Chapter 4

Haldir slid his finger out, and replaced it with the tip of his length. He heard the slighter elf's breath hitch and felt him tense beneath him.

"Relax, Legolas," he crooned, but the other elf found it impossible to relax. No longer pushed to the limits of arousal, the thought of Haldir breaching him with no attempt to either lubricate himself or ready Legolas for the intrusion now alarmed him. He voiced his doubts, and Haldir laughed.

"And you're not going to help by tensing up," he grinned smugly.

"Sadistic bastard!" Legolas growled. "You want to hear me scream."

"Yes I do," he said, enjoying the way Legolas' muscles clamped down on him. "I want to hear your pain. I'm not your gentle Aragorn, my pretty Legolas," he breathed. "Don't expect me to be as plaint as he. I want to impale you. I will conquer you and make you mine. And you shall cry out when I do."

"You bastard!" Legolas gasped, suddenly overcome. "I hate you!"

"No you don't," Haldir purred with such self-assuredness that Legolas longed to claw his eyes out. "You hate that you love me."

"Shut up!" Legolas yelled as he fought desperately to free himself, but Haldir held him firmly in place. "Let go of me!" he cried helplessly.

"Hold still," Haldir barked, and Legolas obeyed. He trembled though, and seeing that, Haldir ran his hand reassuringly down his spine. "Hush, Legolas. Just relax. I know you want this. I know you too intimately, and for too long for your words to fool me."

Legolas said nothing. He knew Haldir was right.

Careful not to inflict too much damage, Haldir pushed himself agonizingly into Legolas, and to his credit, the slighter elf made no noise as he did so though the strain on Legolas' body was painfully obvious. He paused though when Legolas gave a soft gasp. Apparently Haldir's hardness was too much for even his steel mettle, and Legolas whimpered.

Bending down across Legolas' back, Haldir smoothed away the slighter elf's pale blond hair and kissed the newly exposed length of neck. "Hush, Legolas," he crooned into his ear. "Relax, my lovely," he said, giving Legolas some time to adjust to the intrusion, but Legolas' velvet warmth called out to him too seductively. Without warning, he thrust himself hard into Legolas, and Legolas cried out, his nails clawing at the knots of the carpet. Taking a deep breath, Haldir drew back until he had slid almost completely out of Legolas, then plunged himself back in.

Again, Legolas cried out in pain, but though he shook with the effort, Haldir forced himself to still. He felt vaguely guilty. It should have been so simple for him to have just coated himself with Legolas' fluids... what had possessed him to want to hurt him this way?

Probably the hurt that Legolas had inflicted on his own heart all those long years ago, he concluded. Haldir still burned with the pain of it. Perhaps more than anything else, he craved to avenge himself.

He swivelled his hips, and heard Legolas give a satisfying gasp. He did it again, and this time was rewarded with a long, ragged groan. Closing his eyes, he felt Legolas' rhythm pulse around him, and knew that his partner was ready. Completely surrendering to the urge, Haldir rode him. He anglied his hips slightly and thrust himself deep, making Legolas cry out as he pleasured the elf in his most sensitive of spots.

And Legolas screamed unashamedly. It had been too long since he had found pleasure in those places, and Haldir wondered, very briefly, how that was so. Legolas had certainly not been sexually inactive these past few years. In fact, Haldir could see from the stains on the carpeting that Legolas and Aragorn were quite a passionate couple, but he knew Legolas too well. It had been a long time since anyone had pleasured Legolas this way. Haldir was so much better than Aragorn, that much was obvious. But why? Perhaps he was longer, or bigger, or harder? No, he concluded at last. It was probably because he knew the elf so very intimately that he was able to draw such an intense reaction.

But Legolas' cries were pushing him to the edge of his limits. It had been too long for him as well, and closing his eyes, Haldir braced himself for the onset of orgasm. He came with a strangled cry, buried more deeply in Legolas than he ever remembered possible, and from the arch of the other's back, he knew that Legolas too had found his release. Together, they tumbled to the floor, a steaming, panting tangle of long lithe limbs.

Haldir felt his sweat-drenched shirt sticking wetly to his skin, and was suddenly seized by an overwhelming need to be rid of it. He felt he could hardly breathe, almost as if the soft material clingling to his chest was binding him, choking off his breathing air, and it was with no little amount of urgency that he tore it off.

Legolas too had done the same, probably seized by that same insane impulse, and now lay sprawled out on the floor, panting for breath. He looked up at Haldir and smiled breathlessly, and for a moment Haldir thought that he had forgotten how to breathe. He crawled the short length towards Legolas and stretched himself upon him and lay his head comfortably on the other's broad chest and closed his eyes, sighing in contentment, and was shocked to feel Legolas' slim hands rest on his head and neck.

"Haldir..." Legolas crooned as he stroked the larger elf's long silvery hair. Haldir looked up in confusion. Why was Legolas acting so affectionately? Was he baiting him? But no, there was nothing but tenderness in the other's eyes.

Haldir found his muscles unknotting under Legolas' gentle caress, and reaching out, he smoothed the damp strands away from Legolas' face.

