I am sooooooooo sorry that took so long to post! My life's crazy right now, and I haven't had enough time to write everything I want to write! But I managed to get this chapter out.
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Chapter 2: Life's Dinner
You could say that Glorfindel's home was a bit of an improvement from his previous living conditions, in Haldir's extra bedroom of their already small house. But not much. The house, placed on the rim of Rivendell farms, was a three-room deal with a bedroom, living room/kitchen, and a bathroom. Still, for Glorfindel, it was enough. I supposed I was just too adjusted to my spacious beach house. He opened the front door (the only door), and Haldir, Glorfindel, and I filed inside.
"I've got some drinks somewhere over in the fridge, last check," Glorfindel said as he threw himself on an old couch. Dirt and dust flew up from it on impact. Haldir made his way over to the little refrigerator in the corner, pulling out some cans of unknown substances. Best to keep it that way, I guessed. I sat in a chair across from Glorfindel.
"So how's it been goin' around here?" Haldir asked as he sauntered over to us, throwing two cans in our general direction. I snatched one before it hit the stone floor below me. Glorfindel shrugged, unable to speak as he held the rim of the can in his teeth while taking off his shoes.
"Well enough," he finally said. "There's always something to do, of course; Elrond wouldn't have it any other way, but I'm managing. And pay's enough to live by." Haldir chuckled at that.
"Wish it worked that way with my job. Working at that store's great in the summer, when there's cash flow, but after that, poof, all the money's gone." Haldir motioned for me to scoot over on the chair. He flopped down beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"And, of course," Glorfindel mocked, "there's sweet little Legolas over here, no job at all, a father who can provide plenty for him, everything he would ever want." My temper suddenly flared inside of me. Everything I want! Ha, that's a laugh! Walk one day in my shoes, I almost spat at Glorfindel. Try to live my life for just one day and then you'll see. Oh, life's far from perfect, bud. Far from it.
"I'd get a job if I could," I retorted. "But that bastard I have for a father insists that I stay away from such things, claiming that I should wait until I can find a 'respectable job', which, of course, means after college." Haldir rolled his eyes.
"Always blamin' it on your father," he complained. "Spoiled rotten you are."
"And you don't help that at all," Glorfindel noted to Haldir. Haldir grinned and kissed the top of my head. My mind told me to get away from this topic of discussion before I let the fires inside of me explode. I took a few calming breaths.
"Oh, Glorfindel, how's Arod doing?" I said quickly. Glorfindel shrugged again.
"Good. He's been behaving himself, which is a miracle. At least, I don't think he's scared off any more grooms." I laughed. Arod was a bit...temperamental for anyone excluding me. I could not understand why they whispered that he was a demon horse. He always behaved under my hand.
"Hey, you two want to stay for dinner? I can call up to Elrond's place and tell him you're coming, since he's invited me to a meal tonight." Haldir shrugged and pulled me closer to him, kissing my shoulder, his eyes half closed. I nodded in response. Glorfindel grinned. "That's great," he announced. "I was hopin' I'd have some company there." He moved towards the phone in the other room, leaving Haldir and me alone. Haldir turned me around until I was facing him, sitting now in his lap, one leg on either side of him. He twirled a finger around my hair.
"You survive school?" he asked. I grunted in response.
"Possibly," I said after a while. Haldir grinned wolfishly at me. Suddenly, I felt where this conversation was going. I felt it in me as Haldir ran his hand down my chest while his lips touched mine. My body shivered in pleasure while my mind screamed at me to stop this, break away.
"Not now, Haldir," I groaned, pushing him off me. But Haldir was persistent. His eyes gleamed with joy and longing. He lusted for me, and there was no moving him from his path.
Next thing I knew, I was on the couch, Haldir above me, my shirt already on the ground. He worked at my belt, slipping it free from my pants.
"Don't say anything," Haldir grumbled to me, his mind hazy. I gazed at him with pleading eyes, but he did not relent. My clothes fell to the floor in a heap.
"So Elrond said that everything would be fine for you...two..." Glorfindel stood in the doorway from his bedroom and the living room. He raised his eyebrows as I turned my eyes to him. He glanced once at Haldir, eagerly placing kisses on my pale skin, and cleared his throat. "Hey, Haldir, seriously! Can't you hold off just a little while? Anyway, Elrond told us to come on up for the meal. It's not ready yet, but he needs to talk to me, and you two should come up also, socialize, you know, with people other then yourselves." He winked at me, and I gave a knowing smile.
