"Well, if it is not the Prince of Mirkwood..."

The arrogant voice was unmistakable, and it riled Legolas exactly as it had done when the fellowship had first arrived in Lothlorien, some hours ago.

There were times when he regretted not traveling outside his father's land as much as some of the other Mirkwood elves, for he would have liked to meet more of his kin in far away lands. And then there were times, such as right then, that he suspected he should be glad of it.

"Haldir of Lorien," he acknowledged coolly, noting in passing that the other elf now wore a thigh-long silver-blue tunic and matching shawl with his black velvet leggings - they suited him very well.

Legolas turned and proceeded on his path towards the river's edge, where he had hoped to calm and refresh himself a little.

"Are you fleeing from me, Prince Legolas?" Haldir's smooth voice dripped a sarcasm which was most unbecoming of a creature as lovely as he.

Legolas took a deep breath and faced the other elf with a polite but forced smile. "I am merely seeking a place to sit quietly and... in solitude." He raised an eyebrow pointedly, certain that his meaning was clear enough.

"Then allow me to show you such a place, for you are unfamiliar with our woods."

The statement was spoken with something like pity, and it annoyed Legolas. "That will not be necessary, but thank you all the same," he said, and continued on his way a little more hurriedly.

"You are most welcome," Haldir responded, still by his side, as Legolas noted to his great annoyance. "But I shall accompany you..." He smirked, and repeated Legolas' own words, "...all the same."

Legolas sighed. "I wish you would not."

"I know you do," Haldir said without a moment's hesitation, his meaning obscure.

Legolas gave up. He was in no mood for an argument, and the pain he felt in his heart over the loss of Gandalf - the main reason why he had wanted to sit somewhere alone - was too great to allow room for anger as well.

So he walked beside Haldir silently, to wherever the guardian of Lothlorien would lead him. It did not truly matter anyhow.

The woods around them changed slowly from the gigantic, ancient trees the elves had made into their lofty palaces to younger, yet still sturdy, ones like birch and elm and willow trees. The ghostly blue glow of the numerous lanterns and burning scented oils lighting the Lady Galadriel's closest surroundings were gradually beginning to fade into the distance behind them, as the two elves walked in silence.

Quite soon, the only lights to guide them were tiny flying creatures, fluttering beside them like mystical companions - sparks of gold, mingling with the falling leaves that dared not entangle in their fine Elven hair.

The waters of the river, or perhaps a small spring, were bubbling nearby. But it was such a soft sound that it failed to entirely drown out the sweet elven lament the two were leaving behind.

Legolas longed to sit beside the river, dip his hands into the clear water and wash away his sorrows. But perhaps it was not to be.

Haldir remained silent as they walked, as if honouring Legolas' wish for quiet reflection. He walked closely beside the Mirkwood elf, but did not intrude on his thoughts.

When the woods became ever more overgrown, and they had to wind their way more carefully through the trees, an unbidden thought came to Legolas. He darted a swift sideways glance at his serene companion, wondering whether Haldir was concerned with the state of his robes - he appeared so vain to Legolas that the idea was amusing.

"I am used to walking here," Haldir said softly. "It has taught me to be cautious."

Legolas gasped. "You hear my thoughts?"

Haldir gave a slight smile. "The Lady of the Woods has taught us this skill. Although I have not yet mastered it as well as I would like."

Legolas breathed a sigh of relief. "So you do not know the thoughts of all around you."

Haldir stopped and indicated a gap in the trees, and when Legolas moved into the direction indicated, he saw that they were still by the river, but in an exquisitely restful, lonely spot - visited, it seemed, only by glow worms and cicadas, and filled with a special sweet scent Legolas could not determine.

He glanced around them until he saw a patch of nightblooming, translucent flowers at the base of a wide tree trunk and assumed them to be the origin of the scent. He was about to ask Haldir when the other elf spoke.

"This place should meet your requirements, Legolas."

Legolas was glad his title had been dropped now, but his relief was instantly turned to deep embarrassment when Haldir decided to answer his earlier question.

"I cannot hear everyone's thoughts yet. Not at all times. But I do well with elves, and your thoughts, Legolas, have been a revelation."

Legolas closed his eyes and sank to the forest ground with a sigh, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I see," he said resignedly.

Haldir rested beside him and, for an instant, Legolas thought he saw a smirk turn up the corners of the sensuous mouth. But only for an instant.

