.
"Gimli, please. Estel is sorry for any trouble he caused earlier. He is going to die if you make me give it up," pleaded Legolas with his sweetest, most irresistible, honey-coated voice.
On cue, the parrot let out a weak chirp and attempted to rise from the Prince's hand as if trying to reach for the Dwarf. The Elf moved so Estel could nuzzle against his friend's large calloused hand without having to overexert itself. Gimli still did not like the bird, even if it did look very cute and its green feathers felt soft to the touch. But he had to admit it would be too cruel to throw the creature out to die, especially since it seemed so apologetic for attacking him three nights ago. And there was the way Legolas was looking at him with those beautiful puppy-dog eyes. He really did not have the heart to refuse his friend such a small request. "Alright, but only until he recovers."
"Oh thank you!!" said the excited Elf as he hugged the Dwarf. The Prince was careful not to close his hand as Estel still rested in his palm. Gimli had no doubt that if other Dwarves were to witness this scene, he would be the laughing stalk of his people for all eternity. They would say the son of Gloin had gone soft, no longer the great warrior he once was. But frankly when the Dwarf saw how happy Legolas was, he could not care less what the others said. Protecting his innocent friend was all that truly mattered.
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"Where did you go?" asked Elladan as he saw the Man returned to the palace.
"A walk," replied Aragorn casually.
"Alone?" asked the younger twin.
"With Lasgalen, if you must know," said the Man.
"You promised to give us two weeks," accused the elder twin.
"I said I won't break up with Arwen for another two weeks. I didn't say I will not go out with Lasgalen," answered Aragorn.
"That Elf is hiding something, I can feel it," said Elrohir.
"So you keep saying, but do you have proof?" retorted Aragorn, now getting annoyed. He was a grown Man, leader of the Dunedans in the North. Why couldn't his foster brothers let him take care of his own personal life?
"No, we don't have proof. But I know he is no ordinary Elf. Common Elves do not have that sort of composure," said Elladan.
"Well, at least that's something we agree on. But just because Lasgalen is gorgeous, smart and exceptionally gifted doesn't mean he is hiding something. You two are too cynical from your old age," said Aragorn, dismissing the twins' worries with a smile.
"One more thing, you don't have to worry about my break-up with Arwen. It seems that ada approves of my decision. But I will wait until Lasgalen can protect himself. He wants to fight his own battles and I respect that," added the Man before continuing on his way back to his rooms, humming a happy song along the way.
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Please, please review.
Ecstatic today. Two towers comes out tomorrow!! Going to midnight show =) Me going to see my Elf !! Too happy to write anything other than Never Been Kissed, so here is another chapter. It's kind of short though. Need to leave at a reasonable time for the show.
************************************************************************
Chapter 15:
The Man and Elf stared at each other for a long while, both determined to apologize for their behavior, but both unsure of how to begin. On more than one occasion, they would try to start speaking at the same time, which would invariably end in, "Umm... you go first" , "No... after you" , then "I...", before hesitating and falling into silence again.
They waited so long that the half-dead Estel began to regain consciousness. In its disorientated state, it opened its eyes to find the image of its beloved in front of him, almost close enough to touch. Parrot Estel decided that it had died and was now in heaven. Valar had taken pity on him and put him in the care of an angel that resembled the golden Elf he loved. Strange though that its weakness remained after death, parrot Estel hoped it was not permanent for it would like to sing and dance vivaciously to please his angelic owner. Gathering its strength, the little bird let out a chirp, which brought both Aragorn's and Legolas' attention to its cage.
"What happened to him?" asked Legolas as he opened the cage and took the small parrot out gently.
"He is dying of grief. He loves you and misses you terribly," said Aragorn.
"Poor thing," said the Prince as he stroked the bird's little head tenderly. Parrot Estel knew at that moment that he must be in animal heaven.
"Yeah, I know how he feels, since I am in love with the same Elf," commented the Man.
"Did you just say you are in love with me?" inquired the Prince timidly.
"I, umm, I... Umm yes," stuttered Aragorn as he realized that he had casually said those words when he described parrot Estel's feelings. It was a strange coincidence that both Estels' hearts were captured by the same beautiful Elf.
"Aragorn.." began Legolas.
"Please don't say anything yet. There is something I must say before my courage runs out. I am really sorry for my behavior this morning. It's just that I care so much about you that I sometimes don't know what to do. I've never felt that way about anyone before," blurted out the Man.
