Disclaimer: I do not own Tolkien's characters or places, thus the term
"Tolkien's". I'm simply borrowing them.
*****
Prince Legolas of Mirkwood shifted in his saddle. His eyes wandered up to the sky, where deep blue met his gaze. He smiled and breathed in deeply. For the past few weeks he had been riding nearly non-stop, so anxious was he to reach his destination. Now he was only a few minutes' ride from Rivendell, the valley of the Elves.
It had been nearly a year since Legolas had last seen the three sons of Elrond who were some of his best friends. While that was hardly any time to a being of so many years, to the youngest of the boys it would seem an eternity. Legolas missed all of them dearly, whenever they were apart. A smile played on his lips as he came within view of the buildings. Moments later he was dismounting and handing off the ride, who had been good to keep up the prince's pace.
"Legolas!" He hardly had time to react as a blur of flesh, black clothes, and black hair in desperate need of a wash barrelled into him, knocking him to the ground.
"Oof," Legolas said, flat on his back and with a small pain in his stomach. "Hello, dork!" He greeted the young human jovially, shoving him off and standing. Resiliant as rubber himself, the boy was also on his feet. Legolas swept him into a hug. "You've grown since I last saw you!"
"More than half a foot!" The boy exclaimed, proud that it had been noticed. "Where've you been all this time?"
"Mirkwood, of course, my home. And it's hardly been any time, Impatient Youngster!" Legolas joked. Despite the large age difference, the two got along quite well. Legolas enjoyed the company of the boy, and the boy liked the way Legolas never seemed to lose patience with him.
"Not all of us are in our thousands, Old Man!"
"I am not old," Legolas proclaimed with mock indignance. "I'm simply older than you, and a million times stronger."
"Are not!"
"Am too."
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"ARE NOT!!"
"AM TOO!!"
"ARE NOT!!"
"AM TOO!!"
"ARE NOT ARE NOT ARE NOT!!!" With that the boy lunged, knocking Legolas to the ground. The Elf tried to throw him off and failed. The two wrestled for a while, both getting their hair and clothes dirty--or, in the boy's case, dirtier--and having a good laugh. Legolas managed to catch the boy in a headlock, but he threw off Legolas and tackled him.
"Estel! Legolas!" The two looked up to see Elrond staring at them. Estel freed Legolas and stood, a guilty smile on his face. Once the human had released him Legolas rubbed his ribs, which were a bit sore from too many tackles, then stood. He blushed. Though Elrond was used to his twin boys rough-housing, but Legolas he had expected more of. And they knew well not to include Estel in their games! "I would have expected a bit more restrain on your part, Legolas." Legolas hung his head. "And Estel, you know you aren't to be playing rough with the boys."
"But Ada," the boy began, "we were just--"
"Estel, please." Noticing the boys' hygiene, he asked, "Were you not supposed to bathe today, Estel? It's been nearly three weeks!" At this the boy blushed a deep red.
"I was just about to do that," he mumbled, heading inside. Legolas followed. "Sorry I got you in trouble."
"Oh, it's fine. I don't mind. I can get in my own trouble quite all right, I don't mind sharing yours." Estel looked at him, astonished.
"But--but--you looked so ashamed!"
"Oh, that look. I made it up. It's a combination of puppy-dog eyes, a nervous smile, and a blush. I can blush easy, I just picture myself in leopard-spotted underwear. It makes the fans go crazy."
"You have leopard-spotted underwear?"
"No, but I know who does."
"Who?" Estel stopped, looking up at the Elf. "Tell me, please, Legolas. Who?" The Elf grinned, looked around, then leaned down and whispered in the boy's ear. Estel's cheeks puffed out as he tried not to laugh. He tried so hard he turned blue. Finally he had to breathe. "Oh my Eru! By the Valar!" He doubled over, then fell to the ground laughing.
"Stop picturing it!" Legolas commanded. "And go get washed, Dork. You stink."
"Do--" **giggle** "--not!"
*****
"Isn't Legolas arriving soon, Elrohir?" asked Elladan, slinging his bow over his shoulder.
