A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter in Lorien. We'd planned on getting all the way through the stay in Lorien, but since we're trying to establish the beginning of a relationship between Boromir and Farothen (which requires a lot of groundwork) the chapter was getting quite long. The problem is that we didn't have as much time this weekend as we usually do and there was too much content to write. The result we decided on was to take what we've written and post that already (since it was already 10 pages typed) and finish the stay in Lothlorien in the next chapter. So essentially what we planned as one chapter is now being split into two. Sorry, to the people who were hoping to get out of Lothlorien, but we had a limited amount of time.
Also, since it was our original plan to eventually turn this into a multi-story line (pairing) fic, and most of our readers want to see a relationship develop between Boromir and Farothen, we're going back to the beginning of the stay in Lorien but this chapter will be focused mainly on them.
By the way, before I forget, as Cheysuli brought to my attention, I made a mistake with the translation in the last chapter. Dolen Estel means hidden hope (Sorry, it's a story I was reading) Dolen Ael means hidden lake. Thanks, Cheysuli for bringing it to my attention. I was half asleep and chatting with Brina on AOL when I was typing the chapter up. ~Becky~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 15
T.A. 3019 January 22
Farothen stood in the Lorien stable leisurely running a grooming brush along Roch's already glistening back, deep in thought. Thankfully, the horse didn't seem to mind his master's absent-mindedness.
Farothen's mind went back over his discussion with his ada. Aragorn had tried to explain why he'd made the decision to keep Farothen a secret in a way that made sense. He'd succeeded, but Farothen still struggled to deal with it. Especially now, knowing that Legolas had known where to find Aragorn for over 20 years and had chosen to do nothing about it.
Farothen sighed. His fathers hadn't split on very good terms but it hadn't been bad enough to keep them apart for so long if they truly loved each other, which they obviously did. At least it wasn't enough in Farothen's opinion.
No, it had been a personal flaw on both sides that had widened the rift between them. Aragorn had said that Legolas' temper had started the split, but his own pride had kept him from forgiving the elf. And obviously Legolas must have quite a bit of pride as well to make the decision not to look for Aragorn.
'And just my luck,' Farothen thought, 'I've got Ada's pride and Legolas' temper.'
"You seem troubled."
Farothen spun toward the owner of the voice, "Boromir. What are you doing here?"
Boromir stopped outside Roch's stall and shrugged, "Just taking a walk."
Roch, apparently deciding Boromir was okay, nudged the man's shoulder. Chuckling, Boromir reached up to rub the animal's muzzle. Farothen smiled, "You know horses?"
Boromir shook his head, "Not really. Father insisted Faramir and I both learn how to ride when we were younger, though, as befits the sons of the steward. The first time I saw the horse bare its teeth it scared the hell out of me. Faramir took to riding right away though. Horses just usually don't seem to like me."
Farothen chuckled as Roch nuzzled Boromir's head, "Well, Roch seems to like you just fine."
'What about Roch's master?' Boromir thought, 'What does he think of me?'
"Oh, Roch's master thinks very highly of you, Lord Boromir." Farothen said with a small grin.
Boromir closed his eyes with a groan, knowing by the heat in his face that he was blushing, "I did not just say that out loud."
Farothen stepped out of the stall and put a hand on Boromir's shoulder, "Peace, Boromir. I'm actually kind of glad you did."
Boromir opened one eye, "You are?"
Farothen nodded, "I am. Because now I know I'm not the only one feeling this…attraction."
"So…" Boromir started, only to be cut off by the feel of another's lips on his.
Almost before the kiss started it was over and Farothen, now blushing almost as much as Boromir, cleared his throat and slowly backed away nervously, "Um…I'm gonna…go. I've got…things…to do."
Boromir grinned when Farothen spun around and, nearly tripping over his own feet, ran out of the stable. Boromir looked at Roch, surprised when the horse seemed to meet his gaze knowingly.
"So," Boromir said, leaning against the stall door conspiratorially, knowing he probably looked like an idiot talking to a horse, "He likes me."
As if he understood, Roch snorted and bobbed his head in a sort of horsy-type nod.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Farothen ran until he ran out of breath. Leaning against a large tree he slumped to the ground and leaned his head back against the tree. Sighing, he closed his eyes and thought about the kiss.
