A/N: Sorry I'm not updating a lot! I just started another story (which isn't up yet, but will be soon, I'm trying to finish it before I post it) and so I got kinda wrapped up in it. I actually had the fourth chapter done for quite a long time, and then I just never had the energy to post it…ON WITH THE FIC!!!

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            It was rather early in the morning when Legolas awoke. He always awoke early in the mornings, to see the sunrise. Now that he was in Rivendell, he was especially delighted, because he could actually see the sun moving up in the sky. Back in Mirkwood, the trees often hid it. But that was all right with him too, because he also loved the trees. Probably more than he loved the sun. And the sunlight streaming through the trees in the early morning was the greatest wonder Legolas had ever known.

            But it was a treat to be in Rivendell and to be able to see the sun actually rise.

            As he watched the sun rise from the window of his room, he tried to recall his dreams. There was one about Aragorn, but there was one of those just about every night. Nothing new there. He thought he might have had a dream about a bird in a tree. And then…the most vague whisper of a dream…

            He recalled images. A figure slipping into his room, clutching a paper in their hands. Looking at him, and murmuring softly, "I'm sorry, Legolas." Then, leaving, soft as water on a gentle brook.

            Legolas tried to recall the figure's face, but could not. He shrugged a shrug that only elves shrug and looked at his bed.

            And there was a letter!

            He picked it up carefully and examined it thoroughly before opening. He slowly, cautiously pulled out a folded piece of paper, and unfolded it so slowly one might think the Elf thought it was made of something explosive. And if one was quite metaphorical, then one might think the letter was explosive. Because this letter was from a certain Aragorn, son of Arathorn, whom Legolas had been quite smitten by since he first met him.

            And this letter shot down all hopes of ever being able to love him.

            Legolas actually felt the colour drop from his face. His hands shook and the letter fluttered to the ground. He felt a tear spring to his eye, and he let it roll down his cheek and drop off at his chin. Thoughts ran through his head. He had gotten his message? Had he really been that obvious? Who was the other that he loved? Maybe they would one day fall out of love and then…

'No,' Legolas told himself. 'You're being selfish. Stop thinking.' Then he picked up the letter, ripped it quite calmly, and placed it carefully into one of the drawers in his bureau. Then, wiping away his tears, he began to pack.

            They were leaving the next day and he would have plenty of time to pack, but he needed something to take away the hurt.

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            Merry and Pippin sat alone in their room, quite bored. The day was going to be long, because of the anticipation of the trip the next day. The two hobbits had been silent for a long time, just sitting and thinking. Merry thought the silence would suffocate him if he didn't speak soon, so he said the first thing that came to his mind:

            "So, Pip. D'you fancy anyone?"

            Pippin's face turned bright red as he shook his head violently. "No! Of course not!"

            "Oh, I bet you do!" Merry turned to Pippin, his eyes bright. "Just look at the way you turned red! Come on. Out with it!"

            "I don't fancy anyone, Meriadoc," Pippin said through clenched teeth. He walked over to his bed where some of his garments were laid out, and he began folding them and putting them in his pack. He turned his back to Merry.

            "Oh, sure, Pippin," Merry said sarcastically. "Come on! I told you who I fancy!"

            "Merry! I don't fancy anyone!"

            "Let me guess who it is…" Merry tapped a finger on his chin. He hopped off of his bed and ran over to Pippin's, where he sat down quite promptly with a gleam in his eyes.

            "I know! You fancy ME!" Merry beamed, obviously joking.

            "Merry, that's disgusting," Pippin said. He threw a pair of breeches at him. "Who would ever fancy you?!"

            "I'm sure a lot of people do," Merry stuck his jaw out defiantly, then went straight back to guessing position. "Let's see…who could it be…I bet that it's…"

            He paused and looked Pippin straight in the eye.

            "Frodo!"

            Pippin turned even more red, extending from the very tips of his ears to his neck.

            "It IS Frodo!" Merry shouted. "Isn't it. It is! You're the one sending those letters, aren't you!"

            "NO!" Pippin shouted, now stuffing things randomly in the back.

            "Pippin and Frodo, sitting in a--"

            "Shut UP, Merry!"

            "I'm going to go tell him right now you fancy him!"

            "Merry! I do NOT fancy Frodo!"

            "Uh-huh. Sure, Pip." Merry got up and headed towards the door. "Would you like me to pick up a flower to give to him? Say it's from you?"

            "MERRY! Don't!" Pippin jumped after him.

