Elrohir sat beside the bed which Irime lay in, his father had said that she would probably recover quickly and be well within a month at the most. Though the young half-Elf wondered what exactly had driven her to leave at such an early hour, it made no sense to him.

He took her smaller hand in his own and began to sing softly,

Ar ve tirnentë, or I coronna etuller minna eälë lenwi tuimat;

Ar ilamma né or ilya Ambar I lúmessë, ar únë lamma hequa I Yavanno lírala.

Undu linderya I tuimat randortaner ar eänë vanimë ar hallë, ar tuller lóten;

Ar sin cuivaner Ambaressë Aldu Valinóreva.

He pushed her dark hair behind her pointed ears. Irime was in a healing sleep and he knew that she would get well and her heart would slowly heal itself of grief.

"Brother, please get some sleep." Elladan said as he came into the room. "She will be fine, we do not need to worry for someone as strong as she." He sat down on the bed beside her and went to caress her face.

"Do not touch her." Elrohir growled.

Elladan's face fell, "You know what happened?" He had always feared his brother's reaction upon finding that his older twin also had been taken the dark-haired ness.

Elrohir nodded "And I don't need reminding, especially not from you."

"Brother, please, you must understand! I know you love her too, but I do not wish for her to be the only thing that could tear us apart! You are my only brother, my twin! My mirror!" Elladan said, his temper rising. "You cannot say that you do not feel even the slightest desire for her, for it would be a lie!"

"Never." Elrohir hissed. "I would not take advantage of someone like you would!"

Elladan stood, "I know more than you think. I know, brother, your lust for her! I feel that it would probably be best if you leave her forever and never come back, for her safety at least."

Elrohir's eyes darkened, "No, you should leave before she awakes. Go now before I remove you!"

Elladan knew that his brother would not bluff so he backed slowly out of the room and shut the door behind him. He had never thought that losing Irime would hurt so much, or the rejection by his brother.

"Elrohir, who was that who just left?" Irime said weakly, having just awoken.

"No one, Irime."

The ness' face grew dark, "Elrohir, why do you lie to me?"

The Elf looked down at his feet, "Twas my brother."

Irime nodded slowly, "I do not want to be the reason for hatred, Elrohir. He is your brother, still."

"But he took advantage of your grief! While you were weakest!" Elrohir said, sitting back down beside her.

Irime knew that Elrohir would never do anything to harm her, but there was doubt, he had changed. Everyone had changed, she had thought Elladan had only ever been her friend, but she was wrong. What she wrong by trusting Elrohir?

"How do I know that you would not?"

Elrohir smiled, "I am not like my brother, you can trust me."

"But what if I cannot? How do I know that you would not use my sadness over Legolas as your brother did?" Her doubt had gotten out of hand, and she knew that Elrohir would not do such a thing, yet there was a warning in her heart.

Elrohir, hurt beyond words, got up and left soundlessly. Why did she not trust him? What did he do to make her fear him so?

Elrohir knew that Irime had just been afraid and soon both were on good terms again he had gone back to his vigil by her bedside. It was late, and Elrohir had gotten very little sleep during the last couple days and he was exhausted, ever for an Elf. Soon he had fallen asleep sitting beside her, using his arms like a pillow he slept with his head on her bed.

He did not awake when Irime's parents came into the room with Elrond who made sure they were quiet so they would not wake either of the younger Elves.

"My son, Elrohir." Elrond introduced the sleeping Noldo in a volume not above a whisper.

"The child who moved to Lorien some years ago?" Irime's mother asked, eyeing the handsome peredhil by her daughter's side.

Elrond nodded, "I guess the lack of sleep has finally gotten the better of him." The Elf Lord said smiling. Irime's parents exchanged curious looks.

Elrond bent down beside his son and lightly shook his shoulder, "Elrohir, awaken, ion nin."

The younger Elf yawned, "Father." Then he stood up and stretched, "I guess I fell asleep." Then he noticed the two other Elves in the room, he nodded "Suilad."

Irime's mother raised her eyebrows suggestively, she only got a confused look from Elrohir. "We have come to take our daughter home."

Elrohir felt his stomach drop, he would not get to see her that much if she left to live with them, for now they lived far away, almost a day's ride. His duties also would keep him from visiting her. It was different for the High Lord's son to visit an old friend in the healing ward, but to ride that far to see a woman . . . . . . he could have laughed imagining all of the absurd rumors that would arise among his peers. He found he could not speak, "I . . .I am going on to bed."

Though just before he left, Irime awoke, "Elrohir?" she said, looking around the room for him, somewhat frantically, fearing that he too had left her.

He went back and knelt beside her, "I am here and so are your parents, Irime."

She looked then at her parents and smiled, "Ada! Naneth!" They walked over to her and embraced their daughter, while Elrohir stepped back and watched. "Ro, come here." she said as if complaining, knowing well how he hated to be ignored.

He slipped past her parents and sat beside her, "Aye?"

"Do not act like it does not nettle you when you cannot keep both eyes on me. I shall not be fooled that easily, though I am glad to see that you were considering leaving and getting some rest." She said, playing with one of his warrior braids, twirling it around her finger.

"Stop it." he said, more to show her parents that there was nothing more than friendship between them, than out of real annoyance. Though Irime was making it very difficult, she continued to mess with his hair until finally she gave it one good yank and then left it be.

He snarled, "What was that for?"

She just smiled then she turned to her parents. "What are you doing here?"

"We have come to take you home." her father said, giving Elrohir a sharp glance.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"We are taking you home with us."

"When do we leave?"

"First light tomorrow." Her mother said.

Irime looked around for Elrohir and was about to give up hope for saying farewell to him when he jogged out from a building and up to her. "I just came to . . . say namarie." He said sadly.

She hugged him tightly, "Promise you will visit often."

"I promise, Irime." he whispered in her ear.

She sighed, her breath tickling his pointed ear, aroused him. His nails dug into the palms of his hand, until they nearly bled. "Elrohir I do not want to leave you. Everyone is left or is leaving."

"I am not going any where." He said gruffly stepping back away from her, annoyed immensely at himself for reacting the way he did to her touch. "I had better go, namarie," he swallowed. "Mellon nin." The words were so faked and false sounding he could have punched himself.

She backed away and looked at him questioningly. "Ro . . . . ."

He shook his head dismissively, trying to ignore the physical evidence of his growing desire. "Namarie." he said, before walking stiffly away, cursing himself.