He'd been kissed before but none had been like that one. No barmaid or the couple of his father's rangers that he'd kissed had touched his heart the way Boromir had with that one split second meeting of lips.
What had Boromir thought? Was he upset? Would he hate Farothen the next time they saw each other? Would he…
"Ai, Valar," Farothen moaned, "What was I thinking? Ada will not be pleased."
Aragorn had made it quite clear by his actions alone that he forbid a relationship between Boromir and Farothen. He'd just started trusting the man of Gondor around Legolas, he wasn't ready to deal with Boromir and Farothen as a couple. Especially not when he had to concentrate on helping Legolas through his pregnancy.
Farothen ran a hand through his hair. In three short days his life had changed so much. He'd met his other ada, found out he was going to be a big brother and sort of started a tenuous relationship with someone he'd just met.
Ai, how quickly things could get complicated.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
January 23
The next afternoon Farothen was on the edge of Caras Galadhon practicing his skills with the bow. The Fellowship was still residing deep in the heart of the city while the majority of the elves were further along the borders patrolling. Which meant that Farothen was alone for the time being.
Farothen smiled to himself at that thought, just as he sent another arrow flying into the center of one the targets he had hanging on several trees, all at different distances from him. He hit his mark dead on just like he had all the other times. It was actually kind of funny because ever since the Fellowship had shown up and the whole situation with Aragorn and Legolas had come out, quite a few elves had remarked that Farothen must have inherited his skill with a bow from Legolas.
As Farothen hit yet another target dead center he nodded as if agreeing with them. He was better than Aragorn so he must have gotten his archery skills from Legolas. He couldn't be completely sure of course, since he'd never seen Legolas in action but…
"The elves of Lorien are right. You do have a remarkable talent with the bow."
Farothen spun around at the voice to see a smiling and very amused Boromir. Farothen smirked at the man, "Am I being followed, Lord Boromir?"
Boromir held up his hands in a sign of peace, "I was just walking around. I saw you practicing and had to see the skills I'd heard so much about." He paused as he looked straight at Farothen, "And please, just call me Boromir."
Farothen looked down to keep from blushing, "I thought you were accustomed to being called Lord."
Boromir shrugged as he looked ahead to see Farothen's handiwork, "Being revered as Lord becomes very boring and tedious."
Farothen grinned at the man of Gondor, "But still, I'll bet the real reason you came up here was that you wanted to show off your own skill with a bow."
Boromir actually started laughing, "Ai Valar no, Farothen! My brother's the skilled bowman in the family, not me."
"Oh. And why is that?" Farothen asked.
Boromir sobered up as he thought about it, "I started out learning alongside Faramir, but my father started pulling me out of lessons. I think he associated the bow with elves and sorcery…which is probably why he didn't care that Faramir learned the skill." He sighed as he leaned against a tree, "I hate the way he plays favorites."
Farothen looked at Boromir in surprise, "You don't like being the crown jewel of Gondor?"
Boromir shook his head sadly, "I can see how much my father's favoritism hurts Faramir. And I hate all the attention. It's like everyone's hopes and dreams have been centered on me…I have to tell you, it's almost suffocating at times. Sometimes I wonder if Faramir should have been born first."
Farothen studied his companion, all the while feeling something tug at his heart as he got this little insight to a warrior with a gentle heart, "You really love you're brother, don't you?"
Boromir nodded, "His gentle soul reminds me quite a bit of our mother."
Farothen smiled as he tried to keep his eyes from watering and mentally shook himself to keep from crying, "Enough of this silliness," he said as he motioned with his hand for Boromir to come forward.
"What?" Boromir asked, now amused and curious.
Farothen sighed, "If no one else has properly shown you how to use a bow then I guess it's up to me!"
Boromir chuckled as he stepped forward, "And you're going to teach me?"
Farothen smirked at him, "And that's funny why?"
Boromir continued to chuckle, "Because I'm horrible with a bow."
"You can't be that bad," Farothen said, handing Boromir his bow, "Here, take a practice shot."
Boromir sighed as he took the bow, notched an arrow and let it fly. The arrow brushed off the side of a tree and went careening into the surrounding brush. From the brush, both Farothen and Boromir were able to hear two very startled yelps.
"Where did that come from?!"
"Farothen! I thought you never missed!"
