Part Twenty

"Do not leave me, Haldir…please!" Legolas cried.

"This grows too troublesome," Haldir snarled. "First Saelbeth tries to skewer me over you, and now I find my brothers and the sons of Elrond in your bed, all eager for a piece of you."

"This is not my fault!"

"Did you encourage them, or not?"

Legolas fell silent, looking crestfallen. He sighed and turned away, his shoulders drooping. He covered his face with his hand.

Haldir of Lórien was not really angry at Legolas, nor did he truly think that any of what had occurred was the fault of the Prince, despite the fact that Legolas truly had encouraged them. He had simply been appalled by his brothers' behavior, and that of Elrond's twin sons. Clearly they were a bad influence on Rúmil and Orophin, and he wanted to speak to his brothers about this before the situation got any more out of control.

He did not want to leave Legolas to rest. On the contrary, he wanted nothing more deeply than to be in the Prince's bed, grinding him into the mattress and making him scream in pleasure. Yet Haldir felt that all this was probably too much for the young elf to handle all at once, and he wanted their first lovemaking to be untainted by this day's foolishness.

Haldir wondered also if refusing Thranduil had been a mistake, but part of him thought deep inside that many elves misjudged the King, and that some of his apparent fearsomeness and famous wrath was a façade. Thranduil was clever, Haldir would give him that. He knew how to keep his subjects at his command -- and yet they loved him, and they loved Legolas even better. There was no discontent among the elves of Mirkwood.

"Legolas," he sighed, closing the door to the room now that they were alone at last once more.

"Just go, as you wish," Legolas whispered, not turning around. There was a hitch in his voice and it broke Haldir's heart.

Haldir moved close to the Prince and slipped his arms around him from behind. Legolas turned in his embrace, putting his own arms around Haldir's waist and leaning his golden head on the elf of the Galadhrim's shoulder. Haldir stroked his hair.

"I do not wish to go," he said softly.

"Then do not go."

"I am not certain that I should stay."

"Do not trifle with me," Legolas said. He lifted his head and looked into Haldir's eyes. "I know this is my fault. I know I encouraged the others. I…was confused…but I am no longer."

Haldir felt lost, utterly lost. No other elf had ever made him feel the way that Legolas did. He was slightly uncomfortable with the feeling. He would go mad from anger and grief if he made the Prince his own and then Legolas turned around and offered himself again to another. Yet Haldir believed Legolas, who was known for sincerity, when the Prince told him that it was Haldir he wanted and no other.

"Jealousy has always been my downfall," Haldir said softly.

"I promise that from this night forward, I will give you no cause for jealousy. Just do not leave me. Lie with me."

Haldir kissed him. He brought his mouth against that of the Prince with heated force, and Legolas opened beneath him like a flower in the first rays of the morning sun. Their tongues dueled sweetly and Legolas gripped his arms so roughly that Haldir expected to be bruised by his fingers. He came away from the kiss panting.

"It may be worth getting skewered by Saelbeth for this," he said, steering Legolas closer to the bed.

"I will not let anyone skewer you… except myself," said Legolas.

"I think it will be the other way around." Haldir chuckled, but as they reached the edge of the bed, Legolas threw a look of concern over his shoulder.

"I hesitate to wonder what your brothers and the twins were doing in my bed."

Haldir sighed inwardly and let go of Legolas to examine the bed. It was certainly a mess. The pillows were tossed every which way and half of them were on the floor. The blankets were rumpled and pushed haphazardly about. Without a word the elf of Lórien removed all of the trappings and began straightening them out. He smoothed Legolas' silk sheets, which to his eye did not look ill used aside from a few drops of wine staining one corner. He laid the blankets and velvet coverlet out neatly, and arranged all the pillows in a comfortable and tidy fashion. When he turned from his task, he saw Legolas watching him with a look of amusement on his face.

"It is clean enough," Haldir said, raising an eyebrow.

"I should make straightening my bed part of your daily duties," Legolas commented. "I can never get it this neat."

"I will gladly take on the task, so long as I am waking up in it in the morning."

"You will be," Legolas promised. "Now, my lovely elf of Lórien, I want you to strip for me."

Haldir raised his other eyebrow now, smiling slightly at the Prince. "So commanding, my Prince."

"I do take after my father in many ways," Legolas said. "Do it, Haldir. Now."

"As you wish," Haldir said. It amused him to comply, though he vowed silently that by the end of the night Legolas would be begging rather than demanding.

Very slowly he untied his grey tunic and let it fall to the floor. He stood up straight, watching Legolas admire him, flexing the strong muscles of his arms slightly. He felt his nipples tighten sharply beneath the hot, approving blue gaze.

"Now the rest," Legolas said, his voice low and husky.

Haldir pulled off his boots with a practiced hand, then slowly peeled down his leggings. He did not rush, though his urge to throw Legolas down on the mattress was growing stronger and stronger by the moment. He had never been the sort to submit to his partners, but since Legolas was untried and untrained, he wished to make the Prince as comfortable as possible.

It seemed an eternity that the beautiful young Prince of Mirkwood stood there simply staring at Haldir, raking him over with those eyes, those intense eyes the color of a summer sky, smiling just slightly, his fingers clenched, his breathing visibly heavy.

"Do you like what you see?" Haldir asked softly.

"Very much."

"You may touch me with more than your eyes, you know."

"I know," Legolas said, his smile becoming a smirk as he moved forward at last.

Haldir stood still as Legolas walked around him in a small circle. The Prince smoothed his long, slender fingers over angles and planes of Haldir's taut, muscular chest, ran his hands over Haldir's ribcage, his waist, his belly. Legolas stroked the tops of Haldir's thighs, stopped behind him to squeeze Haldir's rear end, pressing his fully clothed body against Haldir's back. Haldir could not hold back the moan that issued from his lips.

Legolas hand slid across the front of his thigh, edging towards the aching core of Haldir's desire. Haldir bit his lip. He would not beg Legolas to touch him there. Let the Prince do it of his own free will. But let him do it soon!

Before Legolas could grasp the prize, a sharp rap sounded at the door. Haldir sighed, and bent his head forward in defeat.

"Legolas?" It was Elrond's voice.

"Do not answer," Haldir whispered.

"I do not wish to."

"Are you in there? I heard a noise…"

"Just a moment," Legolas called back. He whispered to Haldir. "I will see what he wants and be rid of him as quickly as possible."