Author's Note: This chapter is unbeta'ed. If you catch grammar or spelling mistakes, please note them in the reviews and I'll do my best to fix them in a timely manner. If you want to know what's being said by any of the elves, please download Dragonflame 2.0 (google it along with the word Sindarian or Sindarin to find it… I forget which brings up the program.) and you can use the dictionary to determine what's being said. And without further ado, here's the next chapter.

Italics indicate mental speak from this point onward.

Haldir accepted the cheese cube passed to him, popping it in his mouth staying quiet for the most part as he took in the scenery around them. It was comfortable for him to be among the trees, and he was glad for the clear sky above them, and the birds that sung their whistling songs from the limbs that surrounded their clearing.

Legolas, for his part, was quiet as well, nibbling on a little piece of chicken as he stared at the grass in front of him, the slightest smile gracing his lips. For once he was content to just leave things alone, and not read too far into them. What was there not to read from that? It wasn't often anyone planted a kiss on his throat. His cheeks yes. Even his lips had been claimed in a friendly gesture. But there was nothing just friendly about a kiss to the throat. There was always something more there. And as far as he was concerned, that was alright with him.

More than alright even.

Slowly he reached out to claim a berry, before raising his eyes and tilting his head slightly to peek at Haldir through his hair. At the sight he was granted, his body tensed up and he was struck with a laughter he was unwilling to release yet. Atop the Marchwarden's head a little yellow butterfly sat, hanging on for dear life as the breeze picked up momentarily, whipping the lock of hair he'd lighted on about relentlessly.

Look, he instructed Elrohir silently while Haldir stared obliviously to the sky. Haldir has a friend.

Elrohir's head twisted around to glance at the Marchwarden, fingers about to place a small cube of chicken into his mouth before he froze and began trembling, giggles held precariously in check. The slight insect looked as if he'd give life and limb to cling upon the elf's strands, wings fluttering here and there to keep from being ripped away.

I wish I had a sketchbook and a charcoal stick... this is priceless... He'd managed to cease his shaking, but the laughter still danced within his eyes as he nibbled upon the chicken cube, eyes upon the delicate form laying upon the shimmering strands of their friend, brows raised in curiosity of what the darling thing would do, and if Haldir would even notice. The archer looked completely taken with the sky above, and Elrohir had a feeling that his mind was a million miles away from where they were, yet somehow grounded in where he was... it was something he'd rarely seen folk do - muse for so long about a problem or situation that the rest of the world slipped away.

But then, he'd not seen many folk as it was, so that wasn't saying much. He plucked up a berry, slipping up to Haldir's side and popping it right past his lips before wriggling himself back and disappearing by Legolas' side, amazed to see he hadn't scared the little yellow butterfly from the Marchwarden's head. Amazing… I think you are right... Haldir has a new friend! And he had to bring his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing at the image in front of him.

Haldir was a little surprised at the berry suddenly popped into his mouth, and his eyes strayed from the sky, and the retreating form, chewing his surprise slowly. Legolas was staring at him...and they were both giggling...wait. Not staring at him per say, but his hair. He furrowed his brow slightly and his hand rose quickly as if he would comb his fingers through it.

"No!" Legolas exclaimed quickly, jumping into action to grasp hold of his arm, trying to still it even as laughter still lingered in his eyes. He moved to his knees to get to the butterfly. "Be careful. There's a little bug in your hair."

"What!? Get it out!" Haldir insisted with widening eyes, admitting defeat of his attempts to move his trapped arm and instead raising the other.

"No! Not an ill insect," Legolas giggled, getting a hold of his other arm. "It is but a butterfly. A small, yellow butterfly."

Haldir remained a little hunched over, a look of wide-eyed distress upon his face as he stared at Legolas, and then toward Elrohir. His nose wrinkled up in distaste suddenly, brow furrowing yet again. "A Butterfly! Remove it!"

Legolas made a mock-pout before patting Haldir's cheek. "Oh, but it's so darling..." he murmured, nearly drawing another bubble of laughter from Elrohir.

"Darling!" Haldir yelped, appalled at anything having to do with him being darling. He wrenched an arm free and swatted the butterfly away, knocking it to the grass much to Legolas' utter dismay.

