Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He turned the page of the daily paper after a sip of his favourite brew of coffee in his best place to do these things, just like any day.

Even if he was on call at any given time, if possible, that break of his he spent there everyday, whether it shined or rained.

And for the past five years he had been at his job, he had not missed a day unless he was traveling out of town or had a sickday himself.

For the past six months, his break at that favourite park bench had gotten a new sight he enjoyed very much.

A new shop, right across the street.

It was small, but looked so inviting.

Every morning he went to buy his paper he would read later from an open kiosk also close to this place, he saw pots with different flowers being brought from the inside. The door let a cheerful ring of a bell whenever it was opened.

When he walked away from the kiosk and towards his workplace, he would walk past the shop, the gorgeous vibrant flowers that differed every day emitting a strong yet pleasing fragrant he inhaled deeply that made the stress he often felt due to his difficult job feel a little less, even for a moment.

Before the flower shop opened across the street, nothing ever caught his attention away from his daily paper.

But ever since it did, there were days he did not even have the time to finish it.

The keeper of the shop intriqued him.

Aragorn did not really have relationships. The ones he had had were more stressful than his job at times. Not many understood or could tolerate the commitment and busy life he sometimes had.

He did not have too many friends either. Just his foster siblings and a couple of coworkers, a guy or two from his days studying at the university to whom he sends a christmas card to if he remembers.

It is not that he would not like company, but the people he had been around he could not really connect with.

Most people he knew were highly educated academics, which was fine and very honorable, but there was a type in those people. Perhaps he had the same stiffness to himself too.

With his job he had a different view on things that were difficult in life. He had dated a person who's largest problem on a daily basis was a frivolous quarrel with his mother or the indeciveness on what to wear each day. And he respected that, he envied anyone whos problems were at that rate, but sometimes it felt tedious to listen to them, comparing to the things and situations he sometimes had to face, still not demeaning anyone.

So he kept away from people, it was not the fault of others, it was him. And he had not met a person he would have synced with, no matter had he looked even through dating apps a few times with specific preferences.

But this young man in the flower shop...he did not know. He found him very attractive.

And intriguing.

There was a lightness in him that he felt most enjoyable to watch.

He had caught himself smiling unnoticed under a canopy one rainy day when the blond had hurried his flowers inside due to a fastly darkening sky and the rain was quicker.

And there he had stood, the shopkeeper, in pouring rain, not hurrying anymore but smiling widely, letting the rain wet him and his long fair hair entirely without a single care anymore before lazily going back in.

He did not have a single reason to visit the shop or go have a talk with him. He was not the most smoothest person to flirt anyway in his mind. But oh yes, gazing at this person had become a favourite part of his every day, in his favourite spot.

But an opportunity did arise one day.

~~~~

"You are serious this time, you will ask her to go out?" Aragorn asked, his eyes not leaving the chart in his hands.

"Yes, today is the day. I even know just the way, I saw it in a movie once. I will have a note, with a an irresistable text, tied to a flower, left on her desk. Simple as that!"

Now the eyes left the chart.

"Simple as that?" He repeated. "Boromir, if it has been 'simple as that', how come it has become such an obsession and a trouble to you?"

"It has been too simple for me to consider. But it is perfect. I am serious, Aragorn!" Boromir chuckled a bit. "Infact, I was just about to leave to find a shop to get what I need and-"

"Doctor Highwarden, you are needed in operation room three, urgently."
A woman's voice through the PA sounded.

"Damn it, my pager is not working again." Boromir cursed. "Maybe today is not the day then. Unless..." he looked at Aragorn. "...you could help a man in need?"

The message through the PA sounded again.

"Fine. I am soon on my break. And I know just the place..."
"Yes. Thank you!" Boromir said and started hurrying.

"Wait! What will I have the note say?!" Aragorn shouted after him.
"I don't know, anything irresistable! Gotta run!"

Aragorn sighed.

He only promised to go buy a flower and a card for his friend.

So why did he feel nervous and excited at the same time?

~~~~

"Garden of Wonders" the beautiful, decorative yet earthy sign above the door said.

The bright bell rang cheerfully as always when the man entered the small shop across his favourite spot in the park.

He would not have the time to read his paper most likely, but his favourite coffee to-go he did have with him.

The scent inside the shop was a hundred times more intoxicating than the flowers he had passed outside. The colours inside the shop pleased the eye to the fullest, even if the man usually is a very black, grey and white sort of person with everything; from clothing to the furnitures in his home.

"Just a minute! Please, do have a look around!"

The voice made his heart skip a beat.
It was light and soft and just as cheerful as the bell on the shop door was.

"No rush." The man answered.

While waiting for the shopkeeper, he did take on his offer and looked at the flowers.

He only just realized he had not discussed with his colleague he was there to help, that what flower did the man want to give.

"I am sorry, I was in the middle of making a wedding bouquet I have done three times over and yes, I was succeeding at it, finally!" The blond young man gleed. "I think so atleast. So I could not leave it, I am sorry. I am usually more conscientious at customer service."
"No apologies needed, isn't doing a bouquet for a customer for the third time considered conscientious customer service at it's peak?"
"Well. When you put it like that." The blond chuckled lightly.

They looked at each other, Aragorn not realizing for a minute that he really did look.

"So, how may I help you?"

"Oh, uhm..." the man tore his eyes off and looked around. "I need a flower."

The blond laughed with a most delightful way.

"I figured that." He said happily. "For what purpose?"

"Oh..." the man chuckled and rubbed his neck, feeling a tad silly which was not a familiar feeling to him. "I, uh...I am helping a friend, to ask a woman out."
"Ooooh." The owner dragged. "You are on a mission 'for a friend.' Gotcha." He winked. "What does she like?"

Aragorn frowned a bit.

"No, no. I really am doing this for a friend. He would like to invite a colleague out he has taken a liking to." He felt like clarifying for some reason. "And...that is a very good question. I know nothing about her." He admitted. He really didn't, besides a few things Boromir had talked about. "I suppose anything goes."

"Oh no, my friend. Anything just doesn't go." The blond waved his finger in the air almost scoldingly. "I love a challenge!" He then cheered. "What does she do?"
"She is a pediatrician."
"Oh, okay."

Aragorn followed the blond between the narrow aisles the flowers and plants and cabinets for them had created.

"Doctor says to me 'serious and classic', but she works with children so there might be a bit different side there, joy and laughter...then again, all flowers are the laughter of plants..." he looked at the rows and rows of his merchandise.

Aragorn could not take his eyes off of him.
His body was as slender and gracious as the stems of his long roses. His hair seemed soft and smooth as the petals on his luscious peonies. Those eyes...a pair in the shade of blue poppies. Lips softly pinkish like a variant of a gentle lotus.

"So classic...a rose perhaps? It is too common and not adventurous enough? What if she would like a little adventure...how about a ginger plant? Too adventurous?" He showed the flowers as he spoke to the man, who was having it hard to concentrate.

"What do you think?"
"I, uh..." Aragorn rubbed his neck. "I really don't know."
He was being honest again.
"Hm..." the blond hummed and chewed his bottom lip while obviously thinking. Yes, even this did not go uncaught by his customer. "Maybe something from between..."
"You know what? I honestly do think any of these beautiful flowers truly would do." He said after glancing the clock on the wall. "How about you give me whatever is your favourite one?" Aragorn decided to ask.
"Mine?" The blond frowned but smiled at the same time.

He loved all flowers basically. Did he even have a favourite one?

Yes, he did have one.

The blond pulled out and showed the man a single puffy blooming flower with a sharp contrast of white and pink as it's colours.

"A candy stripe peony. Not as classic as a rose but holds it's place. It is quite whimsical too isn't it." He said happily and inhaled it's scent a bit.

"That is perfect. I will take two."

The blond hummed still with his happy tone and carefully chose two he considered most beautiful from his bunch.

They walked to the register.

"Okay, that will be 16,50." The owner said. "Can I get you anything else?"
"Uhm...do you sell cards?"

That soft yes-hum literally caressed the man's ears.

He pointed towards a slim rack you could rotate, it having a few rows of cards in it.

The celebrationaly ones the man could fully ignore and then spent a moment to choose two small plain ones with green ornamental vines and leaves decorating the edges. He found them sophisticated and beautiful.

He returned to the register.

"24,50. Anything else?"
"Perhaps a bit of string or a slim ribbon."
Again that hum.
"That would be 26 even." The blond charged him.

Aragorn glanced at the clock again.

"Do you mind if I use your counter to write the card?" He asked.
"Be my guest." The shopkeeper said.

Instead of leaving his spot like Aragorn had expected, the blond leaned on the said counter and placed his jaw to rest on his palm. The man pulled out a black inkwell pen out of his pocket and let out a sigh.

"So you are to write his card as well? You must be a very good friend."
Aragorn chuckled.
"Perhaps it is my nature to help those in need..." he said silently, trying to think what to write. "I...just am not very good with this." He said and took a big gulp from his coffee while thinking.

The blond suddenly letting out a small laugh shifted his concentration.

"I am sorry." The shopkeeper said, having straightened his back and obviously looked amused.

The man looked confused.

"I am sorry, really. I just never thought you from all people to walk in to the shop." He said and the man was still confused. "Well come on, you are like clockwork; everyday, same spot, same time, with a cup of coffee and a newspaper under your arm. Seeing you there on that bench is almost as sure as the sun rising every morning." The blond laughed again, the man only chuckling slightly.

The blond looked at him.

"I meant it with no offense."
"No worries, none taken." The man answered kindly.
"Could I...could I ask your name? I just think of you as 'newspaperman' and a name would be finer." The blond asked nonchalantly.
"Aragorn." He replied with a small smile.
"Nice to meet you Aragorn. It is far better than 'newspaperman'." The blond chuckled.
"How about you? Flower shop keeper is sort of long."

"I'm the owner." The blond tapped a small print on a pamphlet on the counter.

"Legolas Greenleaf, owner of Garden of Wonders..." the man read outloud. "Your surname is Greenleaf?" He asked amused.
"I know right." The blond laughed shortly. "All my family are florists or gardeners or things like that. Perhaps the first Greenleaf chose this line of profession to dictate the entire family long ago due to that or something."
"Well, whatever the case, I like it. It is good to meet you too, Legolas."

A silence.

"How is your note?" Legolas asked. "It should not be so hard to write something irresistible now should it." The man sighed.

"Perhaps you are trying to go further away to fish than the ocean, so to speak, you know." Legolas said. "The world is full of romance."

Aragorn looked at the young man over the counter a bit in his thoughts. His break was soon over and he would have to leave the lovely scented shop for the hurries of the hospital.

"Do you have suggestions?" He asked.
"Well, uhm...how about something short and cute, like Roses are Red?"
"Isn't that a bit valentine-ish?" The man asked.
"Perhaps you are right." He replied. "You could do a movie quote, just change it like; from all the hospitals in all the towns in all the world, you walked in to mine!"
"Nice, but she worked there before him."

The blond thinked again.

"I got it!" He said happily. "Words from a song. You could write like: I was never spellbound by a starry sky,
that is there to moon glow, when love has passed you by,
then there came a midnight and the world was new,
now here am I so spellbound,
not by stars, but just by you." He said. "Just change love to something milder, to like or infatuation or something, and it will not be intimitating." The blond sighed, leaned his elbow on the counter and his jaw on his palm. "There is no way anyone could resist that."

The man finished the note and tied it neatly to one of the two peonies he had purchased. He might have a small book of poetry somewhere in his belongings back at the hospital or there might be something he could buy as inspiration from the hospital giftshop or something, but this he felt like he had to do.

So he reached out his hand holding the flower with the note towards the blond shop owner with the now very wide poppy blue eyes.

"Here's to hoping." Aragorn simply said.

TBC

Chapter Text

Legolas paced around his apartment tiredlessly.

Where did he put his hairbrush.

Now his towel had disappeared.

Oh, but that card looked so lovely with the flower he had received from the "newspaperman" in his shop, even if he did say so himself. He just absolutely had to take a look at it every time he passed, the flower in a slim vase meant for a single one and the card leaning against it.

Newspaperman...

Aragorn.

The man had a unique handwriting. It was very neat and dignified, yet nearly impossible to read. If he wouldn't have known what the card said, he might not have been able to decipher it. His number the man had added clearly on the card too after Legolas had accepted his invitation to dinner. In exchange Legolas had given his and along with his address, when the man had offered to pick him up.

Such a gentleman.

He placed the card back with a smile and glanced at the clock.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed and started going around his apartment again.

His hairbrush he did find, the lost towel he abandoned and just quickly took a new one from the closet.

Legolas' apartment most definitely was clean, but just highly disorganized. Lived life and carefreeness showed here and there; magazines scattered on a table, small items like his keys, phone, tv remote, a box of bandaids more books, pens and things like that were here and there in a leisurely manner.
A large pile of clothes on the backrest and armrest of his couch which did not make the cut of being his clothes for the date.

And he had sort of a jungle theme going on, green plants and colorful flowers all over the place, as if his shop would not have enough of them.

"Go Tuffy, unless you want a thorough steamtreatment to your furcoat." He shooshed this large orange-striped cat he owned, who enjoyed camping in the bathroom quite often.

Legolas tossed his new towel and brush on top of his washing machine, his clothes he stripped and put straight to the laundrybasket. He opened the mirrored cabinet that hung above his sink and browsed through the different bottles of shampoos, conditioner and soap he had lined up.

With a happy hum, he took hairproducts that had the scent of bloodorange and something milder for soap. He had a perfume that went together nicely with bloodorange.

A quick shower, a towel wrapped around his waist after and then it was the serious business of blowdrying his hair. Quite often he let his hair dry peacefully without the help of a hairdryer, but he was in a hurry and his hair - to be honest - was very long, nearly reaching halfway down his back.

So he dried his hair, got his slim figure dressed and then returned infront of the mirror and braided thinly the hair on both sides of his head.

The ring of his doorbell startled him. Why was it even ringing? He was forced to look at the clock.

"Shoot!" He groaned.

They had promised to meet outside of his building at six o'clock, but it was already fifteen passed and obviously the man had taken action and came to his door.

With faster steps that he had taken so far, Legolas loped to his couch, gathered all the abandoned clothes to his arms and with great difficulty got them to the closet of his bedroom, just shoving them in there and closing the door.

That blasted missing towel was amongst them.

Then he nearly ran back to the living room, succeeded in not tripping over a small watering can that resided on the floor next to the couch for whatever reason, nabbed his chapstick from a small table and applied some, and lastly pressed a misty cloud of that perfume out that matched his shampoo and walked through it when he went to open the door.

A quick peek at the mirror next to his front door, a leveling breath or two and a small tug on his clothes to make them neat.

Then he opened.

"Hi." He said and flashed a wide, white smile to his puzzled looking date, not showing a single sign of just doing an olympic medal worthy stunt in speedcleaning.

"Hello." Aragorn replied with that low and smooth polite tone he has. "I am sorry of coming to your door, we did agree to meet at six, I tried calling you but could not reach you. So I thought to come and see if...everything is well."
"You came to check up on me?" Legolas said, that captivating smile tugging the corners of his lips again. "How kind. I am so sorry, I lost track of time and I am running a little late, I got caught with, uhm..."

Being smittened by the card.
Gossiping to his best friend about his date through textmessages.
Having a fashion show to his cat with every peace of clothing that he owned.

"...closing the shop. I had a call. A-an order." He chuckled a bit. "I will only take a moment more, please come in."

"Are you sure, I am not intruding?" Aragorn asked.
"Not at all." Legolas said lightly and opened the door a bit more.

Aragorn stepped in, but stayed close to the front door, closing it after him.

"Would you like something to drink, coffee, tea?" He heard Legolas' voice from another room now.

"No thank you. We should be leaving soon, we might lose our reservation otherwise." Aragorn said a bit in his thoughts.

The scent of bloodorange and other earthy and fruity tones had ensnared his sense of smell. The apartment looked quite carefree and very lively, atleast what he could see from his spot. He found it rude to have a better look.

"You said that you called me?" Legolas asked as he walked across the livingroom. His socks drawed the other one's attention, but he could not make anything else of them except that they were colorful.

"Uhm, yes."
"That is odd, I don't think I heard a call." Legolas pondered. "I will go get my phone and then we can be off our way."
"Perfect."

Legolas offered a small smile as he walked back and into another room, which was his bedroom.

Now the man had seen the socks, light blue with cherries in different colors on them.

The made him bite down a smile. The owner of the flower shop really was something quite else.

Legolas closed the door halfly and then rubbed his face.

"Where did I put it..." he muttered to himself.

His mind had registered the man saying 'reservation', he actually had no idea where they were going out to eat. But his mind was too baffled by the location of his phone, that he dropped thinking of it.

He opened the door to chaos, also known as his closet, and quickly shuffled through his clothes.

Not there.

He closed the door and had a look around. He really should be more conscientious about his phone like he is from his work phone, that he always knows where it is.

Luckily he spotted the hide and seek playing item halfly under a pillow on his bed, and unlocked it.

It indeed said one missed phone call. And a few messages, but those were solely from his best friend.

Aragorn stood at the same spot and his gaze landed on this very furry orange toned feline, who had come to visinity and sat down with a safe distance, looking at him almost like it was sizing him up.

"I am sorry, you had to wait. I am ready now." Legolas said.
"No apologies needed." Aragorn said, and gave a small charming smile. "You have a very endearing cat."

Legolas glanced at the displeased looking ball of furr.

"He is quite adorable, isn't he. His name is Tuffy." He said happily.
"I am very pleased to meet him. Shall we?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas replied with that soft and enticing agreeing hum he had graced the man's ears at the flower shop as well.

Aragorn excited the entryway first. Legolas did ponder the contrast of their appearance and clothing; the man had his hair pushed back, wore a black dress shirt, a pair of black straight pants, black leather shoes and a tailored black trench coat, so quite neat and sophisticated, where as he had chosen charcoal toned skinny jeans, shoes with a checker pattern on them, a form fitting t-shirt that was under a hoodie.

He loved zipperhoodies, this particular one was black and had a small picture of a cartoon frog shyly peeking behind an amanita.

Well, he thought his clothes were cute and the man did not give him a judging look, so far so good in his mind.

He made sure the door got locked and followed his date out.

~~~~

Legolas walked outside and followed Aragorn to the expensive looking silver colored car that the man obviously owned.

Aragorn's gentleman manners continued by him opening and shutting the front seat door for his date.

To be honest, Aragorn was quite intrigued and intoxicated by that soft small smile the handsome young man offered him from all these little pleasantries.

Legolas fastened his seatbelt and then let his eyes travel on the inner surfaces of the immaculate car; it's leather seats, the spotless deck.

The gorgeous man driving it.

Again a smile was exchanged and then the man started the car and they were off.

"So...where are we going?" Legolas asked and looked outside at the fleeting views. They had moved from the parts of the city he knows, to parts more unfamiliar.
"It is a very well reviewed restaurant." Aragorn replied.
"Is it far?"
"Not too far."

Legolas nodded and focused to look out again.

"May I ask, how did your friend fair with his invite? As well as you?" Legolas asked a bit coyly.

Aragorn smiled with this preserved way that he had.

"He is working on it." Came the reply. "But the delay has nothing to do with the products you provided him with, I assure you. More a nerves issue. I reckon we will have some debating discussions about this matter before he acts."
"Oh." Legolas chuckled. "You had far more nerves then." He then added softly. "Just tell your friend that peonies lasts about five days in a vase, so he has about two days left now or a great hurry to obtain skills enough to make it last a day or two extra.." He chuckled.
"That is good to know."

"You know what I do for a profession. What is it you take your coffee and newspaper break from every day?" Legolas asked lightly.
Aragorn laughed shortly.
"I work at a hospital." He glanced at Legolas and filled the rest of the blank. "I am specialized in emergency medicine, so...ER doctor."
"Oh..."

Legolas had not even drawn a line in his mind that the man would have been working in a hospital like the woman he came to purchase the flower for and the man he was helping by doing so.

"The same one your friend and his blissfully unaware target of infatuation, I assume?"
"Yes." Aragorn replied. "He is a surgeon."

Legolas laughed but gave a gracious wave of his hand to the frowning yet amused looking driver.

"I am sorry, that was uncalled of me." He said. "It's just that...he is a surgeon, yet he lacks the nerves to ask a woman out on a date?"

Now Aragorn chuckled too.

"Perhaps he uses all of his nerves on his job. He is very good at what he does."
"Oh, I am sure he is."

Aragorn stopped the car in front of the restaurant.

They got off, Aragorn handed his keys and tipped the young man in charge of valet services and escorted Legolas towards the entrance of a very fancy looking restaurant.

Fancier than he had ever been brought to a date. To be honest, it was fancier than Legolas had ever visited in his life.

"Good evening sirs, how may I help you?" The restaurant hostess inquired politely, having a puzzled glance towards Legolas but said nothing more.

"Table for two, under Westman." Aragorn said.
"Follow me, please." The woman said after looking that up from a ledger.

They followed the woman to the dining room.

Legolas stuck out like a sore thumb, he knew he did.

Men in expensive suits and women in classy evening gowns everywhere, wrist watches and make-ups spot on like from a scene in a luxury magazine.

There were less upscale people present as well, but Legolas must have been at the very far end of that scale.

But he was very used to stick out, just in some places people looked at him far more judgingly than in others.

He pondered why had Aragorn not said anything to him about it.

But, the hostess had not told him to turn around and leave, so he supposed it was fine.

"Here are the menus, and someone will be with you shortly."
"Much obliged." Aragorn replied to the hostess and started to browse the one he had.

He glanced at Legolas.

"Is everything well?" He asked.
Legolas hummed agreeingly.

That sweet, sweet hum.

The man gave a small nod and looked at his menu again.

Legolas thought that if there would have been any issues with his attire, it would have came up by now.

So he decided to put that thought away and also looked at the menu.

Aragorn was a very decisive person, so choosing his dinner was no chore.

He placed the menu on the table and looked at his date.

He was as mesmerizing as he was in his shop. The blue bright eyes, the soft looking long hair, the gently pale red lips...Aragorn did not mean to stare, but he could not help himself either.

The small pondering expressions he had, every lift of his dark brows that contrasted his light hair perfectly, every purse of those soft looking lips...mesmerizing.

Suddenly Legolas looked up and it made Aragorn look away for some reason, like he was afraid to get caught by his staring.

Legolas looked only briefly before having one more glance at the menu and then put it away.

"Anything you liked in there?" Aragorn asked. "I like all food." Legolas replied lightly. "Choosing is always hard."

The waiter came to take their orders; classic prime rib and chicken piccata.

"Any wine for you, sirs?" A sommelier had stepped up right after the waiter had left.

"No, thank you." Aragorn replied politely. "I rather not drink at all when I drive. Do have some, if you like."

Legolas shooked his head a little.

"No thank you, I do not drink wine. I do not like the taste at all." He said quite honestly, making the sommelier land a glare to his direction, but then gave a courteous nod and retreated.

"Do you drink at all?" Legolas asked from the man.
"Not much, I do enjoy a brandy once in a while." Aragorn asked. "You?"
Legolas hummed a yes.
"Sometimes. I have never drinked brandy though." He smiled.

Their conversations varied from their professions to hobbies and general likes.

Legolas learned that the man likes to swim and jog, the man that Legolas is not just a shop owner - he practically lives and breathes horticulture.

They only scraped the subject of families, Legolas feeling a sting in his heart to hear the man speak very little of his "foster family" and being adopted while speaking of them giving him the tools and opportunities in education and lastly towards medical school.

The got salads and an entreé before their main courses. Legolas mimicked his date as in secret as he could what came to the correct utensils and etiquette.

The doctor seemed to be a fish swimming in quite familiar waters. Every move he made, every word said to him or the people working in the hospital was polite and very considered.

Legolas was like a fish being thrown ashore by a wave, trying to survive.

But all hardships aside, all seemed to go well and the dinner was exquisite, dessert not being anything shyer than the starters and mains had been.

"Wow." Legolas stated when the ornate bowl made out of chocolate was placed infront of him, it being filled with a mousse light as air with various berries and fruits as decorations on top. "You would sort of except to receive a financial plan with something like this." He said and Aragorn smiled wider than usual from amusement while stirring his coffee. "Would you like some?"
"I will pass, thank you." Aragorn said and had a sip of his hot drink. "I am not too fond of sweet things."

Legolas spoon halted a bit in mid-air but he did sink it in the cloudy mousse.

"Good?" Aragorn asked.
"Heavenly."

They shared a silence that atleast Legolas deemed comfortable while dessert, and coffee acting as one, were finished.

"Anything else?" The waiter asked.
"Would you like anything?"
"Oh no, I am done, thank you." Legolas said contently. Even though it was a shame to end such a nice evening.
"Very well. Then the check, please." Aragorn requested.
"Splitted." Legolas added and Aragorn glanced at him.
"Nonsense. Just bring it to me." He then addressed the waiter.
"But-"
"I will be back with you shortly." The waiter said.

Legolas pondered how to lift the subject up again politely.

"Uhm...you are very kind, but, I am happy and able to split the expenses." He then said out.
"I do not doubt that." Aragorn replied. "But I am who invited you, it is my cost to cover."

Legolas did not know how to response to this. The man had this distinctive way of bahaving and speaking, a very charming one, and it made it hard to argue or refuse.

Even less when the waiter obviously had listened to the more sophisticated looking person from the pair and did bring Aragorn the check.

After that they left the restaurant, the doctor had his car brought to him by the valet service and he drove his date home.

~~~~

"Here we are." Aragorn said as he parked the car on the side of the street.

"Uhm...thank you. It was a very lovely evening." Legolas said and tucked his hair better behind his ear.

"It was." Aragorn agreed.

"And thanks for the ride home."

"It was my pleasure."

Legolas smiled and nodded.

"Let me get that for you." Aragorn said and was about to get out when the blond had reached for the door handle.
"I can open it for myself." Legolas said lightly.

The man smiled. One would think an entire evening spent looking at someone would nodge down the urge to do so, but it seemed not.

Aragorn tried to think something to say, but words in these kind of situations were not his forte. He knew very well how to face patients, colleagues and medical students, but personal relationship skills had suffered over the years. He did not mean to be so preserved and perhaps stiff in a way, but it had grown on him. Perhaps that is why the vivacious florist felt something so intriguing to him.

"Let's be in touch." He said when Legolas pushed the door open.

As stiff and preserved as accepted.

"Drive safe. Bye." Came the joyfully toned farewell.

Aragorn stayed there observing as long until his date had gotten to the door of his building.

They exchanged one more wave and then the man drove off.

TBC

Chapter Text

It had been nearly two weeks from their date.

Aragorn had been quite busy and even out of town for a bit and that one time he had managed to get his newspaper and coffee, the magical flower shop had a "I will return shortly" sign on the door.

Even if it had been hectic, the blond did visit his thoughts more than ocassionally.

The lightness of his spirit, the soft smile and bright eyes.

That particular day had been more busy than the other days. Friday usually was the most busy day of the week alongside saturday.

Busy or not, he enjoyed his work very much. Helping and healing others was embedded deep in his heart. And he was good at what he did.

"Alright, what do you have for me next?" Aragorn asked from the nurses station after finishing with his patient who had too much to drink and hit his head.

"There is a young woman, age 18, with diagnosed migraine, having a bad headache with minor vomiting."
"Administer IV fluids, start ketorolac for pain and ondansetron for nausea, and have her in a dimmed room for a rest. I'll have a look at her soon."
"Then there is an elderly man, aged 68, who said to have had a burning sensation during urination for a couple of days and now has a low-grade fever as well."
"Take a urine sample and run full bloodwork, let me know when those are done."
"And then we have a 29 year old man with a horizontal incised wound on his left palm. Bleeding is under control with pressure, but you need to take a look at it."
"See if procedure room three is empty, if not, then two or six, in that order. Prep for a cleaning operation and a close up, and check the patient's records does he need a tetanus update. I will be there shortly."
"You got it."

Aragorn hated to let patients waiting, but he had to take a ten minute break, inorder to be more efficient again.

After visiting the doctors lounge, with swift steps he walked pass the nurses station where one of the nurses just signed him the number 3 with her fingers and he made his way to that procedure room.

When he opened the door...

"Legolas?" Immediately came out, perhaps more unprofessionally than how he usually worked and operated.

"Aragorn - hi." Legolas replied just as surprised even if he knew that the man worked there.

He had been seated next to a table that had a cover over it, elbow against the table and a very bloody package around his hand.
The blond had a red haired young man with him, standing behind Legolas with his arms crossed.

Aragorn pulled a light and adjusted it over the table better.

"You can remove the bandages." Aragorn addressed the nurse assisting him while he got a pair of medical gloves on.

"A wild friday evening?" He then asked when he sat across from the blond and started to examine the exposed hand.

"One could say that..." Legolas sighed and hissed an 'auch' when the man traveled his thumb too close to the edges of the wound.
"What happened?"
"He cut himself with a floral knife." The redhead replied quickly before the blond could.

A deep shade of embarrassement graced the blond's otherwise pale face.

"Dad is going to scold me all the way back to the stone ages..." Legolas flinched when the wound got attention too much.
"Or laugh his ass off at you." The redhead said far too amused.
"Oh dear lords he will laugh, won't he. I do not know which is worse. Maybe I will just not tell him." Legolas sighed in all hopelessness.

Aragorn was quiet and concentrated, giving small orders and requests to the nurse while as he finished the examination.

"It will need sutures" He then said and the nurse nodded agreeingly. "Give me 1% lido and 4-0 nylon."

The nurse went to the cupboards and pulled out some medical equipment.

"Spencer and iris?" She asked.
"Yes, thank you." Aragorn replied while still eyeing the wound.

Legolas saw the woman take a pair of scissors out.

"U-uhm, surely the wound could just be glued or bandaged, i-it barely even bleeds anymore?" Legolas stuttered.

Aragorn looked at him a tad puzzled.

"Lassé is scared of needles." The redhead said and the puzzled looked faded away.

"I am not scared! They just...make me feel very uncomfortable." Legolas retorted tightly.
"He is scared." The redhead stated.

"It will irritate and bleed too easy without proper measures, and the chance of attracting an infection to a wound like this is no joke. It needs to be taken care of." Aragorn said calmly. "What is the tetanus situation?" "Not active." The nurse answered, and the doctor tutted.
"Have dose ready, we can take care of that too."
"I-I do not need a shot!" Legolas exclaimed. "The knife was clean not rusty, I do not need any shots."
"It is a safety measure and serves you well even years to come."
"But-"
"It will not hurt too much, I promise." Aragorn said and made eyecontact with a warm gaze. "It will be far less painful than what you have already suffered with this wound."

Legolas breathed silently for a moment and then nodded in defeat.

"If the needle makes you uncomfortable, you can look away. I will tell you what am I doing, before I do it. Okay?"

Again he nodded.

The nurse had brought all the necessary equipment.

"Okay, I will administer the local anesthesia. You will feel a light sting a couple of times from the needle. Are you ready?"

An agreeing hum, not as light and bright than the other times Aragorn had been graced with it.

His friend had laid his hands on Legolas' shoulders and kneaded them lightly.

"Okay, now you will feel the sting." And right after that statement he did, receiving it with a sharp inhale while looking away. "You are doing good, I am almost done..."

Aragorn handled the anesthesia as swiftly and pain-free as he possibly could.

"Excellent. Now we will wait a couple of minutes and then I will clean the wound and close it. The worst part is over, don't worry."

Legolas took a peak.

"You are done already?" He asked carefully.
"With this needle, yes. Nurse Underhill here can administer the tetanus shot while we wait for your hand to get numb."

"Could you do it?" Legolas asked quickly before the nurse even managed to approach him.

Aragorn smiled, changed his gloves and gave him the shot to his shoulder, quick and neat.

Then he changed his gloves once more and sat back across.

"Okay, now I will do a little test to see it is properly numb...just tell me can you feel anything. If I do this?" He petted the sides of the wound with a pair of tweezers and Legolas shooked his head. "How about this?" He poked it gently.
"No, I can't really feel a thing. Just a tiny pressure and...maybe it feels a bit cold?" He said unsure.
"Good, that means we can get started. This won't take too long."

Aragorn cleaned the wound thoroughly, the hand got covered with a green incise drape, leaving the wound visible, and then began to sew it shut.

"We are all out of wider gauze, I will go fetch some more." The nurse said.
"No hurry, this will take a few more minutes."

The man sewed with skill, no matter did the palm spew out blood every now and then.

Legolas observed the procedure more at ease now, even if it did make him a bit nauseous, but atleast he was unable to feel a thing. He was fully silent for a moment. Then he briefly glanced at the doctor with the concentrated frown, ending to follow the procedure again.

"Why didn't you call me?" He suddenly asked a bit quietly.

Aragorn's frown deepened for a moment and then relaxed a bit again.

"Uhhm...I have been a bit busy." Aragorn said slowly.

Legolas stayed quiet for a small moment.

"I would have not minded a message." Again that silent voice. "I...thought we had a good evening."

The doctor did not remove his eyes from the sewing, even if he would have wanted to.

"We did." He agreed.

"Really?"

Again the doctor's frown deepened.

"Of course."

"Oh...that is good to know. I sort of...was worried that...you just did not...uhm...like me."

It was a real concern. Legolas had faced it many times. Men shunned from his personality traits quite often. He was thought of being too juvenile and jovial. Not selfconscious enough.
He was though, he just kept it to himself.

"Nonsense." The man said with a smooth tone. "I have only been busy." Then a small smile tugged his lips. "To be honest, I was a bit unsure did you enjoy yourself."
"I did. I just did not expect the place to be so...classy?" Legolas chuckled a little. "You could have told me it to be that fancy, I would have worn something else."

Still the man did not look at anything else except his working site.

"The place had no mandatory dress code. You looked exactly however ypu like to dress up." He simply stated.

And finally finished the stitching.

"I do apologize." He now looked at the blond. "I should have called."

Of course Legolas could have done that also, but Aragorn got the feeling it sort of wasn't something he would do, instead of waiting for his date to do it.

"Let me make it up to you? Another dinner perhaps?"

Legolas got a smile, which was a somewhat a flattered one covered by coy.

"Alright. But I will choose the place this time. Not that there was anything wrong about your choice." Legolas said. "I still dream about that dessert." He added, and the doctor chuckled with a nod.
"Alright, you got yourself a deal." He said. "I will come by your shop tomorrow. At around-"
"You do not need to tell me. I know what time."

They smiled to each other a little.

The nurse came back with the gauzes, and with hurry.

"Doctor Westman, car crash patients incoming, first ambulance ETA 5 minutes." She said.
"Wrap this up for me, give wound care and suture removal instructions. I must be off." He lastly addressed Legolas.

"Bye." Legolas said and the man hurried out of the room.