Boromir shot Farothen a glare that seemed to say, 'I told you so!' In the meantime, Farothen nodded and said, "Okay. You can be that bad." He looked toward the brush, "Sorry, Orophin, Rumil. I was just making sure you two were awake!"
Both Farothen and Boromir chuckled as the two elves grumbled and walked away to find a 'safer place'. Boromir met Farothen's amused gaze, "Now do you believe me?"
Farothen shrugged, "Maybe you're just good with a sword but bad with projectiles."
Boromir scowled at him, "I'm sure it's just with a bow."
"Are you sure? Because it looks like…"
Before Farothen could complete his response, Boromir reached down, grabbed a knife from his boot and flung it at one of the furthest targets that had only one arrow lodged in it. He did it all in one fluid motion and, not only did the knife hit the center of the target…it split Farothen's arrow right down the middle.
Farothen whistled, "Okay. I stand corrected," he said as Boromir smirked, "But you still need work with the bow."
Boromir's smirk fell as Farothen stepped up behind him and, reaching around him, showed him the proper stance, how to hold the bow and what to do with his hands. Boromir found himself grinning at the way the position put his and Farothen's bodies into close proximity, "Are we always going to be this close together?"
Farothen gritted his teeth at the blush that crept up his cheeks, "Shut up and loose the arrow."
Boromir did just that. The arrow hit the tree just above the target.
"At least you hit the tree this time," Farothen commented as he leaned down to grab another arrow from where they were stuck in the ground. His hand met Boromir's as he was also reaching down for an arrow. Startled at the sudden contact, Farothen looked up and found himself gazing into Boromir's very beautiful blue-green eyes.
As Farothen trembled at the sudden heat, Boromir made the first move this time. Simply craning his neck around to kiss Farothen. The bow dropped to the ground as the two shifted so they were facing each other and continued to kiss tenderly.
If Farothen had been at all aware of his surroundings, his Elvish hearing probably would have picked up the snickering coming from the brush. But both Farothen and Boromir were too preoccupied to notice Haldir stand up and quietly walk away.
'Ai, Valar, I hope I'm around to see Aragorn's reaction when he hears about this,' Haldir thought with a grin.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
January 25
Legolas leaned his back against a tree a little ways away from the stables, enjoying the quiet of the night. That was, until he heard the sound of a horse's hooves and two people speaking in low voices.
"I hope you enjoyed the midnight ride."
"I'm just amazed that there's a horse in all of Middle-Earth who hasn't tried to throw me off. What does Roch mean anyway?"
Legolas looked around the tree he was standing by, but made sure he stayed hidden in the shadows so that whoever had pulled Roch up to the stables wouldn't see him. He was surprised to see Boromir dismount right after Farothen.
'What are those two up to?' Legolas thought to himself. However, about 15 seconds later he got his answer as Boromir tenderly ran his hand over Farothen's face and the two kissed.
'I knew they were becoming friends, but…lovers!'
Breaking the kiss Farothen gave a small tug on a lock of Boromir's hair before whispering something and leading Roch into the stable with Boromir following. Legolas shifted his gaze thoughtfully to the ground, feeling a shot of fatherly protectiveness.
Starting a new relationship now was a risk. They were in the middle of a war. And Boromir was at more risk since the ring was preying on his desperation for his city.
Muffled laughter from inside the stable drifted to Legolas' ears and drew his attention back up. Genuine laughter too deep to be Farothen's. Legolas let a small smile cross his lips.
It was Boromir's laughter. For the first time since Legolas had met the man of Gondor, he sounded truly happy. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for Boromir and Farothen to be together.
"Legolas? Is something wrong?"
Legolas looked up at the softly spoken question. 'And maybe,' he thought, smiling as he met Aragorn's gaze, 'Their love, like mine and Estel's, is just meant to be.'
"Legolas?" Aragorn said again as he reached the elf's side.
Legolas sighed and smiled, "I am fine, Estel. I merely had trouble sleeping and took a walk. Come, let's return to our camp."
Aragorn nodded, putting an arm around Legolas' waist and pulling him close, dropping a quick kiss on the elf's lips. As he let Aragorn lead him back to the Fellowship's camp Legolas glanced back in time to see Farothen and Boromir walk out of the stable, standing in much the same position as him and Aragorn, only Boromir's arm was around Farothen's shoulders.
Legolas held his breath when Farothen looked in his and Aragorn's direction. After a second he turned back to Boromir, seemingly not seeing them.
