Author's Note: Light and fluffy, but then I'm just so happy to be back!

------------------------------------------------

"Um, well, you see," Glorfindel flailed.

"Glorfindel?"

The blond jumped and turned hurriedly, welcoming Elladan with a grin so wide it made the younger elf suspicious. He knew Glorfindel, and Glorfindel was never this happy to see him. Bronwe's involvement only drove that point home.

"I'll go," he said sweetly, "I do not want to disturb you."

"No, no, Elladan, your presence is required here," Glorfindel called frantically, dragging him back bodily by the arm, "Bronwe here has a question for us; do you not, pen-dithen? Now, ask Elladan and I am sure he will explain everything."

Bronwe sighed in a long suffering manner, bored and irritated. It had been a simple question. Surely it was not some great secret? "Why do big elves kiss with their tongues?" she repeated in a lack-lustre voice.

Elladan's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Glorfindel kindly kicked him very gently on the ankle and jerked his head expressively to her. "You are not ancient, mellon nín. Surely you remember how to speak with an eight-year-old?"

"About the facts of life?" Elladan hissed, agitatedly, "I cannot do this!"

Bronwe looked from one to the other and slipped out of her seat in the library, running quietly away while the two males argued. It always happened so, she knew. Trotting happily down the hallway, she ran into Arwen and Aragon- literally! In fact, she ended by turning a corner and smacking Aragorn in the leg.

Once the mortal had stifled his initial reaction to cursing whatever it was digging nails into his shin, he bend down and picked her up, laughing as he teased her. "Look, Arwen. It's an elfling escaped from her lessons."

Arwen tsked right along with him, smiling her gentle smile as she ruffled the indignant elfling's hair with a soft hand. Bronwe noticed that the pendant around her elder sister's neck was missing. It had been her pride and joy, that necklace. Perhaps she had removed it for fear of losing it? Bronwe swept it from her mind as she tried to jump down and scamper off.

"Put me down," she demanded, wriggling like a fish.

Aragorn grabbed her and held her tight in his arms. "And where will you go?" he asked.

"Outside," she snapped, folding her arms in a huff, "Want to see the snow."

"Bronwe, you are not allowed to wander without at least your thick boots," Arwen reprimanded, "And you know Ada does not like you to go outside alone. Anything could happen to you and who would know?"

Aragorn shifted a little nervously. It had not been so many years in elfish time since he had done much the same as Bronwe. Elrond had eventually threatened to tie him to the table if he didn't stop sneaking out of his lessons. In all consciousness, he could not be so hypocritical.

"Yes, Arwen," Bronwe said meekly, subsiding into his arms. Soft lips trembled as the blue eyes looked woebegone. "But Glorfindel is arguing with Elladan."

Arwen raised an eyebrow, and looked at her love with a half-mischievous, half-frantic look. It was the look of a sister who has survived the wars of pranks and counter-pranks that followed any such argument between her father's seneschal and her brothers. Elladan, of course, was preferable to Elrohir, but that was not by much. Both were stubborn and both were creative, only matched by Glorfindel. Even Erestor had eventually given up against the twins, but not Glorfindel! Oh no, he had beaten the Balrog and he had made sure he drew a tie with his new opponents.

"I see," she sighed, "Well, dress warmly and Estel and I will take you out. Will that do?"

Bronwe gave a happy cry and took off running as soon as she was set down.

Aragorn watched her retreat with a thoughtful look on his face before thinking to call after her- "What were Glorfindel and Elladan arguing about?"

Bronwe turned around and shrugged. "About why big elves kiss with their tongues," she replied loudly, much to the scandal of a passing servant.

Arwen burst out laughing and Aragorn leaned heavily against the wall. He didn't even want to think about the connotations of that conversation. Elbereth's stars, but was half of Imladris attracted to the same sex? He did not have a problem with it, but Glorfindel of all people! The Elf Lord was as sexually straight-laced as a plank of wood!