Legolas' hand was bandaged, he got those instructions, and then was a free man to leave - more painfree and farm more happy than when he had arrived.

~~~~

The next day, like clockwork, Aragorn held his usual newspaper and coffee break, visiting the Garden of Wonders for details to their next date.

TBC

Chapter Text

Legolas went through his usual routine.

Choose clothes, shower, do his hair and dress up. With care to details.

Driving his cat crazy.

Even tried to organize a little but his organizing was what it was. Shifting things from one place to another without really making a difference.

He put a jacket on this time, it had thick horizontal grey and black stripes on the outside but had a bright red plaidprint as it's lining and stripes around his biceps with the same color.

He put what he needed to his pockets; phone, keys, and wallet.

His hand still had the bandaging from his misfortunate accident couple of days ago, and it was sore too, but going to a better direction atleast.

If anything was sure today, was that he would not be late again.

"I won't be late Tuftuf, be good." He said brightly, ruffled the thick orange fur on the feline's head and waltzed out of his front door.

He was far too excited to take the elevator, and he had to release some energy by skipping down the stairs from the fourth floor he lived in.

The thought of the handsome man made him bite down a smile. He did not want to seem over enthusiastic, but he did like him. He had a calm low voice that could probably soothe a wild bear, the nicest smile that was framed by his stubbled beard, even if it was quite held back or had sort of a shyness to it, and he had such kind eyes. His hair looked good whether it was pushed back open or tied tightly like he had at the hospital while working.

And he smelled so nice, oh goodness was Legolas ever so weak to enticing scents. The man wore a scent that had a slight citrus spark but overall was a dark and devouring combination, something like cedartee with smoked oak. And it was very subtle too, definitely not too strong.

He stepped outside to the bright latespring afternoon, sun shining somewhat warmly with a bit of wind, spring flowers in bloom with their yellow, red and blue hues here and there and birds chirping away their melodic mating songs.

Legolas inhaled the fresh air deeply.

Then he found a good balance to his steps, finding a pace somewhere between "I am completely cool about this" and "how much faster would I be at that park bench if I would run a little".

The way there was something he mostly walked back and forth everyday, at least once. The bench would be the doc's break spot, right across from the flowershop. Legolas felt it to be a good place to meet.

No matter was Legolas there on time, he was not the first to arrive. He immediately understood that Aragorn was not just a 'on time' guy, he was the people who are early just to not miss that 'on time' mark.

Again he had to bite down a smile.

As a kindhearted joke he had said to the man that there was no need for straight pants and a trench coat where they were going, the man had obviously made a note of it; sitting there in leather boots, dark blue jeans and a longsleeved black shirt on. A denim jacket laid leisurely over his left leg and a pair of sunglasses hid his kind eyes, the soft wind catching those dark locks of hair that hung open.

There was no denying it, he looked damn good. Legolas was absolutely strucked how the man could wear anything from doctors whites to elite dinner party guess outfits and still pull off a diesel commercial style with ease.

Perhaps it was not the clothes at all, it was the man and his devilish good looks; such a handsome face and he could tell he had a well toned body. Must be all that swimming and jogging.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully and immediately the man looked towards his direction.

"Hi." Aragorn replied and stood up, a small smile shadowing his lips. "How are you?"
"I am good, thank you." Legolas said. "Still a bit sore, but I will live."
"Good to hear. I uh, almost expected you to appear from your shop, I noticed it is open." Aragorn said and Legolas glanced at the entry of his workplace.
"Why? Because I planned to meet here and maybe make sure I am not late?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn looked at him.

"Oh, no, I am sorry, I did not mean that." He said. "I only meant-"
"I know what you meant." Legolas laughed, his voice matching the gleefulness of all spring birds around them. "I was just kidding."
"Oh..." Aragorn let out a small laugh.
"I have a friend who works for me. Or with me. Both, to be honest." Legolas said as they started walking. "But he is only incharge of selling products and instructing how to nurture them, he does not do bouquets or installations, alone atleast."
"Is he the young man you had with you at the hospital?" Aragorn asked.

And the blond merely hummed a yes.

"He is my best friend, always has been. So it was just natural we work together too. Let's go there." Legolas guided.

"The subway?" Aragorn questioned as they walked into the station and towards the escalator.
"We could where we are going by walking but subway is faster. I know you told me to have work later." Legolas said kindly.

The two had small troubles to find a slot for meeting each other because both were rather busy, but it did say something that both chose the closest possible option to meet, even if there was duties that same day still.

"I do not own a car, I have never really needed it." Legolas said lightly.
"I can understand that. If I can get somewhere by walking, I definitely do." Aragorn replied and they shared a smile. "So, where are we going?"

Legolas flashed a mischievous smile when he hopped, yes - hopped, off the escalator.

"Hah, now you get to be on the wondering end." He said and lightly poked the man's chest.

He definitely was toned.
And surprised from the sudden physical touch.

"I am kidding again." Legolas then said. "But still, I am not telling. But I promise it is nothing scary or troublesome."

They stepped in the train that came in shortly after they arrived on the platform.

"Do you think our last dinner was scary or troublesome?" Aragorn asked and Legolas smiled widely.

"Hey, any place to eat called the 'Gilded Cloud' whispers out: be afraid, be very afraid." Legolas said, making himself sound as sinister as possible. "Well, atleast a little. Could you not hear the sign say that when we walked under it?" He added and actually got the man let out a laugh far more freely than so far.

"No, I must have missed it." He said, the laugh withdrawing back to his more composed self.

Legolas crossed his arms and looked at the man.

"Hmm, perhaps the most seasoned warriors of fine dining are above the demonic high-end scares they hide." He stated thoughtfully.
"You are impossible." Aragorn said and shooked his head, that open laugh now in the form of a grin on his lips.
"Impossibly funny, I know right." Legolas retorted and winked. "We get off here."

~~~~

After leaving the subway, they emerged from the tunnel to a place that was near the beach.

The scent of the sea and the thought of a swim immediately relaxed some deep bound knots inside Aragorn's psyche.

It was strange though, that usual feeling was a pale comparison to what this character of light and energy brought him, who was leading him blind somewhere - and he more than allowed him to do so.
Aragorn usually was on point with everything, always knowing where he was going and what he was doing, but right now, he did not and he did not mind.

They walked closer to the beach and then Legolas led them to a walkway Aragorn had never visited. He had been at the beach though, many times, but just further to the other direction.

He looked at the foodwagon at the end of it, a couple of wooden picnic tables near it.

"Gandalf's Grill" it said.

There was a delicious scent of fried food in the air and the closer they walked, Aragorn just knew it came from there.

"Gandalf is a real wizard what comes to fried food, I am so serious right now." Legolas said. "Hi Gandalf!"

There was an older man as the cook in that particular wagon. A very kind looking one.

"Legolas." The old man happily replied. "What can I get you today?"
"Do you need to even ask?" Legolas replied and the old man laughed.
"And how about your friend, hm?"

Aragorn looked at the menu hung on the wall. The names made him a bit amused but he kept it to himself.

"I'll have a witch-king, thank you." He then said.
"Put a basket of sausagepotatoes too, please." Legolas added.
"You got it. It will take a moment."

Legolas paid without even asking or speaking about it and then they took a seat across one another at one of the picnic tables.

"You come here often, I take it." Aragorn said and took off his sunglasses.

Legolas loved to see those kind eyes.

"Often, me? Noooo, quite rarely." Legolas replied after clearing his throat.
"Often enough to order by saying 'do you need to ask' ?" Aragorn chuckled and Legolas pursed his lips while avoiding a smile.

"Okay, okay, okay, I might, just might, come here a little more than occasionally." The blond admitted with a shrug. "But Gandalf truly makes the best grill food in the whole world."
"I'll believe you."

Legolas studied the man a little.

He looked a tad tired. Which was more than reasonable, considering the man's occupation.

Aragorn glanced back at him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

Legolas smiled and shooked his head.

"Not at all."

There was a small silence.

"Oh. I don't know are you too interested, but my friend asked the pediatrician out in the end." Aragorn said while looking at the ocean view.
"Really? Good for him, what did she say?" Legolas inquired and then let out half a breath. "I am sorry, it is none of my business to even ask."

Aragorn leaned back and crossed his arms.

"She said yes." He replied and heard Legolas whisper a victorious "yes" sound.
"You see, huh? That is the power of peonies. They are irresistable." Legolas said and also crossed his arms.

Aragorn smiled a little.

"That they are." He replied.

His gaze trailed from the blond's face to his hand when he had laid them on the table.

"You said that your hand was still sore? Would you like me to have a look at it?"

Legolas frowned a little, but did smile and shooked his head.

"No, it is fine, it is not that painful. No work during free time, okay?" He said almost scoldingly, but his smile softened it.

Aragorn let out a small laugh.

"Alright. Just remember, if it will start to throb too much or you feel feverish, have it checked. And get the sutures removed in-"
"I know, I did get the instructions." Legolas said.

The man then laid off the case, merely nodding.

"Thank you nonetheless, it is very kind of you to worry." Legolas said.

It did not take long for the old man to bring their food.

"Enjoy." He said and looked at Legolas with mirth in his eyes.

"Always." Legolas replied but did answer to the wordless exchange they had with a joyful look.

"Uhm...is there a specific tactic in eating this?" Aragorn asked amused while sizing up his burger.

It was huge.

"Not really no. If you are not afraid of a little mess, do not worry, you will be fine. Napkins are invented for messes." Legolas replied happily.

While still figuring out how to eat his montrosity, he glanced at Legolas, who quite freely took a bite, not caring about mayo or anything spreading to the corners of his lips.

Aragorn was a bit more careful, he took a bite but kept the caution of trying to eat as neat as possible.

"Okay, you were right - this is so good." He managed out after swallowing.

It was true. It was sloppy to eat but damn it was delicious.

"If you think that is good, you got to try this, it is my favourite."

And before the doc knew it, Legolas had switched his seat from across to right next to him.

"This, my friend, is called Mount Doom." He introduced his burger. "Three juicy patties, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, raw onion, hamburger sauce, a fried egg - yes you heard me correct - and bacon, all between self made buns. Have a bite."

"Uhm, thank you, but-" Aragorn looked at the blond and his friendly blue eyes that had this bright sincere spark in them. "Alright, let me have a go at it."

Legolas happily offered his mountain sized hamburger and even Aragorn could not avoid the mayomess.

"Good, no?" Legolas said with an affirming nod. He found the doc quite cute, immediately going for a napkin and wiping his mouth, not speaking before swallowing.
"Absolutely exquisite." He replied sincerely and smiled at the blond.

It took a while for them to finish their burgers, sitting their side by side and chatting.

And when Aragorn deemed himself full, Legolas introduced the box on the table, filled with fried potatoes and pieces if sausage with cucumber salad, ketchup and mustard.

"Sausagepotatoes." Legolas said with a smile and offered a fork to the man.

He really was full, but he could not resist of having a bite.

And he did not feel sorry he did, even if his stomach tried to tell him otherwise.

By the time they finished the shared box down to the last crumb, his waistline was ready to commit suicide.

Legolas hummed pleased.

It was a very pleasing hum.

"That was so good. I could totally go for some dessert though, but that does not belong in Gandalf's wares..." he sighed, content still.

Aragorn pondered the fact that Legolas' appetite and figure did not correlate if this was a normal state of mind, considering how lithe he was.

"I, uh..." Aragorn cleared his throat and wished the food to stay down. "I think I saw an ice cream shop while we walked here. If the joint serves coffee, we do have time for a stop."
"And if the place doesn't, we do not have the time?" Legolas laughed amused.
"No, I-"

Legolas gave him a gleeful wink.

"It serves coffee. And blueberrypie ice cream you just made me desire more than anything in the world. Let's go." Legolas said and got up. "Bye Gandalf, everything was to-die-for as always!" He called out to the frycook.

The old man gave a friendly wave as they walked away from the grill.

The shop was not far and Aragorn thanked all the caffeine gods for the drink the bubbly looking dessert base sold.

Far better was observing the young flower shop owner glee over his dessert, acting like he had not just devoured a burger meant to feed atleast six people with a side of sausagefries.

~~~~

"Are you sure you can manage a workshift after a lunch like that?" Legolas laughed a bit as they stepped on the escalator leaving the subway station.

"Well, it either will energize me like no day tomorrow or then I will just explode and ceast to exist." Aragorn said and chuckled a bit himself. "I have a lot of paperwork as a saving grace, so additional time to digest. I don't think paperwork has ever made me feel this happy."

Legolas smiled.

"I am happy that you liked the food but I am sorry you are feeling uncomfortable." He said shyly and tucked a strand of runaway hair behind his ear.

Aragorn looked at him.

"Don't be. I am not."

Legolas, being the least busy from the two at the moment, decided to walk by the hospital with the man.

"This is my stop." Aragorn said and Legolas nodded. Quickly the man tried to think what would be the right thing to say, not being impolite or too intruding.

"Thank you for the company and the meal." He said.

Legolas smiled.

"Likewise, it was nice."

A moment of silence.
And Aragorn decided to just slowly make his way out of that moment.

"Hey, Aragorn?"
"Hm?"

Legolas shifted his weight from one foot to another and crossed his arms, making a shrug with his shoulders.

"Would you, uhm...mind...if I would text to you, sometimes? I can understand, if you are busy with work or have night shifts and then sleep during the day, that phonecalls might be a bit tedious or disturbing...but, just assuming I would send you a message, you could reply to that whenever you have the time." He said.

Aragorn nodded.

"That would be nice." He said and Legolas relaxed back more to his usual self. "You can message me anytime you like. I will reply whenever I have the chance."
"Okay, great." Legolas said, now with a wider smile on.

"I got to go now." Aragorn said and walked backwards a bit. "If we won't be in touch until then, be sure to get those sutures removed in a week."
"Sure thing, doc." Legolas replied. "If I just have the guts to." He then said.
"Of course you do, you're a champion. Let's be in touch."

Legolas hummed and waved.

There was that sentence again.

Well, this time he had atleast secured that they actually would be in touch, and that the man he had started to like even more, would not just disappear again.

TBC

Chapter Text

Legolas lifted the last of his potted plants inside from the entrance of the store and shut the door.

He looked at the darkening sky from the window.

His best friend had called in sick and was not at the shop to help out, and Legolas had an urgent order to fulfill, so he decided to close the shop a bit earlier to get the job done.

He looked at his phone and sighed. He then took a few equipment from a cabinet and sat by the wooden desk he had in the backroom, where he for example made all the installations, bouquets and posies.

Legolas had sent a text here and another there during the past couple of weeks, and Aragorn had even replied to them. Now he had sent a message early in the morning and it was early evening now, and no word.

Legolas knew he was busy. It's just that receiving mesages from the man gave him butterflies to his stomach and he so waited for him to have even the smallest of moment to sent something, anything, back. Even if the man's replies mostly were a single word or a pair of words, like "okay" or "that is nice".

A few times Aragorn had kept his break and Legolas had seen him too, on that bench, far across from his shop, but had wondered why the man did not come to say hi to him. Legolas could have gone to him of course, but he was unsure should he. Because why did the man not come to him, right.

He did really try not to be too pushy, he did not want to scare him away or feel that he would be crossing over some lines. Legolas knew how he was. Like in the restaurant, he knew he stuck out. He had always been sort of blamed for relationships ending too. Whether the blame has been true or not, the endresult is that the person always leaves. There was something in him that most men shunned from. And he was very tired or being disappointed and hurt.

And Legolas would so love to be loved by someone. Romantically loved.

He wishes to find the love of his life.

Legolas completely believed in it. All the lyrics from songs, the cheesy lines in movies, paragraphs after paragraphs of devotion and yearning in the pages of books.

He wanted to believe it all, so he did.

The stories does not come out of thin air was his motto.
True love exists. He had even witnessed it does, even if it had not happened to him.

Legolas hummed along the classical waltz song playing from the radio as he carefully coaxed another orange lily with some light pink cerise roses and myrtle branches.

"Lovely." He said to himself as he turned the bouquet around to see did it look harmonious enough to his liking.

He nearly dropped it when his phone suddenly buzzed with a bright sound indicating a message.

"Sorry, busy day." It simply said.

Legolas smiled and typed back:

"It is okay. I have been tied up myself."

It was partially true, but maybe in a different caliber than Aragorn.

Legolas held his phone in his hand and thought of what to write next.

His phone buzzed before he managed to do that.

"I know it is a short notice, but do you like to watch movies? There would be a couple of late night films I could make it to after my shift."

The widest smile spread to the blond's lips. Even if he would have hated to watch movies he would have taken the invite.

"Are you kidding?! I love movies!" He replied

"Pick something and let me know the time. Meet me at the theater?" Aragorn replied.

Legolas would have wanted to sing out of happiness, or make some gleeful jumps.

"Sure thing." He sent back.

He would have wanted to add how good it is to see him again or that he is really looking forward to it, but he held his glee.

Be cool about it, he thought.

He had the day's newspaper in his shop, and he found it under the counter.

He glanced out and noticed the small drizzling rain rapping on the windows.

Oh the day not to remember an umbrella. Not that he had been aware it would even rain.

He browsed to the page where the theater announced all movies they had running and the timeslots.

Not too much to choose from the selection that late.

A political drama with some kidnapping twist, a biography movie of some famous skiier and a horror movie of a demon possessing people.

"Not much to choose from. What do you like to watch?" He sent to Aragorn.

But even if he waited for a while, there was no answer.

He then thought that he will close up the shop entirely, and go feed Tuffy, if he would out late.

~~~~

He had fed his furry cat handsomely and even brushed him smooth.

Mostly because he had needed something to do to mellow down the excitement of the evening.

If he would have been smart, he would have used that time to look for his umbrella.

He didn't.

And when he did, desperately did, he began to question did he even have one anymore.

The rain was a bit more than a drizzle now, but Legolas thought it would be okay, he would just have a little run to the nearest bus stop and take a bus which took him quite close to the theater and then just quickly walk there under all the canopies that various shops had.

A good plan.

It executed nicely as well, when he finally got to the theater, his jacket was only somewhat moist and his hair still looked more than fine.

For once he was somewhere before Aragorn, and he felt victorious.

The man did show up ten minutes before the movie Legolas had informed during the evening would start.

"Hi!" Legolas said happily, those butterflies in his stomach swarming when he saw the man smile a little at him. "Two tickets to the Grin." He said with a dark tone and received a bit more wider smile.
"Sounds terrifyingly good." Aragorn replied and Legolas gave a little "thank you" bow.

They bought some snacks and sodas and entered the mostly empty theater.

They unanimously agreed to sit on the front row and got comfortable.

Legolas noticed the yawn his date tried to hide.

Yes, he totally considered this a date.

"I'll wake you up if the movie is boring and you doze off." He said a tad sweetly.

Aragorn chuckled a little, perhaps a bit embarrassed.

"No worries, I'll survive." Aragorn replied with a pleasingly smooth voice. "We uhm...we are running under staffed at the moment. A lot of viruses running." He said and Legolas nodded with understanding.

"I don't really have that problem. Daisies and orchids do not spread diseases to humans." He said and smiled. "Although, I was understaffed too today because of a virus."

Some trailers had run on the screen while they talked, but the lights going out and the screen widening to a even larger one was their cue for the movie to start.

The movie did not waste time to get into business. It was far more eerie than what Legolas usually watches, and when he does he watches those movies with his best friend, both yelling to the screen that the people would not go to places they really shouldn't.

Aragorn was not bothered at all. He sat quite leisurely and ate his popcorn while following the plot.

And occasionally glancing at the blond from the corner of his eye. He could not help himself.

The usually gleeful shop owner was dead serious. His bright blue eyes were like saucers as he stared at the screen. The pace he had had eating popcorn had reduced to a very slow one, sometimes his hand just hanging in the air with some of the treat in it when there was a suspenseful moment. He was so focused on the events of the movie, that Aragorn was almost certain he would jump from his chair like a cat who gets a cold waterspray to it's fur whenever something sudden happened.

But he was wrong, Legolas did not shriek or make a leap out of his seat.

At some point he had grabbed the man's wrist and had a hold of it like it would protect him from his own imagination and have magic powers that the creeps will not come through the screen.

He had never seen a person so invested in different things, he seemed to have such large emotions towards anything in life.

There was no other person like him.

He adored every bit of it.

Could he think that?

Should he?

The grip loosened only towards the end of the movie, when the demon in it had been destroyed.

Or seemed like it had been, there definitely was a cliffhanger and an opening to a sequel there.

"It was far better what I expected." Legolas said happily after the credits had rolled long enough for the light to come back.

They lights flickered a bit, that made the whole situation feel a tad ominous.

The reason was found outside.

~~~~

They looked around in silence a bit.

"Uhm, you did not arrive to work by car any chance?" Legolas asked.

It was raining a bit more heavier now than it had before the movie.

"Unfortunately no, it is in maintenance..." Aragorn said. "Maybe we should try to call a cab."
"But the bus stop is right over there, and it is only a little rain."

So they decided to walk to the bus stop.

Just to learn the next bus was coming 5 a.m

"Fine, the subway then."

The little rain had turned into a pouring one, with low rumbling sound echoing from afar.

The station was much further than the bus stop.

And by the time they got there, the weather had turned into a full blown thunderstorm.

And they faced a construction site.

"Uhm...I did not know this stop is out of order...I came by bus..." Legolas said silently, next to the tight looking man.

The rain came down with such a force Aragorn could barely hear him. He too had taken a bus too from the hospital, and the subway stop being out of order was not in his knowledge either.

The was no traffic whatsoever, not even cabs. Calling one was futile too, a lot of other people having a night out had the same idea due to the weather, and probably a lot did not even want to drive in that weather.

"Hey, home is really not that far, I can get there by walking. It is only rain." Legolas stated. Most would consider the distance quite far though. "Do you live far?"

Aragorn looked around. A lightning struck bright in the distance and a low rumbling sound came some seconds after it.

He glanced at his date, who obviously shivered from being cold but tried his best to hide it.

The poor thing had not even had his jacket fully dry out during the movie, and it really was made far from any rain enduring materials.

Aragorn felt a small hesitation. It was about something he had not offered anyone for a good long while. But one more look towards Legolas and he ended up saying:

"Much closer than you. Come on."

Whatever the cosmic lineup that day was, no one could know. The unfortunate events from the weather to the public transport not functioning had created a plot, where the brunette and the blond ran through the heavy rain and flashing streets as quickly as they could.

Hand in hand.

Yes, the doctor had taken his hand.

~~~~

Aragorn guided him all the way to this very high building, that had a doorman who quickly came to open the door for them.

"Dreadful weather to be out at this hour, sir. Long shift?"
"Thank you, Théoden." Aragorn said kindly for the door. "Amongst other things, yes. Construction sites can make life a bit difficult at times, no matter how important they are. And the inability to follow the weather report due to hurry."
"Ah, of course. Do remember to drink something warm." The doorman called after them. "And perhaps take the stairs, the lights have been flickering a bit. I predict the storm will get worse before getting better."
"Thank you, but we will take our chances."

They took the elevator.

Aragorn really did not want to make his date climb up the stairs to the top of the building, the 15th floor, where he lived.

When Legolas saw the man press the number on the modul, he felt dread.

Heights, alongside with needles, was not his favourite thing.

But he did not want to complain, so he just stood there, frozen solid and pale, waiting for the elevator to stop.

After getting to the top, Aragorn led the way and Legolas followed to the front door that said Westman on the door.

"Welcome." Aragorn said, gesturing the blond enter first before him and then shut the door.

Aragorn put on the lights and put his keys to a small basket he had on a table next to the front door.

Legolas could only stand still with his arms around himself.

Not only was he quite taken about the size of the open styled apartment, but also...

...he was freezing. So very badly. The spring storm had really brought down it's best.

Aragorn was cold as well, but he could obviously handle the temperature better than his slimmer date.

"Let me take that..." Aragorn said and peeled off the wet jacket from the blond. "You are practically blue."
"No I'm not." Legolas said, shivering voice betraying him.
"Here's what we'll do: I will go change my clothes and put us some tea, and you can take a warm shower first before dressing up. I don't have anything your size, but I am sure you can survive in some of my clothes until you warm up and your clothes dry a little..."

Aragorn went to get a towel and returned.

"You are cold and wet too." Legolas noted and the man chuckled.
"Not as much as you are. Perks of a leather jacket, right?" He said. "This way."
"I don't want to mess your floors..."
"Nonsense, just come on."

Legolas pushed his shoes off by using only his feet and then followed the man as swiftly as he could so that he would not drip water everywhere.

Even his lemon and lime printed socks were soaken wet.

"There you go." Aragorn placed a change of clothes on a shelf. "Take as much time as you want."

"Okay, thank you." Legolas said sweetly and they exchanged an oddly warm gaze with one another.

Then Aragorn left him in his privacy.

For a moment Legolas just stood there and looked at the bathroom.

It was so neat. Black tiles on the floor, white on the walls and a woodpaneled ceiling. Legolas was curious as a cat, but held his nature. He would have wanted to peek inside the glasscabinet above the sink to see, does the man have any items in there, because the surfaces of the sink were clean. There was one taller cabinet in there as well, but Legolas had a hunch it was for laundry.

Legolas undressed himself and made a neat pile of his wet clothes on the floor near the shower.

Then he stepped in to the shower and felt instant happiness when the warm water hit his skin.

He stood there for a while, until the lights flickering caught his attention.

They did not go out, but after a moment flickered again.

Legolas decided it was best to finish his shower, dry himself and especially his long hair as well as he could and dress up in the clothes he had got from the man.

Yes, they definitely did not fit him, the dark college shirt being loose, and so were the black joggers, but those stayed on with the strings pulled tight.

The clothes made him smile, the laundry soap had failed to remove the scent from the man's perfume from them fully and the clothes were so soft from the inside, brushed cotton he reckoned.

"Aragorn?" He called from the door. "What should I do with my wet clothes?"

"You can pull out a drying rack from the wall next to the laundry cabinet." He heard from another room.

Hah, he knew the cabinet was one.

He opened the smaller wooden door next to the cabinet and what do you know, there was a rack you could pull out.

He hung his clothes neatly there and then left the bathroom, warm and happy.

He walked with soft silent steps on the dark parquet floor, ending up in the spacious living room.

The neat fashion of the bathroom was everywhere.

There was not a single item out of place and there was no clutter whatsoever. Every book in perfect line in the large bookshelves, diplomas and awards decorating part of the wall next to them and curious looking paintings elsewhere. A coffeetable made out of cast iron and glass sat close to a large black divan sofa that had smaller tables on each side of it. A tv hung from the wall across the sofa.

The apartment had huge windows, long yet sheer white and black drapes framing them.

There was a serious lack of greenery in that home. Not a single flower or a plant anywhere.

Legolas walked to a bookshelf where he saw picture frames arranged on it.

He instantly smiled when he saw Aragorn in some of the pictures with some other people.

He took one of the picture frames, a graduation photo, in his hands and looked at it more closely. Then he placed it back on the shelf.

The lights flickered again, and went out entirely. Legolas heard a "damn it" coming from somewhere and soon a flashlight lit the dark room only the occassional lighting flashed bright.

"Bad news about the tea. The power kept going off and well, went off, and I could not manage it ready." Aragorn said apologetically. He had also changed his clothes and towel dried his hair..
"It is quite alright."

The man walked to a glass cabinet, took a bottle and two glasses.

"I know you have not drank brandy before. Might be a bit stronger than tea, but warms you up just the same." He said and then approached, handing over a glass full of the said drink.
"Thank you." Legolas said and took a careful sniff of it.

Almost mechanically, Aragorn reached for the picture frame and adjusted it. The level of being precise was a bit scary, the man had not even known Legolas touched it in the first place.

"Is it your foster family there?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn smiled faintly.

"That is Elrond, my foster father, his wife Celebrían and their biological children; Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen." Aragorn said and sipped from his own glass.

The thunder struck loudly outside again, and the rain whipped the windows.

"You seem happy, and close." Legolas said with a smile.

Aragorn shrugged.

"I suppose." He simply said and walked to the sofa, placing the flashlight sit on it's base on the coffee table.

"Or...not so much?" Legolas asked and looked in to his drink more than the man, feeling a bit nosy to even ask.

"No, we're close." Aragorn replied. "Ro and El and I are atleast, Arwen is sweet too. Elrond and Celebrían, well..." he seemed a bit awkward. "They do love their children, of course they do. They are just...or, well...they just show it with a different way that parents maybe usually do. Or...I don't really know. A hard question I suppose." He then said thoughtfully. "Oh, but don't get me wrong, they have given immensily of their wealth and efforts to give us a good shot at life. Not to mention that they even took me from the orphanage and gave me a home in the first place."

Legolas felt that deep sting in his heart again.

He sat on the sofa, not really even thinking did the man consider it too close.

"How old you were, when you were, um..."
"Adopted?" Aragorn asked and received a nod. "A bit over nine." He replied. Then he gave a small smile. "Do not feel sorry for the little me, my life has been mostly good." He then said and Legolas nodded again with a small smile.
"Do you know why you were, uhm..."
The man shooked his head.
"I was abandoned as a baby and taken in by the orphanage I lived up until the Peredhil, my foster family, took me in. Westman is the surname the orphanage gave me. It is that because the orphange resides west part of the city and I was found in that western area too. When I lived with my foster family I was named Peredhil, but when I came of age I switched it back. My foster family did not mind that at all. The orphanage was very poor and it was not easy there, but I am quite grateful to them also. "

Legolas listened and swirled his drink in his glass while doing so.

No matter did the man tell him to not be sad for him, he could not help it and tried hard not to show it.

Just when Aragorn was about to change the subject towards the blond, a lightning flashed and the sound of thunder boomed loudly nearly right after.

It had finally reached them.

"It is kind of creepy though, there was a similar storm in the movie we watched." Legolas said with a small chuckle. "How large of a chance there is that a demon possessed poor soul will come knocking at your door?"

Aragorn shrugged.

"There is even something more frightening than a helldevil that might be encountered in here; Mrs. Swanmaiden across the hall going frantic of her wine fridge loosing power.

Legolas snorted a larger laugh, unfortunately while having a sip of his drink and it made him cough with that laugh simultaniously.

"Hey, flavor degradation of an old Chateau is no joking matter." Aragorn chided, but smiled that bit wider smile again.

"I am sorry, how untactful of me." Legolas said after managing to clear his throat. "Oh, I can almost feel the glares of the sommelier from Gilded Cloud all the way here."

And they both laughed.

Then Aragorn let out a sigh.

"I was being horrible. Mrs. Swanmaiden is a nice neighbor."
"It's okay, I fully believe you." Legolas said, not laughing anymore, but still smiling.

They looked at each other for a fleeting moment.

"Uhm...thank you so much, for letting me come here and wait out the rain." Legolas said and brushed a still damp lock of hair behind his ear.
"Of course." Aragorn simply replied, with his short manner.

The kept the studying look on each other for another fleeting moment more, and when Aragorn's gaze seemed to move away...

"You can kiss me, if you want." Legolas then blurted out. "You have taken a bite out of my burger, you know so...we have practically done that already."

Aragorn looked at him a bit surprised.

Him. The one whose poppyblue eyes shined brightly even in the small light that they had. Who's slender form and soft long hair he admired back in his shop while doing that favor for Boromir.

Who had taken his attention on his breaks more times than he cared to count anymore.

How glad he was from making that decision to offer him that peony and ask him out.

So there was no way he would have passed that offer he had just been given, no way.

That offer that was as sincere as the person saying it.

It was far less cautious or careful than what Legolas would have thought, knowing how reserved Aragorn was many ways. But this, his kiss...it was as natural as a bird soring through the sky.

It was very strange. It was their very first kiss, and had all the excitement and sparks of a first kiss, but at the same time, it felt very familiar. Like it had no insecurities of fresh acquaintancy in it or hesitations on what would the other one think.

It was confident, soft and delightfully long, even if Legolas would have not minded even more. Brandy tasted far better off the doctor than a glass and the stubbled beard he had tickled his very smooth skin.

The lights turned back on, but another kiss was shared. It lasted longer, long enough for a loud beeping sound starting to ring from the kitchen.

Ringing sound?

"Oh, that's right...I must have forgot the start button down on the electric kettle..." Aragorn chuckled and rubbed his face a bit. "I am not usually this forgetful." He said a bit silent. "I will go make you that tea I promised."

Legolas pulled him to sit back down when he tried to get up.

"You have done so much for me already, so how about you sit back and relax a little and I will go and make those teas, hm? I will survive, if you just tell me where to find everything."

Aragorn smiled a little.

"I left the mugs and the box of tea right next to the kettle. Milk is in the fridge if you like to use it and honey in the cupboard above the kettle."
"Do you use milk or honey?" Legolas asked happily.
"Not this time, thank you."

Legolas could not help himself to lean over, test the waters some more, and coax another kiss.

With a happier smile he straightened his back and went to the kitchen.

He was not even surprised of the neatness anymore. Everything was immaculate.

He saw the two black mugs that had white ornate lines on them sitting on the counter, right where Aragorn said they would be.

He opened the box of tea, which delighted him to the fullest.

He could have sworn Aragorn would have been a plain black tea type, but he had an assortment of different flavored fruit and berries tea.

He took a few good minutes and ended up with a cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant mix himself.

Maybe it had taken him some more time to choose, leaning all dazed there against the counter, not sure was he dreaming or being awake.

He did not think he had ever been kissed like that. It was something special. He would have worried going overboard with his infatuation, unless he would have been so happy from the whole evening.

About Aragorn.

"What flavor do you like?" Legolas then hollered. He waited for a small moment. "Aragorn, do you have a favourite?"

When he got no answer, he walked back to the living room.

And felt fondness towards the man who was slumped against the corner of the sofa, legs resting long and completely asleep.

He decided not to disturb, only covered him with a dark grey quilt that rested on the backrest.

He made himself the tea and while drinking it, looked for all the switches in the apartment to shut the lights, leaving one open in the kitchen that gave a small glow to a tiny portion of the living room through the doorway. He even pulled the long drapes over the windows, being careful not to look out and down. It was still raining, he could see that, but the thunder had passed further away.

He rinsed his mug and dried it.

The large sofa had room for him to curl up on the other end. It had been a long day for him as well

And sleep found him fast.

~~~~

The blond florist had slept so soundly, that he did not wake up from the sound of Aragorn's phone.
He did wake up some time after that, when he felt a gentle shake of his arm.

"I am sorry to wake you. I got a call, there is an emergency and I have to go to work asap."

Legolas sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Okay." He muttered sleepily. "I won't take long, I will just go see if my clothes are dry..."

But he received that gentle touch on his arm again.

"You know what, it is really early. If you want, you can go back to sleep - I don't mind. Just if you leave before I get back home, make sure the door is locked, okay? It will lock by itself when you push it shut."

Legolas looked at him.

"Really, you don't mind?" He still sounded drowsy.
"Not at all. Sleep well."
"Okay..."

Legolas was good at sleeping. He needed only to put his head back to rest on the sofapillow and have the man cover him with the quilt to fall asleep again.

~~~~

When Aragorn did finally return a lot later during the day, his guest had left.

A strange yet beautiful looking plant in a glass orb sat on his coffee table. It had no water, but did have smooth light coloured stones in it. Next to it was a note.

"I asked my friend to bring this here as a thank you. It is a tillandsia. Whatever you do, do not give it water for atleast two or three weeks. And don't worry, we did not touch anything, I promise. I will have the clothes you lend me washed, so you need to get them from me. I had the best time, thank you again for everything." Signed with a ornate L.

TBC

Chapter Text

The bright bell on the shop door rang.

Aragorn stepped inside the lovely scented establishment, immediately slowly and deeply inhaling the fragrants. He had his coffee with him, and his newspaper as well.

He could not miss the lopsided grin the redheaded young man had behind the counter when he saw him approach.

"Is Legolas here by any chance?" He asked.
"He is with a customer." The redhead said.

Aragorn could hear a faint discussion at the far end of the shop.

"Perhaps I should just send him a message instead..."
"Relax, newspaperman. Take a seat, Legolas will be finished well before your break is over." Came the amused reply and a nod of his head towards a small round table and two wooden chairs behind the counter.

Aragorn was a bit hesitant, but did go and sat on the offered seat.

For a second he pondered his own clockwork schedule, which obviously was well known even by the other worker in the shop.

The redhead flashed him one more grin, before turning his attention to another customer who had just entered the shop.

While waiting, Aragorn decided to finish his paper and drink his coffee.

He heard Legolas' bright laughter and immediately the sound tugged the corners of his own lips.

What was happening to him.

He focused on the newspaper. It felt a tad odd, it was like reading in the middle of a tropic jungle considering the humidity, but just without the place being too hot. It was quite cool there actually.

But it definitely was nice, not uncomfortable. The various scents had a lot of power to relax a person whether the person wanted that or not.

When the blond came to the register with his customers, Aragorn's focus had shifted from the paper to him. It really was hard not to.

He had such an energy to him, it was hard for Aragorn to imagine anyone leaving the shop without a smile. Of course perhaps the people in more mournful purposes to be there, but other than that.

There was a small family buying a couple of plants, a pack of seeds and a small potted rose Legolas, after tying a ribbon around the pot, handed over to the little girl of the family.

After saying their byes, he turned to Aragorn with a smile.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" He asked happily. He would have wanted to go for a kiss or a hug, but it did feel just a tad inappropriate, considering they had not really talked about his visit and sleepover a couple of days ago. "Oh, unless you are here for your clothes and to that I have to say immediately, that I am holding them hostage at a different location." He said and the man chuckled.
"No, it is not about the clothes."

The man seemed awkward. Or nervous. Maybe both a little.

Legolas frowned and sat on the other vacant chair, leaning his elbow on the table and his jaw against his palm.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.
"No, I mean yes - everything is good." Aragorn replied and let out a mostly invisible breath. "I...have a favor, I would like to ask you."

