Haldir had refused to part with his hair. It hung long past his shoulders in silvery-white threads. When going out, he used it to cover his defiantly pointed ears; but he rarely went out.

Legolas had thought himself qualmless about having his hair shorn to his shoulders into a rather messy mop. Yet, whenever he was with Haldir, a sort of resentment stirred deep inside him. More and more often, he ran his slender fingers through the pale golden strands and frowned when they came free at the base of his neck.

"I think I'll grow it back, Haldir..." He said wistfully. He knew the girls wouldn't mind. Many male models had long hair.

Haldir had invited him to share his home with him. He'd grown tired of being lonely, but he would never have admitted it. His house was a grand affair, built into the mountains. He'd fallen in love with it the moment he laid eyes upon it. There was a sloping lawn and a great wide porch. But best of all, the huge cabin was surrounded by giant pines that stretched up to tickle the brilliant blue sky. The had reminded him of Lothlorien.

The same pleasant contentedness filled the younger elf when he came to visit Haldir for the first time. "Haldir! This is too nice to believe!" He whispered, and his voice was full of awe. "I've seen these kinds of houses on tv!" It made the old elf actually laugh.

The foyer was thick with the scent of pine and old leather; the bathrooms and kitchen smelled of sage and sweet fern, and the other rooms faintly of cedar. The aromas were so familiar to Legolas, it almost hurt. He could not speak as he wandered down the hallways and in and out of doors. He had not realized how long it had been since he'd been near such things. It felt as though he had found his home after being a long time away.

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The day Legolas moved in, they stripped down to tank tops and sweats and moved furniture, bags, and things around for hours. Their well-toned muscles glistened with their efforts when they were done. Haldir had given him the entire guest wing to himself. They showered, each in his own bathroom for the house was that big, and then they reclined with cups of tea on the porch to watch the sun set.

"I love this place." Legolas' voice sounded detached. Haldir knew that it was his way of saying thank you, and he inclined his head.

They sat in silence for a long while. "Sometimes I think about Elrond. I wonder where he is?" Legolas finally said. He carefully kept his eyes on the last glow of the horizon, overly aware of the person next to him. He had spent so many years by himself, it was hard sometimes to remember that he was in the presence of someone else.

There was a soft rustle of cloth near him as Haldir shifted thoughtfully in his chair. "I don't know." He answered at last.

"We've grown so apart... all of us."

Haldir turned to look at him. His eyes squinted, and for the first time, he really studied Legolas' face. "Have you ever thought of marriage?"

"No." His eyes fell and he grinned sort of sheepishly. "I've been too afraid to. She'd die, and then I'd be left alone again..." He trailed off because he had already said too much.

Haldir felt sorry. He trained his eyes now on the stars just beginning to twinkle above. "How about an elf woman?" He ventured, a little uneasily.

Legolas shook his head. He didn't explain why, though. A few minutes later, there was a sudden snicker in the dark. His voice grew cynical. "My fans think I'm gay."

Although it couldn't be seen in the night, his expression was one of recoiling surprise. "Are you?" He didn't mean to sound so accusing.

But Legolas shook his head again. "No... I just.... I don't know. I don't want anyone." He turned away from his companion.

Haldir decided to leave it at that. He himself wanted no part of love. It frightened him. Yet, he yearned for the companionship of someone. Not love, really.... The close-knitness of the Elven city in Mirkwood or Lorien. That's what he missed. But those were forever gone now. Elves were cursed to be lonely, it seemed. The stars echoed this conviction; they were so far away, both from earth and from each other. He guessed that for those that fell, the seclusion had just grown too painful for them. They must have decided that to fall into burning oblivion was better than shining on in perpetual aloneness for all eternity. He felt pity for them. Absently, he reached a hand up and moved it slowly as though he caressed the gentle curve of the sky. "Poor pitiful stars..." He murmured barely audibly.

"They have it better than we." Legolas sounded angry. He stood and went into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

Alone again, Haldir sighed with relief. Now he couldn't see him weep.

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Chibi Legolas: Sad, no? Geeze... it seems that I can't write a happy story... Hmmm, I will work on that. Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They're helping me figure out where I am going to go with this story. ^_^ Please, by all means, keep them coming! Woot woot! ;D