            "And how would you like me to tell him? I could say, 'So, Frodo, Pip wants me to tell you--'"

            "I'll tell Strider!"

            Merry stopped short. "You wouldn't," he breathed.

            "Oh, I would!" There was a flame in Pippin's eyes.

            Merry sighed, angered. "I won't tell Frodo," Merry murmured. The flame in his friend's eye didn't disappear, though.

            "I can't believe you, Merry!" Pippin cried. There were tears in his eyes. "You've always been the nosiest hobbit that I have ever met! You have NO respect of other people's feelings! I hate you! I don't want to be friends with such an insensitive dotard!!"

            Merry's eyebrows furrowed. Both of the hobbits were angry now. "FINE!" Merry shouted. "I don't want to be friends with you, either! Because you are immature and whiny, and won't tell anyone anything! I doubt you even trust me! I won't be friends with someone who isn't honest."

            "FINE THEN!" Pippin yelled. He grabbed his sack that he had been packing and stomped out of the room, slamming the carved elven door as hard as he could. Had it been a normal door, it might have shattered. (Luckily, it was an elven door, so it didn't.)

            Then it was quiet. Merry stood panting in the middle of the room. The air was still tense and hate-filled. He could barely breath. He ran out of the room, too.

            And ran straight into a certain tall man with long brown hair called Aragorn. Or more affectionately known as Strider.

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            "Greetings, Meriadoc," Strider said in his regal, velvety voice. The man's forehead was creased with concern. "What is troubling you?"

            Merry noticed he was, in fact, crying. He hastily wiped the tears away and shook his head. "I'm fine."

            "Oh, Merry…" Strider's voice was so soothing, that Merry had to work hard to keep from falling into him. Strider suddenly took his hand in his own large, strong hand and led him into what used to be Merry and Pippin's bedroom. The man lifted the crying hobbit and set him down on the bed. He sat next to him.

            "What's wrong?" Strider asked, his voice soft and smooth.

            Merry shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing." How could he tell Strider what was wrong?

            "Something must be wrong. Adults do not weep for no reason."

            Merry felt his heart jump. Strider recognized him as an adult, not merely a child!

            "Please, Merry…Tell me what is wrong."

            Merry wasn't able to resist any longer. He let out a small whimper, mumbled, "Oh, Strider," and fell into him, wrapping his arms around the man's body.

            At first, Strider was quite taken aback. Why was the halfling hugging him? Utterly confused, he returned the hug, gently embracing the small hobbit. 'He must be nervous about our journey,' he told himself.

            The two did not break apart for a long time.

            The hug was innocent enough. Merry was under a lot of pressure, and Strider had served nothing less than what he thought was a fatherly figure to the Fellowship. It was his place to comfort.

            But taken out of context, the hug might have seemed like a little bit more, for Merry's face was completely euphoric and full of love.

            Strider couldn't see his face, of course.

            But someone else did.

            And that someone would be our favourite nosy elf, Arwen.

            She gasped, as she saw the face of the hobbit embracing her love. Then she muttered to herself, "Ah…so it's the hobbit, eh? Well! We'll see about that…"

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            A/N: w00t for fifth chapter! This is the longest fic I've ever written. Cool, no?

            Psycho Frodos: Hehe, I'm glad you like the story! And give ideas all you want! I have a basic structure, but that can always change, if I like the ideas more than mine. Oh dear. Eggshells in the eggs? NEVER good. ^_^

            Breon Briarwood: Yes, yes, the feels will start soon, patience, patience…XD

            Ranal Peredhil: Thank you so much for your lovely reviews! They make meh feel all warm and fuzzay inside! O_o Gald to know your grade in math went up. *teehee* I wish fan fics made MY grades in math go up…*grumble*f**king quadratics…*grumblewhinemoan* ^_^ Hope you like this chapter!!

            YYHgurl: You ALMOST got it right. I really love making things seem one way and then yanking them in the other direction…XD Hope you like this chapter(s)!

            FuschiaDoorsKick: w00t for long posts! This one's pretty damn long.

            Amanda greenleaf: Glad you like. ^_^

            Hersheyhugs: Ah, yes! Food: THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING! Now that ya mention it, I'm hungry too…unfortunately, we have like ZERO food in our house…edible food that is…all we have is like, powdered stuff, frozen stuff, or syrup stuff. WOAH, sorry, tangent. Well, I found something for Merry and Pippin to find over. But thanks for thinking about it! ^_^