A/N: Time to give credit where credit is due: the title of this chapter is a line taken from the song "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. I won't write the entire song, but here's the relevant portion:

Tap on my window, knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful

I know I tend to get so insecure

It doesn't matter anymore

It's not always rainbows and butterflies

It's compromise that moves us along

My heart is full and my door's always open

You can come anytime you want

Like most elves, Legolas possessed a keen eyesight that well surpassed that of any other races; it was something he'd relied on often in the darkness of Mirkwood and he'd come to appreciate it all the more ever since he began living among Men. Being robbed of it, then – even if it was only by his husband's hand and therefore easily remedied with a panicked word or sharp elbow in Aragorn's side – was disconcerting to say the least. "Why do you have to do this again?" he asked, instinctively moving his head from side to side a little in order to escape the blindness.

Aragorn kept his hand firmly in place while he continued to guide Legolas toward the place where they'd be spending the night. "It's a surprise, remember?" he asked with a hint of teasing in his voice. "And one I've been planning for almost two days at that. If I didn't cover your eyes you'd probably spot it a good several minutes before I'm ready to reveal it to you. Do you really want all of my plans to come to naught?"

"Of course not, but it's nighttime," argued Legolas, whining dramatically. He was actually quite willing to go along with whatever Aragorn had in mind even though it was in his nature to give his husband a good-natured ribbing whenever was appropriate. 'Anyway,' he reasoned, 'we might as well get all of this in right now.' He had the feeling that this walk would be the last chance they'd get to play with each other in such a manner before they had to delve into the more sober topics that had been plaguing their relationship for awhile.

"Would anything but the pitch-black of the night sky keep you from seeing farther ahead than I can?" Aragorn demanded with playful exasperation.

"No."

"And is the sky tonight absolutely dark, no light at all?"

Legolas turned his face upwards, pretending to peer between the Man's fingers. "No – there is light," he sighed contentedly, for elves loved the beauty of the night and he was no exception. "There is a gorgeous moon and the stars of Elbereth are shining down on us as brightly as they did the first time the Eldar race beheld them. Oh Aragorn, is it really necessary for me to walk blindly? I would like to take in as much of this as I can before we retire to the citadel."

"That might happen a little later than you think," replied Aragorn mysteriously, practically bursting at the seams in his effort not to blurt out everything to the elf.

Was that so? Legolas was even more intrigued. "Ah, so we'll be spending a great deal of time outdoors tonight," he said knowingly. What had his husband planned? Was it a late-night picnic dinner under the stars? Had he sanctioned another lot of land to be space for a garden? Was it something for the baby? "I'll take another hint, if you don't mind."

"Another hint, hmmmm? What if I think you're getting a little too demanding, asking for something like that?" Aragorn was clearly enjoying himself. While he had come a long way from those days of childhood in Rivendell, a part of him would always be little Estel, the Man child who so enjoyed it when he knew something that an elf didn't because such a thing didn't happen often. He pressed a kiss into Legolas' hair just above his pointed ear as they reached the entrance leading to their destination. "Good evening, Beren."

"What?" asked the baffled Legolas. Did the surprise have something to do with the story of Beren and Luthien? If so, why was Aragorn addressing him as the Man Beren?

"Good evening King Elessar, Prince Legolas," spoke up Beren the guard, suppressing a smile at the sight of the royal couple. His years in the service of Gondor had given him many opportunities to witness how those of high blood interacted with their spouses – or didn't interact, as his observations told him. It was refreshing for him to see two of the noblest blood to do something so 'lowly' as show affection for each other in public. "Everything is just as you requested, sire."

"And how is that?" Legolas questioned eagerly in the direction that the guard's voice was coming in. "Come on now; I'm the prince consort of Gondor and I order you to tell me."

"Listen to how readily he pulls rank to achieve his own selfish ends," tsked Aragorn disapprovingly. "It's one thing to try to coax answers out of me; it's quite another to try to force this loyal guard to choose between obeying his king and obeying his prince. It's a sad moment for all of us, really."

Legolas smirked at – well at no one really, given that the hand over his eyes made moving his head somewhat difficult, but it was meant for Aragorn. "It won't be sad for me if Beren ends this torment once and for all. What say you, good and loyal guard?"

Beren chuckled, albeit a little nervously. He rather enjoyed bearing witness to their loving teasing, but being dragged into their bantering was an entirely different issue. "I would not keep anything for you under normal circumstances, Prince Legolas," he said formally, straightening up though the effect was lost on the temporarily blinded elf. "The only reason that I hold my tongue now is that I do not want to spoil King Elessar's surprise. Therefore, I am afraid that I cannot obey you this time."

"A fine answer; one that should satisfy even this inquisitive and exquisite creature that was foolish enough to marry me," stated Aragorn jovially. He nodded at the guard, giving him leave to return to his duty as he and Legolas continued on to the final steps of their journey.