"Haldir!!" he gasped, hands rising to cover his mouth in horror, blue eyes widening to almost an impossible size. "You had better not have killed it!" He scrambled into motion, crawled to it and leaned his face down closely to stare at it.

All the while Haldir was laughing in his utter amusement, watching the horrified prince make his fuss. He looked to Elrohir, gave a wink, and then startled as a surprised gasp from Legolas drew his attention back.

"Oh!" Legolas peeped in surprise, leaning back some. The butterfly was on the tip of his nose, and he was watching it cross eyed. "It's not dead," he smiled in relief, before cutting a glare to Haldir whose body was shaking with silent laughter as he covered his face with his hands. "You're impossible," Legolas informed him, not at all amused.

"No, I should say it isn't dead at all..." Elrohir murred as he reached out with a slow hand, one finger gracefully extending to rest by the butterfly's face, tipping it closely to goad the creature onto the proffered perch. "There we go..." The murmur came after the dear thing crawled upon the sturdy reed.

He brought the insect upward, stretching slightly over Legolas' form to hold the creature between the two blonds, grinning sweetly at both. "Your stow-away, Haldir -- and you have to admit, it -is- darling, even if you find "darling" distasteful." And so it was, sitting there upon his finger, making it seem like there was no other place for it to travel that day. He tilted his head slightly to the side, giving the Marchwarden a slight upward nod as if indicating the archer should take the incredibly light being into his own fingers.

As soon as the butterfly was off of his nose, Legolas unclasped his quiver and laid it aside, still sending his glares towards Haldir as the older blond wiped at his eyes, still laughing slightly. "If you keep glaring at me like that, it will only encourage my laughter," Haldir told him sincerely, raising a hand up as though to bar his sight of Legolas. Instead, he focused his attention on the butterfly being offered him.

"Don't give it to Haldir," Legolas spoke, "He'll probably throw it on the ground again."

Haldir huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes slightly, extending his other hand to accept it onto his curled forefinger. Elrohir was more of a trusting soul. Perhaps he might have always been. And so the fluttering critter was still held out to Haldir, smiling in approval when the silvery blond accepted the curious, crawling critter. The Warden pulled it closer to him, watching it fan its wings, its antennae swaying this way and that as it seemed to be gauging what was going on.

The other did look utterly adorable as the butterfly sat upon his finger, though neither Elrohir nor Legolas would say such a thing again - not after the look upon his face when Legolas had dubbed him (and the butterfly) "darling." Elrohir sat back - his own quiver was unbuckled and cast beside the fair-tressed prince - rapping the darker blond lightly on the nose for his mistrusting tease, though it was followed by a playful peck of lips upon the same place. Once he had relaxed again, he lifted a cube of chicken into his mouth before curling onto his side once more to watch his friends.

Haldir shifted his eyes from the butterfly and to Legolas, who was watching him curiously to see what he would do with it. "Cab-an i Anor, tithin ûn," Haldir whispered to it, bringing it in close before raising his hand slightly for it to fly way. The butterfly gave a shiver to its wings before taking to the air, fluttering its way to land softly in Legolas hair. Which suited it just fine, mind you. This elf did not seem so ready to up-heave him to the strong breeze. Legolas smiled and glanced up as though he would be able to see it, then relaxed slightly, content.

Elrohir could not hear what Haldir had uttered to the creature before casting it aloft, though had he overheard, he would have said the creature had followed directions quite well, for it landed without hesitation within the sunbeams of Legolas' hair, providing such a sweet picture to both of the fair prince's companions. "Legolas, if you looked any more cute I think I might die of sweetness." He shook his head then, perhaps of disbelief, and then lifted a berry to his own lips before twisting onto his stomach, closing his eyes and resting his chin upon folded hands.

"Thank you." Legolas smiled before looking toward Haldir. "At least I know how to take a compliment."

Haldir offered the Greenwood archer a sarcastic smile before looking away, picking at his food slightly as his thoughts overtook him once more. Elrohir was right in that Legolas looked cute. Of course, when did he not look cute? Even when he was in moods and drove him crazy, he was still cute. The Warden glanced up at him, watching him nibble on cube of cheese as he was switching his position to lay his head on Elrohir's back – which drew what seemed to be a contented smile from Elrohir's lips -- being careful not to upset the Butterfly's position.