Legolas immediately brightened up.

"Ooooh, a favor. I am intriqued. What is it that I could do for you?" He asked with a wide smile.
"Okay...my foster mother is receiving an award at a political event, and it has a sit-down dinner and everything. Her family is invited...them and their plus one."

Legolas raised his other brow.

"Means all her family and their dates." Curu whispered while walking past them to the backroom to give a bit of privacy.

"Oh...oh!" Then he got it. "And you...want to...take me?" He asked a bit disbelieved.
"Yes." Aragorn said in relief. "So what do you say?"

Legolas tilted his head a bit and the small frown had returned.

"This event...it is a classy one, I assume?"
Aragorn nodded faintly.
"Gilded Cloud fancy?"
Again he nodded.

Legolas leaned back and his hands slided to his lap.

"Oh, I don't know Aragorn, I mean it is such a lovely invite and I am flattered, I really am, but..."

Aragorn pulled his chair right next to him.

"You would do fine, trust me." He reassured. "I would really appreciate if you would come with me, I...yeah. I would really appreciate it." Aragorn said.

Legolas pursed his lips. The man had taken his hand too to plea his case. It just might be his kryptonite.

"You promise to help me with the manners and uhm, etiquette and everything? I do not want to make a fool of myself and have you embarrassed." Legolas said far more shy than how he usually articulates.

Aragorn felt a strange pang of fondness towards him.

"Legolas, you could not be an embarrassment to me. So you'll come?"

Legolas glanced at him, smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." Aragorn said sincerely.

"Are you sure your family is okay for you to take me there?" Legolas asked.
"Are you kidding? The adopted gay son with a date gives such good public image to Celebrían." Aragorn said.

Legolas was really unsure was that a joke or not. He hoped it was, but he felt it wasn't.

But one thing he was sure of, and that was his hunch of him and the man having something else than friendship bubbling in their interactions. It was not just seeing each other here and there and studying how the other one is anymore, it was about having a dive deeper.

Would you come meet my family deep. Even if that was not the agenda.

Still, he felt trusting and bold enough for a request of his own.

"I will be your date. And I know, it is a favor. But I would like a little something for it, for courage, if nothing else." He said and made a small pout.

Aragorn did get the hint, and it made him smile.

Of course he kissed the blond.

One point to the blond's hunch.

"Thank you. I mean it." Aragorn said.
"No problem. When is the event anyway?"
"Tonight." Aragorn said and the blond immediately looked shocked. "I'll pick you up at seven. I gotta run, my break is soon over." He smooched the blond again and left before his date could change his mind and refuse.

"Sooooo..." Curu dragged while leaning on a doorway. "We close early and go shopping?"

Legolas sighed.

Shrugged.

And nodded.

~~~~

Fifteen past six Legolas felt nervous, more than he had in a long while.

He had been looking at this foreign sight from the mirror for a few times. Few dozen times. Maybe more, but who counts.

He was unsure was it the event and all the high-class people that made him nervous, or was it meeting Aragorn's family.

Did the man invite him for that? Or for the event? Or both?
Was he greatly overthinking?

Possibly.

He groaned and looked at the clock. It was seventeen past six.

He started to pace. His orange ball of fur for a cat keenly looking at his movements.

Still, he was very touched that the man invited him. He had obviously felt nervous too, leaving it to such short notice.

When the clock was fifteen past half, his doorbell rang.

The orange fluffy lightning darted across the room and hid under the couch, and Legolas went to open.

"Good evening." Aragorn said politely, neat and perfect scented as always.

"Hi..." Legolas replied.

He looked quite different than usual. He had a black dress shirt on, tucked in neat with his black jeans. A black overcoat hung from a hanger by the door with a pair of black boots under it on the floor.

His long hair he had combed back and braided neatly to a thick long braid.

"Tell me the truth, do I look okay?" Legolas asked after taking a couple of steps back and spreading his arms to showcase himself.

His socks where obviously unnegotiable and made the doc smile.

Black that had little ghosts in pastelshades on them.

"You look absolutely perfect." Aragorn said and the blond smiled.
"Really?"
"No doubt about it. Are you ready to leave?"

Legolas did glance at the clock and they did still have plenty of time to get there without being late, but the man's punctuality did make him amused.

"I will go check I shut down all the appliances in the kitchen, just a moment."

And Legolas disappeared in his jungle.

There was the cat again, staring, sitting and licking it's paw lazily.

Aragorn gave the feline a small nod and waited.

"Okay, we can go now." Legolas said, holding a bouquet in a cellophane wrap.
"What is that?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas looked at the flowers and then the man.

"They are yellow roses, geraniums, lavender and silver artemisia." He said happily. "Very congratulatory." He said proudly. Then he scratched the cat. "Bye Tuftuf."

He doublechecked to have his keys and his phone and finally was ready to leave.

The man's silver colored car waited on the side of the road when they got out.

~~~~

Legolas kept tapping his fingers against his knee while Aragorn drove.

Some old pop rock song about a daydream believer played silently from the radio.

Music was calming. Actually both of them shared that thought.

"Are there any topics I should avoid?" Legolas suddenly asked.
"Avoid?" Aragorn asked and thought for a moment. "I don't think so."

A small silence.

"So how will this event play out?" Legolas then asked.

Aragorn made a right turn.

"It is very simple, we have a designated place we sit at, we eat dinner which is easy to choose, there usually are two options to choose from different courses and then we eat and the awards are being given and we mingle and then we leave." Aragorns said, making it sound like a war operation.

Legolas frowned.

"Mingle, huh..."

"Don't worry, it will be fine. You give it more nerves than what this tedious evening deserves." The man said and made another turn. "Celebrían deserves her recognition, don't get me wrong. Banquets and award ceremonies and celebratory breakfasts and all that has just never been my thing..."

Legolas glanced at Aragorn. He was actually quite happy to hear that, even if the man did know how to behave in these things.

~~~~

The man drove out of town to a very fancy looking country club.

He parked the car amongst all the other fancy looking vehicles.

Fancy was the leading word of the evening.

"I'll open the door for you. Good manners. And eyes and ears everywhere. There are press present in these things usually. Local news at most though, nothing major." The man said.

Great, like Legolas was not nervous already. He had been interviewed and photographed a few times due to his work, but he did not enjoy being on the spotlight too much.

Legolas waited as he was told, and got out when the door opened, offering a smile for it.

Legolas gave the flowers a little touch-up while Aragorn locked the doors. To his ease, the outside seemed to be quite empty, a few people entering through the main door, but no cameramen or flashing lights or commotion.

Still, it was a good excuse to take the man's arm with his own free one.
Eyes and ears everywhere and whatnot.

Aragorn had merely glanced at him for doing so, but Legolas had flashed a smile so enchanting he did not even question the act.

They entered the building and the amount of people in there made Legolas just to tighten his hold of that arm.

They were showed to the right direction by one of the employees there.

"He looked quite dapper." Legolas stated when the serious looking man in a tux had showed them the way.

Aragorn smiled. Of course Legolas would use a word like 'dapper'.

"Look Aragorn, I think the cast and crew of the Gilded Cloud is here and brought all their friends." Legolas whispered.

"Aragorn!"

Both of them turned to look to the direction of the voice. A brunette woman was waving at them from a table, one from the picture.

"That is Arwen." Aragorn said after giving a small wave back. "And her date Haldir. Next to him is Elladan and his wife, Elrohir with, uhm...not the lady I have met last time. Then there is Elrond and Celebrían and a few other people most likely from her office."

A small round of introductions went when they got to the table.

"Aragorn, I thought you were coming alone." His stepmother said after the man had given her a small peck on her cheek.

"So did I." He replied. "But fortunately luck was on my side tonight."
"Legolas, was it?" She asked.

Celebrían was beautiful. She had long, light hair, almost with a faint silverish hue to it. Her eyes had this blue, green and grey mix, which actually emphasized this calculative gaze that she had. She was dressed in a black designer pantsuit and just gave out this almost strict persona.

"Yes. Congratulations for your achievement, ma'am." Legolas said as politely as he knew and handed the flowers to the woman.

"Delightful." Was all she said after glancing at them briefly before putting them away on the table.

Legolas felt Aragorn's hand against his back and push him a little, then he pointed where they would sit.

Gentleman as always, he even pulled the chair for the blond.

Not a moment after a waiter came to take their orders.

The choices had been made even easier than Legolas had thought, there was just two set of a five course meal to choose from.

"I'll have the one with the fish, please." Legolas said kindly after a moment of thinking.
"Same for me." Aragorn said.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Just water, thank you."

"Aragorn." Arwen said immediately with a chiding tone. "Please tell me you are not going to sit here without having a drink for mother's celebration, are you?"
"I am driving." Aragorn replied with a calm voice.
"Then don't. Take a taxi home, you can have your car back tomorrow. He will have a glass of champagne and then a Pinot Gris." She said decisively. They shared a gaze.
"Fine." Aragorn then said and the waiter nodded.
"How about you, sir?" He then asked from Legolas.
"U-uhm, same, please."

"So, Elrohir, do continue." Elrond said, and the other twin continued a story of a courtroom situation obviously interrupted halfway.

"El and Ro are lawyers, so is Elrond. They work for him, actually. Arwen works at the city council, like their mother." Aragorn whispered when he saw Legolas following the conversation.

He gave a smile to the man, even if he found the setting a bit off. They were obviously a family, but it just felt strange to him how everyone was, very strange. Formal and sort of distant.

"How are things at the hospital?" Elrond asked after the meal had started and the courtroom story had found it's end.

"Good. Busy." Aragorn replied.
"Do you still work with the university also? I have not seen or heard any of your articles for a while."
"Uhm, I do. Teaching a bit at the moment, not so much writing. Or well, sharing expertise to med students on lectures."

Legolas had frowned a little. To be honest he did not know and sort of had just thought the man to work solely at the hospital, taking care of patients.

"What is it that you do, Legolas?" Arwen asked suddenly, taking the blond a bit by surprise to even be addressed.

"I am a florist." He replied.
"An entrepreneur." Aragorn added.

"A florist?" Elrond repeated. "Where did you study?" "Edoras elementary, junior high and high." Legolas replied lightly.

There came a cut on the conversation, like a sharpened knife would have sliced through a thin paper.

"You have no academic knowledge on your field?" Aragorn's stepmother inquired soon after.

"Uhm..."

Right about there he realized somewhere deep inside that perhaps what he dressed or how he ate was not what should have made him nervous.

But he shifted and emitted his inner light out as well as always.

"I had an apprenticeship, for years. I competed a lot in cultivational and horticulture events. And when my master finally deemed me good enough, was where I felt I was able to open my own shop." He said.

He had a steady "hmm" from Elrond and he thanked all the spirits in the world for the award ceremony starting and the focus of everyone shifting on that.

~~~~

There was more person than Celebrían being recognized, so as one speech after another went by, so did one glass of wine after another.

By the time the formalities were over, Legolas was quite sure that his face felt numb from all the drink he did not refuse from just to keep it up with the people he sat with.

"So, Aragorn." Arwen dragged, interrupting a conversation the man was having with his foster brothers. "Daeron just finished his masters with high honors. He got promoted too."
"Good for him." The calm voice simply said next to the blond. Legolas did not know who was Daeron, but Aragorn's voice made him smile, and how composed he seemed to be at all times.

Legolas was just happy no one was talking to him, perhaps they had all deemed him too unintelligent to have a conversation with because he did not have a fancy education.

Not that Legolas had absolutely anything against high education, he just thought that having or not having one did not really matter what kind of a person one is.

The woman baffled him just a little bit. He knows Aragorn told him that she was sweet, but she seemed annoyed if anything by something that was hard to tell.

"How long have you been going out anyway?" She interrogated.

"A few months." Legolas stated out, that being nowhere near anything true considering that their track record was three dates and two separate times of kissing.

The wine he had consumed had blurred him the fact that he did not even know had Aragorn been single that entire time he claimed for them to have dated, but it did seem to pass as a plausible reply.

"A few months, huh. Well, isn't that sweet." Arwen said and gave her fosterbrother half a smile.

Legolas looked at all the people dancing on the dance floor the ballroom had. He loved seeing couples dance, any age, any shapes or sizes, especially when there was fondness detectable amongst the couples.

"Do you like to dance?" He heard Aragorn ask him.
He turned to look at the man, and then leaned so close to him that the tip of his wine-numbed nose brushed his ear.

"I might have shaked my peach in a party club downtown a time or two." He said, and giggled to the small choke his date experienced with the sip of water he had been having.

Honestly, Aragorn had tried stopping himself from thinking about Legolas' 'peach', because he found it a tad innappropriate in a way, because he liked did like him, not just wanting to get in to bed with him.

But hearing the happy florist speak about his peach painted an unstoppable, brief, yet vivid picture.

"But if you mean that kind of dancing, I do not know. I never have." Legolas then said. "I have seen a lot of people dance like that in movies and tv though."
"We can change that." Aragorn said. "Excuse us."

Legolas did have a slight fear going through him that his legs would feel as numb as his face did, but luckily his date offered that delightfully toned bicep he could hold on to.

Even nicer was to have Aragorn curl his arm around his back on the dance floor while holding his hand, pressing it gently against his chest.

Legolas most likely was staring, how could he not to with the man's face so close to his as they swayed to this song singing about what the letters L.O.V.E means.

Perhaps not the best topic to choose, but Legolas could not help himself.

"Who is Daeron?" He asked a tad shyly.

The man's calm persona did not waver.

"Fortunately a former acquaintance." Came the answer.
"An ex-boyfriend?"
An agreeing hum.

They swayed to the music.

"He is Arwen's closest friend. It just did not turn out well." Aragorn suddenly said and Legolas nodded.

"I don't think she likes me really." Legolas said and received a fond gaze from the man leading him to the music.

"Don't mind about her. Arwen really can be very sweet, I think she is just under some work stress, has relationship problems and had a bit too much to drink. I have always been one she could vent out to, even if she won't speak of the things that really bother her." Aragorn said. "She of course was upset Daeron and I did not work out."

Legolas nodded again. To be honest, he did not really want to talk about either of them anymore.

So he decided to just enjoy the moment, listen to the song he actually enjoyed very much, while inhaling the scent the man wore and which he was head over heels for.

Was it jealousy that had made him feel this small burn in his heart and gut from the conversation.

Well, whatever it was, dancing the rest of the night like the people do in movies with the man was like ointment to it.

~~~~

After dancing and drinking for the celebration enough, they said their goodbyes and took a taxi away from the country club.

Aragorn had requested the cab to drive by Legolas' building first.

Always the gentleman, he asked the car to wait for him, so that he could walk his date to the front door of the building.

"Thank you, Legolas, for coming with me. I do hope you enjoyed the evening, even if it really was not your cup of tea." The man said quickly when it was obvious neither knew what to say really. "I'll...see you soon?" He asked.
"I did have fun. And...of course." Legolas replied.

Aragorn calculated the moment as he usually did, and gave the blond a kiss goodbye on his cheek.

After taking a few steps back towards the car...

"Aragorn...why did you take me there?" Legolas asked and the man turned to look at him again, puzzled.

Legolas took a glance at the empty street and then the ground around his feet.

"You knew how your family would think of me. They really did not approve, did they. They changed a few words and after that most likely hoped you would not be seen with me anymore."

The puzzled look turned into a frown.

"No, Legolas that is not true. They just are a...specific kind of people, with...specific kind of views of other people and...life, I suppose. They are not bad people."

"So, why?"

The blond now looked at him, his usually joyful smile mostly faded.

Aragorn took a look towards the empty street too, rubbing his neck.

He seemed to have lost some of his cool and calm composure, and showed nerves.

"Okay.." he said to himself and walked back to his date. "Okay, you want to know why I invited you to go with me?" He asked and the blond nodded.

Aragorn released a deepish breath.

"Okay, here goes nothing...I invited you, because..." why was it suddenly so hard. Having glances at the empty street or the pavement did not help to form his thoughts or words.

Luckily the bright, poppy blue eyes looking at him did.

"Look, Legolas, I like you. I mean...I like you. A lot. And...I thought that...if I am lucky enough, of course...the moment that you would have to meet my family, at some point, would come, and...this seemed like a perfect moment to sort of just...get it out of the way." He got out.

Legolas could not control the wide smile that streched to his lips. He did not really care about that point about any of the uncomfotable feelings he might have felt during the evening.

"You like me? A lot?" He asked.

The doctor could only look at him. How could he not.

It was a look enough to make the butterflies Legolas felt crazy.

The blond curled his arms loosely around the man's neck.

"I like you a lot too." He said. "What does it mean then?

He felt a careful touch on his both sides.

"I, uh..." Aragorn cleared his throat. "I suppose something like...I would appreciate if you go out, that you would not shake your, uhm, peach...to anyone specific. Because..."
"You would like to be that specific?" Legolas teased and laughed a little to the faint blush he could swear of seeing ln the good doc. He did nod.

Legolas kissed him. Perhaps it was more like a joyous smooch than a sweet, sophisticated kiss the moment could have had inserted.

"It's a promise." He said and kissed him again. He could feel this tension leave the man's muscles. "Now go, handsome, before the cab driver charges you thousands. Call me tomorrow?"
"Definitely."

Aragorn did finally leave the blond's immediate presence, grudgingly.

"Goodnight, doctor Westman." Legolas said and waved to him.

"Goodnight, blossom."

TBC

Chapter Text

"You are driving me nuts. Can't you just go see him at the hospital?" The redhead of the shop groaned.

"No, of course not." Legolas replied and measured stems of roses to be the same length. "To be honest, I do not even know his work schedule at the moment..."

Legolas sighed.

It was silly. Nothing had changed, it is not like he and the doc establishing their relationship would magically create more time for the man to have for him, he knew that.

So why is waiting him to answer feeling more excruciating than before?

Perhaps he was the one being silly and not the situation, letting the gorgeous doctor consume his thoughts completely like that.

But he could not help himself.

"You know what I like about him so much?" Legolas asked happily and placed the finished roses in a cold cabinet with his friend releasing a loud sigh.

"I don't knoooow, the firmness of his-" the redhead received a glare. "-bicep?"

"Very funny, Cur." Legolas said but smiled. "That too though. He has a very nice bicep. But I like that he is so...different. It is hard to explain, he is so..."
"Uptight?"

Another glare. But Legolas did shrug, Aragorn was a little and no one could really deny it.

"Well, no. No, not uptight. Or maybe. Tense? Perhaps. Very cautious and self conscientous? Totally. But still in a way, he has this...playful side too, he just keeps it in tight check. But I find it so funny and sweet in a way. He is very sweet."

"You know what else is sweet and funny? The fact that I will soon hurt you enough to send you in the ER to see him, because you are driving me nuts, did I not mention that?" The redhead said and shooked his friend from the shoulders.

"Fine. I will quit it." Legolas promised. "For an undetermined amount of time. What am I cutting these for anyway, it is your job." He said and released the rest of the roses he had uncut. "Have you seen my phone?"

"Uhm, yes. I think it is in the back. And I think it's battery took it's last breath like an hour ago when you got a message.
"WHAT?! Curu, you are the absolute worst?" Legolas scolded, but not in an angry way.
"You can borrow my charger, it's in my bag."
"I love you. Remember - they have to be exact same length, no exceptions. Take one from what I cut for an example length."
"Aye aye, boss."

Quite quickly Legolas found his phone and his friend's charger.

He went to the store side of the shop and plugged it in, fought to get it open and yes, finally, there it was.

One received message.

A very warm answer of "thank you, you too" to Legolas' quite long message about this and that which ended in a "have a good workday".

Still it made him happy.

He wrote the man, asking wll he have the time for a quick meet during his break.

The answer "no" came sooner than expected.

"Can we meet up in the evening?"

"No, sorry."

Legolas sighed a bit more hiddenly now, leaning his jaw to his palm while thinking what to say next. Again his phone buzzed.

"I am really in need of a good run. Care to join me tomorrow morning?"

"Run?" Legolas said outloud and looked at Curu.
"Run?" The redhead repeated in question while measuring roses. He did halt his chores at that point.
"He is asking me to go for a run."

There was a moment of silence.

And the redhead exploded in laughter.

"You? Doing exercise? Actual exercise?" He howled. "You hate exercise!"
"Shut up!" Legolas replied with a laugh he could not hold, throwing a roll of twine at him. "I am in good shape. And I can totally run."
"Lassé, honey, you considering running to the last bus to get home and see Family Feud on time does does not make it exercise. Or when we ran from bullies at school, seriously boy, that was closer to exercise but still not it. And it was like twelve years ago last, so it does not help you at all at this point." Curu said and wiped the corner of his eye from all the laughing. Then he continued the rest of his cutting.

"Thank you very much, bestie, to have such deep faith in me." Legolas said, faking hurt to his best ability. "But I really want to see him."
"Enough to run out of free will?"

Legolas glared at his friend again, but his gaze did soften.

"Yes."
"Really? Damn. Then you really must be very smittened with him." Curu teased him and send a blowkiss. "Even if the guy is a tad uptight."
"Hey, you better stop teasing him or I will tell what you said about his foster brothers when you brought that tillandsia." "What, they were totally shower thinking material. I stand by with what I said. Are you sure neither swings our way?" Curu replied with a spark of hope.

Legolas shrugged.

"The other one is married, and the other one did have a date with him. A female date." He then said.
"Oh, but a female date does not say everything." Curu said matter-of-factly. "So let a guy dream, alright."
"Dream as much as you like, Cur." Legolas chuckled and looked at the message again.

"Of course I want to join you!" He sent back.

"You better go dig out your running shoes at home then, now we all know you will have the best chance to find them the more time you have to do so."
"You are insufferable." Legolas said with a smile and shooked his head.
"And that is exactly why you love me." Curu replied. "How are these, boss?" He showed the bundle of flowers.

"Absolute perfection, you are forgiven of all your teasing." Legolas said happily.

~~~~

The wake up next morning felt like a nightmare.

He had agreed to meet the man at 5 o'clock in the park near Aragorn's home.

5 o'clock.

It was 4.00 a.m now.

Night-mare, with a capital N.

He was able to wake up early if he went to bed early enough.

Well, he had not.

So going to sleep two o'clock in the night and waking up at four was a stretch.

He had decided to take a bus that would take him by that park just around five, which meant he would have to be up and out in fifteen minutes.

That basically covered him brushing his teeth and face, and dressing up in proper clothes fit for running that he used mostly in far different occassions; like watching tv in his sweatpants, before dragging himself out of the apartment.

Today he did not have the energy to skip down the stairs, although he was excited to see Aragorn. Elevator was more than sufficient at that hour.

Atleast his traveling went according to plan, although he felt like dozing off and sleeping past his stop, but luckily that did not happen.

And of course, a familiar sight was met when he got off and managed the rest of the way to the park; good, handsome dr.Westman early and on time as always.

Looking exceptionally good even at the crack of dawn and in running clothes.

"Good morning." Aragorn said with a small smile when he saw the blond.
"Good morning." Legolas got out far more cheerful than he could have believed under his circumstances.

He received a lovely kiss on the cheek which most definitely gave him more energy to the task.

"I am glad you wanted to join me. It is good to see you."
"Of course, a good run is always a good run, am I right." Legolas stated with a smile. "I just have to say, I knew those fit far better on you than on me." He said.

He meant the clothing, nearly identical to the ones the man had loaned him on their movietheater night.

That still cosily lived inside his apartment. The faintly perfume scented shirt perhaps somewhere near his bed.

Okay, on his bed.

"You look good yourself." Aragorn accepted the compliment with one of his own. "I had time enough to stretch already, do you need a moment for that or have you already?"

Legolas blanked out for a moment.

"Stretch? No, sure, I have stretched, all good." He dragged with a nod.

A lie.

Why did he lie?

Perhaps he did not want to seem completely hopeless on this matter. Which he was.

"Alright, good. When is it the last time you have ran?"
"Uhm...it has been a small while." Legolas said. That was closer to the truth, it just depended on who was the judge on what 'been a while' meant.

"Well, we can take it easy. Perhaps a three mile run is sufficient enough."

The words 'easy' and 'three miles' echoed in the blond's head.

"Ready?"

An agreeing hum. One that lightened Aragorn's step any time or day of the week.

"Can we walk for a bit so that I can, uhm...get in to the uh, mind set?"

Aragorn looked at him a bit thoughtful.

"Sure."

And walk they did.

"It is such a lovely morning today. A tad cool perhaps." Legolas said.
"It is."

They walked halfway in to the park, enjoying the said morning.

"We really better get going, otherwise three miles will happen only in daydreams today. You good?"

Legolas could not think of a good excuse to avoid the inevitable he had agreed to, so...

"Let's go."

~~~~

The first five to ten minutes was a breeze, he even managed to keep a conversation going with Aragorn about work related things and just this and that about things outside of work.

But gradually it had become tougher to talk while jogging and the pace of their jogging was not really jogging anymore, it really was more a run. He concentrated on his breathing and kept his eyes on the street mostly, only paying attention when Aragorn pointed where to turn.

Aragorn. The man who kept running with ease like a machine.

The sweetest thing he had heard all year, next to the man calling him blossom once, was when the man finally said:

"We're good, let's stop there."

They had made a quite trip, but ended up on the outskirt of the same park they had started at, on a spot that had outdoor sporting equipment and exercising bars around.

Legolas leaned his hands against his thighs and breathed. Or tried to.

He felt hot and nauseous and dizzy even.

"Are you alright?" Aragorn asked, and the blond felt a comforting hand against his back.

"I'm...good...this...is great..." he panted.

The kind, encouraging tap he received on his back felt really nice.

He could not but look when the man left his side and despite of that run they just haf, decided to do a few pull-ups on a bar close where he was catching his breath.

He managed to smile and shooked his head a little.

"I see you as well forgot your water bottle." Aragorn said when he hopped down. "Luckily I remebered my wallet. Let's go to that store real quick."

Forgot, did not think of one. Same thing right, Legolas thought to himself.

"You go...I will sit here just a little bit..." Legolas said with one arm around his side that was having a painful sting, and sat on a long wooden bench by a picnic table.

"You sure?"
"Yup, definitely."
"Okay, I'll be right back."

Legolas hummed. And immediately when the man had disappeared in the small convenience store, Legolas took of the hoodie that he wore and fell to lay on his back on the bench to die a little more in the brisk air with his t-shirt on.

The blue sky above, birds flying against the clouds and the lushious and green reaching their long branches above him did make him smile. He loved nature. The scent of grass and earth. The cool wind on his skin with the sun's occassional morning ray teasing his eyes.

Okay, he felt more lively now. Only a little though.

"Here." He soon heard from the end of the bench where Aragorn stood. The man offered his hand and pulled the blond to sit up, then giving him a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Legolas said. "But just incase, I will not survive, tell Curu to call my parents. And my former gym teacher, I want him to know I died during exercise."

Aragorn laughed a little and took a small box of juice from his pantpocket.

"Here, drink this as well." He placed it on the table and sat next to the blond, putting another infront of himself.

"Unsweetened cherry juice." Legolas said after taking a sip of his water.

"Running does good for the cardiovascular health, water and unsweetened cherry juice after it does good for the muscles used for the task." Aragorn said and drank as well. "Don't worry, I won't let you die too easy. I am a doctor after all." He said and now Legolas laughed shortly.
"A medical professional and a terminator it seems, you did not even break a sweat!"
"Sure I did. Not just as much. I went easy on you." The man looked at the blond. "You don't really run, do you."

Legolas felt his cheeks burn from embarrassement now rather the heat from running.

"Uhm...no..." he said a bit sheepishly.

The man smiled fondly.

"You wouldn't have had to come, I don't really mind do you indulge in the same things I do or not."
"But...I wanted to see you."

The smile faded a bit. It was hard to tell what the gaze looking at him now was about.

"It is very sweet of you to push yourself how you just did just to see me. I am sorry I have been very busy."
"Oh no, I made my own choice. And you know what, I actually feel kind of great right now. Exercise is good, right. And I know you are busy, a-and it is quite alright, I just...I like to spend time with you and talk to you and I sort of m-" miss you was how it would have ended but Legolas stopped himself, just taking a small breath and not speaking anymore.

He needed to remind himself about suffocating people, and how that had been a critique he had received in the past.

Aragorn glanced at the park and finished his water. Then he fiddled the juice box open.

"Uhm, I don't know what plans have you for this morning, but...I need to get back home, to take a shower and have some breakfast."
"Okay, sure." Legolas said and gave a small smile.
"Would you...like to come as well?"

Legolas might have shortcircuited for a bit.
His brain adding 'to take a shower' and 'come as well' together. Luckily his mind cleared the information to a more sensible, cleaner form.

"To have breakfast with you?" The smile widened. "Of course, if I am no trouble to you."
"Of course you aren't."

They got up, juice boxes in hand.

But Legolas was who he was by his nature and without stopping himself for the second time, he reached and took a hold of the man's free hand with his own.

He gave a smile and got a smaller one back. Then he took a sip of his juice.

"Holy shhh - this is tart." He said after sticking his tongue out like a cat, making the man laugh a lot more than he usually does.

And squeeze his hand tighter.

~~~~

They got to Aragorn's apartment.

"Alright, I will just have a quick shower. Make yourself at home."
"Okay. Is there anything I can do breakfastwise?"
"No, don't worry about it, I will only take a minute."

The man disappeared in the bathroom and the blond was left wandering.

He did immediately go see the tillandsia, which sat in it's glassbowl on the coffee table.

"Hmm, now that won't do..." he muttered and took the plant with him to the kitchen.

The man told him to make himself at home, so he started to go through his cabinets and cupboards until he found a bowl large enough.

Then he filled it with warm water that was about room temperature.

Carefully took the plant out of the glass case and sunk it in the water.

"What are you doing?" Asked the smooth voice from the doorway, which made the blond turn around.

And shortcircuit some more, seeing the man there with nothing but a towel draped around his waist, skin and hair still somewhat wet from the shower.

And everything Legolas had pictured in his head about the man under his clothes, which he had, shamelessly had, was a shadow to the reality.

The man was a piece of sculpted perfection.

There was a possibility a few incoherrent syllables got loose before his mind got proper power again.

"The tillandsia looked just a teensy bit shriveled, so I decided to water it for you." He said, happy about the returned coherency.

Which had a serious danger of going down the drain again when the man just casually walked his to-die-for existence and scent right next to him to see the process.

"So you just put it in there and that's that?"
Legolas hummed a yes.
"What temperature?"
"About 20-22."
"How long?"
"Sixty minutes."
"Then what?"
"Pick it out, give it a small shake and then leave it to dry upside down for like atleast six hours. It does not matter if it is a bit longer, but atleast that. Do that every ten days and then just mist it a little every now and then it it curls the tips and it will be fine."

Legolas might be a free spirit and perhaps a bit all over the place, but he knew his business what came to flowers and plants and nurturing them.

Being this precise on something was a thing Aragorn did appreciate. Although he did not mind Legolas being so rambunctious in many matters at all.

"I just put it in the water straight now, but I would prefer the water to sit for some time before putting the plant in because this is tap water and it should sit so that chemicals evaporate. And I don't think you want to buy gallons of springwater to sink it in." He chuckled but saw the thoughtful look on the man's face. "B-but if you go to those kind of measures, just make sure the water is room temp."

Aragorn thought for a moment and then shooked his head with a sigh.

"Perhaps it is just better that you come by to water it whenever it needs it if you have the time, I would very much like it to stay alive. I am not really what you would call a greenthumb." Aragorn said nonchalantly and went to the fridge. "Breakfast will take just a few short moments, you can by all means have a shower too, if you feel like it?"

Legolas processed this. Or what the man said first.

Was that just an ongoing visit invitation that will be ceased only when said so that he heard?

That thought visited briefly and quickly ran away, when his eyes had wandered on the towel dressed man again.

"Legolas?" Aragorn soon asked, obviously for not getting any answers to anything.

"That depends are you cooking looking like that." Just got out and the man glanced at him puzzled.
"Oh, that's right." Aragorn chuckled. "I was on my way getting dressed when I saw you here. It was not my intention to-"
"Don't be sorry, I am not. You are gorgeous." Legolas said with all sincerity and smile. "I think a shower could be good, maybe it rinses the rest of the horrors - I mean the wonderful, rejuvenating run away."

That made the man laugh a little. He could not believe he had been that comfortable around the blond to begin with, to just waltz in and stay like that like he would if he was alone.

"You can find a towel in my bedroom, the first closet on the right."

Legolas heard him say once he exited the kitchen.

Oh, that was a place Legolas had not dared to visit at all, even during his sleepover or the morning after.

Slowly he pushed the bedroom door open.

The same colorscheme was in control in the man's bedroom as everywhere else.

White, grey and black with some glass and wooden touches.

The wide bed was made neatly like he expected the beds in the army be made.

Legolas opened the closed and took one of the black towels and left the place.

A quick, very cold shower, and he felt like a proper human being again.

The scent of the food coming from the kitchen made his stomach growl.

He put on only his underwear and sweatpants on and went back in the kitchen, where a lovely omelette just waited for him.

"Eat, before it gets cold." Aragorn said, who had halfly dressed himself up ready for work and sat by the table himself, with Legolas across from him.

"Wow, I did not know you can cook." Legolas said after having a bite.

Aragorn shrugged.

"I am glad you enjoy. I don't know am I too decent of a chef, but sufficient I suppose."
"Modest, are we." Legolas said and winked at him.

The man smiled.

Aragorn did try to concentrate on his food and not the beautiful half dressed blond on the other side of the table.

"Thank you for inviting me, this is very lovely." Legolas said. "And thank you for the food."
"No problem." Aragorn simply replied.

Once finished, Legolas got up and started to clear the plates.

"I'll put them, you do not have to."
"Nonsense." Legolas replied, mimicking the tone Aragorn had used in the Gilded Cloud when the check had came to discussion. "You cooked, I can clean them up." He said and decisively did.

Aragorn watched him do so and slowly drank his coffee.

"You know...I have saturday and sunday off from work." He said.
"Really? That is so nice, you do work hard." Legolas said and after being done putting the rinsed dishes in the dishwasher, he took the tillandsia and gave it a gentle shook. "I will put this to dry on your clothesrack." He stated and did so.

"Do you have any plans for your rare days off?" Legolas asked when he returned.
"Well...I was hoping we could do something together."
"Really?"
"Only if you are free."

The two hours of sleep and the nightmare run was totally worth this.

"There is a some starting the summer carneval in the funfair by the coast, maybe we could go there?" He asked cheerfully.
"Of course, if you like."

The brightness on Legolas' face said it all.

"But now, as lovely as it has been, I have to get going. I can give you a ride home or to your shop, if you like." The man smirked. "Unless you want to run there."
"No, please." Legolas laughed. "Ride sounds good, thank you."

~~~~

Legolas requested a ride home instead of his shop. It was still somewhat early and he had asked Curu to open that morning.

Perhaps he had a dream of catching a small nap and then change his clothes before going much fresher to the shop to an appointment an elderly couple had made to talk about flower arrangements for an anniversary party.

"Thank you for the ride." Legolas said.
"It was no trouble." Aragorn said.

Legolas leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"You are very sweet." Legolas said and gave him a small kiss on the lips also.

When he was about to retreat, the man placed his hand behind his neck and kissed him back deeper.

Far longer and far deeper.

"Thank you for the company. Have a lovely day, Legolas." Aragorn said, brushing his cheek with his thumb.

"I definitely will now." Legolas smiled. "You too. And you are welcome to have your break at the shop any time you wish, if you do not look for the moment of solitude."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I can't wait for the weekend." Legolas gleed and kissed him once more, then got out of the car. "Drive safe, bye!"
"Bye."

The silver car drove away and Legolas watched it disappear around the corner.

Morning run or not with next to nothing sleep, despite his legmuscles still singing weephymns, he did skip and hop those stairs up all the way to the fourth floor out of happiness.

TBC

Chapter Text

Saturday, what a lovely day.

The weather was beautiful, business was good and he would get to spend the evening with the gorgeous doctor Westman.

Curu had watched and listened to his best friend's glee all morning and throughout lunch they had at Gandalf's.

Perhaps he teased him about it, but in reality he was happy for him. He loved to see his best friend so joyful.

"I will text you if I take later than planned." Legolas said while finally closing the store with him.
"Sure. I can of course just go and take Tuffy to my place." Curu replied.
"Sweet of you, but you know him, he does not like the box and gets very stressed about it."
"Well the weather is good, he could walk in a leash himself."
"He could, couldn't he." Legolas laughed. "We have to try that again soon, Tuftuf has recently decided that a leash is below his stature and he just slumps to the ground like a sack of potatoes whenever I put it on him."

Now Curu laughed.

"Alright, I'll see. Don't worry about him, I will go check on him if you forget your mouth, I don't know, attached to the man's face or something." He shrugged and got nudged.

Legolas did smile again.

"Thank you." He said and smooched his friend on the cheek.
"Yeah, yeah...have fun, Lassé."
"I will!"

