Author's Note: So I skipped update time last week, I know... and I'm sorry!

. . .

"Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." -Screen Tester on Fred Astaire

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Legolas put Kris to bed. She shivered in the cold sheets as he put her down, despite the warmer weather outside. He would have put her in his own bed. He wouldn't mind keeping Kristy warm tonight. But Estel was already suspicious.

Then he thought about it.

Maybe he was more than that.

He always was intuitive beyond his years. Maybe Aragorn knew the game Legolas started playing was now…backfiring. Maybe he knew how Legolas was becoming more and more, day by day, torn apart.

Legolas brushed the thought away, along with her hair, pressing a kiss to Kristy's forehead, before gently shutting the door. Then the back of his neck tingled.

Aragorn.

"And what's so interesting about putting a girl to bed?" he slowly turned around.

The ranger's eyes were calculating and warm. Aragorn rested in the threshold, his unshaven face in shadow. A tiny smile tugged at his mouth. "By the looks of it…a great deal."

Legolas just shrugged his shoulders. "Surely, I don't know what you mean." And he brushed past, heading for the couch.

"You will have to leave her, mellon," Aragorn said, staring at the spot Legolas used to occupy. "You know that."

Legolas stopped, hovering in the living room entry. He breathed a little faster, mouth flattening. "So?"

Aragorn shifted on his feet. "So?"

Legolas whirled around. "What point are you trying to make?"

The ranger almost answered. He saw it in his eyes: concern, worry…understanding. Legolas almost frowned.

Understanding? Estel knew him better than anyone. But that didn't mean he knew how this felt. How could he? Losing everything, his mind, his spirit, falling apart…only for someone to pick up the pieces. Losing that someone.

Legolas dropped his eyes, staring at the floor.

"I am listening."

Legolas shook his head. "I don't need this from you. I must leave. I know that."

"But can you?" Estel asked earnestly. He dropped into Sindarin, glancing over the elf's face in the dark. "Can you leave her?"

"I have a duty. I swore to protect the ring-bearer! My people need me."

"That is not what I asked."

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked defensively.

"Legolas, I have eyes." He said a little more harsh, "Are you trying to tell me you have no feelings for her?"

"Of course not," he spat, before shaking his head. "What should I say? That I love her? That I…that I feel like she's tearing me apart?"

Moonlight spilled through the drapes. They stood very still, watching each other. Then Legolas shifted back, gesturing at the closed bedroom door.

"That she's the piece I never knew I was missing?" he asked softer yet, and his whisper faltered. "That just the thought of never…touching her again is killing me?"

Aragorn's eyes slid shut, exhaling softly.

"Well, I tried," Legolas said, knotting his hand in the pale strands of hair spilling over his forehead. "Believe me, I've tried, Estel." He laughed sickly, "I thought— I thought Tauriel was my heart. That I belonged in the trees. That was my home. But Kristy," he whispered, "Kristy, a single word from her can…cut me to pieces. Or make me fly. No matter how hard I try, I can't push her from my mind. When she's gone from me, if she's taken from me, she'll take…she'll take-" he trailed off.

"Everything." Aragorn agreed, "…and your heart with it."

Legolas' eyes flickered to the floor. He didn't want it to be, but it was true.

Estel lifted pale, shining eyes. "Perhaps you forget, my friend, my heart too sails to Valinor without me."

"Arwen," Legolas said stupidly. Of course. He was so callous! Worrying about his own problems, his own heartache, when Estel faced exactly the same thing.

"I am sorry," Legolas said immediately. "I did not mean to-"

"It is alright." Estel said, "I did not want sympathy for my troubles. I only wanted you to know you weren't alone in yours, mellon nin. It is difficult to let go. I know this."

Legolas nodded, sinking down into the couch cushions. He reached over and pulled a pillow into his lap, staring gloomily out the bay window overlooking the city.

"…Perhaps impossible," Aragorn continued, as if an afterthought.

Legolas blinked. "What?"

"Perhaps impossible." He repeated, lowering himself down beside, "You know, my friend, you are no good to us distracted. Or worse: dead."

Legolas shifted uncomfortably, not liking where this was going.

