Haldir was often called upon by Lord Celeborn to attend to duties not strictly those of a marchwarden. He never minded, for his loyalty was unwavering, and he enjoyed the variety of tasks his Lord set for him.

On this day, however, he had been called for another such duty, and it was quite unlike anything he had ever been asked to do before.

Haldir's eyes were widened in stunned surprise, and his pulse was all but galloping away. He steadied himself with one hand upon a pillar of the Lord's talan. "You wish me to do what, my Lord?"

Celeborn approached him with a gentle smile, and layed a hand upon Haldir's shoulder. "I wish for you to travel to Imladris and see to it that my son-in-law finds, well, some joy once more. Ever since Celebrian left Middle Earth, he has become withdrawn, and Galadriel and I loathe to see him unhappy."

Haldir swallowed hard. "You wish for me to make your son-in-law... happy?"

Celeborn nodded. "I know you can, Haldir. I have seen the way he looked at you when last he was here with us." After a pause, during which he remembered but did not mention the way Haldir had in turn been looking at Elrond, he said, "I will not make this an order, Haldir, and if you do not find it within yourself to approach Elrond in this way, I will think no less of you for refusing this undertaking."

Haldir's eyes sought Celeborn's, and the plea he saw in the dark depths was more compelling to him than any order could ever be. But would he be able to do this?

He thought back over Lord Elrond's last visit. He thought of the melancholy, fathomless eyes lingering on him when Elrond had thought his attentions elsewhere. He thought of dark tresses, framing a stern but kind face, of hands steepled thoughtfully, of words spoken with great care and wisdom. And he thought of how it had ached to watch the Lord's departure from Lorien, and the wistful look backward over a broad shoulder as Elrond had taken his leave and returned to Imladris with his two sons.

"I will do it, my Lord, and gladly," Haldir said with a polite bow of his head.

Celeborn pulled him into a rare embrace, and then smiled at him, clasping his shoulders. "What would we do without you, Haldir?"

Haldir smirked, part embarrassed, part proud. "I imagine you would manage."

"I doubt that very much." Celeborn squeezed his shoulders one last time, then stepped back, the mask of officiality back on his handsome face. "You may leave whenever you desire, Haldir. Your duties here will be reassigned for however long you choose to stay in Imladris."

"Then I shall take my leave in the morning." Haldir bowed once more. "My Lord."

Celeborn nodded at him, then watched him leave the talan with a smile on his face.

"You are incorrigible."

Celeborn turned to face his smiling wife as she approached from behind a sheer curtain. "I myself would call it wise, dearest. After all, Elrond, for all his sagacity, would bite off his stubborn tongue before speaking his heart, and Haldir would foolishly consider himself out of bounds were he to take the first step. This way, all may be appeased."

"Hmm..." Galadriel smiled, and pressed a kiss to Celeborn's cheek lovingly. "I always knew I had the most clever and sensitive husband in all of Middle Earth."

"And so you do."

They laughed heartily.

Haldir left the following morning, hoping his eagerness was not written all over his face, plain to read for all he met. He carried with him enough clothing and personal things to last him for some months, just in case. He felt apprehensive, but did not regret agreeing to this plan, though it felt somewhat odd to be heading to Imladris with what would surely be a rather blatant purpose. He cursed himself for not having requested an alternative "reason" from his Lord, something a little more subtle to avoid offending Lord Elrond.

The journey was uneventful, and by the time Haldir and his guard rode through the gates of Imladris, his apprehension had turned into full-fledged embarrassment. What was he to say for himself? Why, if he was Elrond, he would have himself banished for his presumption!

Greeted by Elrond's beautiful twin sons, Haldir was spared an explanation, and was rather puzzled to be told by one them - Elladan, if the blue robes were any indication, as Elrohir seemed to prefer green... "We have been expecting you eagerly, Haldir of Lorien."

"You have?" Haldir asked dumbly, but his ignorance was met with a polite smile. The two young elves had clearly been raised with impeccable manners.

Haldir was aware that Galadriel must have communicated with Elrond, but he dreaded to think what she might have told him. He decided that perhaps it would be best if he simply took his cues from his hosts.

Elrohir and Elladan made polite inquiries about Lorien, about Haldir's duties, and how his Lord and Lady would fare during his absence, and Haldir, grateful that the topic at hand - namely his presence here - was not touched upon, responded to everything quite innocently and amiably.

"Ah, there is father!" Elrohir exclaimed, raising a slender, moss-green cloaked arm in greeting when they rode into the courtyard of the Lord's house.