"You are so beautiful," Haldir breathed. Legolas froze, something like alarm flicking past his features. He blinked and turned his face away, breathing rapidly, but at length, turned to face Haldir once more.

"Really?" he asked uncertainly.

Really? Really! Haldir felt his jaw drop. How could Legolas ever thing otherwise? "Of course," he cooed, running his fingers adoringly through Legolas' silky hair. "Of course you are."

Legolas pursed his lips thinly together and nodded, then pushed Haldir off, and sat with his back to him, much to the Lorien elf's surprise. "Legolas?" Haldir lay a hand gently on the other elf's shoulder. "Legolas, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"

Legolas shook his head and passed a hand over his eyes. When he next turned to face Haldir, he looked as if he were on the verge of tears. Legloas swallowed hard.

"It's nothing," he said softly. "Just that..." he trailed off, too overcome to continue. He covered his mouth, then desperately fanned his face with his hands as an unpleasant redness coloured his features. Haldir realised, much to his dismay that Legolas truly was on the brink of tears.

"Oh, what is it?" he crooned, drawing Legolas into his arms the way he would a child. "Sssh, sssh, it's okay, my lovely. It's okay." he felt a chill run through Legolas at the word 'lovley' and wondered what in the world was upsetting him.

Legolas held him hard and buried his head in Haldir's shoulder. "It's just that I can't remember the last time anyone said something like that," he choked so quietly that Haldir had to strain to hear him.

"Not even your man?" Haldir asked, vaguely horrified. Legolas shook his head sadly.

"Aragorn doesn't.... he- he- he-... it's.... Aragorn isn't good with words. It just isn't his way," he said, and then laughed helplessly before bursting into tears.

"There, there," Haldir whispered, rocking Legolas comfortingly. The elf felt small and frail in his arms. "Your man loves you," he said reassuringly. "He just doesn't show it."

"Oh he does alright," Legolas spat, strangely bitter, and Haldir nodded in sympathy.

"Aragorn shows his love by being protective. It's the only way he knows how. But you don't need protection, my light," he said. Legolas shifted and stared into Haldir's eyes in silent sad agreement. "You don't need to be protected, you who are one of the strongest, most skilled, fiery individuals who has ever walked the earth. I have never met anyone less in need of protecting," he smiled, and bent down to kiss him.

"It pains you, doesn't it," Haldir continued. He took one of Legolas' hands in his lay it on the elf's bare chest. "Oh, my poor, poor sweetling. You don't need to be protected. You need to be loved."

Legolas gripped his hand tightly. "Say it again, Haldir," he choked. "Tell me I'm beautiful."

"You are beautiful, Legolas," Haldir whispered. "You are beautiful." Legolas buried his face in Haldir's chest once again and whimpered. "You are so beautiful, Legolas," he said, running his pale fingers through Legolas' hair. "I never imagined such beauty could exist on a living being, never. Legolas, you take my breath away, you still do even after all these years."

Unable to help himself, Legolas wept, big choking tears. He clung on to Haldir so tightly and with such desperation that Haldir was truly alarmed.

"Oh, my poor, poor Legolas," he breathed. "Doesn't your man know? Oh, but he is a Man. He is not like us, Legolas. Oh, my poor, poor dear. He can't fufill your need. He doesn't know how."

"I love you, Haldir. I still love you."

"And I still love you. But that doesn't change anything, does it?"

"No it doesn't."

"You were the one that ended it, Legolas," he said gently.

"Only because you hurt me so badly."

"You started to ignore me. I thought I was loosing you. And I was. To him."

Legolas' face was a mask of agony, but at least he was no longer crying. He was too strong and too proud an elf to cry for long. "I love you, Haldir."

"And I love you."

They kissed. Neither of them were bothered about the other's current lovers. They both accepted without question that is was possible to love someone and yet be in love with somebody else. For them it was a fact of life, simple and undisputable.

Haldir felt Legolas' arms tighten around him. "Haldir," he whispered, staring into his eyes, silently begging, and Haldir was stunned.

"Again?" he said. "Now?"

Legolas nodded. "Please?" he whipered, and looked so pleadingly at him that Haldir knew it was Legolas' need to feel loved and secure more than anything else that compelled him to desire another bout of sex. Legolas wanted to feel the simple human pleasure of another's touch. He was cold at heart, and longed to feel another's warmth breach him.

Haldir rose to his knees and made to roll him over, but Legolas held his hands firmly. "No," Legolas said quietly shaking his head, and Haldir nodded indulgently. If Legolas wanted to be taken face to face then Haldir was more than prepared to humour him in his vulnerable state, and although Legolas said nothing, his eyes searched out the other's and thanked Haldir.

Suddenly seized by an overwhelming sense of affection towards his companion, Haldir bent forward and cupped Legolas' face in his hand, and the soft smile that flickered across the other's lips filled Haldir with such warmth that he took Legolas' hand in his and kissed it. "Anything for you, Legolas," he whispered, his lips hot against the other's palm before he leaned down and seized his mouth in his. "Anything for you."