"Yes, Haldir," I whispered in his ear, gently lifting him away as I reached for my clothes. "Glorfindel's right about that." Haldir objected but did let me get to my clothes. He glowered at the retreating back of Glorfindel.
"Bastard," Haldir said as I slipped my shirt over my head. I gave an exasperated sigh.
"Well he's right," I snapped. "Can't you ever control yourself...?" Suddenly his hand slapped my cheek, the cheek he was only moments ago running his hungry lips across. It stung from his blow, but I did not flinch, did not give him that pleasure.
"Don't say that ever again," he warned, "or your punishment will be much worse. Come on." He hauled me away from the couch, an arm around my waist. He called for Glorfindel before dragging me outside.
We walked in silence for a while, Glorfindel catching up so he could lead us through the fields. We walked along a weaving dirt road that joined the two houses. To either side were pastures. Sometimes, an occasional horse or two would trot to the fence and follow us, snorting at Glorfindel. He laughed and told them he was empty handed with a smile, a true, sincere smile.
That was the thing about Glorfindel. Whatever cold shell he had broke around horses. They were his passion and his love. He laughed around them, smiled, his dark eyes lighting up with shreds of happiness not apparent on his face otherwise. It was almost magical what those beasts could do to him.
Finally, cresting a small hill, we saw the house of Elrond, sitting alone amongst the fields, the first sign of human life. It was a mansion of a place. All the land near to it was filled with trees, unlike the surrounding pastures. They were green now in the late summertime, that lush green that only comes before a tree turns to brown in the coming winter.
The house itself was set up quite strangely. It was a square structure with a courtyard in the middle. I had not seen anything of its kind beforehand. I always admired it, loving the view of flatlands surrounding it. Haldir finally broke away from me as we entered the miniature forest. Even he held Elrond in great respect and wouldn't dare to be his traditional...clingy self.
A young maid opened the door. She smiled politely and allowed us into the large entrance hallway. I had entered this house before, briefly, but I was never let in through the front door and it took my breath away. The oak floor had large rugs covering it, the intricate designs like nothing I had seen. Paintings covered the paneled walls. To one side was an ornate, floor-length mirror, its surface glowing in the light, the carvings of trees winding their way up to the point at the top where a wooden star glowed. Glorfindel had brushed past me, and I took a few hesitant steps. The floor did not creak beneath my foot. I cast my gaze above me towards the arched ceiling.
"Follow me," the maid said, leading us down a long corridor. Along the outer side were many windows, letting in the streams of light. There were plants all around me, sitting in large, carved marble pots or elegant holders of bent metals. This was a paradise to my eyes. I affectionately reached out for one of the plants, stroking its leaf as I passed.
The path wove to the right, nearer to the inside garden, and the maid led us down a new hallway. This one was open from one side, the other a plain wall. I looked out over the courtyard in astonishment. There was a stream that ran through it, leading to a small pond partially hidden by plants. A stone walkway wove itself through the thick grasses and bushes. There were a few stone benches set up under the shade of some trees.
"Amazing," Haldir whispered in my ear. I nodded slowly.
Finally, the maid turned us loose, announcing we were now inside the family's private quarters (as if the rest of the house wasn't theirs). Elrond was in the library, no doubt, if that is whom we came to speak with. Glorfindel nodded and sauntered off in that direction.
"You two can have fun—clean fun, mind you—and look around for a bit. I'll be just a few minutes. And then we'll head over to get some dinner with the family." He knocked on the door. A deep rumbling voice came from inside. Glorfindel carefully cracked open the door and left us alone in the hallway.
"Damn," Haldir said, now that we were alone. "Damn, damn I've never seen a place like this." He ran a hand through his hair. I smiled at his amazement. I knew that even my home, no hovel, was nothing in comparison to this, and it was dazzling to me. My father was one for...lavish living. Still, our way of life dimmed in comparison to this.
"I think that I would like to take a stroll in the gardens," I announced, hoping to make my getaway. Haldir grinned.
"You go on, if you can behave yourself," he grinned, "I want to look around inside for a while. I'll get you when Glorfindel's done." He placed a quick kiss on my lips before letting me go my own way. I almost dashed for the safety of the outside world.