Haldir's head snapped up, and his breath caught when he saw Elrond on the balcony above, gazing down at him with a soft smile. He did, at least at this distance, look much less downhearted than Haldir remembered him.

"Ada, we managed to bring him in before he collapsed!" Elladan shouted out, and Haldir looked at him sharply.

"Why would I collapse?"

Smirking, Elladan dismounted, handing his reins to a waiting Elf who had clearly been in attendance for this particular purpose.

Elrohir, too, dismounted, and so did Haldir and his guard, and the marchwarden was not to receive an explanation for everyone's odd behaviour, because after noting that Elrond had vanished from the balcony, he was immediately ushered inside.

"Father would like to speak with you before you retire to your quarters, Haldir, if that would not be too tiring," Elrohir said politely.

"Um..." Haldir could not begin to fathom why the infuriating elflings were speaking to him as though he were ancient and decrepit. Before he could ask, he found himself steered, with a hand in the small of his back, into a neat little room open to the surrounding gardens, where Lord Elrond himself was waiting.

"Mae govannen, Haldir," Elrond said warmly.

"Mae govannen, my Lord. Thank you for receiving me." Haldir bowed his head to avoid staring too blatanly into the eyes which seemed to only have become darker and more mysterious in the few short years since he had last feasted upon them.

While he was still trying to still his heartbeat, the light birchwood door behind him closed as if by invisible hands.

He lifted his eyes, and found Elrond standing right before him. "I cannot tell you how pleased I... I mean, we are, that you have decided to stay with us for a while, Haldir."

Haldir swallowed hard. "Thank you, my Lord." He desperately needed to know what Elrond had been told, for at that point, he was floating, with no idea how to act and what to say, and he did not wish to look like a halfwit, especially before Lord Elrond.

"The Lady Galadriel has announced your imminent arrival," Elrond volunteered, and Haldir nodded slowly, hoping for more information, but clearly, Elrond was more than a little unsettled by his presence as well, for since his words had teetered off, he had been merely staring at Haldir with a yearning expression.

Concerned that this may only be a case of wishful thinking on his own behalf, Haldir forced himself not to foster false hopes. Instead, he decided to continue probing a little. "Did the Lady give you a reason for my visit?" he asked cautiously.

Elrond recovered, and cleared his throat. "Yes, and she said she hoped you would not mind her being so blunt, but that you truly were in desperate need of rest. It seems your duties have been particular strenuous of late, and she feels bad about the stresses put upon you."

Haldir's eyes widened. "Oh," was all he could think to say. The deviousness of his Lord and Lady never ceased to astound him, and while he did not like the idea of appearing before Elrond as a supposed invalid, it was surely better than to come storming into the castle, professing his undying love for the king, and carrying him off to the nearest bed chamber. He smirked at the image.

"I am glad you do not mind her honesty," Elrond said with relief, obviously misinterpreting the smile as he could not know its true cause.

"How could I mind," Haldir said with a smile at his host. "If it allows me to find rest here in your beautiful home, and recovery from my duties." When Elrond gazed at him fondly, he added. "And I thank you for taking me in so kindly and at such short notice, my Lord."

Elrond coughed a little roughly. "I am delighted by your visit, Haldir. I have missed our most stimulating conversations since I last came to Lorien."

The admission warmed Haldir's heart. "As have I, my Lord, though I cannot imagine that you should find me... I mean, my company, stimulating..." He faltered, but recovered quickly before the threatening blush managed to stain his cheeks. "After all, I cannot hope to match your eloquence."

"You are more than a match for me in every way!" Elrond exclaimed, clasping Haldir's shoulders. The touch, as well as the unchecked words, had an astounding effect on both of them - Haldir's eyes widened, and Elrond's darkened, and he quickly turned away as he continued, "You yourself are of rare eloquence and quite remarkable wit, Haldir."

Haldir did not think so, especially since he had come to Imladris and continued to stumble over his own words like a young human, but he accepted the kind words with a soft, "Thank you, Lord Elrond."

Elrond faced him once more. "I should let you rest and refresh, Haldir. Elrohir has volunteered to show you to your suite and bring you anything you might require."

Reluctantly, they made their way to the door. "Will you join me for dinner this evening? We shall be dining alone..." At this, Elrond searched Haldir's face for a reaction, and found it in a pleased smile and sparkling eyes. Breathlessly, he continued, "My sons will be riding out to receive Glordfindel and Erestor, who are to return from a visit to Mirkwood."

Haldir bowed, now half inside the room, and half out the door. "It will be my pleasure to dine with you, Lord Elrond."