"I don't know. Ada has been after Estel to bathe for near on a week, and it usually takes about that long to get Estel to do something about it, so probably." Elrohir snorted at his response, slinging his own bow over his shoulder. The two had been at the archery range al day, and didn't know yet that Legolas had indeed arrived. As the made their way back to Imladris, a thought struck Elrohir. "He wasn't arriving today, by any chance, was he? Estel's been managing a spectacular show of keeping out of washing this time, not fussing at all, just slipping off--"
"Naked," Elladan put in, remembering all to well the ache their lungs had developed from laughing after catching the boy streaking through Imladris.
"Yes, indeed, naked. Oh, no. What if Legolas shows up and Estel--what if Estel--?" He was laughing too hard to finish his sentence.
"Oh what if!" Elladan agreed, screaming with laughter himself. The two managed to contain themselves, and soon reached the valley. After they had put their bows and quivers away properly, they headed to their rooms. "I'm as disgusting--hygenically--as Estel is!"
"We really should give him a break."
"Yeah." After a pause, Elladan added, "but wouldn't it be funny if he was streaking when Legolas showed up?"
"You know Estel. He's so fond of the Elf, he'd probably go and hug him and completely forget!" Elrohir laughed as he stepped into his room. Seconds later he was on his back, pinned to the ground, staring up into wide gray eyes. A few seconds of pinning him and Legolas broke into hysterical fits of laughter. Elrohir was able to shove the blonde Elf, who keeled over, still shaking with laughter.
"You should've seen your face, Elrohir! Honestly, your eyes were each the size of the moon! I thought they'd fly right out of their sockets! Oh, that was a jolly trick!"
"Yes, yes," Elrohir agreed, brushing himself off. "And you're the jolly green giant!"
"Have a laugh, it'll be good for you." Legolas grinned. "It's been far too long since I saw you last!" He threw his arms around the disgruntled, Elrohir, then strode across the room and hugged Elladan, who smiled.
"Say, Legolas?" Elladan asked mischievously.
"Hm?"
"Have you seen much Estel?" He grinned, holding back chuckles. When his eyes met Elrohir's, but laughed out loud.
"If so," Elrohir added, "how much?" They laughed more.
"Why do I sense I'm on the outside? Yes, I've seen him, but just a bit. He knocked me down a few times before your Ada got angry and made him go take a bath," Legolas reported. The twins laughed again, then abruptly Elrohir stopped.
"You don't think he would. . .?" Elrohir asked Elladan.
"No, not with Legolas visiting. Right?" Elladan asked uncertainly.
"Wrong!" they said together. The two took off running. "Stay here, Legolas," Elrohir called. "We'll be right back!" And they dashed down the halls until they found a closed door. They slammed their fists against it. "Estel, open up!"
"Estel, open this door or I will skin you!"
"Just hold on!" the two were incredibly relieved to hear their little brother's voice. The door swung open to reveal Estel with a pink towel wrapped around his dripped body, white soap in his hair, and a rubber duck jauntily hanging from his still oily head. "what?" The two didn't answer, they just laughed their heads off. Estel slammed the door and went back to washing up.
"I hope you two will be more mature than that when Galadriel gets here," Elrond said. The twins swallowed hard, not having heard their Ada come up behind them.
"Grandmother's coming to visit?" Elladan managed to asked. They both recalled the woman from her last visit, thirteen years ago, when she had left with Arwen. She hadn't been mean, just a bit scary. She was always looking at them and smiling, like she knew some big secret. Whenever they planned to cause trouble she had somehow managed to be there, smiling, just as they did the worst part of their trickery.
"Arwen, too?" Arwen had two sides to her: the pretentious, stuck-up side that they feared would have become strong with Galadriel's influence, and the fun side, which disappeared around their grandmother in total horror. Though they missed their little sister and didn't honestly care what she was like, as she was family, both silently hoped she would have kept her mischievous side healthy.
"Yes, Galadriel and your sister are coming to Imladris. I dread to think what you two will be up to with Legolas here, but remember that Estel has been sick recently and is **not** healthy enough to be rough-housing with you or streaking at midnight." As Elrond walked away, the twins groaned, then exchanged a glance.
"It wasn't recent," Elrohir said, "and he's completely better."