"What are you looking at?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas met the ranger's gaze, "Nothing. I just thought I heard something."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Farothen turned his head slightly into Boromir's touch with a sigh. He released a tiny gasp when the man gently pressed their lips together. For a moment he leaned into the kiss before breaking it.
"I should get Roch settled," he whispered, leading the stallion into the stable toward his stall. Boromir followed.
"So, you never told me what Roch means. It's Elvish right?" Boromir asked.
Farothen grinned, "Aye. It is Elvish." He took a breath and met Boromir's gaze, "It means horse."
Boromir laughed, watching Farothen get Roch settled in his stall, "You named your horse 'Horse.' That's…fitting."
"Well, I get it from Ada. Uncle Elladan said when Ada was a child he had a stuffed wolf he named Draug."
"Wolf?" Boromir asked. At Farothen's nod he laughed again. Somehow, the thought of Aragorn having a stuffed wolf named Draug was amusing, even though at the time he'd been a child.
"Actually, I think I still have Draug in my room somewhere in Rivendell. Ada gave him to me when I was little." Farothen said as he checked a final time to make sure Roch was settled before stepping out of the stall. He met Boromir's gaze, "You were a child once. Surely you have some amusing stories to tell."
Boromir put his arm around Farothen's shoulders as they left the stable, "Some other time perhaps."
Farothen shook his head, "Alright. But rest assured, I will learn all of your embarrassing childhood escapades."
Boromir merely smirked. Farothen turned his head to peer into the woods when he thought he saw something. Like his hearing, he'd inherited Elven eyesight as well, and it easily picked up the slight glint of moonlight on blond hair. He immediately recognized the couple walking away. And he saw the blond look back.
He swallowed, 'Did they see us?' Farothen silently wondered, 'Do I dare ask?'
"Is something wrong, Farothen?" Boromir asked, bringing Farothen's attention back to him.
Farothen met his companion's gaze and sighed, "Nothing's wrong. I just thought I saw something."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Reply to reviews…
The only question we had was 'Can Legolas have twins?' Well, the answer to that is we've got a couple more mpregs planned for this story already so we're just going to have Legolas have one, but, we may be persuaded to write one where our beloved elf has twins at a later date. We've got a couple other ideas we're playing with at the moment once we finish Second Chance so it may be a while.
To all our reviewers, thanks again for all the support and great reviews, it all means a lot to us and keeps us writing.
~Becky and Brina~
Also, since it was our original plan to eventually turn this into a multi-story line (pairing) fic, and most of our readers want to see a relationship develop between Boromir and Farothen, we're going back to the beginning of the stay in Lorien but this chapter will be focused mainly on them.
By the way, before I forget, as Cheysuli brought to my attention, I made a mistake with the translation in the last chapter. Dolen Estel means hidden hope (Sorry, it's a story I was reading) Dolen Ael means hidden lake. Thanks, Cheysuli for bringing it to my attention. I was half asleep and chatting with Brina on AOL when I was typing the chapter up. ~Becky~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 15
T.A. 3019 January 22
Farothen stood in the Lorien stable leisurely running a grooming brush along Roch's already glistening back, deep in thought. Thankfully, the horse didn't seem to mind his master's absent-mindedness.
Farothen's mind went back over his discussion with his ada. Aragorn had tried to explain why he'd made the decision to keep Farothen a secret in a way that made sense. He'd succeeded, but Farothen still struggled to deal with it. Especially now, knowing that Legolas had known where to find Aragorn for over 20 years and had chosen to do nothing about it.
Farothen sighed. His fathers hadn't split on very good terms but it hadn't been bad enough to keep them apart for so long if they truly loved each other, which they obviously did. At least it wasn't enough in Farothen's opinion.
No, it had been a personal flaw on both sides that had widened the rift between them. Aragorn had said that Legolas' temper had started the split, but his own pride had kept him from forgiving the elf. And obviously Legolas must have quite a bit of pride as well to make the decision not to look for Aragorn.
'And just my luck,' Farothen thought, 'I've got Ada's pride and Legolas' temper.'
"You seem troubled."
Farothen spun toward the owner of the voice, "Boromir. What are you doing here?"
Boromir stopped outside Roch's stall and shrugged, "Just taking a walk."