Aragorn was accustomed to making declarations of love; he was tall, dark and handsome and experienced in the ways of courtship. But this was different as he truly meant every word he spoke. The Man suddenly felt very vulnerable and decided he did not like the sensation one bit.
"Aragorn, I was going to say that I love you too before you interrupted. I know I shouldn't, but I do. I don't know what to do either," confessed the Prince as he continued caressing Estel absent-mindedly.
By now, the intelligent bird had figured out that he still lived and that it was in its beloved's hands. It was just using every ounce of his self- control to stay quiet and still so the Elf would not stop his administrations. And there was also the fact that he was too weak to move, but that's just a minor detail.
"Oh, Lasgalen," exclaimed the Man as he gathered the Elf into a tight embrace. Aragorn would have held his hands instead, but the Prince was stroking Estel. The Man was unsure if his student was object to the more intimate embrace, but he did not wish to squash his namesake either. His foster father would be so angry if anything happened to parrot Estel.
The Elf was pliant in his arms, sighing softly as Aragorn hugged him. He would have wound his arms around the Man if he were not holding the poor little bird. They remained together for what seemed an eternity. When they finally parted, knowing there was still much else to discuss, both felt keen disappointment at the lost of the other's touch.
"Aragorn, I really appreciate you trying to take care of me. But there are some things I need to do on my own," said the Elf.
"I know. The truth is that I didn't attack Yulion because he drugged you. I didn't find out about that until later. I did it because I was jealous since you were looking at him so intently. You are right to say I should be better than that. I didn't know what came over me. I am sorry if my actions made you think I didn't believe in your abilities," confessed the Man.
"I am not the one you should be apologizing to. I cannot believe you hurt Yulion out of jealousy," chastised the Prince at this shocking revelation.
"I promise it won't happen again. And I will apologize to Yulion for my horrible behavior," pleaded the Man, wanting to please his Elf. Truth be told, he was not sorry for teaching the dark-haired recruit a lesson for tricking and drugging Lasgalen.
"Alright, but if you ever act so rashly out of jealousy again, I won't forgive you for insulting my feelings for you. I am not someone who gives my affections easily," said the Elf as he gently laid down parrot Estel onto a cushioned chair.
"You don't know how honored I am to have your affections, beautiful," replied the Man as he took Lasgalen's hand. When the Elf smiled at him, he beamed, thinking he had never been happier before.
"Aragorn...." sighed the Prince as the Man leant into him and placed a wondering kiss upon his mouth. In response, Legolas parted his lips for his beloved, allowing Aragorn entry. Their tongues waltzed slowly as they explored each other's taste and touch. Parrot Estel watched with teary eyes as its beloved found comfort in the arms of another. Yet, it did not make a sound, not wanting to interrupt the lovers' kiss. It too could tell that the Man and Elf were perfect for each other, two parts of a whole.
All too soon, Aragorn was forced to break the kiss for the need of breath. Still holding his beloved's exquisite azure eyes with a smoldering gaze, the Man reluctantly relinquished his claim on the Elf's delectable lips, now moist and slightly swollen from their shared passion. Legolas was the first to recover from the heart-melting kiss. As much as he hated to ruin the moment with his question, he had to ask.
"What about Lady Arwen?"
"I liked her, but what I feel for her can never compare to the love I feel for you. I will break up with her as soon as you are able to defend yourself. I do not want any harm to come to you should she blame you for my change of heart," replied Aragorn.
"I suppose that means I better start practicing even harder," said the Elf with a brilliant smile.
"Do you have any food for Estel?" asked Legolas, as he eyed the dying parrot. The Elf felt responsible for the poor creature's declining health. If he had not befriended the bird, it would be fading from grief.
"Elrond put some sunflower seeds over by the cage," replied the Man, still holding onto the Elf's hand.
"I don't think it's up to eating solid food on its own yet. Do you have some juice or porridge?" said the Prince, content to let Aragorn keep his hand for the time being.
"No, but I will go get some," replied the Man, as he reluctantly let Lasgalen's hand go. He didn't really care much about the bird, but he wanted to bring something to eat for the slender Elf. He knew how horrible the food at camp was, which was why the ranking officers of the army always returned to the palace to get their meals. Aragorn figured his Elf could use some better tasting nutrition.
"I can go with you," offered the Elf, as he found himself sorely missing the feeling of Aragorn's hand upon his own.
