Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the lord of the rings.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. Here is another chapter. I need ideas really bad and sorry it took me longer to update, school caught up with me. Still in helm's deep.
"Ahah!" Aragorn shot up, panting, his face twisted in fear. His dagger was in his right hand and he made slashing moves with it at the air, hoping to keep his shadows at bay. He took a deep breath, and another one, until his racing heart calmed down and he could once more breath freely. He rubbed his tired eyes, hands stinging with the salty tears that stained them. He muffled a curse in his hands before he got up, his blankets slipping from his body and he put on his boots, feeling the need to smoke more clearly then he had ever before in his life.
He walked outside as silently as possible and waved to Théoden's guards that still stood outside, keeping watch for any of the remaining orcs that were still in helm's deep. He could not belief it has only been barely 2 hours ago that Legolas had made him so sleepy, so relaxed and now…. His very muscles were shaking with the force that was behind them, with the emotions he had kept bottled up inside him ever since they had left Lorien, his desires, his fears, his needs and wants, all needed to be released, yet why this moment, he truly had no idea.
Lighting up his pipe, Aragorn made for the farthest corner he could find. He sank down on his knees, elbows resting on the stone before him and with a sign he dropped his head, how he wished his brothers were here, to tell him what to do or give him advice, advice about anything.
"Estel, what is the matter?" Aragorn blinked, surely he must have just dreamed that. He felt a hand on his shoulder, a face close to his. A face very familiar and Aragorn felt an unexpected smile tug at his lips, as it always did when he saw the prince.
"Legolas," Aragorn softly replied, the image of his brother being replaced with the prince's.
"You seemed so lost in thought. Should you not be asleep, mellon? You were relaxed when I put you to bed." Legolas sat down next to the man, shoving the pipe that was lying on the stone away from him.
"I had a nightmare," Aragorn simply replied, his mind wandering back to his brothers.
"You as well, many of the people here have had nightmares," Legolas softly replied, placing a hand on the man's back. Aragorn bore a grim expression and he answered,
"Aye, me as well. Nightmares have always been fond of me, ever since I was a little boy. I remember that Elladan and Elrohir has to sit up with me night after night before I would finally relax back into sleep. I miss them," he finally declared.
" I am sure they miss you as well. You are their favorite brother as they have told me many a time."
" I am their only brother… besides themselves that is," Aragorn replied hastily and much more harshly then he had intended.
"Peace Aragorn, you are partly right. Because they are twins they will always have a special connection to each other, but they do not however see you as anything else but their sibling, be it by blood or not," Legolas answered, his hand still resting on the human's back.
" Perhaps, I do not wish for them to fall into the hands of the mortal faith, as Arwen is bound to do." "And you will do too, if you ever bond with me." He added in his mind.
" Then it is their choice, as I would do the same for you, as a friend." And much more, as you well know." Legolas answered to Aragorn, folding his legs underneath him and resting his hands under his chin.
"But it shall still pain me to be lost without them," Aragorn replied, his grey eyes seeking out the ones of Legolas.
"As it shall pain us when you die as well, Aragorn." Legolas placed his hand once again on the human's back while he then answered. "So your brothers were keen on the idea of you going on this quest?"
"Elladan was not very much, but he understood the reason behind it. Elrohir said unless I would come back in one piece, he would lock me into a room for all eternity. He did not even care if I was king of Gondor or not." Aragorn smiled at the memory.
"Yes, Elrohir was always the most protective one of the twins, as he has a sensitive heart. Elladan is more hardened in a way but he always says he is worried about you. It surprised me he allowed you to leave." Legolas smiled fondly at the memory of his long time friends.
"I wish they were here, both of my brothers," Aragorn sadly replied.
"You shall see them again but this is as much as a quest to destroy the One Ring as it is a personal quest for you. It is time for you to accept what you are becoming, a king, The king of Gondor. With the good aspects that go with that and the bad ones."
"But what if it is not my destiny to reunite the world of Men underneath one banner? What if I do not want it? It is true, perhaps I have known it all my life that I was meant for this, but I am shattering two hearts when I do so." Aragorn replied softly.
"Yes and think of how many hearts you will gladden by doing this. People need hope, Estel, what is two hearts when the world is happy?" Legolas smiled gently at him.
"But it is a heart that matters a lot to me," Aragorn answered at once and Legolas smile broadened slightly.
He rested a light hand on the man's arm and only nodded. He saw a pained look crossing Aragorn's features and asked,
"What is the matter?" Aragorn shook his head, yet the pained look did not leave his face. "Aragorn, please, tell me what is wrong?"
Aragorn smiled sheepishly at his friend and answered,
"I forgot to treat my own wounds." That statement made Legolas blink slowly and then after a long moment anger etched his features, like Aragorn knew it would, as he knew the exact thing Legolas was going to say, namely,
"How can you be so foolish? You are a …."
"A healer yes and I should have taken better care of myself but I did not and now it hurts… yes I know, Legolas. But there was a lot to do and I got lost and forgot about my wounds until you touched my arm," Aragorn finished the sentence, he had been on the receiving end at least 50 times in his life.
"Yes, that was what I was going to say, not that is has been cleared off, so what do you say that we get you cleaned up?" Legolas extended his hand, helping Aragorn up.
"I am not taking a bath," the human grumbled, his deep voice filled with well-layered pain.