Roch, apparently deciding Boromir was okay, nudged the man's shoulder. Chuckling, Boromir reached up to rub the animal's muzzle. Farothen smiled, "You know horses?"
Boromir shook his head, "Not really. Father insisted Faramir and I both learn how to ride when we were younger, though, as befits the sons of the steward. The first time I saw the horse bare its teeth it scared the hell out of me. Faramir took to riding right away though. Horses just usually don't seem to like me."
Farothen chuckled as Roch nuzzled Boromir's head, "Well, Roch seems to like you just fine."
'What about Roch's master?' Boromir thought, 'What does he think of me?'
"Oh, Roch's master thinks very highly of you, Lord Boromir." Farothen said with a small grin.
Boromir closed his eyes with a groan, knowing by the heat in his face that he was blushing, "I did not just say that out loud."
Farothen stepped out of the stall and put a hand on Boromir's shoulder, "Peace, Boromir. I'm actually kind of glad you did."
Boromir opened one eye, "You are?"
Farothen nodded, "I am. Because now I know I'm not the only one feeling this…attraction."
"So…" Boromir started, only to be cut off by the feel of another's lips on his.
Almost before the kiss started it was over and Farothen, now blushing almost as much as Boromir, cleared his throat and slowly backed away nervously, "Um…I'm gonna…go. I've got…things…to do."
Boromir grinned when Farothen spun around and, nearly tripping over his own feet, ran out of the stable. Boromir looked at Roch, surprised when the horse seemed to meet his gaze knowingly.
"So," Boromir said, leaning against the stall door conspiratorially, knowing he probably looked like an idiot talking to a horse, "He likes me."
As if he understood, Roch snorted and bobbed his head in a sort of horsy-type nod.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Farothen ran until he ran out of breath. Leaning against a large tree he slumped to the ground and leaned his head back against the tree. Sighing, he closed his eyes and thought about the kiss.
He'd been kissed before but none had been like that one. No barmaid or the couple of his father's rangers that he'd kissed had touched his heart the way Boromir had with that one split second meeting of lips.
What had Boromir thought? Was he upset? Would he hate Farothen the next time they saw each other? Would he…
"Ai, Valar," Farothen moaned, "What was I thinking? Ada will not be pleased."
Aragorn had made it quite clear by his actions alone that he forbid a relationship between Boromir and Farothen. He'd just started trusting the man of Gondor around Legolas, he wasn't ready to deal with Boromir and Farothen as a couple. Especially not when he had to concentrate on helping Legolas through his pregnancy.
Farothen ran a hand through his hair. In three short days his life had changed so much. He'd met his other ada, found out he was going to be a big brother and sort of started a tenuous relationship with someone he'd just met.
Ai, how quickly things could get complicated.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
January 23
The next afternoon Farothen was on the edge of Caras Galadhon practicing his skills with the bow. The Fellowship was still residing deep in the heart of the city while the majority of the elves were further along the borders patrolling. Which meant that Farothen was alone for the time being.
Farothen smiled to himself at that thought, just as he sent another arrow flying into the center of one the targets he had hanging on several trees, all at different distances from him. He hit his mark dead on just like he had all the other times. It was actually kind of funny because ever since the Fellowship had shown up and the whole situation with Aragorn and Legolas had come out, quite a few elves had remarked that Farothen must have inherited his skill with a bow from Legolas.
As Farothen hit yet another target dead center he nodded as if agreeing with them. He was better than Aragorn so he must have gotten his archery skills from Legolas. He couldn't be completely sure of course, since he'd never seen Legolas in action but…
"The elves of Lorien are right. You do have a remarkable talent with the bow."
Farothen spun around at the voice to see a smiling and very amused Boromir. Farothen smirked at the man, "Am I being followed, Lord Boromir?"
Boromir held up his hands in a sign of peace, "I was just walking around. I saw you practicing and had to see the skills I'd heard so much about." He paused as he looked straight at Farothen, "And please, just call me Boromir."
Farothen looked down to keep from blushing, "I thought you were accustomed to being called Lord."
Boromir shrugged as he looked ahead to see Farothen's handiwork, "Being revered as Lord becomes very boring and tedious."
Farothen grinned at the man of Gondor, "But still, I'll bet the real reason you came up here was that you wanted to show off your own skill with a bow."
Boromir actually started laughing, "Ai Valar no, Farothen! My brother's the skilled bowman in the family, not me."