Silence descended upon them once more, accented only by the chirping of the cicadas and the distant elven song and soon, Legolas almost forgot he was not alone.

"You are deeply grieved," Haldir said unexpectedly.

Legolas gazed at him in surprise, but found that even if Haldir had not confessed his gift, he would most likely choose to answer truthfully. "Yes, I am."

Haldir nodded, his long fingers flicking a blade of grass from one silvery-blue sleeve. "I have only met Gandalf once," he said. "That was a very long time ago, but I remember him as a kind and gentle creature, trusted by all, even by my Lord and Lady, who do not give trust easily."

"He was very special," Legolas said, finding the understanding from this unexpected source almost too much to bear. He felt the tears he had been holding back so bravely prick at the corners of his eyes.

Haldir turned to face him and, for some time, he merely looked at Legolas. Then he said, "Then why will you not allow yourself to cry for him?"

The shuddering sob those words tore from Legolas' throat was heartbreaking, and it came only an instant before Haldir drew him close, cradling Legolas' head against the side of his neck and cupping his shoulder with a gentle hand. He did not speak, he merely allowed him to cry, silently, until he could cry no more, being the understanding presence Legolas needed but had not known he needed until then.

The elven prince pressed himself close, and his tears dampened not only Haldir's clothes, but the fine-pored skin of his neck as well. So Legolas was, even through the haze of tears, aware of the other's scent - comforting, indefinably luxurious.

When the worst was over, Haldir stroked back a few damp strands of golden hair, tucking them behind Legolas' ear. Then he raised the damp chin until the grey eyes gazed up at him, blinking.

Legolas' voice was thick with tears when he said, "The others carry as much grief as I, and more. Frodo has known Gandalf his entire short life - he must be heartbroken. What is my own grief compared to that?"

Haldir's eyes were soft and firmly fixed on those of Legolas. "You are an elf, Legolas. You should know better than this. You know how dangerous even a small degree of grief is to the elven heart if not allowed to heal completely. And your grief is not so small." He was right, of course; elves, though immortal, could die of a broken heart.

"Why are you so kind to me?" Legolas asked, shifting a little but remaining close to Haldir, albeit no longer sniffling against his shoulder so shamefully.

"Your companions, with the exception of Aragorn, do not know how you are affected by Gandalf's loss," Haldir explained. "And Aragorn's every thought and feeling is focused on Frodo, and on the hobbit's consolation and protection. But you know this."

Legolas nodded, sniffing unelegantly. "Yes, I do. But... you have not answered my question."

Haldir smiled gently. "I believe I have." He turned to face the river, and a spark of a reflection caught in his pale blond hair, causing it to shimmer like pure silver.

Legolas let his eyes roam over the handsome face, its features now free of the conceit that had annoyed him so earlier, and that much softer for it. A stray thought occurred to him that perhaps, Haldir's posturing was his own way of hiding his thoughts from the other elves of Lothlorien, that it was the barrier he had erected to allow himself a measure of privacy, by shielding feelings behind contempt.

Legolas had barely finished the thought when Haldir flinched slightly.

Not knowing why, Legolas placed a hand on Haldir's shoulder, offering an indefinable comfort for an indefinable sadness.

Haldir did not turn to face him, but he covered the slender hand with his own and held it firmly against the smooth-textured fabric of his tunic, until Legolas' warmth penetrated right through it to his skin.

Then the strangest thing occurred. Legolas thought he heard a whisper; disjointed words and broken sentences came into his mind. 'So sad. Battered. Broken... Cannot confide for fear of causing grief. He is... beautiful, even in his grief. Comfort - I can give him that... If there should be no more. Would he accept... Would he... I cannot tell him. Not now. For the others would know... my heart."

Legolas' eyes widened. For the time needed to take a breath, he thought he was hearing his own thoughts. But then he realized what the words truly were. "Your thoughts, Haldir? When we arrived earlier." He said it not like a question, but a truth.

Haldir nodded, and the movement caught the moonlight in his silver-blond strands of hair once more, and Legolas knew why at first, he had mistaken the thoughts for his own.

Haldir was beautiful, and he had thought so the moment their eyes had first met but had not wanted to admit it to himself. He too had sensed sadness, or perhaps loneliness, in those eyes which were of such a deep, dark blue that they appeared nearly black from a distance. And he too had wondered what it would be like to touch Haldir...

