Chapter Four

Author's Note: The results are in…and everyone wants something different. I will do my best to accommodate everyone, though that could prove difficult.

Rating: PG-13

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Legolas's Mind

In a sense, we could almost be twins. You look so much like me that its uncanny. We act the same and we are constantly finishing each other's sentences. I only met you yesterday, how is that I am falling for you already? I know that it is vain of me to compare myself to you, the mighty Balrog slayer, but I cannot help it.

You smiled at me yesterday. You smiled a lot, truth be told, but your smile to me seemed more sincere. Perhaps I am flattering myself, but I cannot help but think it. I come to fetch you for the evening meal, and you just shake your head and tell me that you are not hungry. Something tells me, though, that that is not it. Something about you seems to radiate melancholy. I don't know what or why. I walk over to you and ask, gently, "Is something wrong, Glorfindel?"

You force a smile (I can already tell the difference between your forced smiles and your real ones) and answer, "No, Prince Legolas, everything is well."

"My name is Legolas," I respond. I don't want there to be that barrier of courtesy and correctness between us. How could anything form between us if we are forever using titles?

"Legolas," you say. "I am not hungry. That is all there is to it."

As I walk away, I frown. This whole situation bothers me. Lord Elrond offered no reasons why Glorfindel had to come. It makes it sound to me as though Glorfindel is being punished for something. But what could Glorfindel have done?

My father scolds me for daydreaming during the evening meal. I cannot help it though. I keep thinking of you. I can't possibly tell you that.

You make me feel all funny inside. I don't know what to say when I'm around you, I don't know how to act when I'm around you, and most of all, I'm sure that everything I say and do makes me look a fool in your eyes.

My Glorfindel, my Balrog slayer, I fear that I am falling for you.

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Glorfindel's Journal

That little princeling is really getting on my nerves. Every time I see him, he's all over me, asking what he can do to help me and am I sure that I'm okay. I don't need some little elf barely out of his majority falling for me right now. That's not going to help me mentally right now. All I want is Elrond.

No. Let this journal tell no lies. All I want is to know why Elrond sent me away from Imladris. There is only one thing I can think of that would push him to that. And that is if he had found out my secret. But how did he manage to do that? I was very careful about keeping my mouth shut.

I know that Erestor wouldn't have told him. Erestor knows how much it would ruin either of us to have Elrond find out. Why he is so against same-sex couples baffles me. He is otherwise so open-minded.

Elrond, why can you not see that I would be as good to you as any she-elf?

But no, I made a promise to myself when I left Imladris. Erestor was right. Erestor is always right. I cannot allow myself to pine away for him. I will not be able to lead a normal life unless I start wanting things that I can get. And Elrond is just simply someone I cannot get.

There is nothing for me to do, because Elrond didn't even bother to come up with a pretense for sending me here. It is growing awkward, and I am going to have to come up with some reason to stay. But that's Erestor's forté, not mine.

I must say, there is one real beauty that catches my eye. As much as I hate to say it, he may be more beautiful than Elrond. Only he is even more out of my reach than Elrond is.

I don't mean to say that he's as…intolerant to same-sex relationships. Here, that's not the problem.

No, this problem is far worse than that simple little niggardly one.

You see, journal, this beauty of which I have spoken is none other than King Thranduil.

Oh, Valar, why must I always be destined to fall for elves that I have not even a slight chance of getting? Why must I always be so unlucky in matters of the heart? Can you not take pity on me just this once, and allow me some measure of happiness?

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Mirkwood

As Glorfindel seated himself at the table, his gaze couldn't help but wander up to the head of the table, where Thranduil was talking to one of his advisors, laughing and joking with him. Glorfindel unconsciously licked his lips as his gaze wandered down Thranduil's magnificent body. Stop this. You'll only end up as badly as before, only this time Erestor won't be here to talk you out of your madness. Get control of yourself, Glorfindel.

"Lord Glorfindel," called Thranduil.

Mumbling a curse under his breath, Glorfindel forced a pleasant smile onto his face. "Yes, sire?"

"What are you doing all the way at the end of the table? You are our guest of honor. Come, sit by me. I will not allow my honor to be slighted."

Glorfindel cursed the Valar. They obviously hated him and were going out of their way to make his life miserable. But one could not refuse an offer from a king. To do so would be a grievous mistake. So he rose from his seat and walked over to the king. This meal was going to be torture.

So Glorfindel decided to play a game, to keep his mind off of everything. He would avoid all eye contact with Thranduil and talk to him in such a way that they would (a) never be having a private conversation and (b) never discuss any personal matters. Glorfindel was convinced that a game like that would ably keep his mind and wits sane.

What he hadn't reckoned on was that Legolas would be on the other side of him.

Legolas immediately pulled him into conversation. While it was a good thing in that it meant Glorfindel didn't have to think about Thranduil at all, it was obvious that Legolas had a crush on him. Only Legolas was sincerely not Glorfindel's type. So Glorfindel had to find a way to bypass all the sophomoric sexual innuendo that Legolas used in order (Glorfindel could only assume) to get Glorfindel in bed. What Legolas didn't know was that wasn't the kind of thing that turned Glorfindel on. Glorfindel was more one for sweet gestures, like flowers.

Mainly by focusing only on his food, Glorfindel managed to answer all of Legolas's really quite prying questions with monosyllabic answers. Then, just when he had been certain that he had made it through the meal unscathed (and had privately vowed to himself to never come down to a meal again, for it was far too much strain on his already-nearly destroyed nerves), Thranduil smiled and said, "Lord Glorfindel, I think it a good idea that we talk in private now."