"Oh. And why is that?" Farothen asked.
Boromir sobered up as he thought about it, "I started out learning alongside Faramir, but my father started pulling me out of lessons. I think he associated the bow with elves and sorcery…which is probably why he didn't care that Faramir learned the skill." He sighed as he leaned against a tree, "I hate the way he plays favorites."
Farothen looked at Boromir in surprise, "You don't like being the crown jewel of Gondor?"
Boromir shook his head sadly, "I can see how much my father's favoritism hurts Faramir. And I hate all the attention. It's like everyone's hopes and dreams have been centered on me…I have to tell you, it's almost suffocating at times. Sometimes I wonder if Faramir should have been born first."
Farothen studied his companion, all the while feeling something tug at his heart as he got this little insight to a warrior with a gentle heart, "You really love you're brother, don't you?"
Boromir nodded, "His gentle soul reminds me quite a bit of our mother."
Farothen smiled as he tried to keep his eyes from watering and mentally shook himself to keep from crying, "Enough of this silliness," he said as he motioned with his hand for Boromir to come forward.
"What?" Boromir asked, now amused and curious.
Farothen sighed, "If no one else has properly shown you how to use a bow then I guess it's up to me!"
Boromir chuckled as he stepped forward, "And you're going to teach me?"
Farothen smirked at him, "And that's funny why?"
Boromir continued to chuckle, "Because I'm horrible with a bow."
"You can't be that bad," Farothen said, handing Boromir his bow, "Here, take a practice shot."
Boromir sighed as he took the bow, notched an arrow and let it fly. The arrow brushed off the side of a tree and went careening into the surrounding brush. From the brush, both Farothen and Boromir were able to hear two very startled yelps.
"Where did that come from?!"
"Farothen! I thought you never missed!"
Boromir shot Farothen a glare that seemed to say, 'I told you so!' In the meantime, Farothen nodded and said, "Okay. You can be that bad." He looked toward the brush, "Sorry, Orophin, Rumil. I was just making sure you two were awake!"
Both Farothen and Boromir chuckled as the two elves grumbled and walked away to find a 'safer place'. Boromir met Farothen's amused gaze, "Now do you believe me?"
Farothen shrugged, "Maybe you're just good with a sword but bad with projectiles."
Boromir scowled at him, "I'm sure it's just with a bow."
"Are you sure? Because it looks like…"
Before Farothen could complete his response, Boromir reached down, grabbed a knife from his boot and flung it at one of the furthest targets that had only one arrow lodged in it. He did it all in one fluid motion and, not only did the knife hit the center of the target…it split Farothen's arrow right down the middle.
Farothen whistled, "Okay. I stand corrected," he said as Boromir smirked, "But you still need work with the bow."
Boromir's smirk fell as Farothen stepped up behind him and, reaching around him, showed him the proper stance, how to hold the bow and what to do with his hands. Boromir found himself grinning at the way the position put his and Farothen's bodies into close proximity, "Are we always going to be this close together?"
Farothen gritted his teeth at the blush that crept up his cheeks, "Shut up and loose the arrow."
Boromir did just that. The arrow hit the tree just above the target.
"At least you hit the tree this time," Farothen commented as he leaned down to grab another arrow from where they were stuck in the ground. His hand met Boromir's as he was also reaching down for an arrow. Startled at the sudden contact, Farothen looked up and found himself gazing into Boromir's very beautiful blue-green eyes.
As Farothen trembled at the sudden heat, Boromir made the first move this time. Simply craning his neck around to kiss Farothen. The bow dropped to the ground as the two shifted so they were facing each other and continued to kiss tenderly.
If Farothen had been at all aware of his surroundings, his Elvish hearing probably would have picked up the snickering coming from the brush. But both Farothen and Boromir were too preoccupied to notice Haldir stand up and quietly walk away.
'Ai, Valar, I hope I'm around to see Aragorn's reaction when he hears about this,' Haldir thought with a grin.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
January 25
Legolas leaned his back against a tree a little ways away from the stables, enjoying the quiet of the night. That was, until he heard the sound of a horse's hooves and two people speaking in low voices.
"I hope you enjoyed the midnight ride."
"I'm just amazed that there's a horse in all of Middle-Earth who hasn't tried to throw me off. What does Roch mean anyway?"
