*Times Have Changed... Have You?*

Summary: Boromir and Legolas do some serious talking.

A/N: can't you just picture them sitting in a dark room whispering about each other? You can? You dirty, dirty little person! ;) j/k... I know you're not a pervert, 'cause I am and you're never at the meetings. ^_^;;

***

Legolas followed me silently into my room. The drapes were still drawn, just as I left then almost every day.

I kicked off my boots - and then almost tripped over them - and made my way over to the bed.

"Can we talk for awhile?"

I glanced at him in the darkness.

"I guess so."

*

We both sat cross-legged on the bed, I with my back to the headboard, and he sat up straight at the foot.

"What do you want to talk about?" I whispered, almost worried.

I knew he was looking right at me; I didn't need any light to feel his penetrating gaze.

"Us."

Damn. I should have guessed.

"I know this has been a wonderful evening, but..."

"But we do need to talk about us, right?"

Silence.

"I want you to know that I'm sorry for hurting you."

Why would he start off with an apology? I'd learned long ago to get rid of those feelings of hurt he'd covered me with.

"It's all right. You don't need to apolo-"

"Yes, I do. I know I hurt you. And it wasn't right."

If it wasn't right, then why did he do it? "Why did you leave?"

I felt him shift his weight and he stretched his legs out in front of him, then turned to the side dangled them off the bed.

Answer me. Hurry up and answer me. I'm getting frustrated. Hurry up and answer me before I get angry. Hurry up.

Too late.

"Why did you do that to me? Didn't you know what I felt for you? How could you leave me? Were you aware that I was begging you not to go?" I exploded at him, and jumped forward, almost onto him.

He stayed still, only turning his head. When he spoke, his voice was hushed and harsh.

"Do you think I wanted to leave you? Are you aware how hurt I was as well?"

How could he speak so cruel and yet so polite at the same time?

"It wasn't fair..." I whispered, leaning on my knees beside him.

"No, it wasn't fair," he reached up and put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me towards him. "It wasn't fair for either one of us."

*

At long last, he let go of me. He stood, and I worried that he might leave.

But he didn't; he walked to the windows and pulled back the heavy drapes, letting the clouded moonlight into the room.

"Now I can see you," he commented, sitting back down beside me.

"Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't answer my questions."

"Still impatient, after all these years. You will never change," he smiled.

I shrugged.

"I left because my people needed me to fight. They needed my help and I couldn't let them down. That's why I left. I had to leave you. I was sorry then and I'm sorry now. I'll always regret leaving you. It may have been the biggest mistake I made."

"No, the biggest mistake you made was not coming back," I felt like crying. Oh, Valar. I'd trained myself to not feel, but having him here, in my room, all alone, talking about our past... It was too much.

"Actually, the biggest mistake I made was falling in love with you."

I jumped back, angry. "What?"

"Not like that," he found my face in the darkness and touched one cool hand to it. "It's... I hadn't ever meant to fall in love. I never wanted to. Not with you, or anyone. I never wanted to have to care about someone so much. But maybe... I think that you're worth all my worries," he smiled, his fingers touching my face.

I was surprised. I thought he wouldn't still- I mean, after all- But now he-

"I... Legolas, I thought you didn't..."

"But I do," he was smiling again; I could tell by the tone in his voice. "It sounds like a story, doesn't it? Two lovers, torn apart, reunited again, with hopes of still loving."

"I read something like that, once..." I placed my hand over his, still caressing my cheek.

"How did the story end?" He inched himself closer to me.

"Well, they met up again and eventually talked things over and found out they were still in love..."

"What happened next?"

I leaned close and whispered to him. "They decided to stay together forever."

Quickly, he pressed his lips to mine, and pulled away. "Do you think we could do that? Stay together forever?"

I smiled. I was filled with emotions. Happiness, love, excitement, joy, total exhilaration, to name a few. "I'd love to stay with you."

He laughed, then pulled me close and kissed me again.

*

I woke up as the sun came shining through the slit in between the curtains, my arms wrapped around a warm body lying snuggled next to me.

Carefully, I opened my eyes, and gazed at Legolas, his head resting on my chest.

"Good morning," he whispered, looking up at me.

"Good morning," I whispered back.

Everything had happened so fast - finding the courage to go and talk to him, realize I was still in love with him, having him come back to me (or was it me coming back to him? I wasn't sure), then waking up with him.

It was like a story. A great story.

It was good.

Too good.

What was the catch?

*

"Legolas?"

"Hmm?" he moved up beside me and rested his head on shoulder sleepily.

"We're back together...?"

He leaned on his side and propped his head up in his elbow. "Do you want us to be?" he smiled.

"Well, yes..." Now I was really confused. "But this all happened too quick..."

He sighed. "Boromir, do you want me to explain it all to you? Why I'm back here with you?"

"Yes."

"When you live as long as I do, you can get lonely. I've never really loved anyone.

There's something about you, Boromir. Something about you that makes me want to stay with you.

As to why I came back to you right away... I missed you. I liked having someone around to be with.

When I had to leave, I'd never felt more alone.

But when I was first with you, I realized I was stealing your youth. I took all your best years."

"They were the best because you were in them," I nearly blushed.

A soft smile. "I was all you thought about. I didn't mean for it to be that way-"

"You weren't stealing anything!" I interrupted, but he put a finger to my lips.

"You were too young to be feeling that way about anyone... To make such a decision. I left because I wanted you to go live your life.

And don't ask because, yes, I have loved before. I loved once. But then she left me, and I thought I'd never find anyone else, and would always be alone.

But then I saw you. You with your youthfulness, your carefree ways, your innocence.

I understand that you've changed. You're nowhere near as innocent.

You've hurted. You've killed. You've been hurt. And you lost your innocence.

But isn't there still some happiness, somewhere in there? One last little spark of hope?

Buried beneath all the hatred and anger and fear and confusion?

There's hope, isn't there? And love? Is there love?"

*

I spent the night in Legolas' arms, close to weeping. His words made me understand everything that I'd done.

Everything I'd done wrong, everything I'd done right, and everything else.

I almost felt guilty for making him say those things, but I didn't want to.

"And you shouldn't. I just wanted to say what I've been meaning to say to you all those years we were apart."

I lay, snuggled close to him on my bed, the blankets pulled up to our chins.

The night before had not been what I'd someone refer to as a 'naughty night'. Rather, it was... a loving night.

He and I talked through most of the night hours, and finally, talked to the point where we may have been repeating ourselves, we fell asleep.

And now, in the late morning hours, I didn't want to leave him. Not again. Not at all.

*

Another hour passed and we whispered and giggled about the good things in life, ignoring the call for breakfast.

"We'll just tell them we slept in," I said, giggling for some unknown reason.

Legolas chuckled, and kissed my forehead.

"Sorry, but you'd better get up," he whispered, slipping out of my arms, and running into the adjoining tub-room.

"Wha-"

A knock on the door.

Snickering, he watched me walk to the door to answer it.

"Morning, Father."

*

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A/N: Worth the wait? Hope so... Next one should be on its way sometime soon. R/R and keep the love.