The next night Aragorn once more asked Legolas to lay down on the bed.

"There are empty beds..."

Aragorn had looked at him then, lips smiling but his eyes seeming uncertain. Legolas hated that expression on someone who was always so confident. "There's always place here if you change your mind."

He didn't have the strength to refuse this time. Instead, he had laid down next to his friend on top of the blanket, too close to the edge. One move and he would fall down. So he scooted closer to escape the danger zone, but the moment his hand brushed against Aragorn's arm, he regretted it. He tried to shuffle back once more only for his leg to brush the man's through the blanket. Aragorn said nothing. When it was quiet once more, Aragorn asked, "Are you alright?"

Legolas smiled then and got a smile back. He had a hard time truly relaxing his body, and lay there for a while on his side, limbs tense. Slowly he grew more comfortable, and with a long exhale he relaxed into the bed, cheek pressing against his arm. Aragorn fell asleep to the sound of crickets and birds chirping, signaling dawn, and Legolas enjoyed the calmness and the soft sounds of the man breathing.

He heard someone enter a while later, but didn't care enough to move. The footsteps stopped abruptly, and for many breaths it was quiet. If it was Gleomer, it could wait. The moment the footsteps faded and a door clicked softly, he closed his eyes to sleep once more, enjoying the moment. He tried not to care that Gleomer had found them like this, but he did. He even panicked a little. If his father found this out from some rumor spreading through the cities...He clutched his fist and fiddled with his pants to try to distract his mind. No. His father would not control his life anymore. Aragorn's reputation as king though...

He looked up and Aragorn had turned to him. He was still a respectable distance away, but Legolas had to rise from the bed. He felt hot. Walking over to the window he opened it. Outside the village was full of life. People moved around like ants. Then a door opened and Gleomer stepped out of the room Legolas had woken up in. Had he been sleeping in Gleomers room? Was he living in the healing chamber? Had he no home outside of his work?

Then he made up his mind. He could no put Aragorn in a position where his position was at risk.

"Did you sleep well?" The healer asked with a small grin on his face Legolas' couldn't miss. He thought he knew where that smile came from.

"I did. Did you?"

The healer poured water in a bowl to warm on the fire, which was crackling softly. "I didn't sleep much. Déorwyn couldn't sleep. I gave her some herbs to help her calm down."

Legolas rubbed his neck then, suddenly aware of the intense ace and tension that had gathered there. Gleomer noticed, and smiled. "Was the bed too hard?"

"No, not at all. I...sat against the wall." The night before at least. This night he had slept on the bed, but he could not tell Gleomer that. After all, he had seen them.

Gleomer noticed the hesitation, and raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. Legolas had none, so he just met his gaze until the healer gave up and crouched to place the bowl on the fire. Legolas went over to grab water from the table. The cold water from the creek felt heavenly against his tongue, and he poured another mug.

"How is he doing now?" He asked the healer. "Is he improving?"

Gleomer lowered his head for a moment, before standing up to meet Legolas' gaze. He looked troubled, and it made the elf's heart start to beat rapidly.

"I can not lie, I am troubled. Three nights have passed, and he's still not getting stronger. I had thought he would at least be sitting up to eat by now. He will need food soon."

Legolas swallowed, his mouth dry against despite two glasses of water.

"Do not lose hope." The healer added with a soft smile, unknowingly using Estel's nickname to give Legolas the hope the man gives everyone else. "There is still hope. He can wake up today and feel better. Actually, I would prefer he did."

Legolas nodded, clutching the mug. The rest of the day he spent in the bed by the man's side, watching him. He wished for nothing more than for him to sit up and talk to him, eyes not drooping in exhaustion and words not slurred. For them to hold a conversation and joke as they did before the incident. He wanted to see Aragorn laugh and his eyes sparkle. This limp, lifeless figure was not his friend, Legolas thought with a heavy heart. This was not Estel.

He reached over to grab Aragorn's hand in his carefully, as if it would burn him. It was still hot, but Legolas imagined it was cooler than before. He noticed tears filling his eyes, and his throat closing up.

