"Legolas, can I watch?"

Legolas turned to see a pair of large gray eyes staring at him, the little seven-year-old waiting breathlessly for his response.

"Of course," he smiled, nodding to the patch of grass in front of him, "though I can't promise I'll be at all entertaining."

Estel beamed with importance as he sat down in front of the Elf, happy just to be near the golden Prince. It was a warm summer's day in Rivendell, and Legolas had taken the opportunity of a free afternoon to make arrows. Spending time with the twins usually meant his supply vanished rapidly and he had set aside these hours to fill his empty quivers.

Watching as Legolas notched the end of an arrow to insert the arrowhead, Estel frowned.

"Aren't there enough arrows in the armory?"

"There are, but I prefer to make my own. That way, if the arrow flies true, I know I made it well. If the arrow goes astray, I know the fault is my own and that I was careless in the making of it."

"Couldn't it just be your aim?"

Legolas laughed. "Excellent question, my little mountain, and no."

"That's not what Elladan said. Elladan said you're the worst shot of any Elf he's ever seen."

"Did he now?" Legolas asked, arching an eyebrow. "I have it on good authority that the only reason he ever hits a target is because he's standing two feet in front of it, so twig-legs is certainly not one to judge my archery skills."

"Why do you call him twig-legs?"

"Because he calls me fish-breath."

"Why?"

"It's a long story," he grinned. "It started hundreds of years ago, when we first met, and became a habit with us."

"Is that why are you and Elladan are always fighting?"

"We're not always fighting," Legolas said, bemused, as he handed a finished arrow to the young Human. "Here, put this inside the quiver for me."

Estel nodded solemnly, carefully placing the arrow inside the leather case as if it was the most precious object in the world. "It seems like you are."

"Does it bother you when we fight?"

"Sometimes," Estel shrugged, and Legolas sighed.

"If I had known it disturbed you, I would have tried to curb our outbursts when you were around."

"Do you hate each other?"

"Oh, no, little mountain. Far from it. Our arguing is merely our way of expressing our feelings for one another. There are times when I'd prefer other methods, but your brother is so stubborn and it's difficult for him to tell anyone how he feels. When he tries, more often then not, it comes out as an argument. It's a defense tactic, and as I say this, I realize this is all probably too much for you to understand."

"He's afraid of getting hurt again," Estel said softly, "like when his mother left."

Legolas looked at the boy in surprise. It was easy for him to think that because of his youth, Estel didn't know much about the world. He tended to forget that the young Human had already learned some of its harshest lessons.

"Yes, Estel, he is afraid of getting hurt. You understand your brother pretty well," Legolas said, smiling gently at the boy a he handed him another finished arrow. Noticing that Estel's forehead was covered in sweat, he glanced at the sun and realized that, for Humans, it was probably quite warm out. "Let's move under that tree, where it's cooler."

Estel smiled, nodding vigorously. The two quickly gathered Legolas's supplies and settled down beneath the shade.

"Is this better?" Legolas asked.

"Yes, thank you. Are you going to hurt Elladan?"

"What? Estel!" Legolas stared at him, trying to figure out why Estel would say something like that.

"Does Elladan fight with you because you're going to hurt him?"

He shook his head. "Little mountain, I promise, the last thing in the world I ever want to do is hurt your brother."

"Good," he said with a satisfied nod, carefully arranging another arrow in the quiver.

Legolas chuckled as he gazed at the precocious little Human. He had never thought he would spend the afternoon trying to wade through the intricacies of Elladan's emotions. It wasn't hard to figure out why the boy was trying to define his life when he was constantly trying to adjust to living in both the Human and Elven worlds.

"It shows a remarkable development of character that you're so worried about your brother, Estel. I'm proud of you."

"Oh, I'm not worried about Elladan. He'd survive."

"Then why all the questions?"

"I was afraid that if you kept fighting, you would leave Imladris and never come back, and I don't want you to do that because I'd miss you too much."

"Oh, Estel," Legolas laughed, leaning over and taking the boy into his arms, giving him a big hug. "You never have to worry about that. Even if Elladan and I fight so much we never speak again, I will always be here for you. Nothing will keep me from coming to see you here in Rivendell, and you will always be welcome in Mirkwood. I am your friend as much as I am Elladan's, and nothing will ever change that."