By the time afternoon descended and Elladan met up with a still-flustered Aragorn, the edain was willing to strangle his eldest foster brother. "What possessed you," he demanded, "To put such an idea in her head? She has been dropping references to kisses and tongues and making love all over Imladris. And in the most casual little way! Lord Elrond will have your head for it."

"Lord Elrond?" Elladan gurgled in devilish amusement. "I do not think Ada can do that."

There was something afoot. Aragorn was not often as perceptive as he would like to be, but even he sensed something here. He narrowed his eyes and squinted at the smug face before him, noting the lazy posture and the arrogantly tilted head. Elladan only ever looked like that when he was about to have some fun with a secret no one else knew.

"And why cannot Lord Elrond do anything to you?"

"The Lord of Imladris, my revered Estel, is extraordinarily busy," Elladan smirked, "With the Prince of Mirkwood."

"No!" Aragorn's eyes went wide again and he clutched at Elladan, dragging him into the nearest room and shutting the door. Since they were in the family wing in any case there was little chance that any passing elf would overhear their conversation. He ignored the fact that they were in a dusty guest bedroom and pushed Elladan down on the bed. "Tell me all," he urged.

Elladan chuckled at the sight of his little brother turned into an avid gossipmonger. But he supposed it was only to be expected. Aragorn never pried into any business unless it concerned his family or his best friends. In this case, it concerned members from both categories. It was probably like a festival day for the human.

"I entered the library looking for my book," Elladan began, eyes sparking at Aragorn's expressive smirk, "Yes, that book, Aragorn. Elrohir had needed it for some, uh, research on a difficult case. He left it in the library, the orc-brained menace. However, I went in to retrieve it and Glorfindel was panicking. It seems Bronwe asked him why adults kissed with their tongues. He pushed me to explain. I didn't know how..."

"What does this have to do with Ada?" Estel demanded, grabbing his brother in his impatience.

"Wait, wait, oh impatient one," Elladan laughed, stilling the hands on his shoulders, "He asked me to explain and I was caught up in a panic too, trying to imagine what to say without being too crude. Bronwe slipped from us while Glorfindel and I argued about it. One thing was said, and then another, and I threatened to make Ada do all the explaining. Glorfindel only grinned."

"Well?"

"It seems he met Bronwe wondering around the hallways early in the morning and offered to go with her to Ada's rooms. He said he was worried for her solemn little face. Be that as it may, he received no answer to his knock and so opened the outer door. He saw Ada and Legolas together."

"Together?"

Elladan winced as the grip on his shoulders tightened to vices. "Yes," he grit out through clenched teeth, "Now let go!"

Aragorn paid no heed to him, only began to cheerfully shake him once more. "Do you know what this means?" he shouted, "Legolas will finally stop snapping my head off and Ada will finally stop asking me all manner of questions every time I return from the forests of Mirkwood! I will finally be able to spend more time with Arwen instead of telling Ada every move that Legolas made when I was with him! And at night I can sleep without Legolas mourning his unrequited love! I can dream in peace!"

The ranger was obviously overjoyed. So overjoyed that he jumped on top of his brother and embraced him, laughing with delight. Elladan shouted, only to have his air supply cut off by a badly placed arm around his neck and the full weight of the human jumping on his not-quite-healed ribs. He almost wept with relief to see Elrohir enter the room and stare at the two of them.

"Don't... stare," he yelled, "Help!"

Elrohir pulled the still elated Aragorn off his twin and patted him soothingly on the back. "We understand fully, Aragorn. You are unhinged, are you not?"

"Yes, I... what? No! I am happy- happy as a lark, as a flower in spring, as a mother at the sight of her newborn... as an orc at its first kill even."

Elrohir and Elladan watched Aragorn dance down the corridor, a smile on his lips and his eyes shining with love for all humanity.

"He should never write poetry," Elrohir commented, "Orc, indeed. Arwen won't be happy to know she is a murdered elf to his orc."