A/N: Caution: Gore lies ahead. Thanks to all of you all who review and keep me an author alerts (review all of you! I want to know what u think)!! Thanks to mysticheero- based on what you said in your review u will love this. Kasmi- glad u like the plot twists. Haldir-fancier- good guess. Pulp- good guess too. Lady lanet- sorry, here you go. Tauron- hehhehehe that's what I think too. Thanks for your support. Empath- thanks! Here's your update. Silent senshi- oh those mischievous twins shall strike again in this chapter. Thank you all else I might've forgotten… enjoy!
"I must be off, my friend, in an hour I have an appointment with Haldir and I have to ready myself," Elladan looked to him and thought that he caught a look of regret in his eyes. He sighed as he straightened his robes out and turned to the threshold.
"Don't leave," Elladan gasped, he couldn't believe he let those words escape his lips.
He prayed the elf didn't hear them but that was a lost hope. Legolas froze and slowly turned around; his eyes were sparkling with mischief.
The blonde smiled slightly, "Why not?"
Elladan scrambled for an answer and came up short, "Because… Haldir is in a bad mood."
Legolas raised his eyebrow at the excuse, "He was laughing at dinner, you could see this as well as I."
Elladan stumbled to stand and almost tripped on the only amount of uneven dirt in the garden, "Um, yeah, but…"
Legolas cocked his head to the side as he waited for his answer. He had never seen Elladan act so unsure before, it was so uncharacteristic. Elladan again attempted to open his mouth for a sufficient and sensible reply but none came. Legolas considered ignoring the wait for the answer and just leave him at his incomplete sentence, but he found that he had a lot more respect for him than that. Even though he had more important matters to attend to, including Mirkwood's future, he felt like he wanted to wait for this answer. Knowing Elladan, it would be something inspirational, something that would make the constant pang of pain soften if just for a little while: and that, for Legolas, was worth the wait.
You always speak so eloquently, always have the perfect advice, the perfect commentary: you don't have to hesitate."
Elladan's nervousness lessened and he took Legolas' advice. The dark elf walked to the blonde with haste, took his soft face in his hands, and kissed his lips, without hesitation. Legolas found himself leaning into the kiss. His mind didn't shut off like it had with all those other consorts. He was awake and much aware. His mind didn't have to go numb to make the action easier for him. There was something different in this kiss, it was inspired by an emotion he had remembered feeling only in the days of his youth: love. But never before had he shared a kiss in this foreign emotion called "love," it was different and he liked it.
The kiss was chaste and when they broke from it, to Legolas' surprise, Elladan didn't pull away and leave; he only pulled the prince closer and embraced him snugly. But for some reason, Legolas didn't fully expect Elladan to pull away; he had more value in him than that. He allowed his head to rest in the crook of his neck and slowly inhaled his scent, savoring all of its nuances and quickly committing them to memory. The scent embodied everything that was life: the waterfalls, the permeating scent of evergreens, and the fresh fruit of the land.
With much reluctance with Legolas could feel through his fingers, Elladan slowly released the prince. He couldn't make eye contact and stared at the dirt the prince had so carefully studied before him.
He took a step back and released a labored sigh, "Oh Valar, I'm so sorry, Legolas. You come to me for friendship and I-
"Shh! Don't apologize," Legolas held his finger tips up to Elladan's still-moist lips. He smiled, genuinely smiled. "Do not worry, you are nothing like them."
A small smile formed beneath his finger tips and Elladan lifted his own fingers to mingle with the prince's. He held them like he cherished them and let them ghostly move across his face. The two elicited a small laugh.
"You must get ready for your appointment now, I guess," Elladan slowly stepped away from the prince and took his seat again.
Legolas sighed, "Yes." He smiled regretfully and slowly turned to go. Elladan let him go this time. As he walked down the hallway a million thoughts entered his mind. I have never felt like that before… Despite the questions and concerns running through his mind, he got ready to meet Haldir.
Reality struck those sweet images away and he was left feeling like did before: cold, but not alone. I must convince Haldir to support Mirkwood, if I don't, its downfall will be my fault. Once again, I will be proved a failure. With that, he chose an interesting outfit. A sheer shirt with golden piping fastened with a belt of spun gold. The pants were less sheer and continued with the same theme. With much care, he washed his face and mouth, he had learned from past experience that lovers hated to taste or catch the scent of someone else. He wished he didn't have to do this; the taste was comforting just like its owner.
His blades were already shined and ready as were his arrows, just in case. There was still blood on the quiver, not a lot, but just enough to remember…
"Legolas, it's only three of us left!" Elegion, his best friend of many years yelled.
He sliced the throat of another orc, "Try to retreat! Keep trying!"
Elegion pummeled through three orcs to get closer to Legolas so they could keep together, "I have your back, go forward!" Legolas followed his advice and kept moving, kept swinging his blades, and kept getting more exhausted. He had already had his second wind, third wind, fourth, fifth, sixth… they had been fighting non-stop for days now. He didn't even resemble his former self; blood fresh and dried covered his being. The orc poison from the ground clung to his open wounds and stung with great anger. He didn't see an end in sight… the orcs' numbers were decreasing but not enough.
