Note: I'm sorry to not update this fic too often. Thanks for all the patient you have with me. I also thank for all the review I received, I love them all. I have no beta, so all the grammatical errors are mine.

Chapter 7: Burst Out

"Brother, what are you doing here?"

Lorin's voice pulled Legolas out of his thought. He turned to look at his brother as a sign of knowledge before turned his eyes to the calmly surface of Baranduin water. The last ray of the sun reflected the river, turned the usual blue to the beautiful shade of red-orange mixed with the dark blue.

"Usually, you would be with Frodo right now."

"I…I…I don't know. I want to be beside him. But his behavior these days are rather odd. I don't know and I don't understand what happens but sometimes, I caught the fear in his eyes when he looked at me. It hurts to know that and I don't want to see it. That's why I'm still here instead of going to him." Legolas confessed his problem and his confusing. He really had no idea what was going on. It just came out of the blue. Frodo seemed distant, less demanding and more polite as if…as if he feared that his manner or action would irritate Legolas somehow.

Moreover Frodo rarely asked for him now; unlike the first few days of his sickness that Legolas' name kept coming out in his delirious state. Now, he seemed contenting to be alone or with his Aunt Esmeralda. Many times, Frodo even sent him away with the reason that he did not want to bother Legolas to sit with him while the elf could enjoy the nice weather, friendly companies and etc. outside the smial. At first Legolas thought it was the act of caring. But when it happened too often, he started doubting Frodo did not want him in his room.

All these things made Legolas confused. He did not know how to act around Frodo anymore. His father always said that the mortal races changed quicker than the elf. The person they thought to know very well might become the stranger in such a short time. Frodo too had changed, much he would say. The lovely boy who clung on his neck tightly and refused to depart from him was gone. Only the bit remnant of him remained in the 12-year-old Frodo. Legolas knew everyone must change and accepted the changing in Frodo. Still his heart ached for the innocent child he met seven years ago, hurt by the fact those happy time between them has passed, left only sweet memories to cherish.

"Why don't you talk to him? Find out what's wrong. Everything has some reasons behind. It does you no good to just wondering yourself and assuming the possibility of those fears," Lorin suggested; patted his brother's shoulder.

"Come on, Legolas. Let's go back to the Brandy Hall. Everyone must waiting for us at the dining hall now."

Legolas nodded and followed Lorin back to the Brandy Hall. He considered Lorin's words. It might help breaking the unseen wall between them. The decision made him felt better, but he would not talk tonight. He needed to tread carefully; a few careless words may send their precarious relationship downed the hill.

Frodo rolled on his back with heavily sigh. The book he was reading a moment ago was abandoned on his chest as he closed his eyes. It was so good to be outside again. His recovery did not take too much time this time, even Aunt Esmeralda admitted that he was out of bed faster than usual. She even thought it might be because the elves' presences in the Brandy Hall. Why not? Many rumors about the elves involve their 'magic'. And she believed Legolas and Lorin must use their magic to help her dearest nephew's recovery.

Normally, Frodo should be happy to get outside. The feeling of the winds, the warmness of the sun, the coolness of the water, and the whisper of the trees always lifted his spirit. But today the nature did not have affect on him as much as it had been. His mind kept thinking on Legolas.

After his talking with Aunt Esmeralda and his cousins, Frodo was so confused and did not know how to react around the elf. Part of him wanted to stay close to Legolas like they were in Rivendell. But another part of him kept saying that he should not bother the elf too much. Else Legolas might get annoyed and did not want to see him anymore. Even now, Legolas seemed a bit distant to him. Frodo could tell that the elf felt uncomfortable around him. How it came to this? How they became like this?

"Hey, Frodo."

Frodo turned to the direction the voice came from and met one of his cousins, Saginen and his friends. Frodo put the book on the grass and stood up, his eyes watched Saginen and his friends warily. Frodo never understood Saginen's dislike towards him. Saginen had everything Frodo wished he could have; he had good and very caring father and mother and did not have to live with any relative's charity like Frodo did. Moreover Frodo did not do anything to him at all. Yet, it seemed Saginen always tried to make his life miserable whenever he could.

"What are you doing here?" Saginen asked.

"I'm enjoying my time outside," Frodo said, did not mention the book at all. Saginen was like most of the hobbits in the Shire. Books were just, so he left the book out of their conversation. Beside, he must see the book by now.

"Oh," Saginen mocked, "It seems you are not as close to the elves liked you had been bragged to us."

"I never brag," Frodo retorted, frowned a bit at the accusation. He never ever bragged. All he did was to share his traveling experience with his friends and anyone who were interested. And now his telltale became bragging! "And what do you mean by that?"

