Legolas tossed and turned in Haldir's bed, but is was no use. The bed was not as soft or a big as the palace beds, and the bed was nothing like his father's bed or even his own bed. There were only a few pillows, and at the palace there was so many Legolas could make his own palace with them.
"Haldir, I can't sleep." Legolas whispered, prodding the bigger elf with his finger. "Haldir!"
"What's... the matter?"
"I just can't sleep!"
"Oh... Well, keep trying... There's not much I can do about... that."
Legolas grumbled as Haldir fell fast asleep again, leaving poor Legolas to try and sleep on his own. But, Legolas did find one good way of sleeping: Curled up on Haldir's chest... And so that is how Legolas slept, but Haldir had a wee bit of trouble breathing during the night, but luckily lived.
Haldir woke up to someone shaking him, and seemed to be having difficulty to do so.
"Wake up Haldir! Valar you're heavy!"
Haldir blinked and looked at Orophin, who was the one who was violently shaking him.
"What's your problem? Lost the key to MY house?"
"No... but, Legolas asked for breakfast, so I gave him some small baby carrots but I needed to ask you... Is he suppose to be able to stick his carrots in his nose."
Haldir jumped up and ran to his kitchen, where Legolas sat on the wooden countertop, slowly sticking very small carrots up his nose.
"Legolas!" Haldir snapped suddenly. In shock, Legolas dropped the carrot he held and it fell onto the floor. The carrots in his nose (a total of three) fell onto his lap.
"Why where you sticking CARROTS up your nose?"
"To see how many would go up. And Oatmeal said that if I push high enough I'll touch my brain."
"Orophin!"
But Orophin had already ran away, and he made sure to bring the key to Haldir's house with him in case he desired to go back in to the house for lunch or a midnight snack.
Legolas quickly ate the pieces of carrot that fell from his nose before Haldir had the chance to take them and dispose of them.
"Legolas! You ate that?"
"Ya."
"It came from your nose!"
"No, boogies come from my nose. That was carrot. Carrot comes from bunny rabbits."
"They come from seeds."
"That's a lie!" Legolas spat.
Haldir sighed and scooped Legolas up in his arms.
"I think you need a bath, you reek!"
"I do?"
"Yes, you do." Haldir carried him to his bathroom, where Legolas was gently placed in the tub, which was soon after filled with water. Haldir took a soapy cloth and gently scrubbed at Legolas' back.
"Haldir, the cloth's not soft!"
"This is as soft as I can afford Legolas. I would like to have some cloths as soft as the ones you have at your home, but if I spent that much on a single cloth I'd have no money left over for food or drink!" Haldir smiled at the small elfling who discovered a rubber duck lying on the floor.
"What's this doing here? You said that you had no elflings."
"No, I don't. That was mine many, many years ago when I was as little as you are."
"Can I play with it?"
"Of course." Haldir said, washing Legolas' hair as Legolas made the duck float on the bar of soap.
Haldir finished washing Legolas and sat and watched as Legolas played with the small duck.
"Are you done playing Legolas?"
"Ya, I guess."
Haldir took a towel and picked up Legolas carefully. Legolas was carried to Haldir's bedroom where Haldir dried his hair and dressed him.
"Come sit on my lap Legolas, so I may dry your hair." Haldir beckoned the elfling to his lap, and Legolas hopped up and sat happily on Haldir's lap as his hair was brushed and braided gently.
Haldir lay back in bed once finished with the elfling's hair and Legolas went down with him.
"I love you Haldir."
"I know you do, Legolas."
"I miss my ada."
"Tomorrow morning I will be taking you home to your ada."
"I'll miss you a lot Haldiw."
"I'll miss you too Legolas. Once your back safe in Mirkwood, I will be all alone here. But I will be able to wait until we see each other again, and you will too."
Legolas nodded.
To be continued...
Sorry for the lack of updates, but Monday was thanksgiving in Canada, Tuesday I had to go to the orthodontist, Wednesday I HAD to watch Lost since it's my favourite show and Thursday I had to get my hair cut.