Elegion suddenly yelped, Legolas had come to know that sound well within the past few days, as it seemed to elicit from one of his friends constantly. But he did not ever expect this to come from Elegion, one of the top twenty fighters their realm had to offer. He turned to aid his friend immediately. His throat was cut and blood spurt all over the prince, his friend's blood dripped furiously from the prince's quiver.
Never had he seen such a horrifying sight and immediately killed the offending orc, but that didn't help Elegion at all. As soon as his struggling corpse fell to the ground it was trampled and fell apart before his very eyes. Bones began to protrude from the bloody mass, no one would have been able to tell that this was once a beautiful, loved, and celebrated elf warrior of Mirkwood.
The memory shook him horribly and he picked up the quiver and made his way to Haldir's quarters.
Elladan paced around the garden thinking over his actions. I can't believe I just did that… He says that I'm not like the others but I feel like I am. I acted so quickly, I have never done that. The poor prince comes all the way from Mirkwood to represent and help his country and the sons of Elrond just chase him down and ravage him like a piece of meat. Maybe Elrohir and I are much more alike than I thought.
"What are you thinking about?" a voice identical to his called from behind, startling him. "Brother?"
"Too much."
"As usual," Elrohir laid his hands on his brother's shoulders and squeezed them. "You have always thought too much. Ruminating over things until you have seen them from all sides at least 6 times each."
"Thinking is a fairly important habit, Elrohir, perhaps you should practice it more," he laughed cynically, sibling rivalry did not stop after their days as elflings.
He playfully poked him in the side, "Oh, you're so funny, brother! A laugh riot, indeed!" Elladan smiled at that. "Speaking of things that are laughable, standing up for the pretty prince at dinner tonight, I see."
Elladan's eyes returned to their serious mood, "Just because he talks to your pets that doesn't mean you have to terrorize the poor elf."
"Oh, but, Elladan, it's so fun." Elladan turned and punched his brother square in the ribs, he stumbled backwards, very surprised and his eyes brimming with hurt and tears, "Brother?"
The other immediately regretted the action and went to help him, "Are you alright?"
Elrohir gently pushed his helping hands away and looked afraid, "Are you alright? You're acting strangely."
"I'm fine," he answered, perhaps a little too quickly and confidently.
Elrohir slowly approached him with caution, "No, you're not. What happened?" Elladan tried to hide his sad smirk and turned his head away. His brother collected him in his arms as an attempt to see his face more closely. He brought his hands up to his own features, aware that his brother was attempting to probe his thoughts, something he had mastered over the last few thousand years. "Stop hiding it, Elladan." He pulled his brother's hands away so he could divulge more precisely his suspicions.
"Elrohir, just leave me be," Elladan pleaded, reminding the other of their days as elflings.
"Don't say that, Elladan. It hurts me when you say such things," Elrohir ignored his inspection and pulled the twin into a tight hug, his fingers running over his back, taking in the familiarity. "How could I ever leave you alone? I know you would never leave me alone." Elladan agreed with that whole-heartedly despite the ill-characteristics his brother often possessed. He was his twin and he loved him since conception. It would be against nature for them to ever separate, especially them: Elven history had hardly seen other twins that rivaled their dedication to each other. Their own father was not fortunate enough to share such a resilient bond with his own twin.
"I'm sorry I hit you," Elladan confessed. "I didn't mean it."
Elrohir smelled something familiar on his brother's collar. Is that what I think it is? He slightly pulled away from the embrace and licked Elladan's lips, much to his brother's surprise.
He examined the taste and confirmed his suspicions, "Yes, you meant to." Elladan realized immediately what Elrohir had just found out. "His taste still lingers on your lips… his scent still lingers on your collar. What have you done?" Tears started to reform in his brother's eyes and he clenched his teeth in anger.
"I…"
"No, no, I'm sorry -wrong question. I know what you have done. But, why? How could you go against me like that? I told you he was dangerous, Elladan. I told you to keep your distance from him!"
"Brother, let me explain-
"No! He's only playing with you. I'm telling you that elf is a whore. I could see it written all over his neck when he got here," Elrohir choked on a sob and grunted in frustration.
"You don't understand, Elrohir. He has changed his ways!" Elladan gasped again, he probably shouldn't have said that, along with a lot of other things that escaped his mouth that night.
"What was that? So he is a whore. I knew it! What did I tell you?"
"But he's changing!"
"No, he isn't! Look at the situation that lays before us, my beloved brother! I see him fraternizing with Haldir and now with you, my very own brother," Elrohir let the tears flow more freely and cried out. "Oh, Valar, why? He not only takes my lover but my brother as well? The games you play are not fair!"
"Elrohir, stop," Elladan tried to embrace him once again.
Elrohir shoved his brother away this time in disgust, "No, I can't even stand to look at you now that you are tainted by that wretched whore!"
"Please, don't say that! I can't stand for you to be repulsed by me!" Elladan pleaded.
"Can't you see, brother? He has you under his spell! You are merely a pawn in his game of seduction! He comes here not to aid Mirkwood but only to pleasure himself! The hierarchy of Mirkwood probably became exhausted with his escapades and sent him here to destroy the hierarchy of Imaldris!" he made his way to the exit. "He has not changed, he will never change. I will prove this to you!"
Elladan was again left alone to his own thoughts.
Pssssst, review! Please!