"Oh? You really don't know," Saginen smirked at Frodo before turned to his friends. "See, I told you he was bragging about his friendship with the elves all the time," He turned back to Frodo and said, "I will tell you what I mean. My friends and I are going to meet Legolas this evening. If you really were close to him, you should know it. Frodo, you are such a liar."

"I'm not a liar," Frodo trembled with anger to be called by that.

"If that so, why don't you know that Legolas would go fishing with us today."

"He…he did not tell me," Frodo mumbled softly to himself. Every word he uttered seemed to pierce his heart. He had been foolishly thought that he knew Legolas better than any hobbits in the Shire, except Bilbo. Today the cruel reality shattered his belief to the ground. He was not the hobbit Legolas would think of the first anymore. The elf was now interested in other children, and would left the boring hobbit like Frodo in the end. The feeling of losing the one he loved to another person, even though that person was his relative, was hurt so much. His eyes were brimming with the tear he swore he would not let it down, lest Saginen would crush him into the ground deeper.

"Stop using your stupid excuse; admit it you are just a liar. Legolas doesn't like you. To be frankly, I think his uncomfortable around you already says what's on his mind. If Aunt Esmeralda doesn't take very good care of him, he might not feel obligate to see you at all."

"Shut Up!" Frodo cried as he leaped onto his cousin and pushed him to the ground, straddled Saginen, and punched him on the face. He hardly box anyone as he did see violent as evil. But at this moment he could not stop himself. Every word out of Saginen's mouth was like a poison to him and it hurt very much, much more than the worst punishment he had had. It pierced into his heart and Frodo only wanted it to stop. Since Saginen did not look he would stop his mouth soon, Frodo deemed to stop it himself. Meanwhile Saginen's friends startled at Frodo's action for almost a minute before rushed towards to get Frodo off of Saginen. But before they reached them, the big and powerful hands pulled Frodo out.

At that time Frodo was already too hot to stop easily.

"Let me go!" Frodo cried as he tried to get the hands off him, so he could get back to his cousin. But those hands held him strongly.

"FRODO!"

Frodo stopped struggling immediately at the voice he remembered by his heart. The hands clutched on his shoulder tightly and turned him around 360 degree, and now Frodo faced the very angry Legolas.

"Frodo, what's wrong with you? I never thought you would be aggressive and jumped on anyone. I guess I must be wrong then," Legolas said, his faced full of disbelieve and reprove.

Frodo cringed at the disappointment he saw on Legolas' face. He trembled terribly as he bit his lips hard to prevent the tear from falling down. He would not….he would never cry before Saginen. "Saginen…he…he said….no….he lied to me that you would go fishing with him today."

"That's right. And even though it's not true, I don't think it's too crucial enough to make an excuse for your vile action. Really Frodo, you are disappointed me. I really ashamed of you."

With those words, the tear Frodo kept so hard burst down on his cheeks. He shook Legolas' hands off his shoulder and ran away blindly, unheeded Legolas' crying after him.

Finally, what he had feared became truth. Legolas was now liked other hobbit children more than him, and now the elf might even hate him for his stupid action. He should have ignored Saginen's words and then all of this would never have happened.

As Frodo cared not where he was running to, and what was on the ground, he tripped over a tree's root. The impact made the hobbit fell to the ground rather hard and rolled over for a bit. If this happened in the normal time, Frodo may shred some tear. But now he almost could not feel anything, just a bit of throb at his ankle that hardly compare to the pain in his heart. He enfolded his knees towards his chest tightly until he was in the fetal position before sobbing quietly. He was drowned in his sorrowful that he did not know a pair of strong arms encircled him gently and many gentle words were whispered to him soothingly.

Legolas watched Frodo ran out with a bit of guilt. He really hated to make the hobbit upset like that. But Frodo should not have punched his cousin over the fishing thing. He knew he did right to reprimand him. If he let his hobbit gone without a word, Frodo may become spoiler and knew not what was right and wrong.

"Are you alright?" Legolas asked and Saginen nodded his heard before let the elf pulled him up to his feet.

Legolas used his sleeves to wipe the blood that seeped out on a corner of Saginen's mouth. "Can you tell me what's going on between you and him?"

"I just only told him that you would go fishing with me today. After that he pushed me to the ground and punched me. I really had no idea what's gotten into him." Saginen said.

"That's quite weird. I never thought he would get into a fight with anyone. Guest, I must not know him that well."

"It's useless to think about him. Come on, let's go fishing. I had prepared everything for us to use," Saginen said and led Legolas to the riverside where he had already put fishhooks and preys there.

Legolas followed with uneasy in his heart. The only thing he wanted to do now was to go to Frodo, to ask the real reason of this boxing, to ask why he so upset about his fishing, and most of all to know that he did not hurt Frodo too much by his words.

To be continued...