Legolas lay and watched Elrohir as he dressed. He loved to watch him. The line of his back, the sweep of his hair as it fell over his shoulders. He was all fire and passion and Legolas was mesmerised by him.

He tried not to think of Elladan, and the wine cellar, and whatever it was they might have done. It was a terrible mistake. It would never happen again and he couldn't change it now. He would bury it deep in the back of his mind and forget it. He was good at hiding things...or hiding from them. Just thinking about it made him miserable.

He sat up drawing his knees to his chest, trying his best to ignore the misery. It wasn't easy. He was interrupted from his melancholy by the softest of touches on his cheek.

"What is wrong?"

Startled, he jumped. Elrohir gazed down on him in concern. How he wished he would stop mothering him, it was driving him crazy...and was not very helpful with his guilt. What was with that hot chocolate Elrohir had been insistant they drink when they finally got back here alone? Usually Elrohir was ripping his clothes off when they were barely through the door not making warm drinks and cuddling...that had been very bizarre.

Thank Goodness he had made him see sense.

He couldn't confess to what it was that was really weighing him down but he knew from experience Elrohir wasn't going to accept that it was nothing. He plucked an excuse out of his head.

"I really wanted a bracelet for my father."

He murmured. It was not a lie.

"For your Father? I thought you wanted one for yourself?"

He shook his head.

"My father would love one, they are exquisite, just his kind of thing. He will not be happy I went with the fellowship, It might...help shelter me from his anger," he smiled ruefully. His father was going to be furious about that.

"And then there is the sealonging, that will upset him...not to mention the fact I have agreed he pay for Arwens wedding. I probably owe him 20 bracelets, but I cannot even find him one."

"Oh!" I should have told you," Elrohir sat down beside him, "Father gave me a message for you. He said he must refuse your kind offer. He does not expect your father to pay after all!"

Legolas looked up,

"You are not serious?!"

"I am! I am deadly serious. I don't know why but you are off the hook."

"Well that's something I suppose." He should be elated but he had forgotten how to feel happy.

Elrohir gazed at him deep in thought, anxiety etched into every line of his face. Did he suspect something? But no, it seemed not for he smiled brightly,

"Wait here! I will be back, I just have to get something."

Legolas had no idea what he might be getting but at least it gave him some breathing space. He took his time dressing, what was the point after all? The sea was nagging in his mind and he was tempted to escape to it but that would not do. If Elrohir came back that would just add to his anxiety. Then he would get even more mothering.

A knock at the door interrupted his contemplation. Why was Elrohir knocking? He had just been here.

But it was not Elrohir, rather it was the one person he did not want to see, Elladan.

He slammed the door shut.

"Legolas, let me in I want to speak with you."

"Everything that could be said has already been said. I have no wish to talk to you."

"You are behaving like a spoilt child."

That was the final straw. He was not going to take that from Elladan of all people. He opened the door aggressively and dragged Elladan inside.

"I am not the one who behaves like a child." He hissed, "Elrohir had something you wanted so you took it, is that it? You are the child. Well, we will be over when he hears of this so you have won. You have succeeded in getting rid of me."

"I did not want that!" Elladan denied it all but Legolas knew better and he wasn't going to listen to excuses.

"Go ahead, tell him. Put me out of my misery for I cannot stand this."

"I am not going to tell him anything Legolas," Elladan's voice was hard and cool. "You tell him if you wish but he will not hear it from me."

"Why did you do it then if not to destroy us?"

"Why did YOU do it?" Elladan answered, and Legolas simply did not know.

"You plied me with drink-"

"I tried to relax you when you were panicking."

"I was NOT panicking!" Legolas cried, he knew he had been but he was not going to admit it.

"This is not all my fault Legolas, don't you dare try and avoid all responsibility." Elladan snarled, "You started it, you touched my hair."

"Oh touching your hair is a crime now? You cannot be held responsible for what happens when someone touches your hair?" He was angry, so very, very angry and frightened of everything he could lose. Before he even knew what he was doing he reached out, grabbed Elladan's hair and gave it a tug...not very gently.

"Let me go!" Elladan shoved him away into the wall losing some hair in the process, "Are you mad?"

"Come on," Legolas jeered," I have touched your precious hair, apparently you cannot resist me now." and he recieved a fist in the face for his troubles. It made him see stars, he had not expected that...perhaps he had gone to far? He swayed on his feet and raised his hand to his lip which was split and bleeding, staring shocked at the blood covering his fingers.

"You hit me."

"You deserved it." Elladan's eyes were flashing in anger. He was not repentant. They locked eyes, neither willing to back down.

And then the door opened.

Elrohir stood there white faced and wide eyed with horror.

"What are you doing?"

And the moment was gone, their gaze broken as Elladan spun to face him and Legolas staggered back against the wall.

"What have you done? You are fighting? Elladan? What is this about?"

