Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

OIOI

Summary: After receiving a cryptic message from Mirkwood, Lord Elrond hurries to the aid of the realm's troubled Crown Prince and discovers that things now are so very different for both of them.

Warning: This story is about a romantic relationship between the two main characters – Elrond and Legolas. It concentrates almost solely on the friendship and comfort side of the relationship and there are no explicit scenes or anything that could really be described as slash. However, if you really don't like that kind of thing then please don't read.

OIOIOIOI

As You Were

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Chapter 5

OIO

A banging on the door startled Elrond awake from where he had fallen asleep in the chair. He got to his feet, noting Legolas undisturbed laid out on the couch. Going to the door, Elrond already knew who it was and he wasn't at all surprised to find a vacant servant standing there.

"Prince Legolas is sleeping right now. Can this wait?" Elrond asked immediately.

"Legolas is needed," was the simple reply.

"I'll get him," Elrond said bluntly, closing the door on the servant. He first went into the bathroom and retrieved Legolas' clothes and shoes. He really didn't want to wake the prince but he knew he had no choice with the servant waiting outside. "Legolas, you need to wake up now. Legolas." Elrond gently shook Legolas' arm. The prince shoved him off, mumbling something in disgust and attempted to roll over but found there wasn't any room on the couch. "Legolas, come on. Time to get up."

"G'way," the young prince murmured.

"Valar knows I with I could but you have to get up."

"All right," Legolas sighed but remained still.

Elrond shook him again gently. "Legolas, come on, wake up."

"What?" the prince snapped in annoyance.

"There's a servant here asking for you. I need you to wake up now."

"I'm getting up," Legolas said in a quiet voice.

"Good but I need you to open your eyes for me." Legolas sighed deeply and pushed himself up into a sitting position and forced his eyes open to look blearily up at Elrond. "That's good." Legolas yawned wide and rubbed his tired eyes. "Here, I got your clothes for you, you need to get dressed," Elrond told him as he pulled the blanket off the prince. It took him a moment but Legolas finally, painfully, moved his feet from the cushion Elrond had placed there last night and sat up properly. As Elrond fetched him a glass of water, Legolas dragged his shirt on, quickly did it up and went to pull his tunic over the top but Elrond stopped him. "Whoa, wait just a minute. You did these up wrong," he said, unbuttoning Legolas' shirt and doing it up properly.

"Oh, sorry," Legolas mumbled sleepily.

"It's all right," Elrond smiled kindly, helping Legolas on with his tunic.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours." Legolas nodded, sipping at the water Elrond handed him. Meanwhile, Elrond rolled Legolas' trousers down, noting the state of his feet as he did so. "Ah, what are we going to do about…?" Before he could even finish his question, Legolas bent down and slipped his left foot into his shoe. "What are you doing? Legolas, you can't wear these."

"I'll be fine," Legolas said, easing his foot into the shoe. He was unable to disguise a wince of pain though.

Elrond frowned in sympathy, knowing that the action must have been agony on the young Elf. As Legolas went to pull the other shoe on a hiss of pain escaped him so Elrond crouched down before him, saying, "Let me help you." Taking Legolas' foot in gentle hands he eased it into the shoe, apologising quietly when the prince let out a low moan of pain. "All right, done."

"Thank you," Legolas smiled shakily before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I should go."

"All right," Elrond agreed softly, standing up and holding out his hand, which Legolas took and then dragged himself to his feet, biting his lip to keep from voicing his pain as he put pressure on his painful feet. "You can't walk like this."

"It'll be all right," Legolas insisted, straightening out his tunic.

"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?"

Legolas nodded gently. "Yes. You can stay here. Don't leave. I need to know that you're safe."

"I promise. You don't need to worry about me. Concentrate on getting yourself through today, all right?"

Sighing heavily, Legolas nodded. "I'm so tired," he mumbled quietly.

"I know," Elrond said sympathetically, running his hands down Legolas' arms. "You know that I would take your place if I could."

This seemed to effectively wake Legolas up and he actually recoiled in horror. "No, I won't let that happen. Stay right here. I'll be back later," the prince said quickly as he hurried from the room, forcing himself to walk as if nothing at all was wrong.

"What on earth are they doing to you?" Elrond said softly to himself once the door was closed.