'Please.' He thought, voice shaking with unshed emotions. 'Wake up stronger today Estel, I beg you. We've come too far. Please. Do not be lazy, stupid man. Wake up.' He joked, smiling despite the tears that now filled his eyes. 'I need you to wake up.'

His heart almost stopped when Aragorn's hand squeezed back like he had been able to read his thoughts. When he looked up he forgot to wipe his tears away, and Aragorn's gaze quickly turned from cloudy to more alert. "Legolas?"

Legolas laughed then, feeling more tears drip out. "Aragorn...How are you feeling now? Can you sit?"

"Legolas..." He said and reached for his cheek to wipe the tears away. Legolas tried to ignore it, but it made him both want to bolt and lean in for more.

"How do you feel?" He managed to ask, voice shaky.

Aragorn swallowed and lifted his arms higher to clench his fingers, but still looking at Legolas'. He ran it through his hair and over his face. "I feel better Legolas." He said but didn't meet his gaze.

"I want the truth. Please. I need to know how you're doing."

That word made Aragorn clench his jaw and look down. "It hurts," He said quietly. ", but I feel stronger today. My eyes are less heavy." His eyes were still droopy and cheeks pale, but some strength had returned to his voice. It made Legolas close his eyes and wipe his cheeks. He was so relieved, he couldn't do much less than cry, even if it went against the moral he had learned. It felt good now in a way, and he knew Aragorn did not think badly of him. So he let his cheeks stay wet. As a fuck you to his father.

When he felt Aragorn's hand on his lower arm he almost jumped. But then, it felt too nice not to grab it in his again. Without thinking he put his own hand over it and met Aragorn's gaze when he looked at him. He could not regret it though, not when it was so warm and soft in his. He felt the soft grip on his hand when Aragorn took it in his and wished Aragorn would squeeze it. He wanted to know he had strength in him. "Can you squeeze my hand Aragorn?" He needed to feel his strength.

He did, without question. Sometimes Legolas thought they understood each other too well. He nodded. The way Aragorn held his hand seemed to soothe away the pain the ropes caused on his wrists. It warmed his whole body. "I'm glad." He said quietly. Aragorn returned his smile, and they gazed at each other for a moment.

Then Aragorn's gaze shifted to something behind Legolas, and it was not before hearing Gleomers voice that he reacted.

"I am feeling better." Aragorn responded, voice still low and soft, but he was speaking.

"I'm glad," Gleomer said and Legolas could hear the smile in his voice. He didn't even let go of Legolas hand.

Gleomer went to collect some things. "I would love to look upon your wounds again. Can I?"

Aragorn nodded, and then Legolas had to let go of his hand as Gleomer came closer. 'Don't show anything that people can spread as a rumor', he reminded himself. However painful it was to let go.

Gleomer pulled the blanket down and pulled the gown up to expose Aragorn's lower abdomen, having the blanket to hide the lower part. It made Legolas want to puke. The skin around the thick bandage was bruised with purple blemishes, and fuss leaked out. The bandage was opened, and then Legolas had to look away. The wound looked much better than it had, but the fact that the wound was on Estel made him sick to his stomach. It was only Aragorn's shaky breathing that brought him back to reality. He grabbed his hand again in a comforting gesture, and this time Aragorn did squeeze it. Harder. Legolas didn't mind. He wished he could take some of the pain from him.

The wound was cleaned and bandaged again. Gleomer gave Aragorn some herbs under his tongue for the pain, then left. Legolas left then to eat some of the food Gleomer had prepared. He brought some for Aragorn, who tried to sit. Legolas lay an arm around his shoulders and leaned him against his chest. He knew he should feel flustered by the hot weight on him that was his friend but watching him eat just made him smile. It felt so good to see him sitting up and eating. It was a sign of improvement.