Elladan opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"It is nothing Elrohir," Legolas mumbled, his voice rough behind his swelling lip.

"Nothing? Look at your face!" He grabbed hold of Elladan. "You have hurt him! You go to far brother."

For a moment all three of them were frozen, watching, not knowing what to do. But Legolas broke the silence.

"I asked for it." he said, "My mouth ran away from me Elrohir. I do not need you to protect me."

Elladan shrugged off Elrohir's hand, He was tense and pale and looked anywhere except at Legolas.

"I should not have done that. Forgive me." His voice was chipped and hard as if it was an effort to say the words.

"We will speak of this no more Legolas. Never. Do you understand?"

"Never." Legolas said with a nod that hurt his head. He knew what Elladan meant, what had happened between them in the cellar was not to be mentioned again. Well he would find no arguments from him on that score.

With that Elladan turned to leave.

"Elladan, you cannot just walk out. Explain yourself!" Elrohir was livid and very confused.

But Elladan was in no mood to explain anything, and too fast for his brother, he was gone before Elrohir could stop him.

Legolas leaned back against the wall. Now his head hurt, his face was bloodied, could it get any worse? At least Elladan would say nothing, he could just put this whole mess to the back of his mind and ignore it. He closed his eyes. He did not want to see Elrohir's agonised face.

"Legolas," Elrohir was at his side, he reached out to touch his face. "What was this about?"

"It is between Elladan and I. It is not your business, I don't need your help in this."

"It looks as if you do." Elrohir's fingers brushed softly across his bruised mouth. "This is not like Elladan."

Legolas opened his eyes and gazed straight into Elrohir's look of concern.

"Leave it Elrohir. I am not a child whatever Elladan might think. I do not need you constantly watching out for me. I do not want that."

"My father said-" Elrohir stopped mid sentence.

"Your father said what?"

He could see Elrohir struggling with himself over what to say.

" He thinks... He says you need to keep calm, this is not calming, fighting with Elladan."

Legolas frowned to himself,

"Why would he say that? Being calm is not what I do."

"The war..." suddenly the flood banks were broken and the words spilled out of Elrohir like a river.

"He says the war has damaged you, you are overwrought and I must make sure you rest. You will recover Legolas, I will make sure of it."

A bubble of laughter escaped Legolas's lips.

"What! The war has not damaged me. No more then it has damaged you or any of the rest of us. Is your father crazy?"

"Of course not! He is a great healer. It is these delusions you have about Gimli."

"Gimli?" Legolas said in astonishment, "If I were going to have delusions they would be of someone much more interesting than Gimli!"

Elrohir gently patted his shoulder as if he was a madman who needed to be humoured.

"Don't worry Legolas, I have discovered Glofindel is just as damaged. You are not the only one."

"Glorfindel is not damaged! A little conceited maybe but not damaged!"

"Legolas, Gimli did not poison you. I know it seems real but he is honorable and your friend. He would certainly not be trying to kill you. It is all in your head."

"I didn't say he was trying to kill me. That is ludicrous. He gave me too much wine, I think he got it from Galadriel and it was potent. I was so hungover. You would have known this if you had listened to me the day after the coronation instead of going off the deep end about Glorfindel."

Elrohir was speechless,

"That is what you mean when you say he poisoned you? He got you drunk? Legolas that is not poisoning."

"It felt like it to me! If you would just listen to me Elrohir, you would have known, You never listen. You just...you get an idea in your head and you will not listen."

But Elrohir wasn't listening, instead he was grinning widely.

"So you are not going mad?"

Legolas sighed heavily.

"Sometimes I feel as though I might be...but no I am not going mad." He wondered if he would ever be able to get Elrohir to listen. He had had enough of trying for now.

"I must go and apologise to Gimli. He was upset earlier. If I do not go and grovel at his feet he will hold a grudge. Dwarves are very bad at holding grudges you know."

Elrohir grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You can't go out looking like that. Estel will have a fit."

"Ah well," Legolas shrugged his shoulders, "I will tell him I walked into a door. He thinks I am self destructive you know so he will probably buy that."

"Self destructive?"

Legolas could tell where Elrohir's thought processes were leading him and he did not like it.

"DONT Elrohir! I am not insane, I am not self destructive, I have simply had an argument, one of many, with your brother, said things I shouldn't and been on the receiving end of a punch for my troubles. It is what I deserved and this is certainly not the first time. There is nothing wrong. Stop it, stop it right now."

"If you are sure...I still think..."

"I am sure. I am well. I am going to Gimli."

He pushed past Elrohir and out the door.

"Wait Legolas!...I have..."

But Legolas didn't wait. He had had enough of being mollycoddled and fussed over, of Elrohir seeing danger round every corner.

He was off.

And sometimes, he had to admit he wished he never had to come back.

If only Elrohir wasn't so...completely gorgeous.

He knew he could never stay away.