"I would have to disagree with that," said Legolas in a pointed tone. "An order is an order and I'm going insane with curiosity! Why couldn't you have let him give me one little clue?"

"Because that would have delayed us, and we'd still be standing back there talking to him instead of being – here," the Man announced, stopping them suddenly and finally removing his hand for atop of Legolas' eyes.

With his sight restored Legolas could see that they were standing in the middle of a small wooded area on the lowest level of Minas Tirith. It was one of the oldest large areas where nature was allowed to grow within the city walls, though it was seldom visited those days. The people seemed to prefer the newer, more exotic gardens, and more accessible gardens that the elves built, but Legolas had a special place in his heart for that little bit of woods. The trees there were strong and tall, planted long before Legolas had gotten there and would still be there after he was gone; that gave him a certain sense of security that he missed from his years of living in Mirkwood.

Just being in that beloved place, however, was not all of Aragorn's surprise. Legolas caught sight of a recent addition and gasped. "Aragorn," he said, sounding pleasantly shocked, much to the Man's satisfaction, "is that a talan?"

Aragorn looked up ruefully at the platform that sat perched on the lower branches of one of the trees. "Not exactly," he admitted. "It's more of a Mannish interpretation of an elvish talan; and one that was built in less than two days at that. It will support our weight, but it can never match the craftsmanship of the elves. Well, even the most talented carpenter with an infinite amount of time couldn't produce a talan as beautiful as those that were in Lothlorien, but this one will more than due for now."

"I think it's wonderful," breathed Legolas, deeply touched by his husband's thoughtfulness. "I can't describe how much I've missed sleeping outside. Strange, isn't it? The only times I was ever able to do that were when I was in Rivendell, on the Quest, and the few times I traveled out of Mirkwood; and yet…"

"Peace Legolas; you don't have to explain it to me," Aragorn assured him. "I was a ranger for most of my life, remember? I know how you feel. That's why I had this built, though I must say that I got some rather peculiar stares when I made the arrangements with the carpenter."

"I can imagine. The people of Gondor probably aren't used to having a ruler who would choose to sleep outdoors when the luxury of the citadel is a stone's throw away," Legolas started to laugh before he realized what was more likely to be the reason. "Wait; you said that you've been planning this for almost two days, correct?"

"Yes."

"But that was – before Lady Nienor was caught," stammered Legolas.

Smiling wistfully, the Man said: "I wanted you to be happy."

"Elbereth, Aragorn." Legolas didn't know what else he could say in response. The very idea that his irrationally overprotective husband had actually taken it upon himself to find a way for him to be outside stunned him while simultaneously moving him to tears. Moving swiftly, he grabbed Aragorn and pulled him into a kiss. "I can't believe you did this for me."

Aragorn couldn't resist stealing another quick, soft kiss from the elf's lips after they broke apart. "Let's climb up to the talan," he suggested quietly. He hated to leave behind their happy exchange and loving affection, but they weren't there just for that. There were some issues that the couple needed to address before their marriage broke under the strain. "While I'd hoped that our first night spent here would be under more pleasant circumstances – and with any luck there will be time for such things later – we have a conversation to finish."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Legolas was still in fairly good spirits after he and Aragorn had reached their admittedly crude but ultimately fantastic talan. His apprehension about the conversation to come was somewhat alleviated by the peaceful feeling that the wood elf was getting by being in a tree again, as well as finding that despite his protruding stomach and the fact that he hadn't climbed a tree in more than a month he still made it with most of the ease and grace he'd possessed pre-pregnancy. "Well, Aragorn," he said, leaning back against the trunk that was in the perfect position to act as a backrest, "do you want to start this or should I?"

"I would like to, if you don't mind," answered Aragorn after a second of thought. Legolas nodded his consent and the Man took a deep breath. 'This isn't a stranger,' he reminded himself. 'This is Legolas, your husband, who once instructed you in archery, cherishes the stupid poem you wrote when you were ten, held you true in his heartt hrough years of separation, stayed by your side during a dangerous quest, and loved you enough to sacrifice being with his people. You used to be able to tell him everything.'

"My behavior," he started, but that wasn't quite how he wanted to begin. "After you – I – Legolas, I've been in a constant state of fear since you collapsed a couple of months ago."

"What?" The elf wasn't entirely shocked to learn that his husband had been experiencing some anxiety, but he had no idea that it was so intense and had been going on for so long. "Why is that, mela? I mean, I understand why you were worried about my health but why didn't it stop after we found out that I was pregnant?"

"Because that was the first time that I ever thought about the possibility that I might outlive you," Aragorn confessed. He was ashamed of himself for it, for it was something that Legolas had dealt with since the moment that the elf had fallen in love with him. However, trying to control and bury his emotions had only heightened – rather than extinguished – them.

