Gimli stood at the wall bordering the seventh and topmost tier of the White City of Gondor, admiring the ancient stonework and looking out over the bustling city below.

"Psst," said a deep shadow from over near a stout building nearby. "Psst! Gimli! Is he there? Can you see him? Or them?"

"No, Legolas," the dwarf answered with a smirk. "The coast is clear. You can come out into the sunshine."

The deepest part of the shadow detached itself from the building and walked to the dwarf, sunlight revealing the tall, slender figure wrapped in a travel-stained Elven-cloak of Lorien. The hooded head peered cautiously around, sharp eyes searching for the people he least wanted to meet, and gratefully seeing no sign of them. With a sigh of relief, the Elf pushed back his hood and turned his face to the Sun. "Ah! The Sun! Too long has it been since I've last felt it!"

"It's been that bad, hmm?" came the amused question.

"Bad is not the word, friend dwarf. Last night, he hung himself upside down by the ankles over my balcony from the one above and recited bad love poetry all night long!" Legolas shuddered. "And yesterday evening at supper, he kept poking and pinching me. I'm all over black and blue! This morning, even, I left my room before even the grey dawn, but still he was up and waiting for me with roses in hand. I ran then, and I've been running and hiding all morning. I haven't had a single solid night's rest since *they* showed up right before the wedding and told him that I secretly loved him."

"I remember. I can't believe he actually left her at the altar like that. And you running out of there like a scalded rabbit!" Gimli chuckled. "Have you *tried* talking to him about this?"

"Of course I tried! I told him! I said: 'Aragorn, I like you as a friend, but you're supposed to marry Arwen, and it's her you love, not I.' I told him it wasn't more than friendship between us."

"And what did he have to say to that?" asked the dwarf.

"He just looked really confused and said: 'Arwen who?' *They* must have made some evil magic to make him forget her and latch onto me. Gimli, tell me, what am I going to do?"

Just then, Aragorn came around a corner, closely followed by a mob of fearsome fangirls, who shouted encouragement and suggestions to him upon seeing the Elf standing there by the wall in the sun with the dwarf. They moved quickly to close off any escape routes the Elf might take. Aragorn, bouquet of partially-wilted roses in hand, hurried over to the two.

Legolas, escape routes blocked, stood firm, though the expression on his face was that of a man at his own execution.

"Legolas!" came the warm greeting. A hand thrust the rose bouquet at the Elf's face, even as the human edged closer and got in a good pinch to already bruised flesh. "These are for you," he said. "What say you we retire to my chambers now?"

"I don't-" Legolas started. He drew a deep breath, let it out slowly. "Aragorn. It doesn't matter that I saved your life those sixty-three times during the Quest. It doesn't matter that over a hundred fangirls told you that I like you." Le golas looked around, desperate for inspiration. He saw the dwarf, who had taken a seat on the low wall and sat there listening passively to Legolas' floundering speech with a smirk on his face. Inspiration struck him hard. "It doesn't matter, for you are fated to be with Arwen, and I-" he smiled brilliantly, went and sat himself down on Gimli's lap, his arms about the other's neck. "We didn't want to bother you, what with your getting married and everything, but Gimli and I are... close. We have been since Lothlorien. And we are going away together soon."

"We are?" Gimli asked, face flushed at having a lapful of Elf.

"You are?" Aragorn asked, heartbroken.

"We are," Legolas said firmly. He cuddled up closer to the dwarf, who was by now beet-red. "You wouldn't want to damage our relationship, now would you?"

"Uh, no, I guess not," Aragorn said. "So I love this Arwen, hmm?"

"Absolutely. Go to her."

Legolas watched as Aragorn slunk away, wilted flowers in hand, to find Arwen. The mob of thwarted fangirls followed him, sulking, casting angry glared back at the Elf who had evaded their plots.

Gimli looked to the Elf as soon as the others were out of earshot. "And what do you think he'll do when he realizes that you meant only that we were very close *friends*?" he asked as the Elf lightly got up from his lap.

"Hopefully, he'll be married to Arwen by then and the fangirls will be gone, so it won't be a problem," Legolas answered hopefully. But just in case, he began thinking of supplies he would need to have packed so he could leave at any time on little or no notice. Maybe Gimli might like to go with him?