The hall was crowded, a mass of bodies, people of importance, everyone wanting a piece of Estel's time. He wondered how he put up with it. Thank goodness he could hide here among the Dunedain beside his twin. Not that they had any chance of hiding, different as they were. The Gondorians stared blatantly. He supposed he did not blame them, the large majority had never seen an elf before, but he did not enjoy the attention.
But there was one who seemingly revealed in it and he watched with interest as he entered. Head up, light bouncing off the gold of his hair, looking every inch the prince that he was, the dwarf at his side just added to his exoticness. The sight took his breath away and he wondered how anyone managed to look at him and remain unaffected by his beauty.
Even Elladan noticed him.
"Here comes Estel's wood elf." he said with some amusement.
"What do you mean? He is not Estel's!" He found himself snapping angrily in response, and his twin have him a strange look. He would have to be more careful.
"You know how close they are. He followed Estel even though he thought it would lead to his death. That is what I meant."
"Estel does not own him."he replied somewhat sulkily.
"Of course not!" Elladan was indignant at being challenged. "He is Thranduil's child, look at him. Nobody will ever own him!"
He lost sight of Legolas in the crowd surging around him though his eyes sought him out desperately. Elladan was right, Legolas would never be caged, would never allow himself
to belong to anyone. A brief stab of sadness pierced him at that thought.
He had no idea why.
He was lost in his thoughts when the one he sought appeared as if by magic before him. Up close he was even more mesmerising but he did not even glance at him, it was to Elladan he spoke.
"Aragorn wishes to speak to you."
But when he moved to follow, Legolas placed himself in front of him a hand on his chest, a hand that burnt through his tunic and ignited a fire in his skin beneath.
"Not you." He said softly, "Stay here with me."
For a moment he felt he could not breathe.
"Have you told your brother of me?" Warm breath brushed across his ear as Legolas leaned in to whisper it.
"No." He said honestly, and the beautiful face before him clouded over with a frown.
"Are you embarrassed? Does it shame you?"
He was still not used to this bluntness, he was used to politics and court etiquette, to talking around a subject never saying what it was you truly thought. Allowing others to read between the lines, he was skilled at that. He did not know how to deal with this at all. But he knew he wanted to remove the frown from that lovely face.
"I am not embarrassed, never. I wanted to keep the knowledge for myself awhile...a treasure for me to think on. Something that is mine alone. I did not want to share...yet."
He was unsure he had explained it properly but even if it was a clumsy attempt it worked and Legolas slowly smiled lighting up his beauty as he did so.
"A treasure...I like that." He glanced behind him to where Elladan stood with Estel,
"It would be somewhat exciting too don't you think, for us to know and no one else...for a while?"
And he reached up to brush a hair from Elrohir's face, to tuck it behind his ear.
"My secret treasure." then he was gone.
The next time he saw him was hours later as he sat with his brothers in front of the fire. The throng had dispersed, it was late and they drank and relaxed in the warmth.
Legolas and the dwarf burst into their quiet circle bringing chaos along with them.
Legolas threw himself in a chair, draping languidly across it, even sitting he was graceful, alluring, and commenced haranguing Estel about confusing humans, the lack of trees and the dwarf protested until the pair of them were arguing loudly. He watched him despite himself, the way he moved, the expressions that flitted across his face. He was fascinated by him.
"Aragorn is all you have to drink just this ale? It is terrible, do you have no wine for those of us who are cultured?"
Estel snorted into his glass,
"Since when are you cultured Legolas?"
"I will have you know," Legolas said as he stood, "We are very refined in the wood. I will have to get my own wine I suppose." And he strode past Elrohir bending swiftly to whisper in his ear as he left,
"If you keep looking at me that way our secret will not last the night."
He was so quick, no one noticed so it seemed, how did he do that?
When Legolas returned, wine in hand, he sat himself down next to Elrohir and proceeded, quietly and discretely to turn him mad with distraction. Soft, seemingly casual touches of his hand upon his thigh, a leg up against his own, that fine golden hair brushing his face as Legolas turned his head. It was torture.
Eventually he could stand no more,
"Stop it!" He hissed, "They will notice."
But Legolas simply threw him a coy look,
They will only see what they expect to see," he whispered softly, " and they expect to see nothing...do you not like it?"
He knew very well of course that Elrohir liked it very much indeed. He could not keep his mind on anything else. Legolas filled his senses. Eventually, in the middle of a very pleasant imagining, he was caught out.
"Elrohir?!"
It was his twin, peering at him with a frown.
"I have been talking to you for the last five minutes, did you even hear me?"
He had not heard a word of course, distracted as he was by the random hidden caresses.
"Forgive me," he stammered, "My mind was elsewhere..."
"Are you quite alright?" Elladan's eyes were filled with concern.
"Just tired." It was all he could come up with, his mind was completely empty and a soft giggle from Legolas beside him did not help matters. His laugh was so alluring.
"Are you well? Do you hide an injury?"
Before he could answer in the negative Legolas placed his hand on his forehead.
"Are you sure you do not have a fever?" He said, his eyes dancing with mischief only Elrohir could see.
Oh he did have have a fever and Legolas knew exactly why, and his hand...his touch was making it so much worse. Briefly he thought of telling Elladan the truth, that a wood elf was driving him insane with sexual frustration. That would shock him! Instead he pushed Legolas's hand away, despite he fact he didn't want to.
"I am quite well thank you." He snapped.
"Stop teasing Legolas," Estel sighed, "What has put you in this tedious mood?"
"I am happy Aragorn," Legolas gifted them all with a brilliant smile, " surely you do not begrudge me that?"
"And what is it that has us all enduring your happiness?"
Legolas leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, eyes gleaming. Truly he shone.
"What would you say if I said it was love?"
His heart skipped a beat, what was he doing talking of love? Had he lost his mind?
"I would say," Estel answered, "That you seek to distract me by spouting nonsense."
Legolas turned to him then, a look of mock horror on his face.
"Elrohir, did you hear that? Aragorn thinks me unlovable, undesirable, I am hurt to the core! What say you?"
"I would say he was mistaken."
He could not help but laugh for none of the others understood the hidden meaning to their words and Legolas was right, it was exciting. A part of him found it difficult to believe no one could see what lay between them for it was electric, how did they not notice these bright sparks flying? He felt alive as he had not done for years.
"Legolas," It was Estel speaking, "If you do not wish to tell me what it is that makes you so happy it does not matter, it only matters that you are, and I am glad, but leave my poor tired brother alone, he is not used to your antics."
He recieved only Legolas's light merry laugh in return.
Later after a few more glasses had been consumed, a few more dwarven arguments, and many more secret touches had lit him on fire, Legolas leaned into him, with a voice full of seriousness,
"Aragorn is a wise man," he murmured, "Perhaps I would be well advised to do as he says?"
"What?" he had forgotten Estel's words by then and had no idea what it was they discussed.
"He wishes me to leave you alone...you are not used to me...should I?"
And at that time he could think of nothing he wanted less.
"Don't you dare!" He said and was rewarded with a smile, one of the special ones he held close to his heart.
"If you leave now, I will follow...to my rooms? They will not miss us." the look Legolas gave him was one filled with innuendo.
And it was all the invitation he needed.