"There is honor in wisdom, you know. If you chose to stay here, with Kristine…"

"No!" Legolas said firmly, "I know my duty. How can you even suggest it? The Dark One spreads over our lands like pestilence, and you expect me to cower from it? No. If my people are crushed under the coming darkness, than I will fade with them."

"Then perhaps-"

"Kristine?" Legolas interrupted. He knew what the Ranger was going to say, and he scoffed. "Follow me? Absolutely not. I would never ask such a thing of her."

Aragorn raised a brow. "Ask? Who said you need ask?"

Legolas blinked.

"Legolas, she would follow you…from this world and beyond."

Legolas stared in disbelief.

"Are you blind?" Estel nearly laughed, staring at his stupefied expression.

And he shifted in the cushions, mulling over it. Not that he ever would let her, of course. But that she would…that she might, that she'd do such a thing for him. "You think she would?" Legolas asked.

"Legolas, really."

Legolas stared into the dark, feeling a grin slowly sprawl across his face, before hastily putting it away.

"But I would never let her. I mean, a world like ours, compared to this?" He gestured around. "Trust me in this, she'd never survive. Even if we could win the fight with the Dark One, can you imagine what she would do without the conveniences of her home? Her family? Friends? She has a life here. She'd want to return in…in a month's time. She would curse me for bringing her there. She could never be happy."

"Your faith in her is breathtaking," Aragorn said dryly.

"You know what I say is true!" Legolas protested. "She'd not even survive the war coming upon us. It will mean blood and death. I will not let that fate befall her."

"'Tis your choice, my friend," he murmured. "Only choose wisely."

"You are right. It is my choice. And I say no."

Legolas wanted to convince him further. He knew the ranger's nod was to placate him, and he didn't like it. But Aragorn didn't want that, and he drifted into more reminiscent things.

They talked until night was morning. The hours passed and as they did, Legolas let himself drift on memory after memory, pleasant ones, happy ones…here.

Aragorn longed for his love, Legolas suspected secretly, else he'd never talk about her so freely. He knew he lost her to the war, the sea, his own mortality…and it left him feeling bereft. Legolas knew what it felt like.

Estel remembered the first night he saw the Evenstar, as a young man of twenty. She was pale skin and raven hair. Legolas almost smiled at his quiet words, full of wonder, pure devotion.

And then he told him a little of his first memories here, Kristy running him over in the rain. He remembered sleet pouring down his neck, staring at her as her lips moved, yet unable to understand a single word she said.

"It must have been difficult." Aragorn agreed softly, "Having no one to talk to."

Legolas smiled. "Oh, I had someone to talk to."

Estel glanced up, curious. Legolas just nodded to the closed bedroom door.

It made him feel better somehow, knowing she was in there. Talking about her, his life here like it was all over, was disturbing. But for now, his Kristy was just a heartbeat away…a warm, breathing body that wanted him, understood him. It consoled him.

Legolas chuckled. "Aye. We talked to each other even more than now. And we understood not a word."

Aragorn laughed.

"How we fought at first." Legolas sighed, "It seems it was all we did."

Aragorn lifted a skeptical brow. "At first?"

"I suppose it would seem that way," Legolas agreed, resting peacefully in the quiet. "But she would always come to me, when we fought. I'd wait for her. Strange, I didn't even realize it, how we could do it again and again, so uselessly, until..."

Estel sighed.

"It's different now." Legolas inhaled quickly, glancing up. He thought about it.

He remembered the way she kissed him, how her fingers looked for him in his shirt. He remembered the feel of Kristy's body curled in the crook of his arm, pulling him closer, as if never quite tight enough. It felt good…so good.

"I adore her. And I think she might miss me, too…in the end," he added softly.

Aragorn didn't say a word.

. . . . . .

"Legolas!" Kris pounded on the bathroom door. "Come on!"

Legolas wet his hands and struggled to slick his unruly hair back.

"Roger will be here any minute!"

He twisted around, yanking on his tie and trying to get it knotted.

"Come on," she whined, jiggling the strappy heels in her fingers. She was shaking so hard, she couldn't even walk in them yet. Kristy leaned all her weight on the door, struggling to put them on. "Legolas, you'd look like a supermodel in a damn potato bag. What's the matter?"