"It's getting a little cloudy," Legolas observed quietly, taking in a deep breath while eyes narrowing in thought. "I smell the slightest hint of rain on the air...It may drizzle soon. I would not be surprised, for I can feel the dampness in the breeze." He raised a hand into the slight wind, rubbing his fingers together some.

Haldir cocked his head slightly, seeming to be listening for something intently. "I don't hear it in the distance. We may get the adolescent shower as it passes over. Dor-En-Ernil will most likely get the brunt of it," he commented after a moment.

Legolas studied the flow of the clouds before nodding his agreement. "Either that, or the wind will change," the blond prince added. "I welcome any shower though... I'm so very fond of the rain on my skin."

Elrohir's gaze fluttering upward toward Haldir while Legolas rested. At the comment of rain, he took a light sniff of the air before offering whatever kind of nod he could manage in the position he was in. "It does smell of rain... perhaps you will get your wish, glawar." He allowed for the lighter prince to lay upon his back for a little while longer before the urge to run do -something- with his fingers became too great.

A gentle nudge was placed upon the prince's shoulder, indicating to him to lift his head slightly before he shifted himself onto his back, allowing the pale prince's head to fall back upon his chest, fingers sifting through the blond locks immediately. "Though, your flighty friend might not enjoy such an occurrence." He was careful not to unseat the delicate creature upon his friend's head, though his hand kept rising and falling, drifting through silken locks that appeared more precious than any metal that existed within Middle Earth.

And it was.

Legolas and Haldir were his mithril. His mír. Though they still were not completely known to him, they were jewels to him, and that preciousness was evident with the reverence he displayed in the caresses through the strands of gold that lay across his chest. "I hope it holds out for a few hours, though... As much as I enjoy the rain, I am much too comfortable right now to move."

Legolas chuckled, shaking his head a little. "We wouldn't have to move, you know. It is nice to lie in the rain, feel the gentle drops against your eye lids," he closed his eyes as he spoke, his voice soft, and wistful. He'd almost told Elrohir to take care with the butterfly, but stopped himself. Of course he didn't have to say anything. Elrohir was always gentle of hand, and had been aware of his surroundings in the past.

Haldir still sat where he'd been, a little ways away from them, eyes fixing on the sky again. But as they'd lain down, he too was feeling the draw of the still warm grass, and languidly he stretched out on his back where he was, fingers clasped beneath his head. Legolas had gone quiet again, content to just lie there and let his hair be played with.

The butterfly, though, had had enough, and took to the breeze to find a suitable place to wait out the rain. The pale prince opened his eyes to watch it flutter away, before he turned his head slightly to look at Haldir, and then at Elrohir. He offered the latter a soft smile and closed his eyes again, still able to picture them both in his mind.

"Mmm... true enough..." Elrohir replied quietly. As the butterfly flew off, he stilled his hands from raking through the adorable archer's hair, instead opting to wrap each arm about the other's upper form - one arm barely managing to get around his shoulder, as the prince was laying at an angle to Elrohir, and the fingertips there simply tugged and toyed with strands by the darling's ear - holding him ever so gently as they rested, his gaze drifting between the royal laying against him and the contemplative Marchwarden reclining a few feet away.

It was almost perfect, and unless Haldir decided to join he and Legolas in their limb-sprawl, it would take quite a bit to get their little gathering any more wonderful. Butterflies and a light lunch, resting on the sweet, cool grass with two whom he was finding he adored, and a soft breeze that promised the kiss of rain within a few hours. Love, too. He knew Haldir loved him... though the elf tried to remain stoic, it was impossible not to see his favor, his kindness. As for Legolas, he was uncertain what the prince's regards were toward him. But he knew laying here, cuddling the slender form in the quiet of the afternoon, was amazing. Another glance was cast toward the Galadhrim, and he cast an inviting expression toward him, lips parting to call him over. "Haldir... would you like to join the Hobbit-pile?"

