Title: Legolas & Faramir

Author: Kitty-Rose (blood_and_rubies@yahoo.co.uk)

Pairing: Legolas/Faramir

Rating: PG-13

Archive: Ask first.

Feedback: yes please!

Summary: Faramir and Legolas try and make sense of their feelings. Slash.

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, they are all JRR Tolkien's

A/N: Thanks to Caz for beta'ing! This is in response to a plot bunny.

I

Faramir never had liked attending banquets. He'd always assumed he'd grow out of it, but here he was, a grown man, beautiful wife by his side and yet he still wished he was somewhere else. He would've made excuses not to go to the lesser banquets, but Eowyn, who liked that kind of thing, always dragged him along with her. He had a suspicion that it was because she had a liking for the King, but she always heavily denied this whenever he asked.

He didn't really mind her admiration for Aragorn though. He knew he should, but he couldn't help not really caring. Every now and then he would confront her about it, though, because she was a nice girl and she deserved a loving husband. Sometimes he felt like their whole marriage was based on pretence and appearances, not due to malice or cruelty, but due to innocence as to how a real marriage should be. He couldn't work out what was wrong with theirs - they seldom argued, they had mutual friends, they enjoyed spending time together. he just had this feeling that there was something missing. Other times he scolded himself for not being happy when he had such a beautiful, charming wife.

He looked down the table at the King and Queen, who looked as perfect as ever together. Faramir wondered if Aragorn ever felt this way, but he knew that it was unlikely. He wouldn't have let Arwen give up so much if he didn't love her perfectly in return. But it wasn't really about love, was it? He knew he loved Eowyn; that's why he'd married her. He'd just assumed that things were supposed to progress and develop. Nothing had really changed between him and Eowyn since they were married.

Faramir sighed. It felt like he had been at this banquet for years, and yet he knew that it wasn't even half way through. Eowyn was deep in conversation with a noble across the table from them, and he knew she was going to be cross with him later for being so unsociable. He glanced along the table a little further, passing from Aragorn who was gazing at Arwen with devotion, to Gimli, who was just another dwarf to him, then almost passed over Legolas, and stopped.

Legolas intrigued him. He was the only elf that Faramir had really ever encountered, except for Arwen, but he had less interest in female elves. They seemed to just look graceful and enigmatic, but the male elves did that and more besides. Legolas was so good at everything; shooting, sword fighting, tracking, riding. Faramir wished he could be like that. He'd always found himself to be second best, first to Boromir, now Aragorn.

He was suddenly aware that he was staring at Legolas, and then just at that moment, Legolas looked up and met his gaze. Faramir knew there was no point in looking away, it would be obvious that he'd been staring at the elf anyway, so he simply smiled in a friendly manner and hoped the elf would think nothing more of it.

But instead of smiling back and coolly nodding, as Faramir had expected, Legolas seemed uncomfortable and blushed, quickly looking away. Faramir frowned in surprise. The elf always seemed so confident, yet a glance from Faramir could throw him off his guard. Faramir didn't understand it at all.

*****

Legolas didn't understand either. This wasn't the first time this had happened; yet he had a feeling that Faramir had certainly noticed this time. He wasn't even sure what it was about Faramir that made him so unsure of himself. His cheeks were still burning, and he hoped no-one else would notice.

"Are you alright, Legolas?" Aragorn asked, leaning forward in concern.

"I'm fine, I just need some fresh air." Legolas stood up quickly, and headed for the door. He was aware of Faramir watching him as he walked across the room, and quickened his pace.

Outside he embraced the cool air upon his cheeks, feeling his temperature and uneasiness subside. He couldn't work out why Faramir had had that affect on him. He supposed this was shyness, but he'd never encountered it before, strange that it should develop now. And only with Faramir, no-one else.

He resolved to spend some time with the man, and get to know him a little better. Maybe he would get to the bottom of the situation eventually.