"Come and see." He growled, yanking the door open.

Kristy stumbled into the bathroom light…before taking a sharp breath. Damn. She thought stupidly. Legolas looked good. Really good, even disheveled and frustrated.

The elf inhaled sharply as Kris straightened up. His eyes swept her up in a single look. Black heels, bare arms where there should be sleeves, skin where there should be shoulders. And…Legolas frowned. Staring at her from the front, he suspected there was no back to that dress.

Why did she have to wear that?

"You look good in a suit," Kristy blurted out before she could stop herself.

Legolas appeared taken aback a moment. "What?"

"The suit, I-I mean. It, um...looks good." Kristy shuffled forward and put her bag on the sink. "So what's the problem?"

"I cannot tie this Eru cursed thing, to start with," Legolas said, fidgeting with the tail end of his tie.

"Lemme help."

Legolas had on a pale white shirt, tucked loosely into his pants, and a black open coat clinging to his shoulders. He stood off on one hip, staring uncomfortably at the wall as she worked. Kristy couldn't help but notice, and she wondered what was wrong. Her fingers slowed.

Legolas was the man who could wear anything. Heck, he could probably walk down Main Street stark-naked.

Kristy turned the tie over, in, out, and pulled it tight for him. But before she slid the knot up to his neck, she acknowledged the awkward silence. For a split instant, all she heard was the buzz of the florescent lights over their heads. She stilled, peering up at him…

Legolas refused to meet her eyes.

"Legs," she asked. "Is something wrong?"

He ripped himself from the interesting thing on the wall. "Nothing."

Kristy fingered the tie against his chest, hesitating. And then…she narrowed her eyes. "You know you look awesome, don't you."

He gave her a wry smile.

"Stupid elf." Kris turned a bright red and glancing down, tugged on his neck shyly. "There's nothing to worry about, you know. You're all uptight for nothing."

"And who is attending a party full of Marines who arrest, beat, and take away strangers like me? Regularly?" Legolas frowned.

"You're trying to make me feel sorry for you, aren't you? Making you come to this thing with me?"

"You could not force me into anything." He said haughtily, "And I know not why you feel sorry for me, Kristine. I am simply wary, that's all. I don't feel…comfortable."

Kris just looked at him a moment, before suddenly, she made a decision and she undid her handiwork, tugged the tie out of his shirt and tossed it away.

"You know what? You don't need that." She reached up and mussed up his hair, running her fingers through it and letting it fall free into his collar.

Legolas almost yelled. "Aye!"

"What? It looks better like that!"

"Do you know how long it took me to lay this flat?" he grabbed the mirror and peered inside.

"Come on. It looks good natural. And you'll feel better."

"After you and your cursed scissors got to me, that was my hair's natural state. As all warriors of my people." Legolas sighed. "Manwe, look what you've done!"

"It looks better messy," she said. Then, in all seriousness, she captured his face. "Legolas?"

Blue, hooded eyes whirled around to meet her, and she sucked in a slow breath. She was going to offer some useless words of comfort, something that could relax both their nerves... But she forgot what she wanted to say. The warm skin of his cheek against her palm, his infinitesimal, rapid breathing, the top two buttons of his shirt open…it made her feel light-headed. She couldn't force the words out. Her tongue went dry.

Legolas' mouth slowly twitched into a smile. "Come here." He reached forward and slipped her waist into his hands, drawing her into the light. "Let me look at you."

Kristy extended her arms in a model like fashion, smiling self-consciously, "Kay." Before spinning slowly so he could have the full view.

Backless. He was right.

The smiled drained from Legolas' face. Kristy immediately went still.

She just looked at him. Seconds ticked into terribly awkward minutes, waiting for something…anything. And suddenly, she felt incredibly inadequate.

"D-do I look alright?" she asked without thinking.

A smile almost graced his lips. But not quite.

"Is it too much, I mean?" she mumbled when he didn't answer. She gestured to the dress, turning to look at her exposed back in the mirror.

Black lace ran up her sides and looped behind her neck, enveloped in tousled, silky waves of blow-dried hair. "I wanted to impress Roger. So we can find out what he's up to."