"You must understand that I'd never really considered that before," he continued, forcing himself to look him in the eye. "Of course there were always risks when we went into battle but you're such a skilled warrior that – I don't know – you just seemed invincible to me. Even after you became mortal, the thought never occurred to me; all of the anguish and guilt that I was feeling back then was because I knew that you'd die eventually. Then Bergil burst into that meeting saying that you'd collapsed and suddenly it was all I could think about. The threat of poisoning just made me feel even more helpless – and worthless as a husband."

"No; you are a most noble spouse," protested Legolas, reaching out to take Aragorn's hand in an attempt to chase away those horrible feelings. "You could have told me all of this. Why did you suffer in silence for so long?"

Aragorn swallowed and looked down. "Because lamenting to you about the possibility of outliving the person I love felt hypocritical," he explained. "I know that you wouldn't judge me like that but I couldn't help judging myself. You've chosen to bear so much pain in order to spend one lifetime loving me; and I was afraid that I was too weak to face the same possibility. Also because you were so intent on protecting me when you started to feel ill – I guess I felt as if you didn't think that I was strong enough to take care of you and I've been trying to disprove that ever since."

"It was never a question of your strength, Aragorn," the prince told him emphatically. "I know that you are more than capable to taking care of whoever needs you to, but I don't need you to. I can take care of myself."

"But you didn't!" Aragorn cried, pulling away from his husband and jumping to his feet. "You didn't know that you were pregnant," he continued as he paced, gesturing frantically with his hands at every word. "You just knew that you'd been experiencing nausea, tiredness, soreness, and mood swings for an extended period of time – you thought you were dying! Did you ever once go to a healer to see if there was any remedy for your illness? No! You just accepted it as inevitable and concentrated on not burdening me with it. That scared me, Legolas; now I don't know whether I can believe you or not when you tell me that you're fine."

"You can! You can, and I never meant to make you question my word," insisted Legolas, his voice thick with emotion. "It's just that…in Mirkwood when I was growing up, Ada did everything he could to shield me from the harshness of life. That was fine when I was an elfling; but then I got old enough to help defend the kingdom and he wouldn't hear of it because he still felt the need to protect me. I thought that if I ever let down my guard once and acted as if I were anything but strong and in control that he'd forever view that as evidence to justify keeping me under lock and key. When you started acting as protective as he was I guess I reverted back to my old defenses."

Despite the gravity of their discussion the king still had to chuckle a little as he sat down facing Legolas once again. "Imagine, me reminding you of Thranduil."

"You have more in common than either of you can see," smiled Legolas. "I understand that's just how Ada is, but by Elbereth I hated it! Do you know that when Gollum escaped he ordered me to lock myself in my room while every other warrior was battling to protect the kingdom? Afterwards I asked him if anyone had been killed and he told me not to worry about it! They were my people too and I cared –"

His voice cut off when he realized what he was saying. "I cared about them and he was more intent on protecting me from their hurts than letting me help them in their time of need," he said slowly. "Which is exactly how I treated you when I didn't tell you that I was feeling sick. I guess I have more in common with Ada that I originally thought as well. I'm so sorry, Aragorn; I never wanted you to feel as frustrated and helpless as I did back then."

"And I never meant to make you feel defensive about your own capabilities," responded Aragorn with tears in his eyes. He pulled Legolas into a tight embrace and exhaled at the feeling of the elf drawing him in even closer. "Well, that was kind of gut wrenching, but we managed to get through it quite nicely. How did we ever let things get to the point where we let the issues that were driving a wedge between us go un-discussed for so long?"

"That couldn't be helped," Legolas told him faintly, concentrating more on how good it felt to hold Aragorn so close again than on what he was saying. "Sometimes it's difficult even for the prince consort to get an audience with the king."

He shifted a little, brought back to reality at the feeling of Aragorn's arms stiffening around him. "I'm sorry, mela; I shouldn't have brought it up like that," he said, easing back away from his husband and running a hand over his face. "It's most definitely not a matter to gloss over or subtly needle you about. This is something that has been bothering me for awhile and it's one of the factors that have been weighing heavily on our marriage: we almost never see each other anymore and I miss you."

"I understand – I miss you too," Aragorn let out a sigh. "Why was I so stubborn? I was so determined not to trust my advisors, not to give them any sort of power over me that I took on governing the kingdom all by myself. I kept telling myself that you knew why I had to do that, but it was utterly selfish and unfair of me to ask that you for all intents and purposes give up your husband."

"But that's not the cause of all of this," replied Legolas wisely as he reflected back on their relationship ever since they got married four years earlier. "It would be easy to blame all of our problems in this respect on how preoccupied you've been lately with Gondor's politics, but this goes deeper than that. You've never particularly trusted the advisors' council; so why has it now led to such a problem?"

