Chapter 43: Pancakes are sticky
Legolas jumped out of Haldir's arms and sat on his chair at the table. Usually, he sat between his father who was at the head of the table, and his sister, followed by his mother at the other head of the table, Cield and then Tonus at the other side of Thranduil, but things had changed and now it was Thranduil, Legolas, Illiendal, Cield and then Tonus, their mother no longer at the table. But this table was not like usual. Haldir took Thranduil's place and Legolas had the side he and his sister ate at all to himself. The table was as it usually was for Tonus and Cield.
Legolas used his fingers to eat the pancakes. Haldir would have scolded him, but he had been gone now to fix his toe and clean his cuts, and promised Legolas he would return.
Legolas did something he should not have. His fingers, coated in sticky syrup, scratched his head, covering his golden hair with syrup. When Haldir returned, leggings no longer on as his bandaged toe refused to go in the leggings (and ripped holes in the leggings every time they tried to go over the toe), Haldir nearly yelled in horror.
"Legolas! You have syrup all over your hair!"
"So?"
"This is very sticky and you will need to take a bath to get it out."
"NO!"
"Yes. Now finish your food and we will give you a bath after."
Legolas miserably ate as Haldir ate rapidly, hoping to catch Legolas before he ran away.
When Tonus finished eating, Haldir politely asked him to create a bath for Legolas. Tonus obeyed, and came back in a few minutes telling that the bath water was of a good temperature and that Legolas could now bathe.
Legolas had syrup all over him now, and he was finished eating. But to the elfling's horror, Haldir grabbed him just before he ran off. Haldir held the elfling close to his chest, despite the squeals and kicks Legolas made.
Once he arrived in the bathroom he shut the door and locked it. Trying to distract Haldir from undressing him and getting him in the warm bath, Legolas unbuttoned half the buttons on Haldir's tunic. Haldir frowned and, knowing it was the only way to calm Legolas from stripping him again, slapped the elfling's wrist a third time in the day. Legolas pulled his arm back sadly.
Haldir re-buttoned his tunic and grabbed the elfling tightly around his waist, being gentle though so he would not injure him too much.
Haldir unbuttoned Legolas' tunic, but the prince grabbed his hand and held it tight as soon as Haldir took off the elfling's tunic.
"Hal, why can you take off my tunic, but when I take off you, you hit my wrist?"
"Because little elfling, I need to bathe you, therefore you need me to undress you. But I do not need to be undressed, so you cannot undress me."
"Oh..."
Legolas made a face as Haldir undressed him and placed him in the water. Legolas kept his sour face as soap was lathered in his hair, and as Haldir rinsed his hair clean. He nearly bit Haldir when he began to wash behind his ears.
Legolas' sour face stayed on him all the while he bathed. Haldir smiled at one point as he placed the bar of soap he had been scrubbing the sticky little prince with back down in its place.
"Finished sweetie."
Legolas' sour face then faded and was replaced with a grin as Haldir pulled him out of the water and wrapped him in a towel, using a second towel to dry Legolas' hair. The prince growled as Haldir roughly used the second towel to dry his hair, then wrapped his hair up in the towel.
Carrying the toweled up Legolas, the elfling twirled Haldir's hair in his now clean fingers. Haldir smiled as the elfling clapped his hands in delight, continuing to play with the hair.
Haldir placed the elfling onto his bed in his room as he searched around for Legolas' clothes. To Legolas' surprise, instead of being dressed in his green tunic that he loved, he was placed in his blue nightclothes. The soft silk was just washed and felt good on the elfling. But he still wondered why Haldir placed him in his pajamas.
"Nap time little elfling"
"Aww! I don't want to nap!"
"Sorry sweetie, but you must."
"But... can you stay with me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nap with me. I get scared when I am alone. Please?"
"Well... I... I suppose. Some sleep will do me some good."
"Can we sleep in Ada's bed?"
"Since you are no longer sticky, we can. Your father has nothing against his clean son sleeping in his bed."
Haldir took the elfling in one arm, the elfling's towels and sticky clothing in the other. On his way to the king's chambers, he tossed the elfling's clothes and towels in the laundry room.
Haldir lay the elfling in his father's bed. Haldir lay beside Legolas and pulled the blankets up to both their necks. Haldir gave Legolas a soft kiss on his cheek before falling asleep.
Legolas realized that Haldir must have been quite sleepy, as he had just drifted off. Legolas crawled close to Haldir and lay his head on the older elf's chest. Legolas brought his knees to his own chest and slowly fell asleep against Haldir.
To be Continued...