I could see the sun, lower in the sky before but not yet set. Around me birds chirped, singing their late songs. I let out a long sigh and wrapped my arms around myself. The sound of the creek, splashing across rocks and weaving its way through the courtyard, lulled me into a state of peace. The rays of yellow light danced across the stone walkways. Trees swayed in the gentle sea breeze, their long branches turning gently as if in time to some unknown song that only they sang. When I was young, I pretended that these trees did have a language, their very own form of words that only they understood. They whispered to each other in the daytime, sharing stories, reflecting on the way of life and on the humans around them. Sometimes, I could almost hear a quick word or two between them.
Childhood.
That was a strange time, childhood. Every day was a new experience, something fresh for me, an unwritten page in my book. But those pages filled fast, and I found myself facing the harshness of reality all too soon. Five years ago when...
"Wha? What are you doing here?" I whirled around, startled by the noise around me but still too engrossed in my memories to think clearly. My foot caught on a break in the stones, and I felt my body slipping to the ground.
A pair of strong arms caught me, keeping me from hitting the ground below. I looked up to see Aragorn, the one from before, his eyes wide in astonishment. I let out a sliver of breath through my teeth.
"What are you doing here?" he repeated. His brow furrowed, grey eyes narrowing. I felt heat creeping into my cheeks suddenly, aware now that I half-sat with his arms supporting me, warm arms, gazing into his deep eyes, his strong face...
"Oh, I..." I stammered. I took a deep breath. "I came here with my friend, Glorfindel, one of the hands on the farm, and I was only out taking a stroll here." Aragorn flashed a good-natured smile.
"I understand," he responded. "Are you all right after that fall? You look a little red..."
"I'm fine," I assured him, the previous comment only increasing my blush. Of course, I was fine! It was merely a little trip, that's all, and Aragorn was there to catch me when I did slip. Yes, I was just fine, content, in fact...
Legolas, stop thinking like that.
"That's good. So, you are friends with Glorfindel. I've never seen you around here." He lifted me to my feet, and I slowly stood on my own. Aragorn brushed himself off.
"Well, I've never seen you, either," I countered, turning sharply away. Anger flared inside of me, both at Aragorn and at myself, and my tongue was getting a bit too sharp for my liking. Aragorn shrugged and shouldered past me to a bench where he plopped down. I stood my ground. "And I have often come to Elrond's home for many different occasions with my father."
"Then you would not have seen me; most of those times I am in the fields or forests here. I'm not one to stick around then." I shrugged, turning away from him. "Those things bore me."
"I can understand that," I agreed, smiling to myself.
"So, Legolas—it is Legolas, isn't it?—I didn't think you would be one to fall like that. You've proven quite clumsy, I must say," Aragorn noted, his voice suddenly much closer then it was before. I whirled around to him a foot away from me. I glared at him, crossing my arms.
"You only met me today and already pass judgment on me? Then I do not have tolerance for you, for I cannot stand your kind. I would have you know that I more graceful then you shall ever be."
"Then I am sorry," Aragorn responded coldly, sensing my own frigidness. I looked to the sky above me. There was not a cloud in sight, the type of clearness only achieved at the Oceanside. The sun looked down upon me. I blinked to clear my eyes before turning my attention to the trees around me.
"Legolas," Aragorn began. He stopped and fumbled for words. I waited patiently for him to speak.
"Legolas!" another voice called. I turned around to see Haldir, waving to me from the archway that led to the family's private chambers. Behind him was Glorfindel. I glanced once at Aragorn before rushing away to Haldir.
"Maybe we can talk...later..." I heard Aragorn say quietly. But Haldir had his arms around me again. He gave me a warm kiss, and I snuggled closer to him before we left again for the inside of the house. I forced a smile at seeing Haldir again. He nuzzled my soft hair, whispering sweet words in my ear as we made our way to another section of the house.
As we crossed the arch to the wing of the house where we would eat, I thought I heard a faint sigh from Aragorn, but I did not turn around to check.
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"It's nice to have you here," Elrond announced. I looked up from my plate which I had been examining...somewhat. Out of the corner of my eye, I cast glances beside me where Aragorn sat quietly. Haldir sat on my other side. "Glorfindel has been doing extra work, you see, and so for a bonus once a week, along with extra money, he receives a meal, courtesy of my house," he continued.
"Yes, well," Glorfindel corrected, "my work hasn't been that much. The way you put it, sir, it sounds like I've done much more." Glorfindel took a bite of meat to cover the stammer in his voice. I was surprised to note that he had in fact a touch of red on his normally pale cheeks. Was he...blushing? Elrond smiled at him.