Aragorn pondered this for a moment. "We weren't really around them all that often at first," he finally said slowly. "We wed right after the war, after all, and though Sauron and Saruman had both been destroyed there were still orcs and other enemies to contend with. We spent a great deal of time back then out of the city, doing battle with them while Faramir was left in charge of running the city and realm."

"We haven't done that in a couple of years, though," pointed out Legolas. "We haven't even traveled much farther than Ithilien, expect for our recent visit to Bree."

'True," agreed Aragorn a bit wistfully. "I do miss it, too – not the parts with the orcs and the battles, but being able to get out of Minas Tirith for longer periods of time. The city is home now, but I've lived my entire life among nature and things that grow, traveling to all the lands. It can be really stifling being surrounded by all of this stone knowing that I'm never going to live anywhere else again."

"That is something I can definitely relate to," commiserated Legolas. "That's part of the reason why planting all of the gardens here means so much to me. Bringing life back to the city in that respect was as important to making this place feel like home to me as it was to help healing after the Shadow had passed."

"And that's what we focused on after the orc hunts and the like were no longer necessary: rebuilding Minas Tirith to be our home," recalled Aragorn. Those were pleasant memories and he smiled as the images passed through his mind. "You were preoccupied with the gardens just as much as I was with organizing all of the reconstruction and still we had no major problems with being able to see each other. Really, I think that it only became a problem when the foreign delegations came; they've been keeping us very busy."

"Keeping you very busy," Legolas corrected him. He ran his hands over his swollen belly, letting them rest there. "I haven't had a real chance to be involved with the peace conference with everything else I've had on my mind."

The answer to their riddle came to Aragorn so strongly that he was embarrassed that it has been such a mystery in the first place. He was also greatly ashamed of himself for what its implications meant. "It wasn't about us," he noted, sounding almost awestruck. Legolas looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Legolas, everything has always been about us until now. Think about it: the things that I did when I was a ranger were to get me closer to gaining your father's approval while we concentrated on keeping our love alive and strong. The Quest was to help Frodo and destroy Sauron of course, but it was also about spending time together so that our relationship could mature as well as finally fulfilling all that Thranduil asked of me so that we could get married. Hunting orcs and the like afterwards allowed us to journey together, fight side-by-side, and just generally be together; and the labors in the city were about making Minas Tirith a place where we would enjoy living. This gathering now is imperative to a lasting peace between the lands of Middle-earth and everyone will benefit from it but it doesn't really have anything to do with us as a couple."

If that were true – and Legolas couldn't deny that it was – then it could make for a bleak future if they didn't do something to resolve it, and fast. "It's never going to be just about us as a couple again," he said with great concern. Grasping his stomach with both hands, he moved as if to rattle and bring attention to it. "Even if we ran away into the wilderness tonight, away from all the responsibilities of the realm, our families, and our friends, this child would still be coming and he's going to change how our relationship works. If we can't figure out how to not let our duties interfere with our marriage, what hope is there to do so after he's born?"

"We can't let that happen – we can't lose each other," declared Aragorn, feeling a little helpless yet again. "So do you have any suggestions?"

There was only one thing that they could do. "We try harder."

Aragorn had to laugh in a self-deprecating manner. "Try harder," he repeated as if it was a novel concept. "By the Valar, I guess I thought that after all of those years of hard work at getting the chance to be together that we would be able to just enjoy it. But I can't think of anything that is more worth the effort than this."

"We've earned our 'happily ever after' all right; I suppose that those are the relationships that need the most work," said Legolas, his tone cheerful but his eyes shining with moisture. "We do have high standards, and it would be a shame to let all of our love go to waste now. So how about we make it a point to spend time together at least once a day – for a walk, a meal, whatever? It may not always be possible but it gives us something to work towards."

"That sounds reasonably wonderful," Aragorn stated, cupping his husband's face and caressing his cheek with his thumb, "but I'd like to amend it slightly. Those daily times will most likely involve our son as well after he's born. As much as I look forward to that day I don't want us to what we have as a couple. Therefore, let's not let a week at the most go by without us having some time alone together. After all, we have your father, Gimli, Faramir and Eowyn, and a citadel full of servants that would be willing to care for the baby when we needed them to – there's no reason why we shouldn't ask for help."

"I can handle that," Legolas murmured. "In fact, it sounds perfect."

"I must confess that I feel like I can breathe again," said Aragorn, and indeed he sounded a little breathless. "I'm glad that this went so well; having this conversation here wasn't really what I had in mind when I started planning this surprise…"

A warm wind blew and Legolas felt the safety and nurturing of the things that grew all around them. "The night isn't over yet," he reminded his husband. He shifted onto his knees, bring his face only an inch or two away from Aragorn's. "There are still several hours until the dawn. I like the idea of using that time to create some of those pleasurable 'couple memories' you were just talking about."

To be continued…