~~~~

Legolas went to the funfair straight from his shop. It was only a small subway trip and some walking away to get to the coast.

There was always a certain atmosphere when going to the amusement park.

He loved the scents and the laughter and the jolly music that jingled around the park. He loved the games, food and the treats, that only tasted that way in there, like cotton candy. The professional entertainers like musicians, acrobats and clowns he was always amazed off.

He was not too into rides though, which his best friend always had found absolutely hilarious. Sometimes he would lose a bet to his friends and some other people they sometimes hung out with and have to go to one, but rarely he was foolish enough to take part in any bets. And nowadays he did not really go to the funfairs like he did when he still was an apprentice. His shop took most of his time now, not just with helping customers around the shop and taking and filling orders, but growing, tending, selling, organizing, doing bookkeeping and things like that. But he loved it, even if it is hard work to maintain one.

He did not even bother to ponder further the matter would the man be there or not, when he got a bit closer to the main gates he stopped on the street and sent a simple text message: "Hey handsome, where are you waiting?"

He did not have to stand there and wait for long, when he felt a small poke on his shoulder that made him turn around.

"Just there by the gates." Aragorn said and held his phone up in the air, the textmessage open on the screen.

Legolas received a kiss on his cheek. That was a sensation that made his entire body tingle every time; the stubbled beard of the man tickling his a little, the dark, woodsy and herbal hues of his perfume filling his sense of smell as he leaned close and the kind, smiling grey eyes glancing into his blue ones when retreating.

Legolas passed all wondering and pondering again and quite comfortable took the man's hand as they walked towards the entrance together.

"So, how has your day off been so far?" He asked lightly.
"Better now." Came the short answer, but it made the blond very flattered anyway.

The doctor had this way of acting, that with a word or two he could be so incredibly sweet without probably even realizing it himself.

"I had a lazy morning. Went for a swim, read a little, took a nap."

Legolas let out a small laugh.

"Now that was something completely new - you nap?" He said and the man involuntarily smiled.

"Sure, atleast on day offs. And during unexpectedly extra long shifts if I have the chance to." Aragorn replied.

The man paid for both their entry before Legolas could even object.

"How have you been today?" The blond received the question back.
"Great!" Legolas replied gleefully. "I had a lot of orders to fill, but all of them turned out just perfect. Then I had lunch with Cur at Gandalf's and after that we cleaned the store. That we need to continue just a little bit more, but not much."
"That sounds good. And Gandalf's, huh? I assume you are not hungry for the rest of the day then." Aragorn said nonchalantly and Legolas' jaw dropped.
"Are you kidding me, that was like five hours ago, which is two hours longer than it should be between meals and snacks." He stated and made the brunette chuckle.
"That sounds very nutritionally conscientious way of thinking." He agreed.
"I know right, thank you very much. Something light would be nice right about now."

~~~~

They ended up having hot dogs while looking at a live comedy show acted by the park's mascots.

The park had a summer carnival, and it was filled more activities, shows, music and dance than usual.

Legolas could not stop hinself from hugging a dogmascot with fluffy, droopy ears that waved to him several times.

After that they walked in to this aquarium that was part of the park as well.

They looked at the sharks and the manta rays.

Legolas made his date pet a sea urchin, because it was allowed and therefore of course a must.

But the highlight must have been the blond making a few children and the man laugh while making funny faces because he wanted to test how good of a snipefish could he be - jutting lips and all.

After that followed a short film in a theater where you can experience the film physically, for example having water sprayed to ones face when it rained in it.

"Now that was fun." Legolas said while fiddling his hair to see how wet it got. "What next?"

Aragorn looked around.

"How about the rollercoaster?"
"Mmmm no."
"Or that thing that quickshoots you up towards the sky?"
Legolas frowned.
"Yeah no."
"Or that one where you go upside down."

Legolas glanced at the latter. It went really high.

"Uhm...maybe if, you go?"
Aragorn glanced at him.
"You don't like rides?" He asked.
"Well, I do, but it is more of a..." he cleared his throat. "...height thing, than a ride thing."
"Oh."
"You are not afraid of heights, I take it." Legolas chuckled a bit awkwrd.
"No, not really. I feel high places be sort of liberating." Aragorn replied. "When I was younger, me and the twins would always go seek the highest places to jump from into waters during summertime. At first I was a bit afraid of jumping down from a high place, but Elrohir always told me that fears are meant to be beaten." He said, with obvious fondness to this memory. "One of his wiser advices." He laughed a bit.

Legolas fiddled with a strand of his hair.

"Do you still do that? Go jump off cliffs?" He asked.
"Every summer. Not as much of course as we did younger."
"You are all insane." Legolas laughed a bit silently. "I personally believe, that if I was meant to fly high or dive deep, I would have been born as a bird or a fish." He stated and the man laughed, heartily.

"You would be a very adorable fish. Snipefish to be exact. Kissylips and all." He said with a shrug of his shoulder, refering to their very recent aquarium visit and earned himself a poke to his ribs.

But the man had called him adorable, it eased the burn of his tease, even if it was meant with a kind heart. Still, he could atleast fake offence.

Legolas looked at the more wilder rides again with people screaming on them, with a deep frown and a thoughtful pout.

"Do not worry yourself over it, we do not need to go on any." Aragorn said and tried to take his hand.
"No, no, no. Hold up just a moment, mister." Legolas said, one elegant finger waving at him in the air almost scoldingly. "Fears are meant to be beaten - let me just think about this."

Again he looked at the rides.

He did not feel just simple fear, no, he felt absolut panicking dread.

But every thing they had done at the park so far had been what Legolas had wanted to go do or see. It was not really a big deal, but to him somethings sometimes were bigger than to most.

"I think...maybe...we could go on one together? Just one." Legolas said, almost like talking to himself.
"Let's go do something else. You wanted some ice cream, and we could go see the arcade."
"But..." he was still thinking. "No. Let's go on one. Just one. You choose."

Aragorn looked at the blond, who looked back with determination.

"I think it is better that you choose." Aragorn said.
"Do you have the map of the park with the ridenames?"

Of course the man had it, and he dug it out from the inside breast pocket of his jacket.

Legolas studied the map a little.

"Tell me a number between zero and twenty, any number."
Aragorn chuckled.
"Can't you just decide?"
"I am letting destiny decide. A number, please."

Aragorn let out an undetectable sigh.

"Okay, eleven." He said.

He was a very decisive person himself, basing things usually with logic and pondering all sides of them with a fast forward speed, and this sort of way to choose or make decisions was foreign to him. He really could not fathom it. But, it was Legolas' way, and he did not interrupt this "destiny" calculation.

"This one." Legolas pointed the name on the map after he had played numerical eeny meeny miny moe between the four wildest rides there was. "Which one is it?"
Aragorn leaned a bit to look.
"It is that one." He then said and pointed towards the correct machine.

Legolas' mouth slowly opened and moved subtly in a way like he was unable to decide his words now too. Then he looked at the map again.

"Are you sure? Maybe you read the map wrong."

This made Aragorn laugh.

He stepped behind Legolas who was still holding it, his chest close enough the other ones back so that he could feel his warmth. Then he placed one finger on the map.

"See that there? That is the aquarium. Right there is the theater with the experience movie and there..." he tapped a spot. "...is where we are. And your choice is northeast from us, as the number here and then next to the name there shows. Which is that one, The King. Even if it is close to the one next to it, it is that one." He finished.

Legolas hummed a bit longly.

Mostly because of the man's warm breath brushing his ear while speaking and that smooth tone sliding into his brain consumed all concentration of actually looking at the map and joining what he said about the piece of paper.

Legolas turned around, neatly folded the map and placed it back inside the man's pocket it came out of.

"I have made up my mind." He said. "We will go to that one. Aaaaand you might have to hold my hand while doing it." He added and offered the said hand.

Aragorn smiled at him.

"I promise to not let go for one second." Aragorn said while taking a hold of it and gave a kiss to the back of it.

They walked to the waiting line that had been restricted to a path with a ropefence that zigzagged before ending by the small fence doors leading to the machine.

"We were lucky, there is hardly any line." Aragorn thought outloud.
"Lucky? No, other people just have more common sense and less of a deathwish." Legolas said.

There were a few people ahead of them, so he had time to look at the machine move up with the people it had been loaded with a couple of times.

"It actually does not look that high from here." He said while looking at shoebottomas growing distance to him, and without even noticing, leaned against Aragorn who still held his hand as promised.

Legolas felt the man's free arm curl around him and the hand on it rest on his hip.

"It is a short ride. See how fast the whole thing goes from the beginning to the end?" Aragorn asked and Legolas nodded.

It really did go fast. Sooner than he knew it was them at the fence doors and the park employee letting them enter.

They sat side by side on the circle shaped sitting part of the machine and pulled down the individual over-the-shoulder restraint system which got locked with a precaution lock also. That was the only moment the hand was let go, but right after Aragorn took the hand back into his.

The employee walked around and checked everyones restraints, before leaving the area.

"You know what Aragorn, I don't want to do this. I really don't want to. I want off. Now." Legolas suddenly said with a dry voice. Unfortunately it was after the employee had left.

Aragorn tried to wave at the person in charge of operating the machine so that Legolas would be let off, but the whole thing just nudged into an excruciatingly slow ascend towards the high heavens.

"Aragorn!" The pleading sound next to the doctor nearly whimpered.
"Don't worry. Remember how fast this went while we watched it from down there?"
"Do not say things like 'down there'! And this is not fast, this is snailpace!" Legolas hissed. "And I can hear you laugh! Do not laugh! This is not funny!"

It wasn't, but it little bit was. So Aragorn had to hold his breath for a moment to keep the chuckle in. He had all the sympathy in the world for the blond beside him, he really did, but it was just the very expressive way that Legolas let things out amused him more than most things in the world.

He held Legolas' hand and petted it with his thumb. The blond squeezed his hand so tight he was unsure would work on monday be an possible by that rate.

"How are you holding up?" He asked about halfway up.
"I closed my eyes and now I am too afraid to open them." Came the sad complaint.

"Open your eyes, Legolas." Aragorn said when they finally stopped at the top.
"No. I do not like this doomsday music either."

There was on, playing like elevator music as the whole part holding the people slowly rotated around.

"Blossom, it is safe to assume you will only be here up here this once and you definitely should see this view."

There was a moment of silence.

Legolas did look. And the man was right.

No matter how he hated heights, the view was incredible. He could see the entire park, the beach and the city as well.

"Oh, the ocean is so beautiful. And I can see the hospital too!" He said, perhaps not as happy as he usually is, but better than a moment ago. "Why did the music stop?"

For a very small moment they rotated in silence, without the doomsday song, then there was a small click.

And with a vocal cords tearing shriek Legolas finally got back down to earth when the machine freefalled the sitting section down with a fifty miles per hour speed.

To Aragorn's luck the shriek was loud enough to cover his laughter.

"Come on, you're good."
"Aragorn, I can't feel my legs. I think my soul ran away."
"Sure you can, and I have you. Everything is alright and intact. You were very brave."
"Bravery does not help my feet. Or my throat." Legolas said with a pout, but did walk out of the area with his own two legs. "Yeah no, not all fears need to be beaten."

Suddenly Aragorn felt a halting tug on his sleeve.

"Look, you can have your picture taken on The King's throne." Legolas said.

He did not need to say more, his poppy blue eyes made the question, and the man replied by taking his hand again and walking to the picture place.

"Should we take a picture together? We did go to the ride together too." It was Aragorn asking.

Legolas looked at the throne prop made for the photoshooting.

"As impressively regal it is, I don't think we will both fit." Legolas replied.

The man did not reply anything, only sat down and pulled Legolas to sit on his lap.

"Say long live The King!" The man taking the picture urged.

"Long live The King!"

As the far more stoic of the two, it was hard to tell was Aragorn smiling in the polaroid or not, most likely yes, but Legolas looked his normal happy self even after his recent terror, sitting sideways on the man's lap with his arm behind his neck.

The man took two pictures from their request and Aragorn paid him.

"Thank you." Legolas said while holding one of the pictures and pecked a kiss to the man.

"You are welcome." Aragorn replied and tucked his photo in the same pocket the map resided. "Have you now been mended from the awful experience?"

After taking such a lovely picture Legolas had allowed himself to take a careful step in to the circle of an actual relationship and curled his arms around the man's neck.

Because one can definitely hug and show affection to ones steady dating partner, as they had talked about being once, right.

Or it had been a semi drunken request not to shake ones peach to other men, but it was a completely legitimate mutual agreement in his books.

And to his pleasement, the man did more carefully place his hands first on his sides, before sliding them behind his back.

But back to the question that had been made.

Legolas bit his cheeks not to look too content and more like he was still suffering from his terrifying ordeal.

"No, I can stil barely walk from the fright." He said a bit theatrically, the man letting out a deep understanding hum while kicking back his amusement.
"I am pretty sure cotton candy helps with that symptom." He said and looked in to those big blue eyes.
"Is that doctor's orders?" Legolas asked a tad cheekily and the man laughed a bit.

"Yes, 3400 milligrams per kilogram of cotton candy and 500 cc's of soda, STAT."

The big blue eyes turned even bigger with the black neat brows above them raising high from the quick calculation.

"I was your doctor briefly, I know your age and how much you weigh." The man said lightly. "I have also seen a bottle of grapefruit soda in your shop a few times and once on the table by your frontdoor, so it is safe to assume you drink it."

Legolas was like a fish on dry land again, before he let out a small laugh.

"You, mister are a bit...scary." he said and poked the doc's nose kindheartedly.
"It is just simple math." Aragorn shrugged.
"I meant generally. You could be a doctor AND a private investigator." Legolas laughed. "Math is really not my friend. Much like heights...or running..."

They started to walk hand in hand.

"I can manage with the accounting for the shop, but that is about it. And even to that I have to ask advice from wiser people sometimes." He said.
"Well, not everyone has to know everything, people have different interests and skillsets."
"You could totally do my taxes. And Curu's." Legolas laughed.

They both did.

~~~~

Legolas ate his blue cotton candy on a stick happily. Every once in a while he tore a fluff and fed it to his date.

Whether Aragorn liked sweets or not, the blue pure sugar fluff tasted exceptional to him.

Perhaps it was the park. Perhaps it was his date.

"Hey, that is exactly what we need inorder for your cure to be complete." Aragorn suddenly said and guided the blond to a gamestand.

"Care to test your skills, sir?" The employee asked. "With two piles down the prize is one of these adorable key chains and with all of them knocked down, one of these plush toys."
"Three tries is enough, thank you." Aragorn said and paid the girl.

Aragorn was not smug, atleast openly, but definitely sounded confident.

Legolas could not deny it, it was kind of sexy.

The game was simple; throw down three piles of cans by purchasing three, five or seven balls and win a prize.

Or it sounded simple, but the piles were different sized and placed on different heights and distances.

Aragorn threw his three times.

"Congratulations, choose your prize from any of these." The girl waved towards the plush toys that sat neatly in a row.

"Which one do you like?" He asked from Legolas, who instantly brightened up.
"That owl, please." He said and the girl gave it to him. "Thank you."

They stepped away from the stand.

"And thank you! Look how cute this is! With it's big eyes and beak and flappy wings and everything!" Legolas gleed. "That was quite impressive." He added and enjoyed the arm that curled around his shoulders after he gave a kiss on the doc's cheek.

"I have played a lot of catch in my life." Aragorn said. "Also some baseball during medschool." He added just as modestly.

They walked for a bit. The evening had grown dimmer and the park got some extra light from lightfixtures and large bulbs in strings hung all over the place.

"What then?"

Legolas chewed his lip a bit. It had been such a wonderful evening. Even with the horror.

"It is getting a bit late. I think it could be good to leave before closing time so that there is not too much traffic." He said.
"Smart thinking." Aragorn replied.

The stood there for a moment, just looking at the park in the evening lighting with a gentle breeze surrounding and playing on them every now and then, in comfortable silence.

Aragorn cleared his throat.

"I, uh...I do have tomorrow off from work too. I was thinking that...well, it would be a shame to end such a good evening. So, maybe...we could go get some late take away, and go to my place, watch a movie or something?"

Legolas hummed with that always pleasing sound, before he leaned against the man's side and looked at the side of his face.

"Are you inviting me for a sleep over? Because if I come, I can not promise you that I won't fall asleep on your sofa again." He laughed a bit.

Aragorn shrugged.

"I don't mind if you do." He said as nonchalantly as he could.

"I will just ask Cur can he take care of Tuffy."

Legolas took his phone and sent him a message, and received something merely seconds after.

"Okay, all good." He said happily, and Aragorn smiled a bit.
"Are you sure he won't mind?" He asked.
"Oh no, Cur always looks after him if I need him and he does not have anything. Plus, he has not have to do it for free."
"What does it cost you?"
"One lunch and not having him wash our store floors the next time we do." Legolas laughed. "Hey, we could try one more ride before leaving. I saw you look at the description of one of the rides there when I came from the restrooms, what is it about?"

Aragorn seemed to think a split second.

"Oh, that one. It was a rollercoaster, but it is inside that large building and goes underground too and if I understood correct, it moves mostly in darkness."
"A dark rollercoaster, huh?" Legolas pondered outloud. "I think I could do that. You will hold my hand again, right?" He said with a laugh.

Aragorn took it with a more wider smile.

"Of course."

TBC

Chapter Text

"I will take these to the kitchen." Legolas said and took off his shoes using only his feet to do so. He had a lapful of paperbags that steamed out the most delicious mixes of scents.

"Thank you." Aragorn said, and took longer to undress his shoes, jacket and all the things in his pockets like wallet and carkeys and such to their appropriate places.

Then he went to wash his hands before he finally ventured in to the kitchen.

He stopped to observe the blond by the doorway.

He was silently singing some song while taking dishes out of the cupboards and also searching where to find what they need.

The man was lost in his own thoughts for a bit.

Even though he had seen Legolas many times and they had done various different things, still it felt strange to have him there, moving around his kitchen with the same grace he does in his store. The same soft voice filling his living space that could be heard most often when you step into the Garden of Wonders.

It had begotten dangerous.

Something that had started out as an interest, like one has, to carefully observe a very rare animal and to just ponder what sort of a person he is and how can he be like that with every little piece of information he got just by observing. Once or twice he had wondered, would the image he had created of him shift and change to something more common than this nearly ethereal being that had constructed in his mind.

But no, the image stayed. Even when he was at his most vulnerable at that park ride, away from the sweet smile and coy posture he normally held, he still was ethereal to him.

Incredible.

"Chopsticks, handsome. You said you have better ones than the ones that comes from the restaurant?"

Aragorn snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh...yes, let me get them." He muttered and walked to a drawer Legolas had not inspected through yet.

"Is everything alright?" Legolas asked after the man had helped him arrange their dinner in silence.

Aragorn glanced at him, and a smile tugged his lips.

"Yes. I just had something on my mind."
"Okay." Legolas replied happily. "Oh no, did I forget the bag from the grocery store in your car?" He said and looked around the kitchen where that one did not seem to be.

"Don't worry, I had it. I think I forgot it when I went to wash my hands, I'll get it."

Aragorn was gone a moment and returned with the said bag.

"Leave it, I can unpack it, thank you." Legolas said and began to do so.

In the meantime Aragorn carried their dinner to the living room. Then he went to his bookshelf cabinet and picked out a movie they had decided on the ride there.

"Now I am ready!" Legolas declared. "I placed my temporary toothbrush on the edge of the sink in a glass, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all."

Legolas sat on the floor next to the large amount of food they had purchased from an eastern cuisine styled restaurant.

He leaned against the sofa and stretched his legs long.

It had almost become a habit to the man to check atleast once more closely what kind of socks he had on this time.

Hot pink with slices of watermelon on them.

Aragorn chuckled inwardly and pressed the movie to start from the remote.

"You have not seen this before?" Aragorn asked and Legolas shooked his head while chewing down a mouthful of a spring roll. "It is a good movie."
"Have you seen it many times?" Legolas asked after swallowing.
"Several times."
"Oh." He turned to look at the man. "We can choose something else, if you have movies you have not yet watched or-"
"It is fine, Legolas. I like this movie, quite a lot actually."

They ate and watched in silence for a moment.

"Hey, it has that guy, the one that dances a lot. I have seen that other guy too, many times in movies. They are good actors." Legolas said. "Are they like criminals in this one?"
"Yes. There are four sort of different stories in this that intertwines. I have to warn you though, it has a fair amount of violence in it."

Legolas hummed, but kept watching and eating.

Aragorn glanced at him from the corner of his eye. He remembered well how fully invested Legolas laid himself in just about everything he did, like the horror movie that they watched.

Watching him change expression according to the scenes was almost more interesting to watch than the movie itself.

At some point Legolas finished eating and let out a content sigh.

"Was everything good, are you full?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes, very." He replied.

Almost automatically Aragorn started to clear the dishes away.

"I'll help."
"No, you just watch the movie, I won't take long."

Legolas got off the floor and sat on the sofa.

It really did not take long until Aragorn returned, and walked to the cabinet where he took a glass and a bottle of brandy. He showed the bottle to Legolas, but he only shooked his head a little with a smile. So then, the man poured only himself a glass.

He sat on the far edge of the sofa and soon Legolas slided himself next to him, and rested his head on the man's shoulder with one arm over his stomach.

There was a more silent, but still content sigh.

Every once in a while Aragorn sipped from his glass, but other than that there was no movement or sound.

Silence had never been more comfortable as it was now.

They watched the movie to the end, and surprisingly Legolas had not fallen asleep.

"Do you wish to call it a night?" Aragorn asked while reaching for the remote.
"I am actually not that tired. Is there anything coming from the tv?" He asked and the man started channel surfing.

Aragorn switched, and Legolas made declining sounds to most of the channels.

"Hey, wait, could you put back the other one, please?" Legolas then asked and the man did.

"Oh I love this movie!" He exclaimed. "Have you seen this? It is where that group of people have to take that artifact to be destroyed before the evil gets it. It has dwarves and elves and things in it and everything."

Aragorn pondered for a moment.

"I think I might have seen it. Or most of it atleast."

Legolas shifted himself a bit, so that he could see the man's face better.

"Thank you for the evening." He said. "Even your funny cotton candy math was charming. The King was horrid, but I think I will live to tell the tale. I had such a lovely time."
"Good to hear. Me too." He replied.

Legolas stayed still, but his blue eyes were expecting something.

Aragorn reached out and brushed a strand of hair from the blond's forehead, a gesture so careful it might have been reflex of some sort. Then he leaned in and kissed him.
A light, tentative kiss.

But the kind that asked a question without speaking it outloud.

A longer, more sensual kiss followed, that tasted like a hint of brandy and repeated the silent question.

Then a kiss that was slowest and most wholesome so far. The kind that lingered just long enough to shift the energy between two people from friendly to something else entirely. Legolas' hand crept lightly on top of Aragorn's collarbone, fingertips brushing skin a bit. He could feel the doctor breathe a bit more heavier, but Aragorn did not back down.

Instead, the doctor placed his hand on Legolas' cheek, thumb grazing the corner of his mouth lightly, and deepened the kiss a bit more, just enough to taste the familiar smile the blond had been hiding.

The wordless conversation had changed from a "should we" to "do we have any reasons not to".

Their next kiss was less cautious. Aragorn placed his hands on Legolas' sides, grip tightened just slightly at the waist, and pulled him into his lap, with Legolas releasing a soft sound, perhaps halfly from surprise and halfly from content.

The blond's curious hands slipped under the hem of the doctor’s shirt, fingertips tracing the smooth, firm skin of his abdominal muscles.

It was like they’d both been holding something in for weeks. The tension wasn’t sharp, but coiled and slow-burning. Aragorn kissed down Legolas' jaw, then just below his ear with his lips brushing skin with utmost tease. Legolas tilted his head, giving him more space while his own hands moved now with more purpose; sliding up Aragorn's chest, tracing the edges of all the muscles that hid under that shirt, exploring with a definite mischief in his mind.

Right there the calculative and in control status the doctor usually holds faltered under his touch, his muscles making an involuntary twitch that even shook the man's breath a little.

“You’re so warm,” Legolas laughed softly. “I swear you run hotter than normal people.”
Aragorn huffed a laugh, lips trailing down the side of the blond's neck where he had deemed to be a sensitive yet exhilarating area for the sweet florist.
“Basic emergency room adrenaline." He joked halfly. "Or maybe not...maybe it is just because of you.”

The air between them changed far more dense now, almost like it was charged. The kind of stillness that came right before someone was making an important decision.

Legolas pushed the man back a bit and looked at him, blue eyes soft but focused, and then ran his thumb over his bottom lip.

"I have a problem, doctor. I think I need your help." He said with all the innocent softness his voice witheld.

He loved to see the man swallow, hard.

"Uhm...any specific symptoms you could tell me about?" He asked, hands trailing the blond's thighs.

The blond grinned briefly, before losing that face and switching it back to the innocence.

He leaned close enough for their noses to touch.

"It is bad, doc. I think it is chronic attraction. The symptoms are so strong I fear I have zero chances of recovery." He said with a pinch of drama.

The charming smile that broke on the man sent nearly electrical jolts to Legolas' spirit. He knew the man was smiling to his antics, but he loved every nanosecond of that smile.

Aragorn shut down his smile too soon, and got a more serious face.

"I do need some symptoms in order to diagnose that." He said very professionally."

The grin found it's way back.

"Hm, let me see...my heart seems to beat too fast, my hands wander, I suffer from very innapproprite thoughts, frequently, and, uhm...heat, in very inconvenient places."

Aragorn really had to breathe steady to keep his professionalism living.

"That does sound severe." He stated after clearing his throat. "But to make a full diagnose, I also do need to do a medical examination."

His hands slided up the thighs, took a hold of the hem of Legolas' shirt and pulled it away.

Then he kissed the exposed chest, slowly and with care. Legolas could not help himself from indulging on the closeness, feeling every bit of his back and shoulders with his touch before sinking his fingers in those dark locks of hair.

"There definitely is an elevated heart rate." Aragorn said against his skin. "And a case of wandering hands."

Legolas merely hummed to this, the symptom of heat in inconvenient places making it hard to think anymore. Not to mention the hardness bugging him to near insanity, which the man gently licking and biting his right nipple did not ease at all.

The room around them had seemed to fade, only the flicker of the television screen giving a cold, bluish light to the room.

The undeniable want was a dominant feeling present.

"I have come to a conclusion. Definitely chronic attraction." Aragorn said and found his way back to that sensitive neck. "I might suffer from it myself. Do not worry, even if it is uncurable, the symptoms can be treated quite effectively."
"That sounds relieving..." Legolas sighed.
"It is perhaps not from any medical text books, but more of a unconventional approach..." Aragorn said a bit thoughtfully in his trance and made the blond laugh a little. "But relieving it is."
"Lucky for you I am more into flower arrangements than protocol." Legolas said, the intense jolts of mental pleasure going over him like a tidal wave from a slightly harsher bite on his neck.

The couch had become way too narrow, too small to hold the way they had started reaching for each other at that point, with hunger so huge that it was mutually maddening.
When Legolas' fluid yet grinding movement on the doctor's lap became too much, Aragorn made the physical gesture of getting up and the blond fully obeyed his lead.

When they were up to their feet, it made no difference. The fired hunger had to be satiated, and their lips barely left each other for short moments of air.

Once they stepped into the bedroom from the living room, the atmosphere changed to a heavier one. There was a definite hum of anticipation that surrounded them entirely.

The rest of their clothes came off in pieces, the moment riddled with kisses and deeper breathing. The doctor's shirt was pulled over his head and belt unbuckled with fumbling fingers.

Aragorn kissed Legolas' shoulder as he undressed the rest of him, first sliding off his pants and then hands firmly placing on his ass and caressing it with content.

Time blurred completely.

The bed received occupants, their bare skin warm from kisses and touches, pressed together as if they'd always known each other's shape.

The doctor hovered over the florist, one hand tracing slow lines along his side, his breath steady but deeper now, but still threaded with restraint.

Legolas looked up at him, blue eyes like oceans of yearning and hair a little wild against the pillow.
“You don’t have to be careful,” he said silently. “I can handle myself.”

Legolas had had a decent picture of the man's size even before helping the man to get rid of his jeans. And when he had seen him completely bare, his guess had been close to reality. It would definitely be a stretch to fit the man inside his slim body, but Legolas was deadserious of taking the challenge.

Aragorn didn’t answer at first. He only leaned down and kissed him, softly at first, then deeper, with a heat that had been simmering to perfection beneath every other kiss and touch of need until now.

He elevated Legolas' lower body with a pillow first and after reaching something from his nightstand to make the incoming intrusion more comfortable, his hand slid down, grounding them both, Legolas arching into his preparing touch with a low, slightly shivering breath.

When their bodies began to align, it wasn’t sudden, far from it. It was patient and tormentingly slow, but packed with anticipation. There was a tension in the air, not from hesitation but from the finality the moment created. Like they both understood simultaniously what it means to give and to take for them regarding their relationship.

Sex could most often be sex between people, but this had more energy to it than just sex. It felt so natural, without a hint of nerves or doubts.

It felt so right.

The blond's fingers gripped at the sheets, then at the doctor’s shoulder, steadying himself from the penetration. Even if his every cell wanted it, it did hurt.

Each of Aragorn's movements were deliberate, the rhythm slow and careful at first. Like he was testing, or perhaps re-learning himself. Their bodies did remember this carnal act eventually, even if it had been a long time on both their books.

Aragorn read every emotion from the blond's face. He could see when the pain passed aside and the pleasure started to take over.

They moved together in a rhythm that was powered by lust and instinct. The tension that had lived quietly beneath their courtship, all those careful glances and unspoken wants, began to unspool. Perhaps this yearning had started to build between them before they had ever even spoken to another, when they were just intriquing faces from a distance to each other.

The room was full of soft gasps, escaping moans and the nearly audible creak of the mattress.

The testing rhythm had shifted gear to a more goal-oriented one.

As relentless the waves of pleasure was to the both of them, Legolas met his end when Aragorn hooked his other leg and switched the angle, fully carressing a spot within that made him see stars more bright than the flashing lights rides in the funfair.

Legolas had to let go, profoundly and visibly, back arching in the peak of release after touching himself only just a little bit.

Aragorn kissed him as they moved to the end of the high, again and again, as if anchoring them both to the finishline.

Every part of him was present, even if his normal state of control had suffered greatly from from the release.

Their shared relief had left them silent and undone.

Aragorn had slided himself to the bed to catch his breath.

Both of them were a bit sweaty and sticky, but did not care one bit of it.

Aragorn felt that the blond was looking at him and glanced back, being correct.

He gave a small smile and stretched out his arm, inviting him to come lie closer.

Which of course was an offer Legolas did not refuse from and he rested his head on the man's shoulder. He made his fingers travel lasily on the doctor's stomach, drawing invisible shapes and forms on it.

They lied there for a good moment, collecting thoughts and strength to move.

Or perhaps the other one did.

At somepoint Legolas' hand had stopped moving and laid flatly on his drawingboard.

It had been a long day for him, Aragorn did not blame him at all for dozing off.

Sleep did not sound too bad for himself either.

~~~~

In the morning, Legolas woke up halfly because of a kiss.

It came from a weird direction, above him, not beside him. He could not feel a person lie next to him either, but he did feel a sitting one.

We was extremely tired, and that to him only meant that it was way too early in the morning.

"Aragorn.?" He mumbled. "What time is it?"
"Almost half six." Aragorn replied.

The blond looking at him with a confused frown made him smile a little.

"I am going to go for a run. I just wanted to let you know, if you wake up during that and wonder where I am."

Legolas chuckled to that. Mostly the part of him waking up at that hour if he does not have to.

"Sweet of you." He said sleepily.
"Go back to sleep. Unless you want to come with me, do you?"

Now he laughed a bit more.

"I take that as a no."
"A very good guess, handsome." Legolas said and covered himself more with a blanket. "Be safe." He said and snuggled better to catch the dream again he had lost.

He received another kiss to his temple and the man left.

It did not take Legolas long to drift back to sleep.

He slept really well too, but quite out of the ordinary for him, he did wake up early. Far earlier than he would at home.

He stretched all his limbs long with a content yawn.

He knew it was morning, but the room was pitch black. He noticed that there must be black blinds pulled over the windows that had not been there when they had entered the bedroom or when Aragorn had left. Then the curtains had been open, and the dim summer night had given them light, but now it was dark.

He got out of the bed and did find the door away from the room.

Still without a single piece of fabric on, he explored the room, that was empty.

He could hear the sound of water though, and immediately his inner mischief raised it's head, even during that early hour.

He walked to the bathroom door, which was unlocked, and opened it.

"Legolas?" Aragorn questioned and Legolas hummed agreeingly with a bit louder tone so that the man heard him despite of the running water. "You are up early."
"I know right." Legolas replied. "Hey, how about you turn that water a tad warmer so that I could join you?" He asked coyly.
"Oh, I am almost done, you can have the shower all to yourself." Aragorn said.

Legolas stepped past the shower curtain, his naked body and sly, lopsided smile made the man lose all words for a moment.

"Not my point." Legolas said.

It was close that he did not lose all words himself.

The man looked absolutely gorgeous, all wet from the shower, traces of soap still glistening here and there on his skin.

Aragorn respected the request and turned the water more warm than what he used.

Steam soon swirled between them as the water warmed, mist gathering on the tiles.

Aragorn’s hand stayed against the shower wall for a second too long, as if trying to remember what he was doing before Legolas appeared all bare and grinning like sin.

“I take it that you don't really knock.” he said, voice low, but without bite. Legolas stepped under the spray when Aragorn moved a bit out of the way, water running in rivulets over his shoulders.
“I didn’t want to give you time to say no.” he replied lightly.

Aragorn chuckled and turned slightly to face him, trying his best but failing miserably to keep his eyes on neutral ground.

“You’re impossible.” he said and shooked his head a little.
"You say that like it’s new information.” Legolas said and brushed his hand across Aragorn’s chest, letting his fingers trail lazily through the water that reached the man leaning on the wall as well. “Also, I didn’t come in here just to be admired, though you’re making it very tempting.” he said, still exercising his coyness.

Aragorn caught his wrist gently to halt the wandering, lips twitching slightly with amusement.
“Then what did you come in here for, exactly?”

Legolas leaned inside the water better and pushed his long blond hair back, water streaming over him completely for a bit before he stepped away from the spray.

His voice dropped just enough to blur the line between teasing and truth.

“To share the after run shower with you, even if I did not participate in the running. And to see if you look as gorgeous rinsing shampoo as you do kissing me.” He said teasingly, then leaned closer with their nude bodies nearly brushing. “Also, to soap your back. Out of kindness, obviously.” he said innocently, with the most angelic expression he could conjure.

Aragorn gave an amused exhale, head tilting forward so that their faces were very close to each other.
“You are...unbelievable.” he said with almost a scolding tone, with all the kindness still.
“And yet...you keep letting me in.” Legolas shrugged and smiled widely. "Turn around macho, and accept your fate."

Aragorn looked at the blond for one moment, let out another similar exhale than the last one and did turn around.

"Oh spirits have mercy." Legolas admired.
"Shut up and just do what you wanted to." Aragorn laughed a little to his antics again and leaned against the wall.

"Do you mean that?" Legolas said to his ear before backing away a little and splurted some soap in his hand.

Aragorn did not know what to say anymore, the blond was witty, he could definitely say that much.

Legolas happily spread the soap all over Aragorn's back. He scrubbed and massaged while at it.

"Oh my, are your muscles this hard from exercising or are you this tense?" Legolas chuckled.
"I am not tense." Came a quick reply.

The massaging did feel good though.

Soon Legolas reached his arms around the man, hugging him from behind and washed his chest too.

"Are you sure?" He said.
"Yes."
"Because I claim to know how to relief some tension. Who knows when will we see each other next, so better make the best of it." He said still quite lightly. "You know what I do for a living, I am very good working with my hands."

The insinuating had company from his wandering hands sliding down the man's chest to his abdomen and finally to his groin.

Legolas was very pleased of the hard member greeting his hands.

And because the man made no suggestions for him to stop, he did walk the walk as he talked the talk.

And he really was very good with his hands.

He knew just where to grip with what amount of pressure, shifting the pace from slow torment to quicker pleasing.

Feeling Legolas' own excitement against his bottock did not slow down the man's heat at all and quite soon he did spill out with a low groan from the handling.

Legolas kissed his shoulder a couple of time and then released his hugging hold.

Aragorn catched his breath for a very short moment before he turned around. He looked at the happily smiling blond who rinsed his entire body under the water again, still in full mast.

"Would you uhm...like me to make it the most for you as well?" Aragorn asked.
"I had no expectations for anything back. It was just for you." Legolas said.
"If I insist?" Aragorn asked and guided the blond his back against the wall.
"Well, in that case...who am I to say no?" Legolas replied and bit his lip when the firm touch circled his erection. "I am half finished by massaging you, just a warning." He breathed out and the doctor chuckled.

In deed it did not take too many kisses to his lips, throat and neck while caressing his length from the base to the tip until he came with some soft pleasured humming mix with the sound of running water filling the room.

After coming down from the high, they both agreed it was time to wash up finally and have breakfast.