"How does your father fare, Legolas?" Elrond asked, changing the subject abruptly. "I have not heard much from Thranduil these days." I shrugged. What was I to say to that? My father never seemed to change...never.
"He is doing fine, as always," I finally responded politely. "He has been busy, as of late, but other then that, I think that life treats him well." Anger flared inside of me, the fire growing only because of the thought of my father. Oh, yes, life treated him perfectly. He never seemed to have a problem on him, not one, or at least, not one worth fretting over. "I think..."
"I am very sorry that I am late!" a sudden voice cried out. Beside me, Aragorn went rigid. Haldir stopped shoveling food into his mouth, and Glorfindel looked up from his plate. I closed my mouth as a woman rounded the bend into the dining room. Her face was flushed from running. She smoothed down her skirt, smiled sweetly to us all, and walked casually to her seat.
"I am glad you decided to join us, Arwen," Elrond said coldly after a long silence. Elladan whispered something to Elrohir, causing the latter twin to shake with controlled laughter. Arwen smiled again, her white teeth shining.
"So am I, father," she replied. "Hello Legolas; it is nice to see you again. Oh, and hello Haldir." Contempt tainted her honey sweet voice.
I think that beside me, Haldir was gawking. The last time he saw Arwen was two years ago before she quit school to be home schooled. She rarely came to the island anymore, and in this time, she had grown quite beautiful. Her long hair, falling to her back, was tied in a long braid now. In the light of the chandelier above us her blue eyes shone. She had fair skin and was built perfectly, with a thin frame and long limbs. There was no way for someone to deny that she possessed outward beauty. Of course, if one were attentive, they would notice I mentioned nothing of her disposition.
Elrond glowered at her once before taking a bite of his own meal.
The rest of the meal continued without any major problems. Elrond dismissed the twins early in a rage after they did not cease their "quite comments to each other." Arwen chattered away in her normal fashion, receiving many glares from Elrond, but she smiled those off, continuing in her talk without a pause. Haldir kept relatively silent throughout the meal, and kept any gestures towards me as a gentle rub of my leg under the table. Glorfindel said little, content to look anywhere but at Elrond. I could see that he was embarrassed by something, and I suspected I knew what that something was. I looked once at Elrond and could tell that he tried to avoid Glorfindel's glance also. I grinned to myself.
"Well, we must be going," Haldir said as he leaned back in his chair. He had just finished another slice of torte served for dessert. Elrond shrugged and gave a small smile.
"I hope to see both of you back again soon, then." Haldir rose, and I followed him from the hall, leaving through a back door that led outside. The air was cool but not unpleasant, in fact quite a relief from the traditional heat of the seaside. Haldir wrapped an arm around my waist as we made our way back to Glorfindel's cabin.
"Well, I would have never expected," Haldir said suddenly. "I mean, what was with Glorfindel?" I laughed and leaned on Haldir's shoulder. He nuzzled the top of my head.
"Couldn't you tell? He was embarrassed...to be in Elrond's presence. Now mull over that for a while." Haldir did, and he gasped as the answer came to him. I chuckled. "Now do you see?" Haldir shook his head.
"But the years...doesn't Glorfindel care?"
"I don't think so. If you might remember, he had watched Elrond for a while before. This is the first time though that he looked thoroughly...nervous in Elrond's presence." Haldir looked to the heavens, eyebrows raised. "He's admired Elrond for years, yes, years now."
"Oh well!" Haldir sighed, throwing his hands into the air. "I suppose if Glorfindel wants it, he can have it that way!" I laughed again, and Haldir joined me. We wove our way through the pasturelands, his arm around my waist, me pressed against him. Despite our quarrel only this afternoon, I was quite content to be by his side. He was warm, and his hands were tender, loving. Haldir cared now, cared for me, cared for my love. It was a rare moment to have this, rare to see Haldir abandoning his traditional thoughts.
I cherished every step we took, every breath. This was the love I craved from Haldir, this tender affection, this sweet devotion, not his possessiveness, not his lust. But all too soon, that moment ended. We got in the car and sped away. The island grew nearer, and in all too short of a time, Haldir stopped his car in front of my house.
"Goodnight," I said to Haldir, grabbing my books from the car. Haldir reached for me and kissed me once more.
"My love," he whispered before driving away into the night. I made my way up the flight of stairs to the deck of my house. If I entered through the back door there was a chance that my father would not hear me, that the sound of the door opening would not betray my coming. I set one bag down, fumbling with my keys before I found the one to the door.