Although it was still ridiculously early, Elrond knew he wouldn't be able to sleep so he started tidying up the room; pulling the curtains open, folding up the blanket Legolas had used last night. He then looked to Thranduil, going about the usual ritual of giving the king his dose of medicine then carefully trickling water down his throat to keep him hydrated. He then changed the soiled clothes and bed sheets and piled them up in the corner. He wasn't sure what he should do with them, certainly there weren't any staff to deal with them.

Once he'd seen to Thranduil's needs he went to the bathroom and tidied himself up, climbing into a warm bath. At least this quiet pause gave him chance to think. He was now sure that the way out of this was gaining control of Mirkwood again. Once they had the people free they could chase the Men out. Anger burned in his chest at the thought of these people who had come in and hurt the young prince. Closing his eyes, Elrond cooled his anger and returned to sensible, reasonable thinking. Perhaps the key was these other people Legolas had mentioned, locked away, those not affected by the mysterious power the Men had over the rest of Mirkwood. The real question was: how on earth were they supposed to get them out with the eyes of the enemy everywhere?

After Elrond had gotten dressed he realised that he was hungry and had hardly eaten for the past few days. He wondered if it would be all right to go out and search for the kitchens. Legolas had told him to stay put but surely he didn't expect him to simply sit and starve. And by now Thranduil must also be in need of sustenance. Perhaps he could also drop by the healing halls, gather some supplies. It wasn't unreasonable for a healer to venture into the healing halls and the last time he'd faced the guards he had been fine.

With his mind made up, Elrond gathered up the dirty sheets in one arm and went to the door. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves then pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall. His eyes immediately went to the guards but they didn't even blink at his appearance. Watching them subtly, he walked as confidently as he could down the hallway, tensed to ward off an attack, very aware of the knife hidden in his belt. However, no one stopped him. He vaguely recalled where the kitchens were so he went there first, walking quickly but finding the hallways to be deserted. Even so, the quiet put him on edge just as much as if he were being followed.

Mercifully, he reached the kitchens quickly; glad to find that they were also empty of people. Despite this, Elrond found a huge amount of freshly prepared extravagant food laid out on the long table, presumably for the Men. This food on display though was far too obvious to steal from so Elrond instead dumped the sheets into the laundry bin and started rifling through the larder. He grabbed a bag from the storeroom and started filling it with various foodstuffs, including a flask of soup that he thought might be good for Thranduil to eat.

Leaving some space in the bag, Elrond slipped out of the kitchens and started searching for the healing halls. He had only been there once before so he still had to search for it. Being careful to avoid any prominent places where he thought guards might be congregated, he finally found the healing wing. He opened the first door to find a large, empty ward, and stepped inside.

Ignoring the eerie emptiness of this usually bustling room, Elrond strode towards the supply cupboard where he immediately began to gather up what he thought he might need. He took sparingly so no one would really notice anything missing. Gathering up some spare sets of sheets for the king's bed, Elrond stuffed everything inside the bag that also contained the food.

Finally, he slipped back out into the corridor, checking for any signs of people nearby. The palace seemed as deserted now as when he had first arrived though and it was with immense relief that Elrond returned to Thranduil's room, closing the door on the strangeness outside. Everything in the room remained undisturbed, indicating that no one had come by in his absence.

Once his heart had ceased its admittedly irrational pounding, Elrond sat in the centre of the room on the flood and laid out his takings for the day. It wasn't as much as he would have liked but it was certainly more than Legolas had provided. Most important were the medical supplies: bandages, Athelas and extra sleeping draught for Thranduil. He'd also taken a selection of herbs although he hadn't identified them as he'd picked them out so he now separated them appropriately. Satisfied with what he had managed to steal, Elrond stashed everything away in the cupboards so it couldn't be easily found. He hid the new bedclothes under Thranduil's bed and placed the bottle of herbal sedative in the drawer where Legolas had hidden the other bottle.

Elrond was surprised to find that his exploits had lasted all morning so he sat down for lunch, savouring the taste of the wheybread he had stolen from the kitchens, it was infinitely better than the stale bread he had eaten since he had gotten here. Of course, he saved plenty for Legolas, hoping he'd eat some proper food when he returned. Already, Elrond was getting anxious about the young prince's absence. He didn't like this. With Legolas injured already he clearly needed to rest, not whatever those Men were making him do.

