Legolas woke to a loud insistant banging on his door. It was strangely in time with the throbbing of his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped it would go away.
It didn't .
It became obvious he was going to have to do something about it. Who would be bothering him? If it was Elrohir surely he would just come in.
He pulled himself to his feet rather unsteadily, it did not feel that great to be upright. Now where was his shirt? He could hardly answer the door half naked, but he couldn't find it and the banging continued so he decided he would just have to do without it.
To his great surprise it was Glorfindel who stood before him when he made it to the doorway.
"Legolas, you look awful." He said without preamble and pushed his way into the room.
"I am not really in the mood for visitors," Legolas said, trying to be polite.
Glorfindel looked him up and down critically.
"I can't imagine why," he said with a smile.
Suddenly the effort of standing became to much for him and Legolas felt himself begin to sway, he really did feel terrible. He had to lie down, who cared what Glorfindel thought.
"I have to lie down." he said moving past Glorfindel and back towards the bed and he heard a snigger as he did so. He hoped Glorfindel would finally get the message he should leave but he did not, simply sitting himself down beside him as he lay on the bed.
"What has caused this sad state of affairs?" He asked cheerfully.
"Gimli." Legolas muttered darkly, "I do not know what he gave me to drink last night but it did not suit me."
"Never trust dwarves when they are offering you alcohol would be my advice." Glorfindel said sagely.
"Thanks Glorfindel, thanks so much, so helpful!" Would he not just go away?
"I need to talk with you Legolas."
Legolas could not believe his ears,
"Glorfindel. Now is not the time." Was he mad?
"Oh it is very much the time I am afraid," Glorfindel sighed.
"What do you remember about last night Legolas?"
"I told you. Gimli providing me with far too much drink." His headache was truly blinding now.
"And after that...how did you end up here?"
"I walked!" Legolas was affronted. "I am not so foolish as to wait until I need to be carried!"
"And what do you remember about the walk?" Legolas began to wonder exactly what Glorfindel's problem was, he was certainly drawing this out. Why didn't he just get to the point?
"Walking." He said sarcastically and then he thought harder on that. "I could not remember where my room was."
"And?" Glorfindel just would not let it go, but it was slowly coming back to Legolas anyway.
"I thought I had found it." He said slowly, "but it wasn't my room at all...oh!" And suddenly, suddenly he knew exactly why Glorfindel was there being so persistent.
He sat up rather abruptly which wasn't a good idea at all.
"Oh, I see."
"So you do remember then. I rather hoped you would not." Glorfindel looked dejected.
"What happened Glorfindel? I thought that was in the past."
Glorfindel sighed,
"A momentary lapse...Erestor offered and...what can I say. It was a hard night last night Legolas, our fight has been long and there were many who were no longer here with us to celebrate." He paused then,
"That is no excuse I know, it was wrong. Elladan must never know."
Legolas smiled sadly,
"I understand," he said and he did, he himself had been melancholy last night. "I will not tell Elladan."
"Nor Elrohir either."
"No. I will not be telling Elrohir. I am not stupid Glorfindel. I have kept this secret a long time, I will not break your confidence now."
Suddenly a wave of nausea accosted him and he threw himself face down on the bed to try and avoid seeing the spinning of the room.
"I am not well Glorfindel," he moaned.
Glorfindel bent over him and rubbed his back in a comforting manner, much as his Father would have done...after he had finished shouting at him. It was very soothing and made him long for home.
"I must go and reassure Erestor." Glorfindel said, "All his boldness has disappeared and he is climbing the walls with anxiety."
"If you see Gimli," Legolas mumbled In to his pillow, "Tell him I will kill him when I see him next."
Glorfindel laughed and stood to depart.
"Glorfindel," Legolas said as he left, "Thank Erestor for me, he spoke with me last night, gave some good advice, and I do not think I thanked him for it."
Glorfindel raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I did not think the two of you spent any time together."
"He arrived at an opportune moment," Legolas mumbled, "it was appreciated."
"Then I will tell him so." Glorfindel smiled at the woebegone woodelf as he left the room, Poor boy, he was in for a rough morning. As luck would have it Elrohir was just entering the room, the boy looked slightly pale, so he gifted him a brilliant smile as he passed.
"It seems Legolas is under the weather Elrohir. I do not think you will be getting up to much mischief with him today!"
All he recieved was a horrified look in return and no greeting. It was rather rude he thought.
The youth of today had no manners.
...
Elrohir was looking for Legolas. He had not been at breakfast which was a surprise, first he sought out Gimli, or rather Gimli found him.