~~~~

"It feels fun. To spend time with someone like this." Legolas said while finishing his breakfast. "I...must admit that it has been a long time. And Curu don't really count."

Aragorn smiled halfly. He did not really enjoy thinking the blond with anyone else, but then again, he knew about Daeron.

"Have you had serious relationships?" He did force out to ask.

There was silence that made him glance at the blond across from him.

Legolas looked oddly sad, but Aragorn said nothing, only faked like he had not looked when he finally looked at him.

"Define serious." Legolas said flatly. "Me wearing my heart in my sleeve for someone to take just to have it taken, chewed and spat at me in return."

There was a harsh tone his voice never wore when saying that.

"Bad experiences?" Aragorn asked slightly careful.
"Some more than others. I usually just crash, burn, then scatter my emotional ashes as fertilizer for flowers. I have been hurt ways more than one." Legolas said silently and took a sip from his tea, his words showing a weight in the doctor's heart.

"You say that quite lightly..." Aragorn said in thought.
"I’ve had practice. Disappointments, misreads, bad timing… one guy told me I was ‘too much sunshine.’ Can you believe that?" Legolas sipped his tea again and put the cup down with a small pout. "As if that’s a bad thing..."
"No. It is not." Aragorn said firmly and Legolas looked at him over the table, giving him a small smile.
"But I do not really want to talk about any that now, that was from the least painful memories." Legolas quickly continued, pushed a more genuine smile back on his face and leaned his jaw against his palm. "What about you, hm? Any serious relationships?"

Aragorn drank from his cup.

"Yes." He then said after placing his drink down. "I did even live with someone once."
"Really?" Legolas asked and traced the outer line of his teacup with his fingertips. "You lived with someone?"

Aragorn nodded, eyes on his coffee.

"Briefly. Long enough that it felt like forever, and short enough that I didn’t realize we were already long done before it ended." He said with a neutral tone. "I suppose I just am not dating material. My profession takes a big slice of life and I am not giving it up. I have my reasons for what I do and I have worked hard to get there. I might also be a difficult and unyielding person in many ways." Aragorn said and calmly continued his coffee, even if the blond across looked at him with a frown.

"I don't think you are difficult." He said.
"You do not know me well enough then." Came the simple answer.

"Was this person Daeron?" Legolas asked with a small voice and a fuller pout and made the man chuckle a bit.

"No. Not Daeron."

There was a silence that stretched longish.

"It's a shame that the weekend is over." Legolas said and looked at the man again. "I could have continued this for days."
"You stay longer if you wish."
"That is sweet, thank you. But I do have Tuffy to take care of, and it is not fair for Cur either for me to slavedrive him even after workhours. I could always get Tuf here, but I fear your parquet would not like his nails."
Aragorn smiled a bit.
"Agreed." He said.
Legolas shifted in his chair a bit.

"You could always come to my place." He said, with Aragorn only humming to it with a sound that was strangely hard to read. Then the man stood up and started to clear the signs of their breakfast away.

"I can give you a ride home." Aragorn said.
"Hm? Oh, thank you." Legolas replied. He had been observing the almost mechanical way Aragorn did certain things. It did not apply to him in bed, but many things he seemed to do was in auto-mode.

Legolas usually was not that active on his free-time, but the man's energy did make him get up and help him before he was done with everything himself.

~~~~

A lot later that day the silver coloured car parked by the side of the road Legolas lived in.

"My stop." He said. "Well, mine and Owlies." Legolas said and smirked with the plush toy in his hands. "Are you sure you do not want to come up?"
"Thank you but no, I should get home and get ready for work tomorrow." The man replied.
"Okay."

Aragorn saw a flash of disappointment in Legolas' blue eyes, but the blond hid it well.

Legolas reached to give the man a kiss goodbye.

"Have a good workday tomorrow." He said.
"Thank you. You too." Aragorn replied.

The blond made the move to leave the car.

"Legolas?"
"Hm?"

Aragorn seemed to do a very quick thinking process.

"I uh...if you want to, you can come by anytime you want to. Stay over night too. Even if there is work. Of course, taking in considerstion the care for you cat first." He said.

Legolas kissed him goodbye again, with a lot of feeling.
"I would like that, I definitely will come by more often."
"Great. I'll call you later."
"Drive safe." Legolas left left the vehicle.

He waved to the man who then drove off.

It must have been the first time it felt absolutely sure that he would call. And he should too, otherwise the man would be in trouble, especially after their night together.

And a visiting invitation too, that was huge.

And definite progress.

With those thoughts Legolas entered his building, feeling a happier person than usual.

If that is even possible.

TBC

Chapter Text

Summer developed deeper in. The days were hot and long periods in a row, the sun being absolutely scorching.

Legolas and Aragorn spent a lot of time together, mostly from Legolas' initiatives.

This day was no different, although it was a day he had asked some help from Aragorn instead of just seeing him and going out with him.

Aragorn smiled when the door was opened, but the smile faded just a tad when he saw the slightly out of breath blond.

"Hi." He dragged. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you. Come on in."

Aragorn stepped inside and stopped to the spot he had the other times as well which he had visited there.

"Just a moment, I will have to clean this scratch..." Legolas said a bit tightly.

A scratch.

Aragorn had seen several scratches, but stayed quiet.

He stood there silently and waited. He heard the water run in the kitchen and then stop. Then some other sounds followed; tearing up a paper towel, the click of a bottle and a hiss.

Soon Legolas came back and put his shoes on.

"Did you...clean those good?" He asked while looking at Legolas' right arm that was still bleeding just a little.
"Yes." Came the answer. "Tuftuf really is not a bad cat, he just does not like the traveling box. Or going to the vet. I suppose I can lose a little bit of my stress over his health if he has the energy to fight like this..." Legolas then chuckled. "I know you have just finished your shift, but thank you so much for taking us." Legolas said and kissed the man.
"No problem. Shall we?"

Legolas hummed in agreement and took the box that held a very pissed off cat.

They went outside and Legolas placed the cat on the backseat of the man's car, sitting front himself.

"Which vet was it again?" Aragorn asked.
"Beorn's, it is on Gladdenroad." Legolas replied.
"You might have to guide the way a bit."
"Okay."

Aragorn started the car and made a u-turn.

He drove carefully so that the animal in it's box stayed as calm and still as possible.

Aragorn glanced at Legolas when they had been driving in silence long enough.

"I am sure your cat will be just fine." He said to the tense looking blond.

Legolas only nodded to this.

He actually spoke the next time when he instructed Aragorn to make two rights and a left before he parked the car infront of a small building that said 'Animal Allies' on it's side.

"You can stay out here if you like, you don't have to come wait with us." Legolas said.
"I don't mind." Aragorn said and opened his door.

Legolas got out and took the cat as well.

They all went in to the building. Aragorn took the catbox and sat down while Legolas went to the information counter.

Soon the blond sat next to him and let out a deep breath.

Aragorn curled one arm around him and soothingly petted his arm.

He hoped that the feline would be alright. Legolas had only told him that he can not keep food in and that the cat is behaving avoidingly or then angry, but it did not really say anything to him. He knew very little about animals, or their medical issues.

"Is there a Tuffy here?" They heard a low, nearly growling voice say.

To be honest, the appearance of the veterinarian surprised Aragorn. He was a tall, strongly built man with wild hair and brows. Aragorn would have never thought the man to look like that. Although, perhaps his animalistic appearance came with the territory.

"I'll wait here." Aragorn said and Legolas nodded. Then the blond took the cat and followed the large vet into his examination room.

It was not that he couldn't have gone with Legolas, but he thought that he would be more on the way, and he knew as a doctor how much it made things easier the less distractions and more space to work there was.

So he waited.

And the wait seemed long.

Eventually Legolas came and sat next to the man, without his cat.

"What did the vet say?" Aragorn asked.
"He thinks there is something wrong with Tuftuf's stomach, and needs to do some more examinations. Also, Tuf did not appreciate it, so he needed to be sedated."
"So we will wait a bit more?"

Legolas nodded.

"Look, Aragorn, I am sorry, I don't know how long this will take-"
"It is quite alright. Relax." Aragorn said and tapped his knee. Then the man calmly reopened this magazine again that he had read when Legolas had returned.

Legolas placed his elbow on the armrest between them and leaned his jaw on his palm, looking at the article the man was reading.

Then he let out a small laugh, first proper one Aragorn had heard since he had picked him up.

"Did you know this about coffee. Good article for you." He said and Aragorn smiled lopsidedly, nudging him bit with his elbow. "Well, any new information?"
"I did not know coffee needs to be slurped in order to assess all aspects of the flavor profile." Came the answer and Legolas laughed a little again.
"You are so perfectly poised you could totally slurp coffee loud anywhere without it even scratching your overall dignity." He replied and the man chuckled a bit now too.

It took quite some time, but the vet did come to request Legolas with him.

Then there was some more waiting.

And around when the two and a half hours mark came from the point he had picked Legolas and his cat up, there finally was some clarity.

"Tuffy needs surgery..." Legolas said with a repressed voice.
"Really?" Aragorn asked apologetically after getting up.
Legolas nodded.
"He uhm...has some internal blockage and it needs to be removed..."

The sight of the blond broke his heart. How he forced his voice to stay as even as possible, wiping his eye before a single tear would meet the skin on his cheeks.

Aragorn hugged him and petted his back.

"Don't worry. He will be fine and back home bugging you in no time." He said and Legolas nodded. "Surgery always takes time, so there is no point waiting here. How about we go get something to eat, hm? It will make you feel better and pass the time before we can pick him up."

Legolas retreated from the hug.

"Tuf will have to stay here until tomorrow." He said silently but started walking from the gentle push he felt on his lower back.

"You could come spend the night with me?" Aragorn asked and opened the door for both of them. "I do not mind even if I have work in the morning."

Legolas made a declining hum.

"I need to clean at home a little, so that Tuf can have some more space to get healthy again..." he muttered.

"How about that bite then, hm? And you can always come for tea, I can take you home later and you will still have plenty of time to clean." Aragorn replied.

He did not know what went over him to make such a comment, he knew that probably even a week of direct organizing would not do the trick in the jungle the blond lived in.

But he felt bad for him and did not want him to stress alone.

"Okay." Aragorn heard through his thoughts. "Maybe something to eat could be nice. And maybe that tea too."

~~~~

The pizzeria was warm and buzzing, with low golden lights and the scent of melted cheese and cooked pizza dough hanging in the air like comfort itself.

Legolas sat hunched slightly in the booth, hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands, fidgeting with the edge of a checker print napkin.

Aragorn slid a glass of cola in front of him.
"Hydration. Doctor’s orders."

Legolas gave a faint huff of a laugh.
"You should have prescribed pizza during the week. Maybe it might have even stopped the yarn incident altogether..."

Aragorn smiled gently across the table.

"I can just picture him there. Drugged up and sleeping. His tiny round belly soon in stitches.” Legolas blew out a sigh and pressed his palms to his face. "I'm a terrible cat owner." He said muffled.
"No, you are not." Aragorn’s tone was calm but certain, in that doctorly way of his. "You are a very anxious cat owner though. Which just means you love your pet."

Legolas peeked at him between his fingers.
"I do love him so much. He has been my friend and comfort for a long while. He is very sweet and cuddly. Even though he is dramatic and judgmental too." Legolas said and his hands softly dropped to the table. "And tried to devour probably an entire skein of my plant yarn like it was spaghetti or something." He sighed.
"He just simply has your appetite." Aragorn let out lightly without even thinking it.

Legolas' eyes darted to him and his mouth opened up slightly from shock.

"Rude." He then scoffed with a small shake of his head, but ended up grinning a little, finally, and Aragorn relaxed at the sight.

Their pizza arrived; cheesy, greasy, absolutely glorious plateful of divine deliciousness.

And Legolas immediately tore into it like it was the 17th century and the meal had insulted his honor or something, completely verifying the recent appetite comment without even realizing it.

"Have you skipped eating entirely today?" Aragorn asked politely and ate with a much neater manner.

"Stress burns calories, you know, and makes one hungrier." Legolas chewed and gestured vaguely. "Also I didn’t skip eating. I just, uhm…emotionally redirected it."
"Your emotional redirection is dripping oil.”

Legolas blinked at the man, then started laughing with the most cutest fashion, mouth pursed shut with his hand over it. A real hearty yet very stifled laugh, the kind that cracked open rest of the looming tension.

Aragorn's neatness and sense of properness got him amused ever so often. He did enjoy that the man was so precise and serious with things, but still, to him it was so funny for someone to even note or better yet, say such things outloud.

And that preserved, held back smile the man gets at times only made his heart feel warmer.

"Thank you..." Legolas said quietly a moment later and wiped his hands clean. “For being here with me. Making things better."

Aragorn smiled less tight now and took his hand over the table.

"Of course. I am glad to see you smile. Worrying yourself sick does not help your feline friend. But being well fed, happy, rested and full of energy will. You still need to nurse him back to health from his medical endeavour."

Legolas smiled and nodded.

"Umm...it is not that late yet." He said slowly and suddenly struck a meaningfull gaze to the man. "I could totally come have that tea with you and still have time to clean, if I am not intruding or wasting your evening or anything."
"Not at all."

They finished their pizza in a much lighter atmosphere and then left.

~~~~

The door clicked shut behind them, and before the lock had even settled into place, Legolas was on him; hands curling into the front of Aragorn’s coat, lips finding his with a hunger that had been smoldering beneath the surface since he saw the man that day despite of all his worry.

Aragorn responded instantly, one arm reaching back to press the door fully closed as the other slid around Legolas’s waist, pulling him in tight.

Their kiss was heated, mouths parting with that unspoken urgency that only came when words had already done their part to relieve stress and tension.

There was no pretense this time, no teasing, no slow burn. Just the simple electricity of touch and comfort tipping into something rawer and very necessary.

Legolas broke the kisses only long enough to unravel Aragorn’s clothes.

Aragorn answered these stripping actions without words, soon breaking the kisses on the lips entirely and his mouth finding that sweet, delicious curve of Legolas’s neck that made the blond gasp and hum, his hands already slipping beneath the hem of his shirt, fingers trailing along skin that held a scent which had gotten him wrapped inside some deep place of obsession for a while now.

There was no hesitation in his touch. Clothes were shed in pauses, hurried but not rushed, each layer a step toward shedding the weight of the day.

Soon, the hallway was decorated by a trail of fabrics leading to the bedroom which bathed in the soft golden light from the early evening sun through the window.

Legolas pushed Aragorn to sit down on the bed assertively, climbing onto the doctor's lap, hands exploring now with intent, but still with the playful confidence that was uniquely his.

Their kisses slowed just enough to let them breathe more and savor the sensation of all the touches.

Aragorn’s hands settled at Legolas’s hips, his eyes dark but still filled with something else than just desire when he allowed himself to enjoy every inch of the nigh delicate person sitting in his lap with his gaze.

Legolas traced the man's stubble with his thumb, smiling enticingly before leaning back for a sultry kiss that created a demanding and pleasing twitch around where he sat on.

What followed was slow and deliberate movements, almost meditative.

Legolas had pushed the man to lie down fully on his back with him on top, their chests tightly together.

Aragorn's warm hands traveled on his skin. The looked at each other closely but briefly, before Legolas closed the gap between their lips again.

It was a communion of limbs and warmth. An act of very open mutual affection.

Soon Legolas made a few adjustments, first reaching to the man's nightstand drawer with his own permission to take the small tube of lubricant to ease the next move, which was sitting upwards and having the man enter him.

Aragorn had a grip of his hips again, their bodies moving together with a rhythm that felt immensily compatible for what they were aiming for. It was nothing performative or actions that were trying to prove anything.

Only the kind of closeness that could even rebuild something frayed inside, which they both did possess hidden deep within.

Even if it was not performative, the blond could move his hips in a way that could have easily passed as a one way ticket directly to nirvana.

No matter how long the day had been for Aragorn, this blond could fire up his entire body to an utmost alert, with a burning need to satisfy and be satisfied.

Although his far leaner partner had taken control of that, he basically just had to lay there and enjoy being ridden.

Still, he could not fight the temptation of taking a bit of that lube and taking a grip of Legolas' manhood, giving it strokes that went well with the rhythm Legolas kept up incredibly well.

Of course this slippery and confident touch sped up the blond shooting out much faster than he could have endured without it, but the sensation was very welcome to him.

Like the knowledge of the doctor under him finding release from it as well.

Legolas slided next to him on the bed and let out a long pleased him.

Then he glanced at the man.

"Thanks for the pizza." He said with a small pant and Aragorn laughed a little.
"Anytime." Aragorn replied, feeling quite relaxed.

~~~~

After a little bit of cleaning themselves and dressing up, it was time for that tea.

Scents of a hot fruit and berry drink overwhelmed the entire kitchen, but in a most soft fashion.

"I got a message. All had gone okay, I can get Tuftuf home tomorrow at noon." Legolas said happily.
"That is great." Aragorn said while wiping his counter dry from any drops of water. "I told you it would be alright."

Legolas smiled and nodded.

"I will just finish this tea and then I will have to hurry home." He said.
"I will give you a ride home."
"Oh, no, you do not need to. I can get home fine by bus or the subway." Legolas declined.
"You will get home faster by car. Plus it is late already, it is not as safe outside as it is during daytime."

Legolas looked at Aragorn's back a bit thoughtful.

"I will not take a no for an answer." The man said, still doing his cleaning chores.

Oh...okay. Thank you. You are very kind."

It was a sentence Legolas noticed himself saying quite often.

Aragorn was kind. Almost suspiciously or abnormally kind.

Of course Legolas was kind too, but he had his pouty moments and times when he let out an arrange of other emotions. But Aragorn was very composed and held back, and he found it strange sometimes.

~~~~

His return was very routine like as well; Aragorn took him to his building, declined from visiting his apartment, kissed him goodbye in the car, watched him get to the door and then drove off.

Although he would like to have the man come over, more than just standing by his front door with his shoes on, Legolas was happy and grateful for the man and all he did for him.

Sometimes he did wonder was he considerate and enough back.

But, if anything, atleast the worst of that day was behind and his cat was alive, and home soon as well and he would need to focus now on that.

All's well that ends well.

TBC

Chapter Text

For some while, it was tough.

Aragorn visited Legolas a few times in his shop and very briefly by the front door of his apartment, but other than that it was contact by phone.

Legolas balanced everything to work in a best way possible; handle his shop and everything with it, nursing his pet and trying to maintain his relationship the same active way that he had.

Aragorn did think he looked very tired, and for someone like Legolas who was not so familiar with fatigue in this caliber, it showed out as tiny bits of forgetfulness and silly conversation subjects.

Well silly the young man was most of the time, but more than usual.

Luckily Curu was with him most of the time in the shop and helped with the cat as well, who had had a rough recovery.

But slowly it started to turn for the better.

From Aragorn's point of view, things might not have been so serious or complicated in Legolas' life, except for the cat being sick in the first place.

But he listened to all his worries and read his texts about everything really. Legolas was very chatty, he had been like that always.

Aragorn on the other hand did enjoy his peace and quiet and did not really know how to properly share things of the mind and heart. Of course he realized in a relationship that peace and quiet was far less than when he was alone, but still, he needed it time to time and sharing, well...it was a work in progress.

Especially if he was swamped with work, like he was now, those small moments of solitude, maybe with that paper of the day and a hot cup of coffee from his favourite coffee shop, at the spot he had chosen some time ago as a sanctuary, just blocking out everything else except the natural sounds his surroundings made.

Birds singing, cars driving occassionally. Wind rustling the trees and children on summer vacation playing football further away in the grass.

And...

"Hey you!"

He heard Legolas' voice and quite soon after received a kiss on his cheek and had the blond plopping himself sit next to him on the park bench.

"I saw you from the window and I just had to come say hi." Legolas said brightly.

Aragorn smiled a little. He did enjoy that light, joyful voice Legolas had.

"Hi." He replied.
"Have you been busy? I feel like I have not heard from you in ages." Legolas said coyly and fiddled with the collar of Aragorn's shirt.

Ages was perhaps seven hours and eighteen minutes. But their exchange had been short and scarce for a while, mostly because Aragorn was busy and he replied very shortly to the messages he received.

"I have." He simply said and meant it. He had said it before as well. "How is Tuffy?"

Legolas smiled.

"Much better, thank you. He is still incredibly offended of me taking him to the vet, but I will attempt to win his friendship back with some fresh herring. Even if it was his greedy soul's fault to end up in there in the first place." He answered and Aragorn let out a small amused hum, taking a sip of his usual coffee while eyeing his paper.

Legolas petted the man's shoulder in a way that messaged him wanting attention.

Aragorn looked at the blond's tilted head and smiling face.

"Can we meet up later?" He asked.
"Uhm..." Aragorn abandoned the idea of finishing his reading. "I'm sorry, I can't. I took part on a research project run by the university and I am going there after work. It might get late, so I will then just have a quick bite and go to sleep."

Legolas' gaze drifted away to some sight he did not really look at and nodded.

This was very familiar to the doctor. Him repeatedly saying no to the young men he had seen in the past. Legolas had been the most patient one, not once had he complained about the hurry and not seeing too often at times.

But Aragorn new that look. The thought lived somewhere inside the blond too.

He let out a silent sigh.

"Look, Legolas..." the blond looked at him again and the man looked away. "I am having an evening shift tomorrow. I'll get off around ten. If it is not too late, maybe you could come for a late dinner, perhaps stay over?"

Legolas looked at him for a moment. These were one of those moments when he did not know how to interpret the man.

But then again, would he really invite him over unless he meant it?

"I would like that." Legolas said. Aragorn glanced at him and nodded with a half a smile.
"It's a date then." The man said and folded his paper. "But now, I have to get going, my break will end soon."
"Okay."

They both stood up.

"Have a lovely rest of the day at work." Legolas said cheerfully and curled his arms around the man's neck. "It was wonderful seeing you, even if it was quick." He added and gave him a kiss.
"You too." Aragorn said. "Talk to you later."

They parted their ways, both to their respected jobs.

Aragorn liked Legolas a lot. It was the thought he reminded himself some more.

To be honest, a quiet evening alone after work in silence would have sounded good, especially because he had a late shift the next day as well which would have meant some downtime in the morning, but it is what it is.

Usually he would have just declined and kept his solitude and peace. But Legolas was different. To him he always felt bad to say no.

It was a strange place to be, he had wanted Legolas for his own so much but then again fitting a relationship in his life in general might not have been the fairest thing towards Legolas in the first place.

Be that as it may, they were how they were now and he did not regret it, not at all.

But was he worried about his track record?

Definitely.

~~~~

"Is something on your mind?" Curu asked after observing Legolas adjust an assembly of lillies way too long.

"Hm? Not at all." He said. "You know what, I really like these Heartstrings, they are so gorgeous."

Curu hummed agreeingly but said nothing more to it.

"It's just that they only look simple and clean, but possess a lot of complexity in their growth to be so gorgeous." He said and petted one of them.

"Are we still talking about flowers?" Curu asked and sat on the counter.

"Of course we are." Legolas replied and took the vase of lillies away.

Curu kept observing and then took a light approach.

"Well, you know the best how much care and patience flowers and plants take. The more you tend and nurture and have a bit of faith, the more gorgeous they bloom." He said while stretching his arms long towards the ceiling.

Legolas glanced at him and shooked his head.

"You sound like dad you know." He said with a semi scolding tone.
"Noooo. I learned that from you. You sound like your dad." Curu said with a fantastic grin, having his friend stick out his tongue towards him.

"Fine. Perhaps you are right." Legolas sighed and looked out of the window. "Patience and nurture, huh..." he muttered thoughtfully.

He stood there until his friends arms curling around his shoulders from behind brought him back from his thoughts.

"Should we go search for that herring you promised Tuffers? You know he will disown you as his human forever if you go promise him herring and return home empty handed." Curu said seriously and Legolas laughed.

"You are absolutely right. It has been a slow day anyway...and we won't be long. But hey, if we find that fish fast, then we could go get some new toy for Tuffy too." Legolas said and went to grab his keys and phone.
"Sounds good. After you, boss."

They stepped out and Legolas put a "We will return shortly" sign on the door.

~~~~

"...and then we went to see the gallery at Grey Shores and the sea food restaurand beside the joint - oh boy - it was excellent!"

Aragorn merely hummed to this story.

The blond surgeon leaned on the counter and looked at his friend more closely, raised a brow and took a sip of his after lunch coffee.
"You sure you're with me, or should I try sending that whole speech by fax instead?"

Aragorn exhaled slowly and raised his gaze from his files while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry. I caught, like, two words - seafood and something about Grey Shores?"

"You know, when you say ‘mm-hm’ to a story about a gallery tour and a seafood platter, I start to worry." Boromir jested.
"Sorry. Just...a lot on my mind." Aragorn replied.
"And here I thought my storytelling had you spellbound." Boromir grinned, but then his expression softened a little. "You good, man? You’ve been walking around like a storm cloud all week."
"I'm fine." Came the now flat answer.

The surgeon did not give up easy. He knew his friend better than most people did.

"This about the guy? The florist?" He asked nonchalantly.
"Among several other things."

Boromir nodded to himself and stirred his coffee.

"Burning the candle from both ends again, hm?"

A small tension washed over Aragorn's face.

"No." He scoffed.

"So what's the issue?" Boromir asked and sipped his drink.
"There is no issue."
"You said he was among other things that bothers you."
"He does not bother me."
"But something in it does."

Aragorn felt a headache incoming.

"Look, man, I'm not here to pry. But I’ve seen that look on you before, and it usually ends with you bottling things up until you feel like you’re choking on your own damn spine."
"Thanks for the poetic imagery..." Aragorn muttered.
"So? What is it? You like him, yeah?"

Aragorn paused and then sighed.
"Yes. I do."

The surgeon felt victorious but hid it well.

"Have you told him that?"

He got no answer.

"I'm just...tired, Boromir. Too often. Sometimes it just seems that nothing is enough, not with Legolas, but...just everything else. And sometimes, I just want a moment to not be anything to anyone. No expectations. No noise. Just... stillness." He said and instantly felt that searing guilty tear.

"And he's not stillness.?" Boromir inquired.

"No. He's...he's color and talking and warmth. He wants to share everything, but I just...don’t always have the space for it. I feel guilty even thinking that..." He muttered the last part out. There were times when they did not see each other because of work schedules, but to add personal quiet time on top of that seemed like a lot considering what relationships usually forms from.

Boromir shrugged.

"You can like someone and still need quiet. Take me and Éowyn for example, we are head over heels over one another but still take space when we need to." Boromir said.

Usually Boromir speaking like that about the pediatrician made Aragorn slightly amused, because he speaks like they would have been married for twenty years, instead of dating less than he and Legolas had, which was the actual truth.

In any case, he was happy for the man.

"It is different. You and Éowyn have a mutual understandment about it through profession. Legolas...takes silence as distance. I can see it. I try to explain I'm just busy and sometimes tired, but he smiles and says it’s okay, and then texts me five minutes later about a dream he had o-or a new pastry he tried."

Boromir chuckled softly.

"Sounds like the guy's into you."

"I care about him. That’s the thing. But caring doesn't make me less tired or make me have more free time." Aragorn said and Boromir hummed.

The surgeon glanced at his friend who seemed to think that the conversation was over.

"You know, most people would be lucky to have someone who actually wants to spend time with them. Talk. Be around. Some more than others."
"I know that." Aragorn said a tad tense.
"Then why do you sound like it’s a burden?"

The ER doctor let out half a sigh that had a hint of frustration in it.

What could he say. He felt like a horrible human being.

"You ever think that maybe he would understand if you told him all this? Like, really told him?" Boromir asked still with his careless tone.
"I don't want to hurt him. Or make him feel unwanted." Aragorn replied far too quickly, obviously from thinking about this more than once.
"I am not saying dump your feelings on him like a truckload of bricks." Boromir said with a small laugh. Then he looked at Aragorn. "Just... don't let this all stew until it boils over. I've seen you do that. Too many times. You are swamped with work and the project - you are only a human too."

Aragorn did not say anything to that.

"Don't twist yourself into knots trying to be the kind of boyfriend you think he wants. Be the kind of man you are and just let him meet you there. It will all work out." Boromir stated, partially proud of what he said.
"Wise words for someone who ate reheated lasagna for lunch." Aragorn said and had his friend laugh.
"Hey, genius fuels itself in mysterious ways, I'll tell you."

The pager on Boromir’s hip buzzed.
"Back to the grind, my friend. Think about what I said, yeah?"

He tapped Aragorn's shoulder with a firm, friendly manner and then left the room.

Aragorn sighed silently.

Perhaps Boromir was right. Maybe there is a point in having an honest conversation about it.

Perhaps he could be able to talk about feelings as well. Not really his strong suite, even this conversation with his friend had felt way more than uncomfortable, but he could try.

~~~~

Not all plans go as they are planned though.

He should have really called or texted Legolas after his shift the next day and call off their date. That would have been the wise thing to do.

It had been a horrendous day.

Still, Aragorn had made the choice to have Legolas over like they had agreed on. Rarely he canceled things that were agreed on.

"...and then we open the boxes and we have twenty rolls of lightblue wire which we can not use! Can you believe that? Then Curu had to go search green from stores while I tried to call and clear that mess, because I did not pay for blue wire." Legolas said and looked at Aragorn, who only replied with a "mm-hm'.

The man walked past him, first to the bathroom to wash his hands and then to the kitchen.

Legolas went to wash his hands too and followed the man who was now silently unpacking groceries.

Legolas paused his steps for a moment and then shooked off this strange weighing atmosphere that had been present since he met the man that evening, and continued chatting.

"Oh and I forgot to tell you, I had a customer finally buy one of my cactuses. You know the ones that look like sea urchins on steroids? He was buying it as a housewarming gift to a friend. Nothing says congratulations of a new home than a mildly aggressive houseplant, right." He laughed a little.

Aragorn closed a cupboard with a quiet click and moved on to organizing the dry goods with another 'mm-hm'.

Legolas took a glass of water and continued his stories.

"Oh! And then this other delivery guy dropped off a box of succulents I didn't order, I swear there must have been some larger mix up somewhere, but honestly they were so cute I didn't even mind. He let me pay and keep the ones that got this little pink blush on their tips like they would be absolutely embarrassed to be alive. I don’t know why, but I just had to have them."

Still, Aragorn was quiet.

It was strange.

But Legolas did not give up.

He left his glass on the dinner table and reached for a tomato from one of the bags, and inspected it playfully.

"Hey, did you know tomatoes are technically berries? And that bananas are technically herbs? I felt like the world had been lying to me when dad told me this. I am actually tempted to make a sign in the shop: ‘Flowers are flowers, but fruits are liars.’ Think it would sell?" He smiled, soft and hopeful, clearly trying to charm some reaction out of the man, he would any flicker of amusement or interest.

But nothing.

Just the man taking the empty glass off the table and putting at the edge of the sink with a slightly louder sound than necessary which made Legolas slightly frown.

"You're awfully quiet, you know." Legolas added after a beat, a bit more silent but still gently. "I something wrong?"
"No. Just let it be." Aragorn said and left the kitchen and into his bedroom.

Something was, he just knew it.

Legolas sat on the couch. He observed Aragorn toss a set of clean clothes on the edge of it and then go to the alcohol cabinet.

Even the way he consumed his drink lacked the elegance the man usually practised. There was no pause, no sitting down and having an occassional sip with a small content sigh.

No, it was glass full and chug down like in a fraternity party bet, with a refill.

The refill did make it to the couch with the man, who sat on the other end.

Aragorn's phone buzzed on the coffee table and with an audible sigh he grabbed it.

"Uhm...Which channel did the movie come from?" Legolas asked after a moment and fiddled with a loose string on his sleeve.
"How about you find out." Aragorn replied while reading the screen of his phone with a frown.

Legolas blinked slowly, surprised by the sharpness in Aragorn’s tone.

"Okay..." he dragged quietly, and reached for the remote.

The TV screen lit up and the room filled with idle dialogue from some forgotten show, and then with a slow pace the channels were switched from one to another until Legolas found what he was looking for.

The silence was sharp now, not tired but oddly charged. For the first time it felt uncomfortable being there and Legolas had a hard time grasping why.

When Legolas gathered the courage to glance at Aragorn again, he wasn’t even watching the movie and was still staring at his phone that buzzed occassionally, jaw and expression tight.

Care and nurture, he thought and took a silent breath.

"You know..." Legolas started, careful, still trying to offer a bridge rather than a wedge. "I don’t really know what is going on, a-and I definitely do not need everything to be perfect. But just, uhm... I kind of...would like to know that you are actually here. With me."

Aragorn didn't answer right away. He just took another sip of his drink, then said, without looking at him. "I told you. I had a long day."
"I’m not saying you didn't a-and I am not trying to complain." Legolas replied quickly still with a soft tone and turned himself to face the man a bit better. "But I came here to see you. Not to...not to compete with whatever's on your phone or talk to myself. It...it feels like I’m intruding on my own relationship right now."

Aragorn set his phone down with a heavy sigh.
"What do you want me to say?" The now tight tone said.

"Well...anything really. Or even if you don't feel like talking it would still be nice to know some way that you want me here." Legolas said a bit shyly.
"Isn't having you here enough?" Came the tense reply.

For some reason, the hesitation in Legolas just fueled up his slowly boiled anger.

"Of course it isn't." The man scoffed an answer to his own question.

"Why are you being this mean to me.?" Legolas got out and that was the last straw.

Aragorn laughed harshly, running a hand through his hair. "Because I'm angry, Legolas! I am burnt out and overwhelmed and I can't take being prodded and poked by you or anyone else the second I get home right now! I'm not your goddamn emotional support animal!" He spat out. "Sometimes it feels like you want a version of me that does not exist; someone who's cheerful and talkative and always ready to indulge you. But I'm not that man! Especially not after the day I've had! So if that is not good enough, find someone else for it!"

Legolas’s breath caught. His eyes were wide, bright with something brittle, but he didn’t cry. He just nodded slowly, jaw clenched, and looked at the tv again.

"Okay." he said, voice thin. "I hear you."

"And then this." Aragorn scoffed, knowing that Legolas held back tears at that point, he could see it.

The young man showing vulnerability was not really the case that made him even more annoyed, it was the knowledge that he himself had made it happen.

He took a few angry breaths in, trying to calm down but the cycle was set.

Both of them were at a very familiar position. They both knew how it would go down. How it always had in previous relationships.

Legolas was being tossed by every single doubt and insecurity he had cradled somewhere deep in his heart that rarely showed right at that moment.