"Good." Elrond's eyes held Haldir's, his very posture speaking of his disinclination to let his guest depart. "I will see you later... then..."

Haldir was equally reluctant to part from his host, and for another awkward moment, they simply stood staring at each other, until, mercifully, Elrohir cleared his throat in the hall outside.

"May I show you to your rooms now, Haldir?"

A far too knowing smirk graced the young Elf's face all the way to the luxurious suite which had been prepared for Haldir, but the Lorien Elf failed to notice it, busy as he was putting one foot in front of the other, counting his steps to distract himself from wanting to run back downstairs to throw himself at his host after all.

They behaved immaculately that evening, despite their solitude and romantic dinner setting on Elrond's favorite veranda. They fell back into their old habit of simply conversing about anything and everything well into the night, though as ever, their mutual desire for more distracted them once in a while, halting their animated chatting and causing one or both of them to lower their eyes and turn into a light more favorable for hiding a rising blush.

Finally, in the early morning hours, Haldir excused himself. It was not a matter of actually wanting to leave for his lonely rooms, anticipating a restless sleep as he was, but after many goblets of Elrond's excellent wine, he feared his tongue might become a little more loose than was good for his dignity.

"We must repeat this again, soon." Elrond accompanied him up the stairs. When Haldir gave him a curious sideways glance, he added, "My sons often spend their evenings with my two advisors." He smirked. "Leaving their poor old father to his own devices."

Haldir smiled warmly at his host. When they arrived at the top of the stairs and thus, the parting of their ways, he said, "While I can certainly see the... attraction, I cannot imagine that anyone would wish to spend more time apart from you than absolutely..."

Oh yes indeed. The wine had done its work and his tongue had all but taken leave off the rest of him, certainly his mind. Haldir bit down on the rogue muscle to prevent further embarrassment.

The sparkle in Elrond's dark eyes, however, made it all worthwhile, and Haldir's heart sped up when his host raised a hand to place it on his shoulder, close to his neck. In fact, the tip of Elrond's thumb was brushing distractingly against the smooth flesh of Haldir's throat.

At that moment, Haldir - not normally prone to restraint in such matters - did consider throwing Elrond over his shoulder and carrying him off to his rooms after all, but before he could set his plan into motion, the fingers were gone again, leaving in their wake only tingling skin and a desperate need to seek out either a tub of cold water, or the privacy of a darkened room and his imagination.

"I shall take you at your word, Haldir," Elrond all but purred. "And demand that you spend as much time as possible with me for as long as you can stay."

Haldir forced himself to breathe again. "Yes!" he exclaimed eloquently. Then, through his grinding teeth, he added, "I mean... I would be delighted, my Lord."

"Elrond."

"Elrond." Haldir felt himself blushing like a youngling, and knew it was high time he made off to his bed.

"Good night, Haldir." Elrond smiled.

Once Haldir had mirrored his words, he turned and swept down the corridor like the most majestic, beautiful, kingly figure Haldir had ever let escape his clutches.

The frustrated Lorien Elf gathered his wits about him suffiently to find his rooms, all the way pondering that his restraint had been just as well. After all, his own motives for being here were far beyond what Lord Celeborn had planned - Elrond was not one for a brief fling, and while matters of the flesh were familiar territory to Haldir, in matters of the heart, he was all but a novice.

"Oh, they are infuriatingly well behaved!" Galadriel pouted at the surface of her mirror.

Celeborn chortled in his attractively full, deep-throated way. "And so they should be. I would have to question my own intuition if either of them had fallen upon the other like a rabid wolf."

Galadriel smiled at her husband. "You are, as ever, correct." She emptied the silver bowl, and together, the two ancient elves made their way back to their talan. "I am so pleased at the change in Elrond. Why, even just the news of Haldir's imminent arrival lightened his heart! One single day of our guard's bewitching company, and he is positively glowing." She sighed contentedly.

Celeborn smiled serenely while his agile mind calculated that one day more would likely make them both glow more brightly than Anor herself.

Haldir was true to his word, and did not move from Elrond's side throughout the entire day following his arrival.

Elrond, for his part, seemed extremely pleased with this. He was all smiles as they walked for hours through his beautiful gardens, comparing what blossomed there and in Lorien.

When they reached a delicately wrought gazebo above a slender waterfall, Elrond seated himself elegantly on the single divan there was, and patted the space beside him.

Haldir rested on the smooth forest green seat, strewn with pillows in all the shapes and colours of leaves, and gazed fondly at his host.

"Have I mentioned, Haldir, that I am delighted with your being here?"