It opened before I had a chance to try. Thranduil stood in the doorway, glaring at me. I swallowed my fear and went in.
"Stay here and sit down. You can put your bags up later," Thranduil commanded. I knew that I was in for it, then, in for yet another lecture. My father did not use that tone lightly. He saved it for only the right moment, as a prelude to a long lecture about my behavior. I sat down on the couch.
"You were out with Haldir, weren't you?" Thranduil guessed. "You did not call me to tell me that you would go somewhere other then home after school..."
"I tried to call from Glorfindel's place, but the phone was busy," I snapped. My father turned away from me, folding his hands behind his back. "I did call though, but you were on the phone."
"It was for business, so that is no excuse that you can use. I needed the phone, therefore placing the blame upon your shoulders that you did not contact me some other way." My nostrils flared and I gripped the edge of my cushion. But this was only the beginning of my father's routine. If I let my anger get out of control now, the lecture to follow would only be more painful. "But tell me, what were you doing at Glorfindel's home?"
"I was there after school to be with my friends. We did not do anything illegal. We did not drink anything. We did not act like delinquents the entire time," I ran down the list to save my father's breath. He didn't have to ask. "In fact, Elrond invited us to dinner at his mansion, so we ate there."
"I expect you were respectful to him, as any man of your class should be." I nodded. "And Haldir contained himself?" I nodded again. "And you did not act in a way that would somehow anger Elrond?" I nodded for a third time. "But that cannot make up for the fact that you were gone!" Thranduil roared. "I was worried about you, Legolas! I fretted over you. And even now I worry, for you have been gone too long to have stayed only at Elrond's estate. Where else have you been?"
"Nowhere," I responded coolly.
"Do not lie to me!" Thranduil threatened. "I know you're lying, and that doesn't do any good. Listen to me, son, and listen to me well. I have expectations for you, do you understand? You are falling off, getting involved with the wrong people, the trash of the world, partying, drinking, carousing with that boyfriend of yours and his friends. I don't know what's happened to you, Legolas. You used to be a good child, you used to call me, you used to think that I cared and wanted to know..."
"I did call, goddammit!" I shouted. Thranduil paused only momentarily.
"Shut up!" he roared. "I know what you did and did not do! No words from you will sway me. I cannot have you act like trash. You were never trash, but I fear that at the rate you are going, we might get there sooner then I want. You have a good image with most people, Legolas, being my son, and I don't want that to change. Now, get out of my sight!" He pointed upstairs and sank into a chair, a hand over his face. I stormed from the room.
"Easy home life, ha," I grumbled once behind the closed door to my room. I fell back onto the couch on one wall, scattering some blankets and a few pillows. "At least Glorfindel doesn't put up with that shit daily." A good image, business, my son, it was always the same rant, no matter what the offense. My father had expectations for me, and he expected me to fill those. Of course, he took it upon himself to remind me of those responsibilities as long and loud as he could. I was the son of a upstanding man. I could not be seen in public with my friends. I should not spend all of my time around Haldir. I could not...I should not...my son...my son....
"Fuck you, bastard!" I screamed silently. I was already in enough trouble, and shouting that at the top of my lungs would not do me any good. Instead, I grabbed a book from the shelf next to my bed and fell back on the couch. There were two windows above me, moonlight shining through both of them. I smiled at the sight, the clear stars glowing through the glass, the dark sky, tops of houses illuminated in the glow from streetlights. It was so beautiful out tonight...
...but no doubt if I tried to step outside my father would bar the door, shove me back in my room, and keep a steady watch on me all night so I didn't escape again. So, I contented myself with reading from the book in my hand, a sure fire way to escape from the world around me for now.
My eyelids grew heavy. It wasn't late, but I was tired, tired of the world around me. In sleep I could abandon my life and let the darkness roll over me in gentle waves. I did that frequently, just slept, curled upon my couch (my bed was uncomfortable) while I left behind the waking world and deserted reality.
I closed my eyes and turned to my side, burying my face in the back of the couch. I wrapped a blanket around me and fell into a restless sleep.
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I would like to say now that this chappie went un-betaed (due to time reasons), so if you see any mistakes please tell me. I'll try to fix them, and I will send it to my beta and post a betaed version soon, but for now, it is not! So sorry!
Please review! Oooooor...I could...hehehehehe, best not to confide what I'll do just yet. But you know me! Always will involve...character death! So, review!
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