Elladan blinked twice. "Midnight?"
*****
Prince Legolas of Mirkwood shifted in his saddle. His eyes wandered up to the sky, where deep blue met his gaze. He smiled and breathed in deeply. For the past few weeks he had been riding nearly non-stop, so anxious was he to reach his destination. Now he was only a few minutes' ride from Rivendell, the valley of the Elves.
It had been nearly a year since Legolas had last seen the three sons of Elrond who were some of his best friends. While that was hardly any time to a being of so many years, to the youngest of the boys it would seem an eternity. Legolas missed all of them dearly, whenever they were apart. A smile played on his lips as he came within view of the buildings. Moments later he was dismounting and handing off the ride, who had been good to keep up the prince's pace.
"Legolas!" He hardly had time to react as a blur of flesh, black clothes, and black hair in desperate need of a wash barrelled into him, knocking him to the ground.
"Oof," Legolas said, flat on his back and with a small pain in his stomach. "Hello, dork!" He greeted the young human jovially, shoving him off and standing. Resiliant as rubber himself, the boy was also on his feet. Legolas swept him into a hug. "You've grown since I last saw you!"
"More than half a foot!" The boy exclaimed, proud that it had been noticed. "Where've you been all this time?"
"Mirkwood, of course, my home. And it's hardly been any time, Impatient Youngster!" Legolas joked. Despite the large age difference, the two got along quite well. Legolas enjoyed the company of the boy, and the boy liked the way Legolas never seemed to lose patience with him.
"Not all of us are in our thousands, Old Man!"
"I am not old," Legolas proclaimed with mock indignance. "I'm simply older than you, and a million times stronger."
"Are not!"
"Am too."
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"ARE NOT!!"
"AM TOO!!"
"ARE NOT!!"
"AM TOO!!"
"ARE NOT ARE NOT ARE NOT!!!" With that the boy lunged, knocking Legolas to the ground. The Elf tried to throw him off and failed. The two wrestled for a while, both getting their hair and clothes dirty--or, in the boy's case, dirtier--and having a good laugh. Legolas managed to catch the boy in a headlock, but he threw off Legolas and tackled him.
"Estel! Legolas!" The two looked up to see Elrond staring at them. Estel freed Legolas and stood, a guilty smile on his face. Once the human had released him Legolas rubbed his ribs, which were a bit sore from too many tackles, then stood. He blushed. Though Elrond was used to his twin boys rough-housing, but Legolas he had expected more of. And they knew well not to include Estel in their games! "I would have expected a bit more restrain on your part, Legolas." Legolas hung his head. "And Estel, you know you aren't to be playing rough with the boys."
"But Ada," the boy began, "we were just--"
"Estel, please." Noticing the boys' hygiene, he asked, "Were you not supposed to bathe today, Estel? It's been nearly three weeks!" At this the boy blushed a deep red.
"I was just about to do that," he mumbled, heading inside. Legolas followed. "Sorry I got you in trouble."
"Oh, it's fine. I don't mind. I can get in my own trouble quite all right, I don't mind sharing yours." Estel looked at him, astonished.
"But--but--you looked so ashamed!"
"Oh, that look. I made it up. It's a combination of puppy-dog eyes, a nervous smile, and a blush. I can blush easy, I just picture myself in leopard-spotted underwear. It makes the fans go crazy."
"You have leopard-spotted underwear?"
"No, but I know who does."
"Who?" Estel stopped, looking up at the Elf. "Tell me, please, Legolas. Who?" The Elf grinned, looked around, then leaned down and whispered in the boy's ear. Estel's cheeks puffed out as he tried not to laugh. He tried so hard he turned blue. Finally he had to breathe. "Oh my Eru! By the Valar!" He doubled over, then fell to the ground laughing.
"Stop picturing it!" Legolas commanded. "And go get washed, Dork. You stink."
"Do--" **giggle** "--not!"
*****
"Isn't Legolas arriving soon, Elrohir?" asked Elladan, slinging his bow over his shoulder.