Of course, all that had been before he had wrongly concluded that Haldir of Lorien was an arrogant fool.

At that thought, Haldir turned his face fully towards Legolas and smiled.

Legolas could not resist. He returned the smile and soon, their smiles turned into laughter - crisp and crystal-clear as only elven laughter could sound. Suddenly, Legolas was overcome by dizziness, and he swayed unsteadily, striving to support himself with his palms on the carpet of leaves beneath him. He had not expected that the sudden change in mood from tears to laughter would be the cause of such discomfort.

"Take care, Legolas," Haldir warned gently, and he reached for the elven prince and steadied him by drawing him to his side.

Legolas let his head loll against Haldir's shoulder once more, shocked by how familiar and inevitable this closeness felt already. He shut his eyes and clutched the other's arm tightly while wave after wave of nausea rolled over him. "Forgive me, Haldir," he murmured and kept holding on.

Gently, as though he was handling a rare treasure, Haldir shifted and laid Legolas on the ground beside him, knowing the dizziness would only pass once the elf lay completely still. He gazed down upon him with sympathetic tenderness.

After some minutes, Legolas opened his eyes and met Haldir's. He no longer felt disoriented, but ashamed of his weakness. Before he had a chance to voice the feeling, Haldir stood and moved away.

Legolas did not wish to sit up just yet, but he sighed softly about the abrupt loss of the other's company.

Moments later, Haldir was back by his side, and Legolas relaxed instantly.

"This will make you feel better," Haldir said.

Before Legolas could ask what he meant, Haldir knelt beside him and raised a hand to press a cool, damp cloth - his shawl, wetted in the river - to Legolas' forehead.

With his eyes closed, Legolas enjoyed the caress. The chill took away the last traces of his nausea, the dampness the salt of his tears. And Haldir's tenderness chased away the demons. Silently. Insistently.

Before Legolas could form the words he needed to say, Haldir had already made his offer. It was a confusing thing for the elven prince, but there was a great comfort in the other's deep understanding of his mind. "Let me heal your heart," Haldir said simply.

Legolas saw the promise of solace in the deep blue eyes and accepted the offer with a wordless nod.

Haldir clasped him by the shoulders and raised him to sit upright. Then he placed his hands, palms up, on Legolas' thighs.

Legolas had not needed the elven healing ritual for some time, but he remembered what to do. His own hands moved almost automatically to cover Haldir's, palms touching the other elf's, and he closed his eyes while Haldir began to recite the words of the 'camland hûn nestad'.

The warmth and energy which flowed from Haldir's open palms surrounded their layered hands as a golden, irridescent glow. The ancient words, chanted in Haldir's low whisper, were intoxicating to Legolas, as was to feel joy and light travel back into his soul.

The woods, the river, the quest... all of it ceased to exist for Legolas, and for the duration of the ritual, there was nothing but Haldir's touch, Haldir's voice, and the sensation of flying high above the earth, locked in an embrace with the winds of eternity.

Legolas opened his eyes, wanting to see Haldir's face. The soft features were now lit up not only from inside, but from outside as well by the magic glow of the healing light. The warm tone of Haldir's skin was now pure gold, and his murmuring lips the soft tint of forest berries.

Much too soon, it was all over, and the gleam of light surrounding their hands dwindled to a flicker between their palms and then ceased to exist entirely.

"I thank you, Haldir of Lorien," Legolas finally murmured, too relaxed to move, barely able to speak. His grey eyes fluttered closed.

"It was my privilege, Legolas. And my pleasure." Whilst he spoke, Haldir leaned over Legolas and laid him down once more, knowing of the lethargy the other elf would be feeling.

The now familiar voice sounded so very near, and the sweetness of the breath which shaped the words was so intoxicating... Legolas parted his lips to inhale more deeply of it.

The kiss, when it came, barely took Legolas by surprise. But the passion within it was a different matter.

Forgotten was his earlier queasy feeling, and ignored the chill on his face as the night breeze blew across his still moist skin. Now there were only Haldir's warm lips, drizzling kisses like drops of liquid pearl upon Legolas' lips, and hands cupping and caressing his face as though he was the most precious thing the other elf had ever touched.