Aragorn forced the food in his mouth, Legolas could tell. His hand hesitated to rise every bite to his mouth, but he did. Slowly, but surely, and soon he had eaten half of it. Legolas wanted to talk about it, or make a joke but didn't dare to. There was a little tension. Not between them, just in general. It was like they both had just processed what had happened. He would talk about it later when Aragorn brought it up himself. Legolas didn't want to push him too soon. After all, it would push him as well, to talk about his emotions. But he would do it for Aragorn.

Later that day, when Aragorn and Legolas sat up, chatting, the door opened. Legolas turned to greet Gleomer, only it wasn't him. Déorwyn smiled at them politely and shut the door behind her. Legolas smiled back, surprised.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude. I never got your name."

"Legolas."

"Déorwyn."

"I know. I mean, Gleomer told me."

She looked surprised but smiled through it. "Did you ask?"

Legolas laughed awkwardly, feeling himself beginning to fiddle with his sleeve. "He told me."

She hummed in surprise, lowing her eyes. Then she smiled up at him again. "It was nice talking to you that night."

"It was." He agreed, wishing she would leave. He was not a rude person, but she made him feel uncomfortable. "I hope I will see you again."

She giggled and nodded. "I do too."

She turned to Aragorn then and nodded. "Hello."

He nodded back and gave her a smile.

"You must be the friend he's talked about."

Aragorn looked surprised but nodded.

"I hope you feel better soon. Both of you."

"Thank you, my lady," Aragorn said with a smile that could've fooled anyone, but Legolas was sure he wanted her to leave too.

She seemed to sense that and gave them a nod before turning to leave, closing the door with a soft click.

Legolas turned to Aragorn, and his eyebrows were raised in amusement mixed with some confusion.

"I met her the night after we came here. You were asleep, so I went outside." Legolas answered his silent question. "It was a hard night for me. For both of us. I suppose...the company was nice."

Aragorn nodded and Legolas couldn't read what he was thinking. It was frustrating. It was like he put walls up. He tried to give Legolas a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. Legolas had to leave then. The tension made him feel slightly crazy.

"I should check if Gleomer needs help with anything."

He leaned against the fence he had spoken to Déorwyn by, trying to breathe deeply. Tears filled his eyes but didn't fall. They stayed up as a barrier, making his sight blurry. He almost didn't see her appear. Her voice startled him, and he held his breath. He could not cry in front of her. He didn't like to admit it, but it hurt his pride. Where was his self-control when he needed it the most?

"Are you alright?"

So, he lowered his head, and the action made the tears fall. It was inevitable. He didn't know what to say. He did not want her to see him cry but was not rude enough to tell her so. So he just kept his eyes closed, facing the ground. His body began to convulse as sobs choked him, and even if he had wanted to hold it back his attempts were useless.

He felt arms around him. It was a stiff hug, as he was not used to them, but he did hug her back. Even if stiffly. She leaned back to look at him then and gave a sympathetic smile. "He'll be alright. I can feel it. It's okay, you can cry. No one here expects you not to cry after what you've both been through."

"Does people know?" He asked in the quietest, most pathetic voice he had heard come from himself. The warrior was nowhere to be seen now, he thought. It made him feel embarrassed of himself. If only his father could see him now, he would laugh.

She nodded. "Just rumors, though. No one knows the true story. Half of them even discuss if you're an elf or a dwarf."

That made him laugh, and she laughed with him. Her laugh was light and giggly. It felt nice.

"Thank you. " He said as he wiped his cheek, and flinched when she rose a hand to wipe his tears for him. He looked at her in surprise, and as she leaned in closer he backed away, almost bumping into the fence.

"My lady..."

"I am sorry." She said, her voice not sounding like she was. "I move too fast. Please, Legolas, stay. We can talk. I think..."

"Thank you, but I should go. Estel might need me."

So he left, trying to wipe his own tears without thinking of her hand on his skin. He met Gleomer outside, in the grey, chill evening. He sat outside of the house on a stool and washed dishes in a bucket. He tried to act like he hadn't been crying, but the man saw right through him.

"How are you doing Legolas?" He asked as he wiped his hands on a cloth. "I was just thinking about you."