"No, you rest. You need to recover as soon as possible. We have much to do before you can hold your own against Arwen. And I can barely wait to begin our official courtship," said the Man as he headed for the door.
"So you think I am that hopeless?" whispered the Prince, thinking that Aragorn thought he was so pathetic he would not be able to defeat a girl in a fight for quite some time.
"I don't mean that as an insult to your abilities, beautiful; but we are talking about an Elf maiden capable of giving Elrohir a severe beating. We don't want to take any chances," said the Man with a chuckle as he strode out of his chambers to the kitchens.
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Legolas spent the entire day in the Man's rooms, nursing Estel, learning how to bandage wounds, being fed delicious fresh strawberries and getting his feet massaged by a very skilled Aragorn. The Prince could not remember being happier in his entire life. At nightfall, the Man walked him back to the barracks with parrot Estel in tow. Before they parted, Aragorn gave him yet another stunningly sweet kiss at the door.
"I want you to rest for the next two days. We will begin our special training on Friday after the competition of skills," said the Man sternly after he broke their lip-lock.
"As you wish, my lord," replied the Prince before opening the door.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow that I can say goodnight till tomorrow, my beautiful Elf."
Legolas gave the Man a final smile and whispered, "Till tomorrow, my lord," before slipping silently into his room.
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As soon as the Elf closed the door, he began to hum a joyous tune as he walked to his desk to put down the cage that held Estel.
"I trust.... what is that blasted bird doing here?!" cried Gimli. He meant to say "I trust that things went well", but was so dismayed to see his opponent from his first night at camp again that he lost his train of thoughts. As fond of Legolas as the Dwarf was, there was no way the parrot was staying here with them! Gimli would rather die.
"Estel is dying. He is just staying with us until he gets better," replied the Prince calmly.
"We cannot keep him here, it is against the rules," reasoned the Dwarf.
"It's okay, Aragorn put him in my care. We will not get into trouble for it," said the Elf as he opened the cage and took out the bird.
"No! You can either have it as roommate or me! I will not sleep under the same roof as that thing," exclaimed Gimli.
"Gimli, please. Estel is sorry for any trouble he caused earlier. He is going to die if you make me give it up," pleaded Legolas with his sweetest, most irresistible, honey-coated voice.
On cue, the parrot let out a weak chirp and attempted to rise from the Prince's hand as if trying to reach for the Dwarf. The Elf moved so Estel could nuzzle against his friend's large calloused hand without having to overexert itself. Gimli still did not like the bird, even if it did look very cute and its green feathers felt soft to the touch. But he had to admit it would be too cruel to throw the creature out to die, especially since it seemed so apologetic for attacking him three nights ago. And there was the way Legolas was looking at him with those beautiful puppy-dog eyes. He really did not have the heart to refuse his friend such a small request. "Alright, but only until he recovers."
"Oh thank you!!" said the excited Elf as he hugged the Dwarf. The Prince was careful not to close his hand as Estel still rested in his palm. Gimli had no doubt that if other Dwarves were to witness this scene, he would be the laughing stalk of his people for all eternity. They would say the son of Gloin had gone soft, no longer the great warrior he once was. But frankly when the Dwarf saw how happy Legolas was, he could not care less what the others said. Protecting his innocent friend was all that truly mattered.
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"Where did you go?" asked Elladan as he saw the Man returned to the palace.
"A walk," replied Aragorn casually.
"Alone?" asked the younger twin.
"With Lasgalen, if you must know," said the Man.
"You promised to give us two weeks," accused the elder twin.
"I said I won't break up with Arwen for another two weeks. I didn't say I will not go out with Lasgalen," answered Aragorn.
"That Elf is hiding something, I can feel it," said Elrohir.
"So you keep saying, but do you have proof?" retorted Aragorn, now getting annoyed. He was a grown Man, leader of the Dunedans in the North. Why couldn't his foster brothers let him take care of his own personal life?
"No, we don't have proof. But I know he is no ordinary Elf. Common Elves do not have that sort of composure," said Elladan.
"Well, at least that's something we agree on. But just because Lasgalen is gorgeous, smart and exceptionally gifted doesn't mean he is hiding something. You two are too cynical from your old age," said Aragorn, dismissing the twins' worries with a smile.
"One more thing, you don't have to worry about my break-up with Arwen. It seems that ada approves of my decision. But I will wait until Lasgalen can protect himself. He wants to fight his own battles and I respect that," added the Man before continuing on his way back to his rooms, humming a happy song along the way.
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