Haldir almost missed the invitation from the brunette elf, as he was as close to dozing as he could get without actually doing so. In fact, he'd been so near to sleep that even the promise of a dream was starting just at the edge of his mind. A dream of what, though, he did not know. But with the comfort that was coming with it, he had no doubt it would have been a dream of home. With a few slow blinks, Haldir snapped out of his trance, and turned his head to look at the elves a few feet away. Legolas had opened his eyes, and was regarding him with quiet contentment. Haldir had no doubt that - by the look on Legolas' face - had Elrohir not spoken, he would be dozing as well. Legolas' hand slid from his own stomach to the grass beside him, patting it a few times gently, as if to say: Lay here.

And so Haldir sat up and moved to the pair languidly, nudging his way under Legolas arm so he could lay his head on the blonds abdomen, on his side facing the both of them. Gently he nudged Elrohir's head with his knee, so he would know he could use it as a pillow if he wanted. Legolas smiled softly, closing his eyes again and moving his body slightly to get extra comfortable. After he adjusted, a hand moved to comb through Haldir's hair, the other at rest on his side.

Elrohir's head lifted slightly to allow the Warden's limb under the back of his neck, resting his cheek against the soft fabric that coated the Warden's leg. While the one arm stayed over Legolas' shoulders, the other laying within the triangle the three formed, reaching to trace patterns along Haldir's side, hopefully not too feathered to tickle. He felt beyond lazy, and were he human he would have yawned in languid pleasure. As it was, he let his eyes drift closed. Though he typically slept eyes-open (a reflex thanks to the orcs), he felt so utterly safe here and his lids slid shut involuntarily. "Would that I could stay here, unmoving forever, so long as you both were with me." The words came in a phantasm of a whisper, letting his mind drift while he rested, savoring the faint heat radiating from the two elves that tangled in with him as fingers kept playing both with the gilded strands glistening from Legolas' head and the exquisitely woven fabric along Haldir's torso, unable to stop himself.

As the son of Elrond's mind drifted, images played within his mind, unsure of when it had occurred, who's memory it was (as he believed it must have been from one of the two he was with), but enjoying the detail that colored his mind. He recognized his brother, just yet a full-grown elf, a playful glint in his eye as he pulled whoever's memory it was through the forest, laughing merrily as they went. The next thing he knew, the ground had disappeared beneath him and the two began falling, Elladan still giggling as they twisted within the air in an elegant freefall. The world flashed by, though there was no fear in his mind, and for good reason.

Seconds later, water crashed around his form, bubbles lifting upward in some surreal image before he broke the surface, flinging his head - and soaked curtain of ebony locks - backward as he did so. Two blond-haired forms began swimming toward him as Elladan skimmed to his side, kissing his cheek in a chaste, brotherly caress. "I thought you would enjoy this, dear brother, when Legolas found it on our hunt. Even Haldir has allowed himself to be led here!" And sure enough, both Legolas and Haldir had approached, the gaze given by the Marchwarden seeming almost ashamed by Elladan's words.

Wait...! His mind interrupted, shock suddenly setting in and chasing the rest of the memory away. That... that was my memory!

/Legolas... Haldir... was there a small lake near Lothlórien that we would go to? I think Legolas was the one who found it... I'm guessing sometime early in our adulthood.../ His mental voice seemed almost strained, as he was wont to let them both drift into sleep rather than wake them yet again.

Legolas opened his eyes slightly, staring off at the distant tree line thoughtfully as Elrohir asked his question. His fingers were tracing the laces of the Marchwarden's tunic just beneath the blonds arm, fingering the ties lazily. /It was more like a spring, at the end of a creek come from the Anduin./ Legolas told him, /But, yes. You are right. I found it, and we went there often on hunts. Even Haldir went on a few occasions./ He turned his head and smiled at Elrohir encouragingly. /Tell us, what have you remembered? Do you still have the memory in your mind?/

The blond prince was watching him hopefully, absently pulling on Haldir's ties till they came undone, so he could wrap the longer strip around his fore and middle fingers. Haldir looked from the grass between them all, and up to Elrohir curiously. There were no words to express how glad he was that he was starting to regain his own memories. Maybe by them feeding their own to him, it opened his mind up to finally being unafraid to find its own. He extended his fingers slightly to touch the locks of dark hair that seemed to float over the grass, before he took them in his hand, and twirled them with the gold of Legolas' hair.