He was going through with a quick speed that had he missread their whole relationship. Had there been signs that it was not going as well as he had thought it to go. He he been too pushy again, affectionate, suffocating.

"Legolas…" Aragorn started to say but then he shooked his head and turned away again. "No. No, you know what? I need a shower. I need five goddamn minutes without this."

Legolas heard the man mutter a few profanities while going to the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

The water went on quick and hard and then there was nothing but the silent echo of the running water coming from that direction.

There was a ball of anxiety formed in the bottom of Legolas' stomach. A feeling he had not felt in a long while due to a human relationship. And never ever in his life had it felt this strong, even if he had faced situations with a generally worse nature than this.

Aragorn felt no better.

He leaned against the cold tiles with his eyes shut, just allowing the water to rinse this devilry off of him.

It was not Legolas' fault. None of it was. He was innocent and he just targeted him because he feels more than horrible inside.

Aragorn had never been good with emotions. He was steady and stable through everyday life, but anger, frustration, sorrow and emotions like that always blew out like it just had, and without him mentioning a single word of the subject that actually bothered him. It just flowed out like an erupting volcano, sweeping under anything and anyone on his path.

But the longer he stood there the more he regretted.

Every tone, every averted gaze and touch, every harsh word that had just happened.

He hated himself.

With a sigh he turned off the water, and grabbed a towel. He pushed his wet hair back and wrapped the towel around his waist.

He left the bathroom and went straight to the living room.

"Legolas, I...Legolas?"

Only the movie left unwatched made sounds while rolling on the tv.

"Legolas?" Aragorn called again and glanced around the apartment.

The he looked at the front door, and did not see Legolas' shoes where he had left them.

He felt air run out of his lungs.

He went to the living room and slumped to sit on the couch.

Well, he had his silence and solitute now.

And never had it felt more unwanted.

TBC

Chapter Text

Aragorn stood still and sighed silently.

He felt worried, incredibly so.

Never had he been more apprehensive about a shop sign as he did now.

Garden of Wonders seemed to give him an evil glare for even thinking about entering.

But he did, his regular break could definitely wait it's normal form some other day.

The bright bell rang as he slowly opened the door to the otherwise silent shop that always greeted it's visitors with an array of the most enticing and sweet scents there could be.

"Just a moment!" He then heard a voice.

He did know who to expect from the voice, so seeing the red haired young man was no surprise.

"Oh. You." He said flatly.
"Hello, Curu. Is-"
"No, he isn't."

There was a brush of silence. It was the silence of disappointment.

Aragorn forced himself to face the judging green eyes.

"Look. I am quite certain that Legolas told you-"
"That you were a complete jerk and shouted at him without a reason? Yup." Curu said still with that flat tone while leaning on the counter. "Legolas is way too nice. I added the jerk part."

Aragorn did felt deserving that.

"I really need to talk to him. I have not had the chance to visit until now, and he has not answered to any of my calls or messages in the last three days."

"He does not want to see you. He wants to give you 'your space'." Curu merely shrugged with his arms crossed, having a slightly mean tone and a merciless gaze.

Aragorn let out a deep breath.

He had no idea why did he confided to Curu, but perhaps he was desperate and very ashamed of what happened.

"I uh, had a very bad day. I...have not encountered it too much on my career, but I lost a patient. Two, actually...And I know, I should have just told Legolas it was a bad day and see him another time, but...I really like him and I do not want to screw things up by being too distant. I thought I could just keep it in and proceed with our plans, but it just weighed so heavy on me...I really did not want to chase him away..."

A small bitter huff of a laugh occured.

"But I already did, didn't I...he must just hate me..." he said silently and rubbed his neck.

Curu held his stance for a moment morr but then let out a small breath.

"Look, I'm sorry you lost your patients." He said with a voice that held empathy. "But it was not Legolas' fault that happened, right? There was no need to take it out on him. I do get your side I guess, but still..." He added with a small scold. "He still does not even know why were you suddenly like that. He has had some very bad experiences in life, and you just about flared them all out again."

He looked at the man who honestly did look like he had a lot of regret.

Curu stepped from behind the counter and put his arm around Aragorn's shoulders.

"Lucky for you, newspaperman, I am on your side. Not with yelling at Legolas without a good reason, that I do not appreciate and you have to make amends yourself. But he is crazy about you, and miserable without, and I do not want to see him sad."

He guided Aragorn to a display cabinet.

"Screw up - bouquets. Pick one." He said and released the man from his hold.

He walked back to the counter.

"Legolas has taken a particular liking to the Heartstring lilies at the moment." He heard the small advice.

"Screw up - bouquets?" Aragorn questioned, and atleast knowing what lillies look like, picked up one that had them. "Do these actually sell?"

"Oh, you would be surprised of the amount of poor souls finding some much needed help and assistance to get them out of a deep swamp they have sunk themselves in." Curu said with a whimsical tone. "Husbands and boyfriends especially."

Aragorn felt the scorch but said nothing.

He returned to the counter.

"You might want to add one of those with it. Our newest merchandise that Legolas insisted us having."

Aragorn glanced at the small tower that had several small but adorable plush toys hanging from it right next to the rotating display with cards, addresses and book of condolences.

He looked at them for a moment.

"Legolas likes-"
"I think I know."

He reached for a small long-eared owl and placed it on the counter.

He stood silent while Curu put the items on the register.

"This is all in vain if he refuses to see me..." he muttered.

Curu glanced at him.

"Don't worry about it. I said I was your side." He said with a silent tone as well. "You are on your break. Can you go see him after work?"

Aragorn hummed a yes.

Curu made a small wet package at the bottom of the flower stems and wrapped them in paper, finishing it with a green ribbon.

"Come by here before you do. You will do a favor for me." He said. "It would be 32 even." He announced the prize.
"Uhm, okay..." Aragorn agreed to both. "Oh, do you still have thos uhm, uh...what the heck were they called..." he tried to think. "Something that had pink tips? Legolas made some silly joke about them..."

Curu though too.

"Ooh, I know what you mean. The succulents?"
"That's right!"
"What about them?"
"Do you have them? I...would like one."
"For yourself?" Curu asked a bit in disbelief, but did go retrieve one.

It was a funny looking plant, green round edged leaves with the famous pink tips.

It did make him smile. He just knew why Legolas had to have them.

"Uhm, listen, this thing is not like the tillandsia, just so you know. It is not an airplant and needs a soil and soil means water more frequently and some occassional nutrients as well if you want it to live. I hate to break it to you, but Lassé fears for your tillandsia as it is." Curu chuckled.

"It will be fine. I'll take it."

Curu added it to the final prize.

"62." He said and Aragorn paid him.

"I'll come after work."
"Do you want me to keep your purchases here until then?"
"Could you?"

Curu shrugged.

"Why not."
"Thank you. For...all your help."

Curu glanced at the man.

"Your break is up."

~~~~

After his shift, Aragorn went straight to the flower shop.

Curu handed him the flowers, the plush, the succulent and two ledgers.

"I promised to take these to him, because he wants to work at home at the moment. I will send him a message that he will receive them shortly. He will expect me. So, after he opens the door, you are on your own. Got it?"

"Will he get mad with you?" Aragorn asked a bit apologetically.
"Oh totally, you know Lassé, he is an impulsive feeler. But I can take it, he won't be mad for long. People come and go, but we are best friends forever."

Aragorn nodded to this and continued his road, now towards Legolas' apartment.

He parked the car and took what he needed with him, he had even stopped by a kiosk for an extra thing to get on Legolas' good side.

He walked up the stairs and stopped by the door that said Greenleaf on the mailslot.

He took a deep breath and rang the door bell.

It felt like a small forever before he heard some sounds and Legolas' voice kindheartedly complain about his friend taking so long.

The door opened and the small smile Legolas' had, vanished immediately.

"You are not Curu." He said silently.

"Might I come in?" Aragorn decided to boldly ask.

He had feared that Legolas would refuse or that it would be difficult to get a talking connection with him, but he was wrong.

Legolas looked at him for a short moment, he did ponder should he just say bye and shut the door, before taking a step back and opened the door more.

The man stepped in and he closed it.

"Here." Aragorn said and offered him the things he was holding; the bouquet, the plush toy and then a bag that held something.

"What are those?" Legolas asked with his arms crossed.
"An apology." Aragorn said and handed him the flowers with the little owl.

"These are from my shop." Legolas said with a stating tone. "Of course. I would not go to any other flower shops." Aragorn said.
"This is Curu's doing." He then said a bit annoyed.

Aragorn did not know what to reply, the redhead had helped him but still it felt inappropriate to say it outloud, like he would have been throwing him under a bus or something.

They looked at each other in silence for a bit.

"I went to look for you at your shop but you were not there. You do not answer to any of my attempts to contact you. I did not know who else to turn to." Aragorn then said apologetically. "And hey, he even sold me one of those plants you spoke to me about, the one with the tips."

Legolas frowned.

"You don't take care of plants."

"Well...I'm going to do my best and try. Something I need to work on." Aragorn replied quietly.

Silence stretched again, but softer now.

Legolas placed the bouquet on a small table next to the door and leaned against the wall. "So...you obviously came here for a reason. What do you want to say?"

Aragorn turned to face him fully. His posture was uncertain, not defensive, not withdrawn, just...uncertain.

"I came to say I'm sorry. Not just because I yelled at you. But because I scared you. I know I did."

Legolas’s jaw tightened and his gaze dropped to the floor.

"I have no excuses. I felt really bad and...I could not handle it." He muttered.

Legolas' gaze slowly returned and studied the man.

"Why did you feel so bad?"

Aragorn paused.

"I do not want to..."

Legolas' gaze held something else than just his inquiry. Like it was him offering a hand. A small opportunity Aragorn should take if he wanted to mend things.

“I uh...I...I lost two patients that day..." Aragorn said his voice low. "One was only a child. It was sudden, and brutal, and I walked out of the hospital with that still ringing in my head, a-and I tried to pretend I could handle it. That you could come over, I could see you, just pretend everything was okay. But everything wasn't...I wasn't." He paused. "So I, uh..snapped. I broke. And I used you as a place to throw that weight, instead of telling you I was drowning under it. And that's fully on me..."

Legolas didn’t move. Aragorn saw him feel a wave of sadness from his story.

"I do want to make you upset with these stories or any kind of stories that make you sad. I have kicked myself so much from making you upset with how I behaved. I just don't think I can get it right. I do not want to hurt you..." Aragorn sighed with a hint of desperation in his tone. "I told you there are reasons I am not relationship material..."

A silence fell.

"I wasn't just upset." Legolas said after a moment. "I was afraid, yes. I have been yelled at like that before. It never ended well. I just thought that if I just leave, you can not get angrier with me and the situation won't get worse and that maybe if I give you that space you wanted it would even be okay... I-I didn't even know what I had done wrong."
"You did absolutely nothing wrong." Aragorn said immediately and took his hands. "Nothing, Legolas. You were sweet and patient and I was completely out of the line. I did not mean the things I said."

Legolas looked at him with a pondering gaze.

"You know, it does not matter do I get sad from your stories or not. Me shedding a tear to someone who has died if you tell me such things does not end me. Atleast I would know what is going on in your world. It hurts me to hear that you felt like you would have needed to pretend anything with me." He said and Aragorn let his gaze drop in turn.

The blond still held his hands though.

"Of course, I did pretend that I was a track star, so...does that make us both silly and even? Although, I did not yell at you for having me run towards my bitter end." He said and Aragorn looked at him again, a kindness in his eyes. "Do you want to come and sit down?"
"Uhm..." Aragorn glanced towards the greenery filled living room. "Well...why not."

He took his shoes off and slowly followed after Legolas deeper in to the apartment.

The place had even more plants than what he had realized from standing by the door before.

Also objects and knick-knacks laid in odd places with a leisurely manner.

"Would you like some tea?" He heard Legolas' voice from the kitchen.

He walked there, only to be greeted with more plants. The blond even had a small balcony, that had something growing in pots as well.

Legolas found a vase he was looking for and put the flowers in it.

"Tea?" He repeated.
"Oh. Sure, thank you..."

Legolas but the water boiling and took two mugs from a cabinet.

"I would have made you coffee, but I am out. I rarely have people over who drink coffee."
"That is quite alright."

Something caught Aragorn's eye, and he walked closer to the fridge.

A picture of Legolas and him at the funfair put up with a magnet.

He glanced at Legolas who gave him a small smile.

"Here is you tea."
"Thank you."

Legolas picked Tuffy up who rubbed his head against his leg.

"I still can't believe Curu stabbed me in the back. That lazy bum, he was supposed to bring me a few work related things too..."
"Oh, that is right." Aragorn put down his mug and went to the front door where he had left the bag he had with him, then returned to the kitchen. "Here, he asked me to give these to you. And this I got you from the kiosk nearby." he pulled out a bottle as well.

Legolas would have wanted to play offended by his boyfriend and his best friend a bit longer, but lillies, the little owl and grapesoda he felt quite thoughtful as gifts and it was hard giving a colder shoulder at that point.

Legolas put the soda in the fridge, still supporting the large cat with his other arm.

Legolas took the ledgers and went to the living room, Aragorn trailing him.

He took a few pieces of clothes off the couch and tossed them on to a recliner.

Then they both sat down.

"It is uhm, quite warm in here." Aragorn said.
"I know right. This building has a tendency to preserve heat, so when the sun shines a lot it heats up the whole building and it stays that way. Also I have to keep a certain humidity with my plants, so it makes it feel even hotter.
"Here is uhm, the same kind of feel in like the tropical rainforest section down at the zoo, I suppose." Aragorn said and Legolas laughed a bit.

Then there was a small silence.

"Aragorn?"
"Hm?"
"I think that...maybe we should talk a little. About us."
Legolas said and put the cat on the floor.
"Yes, of course."

The blond looked at the man a bit, having that same uncertainty Aragorn had experienced by the door.

"Uhm...we have known each other for a while now. And considering that, uhm...we have, you know...had some close moments and everything...I just have been wondering...especially now, after our uh, argument...what is it that you want?"

That question halted the doctor a bit. Not because he wouldn't know, but because it was rare anyone asked that from him.

What did he want.

"Do you want us to take a bit of distance? I really do not want us to fully go separate ways and I am willing to do anything to make this work better."

Aragorn had been in his thoughts but this made him frown and come out of them.

"What? No, definitely not!" He said firmly. "I do not want distance to you." He said and looked directly into the blue eyes. "I love the sound if your voice, and I love all the things you tell me, no matter how silly they are sometimes. I love the presence you create when you step into a room. I know we have dated only a little while, but you are something very special, Legolas. I promise you, I will do my best to show I appreciate it more."

Legolas face had gone to a completely neutral one.

"That is, uhm...that is one dangerous word you are using." He said silently.

The doctor just realized it himself, but did not show hesitance of it.

He only nodded.

There was a small silence.

"I would be lying, if I would say that I wouldn't hope to hear from you more. But I get that you have a lot on your plate and I am just more to it. I can bear it, but only if I honestly know that you want me around."
"I do."

Legolas smiled at the man.

"Okay then." He said with a soft voice and reached his arms for him, Aragorn returning that embrace tightly.

The smile he received when they let go was like a warm gentle breeze in his heart.

"Aragorn, what comes to work, and the patients you lost...I am definitely sure you did all you possibly could for them." He said.

Again the man nodded. A subject he had wrecked his brains sore with ever since it had happened.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard."

Aragorn was silent for a moment.

"I can not put on any other gear while working. I will not. And I am fine by it." He said. "I have been given a lot of help in life and been lucky for it, and I want to give back to the world for my good fortune. I want to help others, I genuinely do. Elrond was not happy when I chose medicine over law, but I felt I can fill my calling more this way." He said silently. "What comes to my other projects..." he sighed a little. "I do not want to disappoint. My foster family has seen a lot of trouble for me and taken care of me from the goodness of their hearts, and they have standards of what they expect of their children. Even the adopted one. Maybe even more so. And even now while being an adult, I find myself trying to keep their expectations filled. I do enjoy research, writing and lecturing, but...would I do it much more scarcely if it would come solely out of my own interests? Definitely. They accepted my career path in the end, but also that I graduate with the highest honors and exceed in every way I can." He sighed again and leaned back on the couch. "It is stupid to try an please them still, I know."

Legolas let it sink a bit, then moved to sit a little closer.

"I think it is natural some way, trying to impress your parents. I am pretty sure it was a way of survival in the stone age, proof your worth or be casted away." He said with a shrug. "Just...just remember. You are good enough just the way you are, with what you do. Without trying to please anyone. And thank you, for sharing."

He offered another smile and got the familiar restricted smile back from the man he had gotten used to.

"I have one question though, and I would like you to be honest. Are you uncomfortable here?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn paused again.

Legolas did ask for honesty.

"Well, uhm..." and honesty he gave. "...yes. Sort of."

Legolas nodded.

"I appreciate it. I can see it from you."
"I am sorry, Legolas. You have a lovely home, and your plants are exquisite, but it just is a tad, hm..."
"Busy?"
"Kind of."

It was true, Legolas did not deny it.

"The hospital is a very neat and organized environment. I like to keep my home the same way. It was always very neat and organized at my foster family too. The orphanage, well...it varied." Aragorn said, sounding apologetic.

Legolas glanced around.

He thought his home was neat, just a tad unorganized.

Neat it was, a tad unorganized was a stretch though.

"You do not have to be sorry. Like I said, I appreciate the honesty." Legolas said lightly. "And hey, it is not just me, Tuffers can spread things around as well."

Aragorn turned a bit to face him fully.

"Are we good now?" He asked.
"Yes. You are off the hook, for now. Just...don't yell at me like that again. Or if you do, atleast give me the correct reason for it, okay? Also, if you need your space, tell me. We need to communicate better, if we want this to work." Legolas replied and Aragorn nodded.

The blond took a gently squeezing hold of the man's jaw and kissed him.

"Good. I will try and learn to ask more and be more considerate as well." Legolas said.

"I still feel like I should make it up to you some way. Is there anything I could do? How about I take you out, to dinner or to a movie or something?" Aragorn said with a pondering tone.

Legolas thought for a moment and then suddenly looked at him.

"Actually, there might be something you could do for me." He said. "You wouldn't happen to have the weekend off, do you?"
"I do." Aragorn replied slowly. "The weekend and then some. I am having a bit of vacation. I had it switched to an earlier timing than I was supposed to."

A smile spread to Legolas' lips.

"Great, I'll take that offer then, if you have no other plans. Although I might regret it. But I'll tell you later. And if you do want to do something instantly to help me, I would have two ledgers of taxes, receits and bookeeping to do and check." He said with a small laugh.
"Of course, I can help you." Aragorn replied.
Legolas' laugh faded.
"It was a joke, darling. I would not have you do math after a long day of work."
"Really, I don't mind. I am familiar with it too, Elrond has his own business, remember. The man taught me a thing or two while growing up."

Legolas looked at him.

"Really? You want to help me?"
"Yes. It is no problem."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Legolas." Aragorn laughed a little. "It is no problem."
"I will happily accept. We all know I need the help, badly." He laughed too. He could do it, but it really was a struggle at times.

"How about some work order. Hand me over the ledgers and I'll have a look at them and you order some food?" Aragorn suggested.

"Deal." Legolas said with a wide smile. "Thank you."
"Your welcome."

TBC

Chapter Text

Aragorn sat in his car and tapped the steering wheel with his thumb.

It was very early still, but the morning sun lit the whole surrounding already.

He listened to the radio and occassionally checked the building on his left.

It was fifteen minutes passed from what they had agreed of, but he did expect having to wait.

After six more minutes on top of that fifteen, he saw Curu step out first and hold the door for Legolas who had Tuffy with him.

Aragorn got out of the car.

"You can put your packs here." He said and opened the trunk.

The two did as instructed and then Legolas placed the cat on the backseat.

Legolas sat on the front and Curu next to Tuffy.

"Whoah. This must be the most expensive thing I have sat on, and that includes that trust fund guy a couple of years back."
"Cur!" Legolas exclaimed and tried to use appal to keep back a smile. "You can not say things like that!"
"Don't worry about it." Aragorn said, finding it hard not to smile himself. "Are we ready to go?"
"Yes." Legolas replied and fastened his seatbelt. "And hey, happy start of your vacation." He said and kissed the man's cheek.

Aragorn started the car and their little road trip began.

~~~~

The scenery switched from city views to more country side at some point.

To be honest, Aragorn did not know what to expect.

Legolas had requested him to give them a ride to his family, who live somewhat far away.

At that request Aragorn had realized that he actually knew little to nothing about Legolas' family.

When Legolas had asked for the ride, he had told that his brother picking them up had unfortunately been canceled.

Aragorn knew that Legolas had two brothers and that he had nephews. But he knew nothing about how were they as people.

Aragorn expected Legolas' folks being working class, his parents were gardeners and he remembered Legolas saying he went to public schools with Curu and well, Legolas generally really did not give out a high society sense of feel.

Not that it mattered.

It might have mattered to his foster parents some way, but to him, not at all.

He drove on with an open mind.

Maybe a tad nervous, he did understand how Legolas had felt when he took him to that award dinner. Meeting your sweetheart's parents is always something to be nervous about, he supposed.

But the light atmosphere kept the nervousness at bay, Legolas and Curu were quite the travel company.

Aragorn really had to fight his smiles while listening to them.

They had been driving for over a couple of hours, when Legolas fired a conversation topic out of boredom and Curu leaned forward between the front seats to answer it.

"Okay. I have a very serious question." Legolas declared.

"This should be good." Curu muttered, chewing on a strawberry licorice stick.

"If you were a houseplant..." Legolas continued and reached for one of his friend's licorices. "...what kind of houseplant would you be? And no lying. I'll know."

Curu raised an eyebrow.
"It is much funner to tell you what you would be, my friend. You would be one of those finicky ones that dies if you look at it wrong."
"Excuse me?!" Legolas said shocked.
"No no, hear me out." Curu said. "You are dramatic, you require obscure conditions to thrive, and when you are unhappy everyone around you knows it."

Legolas opened his mouth for a short moment like a fish on dry land.

"That's...fine damn it, that is fair." Legolas admitted, even his boyfriend giving a shrug that told him just to embrace it. "I accept your judgment. But you, my dear? You would be an orchid. Absolutely gorgeous, confusing to water, and somehow still alive despite everyone assuming you are not."

Curu cackled and sit back on his seat. "That is oddly flattering." He sighed after his laughter died down a little.

Then Curu turned his attention to their driver.
"And you, newspaperman, you would be a snake plant." He stated.

Aragorn gave a puzzled glance to the blond who tried not to laugh.

"Tough, silent, occasionally judging, impossible to kill unless you really try." Legolas then listed to clarify. And laughed a little afterwards.

Aragorn snorted, trying to keep a straight face.
"What makes you two think I'm silent?"

"Oh please, one word wonder. Even now you haven't said anything in twenty minutes, while white-knuckling the steering wheel like we are transporting uranium or something."

"I'm focusing on not killing us." Aragorn replied dryly.
"Of course. Those strawberry stands on the side of the road between every six miles seems mighty dangerous." Curu replied.

Aragorn just shooked his head a little, muttering something that he is not white-knuckling the steering wheel. He did drive quite leisurely.

"But back to the issue we were at." Legolas said with all seriousness. "I agree, definitely a snake plant." He continued lightly and kissed the man's cheek. "Deep roots. Prickly leaves. But secretly a cute softie." Then he tilted his head at Aragorn. "I think it suits you."

"If Tuffers was a plant, he would be that one cactus that launches its needles out." Curu chuckled and scratched the cat through the bars of the carrying box.

"That is...horrifyingly accurate." Legolas said with a nod, peering back at the cat, who glared as if he understood every word.

"Oh, he knows." Curu said gravely. "He just waits for the opportune moment."

"For what?" Aragorn asked.

"Vengeance of the vet visit. And being hauled in a carrier lately more than usual." Legolas said lightly.

Aragorn chuckled a bit himself.
"Should I be worried too?"

"Yes." The blond and the redhead both said in unison, perfectly deadpan.

There was a small silence.

And then another subject ensued.

"Alright." Curu suddenly said. "New game."

Aragorn sighed with a small smile.
"Is the plant soul assignment phase of the drive now over?" He asked from Legolas who nodded with a wide smile.

"Evolved, not over." Curu corrected. "Now it is time to reveal our tragic villain backstories. Trust me, everyone has one when you just think a little and use your imagination."

"I want to start!" Legolas exclaimed. "Mine starts with a, hmm...oh, a cursed macaron." He then added with a whimsical tone and made his friend laugh a little.

"This again?" Curu asked and Legolas glared back at him between the seats.

"Yes. Because I was five years old and horribly betrayed." The blond said with great theatrical bitterness. Then he turned to look at Aragorn. "It was pistachio. Or so I was led to believe."

"Let me guess." Aragorn said with a chuckle, humoring him to the fullest. "It wasn't."

"It was...wasabi."

"Now that is kind of villain origin material." Curu commented with a serious tone.

"I know right?! I was just a sweet, innocent child with a sophisticated palette, and then my taste buds were incinerated, by my brothers nonetheless! I never trusted anything or anyone again."

"Did you sprinkle their beds with crushed hibiscus petals later that night as your first villanous act?" Curu laughed.

"Of course." Legolas replied smugly. "It stained their sheets pink for weeks. They thought they were cursed from their insolence and bleeding strange coloured blood."

"This explains so much..." Aragorn muttered to himself, not meaning the conversation perse, but the overall flow the two friends had.

"Cur, your turn." Legolas demanded. "Go on, you started this, so...embrace the chaos."

Curu tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm. I suppose my villain arc started when I was ten and and a couple of bullies hid my glitter gel pens just before my art contest."

"Scandalous!" Legolas gasped and made Aragorn twitch an involuntary smile.

"I had to use regular pens like some kind of peasant." Curu said gravely. "My picture of the moon looked like a depressed potato that has been on the soil too long. I got second place. I swore eternal vengeance on everyone."

Aragorn choked on a laugh.

"Curu can draw like no day tomorrow by the way, he is reeeeeeally good." Legolas told and Aragorn nodded.

"You are too kind." Curu said and winked at his friend. "And then you." The redhead turned his full attention to Aragorn again. "Your turn, spill it."

"I think you two are far better at this." Aragorn said.
"Oh come on, you sit there all brooding and handsome like someone who was definitely born on a stormy night. Come on, I know you have it in you." Legolas encouraged.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow.
"My tragic villain origin?"

"Yes, please."

There was something in that flow that caught him. He was not too much of a playful type on the outside, but it seemed there was some in the inside. Or then it was Legolas' energy that pulled it out.

He thought for a second.

"Alright, here it goes...I uh, once tried to start a student newspaper at college. I printed 300 copies of the first issue. Spent all weekend designing it and was very proud of it. I even had a tiny comic strip and everything."

"Cute." Legolas smiled.

"No one read it, ever. They just used it to clean up a smoothie someone spilled in the cafeteria."

There was a dramatic pause.

"They mopped with your dreams..." Curu whispered horrified.
"Oh, Aragorn. That is so dark academia of you." Legolas added.

“Hence..." Aragorn continued flatly. "...I became a silent avenger. I write articles now that win top awards and make government officials sweat."

"And yet you still flinch when people sip smoothies near you." Legolas added with a sigh while shaking his head a little.

"It's pure muscle memory." Aragorn said quite solemnly.

All three of them laughed, Curu and Legolas far more louder and freely, but still.

"You two can be absolutely ridiculous..." Aragorn scoffed but smiled still.

"Thank you, we have worked hard on it all of our lives." Legolas chuckled.

~~~~

Around four hours of driving with minimum amount of breaks, mostly due to the lack of proper ones, they saw salvation in a small countryside cafeteria and gas station.

Aragorn filled the tank and parked the car.

With a small battle, Legolas managed to put a leash on his cat so he could have a little stretch too.

"I will stay out here with Tuffy." Legolas said and picked an outdoor table to sit at.
"Okay, what can I get you?"
"I'll have anything. Something salty and something sweet, please. Thank you." Legolas replied and Aragorn nodded.

After a little while, Aragorn and Curu returned with some mincedmeat pies and berrymuffins. Aragorn was delighted about his coffee most of all, that was drinkable. Not all the gas stations they visited along the way had that luxury.

"The views are really beautiful here. I have never been at the countryside, this takes a little to get used to." He said and took a sip.

"You have never been at the countryside before?" Legolas asked and the man shooked his head.
"It is very strange seeing all these fields and lakes and forests, with all the apartment buildings missing." Aragorn thought outloud. "But this feels...quite relaxing."
"I am very glad to hear that." Legolas said happily. "This is the scenery of my childhood. Well, ours."

He did mean what he said. Aragorn rarely felt fully relaxed, even now on his summer vacation he had packed his laptop with him to do some writing, that was not exactly work, just a project that needed to be done.

But the vast fields, blue sky and gentle breeze washed away more of the tension than staying in the city did, which he found delightful. Even if his visit would be brief, he had only agreed to drive Legolas and Curu to Legolas' family, drive back home and then pick them up on the monday or tuesday.

They finished their small snack, allowed Tuffy to walk around on his leash for a while longer, before wrestling him back to the carrier and continuing their driving.

"How much further is your family home from here?" Aragorn asked.
"Not far, maybe another ten miles or so."

So Aragorn drove and followed Legolas' instructions when they actually had to take a turn.

Then it was driving straight again.

There was more trees now. There were some houses and greenhouses along the way, not much, but some. Then it was fields edged by forests again.

Aragorn could see a sparkling lake through the trees as they went on.

They passed a large arc made from wood that had a decorative leaf sigil on it and a small metal sign that read simply: Welcome.

It didn't scream wealth. If anything, it looked quaint and cozy.

"So..." Aragorn said casually. "...is this, uh… someone's private driveway?"

Legolas hummed a yes as an answer. "My family's."

"This leads to your parent's house?" Aragorn clarified with a raised brow as he looked around at the gorgeous views.

The trees formed a loose corridor around the gravel road. Neatly lined rows of birch and maple flanked them, and a few garden lights sat between tall grass and wildflowers amongst some small stone figures.

"Yup, you are on the right road." Curu said from the back. "Don’t worry about being lost, it goes on for a bit." "Mom and dad expanded the path a few years back because trucks kept getting stuck during deliveries." Legolas said with a yawn.

"Deliveries?" Aragorn repeated slowly as he drove.

"Of greenhouse equipment, tools, soil. That sort of things." Legolas said lightly.

"Sure..." Aragorn said, sounding deeply unsure.

The trees eventually opened up to reveal a stretch of beautifully maintained land. On one side, few large greenhouses glinted in the sun like glass cathedrals.

Beyond them were gardens, rows upon rows of flowers and most likely vegetables and herbs as well.

"Okay..." Aragorn finally said, blinking. "This is...not what I expected."

"What were you expecting?" Legolas asked a bit amused.

Uhm, a house. Maybe a small vegetable patch with a gnome."

Curu snorted.
"You have never told him?" He asked and suddenly Legolas looked a bit uncomfortable.

Finally the actual house came into view. It was modest compared to everything surrounding it.

A charming, three story wooden structure with a pale green roof and a wraparound porch.

Row of boots and muddy shoes laid outside and colorful flower boxes decorated the railing. Even if the house was modest in it's surroundings, it still had a lot of space.

This is the house." Legolas said with a small smile. "Me and my brothers grew up there. Mom still refuses to move anywhere. She says the walls here have too much memories."

Aragorn pulled into a gravel lot near the house.

Gravel, not paved, which comforted him a little.

"So… when exactly did your parents buy a small kingdom?"

"They didn't, exactly. It just sort of…happened. Over time." Legolas laughed a little.

"This is where he usually tells people the family company started in a shed with one broken lawnmower and a lot of ambition." Curu chuckled.

"Is that true?" Aragorn asked.

"Well...almost." Legolas said. "It was my grandfather's shed, actually. He had a tiny floral shop in the nearby town, and my dad worked with him, he had ever since he had been a small boy. But when growing up and having a family of his own dad…well, he had bigger ideas. He started tinkering with tools, improving garden shears, designing smarter irrigation systems and together with gramps he started to refine the art of growing flowers, mending trees, growing vegetables and so on. Gramps is fantastic at growing flowers."

Aragorn nodded, still trying to fathom it all.

"Dad and gramps took a lot of risks and there was a lot of problems, we were really scarce on money a lot of times but then at some point, they managed to make deals with other gardening supply providers and the store their company Virifolia established got some wind under it's wings, dad competed in a lot of horticultural competitions, and then gramp's flower shop got more recognition and that generated more to create more and long story short, they managed to make quite an empire..." Legolas said silently.

"Virifolia..." Aragorn said silently. "Why is that name so familiar?" He thought to himself. Then it got to him. "Doesn't Virifolia own Greenporium, that franchise that sells all kind of gardening knick-knacks?" He asked.
"Yes. Moss and Metal too, that concentrates more on gardening structures and landscape." Legolas said. "Oh, and the flower shops, of course, but those are run solely by family. Those fields and greenhouses you saw just before the archway belong to the company too, dad and gramp's employ a lot of people."
"Including my parents." Curu said from the back.

Aragorn sat silent for a small moment, while Legolas unfastened his seatbelt and chatted something with Curu.

He was happy for Legolas' family, but he felt a tad disappointed. He had hoped to encounter something else than wealthy people who often were a bit snobish, like most the people his own family spent time with and knew.

He knew how to deal with those kind of people, but did not enjoy that sort of life at all where money always seemed to be next to gods almost.

But he got out of the car, because he had promised to meet Legolas' parents before driving back home.

He looked at the house, the far smaller house structure a bit further away, some third hut a bit further too, closer to the lake that was really close now. He could see the top edge of wooden stairs leading there.

He felt Legolas tug his sleeve and when he looked, the blond gave him a encouraging smile.

Then he followed Legolas and the blond's best friend inside the house, which had it's front door unlocked.

~~~~

Legolas let Tuffy out first and then took his shoes off, Aragorn following his lead.

"Mom? Dad? We're here!" Legolas called with his bright voice, but got no answer. "Mom!"
"There's my youngest little rascal!" They heard a joyful voice say. "And always shouting for ma, I swear I will get offended one of these days."

A man had appeared. Around his fifties, long blond hair just like Legolas', the same blue eyes, walking around barefoot in bermuda shorts and a t-shirt.

"Dad!" Legolas said happily and the man gave a big embrace to his son. "And for the record, I did call for you, I have wittnesses." He added after squeezing his father.

"Curu would blindly have ypur back at any given time." The man joked and gave half a hug to the redhead as well.
"Hi mr.Greenleaf." Curu said with a smile.

"And you must be Aragorn, correct?" The man said, one hand leisurely in his shorts pocket and offering the other one. "I'm Thranduil."

"Yes, sir, that is me. Nice to meet you." Aragorn replied and took the hand, receiving a strong shake which he returned.

"Faelie!" Thranduil yelled a bit louder than Legolas did. "Little prince is home!"

Soon there were hurried sounds and this beautiful woman with also blond hair came to visinity, drying her hands in her appron.

"Baby!" She exclaimed and hugged Legolas tight when seeing him.
"Hi mom." Legolas replied and hugged back. After Legolas she hugged Curu as well.

"And this is-" Legolas started.
"No need to even introduce this handsome young man. Aragorn, right?" She said.
"That is correct, ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh no no, none of that ma'am thing." She laughed. "Call me Faelwen." She added and to the man's surprise hugged him too.

"Was your drive alright? I am glad it worked out even if Tran could not pick you two up." Thranduil said.
"It was fine." Legolas said. "When will he be here?"
"Some time at night or closer to dawn." Thranduil shrugged. "I have some work for you tomorrow."
"Thran, let the boy come in before turning this house into a work camp." Faelwen chuckled.
"What? There is a lot of creeping thistles to be weeded." Thranduil shrugged.

"Why haven't you weeded them yourself?" Legolas asked with a displeased frown while entering the house better with his folks.

"I hurt my back, maybe pulled something the wrong way. Such a shame too. Lucky it was this close for you and your brothers to visit." Thranduil said and grinned to his son.
"Dad refuses to schedule an appointment with the local doctor." Faelwen said and shooked her head.
"He is busy as it is, I do not need to trouble his time with something like this." Thranduil said. "But hey, you are a doctor right?" Thranduil then said and slammed a friendly arm on Aragorn's shoulders. "Do you mind taking a look?"
"Dad! We just got here. And it is his vacation! You can not ask him to-"
"I do not mind taking a look at all." Aragorn replied kindly.
"Fantastic."
"Dad." Legolas said far more firmly.

