Disclaimers: LotR and its characters do not belong to me. Every Breath You Take is not mine either.
Warnings: Violence, language, and maybe character death.
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Since you've gone I been lost without a trace I dream at night, I can only see your face I look around but it's you I can't replace I feel so cold and I long for your embrace I keep cryin', baby, baby, please--
"Haldir?" Rúmil ventured a comment toward his younger brother.
"Speak up! I am not going to shatter if you converse with me above a whisper you know." Haldir's reply came a tad bit more mocking than he had intended.
Despite the blonde's efforts, he dropped his voice even lower. "Sorry, Haldir. I did not mean to upset you."
Haldir raised an eyebrow at his brother. Everything had been becoming slightly visible, so he was able to make out the distorted form of the one next to him. "You feeling ill, Rúmil? You do not seem like your old self with the apologizing. Times had it that you would have dropped a pail of water on me and then followed with a sack of flour without batting an eye. Now you are apologizing for whispering."
"Stop it with the speeches, little brother." He replied almost routinely. "I did not apologize-" Rúmil froze; noticing that he in fact had done what he had begun denying. "Sorry, Haldir! I did not mean-" A hand covered his mouth, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"I told you. What is the matter, my brother?" Haldir gently kicked out the back of the shorter elf's knees and caught him before he fell more than a few inches. He smiled humorously down at him and taunted, "I will take you to the healers if you do not tell me."
Rúmil glared up and pushed his silver-gold hair from his eyes. "I miss him." He mumbled.
"What? Who?" Haldir shook his head, attempting to clear his vision enough to see the way to his new room. He didn't want someone to see them and assume the worst, for that had happened more than once and, inconveniently, taken months to get the rumors corrected.
Rúmil attempted to get free, but failed from his awkward position. Even though the older elf was feather-light and much smaller than himself, Haldir stumbled along the passage trying to find the door. He finally elbowed his open and tossed Rúmil onto the fluffy bed.
Rúmil squeaked, "I hate it when you do that," and seized a pillow and threw it toward Haldir. Haldir dodged it and sat next to his brother.
"You never told me who, you know."
"Can we forget the whole conversation?" Rúmil asked halfheartedly.
Haldir snorted, "Of course not."
"I assumed you would answer that."
"Do not bother skipping about around the question either. It will not work. So, who is it? A friend that was assigned out on circuit? What? Help me out here, I am clueless." Haldir coughed pointedly to get Rúmil's attention, who seemed to have spaced out staring out the open window.
"It is Uradriendil. He told me I could not do anything right. He said that he was the only one willing to put up with a completely useless elf like me." Rúmil blushed and stared at his boots.
"What? Your old lover? He is an arrogant little elf. There are plenty of other leaves in the trees!" Haldir smiled slyly. "He does not even shoot correctly two of three times. But now that I think of it, neither does Orophin…"
"Shut it, Haldir. Orophin only misses once in a while. Review your texts as well. Get your sayings correct. It is 'fish in the sea.'"
Haldir snorted. "Same concept. I do not like fish. Besides, you got the gist of it." The younger flopped back amongst the cushions. "Shall we get back to the topic at hand? You will surely find someone better suited. You are kind, sensitive, polite, intelligent…" he trailed off, thought for a moment and continued. "Attractive, charming, polite…"
"You said that already." Rúmil interrupted, but Haldir just kept talking.
"Brutal with those daggers of yours…"
"Which is why," Rúmil stated sarcastically, "I shall slice you to ribbons the next time you tease me." The older elf sighed and stood, smoothing the sheets as soon as he rose.
"Leaving already?" Haldir questioned just before Rúmil reached the door.
Flicking a loose lock of silver-blond hair over a shoulder, the older said, "Perhaps. Unless you wish me to stay here."
"I will be fine if you want to go. I can just read some." Haldir paused and sat up. "Actually, I cannot focus quite that much. Possibly in a candlemark or so I will be able to."
Rúmil hastily declared, "I would hate to leave you bored stiff. You usually get into mischief if you have no one to talk to."
--
Oh, can't you see You belong to me How my poor heart aches With every step you take--
Legolas excused himself from the table politely and swiftly wove his way from the dining hall, leaving Aragorn still at the table. Aragorn sighed slightly at his friend's abrupt exit, but he stayed to converse with the other elves. "If he does not ask me to accompany him, he does not want my presence," the ranger muttered under his breath.
Legolas set off at a jog toward his rooms. A few minutes later, he dragged his door closed and lifted the heavy lid on a hardwood trunk in the corner of his room. Pulling out a lute case, he slammed the lid down.
"Foolish elf," he muttered bitterly, "cannot even gather all of his belongings." Legolas rose and strode out the door. The elven prince took a leisurely pace towards Haldir's room. Since he had overheard Haldir's brothers discussing their little brother's 'move', Legolas knew the exact room and he had no reason to ask anyone, much to his great relief.
Upon reaching the doorway, the prince pondered whether to leave the instruments there or knock and give them to Haldir himself. He decided to leave it just as Orophin bounded down the hall toward him and asked, "Here to see Haldir? Come on in. He and Rúmil should be here." Without waiting for an answer, the 'Lorien elf opened the door and dragged Legolas inside.
The prince wretched his wrist free as soon as Orophin stopped pulling him forward. Legolas nodded curtly to the two elves seated on the bed. "Hello, Rúmil, Haldir." He paused and continued, "Haldir, you left this in my room." Haldir stood and caught the instrument the prince tossed to him.
"Thank you, Prince Legolas. I had believed you wanted to keep it."
"It is not in my nature to keep gifts that I give to others." Haldir's brothers stared at the prince in surprise. Haldir had never mentioned where he had gotten his beloved lute and they had never asked.
Orophin seized the opportunity where both Haldir and Legolas were speechless and put in, "Prince Legolas, there is a gathering tomorrow in the dining hall. Some of the elves have volunteered their instrumental and singing talents for the occasion, perhaps you would like to try your hand at singing something yourself. My little brother here surely could play his lute whilst you sing a piece or two."
The elven prince's head spun at the thought of doing such a thing in front of an extremely large group. He and Haldir had often done such for tiny social gatherings, but never for more than a few friends. He nodded despite his uncertainty. "That would be nice, as long as Haldir is willing to lend his talent as well."
Haldir sighed, but agreed when he noted Orophin standing behind Legolas nodding enthusiastically. "The gathering is at sunset in the dining hall, Prince Legolas. I will be there already since I promised I would help move the tables to the edges of the hall."
"Fine, Haldir. I will meet you there then. Farewell." With that, the prince spun and walked away as fast as he could without being impolite, closing the door as he passed it.
Once the door was closed Haldir seized his eldest brother's hair and demanded ruthlessly, "Are you MAD? I could not even SEE this morning and you want me to play an instrument?"
"Ow! Hey! You do not even look at the strings anyway!"
"That is entirely beside the point!"
Rúmil began laughing hysterically as Haldir twisted a lock of Orophin's golden hair and the eldest frantically tried to make him loosen his grip, unsuccessfully.