Legolas moaned softly when Haldir raised his head from its pillow of leaves and cupped it tenderly. He returned the kiss voraciously, his tongue seeking out Haldir's to be spoilt by the sweetness of it. They drank of each other with their bodies entwining like the ornate shapes in elven art, their long hair flowing together like liquid silk upon the dark green blanket beneath them.

Haldir turned them, until he lay beneath Legolas, and the other elf knelt above him with kiss-swollen lips and fiery dark eyes, panting hard.

"Is this part of healing a heart in Lothlorien?" Legolas asked.

Haldir smiled and responded breathlessly, "Things are different here, Prince Legolas. You are far from Mirkwood."

Legolas leaned down and touched his lips to the corner of Haldir's luscious mouth. "I am glad of it," he whispered. Then he licked his own kisses from the soft red lips and placed fresh ones upon them.

Haldir's arms moved about his waist and drew him closer, but he allowed Legolas to guide him now. The dark grey eyes gazing down upon Haldir were soft with want, and he closed his own and turned his head sideways, exposing the perfect curve of his fair neck.

When the moist lips touched him there, first nuzzling gently, then accompanied by the sharp but careful nips of teeth, Haldir groaned and bucked against Legolas, who shifted until he could cover him entirely, his mouth worshipping the inviting colum of Haldir's throat while his left thigh slipped between Haldir's legs.

Haldir moved one hand between them, stroking along the outside of the other's thigh. As he had hoped, Legolas accommodated his wordless request and shifted until his hand could disappear in the warm space between their hips.

Legolas moved to allow Haldir's searching hand to find its way between his legs, where it cupped him firmly and with merciless determination. He whimpered with need, trembling uncontrollably.

"Legolas!" Haldir managed to combine a whisper and a hiss in the one word, and both spoke of his desire. He did not undress Legolas, or slide his hand beneath the clothing separating them. There was no time for that. His insistent strokes and seductive words murmured close to the other's ear brought Legolas to the brink of ecstasy in moments.

When Legolas cried out, it sounded like the most beautiful song to Haldir, and he drew him down with his hand around Legolas' nape, to taste the sweet notes in his mouth for as long as the other's release, as well as his own, quieter one, lasted.

They parted breathlessly, and Legolas sank down upon the foliage beside Haldir, one arm lying curved above his head, the other across Haldir's middle, their fingers entangled.

Once they had regained their breaths, Haldir slowly sat up. "The waters of Lothlorien are like a caress, Legolas," he tempted with a slow smile. "Warm and soothing." Then he stood and began to undress.

Legolas watched, entranced.

Haldir possessed a smooth grace enviable even among elves. And the pale golden skin he revealed where his garments slid from his muscled limbs was as beautiful as the moonlight caressing it.

Facing Legolas, Haldir stood like an elven statue - his tunic in a pale blue pool around his bare feet, his legs still encased in dark velvet, his upper body glistening in the night... he was pure temptation.

Legolas rose lithely and approached Haldir with a teasing smile, allowing the hands already reaching for him to untie the band around his waist. Haldir's rapt delight at Legolas' slow revelation was evident in the dark blue eyes, and their hungry gaze felt like a heated touch to Legolas.

"You are truly exquisite." Haldir swallowed hard, now sliding the silver tunic over Legolas' slender shoulders. "And at least for this night, you are mine."

"Yes, Haldir." Legolas leaned forward, his lips capturing Haldir's the moment warm arms moved around his middle and drew him close. It was no wonder their people did not often make love completely undressed, for the sensation of elven skin on elven skin was very nearly unbearably sweet.

They parted with a mutual gasp for air and slipped out of the remnants of their clothes hurriedly. And then, they were in the river, sliding into the calm waters with scarcely a disturbance to the dark surface. They dove into the green-tinged depths and resurfaced at once, the warm water seeming chilly compared to the heat of their caresses moments earlier.

And so they rushed back together, Haldir opening his arms, and Legolas gliding into the embrace, his hands clasping Haldir's back tightly while they kissed sweet river water from each others' lips. They kissed until their tongues had battled them once more into almost painful arousal, their glistening, golden bodies writhing together, desperate for release.

Haldir moved them to a smoothly sloping patch of grass on the river's edge, where he lifted Legolas out of the water only far enough to lay him back on the ground.