Elrohir gave a slight nod, letting the memory flash from his own mind and into theirs as they had with him. It was apparent that it was Elrohir's first time to the waterhole, the short cliff (only about twenty feet up) that edged the one side... how carefree they all were while rinsing off, knowing no orc would bother them in the daylight. The friendly, caring feelings. The playfulness. They were yet to grow stern with the loss of their mother to the undying lands, and their hearts were nothing but glad as they shared the day together. Two dark, two light - like the moments of dawn, dusk, early evening and late night. When it was over, or at least as far as his mind had allowed it to happen, he sighed, nuzzling against the muscle that lay beneath his cheek.

/It was all I could remember before.../ He paused, as if almost embarrassed to continue, but did so after a minute anyway. /Before I realized it was my own memory and it faded. It was as if I could only recall if my own thoughts are tricked into it... somehow.../ And then he quieted, fingers sifting affectionately through Legolas' hair once more, enjoying the soft feel beneath his touch, drawing comfort from both beings that nestled calmly within the safety of them both.

/The important thing, is that you remembered something period./ Haldir said silently. /No matter how short, or how faint. That memory was your own, and the feeling you got from it was your own. I remember that day. Legolas and I bickered the whole time Elladan was gone to get you./ He looked up at Legolas who had his eyes closed again, though he was smiling brightly at the memory.

/That we did/ he agreed with a soft silent chuckle. /I believe we bickered right up until they jumped off the cliff, and landed in the water, and I got a last comment in while they were still under. You were steamed because you couldn't have the last word./ Legolas opened his eyes to smile down at Haldir, who looked quite unbothered by it now.

"You liked to goad me on mercilessly," Haldir informed the blond matter-of-factly. "It was always you that started everything." The Marchwarden raised his eyes to look at Legolas again, an eyebrow cocked as if he dared Legolas to deny it. But deny it, he did not.

"Aye, I did." he admitted, much to Haldir's amazement. "I liked the sound of your voice when you hissed insults at me. And the way your lip would curl in a distasteful sneer from there on out whenever you saw me." He laughed, unable to help it, as Haldir sneered slightly, and looked away to Elrohir.

"Thank the Valar for you. You were the only one that could keep me sane half the time," Haldir informs him.

Elrohir found his own fingers curling and uncurling through fabric and silken hair, chuckling in the soft sunshine, retreating as clouds began to cover the sapphire sky. "I can hardly imagine you without your sanity, Haldir... so I suppose me stepping in was a good thing."

As the memories came, one by one, he was learning more about the two elves that played pillow for each other and him, and with each memory, he grew closer - at least in mind and heart - to the two who seemed never to be able to go a full day without bickering about something or another. But he only smiled, fingers abandoning the toying he'd come to enjoy, only to lift a hand from each blond, pressing a kiss to the back of each lightly.

"I couldn't just stand there and let the two of you squabble till both of you were blue in the face." And where had that statement come from? More of his own past, his personality and quirks were beginning to surface, though it would take some time for him to recall everything... to be all he once was. He dreaded some memories, the painful ones that Legolas and Haldir mentioned of the attacks upon his mother and the War of the Ring he was certain to remember eventually. But what of the pleasant ones? The love his mother showed toward all her children. His sister. His brother and foster brother, Aragorn. His father. And of course, his friends and his home. It would be worth any pain to remember those things... to feel as loved as he knew somewhere deep inside him, that he was.

The sneer that was on Haldir's face upon learning that Legolas liked to hear him hiss insults (For what good did it do to insult him if he was going to like it) faded away as his hand was lifted and kissed by the dark-haired lordling. A smile was offered to him, and in turn, he took his hand and pressed a kiss back to it.

"I can assure you, we would indeed insult each other till blue in the face," Legolas spoke to Elrohir, a soft chuckle accompanying his voice. "The three days we traveled alone before you found us were spent bickering about everything we could possibly think of."