"I don't know. Ada has been after Estel to bathe for near on a week, and it usually takes about that long to get Estel to do something about it, so probably." Elrohir snorted at his response, slinging his own bow over his shoulder. The two had been at the archery range al day, and didn't know yet that Legolas had indeed arrived. As the made their way back to Imladris, a thought struck Elrohir. "He wasn't arriving today, by any chance, was he? Estel's been managing a spectacular show of keeping out of washing this time, not fussing at all, just slipping off--"
"Naked," Elladan put in, remembering all to well the ache their lungs had developed from laughing after catching the boy streaking through Imladris.
"Yes, indeed, naked. Oh, no. What if Legolas shows up and Estel--what if Estel--?" He was laughing too hard to finish his sentence.
"Oh what if!" Elladan agreed, screaming with laughter himself. The two managed to contain themselves, and soon reached the valley. After they had put their bows and quivers away properly, they headed to their rooms. "I'm as disgusting--hygenically--as Estel is!"
"We really should give him a break."
"Yeah." After a pause, Elladan added, "but wouldn't it be funny if he was streaking when Legolas showed up?"
"You know Estel. He's so fond of the Elf, he'd probably go and hug him and completely forget!" Elrohir laughed as he stepped into his room. Seconds later he was on his back, pinned to the ground, staring up into wide gray eyes. A few seconds of pinning him and Legolas broke into hysterical fits of laughter. Elrohir was able to shove the blonde Elf, who keeled over, still shaking with laughter.
"You should've seen your face, Elrohir! Honestly, your eyes were each the size of the moon! I thought they'd fly right out of their sockets! Oh, that was a jolly trick!"
"Yes, yes," Elrohir agreed, brushing himself off. "And you're the jolly green giant!"
"Have a laugh, it'll be good for you." Legolas grinned. "It's been far too long since I saw you last!" He threw his arms around the disgruntled, Elrohir, then strode across the room and hugged Elladan, who smiled.
"Say, Legolas?" Elladan asked mischievously.
"Hm?"
"Have you seen much Estel?" He grinned, holding back chuckles. When his eyes met Elrohir's, but laughed out loud.
"If so," Elrohir added, "how much?" They laughed more.
"Why do I sense I'm on the outside? Yes, I've seen him, but just a bit. He knocked me down a few times before your Ada got angry and made him go take a bath," Legolas reported. The twins laughed again, then abruptly Elrohir stopped.
"You don't think he would. . .?" Elrohir asked Elladan.
"No, not with Legolas visiting. Right?" Elladan asked uncertainly.
"Wrong!" they said together. The two took off running. "Stay here, Legolas," Elrohir called. "We'll be right back!" And they dashed down the halls until they found a closed door. They slammed their fists against it. "Estel, open up!"
"Estel, open this door or I will skin you!"
"Just hold on!" the two were incredibly relieved to hear their little brother's voice. The door swung open to reveal Estel with a pink towel wrapped around his dripped body, white soap in his hair, and a rubber duck jauntily hanging from his still oily head. "what?" The two didn't answer, they just laughed their heads off. Estel slammed the door and went back to washing up.
"I hope you two will be more mature than that when Galadriel gets here," Elrond said. The twins swallowed hard, not having heard their Ada come up behind them.
"Grandmother's coming to visit?" Elladan managed to asked. They both recalled the woman from her last visit, thirteen years ago, when she had left with Arwen. She hadn't been mean, just a bit scary. She was always looking at them and smiling, like she knew some big secret. Whenever they planned to cause trouble she had somehow managed to be there, smiling, just as they did the worst part of their trickery.
"Arwen, too?" Arwen had two sides to her: the pretentious, stuck-up side that they feared would have become strong with Galadriel's influence, and the fun side, which disappeared around their grandmother in total horror. Though they missed their little sister and didn't honestly care what she was like, as she was family, both silently hoped she would have kept her mischievous side healthy.
"Yes, Galadriel and your sister are coming to Imladris. I dread to think what you two will be up to with Legolas here, but remember that Estel has been sick recently and is **not** healthy enough to be rough-housing with you or streaking at midnight." As Elrond walked away, the twins groaned, then exchanged a glance.
"It wasn't recent," Elrohir said, "and he's completely better."
Elladan blinked twice. "Midnight?"