Throughout the day, their conversation had become less anxious and more teasing, so Haldir dared a lighthearted response. "A number of times, Elrond, though not nearly often enough."

Elrond took the bait only too gladly. "Well then... I am so glad you are here."

"As am I." Haldir lowered his eyes, but found his face lifted by a slender, far from steady finger.

"You will think me foolish for saying this," Elrond said, his voice more rough and uneven than Haldir had ever heard it. "But I have missed not only our conversations since last we met, but even more so, the light-hearted wisdom and comfort of your company."

Haldir swallowed. "Lord Elrond..."

"But I apologize, I must not speak this way to you." Elrond fidgetted, avoiding the blond Elf's eyes, though his finger remained exactly where it had been - beneath Haldir's chin.

"Elrond..."

"The last thing I wish is for you to feel uncomfortable in my presence, and..."

"Elrond!"

Elrond's astonished eyes met Haldir's on that last sharper, more insistent, address, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw amusement mingled with genuine affection in the sapphire gaze. "Haldir..." he breathed.

Haldir leaned closer, and the finger automatically curled around his chin a little more. "There is nothing you could ever do, Elrond, that would make me think you foolish."

Elrond digested these news, struggling down the whoop of delight which nearly escaped him, for that, surely, would change the golden-haired one's opinion. After staring another moment, he gathered his usually considerable courage and asked softly, "So if I were to take you into my arms right now and kiss you, you would not think me foolish?"

Haldir whimpered softly, and whispered something sounding much like, "No."

Deciding not to risk asking if that was indeed what Haldir had said, Elrond moved forward, now framing the beautiful Lorien Elf's face in his hands.

"Just to look upon you... to have you here with me... fills me with happiness unlike anything I have experienced in millenia," Elrond said huskily. "I do not know what it is about you, Haldir, but you give me a sense of joy and lightness, I never thought I... I..."

Elrond was struggling for words, and Haldir smiled encouragingly. "I remember there having been a mention of a kiss?"

Elrond smiled a very genuine, happy smile. "Perhaps it is your way of cutting through my rhetoric to the core of what I am trying to say." And with that he pressed his lips to Haldir's.

They melted under his own as if they had awaited his touch for centuries, and he drew Haldir into his arms with a sigh, ignoring the awkwardness of finding someplace to put their tangling legs. Parting yielding lips with his tongue, Elrond devoured his salvation with a tenderness and passion he had forgotten he possessed.

When they finally parted, he lay his forehead against Haldir's, delighting in the panting breaths the other breathed against his lips.

"I must know, Haldir," Elrond said shakily. "Was I even a small part of your reason for coming here?"

Haldir sighed. "You were by far the most important one, my Lord." That was most certainly the truth. "I missed you painfully."

Elrond nuzzled Haldir's cheek, then his ear, delighting in the sharp intake of breath when he traced the curled outline tenderly. His hands were roving over Haldir's body, shifting the other's soft blue robes in their wake, as he held him close, so close. Soon, they were both finding it hard to breathe.

"My desire for you is such, Haldir, that it frightens me," Elrond confessed huskily.

"A mighty Elf Lord like you? I refuse to believe you," Haldir said playfully, but in truth, Elrond's words had set his heart racing at double speed.

Elrond snorted softly, stirring Haldir's golden tresses with the exhalation. "A mighty Elf Lord indeed, who wishes nothing more than to kneel at your feet and worship you until the end of time." A trace of mischief snuck into his voice then as he added, "And perhaps do a few other things while being down there."

A whimper escaped Haldir's throat, and Elrond's eyes took on an almost dangerous glint, as he slid off the divan and, true to his words, parted Haldir's legs to kneel between them.

Haldir clutched the arm and back of the seat so hard, he all but splintered them, when Elrond found an astonishingly quick way into Haldir's leggings and moved in to take him in his mouth.

Haldir's legs fell open limply, and his head snapped back against the delicately carved backrest while Elrond brought him to a far too soon but infinitely memorable climax.

Still trembling in its wake, Haldir found himself drawn into the Elf Lord's arms as they lay back in the sea of green cushions together, mingling among them in perfect harmony in their dishevelled autumnal gowns.

"Fear not, my Love. That was but a taste," Elrond purred into Haldir's ear, earning a satisfied sigh in response.

Haldir turned in his arms, and after a quick fumble through the bunched up velvet between them, caused a sharp intake of breath. "It is as well you are a good host. You would not leave your guest without letting him have a sampling of his own, would you?"

Elrond was going to say 'indeed not', but what rushed from his throat instead, accompanied by a harsh groan was, "By Elbereth, Haldir! You are killing me!"

End