"Elrohir. I need a word!"
"Where is Legolas?" If anyone knew it would be Gimli.
"What?...oh... " he rather thought Gimli smirked.
"I imagine he is still in bed."
"In bed?" How very odd, not like Legolas at all. Why did Gimli look so guilty?
"Enough about Legolas." Gimli was determined to say his piece and Elronir had learned it was best to just let him do so. Gimli leant into him and lowered his voice.
"I was wondering...do you think you could secure me one of those bracelets?"
"What? What bracelets?" He had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what bracelets Gimli was meaning.
"The golden ones...Aragorn has one. So beautiful." Gimli's eyes were lit with excitement at the thought.
"Um, Gimli," Elrohir could not believe Aragorn had shown his bracelet to Gimli. Could the man keep nothing secret? It was the worst thing he ever did allowing Arwen to give him one of the things.
"You don't understand...those bracelets are not what they seem."
"Oh I know all about them." Gimli said loudly causing Elrohir to spin around to make sure no one else was in earshot. "Elven hair...like I said, beautiful."
"Specific Elven hair..." Elrohir whispered.
"Ah yes, Legolas's. Don't worry, Aragorn has told me all about it. Can you get me one. I will pay well."
Elrohir gritted his teeth and made mental note never to trust Aragorn with a secret again.
"Look," he said reluctantly, "I do have a couple of spares, you could have one for the right price but Legolas must NEVER know. Do you understand , he must NEVER see it."
"Do you take me for an idiot?" Gimli was offended. "Of course I will not show him."
"I will bring you one tonight then," Anything to get the dwarf off his back. Gimli looked very smug at that news.
"One more thing," Gimli whispered, before he left, "I have some more...some very precious Elven hair. Not Legolas's, even more beautiful, do you think you could...turn it into a bracelet for me? Then I would have a pair."
"The man who makes them is in Imladris, I could take it back there for you..."
Gimli cut him off. "No! I will not be parted from it, maybe one day I will come on a visit with Legolas and see if you can get it made then."
Elrohir could not believe he had let these bracelets get so out of hand. It was all Arwen's fault. He strode off to Legolas's room. Why had the dwarf been so sure he was in bed. He was never in bed this late. The door to the room was unlocked when he got there and he entered quietly.
He heard voices murmuring from the bedroom, someone else was here. Curious he listened quietly, the voices were hard to catch but he heard waves of them, sentences rising and then fading away as he strained to catch them.
"So you do remember then, I rather hoped you would not."
It was Glorfindel!
Just what was he doing in Legolas's bedroom?
Cold curling fear began to snake itself through Eleohir's stomach at the next few words,
"It was wrong. Elladan must never know."
What was wrong? What was wrong that bought Glorfindel here into Legolas's bedroom that Elladan must not know about? The idea forming in his mind was not a pleasant one.
"I will not tell Elladan."
That was Legolas.
"I will not be telling Elrohir. I am not stupid Glorfindel." He continued, and Elrohir knew. He knew what it was, he didn't want to think it but it seemed there was no other option.
He had thought they had finished all that, that Legolas had finally realised Elrohir was all he needed, but he obviously had not. And with Glorfindel? Glorfindel of all people. It would kill Elladan. Perhaps that was why he did it?
Why was he worried about Elladan, it was killing HIM.
"I have kept this secret a long time," Legolas was continuing.
A long time? How long had this been going on? Elrohir wondered. How many times? And while he was here? He had learned to live with Legolas sleeping with others while they were apart. He could justify that to himself, but last night Elrohir was here, right with him...and yet he chose someone else? It cut him to the quick.
He edged closer to the bedroom door, he needed to see them, and yet at the same time he did not want to. Legolas was lying half naked facedown on the bed and Glorfindel leaned over him stroking his back, it was so intimate, so gentle, This was no wild drunken mistake.
Elrohir imagined he could actually feel his heart break and tears pricked at the edges of his eyes.
"I must go." He heard Glorfindel say and he leapt back from the door. He did not want him to catch him here, he was not quite quick enough however and by the time Glorfindel emerged he was stranded half in, half out of the doorway to the hall.
He felt numb.
Glorfindel flashed him a brilliant confident smile,
"It seems Legolas is under the weather Elrohir. I do not think you will be getting up to much mischief with him today!" He said to him as he went past and Elrohir stared, horrified. He was so blatant, so unrepentant. Was he rubbing their indiscretion in his face? Not even bothering to hide it?
He could not believe it. Not of Legolas, not of Glorfindel. But how could it be otherwise?
What else could it be?