Legolas made a vague, critical face.

"Too much? It's too much?"

"No…no, not too much," he said, lifting one eyebrow. "more like too little."

Kristy burst into laughter, because it was either that or cry. She hit him in the chest. "That's not what I want to hear!"

"Then why don't you wear a dress that leaves something to the imagination?" he protested.

"I hate you."

Legolas chuckled, pulling her into his arms. Kris took a short breath of surprise. He was dropping his chin and delving for a kiss. His pulse skipped in his ribs in anticipation…but she flinched.

"No!" Kris threw her hands up. "I spent an hour putting this on."

"This on?" He shook his head, before Legolas kissed the backs of her fingers in amusement and frustration.

There was so much black, shimmering shades of brown and silver around her eyes. The only thing on her face that looked…touchable was her lips.

"Oh, Kristine. Where is your face? What have you done with it?" he demanded overly harshly, and she laughed. Legolas shook his head. "Come here."

Legolas clasped the back of her head and just before he pushed his mouth against hers, he used a hand to forcefully wipe whatever it was off her lips. And she didn't have time to protest before he was kissing her very thoroughly…while hitting his hand clean on the back of his pants.

Legolas was shocked and disappointed that her lips didn't taste the same. He captured her upper lip and sucked on it, letting his nervousness and frustration leak into the kiss. Legolas lightly grasped her chin between his forefinger and thumb, and he gently forced her mouth open.

At least this was untainted. Legolas caressed his way into her mouth. She melted into his touch and then…they were kissing slowly, deeply, without restraint. Legolas slowly reached out and felt for the light switch. It was just a little out of reach. He decided it wasn't worth it. But it was inevitable that his tongue would taste her lips again, and his soaring spirit came crashing down. He pulled back again, grimacing.

"What…"

"What are you wearing?" he growled. Legolas kept his fingers tangled in her hair, keeping her dangerously close.

Kris rolled her eyes, flustered, bracing her hands on his chest. "Oh for god's s-"

"Don't do that to me," he snapped.

Kristy's brows shot up in surprise. "…this?"

Legolas almost glowered as she treated him to another eye-roll. "Yes, that. And what in Arda are you wearing? My gods, Kristine, you don't even taste the same!"

"It's just make up. What is your problem?"

"That is a mask." He corrected, "And I certainly do not see why that…Marine should look at you in that." He spat, nodding to her dressy

"You're looking at me right now!"

"That's me." He snapped, "Not him."

"You're so old-fashioned," Kris said as he released her, wondering if she could possibly laugh and get away with it. Legolas could be so…moody, sometimes. "And Roger's gay. He probably couldn't care less what I look like."

Legolas folded his arms. The thought made him feel better...a little.

Legolas glanced away. "Well, I care."

Kristy rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling cold and…and despite her conscious mind, like some kind of loose moral woman. She didn't like the feeling. She wanted something…a word of encouragement. A "you look great, Krissy", or "Just fine. Let's go." Anything.

Kris snatched her purse off the counter without a sound, and before Legolas could utter another word, walked out the door.

Legolas shrugged his shoulders discontentedly, wishing he hadn't seen that expression in her eyes. She was hurt and he knew it.

But then he was treated to the view of a large portion of Kristy's dark, faintly muscled back. And he cursed the thoughts that flitted through his mind as she walked away…touching that skin, caressing it, and then silky sheets, running his tongue slowly up that spine.

How many men would have that same thought?

The thought made him furious. Possessive feelings went through his mind, wondering if others would dance with her tonight. It just reminded him of all the men who would dance with her when he was gone. Maybe the man. The man who would make her happy.

The one who would look at her like he found himself so often doing. Maybe it would be a man who listened to her laugh and smiled, or who'd cover a nervous, suddenly self-conscious mouth and kiss it instead. And she'd like it.

Legolas felt an ache in his chest that rivaled the one in his side. The pain there was worse today. But he pushed it down.

Legolas followed Kristy out the door, saluting a brief farewell to Estel and Tauriel, and they took the elevator down. The dropping sensation made him feel even worse. He was weak, dizzy and light-headed. And Kristy only made it worse.

. . . . . .

Thank you for reading :))