Legolas looked around the tree he was standing by, but made sure he stayed hidden in the shadows so that whoever had pulled Roch up to the stables wouldn't see him. He was surprised to see Boromir dismount right after Farothen.
'What are those two up to?' Legolas thought to himself. However, about 15 seconds later he got his answer as Boromir tenderly ran his hand over Farothen's face and the two kissed.
'I knew they were becoming friends, but…lovers!'
Breaking the kiss Farothen gave a small tug on a lock of Boromir's hair before whispering something and leading Roch into the stable with Boromir following. Legolas shifted his gaze thoughtfully to the ground, feeling a shot of fatherly protectiveness.
Starting a new relationship now was a risk. They were in the middle of a war. And Boromir was at more risk since the ring was preying on his desperation for his city.
Muffled laughter from inside the stable drifted to Legolas' ears and drew his attention back up. Genuine laughter too deep to be Farothen's. Legolas let a small smile cross his lips.
It was Boromir's laughter. For the first time since Legolas had met the man of Gondor, he sounded truly happy. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for Boromir and Farothen to be together.
"Legolas? Is something wrong?"
Legolas looked up at the softly spoken question. 'And maybe,' he thought, smiling as he met Aragorn's gaze, 'Their love, like mine and Estel's, is just meant to be.'
"Legolas?" Aragorn said again as he reached the elf's side.
Legolas sighed and smiled, "I am fine, Estel. I merely had trouble sleeping and took a walk. Come, let's return to our camp."
Aragorn nodded, putting an arm around Legolas' waist and pulling him close, dropping a quick kiss on the elf's lips. As he let Aragorn lead him back to the Fellowship's camp Legolas glanced back in time to see Farothen and Boromir walk out of the stable, standing in much the same position as him and Aragorn, only Boromir's arm was around Farothen's shoulders.
Legolas held his breath when Farothen looked in his and Aragorn's direction. After a second he turned back to Boromir, seemingly not seeing them.
"What are you looking at?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas met the ranger's gaze, "Nothing. I just thought I heard something."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Farothen turned his head slightly into Boromir's touch with a sigh. He released a tiny gasp when the man gently pressed their lips together. For a moment he leaned into the kiss before breaking it.
"I should get Roch settled," he whispered, leading the stallion into the stable toward his stall. Boromir followed.
"So, you never told me what Roch means. It's Elvish right?" Boromir asked.
Farothen grinned, "Aye. It is Elvish." He took a breath and met Boromir's gaze, "It means horse."
Boromir laughed, watching Farothen get Roch settled in his stall, "You named your horse 'Horse.' That's…fitting."
"Well, I get it from Ada. Uncle Elladan said when Ada was a child he had a stuffed wolf he named Draug."
"Wolf?" Boromir asked. At Farothen's nod he laughed again. Somehow, the thought of Aragorn having a stuffed wolf named Draug was amusing, even though at the time he'd been a child.
"Actually, I think I still have Draug in my room somewhere in Rivendell. Ada gave him to me when I was little." Farothen said as he checked a final time to make sure Roch was settled before stepping out of the stall. He met Boromir's gaze, "You were a child once. Surely you have some amusing stories to tell."
Boromir put his arm around Farothen's shoulders as they left the stable, "Some other time perhaps."
Farothen shook his head, "Alright. But rest assured, I will learn all of your embarrassing childhood escapades."
Boromir merely smirked. Farothen turned his head to peer into the woods when he thought he saw something. Like his hearing, he'd inherited Elven eyesight as well, and it easily picked up the slight glint of moonlight on blond hair. He immediately recognized the couple walking away. And he saw the blond look back.
He swallowed, 'Did they see us?' Farothen silently wondered, 'Do I dare ask?'
"Is something wrong, Farothen?" Boromir asked, bringing Farothen's attention back to him.
Farothen met his companion's gaze and sighed, "Nothing's wrong. I just thought I saw something."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Reply to reviews…
The only question we had was 'Can Legolas have twins?' Well, the answer to that is we've got a couple more mpregs planned for this story already so we're just going to have Legolas have one, but, we may be persuaded to write one where our beloved elf has twins at a later date. We've got a couple other ideas we're playing with at the moment once we finish Second Chance so it may be a while.
To all our reviewers, thanks again for all the support and great reviews, it all means a lot to us and keeps us writing.
~Becky and Brina~