"Of course, sire." Glorfindel took a deep breath as he rose from the table. The Valar were obviously testing him and there was no way he could avoid facing it sooner or later. Glorfindel, being the kind of elf that he was, saw the best course as just going and getting it over with. So he followed Thranduil away into a private room, trying to steel himself for whatever might be coming.

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Thranduil's Journal

Glorfindel's presence most surprises me. It is not like Elrond to send people to me without good reason. And it was clear to me that Glorfindel had no good reason for being here. True, it could be some scheme of Elrond's, but Erestor is Elrond's most cunning advisor, not Glorfindel.

This is a great mystery, and it is one I shall have to investigate further. I will find out why before he leaves. And if it is for a less than honorable purpose, I will see both him and Elrond punished.

Glorfindel seemed unduly nervous around me. That surprised me. Based on all the stories and rumors I have heard, I expected him to be brash and completely unmanageable. Not so. He avoided making eye contact at all, answered my questions with the bare minimum possible, and excused himself as soon as he could. All these of course, could point to some elaborate plot of Elrond's.

But I think that it's something else. Those signs are not only indicative of a scheme or plot, but could also be signs of infatuation.

I don't want to sound vain. But I cannot help but notice it. Legolas was fawning over him the entire meal. Most elves of both sexes respond to him. Glorfindel barely noticed him.

And if he is infatuated with me, then that would provide me with a reason for his leaving Imladris. Not necessarily that he came here to see me but that Elrond found out his preferences. I would not put it past that narrow-minded elf to get rid of anyone who felt that way. Little did he know about Erestor and Glorfindel's affair!

This will require a lot of investigation on my part. I could use a good mystery, though.

For that matter, I could use a good romance as well.

I am surprisingly lonely. Elves see my position, not me. They are in awe of me and that puts a hugely thick wall between me and any elf. You would think that Glorfindel would be used to that kind of thing, though, having lived and worked around Elrond for centuries or millennia.

In fact, a seduction might be exactly what is called for in these circumstances.

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Mirkwood

Glorfindel retreated to his rooms as quickly as possible after he had excused himself from Thranduil, claiming tiredness. In fact, he was perfectly awake, but he couldn't stand these Mirkwood elves.

He had thought that Legolas was bad, but that had before he had to spend nearly an hour with Thranduil. He was as bad as his son, only it was worse for Glorfindel because he was attracted to Thranduil, not Legolas.

Glorfindel knew that it would probably be a good idea to have an affair while he was here. For one thing, it would get his mind off Elrond, perhaps permanently. There were certainly many attractive elves here. It just seemed that he always fixated on the most unsuitable elf he could find.

"Glorfindel!"

Glorfindel closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned to face Legolas. Forcing some kind of a smile on his face, he said, "Legolas! It is good to see you again."

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"I have found somewhere special and I would like to show it to you."

Smiling bemusedly at this blatant seduction attempt, he allowed himself to be dragged away. He knew exactly what Legolas had in mind, and he still hadn't decided whether or not to fuck Legolas.

The somewhere special turned out to be a secluded grove near a riverbank. Legolas pulled Glorfindel into a heated kiss. Glorfindel decided that fucking Legolas might not be such a chore.

It was only a matter of a few minutes before both had removed all their clothing. "You're beautiful, Glorfindel," moaned Legolas as Glorfindel kissed his way down the creamy, perfect skin.

Glorfindel knew that he felt no attraction to Legolas. "You have a wonderful body," he responded, moving up to briefly kiss Legolas. The problem with doing this, he knew, was that Legolas would pursue him again and again. Glorfindel would never be able to shake him off. While in some respects that might be a good idea (like it meant that he could get his mind off of Thranduil), he could tell already that Legolas was a clingy, needy elf and that would drive Glorfindel nuts.

To Glorfindel's considerable surprise, Legolas was no virgin. Thinking back, afterwards, though, he decided that it was not all that unreasonable. Legolas was pretty in the way that attracted males and females. And he was charming, in his own way. It was just that Glorfindel didn't find it particularly charming.

They were lying sweaty and exhausted in the grass when Legolas rolled over and asked him, "Do you love me?"

"Love you, Legolas?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"I barely know you, Legolas." Glorfindel knew he had to be careful here. There was a fine line that he could not cross.

"But…we just…"

"We just fucked, Legolas. That doesn't mean I love you, it means that I wanted you. And those are two completely different things." Glorfindel leaned over and kissed Legolas tenderly. It wasn't as if Legolas was bad at this, because he wasn't, it was just that he was so young. And in more than just age. Erestor would have never asked that of him, had never asked that of him. None of his other lovers had, either. Especially not after one fuck.

Legolas began to pull on his clothes. "Okay," he said, appearing surprisingly reasonably. "Can we do this again?"

Glorfindel sighed inside, though he managed to keep his composure normal. "I don't think that that would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Legolas pouted.

He does look cute when he pouts. "Because your father wouldn't approve."

"My father doesn't have to know."

"Your father will find out." Glorfindel began to dress as well. "This was fun, Legolas, but it isn't love. I don't…I don't do love." It hurt to say that, but at that moment, Glorfindel's heart closed tightly, stopping all the pain of loss. But it closed his heart to love as well. "I'm sorry, Legolas, that I can't give you what you want."

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Author's Note: So, who will Glorfindel end up with? I don't know yet. If you would like to see him with Elrond, Legolas, or Thranduil, let me know. I haven't started writing that chapter yet, so anything could happen!