But it was too late. The older Greenleaf had already whisked his gentleman friend away, accompanied with a lively chatter about this and that.

"Mom, do something, please." Legolas whined.

His mom curled her arms around his shoulders.

"He will be fine. And think of it this way, if he survives your father, he is a keeper." She said cheerfully and smooched his cheek. "Now come along, let's take your bags away and then you can come help me in the kitchen. I hope Aragorn likes pasta."
"I don't know will he stay, he was just supposed to drop us off..."
"Nonsense, of course he will stay. You said it it is his vacation."

To this atmosphere their visit in the Greenleaf residence had begun.

TBC

Chapter Text

The whole time Legolas had been in the kitchen, he had worried about Aragorn.

The delicious scents in that room helped though, his mom was an excellent cook.

"Have you seen Tuffers?" Legolas asked from Curu.
"I think he darted outside when he had the chance." Curu replied while chewing on a carrot.
"Okay, good. The exercise does good for him." Legolas said and rinsed his hands.

"Listen up, little Greenleaf, weeding it is." He heard his father declare.

Legolas immediately glanced at Aragorn following his dad in to the kitchen.

"A bad muscle strain. It needs rest." Aragorn said shortly.
"I like this guy." Thranduil chuckled and went to take a peek what his wife was cooking.

Aragorn gave Legolas' worried face a small smile, and it eased the worry.

"Mom wanted to know will you stay for dinner before you go?" Legolas asked and his father looked at them with a frown.

"Go? But you just got here!" He intervened happily.
"I know but, Aragorn was planning to go home and then get me and Curu monday or tuesday unless Tranol can take us home."

"Weren't you on vacation?" Thranduil asked.
"Yes." Came the short reply again.
"Do you have other plans?"
"Do not pry him, dear." Faelwen said softly and rinsed the big pot of pasta.
"I am only asking."

"Aragorn is quite busy, even during vacation." Legolas said, saving his boyfriend a little. "He does research with the university in our city."
"Really?" His mom said with a high tone. "That sounds mighty impressive. Research is always important. What is the subject?"

"Uhm...it is a multicenter analysis about delayed presentation of internal injuries in blunt force trauma patients." Aragorn replied.

Legolas glanced at him briefly. Aragorn did not really talk about his work too much, so hearing about it felt a bit special.

"He even took his laptop with him on our drive." Legolas chuckled a little, without showing that it was a rare thing that just happened.

Thranduil made a long whistle.
"Well, work is work, even on holiday, I can respect that." He then said with a shrug.

"Legolas and Curu, be a couple of dears and set the table, please. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Sure thing, mom."

And the two friends started to take plates and glasses and utensils to the dining room.

"Of course, you could always work from here." Faelwen said lightly and carefreely when he glided by the doctor. "There is plenty of space and peace, and we do have mighty fine internet connections."
"I am honored from your invite." Aragorn said kindly, he really did appreciate it. "But uhm...I uh...I did not really pack for a longer stay."
"Well that is no problem!" Thranduil said. "There is a hypermarket nearby, you can get anything you need from there for a couple of days!"

Aragorn glanced at Legolas walking by now.

"Fifteen miles is not nearby to city folk, dad." Legolas said amused. "But he is right though. It is a very well stocked hypermarket. Almost like a mini-mall on it's own." He then added lightly.
"Well...I...I suppose...it is settled then." Aragorn said.
"Fantastic. We'll take you there after dinner." Thranduil said. "Say, how fast does that car of yours go?" He then asked, and pushed Aragorn out of the kitchen in a friendly manner.

Legolas smiled to his mom winking at him and shooked his head.

Poor doctor Westman.

But who knows, maybe he will enjoy his stay.

~~~~

Before dinner, Legolas had received one more task to do, and Aragorn tagged along.

"It is that hut." Legolas pointed towards a small red wooden house that had a tiny porch a bit further away from the main house.

"Sooo...how do you like my parents?" He then asked and took Aragorn's hand into his as they walked.

"They seem quite nice. Very, uhm..."
"In your face and airspace?" Legolas laughed a little.
"No, not at all! I just have not uhm...faced people like them. But I felt the same of you. I still do." Aragorn said a bit under his breath and Legolas smiled at him.
"Same for you." He said and pecked a kiss to the man's cheek.

"Do you think they like me, or do they want me to stay so that they can make that judgement better?" Aragorn asked after a few silent steps.

"Are you kidding me, they are so mesmerized by you they probably would not even notice me and Curu evaporating until the holy time to weed would come." Legolas laughed and Aragorn smiled.

"What is it that you have there?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas carried a small bag on his other hand.

"A present."

They got to the hut and without even knocking Legolas just entered.

"Gramps?" He called and they heard a small wooden creak.

"What is it that my old ears hear?" An old voice said and soon a man matching the voice with his appearance appeared, white long hair tied back. "Is it little leaf that came a-knocking?"
"Grampa!"

Legolas hugged the old man tightly.

"When did you get here?"
"Not too long ago. Dad said you were resting so I waited instead of 'bothering' you, like he said I would do." Legolas replied and the old man waved his hand like such thing was utter nonsense.
"That boy knows all about bothering." The old man said.
"Grampa!" Legolas scold but smiled.

Then the man realized Aragorn behind Legolas' back.

"Who is this young fellow?" He asked.
"This is Aragorn. And here is my grampa Oropher." He introduced.
"A pleasure to meet you." Aragorn said with respect.
"Is this the doctor?" Oropher asked and squeezed the man's hand.
"Yes, gramps. I see that has been a discussion topic around here."

"Come in." The old man said and walked back to the livingroom that had a small kitchen attached to it, and sat on a rocking chair, the culprit of the wooden creek.

"I have something for you." Legolas said happily. "Just don't tell mom and dad, I heard that you need to keep an eye on your diet."

Legolas handed a tin box that held cherry sweets in it.

"Bah, pishposh. Over exaggerating."
"Does the local doctor think so as well, hm?" Legolas asked. "Should we ask for a second opinion?" He added and nodded his head towards Aragorn.

The old man laughed.

"What if we just crack a deal I will not have these all at one go. Thank you, you are a good lad Legolas." Oropher said kindly and tapped his grandson's shoulder fondly. "How have you been?" He asked and placed the box on a windowsill.

"I am great." Legolas said happily. "Tuf gave me a scare recently, but other than that."
"How's the shop?"
"Good. I actually will pick up a few new species to sell while I'm here, dad told me he has been growing some interesting beauties Arnie brought him over seas." Legolas said and the old man agreed with a hum.
"You will like them surely." Oropher said. "Do you like gardening and plants young man?" He suddenly asked from Aragorn who had stopped to look at some pictures that were on display on a mantle.

"Me? Uhm...yes, I do."
"He just can't keep them living." Legolas chuckled.
"Now now, give the young man some slack, he does plenty of that for our species." Oropher said and Legolas nodded.

"Oh, we came here to tell you that dinner is ready!" Legolas suddenly said. "We got to go, mom hates to wait."
"Right you are boy." Oropher said. "But before that, let's have one of these."

"Grampa, sweets before dinner?" Legolas said with a scold but happily took one of the cherry candies from the tin box.
"How about you, young man?"
"He does not like sweet things." Legolas said before Aragorn could answer.

The old man looked at them.

"Surely he does, he likes you obviously enough to come here." He chuckled.
"I did not tell him what you all are like." Legolas whispered and laughed a little, the old man waving for nonsense again even if he joined the laugh.

"I think would like one, thank you." Aragorn said to the old man while looking at Legolas with an amused yet fond gaze, and took one of the kindly offered sweets.

~~~~

Dinner was very lively, filled with chatting and laughter.

Aragorn liked Legolas' dad.

He had this same light energy Legolas did, but in a way it was different.

Thranduil just had this strange authority that could not be questioned, and he really did not even need to wield it. It just was.

But the same went for the oldest Greenleaf, who Aragorn also liked very much.

He could see Legolas was very close with all of his family, and it sort of woked up some space deep within the doctor that he has always owned, hid well and filled with things that can not truly fill it.

Of course he had a family, the Peredhil had been very good to him.

But with these folks there just was this certain kind of dynamic and atmosphere he had only wittnessed in movies before.

And they seemed to welcome him in it with open arms.

After dinner had settled a bit in their stomachs, Aragorn and Legolas stood outside.

"We can drop Cur to his family as we go right?" Legolas asked and curled his arms around Aragorn's neck. "They live by the road out of here."
"Of course." Aragorn replied.

Legolas looked at him and tilted his head.

"I hope you are not feeling uncomfortable staying here. You really do not have to, you know."
"I know." The man replied and gave a small smile. "Don't worry, it is quite alright." "I promise you will have some time to write in the evening, we can call it an early night and then you can just concentrate on that."

Aragorn smiled as an answer and received a kiss from the blond.

And a few more after that.

"Incoming." They heard Curu say when approaching the vehicle, Legolas took a step back and right after his father stepped out of the house.

"Are we ready?" He asked lightly.
"Sure are, dad."

They all got into Aragorn's car, Thranduil on the front and Legolas with Curu on the backseat.

The engine started with a deep low rumble, and they left the yard.

Moments after Aragorn had turned back onto the long, empty stretch of road that led away through the private estate lands, Thranduil shifted in his seat and looked at him with an oddly youthful glint in his eye.

"You know..." Thranduil dragged. "...this part of the road is ours. No intersections, no cameras, no foot traffic. No traffic at all today anymore, infact. Perfectly safe."

Aragorn glanced at the man from the corner of his eye suspiciously.

"And.?" He asked.
"You know how I have been wondering how fast this beast of yours can go." He gave Aragorn a sidelong smile. "You young man, drive like a monk."

Legolas stifled a laugh, knowing exactly what his father was doing.

"Don’t let him trick you. He says that to everyone with an assumingly fast car. Dad's car is not so new. Or most likely fast anymore. He refuses to buy anything until it is used through thoroughly." He laughed.

"We got driven to school in that. Many times." Curu said, to support Legolas' thought, but still sounding greatful though.

"It's not a trick." Thranduil replied smoothly. "Just an...invitation. And listen to me, little boy, smart consuming-"
"...makes the earth happy." Legolas said in unison, even Curu joining this statement. "I know dad."

Aragorn looked at Legolas and Curu through the rearview mirror and then Thranduil again with a side-glance.
He had never really driven high speeds before, he was a very speed limit conscientious driver.

Then he looked down at the gleaming dash of his car, a trace of mischief stirring under his usual calm.

"Just a little test, then. For science, perhaps?"
"I am a big supporter of science." Thranduil said with a serious tone, but the same mischief in his eyes that Aragorn felt.

The engine purred as Aragorn eased down the gas.

The scenery began to blur, trees streaking past in rich green, the force of the vehichle pushing them tightly against their seats like in an amusement park ride.

Thranduil’s laughter rang out, deep and delighted, and Aragorn somewhat startled to find himself enjoying the moment a bit too much, letting the car practically fly for some exhilarating moments before easing back down to a more respectable pace.

"Ah, that was excellent. You are welcome here anytime you like, son." Thranduil laughed thankful for the indulgence.

The older Greenleaf gave him a smile, that was sincere.

His latest sentence was not about the drive. He meant it in general.

To Aragorn, it felt so good.

He shooked off this moment of acceptance he would have happily enjoyed further, and looked at the scenery.

"How far is your family home? I did not drive pass it?"
"Just a bit further." Curu said. "You will see a mailbox with a little fox statue on top Dad has carved years ago. That's home.

"It is hilarious that thing is still standing." Thranduil chuckled. "I made a bet with your dad that the winds would have taken it out last spring."

Curu grinned.
"Mom glued it with industrial-strength something when I was a kid. It is probably immortal. Or like the sword in the stone."

Aragorn slowed when the wooden fox sitting on a mailbox came into view, nestled among blooming hydrangeas and slightly overgrown lavender.

"Here we are." Aragorn declared.

"Thanks, newspaperman." Curu said, already unbuckling. "Don't let Mr.Greenleaf make you weed too, your hands will bleed for weeks." He joked but tapped Thranduil's shoulder. "Text me later?" He then said to Legolas who nodded. "Bye."

"Curu is a nice boy." Thranduil said. "Bit mouthy, but very loyal. His father and I used to argue over bonsai for hours when we were younger."

Aragorn chuckled and started the car again.

Legolas leaned a bit forward and nudged Aragorn’s shoulder lightly. "Ready for the hypermarket adventure, doctor?" He asked and the man smiled a little.
"As long as there is coffee somewhere in that place, I will survive."

Thranduil laughed a bit.

"Brave words, young man. You will be lucky if we get out in under an hour." He said with a serious tone now. "Legolas shops like he is auditioning for a cooking show. And forgets half the list."

Legolas look at his dad slackjawed and insulted.
"Dad! Now that is not true."

Thranduil raised both of his hands.
"I only speak truth, I swear."
"I know what you mean. I have groceryshopped with him a few times..." Aragorn said silently to the man beside him.
"Aragorn!" Legolas exclaimed. "You know what, screw both of you."
"Ah, now you made a mistake." Thranduil tutted, even if he was amused to the core from teasing his youngest son. "And need to make amends to calm the storm."

~~~~

The parking lot of the hypermarket came into view a few minutes later and Aragorn parked in the quietest corner he could find.

Which was easy to find, there was not a lot of traffic really.

"This place is...larger than I expected." He said while looking at the building, the place still being small compared to the ones in cities and counties out of the deep countryside.

"Glorious, right." Legolas laughed a bit while unbuckling.

They all got out of the car.

"I will go get grampa's meds, you guys go ahead find what he needs." Thranduil said and gave a small wave while walking.
"Sure thing, dad. Call me if you can't find us."

Legolas took Aragorn's hand and they headed to a different direction.

"What does your grandfather have? He seems to be in very good shape." Aragorn asked as they walked.
"Hm? Oh, a tad high-ish bloodpressure." Legolas said. "It has not been a major issue, but enough for him to have some medical support. Other than that, grampa is healthy as a horse."

Aragorn looked around as they walked.

He saw some people greeting Legolas with a smile or a nod, but he could also see some apprehensive looks he was not too used to.

But Legolas did not seem to mind any of it, he just smiled his bright smile to everyone equally and walked lightly, guiding the man to a smaller store that obviously solely sold men's clothing.

"I have a feeling you want to buy some clothes here, rather than the hypermarket itself." Legolas chuckled. "Although it does have a decent selection too."

Legolas was most likely right. It was one and the same for the man where did he buy his clothes, he just appreciated them being a certain fabric and style.

After making purchases in that store Aragorn spotted a small sportswear and sporting goods store, and they visited that as well, before entering the largest store itself, that sold basically anything from food to clothes and home appliances.

Firsr stop was hygiene aisle.

Aragorn reached for a pack toothpaste under inspection while Legolas browsed the shelf beside him, comparing two brands of shampoo with an intensity that made Aragorn quietly smile.

"No parabens..." Legolas muttered. "But this one smells like synthetic pineapple. Who would want to smell like pineapple in distress?"
"Is that a medical diagnosis?" Aragorn chuckled, and switched to inspect another brand of toothpaste.
"It totally should be." Legolas replied seriously. "Pineapple trauma is real."

He picked up another shampoo, opened it and took a sniff.

"Ew, no, nuh-uh. Coconut." He shooked his head and quickly placed the bottle back.
"You do not like enjoy coconut?" Aragorn asked.
"No, definitely not. A childhood trauma, thanks to my brothers."

Aragorn smiled.

"Is it one that adds to your villain arc?" He asked amused.

Legolas grinned.

"Yes, it is one portion of the breadcrumb patch to the point that made me the evilest villain of them all: a florist with a vengeance." He replied and released an evil genious laugh after it, making Aragorn bite down his smile again with a face that said: you seriously are silly sometimes.

"Oh wow, lotus flower and cherry. I must have this." Legolas said and tossed a bottle of shampoo in the basket they had taken with them made to hold groceries.

Aragorn had found a paste he considered sufficient even if it was not his usual brand. He also took a toothbrush matching his standards.

Then they collected some other hygiene products, some snacks and drinks and other miscellanious things.

And then they got halted to a section where they sold clothes and Legolas spotted a large display of patterned colorful socks.

"Look!" He gasped with a pair of blue socks that had small popcorn boxes on them and reached out for a pair of black ones that had colorful little chameleons on them. "I must have some of these." He said happily.

Aragorn smiled fondly a step behind him.

"Aragorn, help me choose, I don't know how to do that."

Aragorn took a step forward and gently curled his free arm not holding the basked around Legolas.

"Which ones do you like?" Legolas asked.
"I don't have to wear any of these, right?" He immediately asked back and Legolas gave him a brief deadpan look but laughed a little afterwards.
"No, you grump." He said. "You can wear your blacks and dark greys as much as you like, darling."

Aragorn looked at the various different socks.

"Those are fun." He then said. "The bright green ones that has those gumdrops on them."

Legolas scanned the ones from the display and took a pair.

"A lovely choice." He said with a wide smile. "But I need more.
"More? How many pairs of socks do you need?"
"It is not about need, it is a desire."
"But you just said-"
"Hush, my darling. Do not make any questions."

Aragorn shooked his head with a smile. He glanced pass Legolas to the left and spotted the blond's father approaching them.

The man lifted a finger infront of his lips as a sign of absolute discretion while sneaking up to his son.

Legolas nearly jumped out of the fly agaric pictured socks he wore when his dad roughly grabbed his shoulders with a hearty "boo".

"Dad!" Legolas exclaimed. "Damn it, you can be so childish." He said annoyed while his dad laughed at his scare.
"You forgot to be vigilant, son." He said. "I knew I would find you here." He then said and looked at the wall of socks. "Even when he was little, he was obsessed with these things. Other kids wanted toys and magazines, Legolas wanted socks." He chuckled and Aragorn smiled.

"You know what, I will just take a pair of each." Legolas then stated. "And you are buying, daddy, as an apology for your dumb scare. And for making fun of me. Ever since I got home." Legolas said decisively and Thranduil merely shrugged in defeat. "Well, each that I do not own already. And the ones that I do not like."

This calculation meant sixteen pairs of colorful, print socks.

Legolas was happy again.

And they finally managed through the register and out of the market.

"Shall we go back to the house then?" Legolas asked.
"Hey, the man wanted coffee, so let's fetch him some before exiting." Thranduil said and Legolas nodded.

"Uhm, I can manage without just fine, we can-"
"Nonsense, there is a shop right there." Thranduil replied and waltzed right in to it, leaving no other options than for them to follow.

Legolas did not really drink coffee but he had some to get a caffeinated drink that had mint and whipped cream on it.

Thranduil and Aragorn were more simple, far less flamboyant.

Aragorn the most.

Thranduil did have cream in his, Aragorn drank plain black coffee.

It was a very, very good coffee, some local grind.

He sipped it and smiled a little to himself, listening Thranduil speak innovative ideas about how can the shopkeeper keep a flock of persistent birds away from her raspberry bushes.

Soon the conversation was over and they all happily left for the car.

"Are we all set or do we need any other stops?" Aragorn asked while buckling up.

"No, let's go straight back to the house." Legolas said and yawned. "I could totally have a little nap before supper."

Thranduil nodded as well.

"Alright." Aragorn started the car. "We will be back in no time. The last bit we can go flying again." He said.

The exchanged grin with the older Greenleaf was like a cherry on top of the wonderfully baked cake the doctor's day had turned out to be.

TBC

Chapter Text

It was the evening of their first day.

After the shopping trip and nap had ensued, and after the family supper.

The weather was absolutely lovely and quite warm even if the sun was nearly down.

Aragorn had found himself a spot in the backyard with his laptop.

There was a picnic table he sat at beside a row of large flower bushes which emitted the sweetest of scents.

He could hear laughter and a lively conversation through an open window of the house while typing.

And as promised, he did have his peace. Minus Legolas' mom bringing him some unrequested tea and an evening snack because 'brains need food'.

It went on top of the most heartwarming things people had ever done for him.

Nothing bothered him, absolutely nothing, not even the internet being half slower than the one he has at home.

It almost felt illegal being that relaxed while working.

Still, he managed to concentrate so deeply, he lost completely track of time, no matter did he have a clock on the tool panel at the bottom of the screen. The voices inside the house had disappeared and only the crickets were chirping loudly.

When a pair of affectionate hands landed on his shoulders and massaged his tense neck, he leaned back and let his hands slide off they keys.

"Is there any chance you could finish for today?" Legolas asked coyly.
"I...I think I could do bit more. I have a good flow."

Legolas hummed to this and kept rubbing the tight muscles.

"Are your parents up still?"
"No, they went to bed an hour ago." Legolas said.
"Should you go too?"
"Nah, I'm good. I took that nap, remember." Legolas said. "I was planning to go for a swim, it is still so hot in here. Care to join me?"

It was tempting. So very tempting.

"Uhm...thank you, but I think I will try to finish my thought here." Aragorn did say firmly in the end.

"Alright, darling. Suit yourself." Legolas said lightly, curled his arms around the man's shoulders from behind and kissed his cheek. "I won't be wearing a thing." He stated in to his ear with a tone of voice that shot shivers through the man's ear canal, across his brain, down his spine and straight to his groin.

Goodbye thoughts. Goodbye self-composure.

He did realize to save his work before closing the screen and catching up to the blond who was already halfway to the wooden stairs leading somewhere down.

~~~~

The long wooden stairs had been built on a steep slope.

Down there was a beautiful lake, a cazebo and some cozy looking log hut with a chimney right on it's shore with a long wooden pier reaching further in to the water.

Only a dense forest edged the lake, and there were no other houses or buildings anywhere.

Legolas walked to the hut, opened the door and put on the porch light. He walked around some more and put on a few other smaller lamps that had been placed to light up the area little more.

Then quite casually he started to strip himself.

His clothes he left on the porch railing and then with a small smile sent to the man he walked along the pier and dived head first in from the end of it.

Legolas knew the waters there well and knew it was more than safe to do that.

"Are you coming doctor?" He called when he had emerged and lifted his upper body to visinity on the edge of the pier.

Even if it was long pier, he could see Aragorn well standing under the porch lights.

Aragorn was far more preserved, prefered swimwear and things like that, but the naked florist in the water was his weak spot.

The person, not the lack of his garments.

So piece by piece he stripped himself as well, feeling his ears and cheeks burn a little from the adoring whistles Legolas made his way.

Still, even if it did give him some red tint, quite smugly he spread his arms in display while walking along the pier towards Legolas, muscles looking mighty fine in the evening lighting.

He followed Legolas' earlier lead, and jumped head first over the blond and into the dark water.

"Good job, doc. Ten out of ten!" Legolas gleed when Aragorn emerged from the water. "Or however it is that they score in the swim circles."

Aragorn dived again and came to the surface right in front of the blond.

"Me or my aquatic skills?" He asked and curled one arm around Legolas' waist after backing him enough for their feet to properly touch the ground.

"Mm, good question. I shall leave that answer for you to solve yourself." Legolas replied and happily answered the kiss he received.

A few moments of awaited fondness was exchanged.

And when the excitement of them both had grown far harder than meant to, Aragorn backed out of it a little.

"Is something wrong?" Legolas asked with a slightly tilted head.

"Well, uhm..."
"Are you worried about my parents?" The blond asked with clear amusement on his voice.
"It is a reasonable worry." Aragorn replied with a hint of wary.

Legolas closed the gap between them and curled his arms around the man's neck.

"You have nothing to worry about, dad went to bed. And you know, us Greenleaves like our slumber. It is a family trait." He joked but the man was not convinced. "And he does not have security cameras on his property either, so we are perfectly safe." He pushed a bit of Aragorn's hair back and kissed him. "Also, my folks have been married like a gazillion years with three kids, I hardly think that they would consider sex a scandalous act."
"Still though..." Aragorn muttered.

Legolas sighed but then got a mischievous smile.

"Hey, how about we swim across the lake to the other shore. It is my parent's property but has no lights and no danger of getting caught while doing undecent things." He said. "You have told me that you are a good swimmer. Even I can make that distance."

Aragorn glanced behind himself. It was dark, but he could see trees reach high against the night sky.

"Unless you want to pass my suggestion and just dress up and go to sleep at the house like good boys would do." He added with a tone of challenging in it.

To be completely honest, the man's groin made his decision for him. There was just something in those innocent blue eyes their wicked owner had which felt nigh impossible to resist.

"You're on." Aragorn said.
"Great! I'll race you."
"Wha-"

And before the man could finish his wonder, the blond had loosened his hold and darted for a swim towards the other shore.

So he had no choice but to follow.

Due to his selftaken headstart, Legolas reached the shore first, but Aragorn was there right after him.

"I am impressed, doctor. You are a very good swimmer." Legolas said coyly and walked backwards. "Did I surprise you that I am better at swimming than I am as a runner?" He chuckled.

Aragorn pushed his wet hair back with a smile on his face.

"I do have to admit, I did not expect such a performance." He replied.
"Oh I can do magical things when I am motivated." Legolas said with whimsy and smiled brightly.

He gestured the man come to him and when he did, he closed him for a long, sweet kiss.

One that was not bothered by thoughts of intruders or prying eyes.

The knowledge of full privacy shed off all apprehension and wariness.

The blond's undressed and moist body was too irresistible not to be touched everywhere, so touched it was.

Wet hair, neck, back, the curve of his bottocks...

Everywhere.

Legolas was a worthy opponent, gracefully untying every knot of self-restraint that Aragorn had with his touch and kisses.

It was an easy chore to have the doctor tip him on the moss covered ground under the trees a few strides away from the lake.

It was hard to say what were the factors contributing the change of pace to their usual way of fondling each other, but this was raw.

It was lust and desire in the form of unspoken yet very physical acts, Aragorn making the blond turn around for him, be on full unguarded display and ready to be taken in a most possessive way.

The sound of a body slamming into another one with heated gasps and moans made a salacious symphony on that otherwise silent shore.

Legolas' voice was something that dragged out something feral from the otherwise always so composed doctor.

The louder and more broken moan he received, the more force and precision he executed on his act, hands firmly on the slender hips.

The serene surrounding was cut for the last time with the sweet sounds of release, before peace and quiet fell on the lake and forest again.

Minus the small pants both of the men, who now laid side by side on the moss, let out for a bit before all the excitement died down to a calmer and deeper pace of breath.

They looked at each other and smiled.

Aragorn reached and kissed the blond once more.

There was a clear feeling of that dangerous word the doctor had wielded during his apology at Legolas' apartment.

Perhaps it was still too dangerous to speak out clearly, but it definitely was there.

~~~~

"Good morning youngsters." Said a joyful tone when it's owner walked in to the kitchen.

"Morning, dad."
"Good morning." Aragorn said, biting his tongue not to politely call the man mr.Greenleaf, because he had been told not to.

Thranduil halted and looked at the two of them.

"Why do you look so tired?" He asked from Legolas and then poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Me? He does too." Legolas repled and plopped a grape in to his mouth.
"Well one of you works. And is running outside at the crack of dawn." Thranduil replied.
"I hope my morning exercise did not disturb you." Aragorn replied.
"Not at all. Tranol would have liked a better looked at you though, but I said that can wait."
"Tranol is here?" Legolas cut in happily.

Thranduil hummed a yes and slurped his coffee.

"Sure is. He came early and was straight ready for some work business. Now he is sleeping, it had been a long ride." "Hey, that means no weeding in the morning then." Legolas said with a smile.
"This time." Thranduil said with a firm voice but a small fond smile towrds his youngest son.

"Good morning dearies!" The light bright voice of Legolas' mother greeted and walked straight to give her husband a kiss. "Did you all sleep well?"

All muttered an agreeing answer.

"Is that what you two are having for breakfast?" She questioned while looking at Aragorn with a cup of black coffee and Legolas with a bowl of grapes.

Legolas shrugged, Aragorn did not really know how to react to this. He had been selfsufficient for years, and having someone pay attention to his mundane everyday business felt strange.

Without saying more to it, Mrs.Greenleaf whirled around the kitchen for a bit, refusing any offered help, putting thin bacon strips in to the oven and lastly took a large skillet and a box of eggs beside her.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the scent of food.

Effortlessly breadslices, butter, cheese, fruit and the eggs and bacon found their way on the large island the kitchen had.

"Dig in, boys." She said light and happy.

No one refused.

"So, did you manage to work well? The crickets were mighty loud in the evening." Faelwen asked and Aragorn nodded.

"They did not bother me the slightest." He replied politely.

He could feel Legolas' amusement surround and engulf him, but paid no attention to the mischievous glance he just knew the blond was giving him.

"Thanks mom, everything was delicious." The blond soon said and got up to kiss his mother on her cheek.
"Come on, let's go." Thranduil said and picked an apple with him.

"Where are you going?" Aragorn asked and Legolas halted.

"Dad is showing me his new greenhouse." He replied happily. "I thought you might not be too interested in joining us, so I did not ask."

Legolas walked back to the man and pecked him a kiss.
"You have a chance to work some more now, I do think some cricket did interrupt you last night in the middle of your flow. Try not to die in mom's pampering." He laughed a little and pecked him another kiss. "See you later."

Aragorn gave him a smile and watched Legolas walk out of the kitchen.

When his gaze left the doorway it spotted Legolas' mom across from him, leaning her jaw in her palm much like Legolas always does, smiling at him.

Aragorn did not what to say really, so he just gave his usual, small and slightly taut smile back.

"Would you like something more, dear?"

Aragorn shooked his head a bit.

"No thank you." He said with sincere kindness. "I don't think I have ever been this full at this hour before." He added with a chuckle, which Faelwen joined with a brighter tone.

When she was about to reach her hand for the empty plate, Aragorn stopped here.

"Please, allow me." He said, and collected her dishes as well.

"Legolas has told me you are such a gentleman, I can see he was not kidding." Faelwen said.
"It is the least I can do, you have been so kind to me."

Faelwen glanced at the man, but said nothing to it.

Aragorn rinsed the dishes and placed them neatly inside the dishwasher.

"How serious are you two?" The question made the man's heart pause slightly before beating again. "Forgive me my bluntness, but Legolas has been hiding the answer like a squirrel does nuts."

Immediately the man felt cornered. He wished Legolas was there to receive the questions himself while knowing how to answer the woman.

"Uhm..."

The longer he did not answer, the more he felt this scorch in his head.

In the end, despite his awkwardness and deep wish to be able to disappear, honesty won.

"Look Mrs...uhm, Faelwen." Aragorn switched from the quirked eyebrow and amused smile he got from the woman. "I...I absolutely adore your son. To be completely honest with you...I think he just might be the best thing that has ever happened to me."

The amusement melt into fondness.

"I am very happy to hear that." She said softly. "And to be completely honest with you, I don't think the boy has ever looked at another person the way he looks at you. He is such a sweetheart. I only want to see my children happy."

Aragorn smiled, far less taut.

"I want to see him happy too." The man said a bit silent, and shared a smile with Mrs.Greenleaf.

~~~~

Work was something that always consumed him. Aragorn had always thought that his brain did not function like normal people did.

When normal people would enjoy vacation tk the fullest, all the leisure time off doing nothing under the sun, his mind needed, no it craved theoretical thinking.

He needed arguments, claims, processess, reflections, case studies, going through one research after another and creating conclusions, some on hypothesis and some from personal experience, and some while mixing the two.

Statistics, cross referencing, diagrams, thesis...

Consumed.

The new day had quickly galloped from morning to afternoon without him really even realizing it. Even his breaks to stretch his legs was overpowered by thinking.

But, while sitting and typing on his laptop, his concentration did waver when someone sat across from him.

When he looked over his screen, for a split second he thought it was Legolas there, but right after with more than a quick glance he knew it was not.

"You must be Tranol." He then said with a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, I was writing something and I thought-"
"No apologies. You looked like you were deeply concentrating."

The older Greenleaf did look a lot like his younger brother. The same long light hair, pitch black brows and lashes, the ocean blue eyes...

Tranol had a lot more piercing gaze though, compared to his little brother who had nothing but joy and affection in his eyes.

"Aragorn, right?" Tranol asked draggingly and leaned back on his chair.

"Uhm...yes. That is me." Aragorn replied and closed the screen of his computer.

"Oh, don't let me bother you." The blond said and crossed his arms loosely.
"You are not bothering me at...I was just about to finish." Aragorn said with a small smile. "I am very glad to meet you, I have heard a lot of you."
"Villanous stories most of them I am sure." Tranol said with a short laugh, and tilted his head with a smile still playing on his lips. Now he reminded far more of his little brother.

"Well..." Aragorn leaned back on his chair as well. "Some of them might have had a small wild flare to them."
"I can only imagine, it is Legolas we are talking about. He has not told too much of you though."
"No?"

Tranol shooked his head a little.

"But that alone tells me something." He said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?"
"Well speak of the devil, look who it is."
"Tranol!!"

Aragorn's company stood up and soon after his brother crashed into him with a tight embrace.

"How are you? Did dad put you to work already?"
"No, he waited until you get up."
"What? Why?" The older brother looked at their father who had followed the younger one with a chiding gaze.
"It's a two man job." Thranduil replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders with his hands in his pockets.
"You couldn't do that yourself with him, honestly?"
"Doctor's orders, talk to him." Thranduil chuckled.

Tranol and Legolas did glance at Aragorn who could only nod to this.

"You better put a move on, or you two will miss a nice barbeque." Thranduil hollered with a short laugh while walking inside the house.

Legolas shooked his head a little.

"What a slavedriver..." he muttered and sat next to Aragorn, who smiled a little from the kiss on the cheek he received from the blond.

"He could hire people to do that work, couldn't he? Or use his employees, I have understood he has a lot of them?" Aragorn asked and opened his computer again, because of a thought he would like to add to his paper.

"Oh, do not even start on the subject." Legolas sighed and sank even deeper to his garden chair.
"Dad has a lot of principles. He refuses to use his most trusted employees on his own personal gardens because they work for his and grandpa's company, and he will not let anyone else touch his own personal gardens and plants than them or his own family if he is unable to tend to them himself. So..." Tranol started.
"...instead of bugging mom, he bugs us. He never bugs mom, never has." Legolas sighed with a finish. "Dad is very serious on things. Have I ever told you, that he does not support us whatsoever, financially or in any way, even if he could like afford to buy a large island easily?"

Legolas' big brother smiled lopsidedly.

"Dad wants us to work hard and manage on our own. He does not want to favor us even if we are his kids. Of course if anything dire would happen, someone would get sick badly or something, he would help. But other than that, what we manage to make ourselves is what we live on. We manage our own stores, make our own deals and all that. Dad created all of this out of nearly nothing. He wants us to have the same skills and drive."
"Oh..."

Aragorn did agree, it had to be one of the reasons Legolas' was so down to earth, because he knew how to work hard and what it is like to survive out in the world in a different way, than if ones parents would just pay for everything and have everything taken care for him.

"Dad would not hesitate to close one of his own shops we manage if the shop would not be kept with good care and be profitable." Legolas said and smiled at the man. "But we get to choose what we sell and how we represent it."

Aragorn nodded.

"It obviously has served all of you well." He said and shared a smile with the youngest Greenleaf.

"Hey, you two slowpokes. Did I not tell you to put a move on?" Thranduil's voice boomed again on the outside.

"Come on little brother, we would be wise to do so."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Aragorn asked.

Suddenly he felt a friendly tap on his shoulder.

"You have something to do. Every good barbeque chef needs atleast one person to talk to and have a beer with while the food is being grilled." Thranduil said.

"Try to survive." Legolas said and kissed the doctor's cheek again before following his brother.

"IPA or stout?"

Aragorn closed the laptop for good.

Perhaps the tone for the rest of his stay had been made up for him.

"Stout sounds fine."

TBC

Chapter Text

Their stay at the Greenleaf residence seemed to fly by too fast.

Aragorn could not have believed thinking so, but after saying their goodbyes and driving the car towards the archway at the end of the long road it felt a bit sad. He could have easily spent even a longer time visiting those sweet people.