Haldir's eyebrows rose slightly and a weary sigh was let go as he nodded his agreement to the Elrondion's assessment on his bickering with Legolas. "It was not the most pleasant time I've had." the Marchwarden admits, shivering a little as Legolas' curious fingers found his flesh between the side ties of his tunic, and grazed over it slightly. "Even we would have to admit some of the topics were utterly ridiculous. I believe we even argued over the age of certain trees, and why birds make their nests the way that they do." He shifted his position slightly.

Legolas nodded but said nothing, an eyebrow arched slightly as he remembered some of their traveling arguments. Rather, he was carefully tugging the laces of the other blond's tunic, loosening them to better fit his fingers through. He did like the feel of Haldir's smooth skin, in contrast with the material.

Elrohir gaped incredulously toward the sky at Haldir's explanation of what had gone on during the time they'd traveled together without him. "Oh, the Valar help you two. What are you two going to do if I have to leave you alone for more than a few days?" He sighed faintly then, letting his mind wander once again, for it seemed only when he was utterly relaxed did he remember anything. And he had to admit, he was certainly relaxed.

Even with his ear upon the Marchwarden's leg, he could still hear the steady beat of his heart and he focused on it, letting its gentle, strong thumping mesmerize him once more, almost drawing him into some hypnotic slumber. Almost. It was more a trance, to be honest, and he seemed more than content to cuddle in their hobbit-style pile, hopefully to remember more. I loved you, Haldir. I still don't know if I do now, but... back then I did, undeniably. Even as early as that memory. It was the only thing he could manage to say, his thoughts already fading into dreams, trusting that one of them would wake him or the rain. If he could put words to his feelings at the moment, he could have told Haldir he was certainly falling for the Marchwarden all over again. And as it so happened, the only other love of the Galadhrim, as well. But Elrohir could not put those emotions to words so soon, for his thoughts on the matter were too scrambled with the feelings that overwhelmed him with each returning memory. Valar only help him if he recovered too many at once, for they still threatened tears in his eyes, even the sweetest, warmest ones.

"Aw, don't worry about us." Legolas assured Elrohir gently, his eyes closing contentedly as he loosened the laces just enough to fit his entire hand in. Once there, it paused over Haldir's skin to drink in his satiny warmth. "We may bicker, but I don't think we'll ever kill one another. The very thought seems asinine to even voice."

Haldir, on the other hand, uttered nothing – he'd been silenced by the comment Elrohir made to him, and him alone. He didn't respond to it either, for he wasn't sure what to say. What should one say after that? It was a confirmation of his hope, and a destroyer of his doubt. To say: 'Thank you for loving me,' would seem as though he couldn't care less. As though it were a charity done to him. So, to leave it alone, and just accept it silently, seemed the thing to do. And that he did. He raised his eyes to peer at Elrohir who seemed to of drifted off into dreams, be fore closing them again to focus upon the smooth touch of Legolas

"Come closer..." Legolas whispered suddenly, his other hand raising and patting further up on his chest, indicating for Haldir to rest his head there. This earned him a curious look, but his request was complied with, careful not to move his knee at all. He'd rather not disturb Elrohir just to shift his position. Of course, he didn't wake the raven haired Lordling, who continued to sleep on in dreams that were slightly more than the fragments of memories.

Legolas tilted his face down and nestled his nose in the other blond's silvern hair, closing his eyes in contentment as he curled his arm around him. Only then did he slide his hand down the back of Haldir's shirt, to find the warmth there.

All the while, Elrohir's dreams trekked onward. Though it wasn't a full representation of his life, he was getting better ideas of what had happened, clearer images through the fog of whatever part of his mind had wanted him to forget. Images of the brothers riding on orc-hunts... playing with their younger sister when she was but a little toddler... images of their mother, and how beautiful she was, golden and pure... sensations of the comfort of his room, of the silks that lay on his bed... the fine clothes all elves wore, as his friends now did... and finally the sensation of a sweet, hesitant kiss that refused to grow further, nervous and novice despite the feeling behind it.

And wow. It's been a while.

I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but I AM sorry this chapter's so late in coming. It's become harder and harder to find time to edit chapters, and with the economy where it is, responsibility is piling up. Life comes first, then fun. But I do hope that the next chapter is not so long in coming!