Title: The Marraige Ceremony
Author: fazy
Pairing: Haldir/ Elrond.
Rating: PG
Archive: Melethryn, , LoM.
Summary: Elrond and Haldir make the relationship official.
Genre: AU (21st century), slash.

Chapter 3

"Hervenn... don't you...," Elrond trailed off, downcast, but still Haldir lay there, staring blankly at the air before him. "Haldir..." Elrond pleaded. "Haldir, look at me... please...oh please... ai, Elbereth," he choked when the blonde still refused to respond. Defeated, the peredhil collapsed back on his haunches

"Are you ashamed of me?" he asked softly. "Haldir, tell me now. Are you ashamed of having me as your husband?" he sighed. "I mean, I suppose it's not too unexpected... I mean, you're Haldir... and I'm just a plain, stuffy, stunted, sorry excuse of a half-breed. I mean, why not right? You're... Haldir of Lorien... you have no end of admirers from both the sexes. You can have anyone and everyone you want. Why should you want a priggish, boring, ancient mongrel like myself. You're beautiful. You're popular. You have a reputation to keep up. Why won't you be ashamed of me..." he choked, fighting to keep his emotions in hand.

All unbidden, a traitorous a drop of moisture pooled in the corner of his eye, grew heavy with weight and slid silkily down his cheek, but before it could fall to the floor, it's passage was stopped by four long, lithe fingers.

Haldir drew his fingers away and stared numbly at the sticky dampness that coated it, then lay a finger on his lover's lips and closed his eyes. "Aeron..." he whispered in a pained voice. "Oh, please don't talk like that. Don't even think it. Please. You know it's not true."

At the mention of pet name, Elrond relaxed. Aeron. There was exactly one person in the entire history of the universe who could call him that and not get murdered, and gazing down at him, Elrond could not help the soft smile that spread itself across his face. And yet...

"Would you rather not?" Elrond asked uncertainly. "You know... um."

Haldir shrugged in a non-committal way. The look he wore said it all. They had already sent out the invites. And the guests would be arriving anytime now. There might be a handful who were already there, sipping champagne in the large white gazebo rented specially for the occasion. The two of them could hardly pull out now.

And reading Haldir's expression, Elrond wilted. "Is that... it?" he said quietly. "If you had a choice, you'd rather not?"

"I didn't say that."

"What then? What would you say if you had said something?"

"Nothing!"

"Then what?" Elrond cried, exasperated. "Haldir!"

Haldir looked away and sighed, partially in irritation and partially in an effort to clear his head. Did he truly want this? Of course he did! But... here? Now? Though they had been preparing for months, it still seemed too soon, too sudden.

"I'm sorry," Haldir said quietly. "I didn't mean that. I... it's just... well..."

"You're not sure?"

"No! Of course I'm sure! It's just that it's so fast," he said awkwardly, then sighed in relief when Elrond nodded in understanding. "It's just a bit unnerving, that's all. I guess I'm just nervous. I don't even know how the damn thing goes. What if I screw up? I've never even friggin seen it performed, and now I'm going to be THE person whom everyone's looking at?! What if I do something wrong? And what if... oh, I don't know...something happens. What if I cant hear what Lady G says or somebody says something and I don't know how to answer?"

Elrond smiled. "You'll be fine," he said, fondly. "You always are, somehow or other. You always pull through."

Haldir nodded and bit his lip, mentally psyching himself up for the challenge ahead. He glanced at the clock. Half-past twelve. The people should have started arriving now. "Alright," he said softly. "Lets do it."

To Be Continued...

A/N: Yessh... it's super mushy, isnt it? Mills and Boons romance? Lovey dovey? Sickeningly sweet and over-melodramatic? sometimes i make myself sick. Next chapter should be better. We have a Guest Appearance by a canon (ie: Orophin).

btw, in case ur expecting this to be like my other fics, this is going to be a relatively short, relatively plotless story. it's just a little au episode of Elrond and Haldir getting 'married'. should rightfully be just one long chapter, but i'm too lazy to type out everything at once, especially now that school's started. meh.

AREZAL: "she lives"?!? heheh. grinnz Hope you had fun camping.

HALDIRS HEART AND SOUL: well... technically, chappies 2 and 3 is really a whole big flashback scene to what happened in the morning before the curtains opened in chappie 1, so i didnt quite give them problems soon after... heheh. but there will be ONE problem in the future. muahahahhaaa...