"We shall see. Is this a human custom, not taking a bath for days or weeks?" Legolas looked at Aragorn, seeing the shadows in his face from weariness of the last couple of weeks. Perhaps a nice bath would get him to relax. Well, a bath has they had in a nearly destroyed castled where the night before a horrible battled had raged, killing hundreds of people and ten thousands orcs.
Aragorn leaned heavily on his friend, each step seeming like a run to Gondor and back again. After a few moments they reached the room Aragorn had slept in before. Dumping Aragorn on the bed and extruding an annoyed,
"What was that for?" from Aragorn made him laugh while he exited the room.
Aragorn relaxed onto his stomach the moment Legolas was out the room. Soon he passed into the world of oblivion, only to be awoken by... a bucket of ice cold water. A piercing scream tore through Helms Deep and Aragorn sprang to his feet, soaking wet and ice cold, to find himself fuming in the face of the laughing elf prince.
"Legolas, why in the name of Sauron did you have to drench me with a bucket of water?" he demanded, fist clenching at his sides.
"Well you needed a bath and they were out of hot water. And besides you were sleeping," Legolas stated the obvious. Aragorn growled low in his throat while he hissed.
"And what is that the problem with that? Why would that justify the reason for you to throw a bucket of water over my head?"
Legolas started back slightly and he answered,
"Because you needed a bath and well, I need to treat your wounds."
"My wounds are not that dire for you to wake me up. I can treat them myself, although I shall need some help with my arm." Aragorn was still fuming at Legolas and the elf grinned slightly at the human.
"Fine then, you can dress my wounds but I shall need a pair of fresh clothes, I do not have any with me." Aragorn sat down on his wet bed. He shivered slightly when a cold breeze flew through the open window.
"You can borrow some of my clothes, they might be a little bit to big for you but it shall do." Legolas softly replied. He felt guilty for throwing the bucket of water over Aragorn.
The next half-hour Aragorn was nearly oblivious to the world, shivering on occasion while Legolas tended the wounds on his hands and arms. The man was staring out towards the wall opposite of the room he was in. He did not hear Legolas leave, nor did he hear him return, but the next moment he felt hands tug at his clothing, words reaching his ears and he finally emerged from his thoughts.
"Come, let us get you into something dry."
Aragorn only nodded absentmindly and slowly undressed, not even bothering with making Legolas turn around. He relished in the fact of once again wearing fresh clothes but when he turned his heart sank once more, his bed was still soaking wet.
"Now where should I sleep?" The question was directed at Legolas and the elf shrugged while he answered,
"I am sure Gimli's bed is still fairly free."
The look of horror on Aragorn's face was enough to make Legolas laugh once again. Aragorn's face sobered a moment later while the man dropped his head in his neatly bandaged hands.
"I cannot do this…" was all that Legolas could identify as the words spilled from Aragorn's mouth. The elf walked over with brisk steps and pulled the human's head out of his hands and while slowly cradling his friend close he answered,
"Whatever it is that you are insecure about, you will be able to do everything you put your mind to. Do not worry so much, Estel."
"I will never be able to forget this. This battle, this slaughter, everything that has happened since, the bad things and the good things." He lifted his gaze and Legolas was shocked to see how drawn his gaze was, how old Aragorn looked at that moment.
"Neither will I, the good and the bad, Estel," he assured the human and watched as a slow smile appeared on Aragorn's face.
"Elladan and Elrohir will be proud of you." Legolas could not help at the smile that lit Aragorn's face at the mention of his brothers. "You will always have a special place in the hearts of those you have inspired, Estel, as I am honored to be one of them." Legolas stepped back, allowing Aragorn to rise before he said, bowing on one knee. "You shall always have my alliance and my loyalty, Aragorn, may you know that."
"Rise, please." Aragorn's voice was soft and there was something of an emotion in them that Legolas could not identify and he rose stiffly, clasping his hands in front of his chest and watching Aragorn. "I know I have them, mellon, as I know very well what other things I have as well. But I don't want you to bow before me. Never do I want that, nor do I ever want to be called my lord by you, because it pains me to hear that."
"But it is a sign of respect, Aragorn surely you must understand that," Legolas argued back. It was the wrong thing to say because Aragorn fixed him with a stern glance and while walking over, he gripped Legolas's shoulders hard and saying, in a clear and understandable voice,
"Respect or not, it is not what I want. I know you respect me, as much as I respect you. You, who are closer to me than my own brother, you who are my soul mate, the only one I love with all my heart must never call me that. Legolas, swear it, do never call me that and if I let you do it, then you tell me, no matter what I am doing, no, remind me of the vow we make today. We, who have shared blood, please swear it, because if this happens in the future, our friendship shall be ruined and I shall be dead before I shall see that happening."
Legolas blinked rapidly at the words that spilled out from Aragorn's mouth. He blinked back tears before he embraced the man, no the king before him and answered,
"Thank you, mellon, I shall remember it well, as I shall remind you."
Aragorn shrugged and answered with the words before he lay down on the still soaked bed.
"It is only a little thing, Legolas, only a little thing. Oh and by the way, be aware before you go to sleep next time, I shall have my revenge." With that he closed his eyes, enjoying the much needed sleep. Little did he know that Legolas shook his head, picking him up with ease and carrying him down to a dry bed with the words,
"Oh no, you shall not be sick because of this. This is only a little thing I can do for you."
Hope you liked it. It took me long enough to write. So leave me some ideas. And review of course.