"I love you, Legolas," Estel said, returning the Elf's hug.

"And I love you, little mountain. What do you say we finish these arrows another day and go see if Elladan would like to join us for a ride?"

Estel's grin was the only response he needed. They put all of Legolas's arrow-making supplies into his bag and dropped them off in his room. As they walked back into the hall, the object of their search found them.

"Hey there little brother, fish-breath. I was just looking for you. What have you been up to?"

"I was helping Legolas make arrows," Estel said proudly, and Elladan scrunched up his face.

"You were making arrows? Why?"

"I was simply demonstrating to Estel here the joy of manual labor, something you would know nothing about, twig-legs."

"And with good reason. We have plenty of arrows--there's no point in wasting a beautiful afternoon making more."

"Making an arrow yourself is the only way to be sure that it will fly true," Estel said, causing Legolas to laugh, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Well put, my little mountain!"

"'Little mountain'?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Legolas says I'm his little mountain because I'm strong and steady and have a… a…" he glanced at Legolas, who nodded, mouthing the words with him, "a deep connection to the earth."

Elladan chuckled, glancing between the two of them. "And he's right, too. Well, little mountain, I'm afraid you'll have to say good-bye for now. Father wants to speak to you."

"All right," Estel sighed, but remembering the afternoon's conversation, smiled at the golden Prince. "You'll still be here when I get back?"

"Always."

"Just checking." With an impulsive hug around Legolas's waist, which was as far as he could he reach, Estel turned and ran down the hall towards Elrond's study.

Elladan turned to Legolas, a look of amusement on his face. "What was that all about?"

"He was worried that our fighting would drive me away."

"Our fighting? When do we fight?"

"Constantly."

"That's not fighting," Elladan said, wrapping his arms around the golden Prince. "That's foreplay."

"I know," Legolas smiled, nuzzling Elladan's neck, "but I couldn't explain that to him."

"I think it would have been a more interesting lesson for him to learn than the tedium of making his own arrows."

"But not as useful."

"I don't know about that," Elladan said as he pressed the Elf against the wall, sucking on a pointed ear. "It's a lesson he'll have to learn one day."

"He's a little too young yet," Legolas scolded.

"If you insist, so long as when the time comes, you're not the one to teach him."

"Now why would you think that?" Legolas said, sliding a hand beneath Elladan's tunic and toying with his nipple.

"My little brother seems awfully fond of you," Elladan said, slipping a hand into Legolas's breeches. The golden Prince gasped, closing his eyes.

"He's your little brother, which makes a little brother to me, nothing more."

"Do you promise?" he demanded with a particularly vigorous stroke.

"Absolutely, so long as we get out of the hall--I don't want to have to explain this to Estel."

Grabbing Legolas's hand, he pulled the Elf back into Legolas's room. Locking the door behind them, the Elves collapsed onto Legolas's bed, tearing off their clothes as they did so.

"Elladan?"

"Hmm?" the Elf responded, his mouth busy planting kisses across Legolas's slender body.

"I love you. You know that, don't you?"

The Prince of Rivendell looked up to meet the other's sapphire gaze, his eyes puzzled. "Legolas, is something wrong?"

"I just want you to know I love you, and that I'm never going to leave you."

"Legolas, I…" he paused, shaking his head.

"You don't have to say anything," Legolas smiled. "I just didn't want you to worry."

Elladan moved forward and kissed the golden Prince's lips. "I was never worried. Why, are you?"

"No."

"Good. Because I love you, and I don't want you to leave."

The resulting joy radiating from Legolas's face made Elladan's heart want to burst with pleasure and he kissed the golden Prince with renewed passion.


When they emerged later, they claimed Estel from Elrond's lessons and took him on for a ride through the valley. Estel couldn't help but notice a change between them, a peace that hadn't been there before. They still bickered and argued and called each other names, but they did it with such rapture, he was left smiling throughout the entire ride. He didn't know what had happened, but for some reason, he felt his life would never be this good again.