The thought of their barbeque the other night; Legolas dad grilling and throwing darts with a pint of beer, his mom gliding around gracefully making sure everybody had everything, the sound of Legolas' and Tranol's laughter to the stories and jokes their grandpa told, who seemed to have an exquisite humor.

It had all been so lovely. If he would be invited and would have the time, he would surely visit them again.

~~~~

Summer went forward full force.

Scorching hot days followed by nights that had embodied what the word "tropical" meant.

Of course it might have been the nights spent with the blond florist that might added to that atmosphere.

Days too.

Aragorn, the person who appreciated his solitude and peace, saw the said blond daily. Every day of his vacation they spent together.

It all felt surreal.

The long walks hand in hand by the beach at sundown, the laughter over silly little things, the bright blue eyes sparkling at him during late night dinners in unplanned locations, the sweet scent of his silky hair when he used the doctor's shoulder as a pillow when they watched movies together...

Surreal.

He felt like we was more inside a dream than his regular summer vacation.

Usually going back to work made him feel more relieved than anything else, but now there was a strange, underlying dread that gnawed Aragorn's heart.

Whatever it was, he pushed it back like his backpack to the back of the car.

It was early in the morning, and his last trip before going back to work was about to start. One night he had slept in his own apartment without Legolas, and his heart had absolutely yearned for the moment he would see him again the entire time.

"Are we all set?" He heard.

"Not yet. Legolas...is usually not completely on point with the clock and agreed times." Aragorn replied with a small chuckle.

"You don't mind? At all?"

The doctor glanced at his foster brother briefly, before looking somewhere towards the end of the road with a small smile.

"Well...no. And Legolas is never late from something really important. And it usually does not take him too long anyway."

His foster brother let out a mere hum, but the subject was dropped.

And as said, the blond did exit his building only twelve minutes later than what they had agreed on, his redheaded friend following him with a long yawn he hid behind his hand.

"Good morning!" Legolas greeted as cheerful as always, getting back an agreeing hum from one of the twins and a nod with a smile from the other. "And good morning." His tone deepened to even more happy when he was greeted by the charming smile of his dear doctor.

"Good morning." Aragorn replied a gave him a kiss to his cheek, while Curu and the twins introduced theirselves to each other.

"We should hit the road, it is not too far, I think, but still." El said.
"It isn't. Should I drive front?" Aragorn asked and his foster brother nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Legolas and Curu got in to Aragorn's car and the twins to a black sportsmodel behind it.

"It's Ro's." Aragorn said when he saw Legolas having another glance at it through the rearview mirror.
"Oh. But-"
"Yes, El is driving."
"Okay, then I did pick up which one is which. They look so alike." Legolas chuckled.
"They do. But you will learn the small differences they have and it will be easier to tell them apart, don't worry. And in the meantime, Ro has a few tattoos, El has only one."

Legolas nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed.
He had no stress, or if he did it was very little, when Aragorn had met and spent time with his family, but now that the tables were turned, he felt more of that stress. He remembered very clearly the banquet he had attended with Aragorn, despite the open bar he had taken advantage off along the evening from peer pressure.

It had ended well, even if the banquet itself had not been his cup of tea.

And Aragorn liked him very much, he knew that and it was the only thing that mattered, but still. The twins were the closest people to the doc from his own life and Legolas would very much like to get along with them. The only thing he felt easy from, was that those two had been nice to him during the dinner. Or well, neither of them had spoken too much, but atleast they had not been mean to him either.

~~~~

They drove for two and a half hours, from which the last 30 minutes they had followed a gravel path until they reached a place one could call a parking lot and further from it they saw a camping site and a place for caravans, but there were not too many there.

A beautiful lake sparkled behind and between dense trees and instantly made Legolas extremely happy. He loved many things, but wild nature was one on the top of his list.

The silent buzz of insects, the gentle yet cooler breeze coming from the lake than the city had and the scent of grass, the trees and other plants was just pure serenity.

No trains, no rumbling cars, stores - nothing.
A paradise, if you may.

"Here is your backpack." Aragorn said and gave it to Legolas. "And yours." The other one he gave to Curu.

"So, you have never been here before?" Legolas asked and looked around.

"Funny enough, never. This was just some hidden gem Ro heard someone at work speak of." El said, both of them joining the others.

"Good catch, the place looks great. You said there was a trail maybe to those cliffs?" Aragorn asked.
"Yeah, we just have to look for it." Ro replied quite nonchalantly. "Oh well, El will look, he is making me carry the cooler."

To that note his twin merely tapped his shoulder and lead the way.

Ro shrugged, removed his flanel shirt and tied it to his waist and picked up his pack and the cooler.

"He sure has the muscles to carry it." Curu whispered to Legolas with a small grin, receiving a nudge from the blond.

"What are you two whispering?" Aragorn asked over his shoulder.

"U-uhm, nothing. Curu just uhm...is really looking forward for a swim in the lake. It is quite hot here."
"I agree." Aragorn said, fully accepting the answer. "At least it is cooler here than back home."
"It sure is." Legolas said and smiled at the man.

When Aragorn had returned the smile and looked away again, Legolas nudged his silently laughing friend even harder.

They walked along a path that led them away from the camping site and slowly their surroundings turned into a dense forest.

"Hey, look how cute!" Legolas exclaimed and grabbed Aragorn's arm.

There was a small curved wooden bridge that gave a paasage over a happily running creek.

And in mere seconds Legolas was passed the others with Curu and on that bridge, looking at the view over the edge of the railing.

Legolas did feel a little dread because heights were not his friend, but at that moment nothing was too high or far.

"Say sunshine." Aragorn said and when the two looked at him, he snapped a picture with a camera.

"Hey, unfair, you should have warned us first." Legolas complained, but did smile.
"Don't worry blossom, you always look good." Aragorn slipped out quite casually, not thinking about it too much, almost like he had forgot everyone else around himself except for the blond florist.

For some reason El held back a laugh and it was hard to tell what Ro's look was about, but Aragorn looked suddenly a bit bothered.

"Let's go, I bet we still have some way to go, especially if we want to check the base before the climb up." He muttered and was about to start walking.

"Of course but first-" El nabbed the camera from him.
"-group picture." Ro finished, leaving the cooler on the ground and wrapping his arm around Aragorn, walking him to the bridge despite of the small resistance. "You stand next to blossom here."

They lined up and El set the camera on the other railing, then quickly joined the group.

"Smile, everyone!" He said and right after the light flashed on the device.

"Now can we go?" Aragorn asked and was the first leaving the bridge.

"Can we have a copy of that?" Legolas asked and after a simultanious yes from the twins, he happily followed Aragorn.

~~~~

After some more hiking, they did finally find the foot of a high rock.

Legolas sized it with his gaze, the sunlight making him narrow his eyes.

"Are you planning to daycamp down here?" Curu asked and looked at the path leading up too.

Legolas did not answer.

"It is not as high as the King is." The redhead then said and made Legolas look at him flatly.

"Not AS high. High still." He complained with a silent tone. Then he glanced at the path leading by the foot of the cliff and their three companions further away, having some discussion while standing by the lake.

"And this is what they consider fun?" Curu asked and Legolas hummed. "Damn, why are all the gorgeous men crazy one way or the other..." he then sighed and Legolas shrugged.
"Beats me." He did comment.

They stood in silence for a bit, until they heard Aragorn call for them to follow, he and Ro already walking the path leading upwards.

"Oh well. Atleast I get to see Mr.Lawyer in swimwear before we die." Curu stated nonchalantly and followed their companions.

Legolas sized up the rock once more and with a deep exhale, followed his best friend.

When Legolas got on the path, the dread he felt mellowed down a little.

The path curled more to the direction of the forest instead of the edge or the side of the lake.

His mind understood he was walking higher than the surface he had been on mere moments ago, but as long as he could not see the difference between the heights, he felt like he could actually survive.

The unease returned to him a bit after they had reached the top.

He had stopped immediately when the narrow, rocky path had ended.

He stood still with his arms tightly crossed for a while before being addressed.

"Would you want to come see the view?" Aragorn asked.
"Would you want to take a step or two away from the edge, please?" Legolas asked back from his distance.

Aragorn smiled, and took more than two, walking all the way to the blond.

"There is no need to be afraid." He said with a warm tone. "And if nothing else, this is not nearly as high as The King was."

What a nightmarish memory, that funfair ride, it still gave the florist chills.

Without saying anything, he merely offered his hand to Aragorn, who took it without a hesitation.

"Not on the edge, okay?"
"Not on the edge."

They took steps more closer to the edge, but Legolas made sure they did not go too far and put on his breaks like a cat who was trying to avoid a bath.

"How was it?" Ro suddenly asked, looking past the two.
"Fantastic. The bottom should be alright." El replied, looking fresh and wet from a swim.

"Should be?" Legolas immediately questioned and Aragorn merely smiled and had his arm around the blond's narrow shoulders for comfort.

"This is not even that high." Ro said after taking a glance over the edge again. "Hey guys, remember the cliff near uncle Finrod's house we jumped from when we were ten?"
"I remember! El swore up and down it was too dangerous." Aragorn laughed.
"Because it was. The current was fast, the drop was high, and the water was far too shallow." El confirmed.
"And yet…we all survived. Actually we survived the jump far better than surviving dad, he was absolutely furious." Ro said said with a smile on.

Legolas could not believe his ears, there were people who actually jumped from high places and seemed to think of it fun.

"Hey, how about that jump off the quarry wall when we were fourteen? The one where Aragorn swore he could "measure the depth by eye"?" Ro laughed.
"In my defense...I was mostly right." Aragorn retorted.
"Mostly? You smacked the water so hard I thought we would have to peel you off it with a spatula!"
"He did surface looking rather stunned. But still in one piece." El felt the need to sooth the pale blond a little.
"Thank you for your professional observation, Elrond juniors." Aragorn scoffed, but was not too annoyed.

"Stunned? He looked like a pancake. Flat as one too, except for the noise he made. What was it again?" And right after Ro made an exaggerated belly-flop sound to emphasize his point. "El has checked our landing zones ever since, instead of human depth gauge here." He finished with a nudge to Aragorn's shoulder.

Aragorn shooked his head, but a small smile did visit Legolas' lips briefly.

"It was more dignified than that." Aragorn insisted.
"Nothing about it was dignified, man. Your legs were everywhere so badly that they were in the wrong time zone!"
"Well, at least it wasn't as bad as Ro’s famous triple backflip attempt at sixteen." El stated.
"Oh, here we go…that again, El?"

And Aragorn joined El's team.

"Oh, that was art. Pure chaos in motion. You got halfway through the second flip and forgot what direction was." The doc laughed shortly.
"I was...improvising."
"You landed on your side." El said flatly.
"Gracefully! Like a warrior falling in slow motion."
"You yelped like a startled cat." Aragorn pointed out.
"Hey, it was a manly yelp." Ro said and poked the doc's chest. Curu could not stop himself from snorting out a laugh from this all.

"You are having a jump with us, right?" Ro teased and Curu immediately faked a more serious face for himself.

"Nah, I think perhaps it is wise to leave the jumping to uhm...professionals. And warriors." He replied

"You could try a plain dive. At least I always stuck to plain dives, and never get hurt." El said thoughtfully.
"Yes, Mr. Perfect Form. You slice through the water like a knife. We should charge people admission whenever there is an audience." Ro huffed but smiled.

"True. Meanwhile, Ro and, uhm... I suppose myself were the comic relief." Aragorn joined in.

"And the bruises. Don’t forget the bruises." Ro reminded.

"Yes, like what happened in the storm jump incident." El laughed.

"Ah, yes. The storm jump." Ro sighed and shooked his head.
"You were the storm jump, Ro. You howled louder than the wind." Aragorn chuckled.
"It was for effect! You just got to respect the drama of the moment, man."
"He belly-flopped so hard he came up looking like a boiled lobster." El whispered to Curu and Legolas and both of them smiled.
"Battle scars." Ro simply shrugged.

"The worst must have been the cliff at Lake Mirwén." El said thoughtfully. "The one with the tree that Aragorn missed."
"I didn’t miss it! I-I...I slipped."
"Slipped, he says." Ro whistled in amusement. "He swung on the branch like Tarzan and landed flat on his back."
"And couldn't breathe for nearly a minute. We thought he was done for." El shooked his head. "You know, come to think of it, maybe Aragorn's career choice has something to do with our physical past."

"Still worth it though, no better way to feel alive than throwing yourself off a ridiculous height." Ro said contently and Aragorn did nod.

Legolas looked paler again.

"As long as you are sure the water is deep enough." El reassured but it made no difference to the florist.

"Well, how about we gentlemen put this show on the road, huh?" Ro said and slammed his hands together happily.

"Could you not, please?" Legolas blurted out and could not hide away the plea from his eyes either. The stories had not really woken up confidence in all this.

"Don't be scared, we were kids back then." Aragorn said calmly. "Nothing bad has happened in years, and we do this every summer."

The twins nodded and muttered agreeingly to this.

"Plus, this is a very good spot, there were no rocks or nothing for a good long way from where we will most likely land." El assured again.

The cliff was high though.

"Come on Lassé." Curu said and pulled his friend from his hand. "There is a nice sunny safe spot to sit on, where you can breathe. You are turning blue."

Legolas did not resist the tug away and accepted the spot. It was under the sun but not too close to the cliff. He could see the water better over the edge and into the horizon, but not the direct drop down.

"Are you sure you do not want to join us?" Ro asked after he and Aragorn had changed to swimming attires.

El did poke his twin and shooked his head a little.

"Well, you wanna go first El?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas watched how Ro and Aragorn went closer to the edge and El backed down.

Then the brunette ran and jumped, which made his stomach feel like it turned into a sailor's knot.

The lively cheer after a splash seemed to signal that the jumper had landed and emerged safely.

Next was Aragorn, who gave Legolas the encouraging smile, himself not really needing one.

He did what El did, backed down, ran and jumped to the sound of Ro suddenly exclaiming "don't trip" as he passed him.

Luckily he didn't.

After a tortuously long time, which it wasn't in reality, Legolas heared the surface of the water breaking and the happy sounds after it.

"Amateurs. This is how it is really done." Ro said with a small laugh as he walked for some distance.

Legolas nudged his friend who smiled at the comment.

Ro ran and jumped, not with his feet first, but with that infamous flip they had told about before practising this horrid hobby of theirs.

"You can breathe now. They are all moving." Curu said after taking a glance down. He had also seen all the dives, which confirmed that he would be on Legolas' team and just have a swim, no jumping.

Legolas laid down on the warm rock, inhaled and then exhaled deeply.

Now he could enjoy the sun.

~~~~

To Legolas' terror, the three had a few more jumps to the water before they were done.

"The walk to the next campsite should not be too long, maybe ten minutes if I understood correctly from Ro's explanation when I researched it at home." El said and Aragorn hummed.

"Next campsite?" Legolas asked.
"Well, yes. We have things to roast over a fire and we need a campsite with a grill to it." Ro replied.
"Why?"

The three glanced at each other briefly.

"I mean, the waterside looked so nice when we passed it, and there is no people or cars around here, couldn't we just build a fire ourselves and eat here?"

Again the three looked answers from each other.

"Making fires is not really our thing." El then muttered with a shrug.
"What, you have never made a fire? Legolas said with a happy tone. "Where did you spent your childhood summers, mathcamps?" He chuckled.

And realized that was exactly it.

"And before that...there really was no camping where I lived before their home." Aragorn said and had a sip from his water bottle.

Legolas looked at the view.

"Can we stay here if I make it?" He then asked and all did agree.

So down the cliff they went and stopped right by the water.

"Here is good." Legolas declared after gazing for a good spot. "Be a friend and go fetch some kindling and uhm...better sticks from the forest, I'll make the base." He then said to his redheaded friend.

Curu merely hummed for a yes and sauntered away.

"Not it."
"Not it."

It came out nearly simultaniously, followed by a defeated groan and Ro followed the redhead in to the forest.

"Great, you two can help me gather some rocks." Legolas said happily, El and Aragorn glancing at each other but did not refuse.

And together they collected enough rocks to make a nice circle for the fire.

It took a quite a while, but Curu and Ro did return with proper sticks and also kindling material.

"Could you start a fire without any tools?" Aragorn asked while watching intriqued when Legolas arranged the sticks with a certain way.

"I could." The blond replied with a smile. "But I will accept any matches or a lighter if you have one."

El did dig out a box of matches from his backpack and Legolas started the fire.

With complete peace, and silence, he then cooked every piece of meat and corn cob they had in the cooler over the fire. The disposable utensils and plates they had, they gathered neatly in one bag after eating.

"Oh that was so good..." El sighed and laid down on the ground, resting one arm over his eyes to block the sun a bit.

"You know, I did not really know you can cook." Aragorn said and looked at the blond.

Legolas shrugged a bit, halfly in his thoughts.

"It is quite easy to cook over a fire and make edible food." He said. "Dad always used to say while cooking on a bonfire that unless the food looks black like the bottom of a deep well, it is good."

Aragorn smiled to himself. It definitely sounded like the older Mr.Greenleaf. He was obviously the source of teaching this skill too.

"Well, whatever the case or your skills, if you cook like this every time we hit the cliffs, consider yourself part of the family." Ro said with a half a yawn and laid next to his twin in a similar leisurely fashion.

"Hear that." Legolas whispered very silently to Aragorn with a nudge to his shoulder, a smug look gracing his face. "Part of the family."

Aragorn smiled wider now.

It did not sound bad at all.

TBC

Chapter Text

Days went by.

Weeks even.

The regular work weeks, the schedules, the hecticness life nost often had.

But still, it all felt different. Like life in general was more vibrant, more fulfilling, more...

"What do you think? Did I over do it?"

...extravagant?

"Uhm..."

Aragorn looked around.

It did look like something had escaped from a halloween party catalog. But then again, it was so Legolas.

"Love it." The doctor decided to say while dodging an orange-black boa decoration that had happy skulls hanging from it, and had a seat behind the counter with his regular coffee, opening his paper on the small table beside it.

"Thank you." Legolas replied and lightly sat on the man's lap. "I myself especially love the little pumpkin lights, they are so cozy. Although, I can not wait for the really dark mornings and evenings with cold and snow outside while huddled in here amongst christmas lights and a cup of tea." He added, even more happy.

Aragorn hummed and sipped his coffee.

"You do like christmas, right?" Legolas asked cautiously.
"Hm?" Aragorn hummed again and lifted his gaze from the paper.
"Joy to the world and all that?" Legolas added with one raised brow.
"Oh, sure. Best time of the year." Aragorn said and turned his focus back on the newspaper.

Legolas breathed out silently.

Flat tone he had got, far less enthusiastic that he would have liked.

Still, it was Aragorn, and he took all he could get out of the man, he considered the answer positive.

"How do you spend the holidays?" Legolas asked and curled his arms around Aragorn's neck.

Aragorn knew his attempt to read at that point was futile.

"Well, uhm...we usually have a family dinner."
"At your foster parents?"
"At a restaurant, before the eve. Elrond makes the preservation every year. We eat and wish each other happy holidays and go each of our merry ways." Aragorn said and sipped his coffee. "I usually work on christmas eve."
"Really?"

Legolas could not hide the disappointment in his voice.

"What about you?" Aragorn asked after a small moment of silence, his fair boyfriend fiddling the sleeve of his own shirt with the rest of the pout he was unable to hide.

"With my family..." he said shortly.

Aragorn continued to read again.

"Do you have to work on christmas eve, or do you want to work?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn folded the paper away.

"I have always offered myself to work the. The holidays are always a busy time." The man said and looked at the blond. "I assume, you would not like me to?"

Legolas only shrugged, he did not want to be difficult or make demands about it.

"I can see if it is alright for me to be away from work a bit then, when we get closer to December." He said, the wide bright smile from the blond spreading warmth to his heart and soul. "But if it comes down to me and a doctor with children of their own on the holiday issue, I will happily drink my glogg at the hospital."

"Deal, thank you!" Legolas said gleefully.
"Anything for you, dear."

Legolas got up and started to remove unsuitable items and cards from his displaycases and add things more suited for the current and upcoming seasons.

Aragorn got up, took his neatly folded paper and put the coffeecup in the trash.

"I have to go." He said and kissed Legolas on the cheek.

"You are coming tonight right?" The blond asked.
"Uhm...yes. I suppose." Aragorn replied, a tad stiffly.
"Yay, see you tonight." Legolas said and kissed the man properly. "Now go, you do not want to ruin your immaculate record of being in places at the correct time, right." He laughed a bit and kissed him again.

Aragorn gave a small smile and a small wave, before entering the crisp autumn air with the bright bell giving a cheerfull ring when he opened the door.

He gave Garden of Wonders on more look over his shoulder as he walked away.

The shop looked so inviting, like a warm cozy beacon of life and light in the grey and wet weather.

Still, he felt dread.

And he really shouldn't have, it was supposed to be fun.

He did think it depended on who you would ask. His view of things that are fun differed from many others.

But he and Legolas did have a system in their relationship. There was a large field of comfiness where they shared interests and enjoyed their activities and whatever they had planned or not planned together.

And then there were the things the other one enjoyed, and the other one didn't but participates nonetheless.

This was one of those.

Aragorn stepped inside the hospital, the crisp air staying behind the closed automated doors and the warmth of the facility greeting him.

He went to take off his coat in his locker and then made his way towards the nurses station.

"You look grim. Bad day?" A friendly tone asked beside him.
"Not at all." Aragorn replied to his colleague. "I have not seen you today. Busy?"
"There has been a lot of meetings." Boromir said.

They both walked to Aragorn's destination and the said man received a few files to go through as he stopped.

"Any plans? It is Halloween after all." Boromir asked, receiving a small scoff from his friend. It was an unintended scoff, but a scoff still.

"There are plans. Am I too excited about them...we can open up a debate on it." Aragorn said, half of his mind already skimming through the medical information and nurses assesments of new patients. "Or we could, should there be any time."

Boromir laughed with genuine joy and tapped his colleague's back with a friendly manner.

"You'll survive, I'm sure." He said and also with the sound of his pager had to take his leave. "I have some big plans too, my friend. I will let you know of them later!" The man disappeared around the corner and so did his voice.

Aragorn shooked his head a bit with the faintest of smile.

Despite of the nature his job had, he would enjoy it. That was the easy part.of his day.

~~~~

Later, after finishing his shift, he went home.

With the exact movements he always did when he got home he proceeded forward with his day he knew was not about to end soon.

Keys to their own place, shoes neatly side by side on their place close to the door where they always were and his coat on a hanger, just as neatly with the rest of his coats and jackets.

Then a shower, something to eat and...

Aragorn sighed as he looked at the outfit hanging from his dresser door.

The things he does for-

...there is that dangerous word again, lurking in the back of his mind.

Well, there was no use in pondering about this any further. He was a man of action and performed quite well even when feeling pressured.

So down came the outfit and he put it on. Then just a few touches, and done.

Then again...it did not look that bad. Maybe not his usual daily look, but maybe this one night of the year he can manage.

Or at least this year he can manage like this, he is not really a person who celebrates seasonal events. Or he does, just differently.

He put on a pair of leather boots and only the necessities he needed in his pockets; phone, keys and wallet. And then a small gift, simply wrapped with a non-fussy paper.

Then he walked out of his apartment and the building, with the doorman saying farewell to him with a gleeful smile.

~~~~

Instead of his own silver colored mechanical steed, he took a taxi, driven by this loud and talkative small man with a red full beard.

He paid for the ride and walked into the building his lovely florist lived in.

He stopped at the door, felt like having to take a few breaths for courage and then rang the doorbell.

"Oh wow!"

Those were the immediate words that greeted him by the door.

"U-uhm...likewise." was the reply.

"Come in, let me have a look at you!"

Aragorn stepped in, the pure joyous smile on Legolas' face twitching the corner of his lips a tad.

"You are gorgeous! You are like that ranger from my favourite movie!" Legolas breathed out. "Don't get me wrong, you are gorgeous always, but the look suites you."
"Well...thank you." Aragorn nodded slightly. "And you obviously are-"
"A confused flowerarranger who realized his tights are a size too small." Curu said with a lazy tone, dressed quite similarily than his friend.

"Shut up!" Legolas laughed and turned to Aragorn. "They are leggins, not tights." He felt needing to clarify to his boyfriend. "And they are not small, they are meant to be tight!"

Curu merely shrugged, wearing a pair of black skinny jeans himself in a bit more modern fashion.

"Elves, huh?" Aragorn stated.
"See the ears?" Legolas smiled, having a pair of long tipped prosthetic ones. "I have a bow too." He said proudly.
"And a diva attitude." Curu added and had a pillow thrown at him. "He is a dead elf. I killed him." Legolas said and Curu blew him a kiss. It was true though, he had make up on to make him look even more pale than he usually was and dead like a corpse. Black lipstick and eyeshadow wearing corpse.

Then Legolas looked at the doctor again.

"This is such a funny coincidence isn't it." He said happily, neither of them knowing what the other one would dress up as.

Aragorn only smiled, still not feeling as comfortable as he could.

"Would you like a drink?" Legolas the elf asked and disappeared in the kitchen.

"Have you anything sharp?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes!"
"Feeling like you need it?" Curu asked.
"It will not do any harm atleast." Aragorn replied. "Oh, this is for you." He said and handed over the package.
"Me?"
"Happy birthday."

Legolas came back and handed the stiffer drink to the man.

"Oh you got him a present, that is so sweet of you." Legolas said kissed the man, happily then staying in his place with one arm wrapped around him. "Well, open it."

Curu opened the paper carefully.

"Oh, cool!" He got out, with a case of high-end graphic pencils with a sketchbook in his hands. And...

"Glitter gel pens?" He questioned.

"Yes." Aragorn said shortly. "So you can maybe...start the healing process in your villain story."

Curu looked at the man and a disbelieved smile tugged his lips.

"Did he just made a joke?" He asked from Legolas.
"Yes! He is learning to embrace the silly." Legolas replied with a short laugh. "I will give Tuffers a bit more kitbits, then we can go."

Legolas left again, navigating in his jungle towards the kitchen again.

"Thanks. These are really great." Curu did say genuinely.
"I am glad you like them."

"Okay, let's go!"

~~~~

The heavy thrum of the upbeat music could be heard long along the street.

They met a long line of people dressed up for Halloween, waiting to get in.

To Aragorn's surprise, they did not stop at the end of the line, and he the ranger followed the two elves to another door where someone they obviously knew very well let them happily in.

Legolas glanced at Aragorn as they walked in a narrow dark corridor.

"He is a friend of ours, me and Curu worked part time in his dad's store when we moved in to the city and I first put up the shop."

The slight tenseness that had added since they came there faded from the man's face, leaving only his regular tension there.

When they entered the club itself, it really was a party.

It was not packed yet, but more and more people did walk in from another direction that most likely was the main entrance.

The music was loud and the place otherwise dark, except for the clubs colorful lights that amped the atmosphere even more.

It was not completely unfamiliar. Aragorn had once or twice went to a get-together during medschool, and a time or two with the twins.

There was more than one bar area, and they walked to the one furthest from the loudness and flashing lights.

It was rather nice actually.

"What can I get you?" A bartender dressed up as Dracula inquired.

"Hmm..." Legolas eyed the menu that also was Halloween themed. There were regular drinks as well, but where was the fun in that. "I would like a Necromancer, please."
"Death in the Afternoon." Curu ordered.
"And you?"

Aragorn thought for a moment longer.

"Pumpkin sazerac, please." He then said.

The bartender started to mix the drinks and placed them one by one infont of the correct person.

"Alright, Curu my dear, happy birthday, and like every year, all the undead celebrates with us!" Legolas declared and they toasted.

Legolas coughed a bit from the punch his spooky drink had.
Curu wrinkled his nose and had to exhale a bit deeper from his.

Aragorn looked at his glass happily delighted from the strength and spice.

"So. Is this your official day of birth?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes." Curu replied. "You can imagine the wild rumours forming while growing up. High school was particularily creative." He said with a short laugh.

"Okay, this was not working for me. I would like a snickertini, please." Legolas stated.

The name of that drink sounded horrifying to a person who did not enjoy sweet consumables.

The chocolate and caramel sauce filled glass was exactly something someone like Legolas would find good.

"What?" Legolas asked with a smile from Aragorn's expression.
"You will have the worst hangover if you drink a lot of sugary drinks. Sugar and alcohol together tends to do that. The danger of overconsumption exists too." Aragorn said in a stating way.
"Don't worry, the worst hangover is a yearly tradition." Curu said after tasting his friend's drink. "Not bad. The next one has to be something fruity though."
"Agreed." Legolas confirmed.

That sounded like the beginning of the end.

~~~~

Aragorn knew Legolas did drink occassionally. Like he had been a tad under the influence during the celebratory dinner for his foster mom.

But this was not the road to just being a tad under the influence. This was the road to doom.

Still, Aragorn did not disturb the party atmosphere, and did feel the numbing sensation alcohol created in his own body too. He used more words in sentences, smiled a bit more easily. Laughed, even.

How could he not when his company was as lively as Legolas and his best friend were. The two occasionally attracted people to come have a conversation with them and some knew who they were to begin with. But Legolas could chat to anyone about anything, he listened and was interested in other peoples stories.

He was such a kind soul.

There was no room for jealousy either, Legolas was comfortably snuggled right next to Aragorn or constantly holding his hand or having some physical contact to his person.

And the drinks flowed.

Aragorn knew how to pace himself though, he knew his limits and lines of comfort.

Legolas and Curu had no clear pace or a line of comfort in this and it started to show.

In their speech and stories, slightly unfocused gazes...

...and eventually the dancing to the thrumming upbeat music Aragorn kindly declined from.

But he did not mind either. He sat back, one leg over another with a glass of scotch in his hand, just observing the energy of the room.

Legolas mostly.

Who seemed to know every song that played, happily singing and jamming to the music with his friend.

And directing his peach-shaking to a certain someone he has promised it to belong.

Several times he had been gestured to come over and each time he had offered a small shake of his head as an answer, that Legolas had respected so far.

So far.

But alcohol has a power to amp up ones persistency. Even make one do bold moves.

And before he knew it, he was being pulled up by the blond and the redhead and ending up sandwiched between them at the heart of the party.

For a man who preferred quiet rooms and rational conversation, Aragorn handled the chaos remarkably well.

At least, he told himself he did.

Legolas’ hand was warm in his, Curu's laughter was more than infectious, and for once, he didn't feel like the odd one out.

He even swayed a little, halfly to the music and halfly from his two partners making him, it was not quite dancing, but close enough for Legolas to beam at him like he had just performed a miracle.

"Who would have known?!" Curu whooped over the pounding bass. "He has rhythm!"

"He has endurance too." Legolas corrected with a grin, leaning closer until his lips brushed Aragorn's ear. "Stamina."

Aragorn almost choked on air.

"Legolas, that is not-"

But his protest was completely drowned by laughter, both of them having him locked between them in a jump jump dance party like they would have practiced this for years.

Aragorn did his best not to step on any toes or knock someone's drink over. When Legolas nearly tripped on his own enthusiasm, Aragorn caught him easily, the blond's delighted giggle lost in the noise.

"You are having fun." Legolas accused affectionately in singsong, clutching the front of Aragorn's shirt.

"I'm… surviving." Aragorn replied, lips twitching.

" Hey but that IS fun for you!" Curu said. "We'll take it, newspaperman."

After quite a few songs, or what felt like hours, Aragorn finally guided Legolas off the dance floor, the blond giggling and glowing under the club lights.

They found a quieter corner, and Legolas immediately curled against him, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I told you this would be fun." He slurred ever so slightly, voice warm and lazyish.

"Mmh." Aragorn hummed, brushing a stray strand of hair from the blond's face. "You win."

"I do occassionally." Legolas replied contently. "I would not have you otherwise."

Curu appeared in the middle of this public emotional display with water bottles in his hands and a triumphant grin. "One is for hydration, one is for...emotional support." he announced, setting them down.

"Which is which?" Aragorn asked dryly.

"I don't know, whichever one you don't spill." Curu said vaquely and sat next to Legolas.

"You are smiling." Legolas said, obviously not letting go of his comment.

"Am I?" Aragorn asked

"You are. And it is one of my favorite things you wear tonight."
"Even more than the leather?"
" Oh yes, but do keep the leather on for me."
"Aaaaand that is my cue, goodbye."

Curu got back up and gladly left.

Aragorn chuckled quietly, his arm wrapping around Legolas tighter. The music pulsed on, the lights flickered, and for once, the chaos didn't bother him at all.

It felt… alive. Like maybe this was his kind of celebration someway after all.

Or perhaps it was his company.

~~~~

By the time the clock crept way past midnight, Aragorn had seen enough glazed smiles and heard enough "just one more song" promises to know it was the time to act.

"Alright." He said in the tone that left no room for debate. "We are going home and make you two have some sleep."

Legolas was halfway through convincing a young man in a glowing skeleton outfit that glitter was underrated and would look good even on his glowing bones.
"But-"
"Home." Aragorn repeated, calmly taking his boyfriend from his hand and making him follow, taking Curu with them too. "Before one of you starts a philosophical debate about whether vampires can have a skincare routine or something..."

"Too late." Curu murmured, blinking at the cloud of smoke rolling across the floor. "Already settled."

Aragorn herded them both out with the patience of a saint. Or a man who has handled drunk patients more than he could count, which was arguably worse always compared to this situation.

Legolas and Curu stumbled and laughed and leaned on Aragorn the entire way to the vacant cab, and once in it Legolas snuggled up against his side like he had no bones and Curu humming an unrecognizable tune into his shoulder.

"You are sort of good at this." Curu slurred admiringly as Aragorn helped him with the seat belt. "It's like watching some kind of a...tall, grumpy shepherd guiding lost elves."

"You forgot handsome." Legolas said immediately, patting Aragorn's cheek. "And strong. He lifted me once with one arm, you know. One arm."

"I have heard the legends." Curu said with a serious tone. "Did angels sing?"
"There were harps." Legolas confirmed with a sigh, resting his head against Aragorn's shoulder again. He is very heroic."

"He is a doctor." Curu pointed out. "Heroism's basically in the job description."

"Please..." Aragorn muttered. "...both of you be quiet before I am forced to triage myself."

He gave a small half a smile to the amused cabdriver glancing at them through the rearviewmirror.

Neither listened, of course."

By the time the cab rolled up to Legolas' building, the two were giggling again, half leaning on each other and half on Aragorn.

Aragorn thanked the driver, paid, and guided them inside with the efficiency of a man who could perform this given task blindfolded.

Getting two hammered elves up a flight of stairs and through a jungle-like apartment was a feat of endurance.

But he did it.

Jackets off, shoes left by the door, and both of them tucked under the covers before they could protest or come up with more conversation topics about strong men and heroism further.

Legolas immediately snuggled closer to Curu. "You are awfully warm for someone who is supposed to be dead." He murmured.

"I'm alive." Curu replied. "Barely."

"We should feed you." Legolas said with sudden seriousness, looking up at Aragorn. "You can do that, right? Magic? Summon food?"

Aragorn furrowed his brow. "Magic?"

"Yes, you are a miraclemaker.” Curu said from under the blanket. "You could totally be a food wizard and summon a grilled cheese or something. Wrestle down a deer in the woods."

"Or make pasta." Legolas added, eyes shut. "Pasta would be divine."

"You both have consumed a ton of carbs and sugar." Aragorn said dryly. "You will live until breakfast, trust me."

"You could make the world stop spinning." Legolas complained."
"Sleep is the best medicine for that. Goodnight."

Legolas smiled faintly, eyes already drifting shut. "You are wonderful, you know that?"

"So you have said. Several times." Aragorn replied softly, brushing a stray hair from his forehead. "Sleep now, you silly elf."

"Mm. My favorite kind of magic." Legolas murmured and turned on his side already half-asleep, Curu in a deep slumber beside him. "You always make everything feel so safe."

Aragorn stood there for a moment longer, watching the two of them breathe quietly, tangled in blankets, friendship and glitter.

Then, with the smallest of smiles, he turned off the light and went to the livingroom to clean a trail of candy wrappers and feathers the two had spread before he had even got there earlier that evening.

He scratched and petted the orange thick cat while passing him, the feline not running anywhere to hide from him.

All in all, Aragorn might not have been much of a party person, ever, but he had to admit, this was one of the better end of nights.

Any night was absolutely perfect with Legolas around.

TBC