Exposed and quivering with need, Legolas looked like an offering to the gods, his flesh almost ghostly against the dark green, save for the rosyness of his cheeks, the nubs Haldir longed to bathe with his tongue, and the proud column rising from his groin.

"I shall die if you leave me here like this," Legolas whispered. "And I shall beg if I must."

Haldir moved forwards and parted Legolas' long, white legs, caressing his inner thighs tenderly as he moved between them. "You need not, my beautiful prince," he assured lovingly.

Legolas wondered why he had not noticed the silkiness of Haldir's voice the moment he had first heard it. But he did not wonder for long, because when Haldir leaned over him and caressed his chest with slow and torturous licks, all thought fled from his mind.

Haldir felt the prince's long fingers in his hair, yet he did not linger where he was, but slid down the damp body, kissing all he could reach in doing so, until he arrived at the base of Legolas' arousal, where he began a painfully slow trail of licks and kisses towards the tip.

Legolas shivered and stretched restlessly by turns, writhing beneath Haldir's ministrations, longing to return each touch gifted to him, until on the very brink of release, he cried out, "no," and let himself slide into Haldir's arms, and thus back into the water. "Be inside me, Haldir," he pleaded huskily, certain beyond a doubt that he had longed for this forever, had longed for Haldir. "Let me be one with you." He kissed Haldir's cheek, nipped at the lobe of his ear, slid his tongue up to the pointed tip. "Take away my loneliness as you have taken away my grief!"

"That is what I have wanted since the moment I saw you," Haldir confessed in a whisper. His hands were warm against Legolas' back, then one slid lower until it lifted him in the water, high enough for him to wrap his legs around Haldir's hips.

"Please, Haldir!" Legolas was panting, his fingers entwined in long strands of white-blond hair and clawing at unmarred skin. "Please, now!"

Haldir's grip shifted once more and, with infinite care, he entered Legolas, drove into him so deeply that the prince arched his back until he was a bright and beautiful curved shape in the moonlight, his head thrown back and his lips parted in a silent gasp of pleasure.

With his arms around Legolas' middle and one hand between his shoulder blades, Haldir began an even, tantalizing rhythm. The ease of such an act between elves was aided by the water, though they hardly stirred it at all.

The night whispered through the trees with a voice as sweet as that of the Lady Galadriel - a suitable background to the beautiful, undulating bodies in the water below and the halted breaths they shared.

Haldir and his prince whispered too. The words, passing soundlessly between them, confessions and secrets neither would have thought to entrust to the other only a few short hours ago, and yet, bonded as they were, they could, and would, not have shared them with anyone else.

When Legolas succumbed to the rapture with a shuddering groan, Haldir clutched him tightly to himself, fingers tangling in his hair and his lips against his ear as he too found release with a desperate gasp.

They rocked gently together in the water, slowly regaining their equilibrium, once again aware of the darkness, the flittering insects and the scents of the forest at night.

Legolas kissed Haldir and smiled, and then he let himself fall backwards. Haldir was drawn along, and they floated for a time, locked in each other's arms. They drifted this way by the magic of their elven heritage, until they parted regretfully and swam ashore.

Legolas pulled himself out of the water first and reached out to Haldir, drawing him into his arms before he had a chance to stand. "It seems I cannot let go of you again for even a moment," Legolas sighed. He kissed Haldir's neck and stroked the wet strands of hair winding around his fingers like tentacles.

Haldir laughed softly, allowed the abundant caresses only too willingly. "Then do not, Legolas."

Legolas clutched him more tightly, and then loosened the embrace reluctantly. "I wish..."

"So do I," Haldir agreed, meeting Legolas' sad gaze.

"I may never return from Mordor." Legolas spoke the fateful words quietly, as though he hoped them less likely to come true that way.

Haldir placed a hand upon Legolas' mouth. "Hush. I feel you will." He replaced the hand with a deep and tender kiss before saying, "And I will be waiting on the borders of Lothlorien when you do."

"You mean that..." Legolas' heart pounded when the meaning of Haldir's words settled in his mind.

"Yes." Haldir nodded. He placed a tender hand against Legolas' temple and closed his eyes, listening... Then he smiled and their eyes locked again. "And you want me to be waiting."

Legolas nodded. "I will not leave before I have your promise."

Taking Legolas' hand and placing it upon his own heart, Haldir whispered, "You have that, and you have my soul."

End