The healer spent the rest of the day either attempting to read the book he had brought with him from Rivendell or pacing the room. How on earth Legolas could stand this confinement was beyond him. As he recalled, the young Elf loved the outdoors more than anything else. To be shut inside all this time, his only connection with nature looking out over it from his balcony, it must have been near torture for the Prince of the Woodland Realm. Already it was beginning to frustrate Elrond being trapped in a single room.

However, as afternoon turning into evening and evening into night, frustration gave way to worry at Legolas' absence. His pacing quickened and every couple of minutes he glanced towards the door nervously. As it got later, Elrond began to wonder if Legolas was coming back at all. He longed to have him safe where he could take care of him. He hated not knowing where the prince was. Although tempted to search Legolas out, he forced himself to stay put as he had been instructed.

After a long nights' pacing, dawn approached with no sign of the prince. Elrond looked to the window in surprise as he heard the dawn chorus of birds cheerfully bringing in the day. He realised that he had paced all night long. The king remained blissfully unaware of his only son's absence but Elrond thought that he was probably doing enough worrying for the both of them.

It was nearly eight in the morning before there was a banging on the door and Elrond dived to answer it. A servant stood stoically in the corridor.

"Good morning," Elrond initiated the conversation.

"You are a healer," the Elf stated flatly.

"I am."

"Come with me."

Elrond frowned at the command in confusion. "Where?"

"Come." Not quite knowing what he was getting himself into, Elrond nodded in acceptance. "Follow me," the servant demanded and Elrond didn't argue with him, following a little way behind the Elf nervously, wishing he had taken the time to pick up his dagger from his bag before he left. Now he felt exposed and defenceless. Perhaps he should have refused the Elf's command and remained where he was safe in Thranduil's rooms. However, Legolas had told him not to cause trouble so he followed without complaint.

The servant led Elrond through a maze of corridors, taking him further and further into the palace. The deeper they went, the darker the halls got and Elrond struggled to keep a close eye on the Elf in front of him so he didn't get stranded alone in these dark corridors by himself. For the life of him, Elrond could not comprehend why Elves – creatures of light and nature – would want to hide themselves away beneath the rocks. Legolas, especially, always seemed to value the outdoors. Whenever he came to Imladris he always occupied the airiest room and spent a good deal of time outside in Elrond's vast, beautiful gardens or amongst the trees. How he could then return to live in what was basically a cave, Elrond did not know. Personally, he had never been fond of Thranduil's palace. Despite its admittedly impressive size, Elrond had always found it to be rather oppressive. However, Legolas never seemed to mind.

This time, the further Elrond went through the corridors, the more nervous he grew. He didn't like not knowing where he was going. However, he followed in silence, preparing himself for whatever he might find at the end of this long walk.

Eventually, they slowed and the servant opened a door, holding it open. Elrond stepped into an antechamber, which led into another room lit with torches.

"Through there," the servant said, pointing stiffly towards the next room.

"Why am I here?" Elrond asked, nervous about entering into the unknown.

But the Elf just continued to point at the door and said again, "In there."

Knowing he had no choice, Elrond followed the direction and entered the lit room. There was just no possible way he could have anticipated or prepared himself for what he saw when he went inside. There were a couple of blank-eyed Elves stood off to the side but only one Elf commanded his attention. Legolas was laid unmoving on his back on the floor. Even in the dim light, Elrond could see how pale the young Elf was but more alarmingly, Elrond could see no sign that he was even alive.

"Oh gods!" Elrond exclaimed, rushing forwards and falling to his knees at Legolas' side. He immediately sought out Legolas' wrist, checking for a pulse but could detect no heartbeat and it was clear he wasn't breathing either.

Without hesitation, Elrond started pumping on Legolas' chest and breathing for him. Years of practicing healing had made these actions completely natural but performing them on a person he truly cared for made every movement even more difficult. Pausing every so often to check whether Legolas breathed for himself, Elrond carried on.

Under his breath, Elrond muttered, "Come on, Legolas. Don't do this to me. Breathe, Legolas. Please."

After far too long in Elrond's eyes, Legolas finally took a shallow, shuddering breath. Elrond gasped in relief and felt for Legolas' pulse, which fluttered back into life.

"Oh, thank the Valar!" Elrond breathed in relief. To the guards stood around, Elrond asked, "What happened?"

In truth, he hadn't expected a reply so he was surprised when one of them answered, "He just collapsed for no reason. We could not revive him."