"I'm doing better than he is." Legolas couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice, even if he wanted to spare Gleomer the bitterness. Tears still leaked out, though slower than they had. Now it was just bitter tears, and he did not bother to hide them anymore. He couldn't, anyway, and Gleomer had already seen them. "He is still in pain and I cannot do a single thing to help him."

"Give him time. He'll recover, I'm sure of it. I'll ask him if he would like more of the herbs if it makes you feel better."

"It would."

Gleomer smiled at him then. "He's lucky to have a friend like you, who cares so deeply for him."

Legolas liked this man. He seemed like he truly cared for people, and how they felt. He did not deserve the bitterness Legolas threw at him. He sighed. "Forgive me Gleomer, for my bitterness. It's not fair to you."

"No, Legolas, I understand. And forgive me for asking, did something happen? Aragorn too seems...bitter."

"Nothing you need to worry about. You've done enough for us. I cannot thank you enough." Legolas said and gave him a soft smile, which Gleomer returned.

"You are more than welcome Legolas. There's hot porridge in the pot. I'll just finish up these dishes."

When he went inside, Aragorn was asleep. He ate some warm porridge, and as his body felt warm and full, he started to feel better. His head aced slightly from the tears, but after drinking water he felt more refreshed. He put the cup down and sat on the bed next to Aragorn's bed. He pulled his knee up, and then, for the first time, saw his bag on the floor. It had fingerprints of blood on it.

He picked it up and fished through it, finding his dagger. The moment he saw the dried blood on the blade he dropped it back into the bag, feeling sick. He covered his mouth and leaned away from it. Why had he put it in there after bandaging Aragorn in the forest? It stunk.

He swallowed hard and looked through the bag again. He found the soap they had used what felt like ages ago, some more bandages, lembasbread, and a waterskin. He nibbled on a bread, but it was dry and felt thick on his tongue. It made him think of home. He sighed and put the bag back down. One more night of silence might make him lose his mind. He looked around for something to entertain him during the night, and his gaze landed on Aragorn. He had his back turned to him, and the blanket had fallen down, exposing the tanned skin and bright bandages. He had his shirt off tonight. It was a hot night, Legolas agreed. He might have taken his own gown off to cool down but found it inappropriate.

He wanted nothing more than to lay down next to him, apologize for the way he had acted, and kiss him deeply. The thought made his stomach flutter, and he almost shivered. He looked away. After all of this, he wanted nothing more than to hold Aragorn and promise him he would be alright as if he couldn't tell himself that. He almost forgot that both of them were grown men, not children. This urge to protect him made Legolas restless. He turned to Aragorn, as his fingers fiddled in the fabric of his pants. He took a breath to whisper his name, but every time he was about to, he stopped, heart pounding in his chest. Then he finally did it. He whispered his name.

Aragorn turned around almost immediately, like he had been awake. He shuffled slowly with huffs of pain until he met Legolas' gaze, a hand under his cheek. His eyes and nose looked red, from where Legolas could see. The thought of Aragorn being upset without him made him clutch at the fabric of his pants.

"Forgive me." He whispered, and Aragorn's gaze changed. Now Legolas could see the tears form in them, and the man blinked, not being ashamed to let them fall.

"Legolas." He whispered, his voice dark and rough. "Don't. You did nothing wrong."

Legolas took a deep breath, feeling the pressure on his chest. Some time passed when they just looked at each other. Then Aragorn asked that question that made Legolas uncomfortable the last time, but this time he wasted no time. He rose from the bed and lay down next to Aragorn, letting the man drape the blanket over them. It was warm. Legolas once more opened his eyes to look at Aragorn's face. This was not healthy for his current mindset, he knew, yet the man was too beautiful not to stare at. The worst thing was the way Aragorn looked at him back. It reminded him of the way Déorwyn had looked at him, and he lowered his gaze. Without a word, they settled in, and Aragorn fell asleep quickly. Legolas lay awake and listened to him breathe.