Had it not been for the fact that Legolas had not been breathing moments ago, Elrond could well have understood – and to a certain extent expected – a collapse. He was both injured and exhausted. But there was more going on here and it worried Elrond greatly. He quickly examined the prince but found no obvious signs of injury that could have caused this.

Turning back to the guards, he said, "I have to get him to the healing halls."

"We will handle this," one of the Elves said, stepping forwards.

"No, I insist. At least let me carry him there so as not to cause him any further harm. As a healer, I think I know best." Surely if they needed to keep up their pretence they could not refuse him that and indeed after a long moments' silence they nodded in agreement, stepping aside. Elrond gently slid his arm under Legolas' back but paused when a soft clink rang out and a small bottle rolled towards him across the cold, smooth floor. Elrond recognised the bottle immediately and the reality of what had happened dawned on him. "Damn it, Legolas," he swore so softly that no other could hear him.

Carefully, he lifted Legolas once more into his arms, again marvelling at how light he had gotten, and carried him slowly back through the dark corridors, following one of the other Elves. He noticed that Legolas did not once stir in his arms although that was not really surprising. After what he had been through, Elrond expected no less. Kicking the door open, Elrond strode over to the nearest bed and carefully laid Legolas down on the soft bed. Although he started to unbutton Legolas' shirt, the Elves from the dark, lower chamber had followed him and now converged on him, pulling him aside.

"We will take it from here," one of them said coldly.

"No, he needs a healer. Do you understand that he requires proper treatment," Elrond insisted.

"A healer will be provided. We will take care of the prince."

Before Elrond could protest any further, he was practically shoved from the room and the door slammed closed. For a long moment, Elrond stood in the hallway, frozen in shock at their actions. He wished he could return to Legolas' side but he feared for Legolas' life should he interfere so Elrond obediently returned to the king although he could not relax. Every moment that passed by he worried for his friend. What exactly would those vacant shells do to the prince? Elrond hoped that he got the attention he needed. He just couldn't stand the thought that Legolas would be in pain when he regained consciousness.

He paced the day away, unable to eat anything or rest. In fact, the only thing that he could he could do was feed and dose Thranduil again, then he returned to his restless pacing. Night blanketed Mirkwood once more but it was nearly midnight before Elrond heard footsteps in the hallway followed by a door slamming closed. The noise obviously came from the room next door and Elrond's hopes soared at the thought of Legolas' return. Despite desperately wanting to run next door and go to Legolas, Elrond drew on every scrap of patience he possessed and remained in Thranduil's room until he heard two sets of footsteps retreating.

After waiting another tense five minutes, Elrond opened the door a little and peered into the corridor, checking for anything out of place. However, only the usual four unmoving guards stood outside the doors and none of them reacted when he stepped out and headed for Legolas' room.

When he reached Legolas' rooms, he paused outside, listening carefully for any sound from within. He heard nothing else so Elrond tapped lightly on the wood, not wanting to startle the prince. Despite there being no response, Elrond opened the door, stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The rooms were lit but the fires remained unlit making the room far colder than Elrond would have liked.

He went straight into the bedroom only to find it empty but a moment later Legolas came out of the bathroom, stiffly walking into the bedroom. Clearly he hadn't heard Elrond's entrance as when he glanced up and saw the dark-haired Elf waiting for him, surprise registered on his face.

"Elrond," he exclaimed.

Instead of smiling in relief as he had expected himself to do, Elrond rushed forward, taking Legolas' arm very gently as if to support him. "What on earth are you doing walking around? You should be laid down."

"I'm all right," Legolas said although it was so weak that it was hardly convincing.

"Yes, of course you are. Now come and sit down before you fall down," he advised in a soft voice, slowly leading Legolas over to the bed. Not wanting the prince to exert himself too much, Elrond supported him over to sit on the bed and the young Elf did so with a sigh.

"Thank you," the prince breathed carefully.

"All right," Elrond smiled, sitting down next to him. "I know this might be a really stupid question but how are you feeling, honestly?"

Legolas' eyes came up to meet Elrond's and he answered, "Truthfully, terrible."

"I am not surprised. Legolas, what happened?" Elrond asked, hoping to get an honest answer without having to let Legolas know that he already knew the truth.

Predictably, Legolas replied, "Nothing."

Elrond nodded and reached into the pocket of his robe, bringing out the almost empty bottle easily recognisable as the drug Legolas had already shown Elrond he'd been using to keep himself alert. "So this is just a coincidence then?"

Legolas' hand shot out and attempted to snatch the bottle away even though it was too late but Elrond didn't let him have it. "That's nothing."

"Nothing? Legolas, this is serious."

"I know it is."

"When you first showed me this I told you how dangerous it was, you promised me you wouldn't take any more of it." Legolas nodded, his head bowed to avoid Elrond's eyes. "Legolas, you can't brush this off. Your heart stopped beating. You died. Do you understand that?" Elrond yelled in anger that had been building all day and now he found that he couldn't stop the words that poured forth. "I am tired of this, Legolas. All this secrecy, all these lies. I can't even get one straight answer from you. You send me a letter out of the blue after years of no contact, after you left me, and I came running because that's what I always do when you need me. And what do I get for my troubles? You're locking me in your rooms; your father is drugged unconscious, stabbed by his own son; and your great and noble kingdom is brought to its knees by a handful of Men with some kind of mystical and frankly enigmatic magic that you can't identify!" Elrond continued in a loud voice, jumping from his seat and pacing before Legolas, who remained sat with his head bowed. Elrond knew fully well that the young Elf didn't deserve this but he needed to vent. "So why, Legolas? Why did you send for me? What exactly do you expect me to do? I mean, you won't even let me help you, won't let me treat your wounds properly. And where exactly did you get those injuries, Legolas?"

When he was certain that Elrond had finished his rant, Legolas looked up, his gaze now harder as he was resolved to explain everything to his friend. In a slightly shaking voice, he replied, "It's a test."

"Test?" Elrond blurted out impatiently.

Legolas, however, remained calm and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "It's a test. They use it as punishment and perhaps also as entertainment for themselves. It's a test of endurance."

Significantly calmer now, Elrond asked, "How so?"

Now Legolas swallowed thickly, not relishing the thought of having to explain this frankly humiliating ritual to his ex-partner. However, he owed Elrond the truth and he couldn't back out now. So he dipped his head and spoke in a soft voice, "In the Throne Room there is a plinth. They make me stand on it for hours at a time whilst they take turns in…beating me."

Although Elrond had expected as much, this still shocked him. "I'm sorry," was all he could manage.

"I needed the drug to keep me alert, that's all, I swear. I didn't intend…"

"Legolas, I warned you that stuff was dangerous. You told me you wouldn't take it without my supervision," Elrond pointed out quietly, returning to sit on the bed next to Legolas.

"I know. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"No it won't," the healer told him firmly. But then his demeanour softened and he gently took Legolas' hand in his own. "It's going to be all right, mellon nin."

At the kind words, tears pricked at Legolas' eyes and he nodded. "How is Ada?"

"He's fine, I've been taking good care of him, Legolas, just as I promised. You know, you really should be worrying about yourself, not your father."

"I'll be fine," Legolas smiled weakly.

"No, you won't be, Legolas. Do you understand that your heart stopped beating? I had to bring you back. I thought you were gone, melleth…mellon nin."

Legolas looked down at his slightly trembling hands, encased in Elrond's steady ones. "I understand," he answered in a shaky voice, ignoring Elrond's slight slip-up, much to the Elven Lord's relief.

"I know you do. I'm sorry." Legolas nodded slowly, suddenly feeling incredibly weary again. As he closed his eyes he felt Elrond's arm slip around his back, coming to rest over his shoulders. In a soft, tender voice, Elrond said, "You know, Legolas, a lot has happened – no doubt more than you're telling me – it's all right to be upset. You don't have to protect me. You're not alone anymore."

The prince swallowed thickly, blinking back tears again. After a long few minutes during which Elrond remained silent, waiting patiently, Legolas finally whispered, "My chest hurts."

This, admittedly small, confession broke Elrond's heart to hear and he raised his hand to gently stroke Legolas' hair back over his shoulders. "I am not surprised."

Slowly, Elrond pulled Legolas close and the prince laid his head against Elrond's shoulder with a sigh. Following another long silence, the younger Elf said in a choked voice, "I don't know how much longer I can do this." Elrond rubbed Legolas' back gently in support, still holding him close. "I'm so tired."

"I know," the Lord of Imladris said quietly. "Come on, lie down for a while." Elrond stood up and went straight over to the closet, pulling out some clean clothes. "I'm assuming you're allowed to get changed?"

Legolas laughed softly, wincing when the action hurt his aching chest. "Yes."

"All right then, put these on." Even as he said this, Elrond started unbuttoning Legolas' tunic and shirt then carefully eased the clothes off, revealing Legolas' battered chest. Despite the fact that it had been vitally necessary, Elrond's resuscitation procedures had clearly hurt Legolas' ribs even further and it was no wonder Legolas found it painful. "I wish I could find a salve to put on this, at the very least it might ease the pain a little bit."

"It's all right," Legolas smiled at Elrond's thoughtfulness.

Elrond helped the blonde Elf into his clean, loose-fitting white shirt then held out the trousers. "I…Do you want some privacy to…you know, put these on?" Elrond asked, still not quite sure of his boundaries anymore.

Legolas smiled at this though and answered, "I think we know each other well enough for me to accept your help in that department."

"Right," Elrond chuckled nervously then took a deep breath to compose himself. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable, that's all."

"You wouldn't." Legolas looked deep into Elrond's eyes for a moment then took the trousers from his arm and said, "I think I can manage." Somehow he could just sense that the hesitation was more discomfort on Elrond's part then concern for Legolas' welfare.

However, the caring side of Elrond couldn't abandon his friend now so he took the trousers back and said, "No, you can hardly even stand on your own." He laid the garment out on the bed and crouched down, carefully pulling Legolas' shoes off. He felt the prince recoil at the touch. His feet must have been incredibly sore as he moaned softly. "I'm sorry, mellon nin." Legolas nodded, biting his lip to keep a cry from escaping him. Elrond's concern grew again when he saw they were more swollen than before. "All that walking has not done your feet any good. Are they very painful?" Legolas nodded, pointedly not looking down so he didn't have to see them. Getting up, Elrond held out his hands and asked, "Can you stand on them for a minute?"

Legolas nodded and stood up, wincing as he put pressure on his feet. "I think I can manage now."

"All right, just lean against me if you need to."

The prince kept ahold of Elrond's arm as he unbuttoned his trousers. When he went to bend down to remove them though he gasped at the pain in his chest. "I'm all right," he told Elrond when the inevitable question was posed.

"Do you need me to help?"

"No, I'm fine." He carefully stepped out of his old clothes and pulled on the clean trousers. When he stood up straight though, for a second or two he couldn't catch his breath and was suddenly extremely grateful for Elrond's strong body to lean against.

"It's all right, I've got you," Elrond reassured in a calm voice. "Just take a breath." Legolas did as instructed and breathed in a little too deeply for his abused ribs and winced in agony, leaning further against Elrond. "Sit down, mellon nin," the Elven Lord offered, helping Legolas to sit back down on the bed. "Try to take normal, regular breaths." Legolas did as he was told and soon he felt normal once more. "Feel better?"

Legolas nodded. "Thank you."

"All right," Elrond smiled gently, doing up the buttons on Legolas' trousers. "Lie back now." Before Legolas did so, Elrond adjusted the pillows so the prince could rest propped up to ease the strain on his chest. He lifted Legolas' feet up onto the bed, placing them carefully on a cushion. "Comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you," Legolas sighed in relief.

Elrond smiled and laid a blanket over the young Elf. "Good. Try to sleep for a while."

Already bleary eyes moved up to meet the dark Elf's and Legolas said, "I'm so glad you're here."

"So am I."

"Can you…? Can you stay with me tonight?" he asked almost nervously.

Elrond reached out and stroked his fingers gently over Legolas' cool cheek. "Of course I can," he agreed softly. He kicked his shoes off then shrugged his shirt off before lying down next to Legolas, draping the blanket over himself as well. Legolas immediately shifted across and laid his head against Elrond's chest. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here."

Within moments Legolas had fallen asleep, his body exhausted from his trials. Resting his head back against the pillows, Elrond settled in for another long night. It would not be easy to get the image of Legolas for all intents and purposes dead out of his mind. The thought that he's come so horrendously close to actually losing this person he cared about so much troubled him greatly. Feelings of intense passion had risen in him when he thought he'd lost the prince forever. He hadn't felt that kind of love for a long time and he actually found it to be not entirely unwelcome. That warmth had been much-missed during their time apart.

With Legolas' body pressed against his, Elrond's eyes soon glazed over in reverie and he fell asleep. For the moment, at least, everything seemed right with the world.

To Be Continued…