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Title: Heartbound.
Chapter Three
Author: dark
Email: dark.malignity@gmail.com
Pairing: Boromir/ Elladan, Boromir/ Elrohir.
Rating: PG
Summary: Boromir's appearance in Imladris complicates the twins'
lives, especially when he cannot tell the identical twins apart. AU,
pre-fellowship.
Warning: Slash (male/ male pairings)

Disclaimer: All Elfies and places (and the one Man) belong to Tolkien.
I am merely borrowing them for my own (and others') amusement. = D
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Chapter Three

"You fool!" Elrohir cursed himself as he made a dash for the safety of
his bedroom. Already he could hear the light footfalls of his twin
catching up on him. "You complete and utter twit, how could you!" he
thought, quickening his pace. "How are you ever going to show your
face again. Your *brother*, Roh, how could you betray your own
brother!"

He sprinted the remaining length of the hallway, up the stairs, and
round the corner, finally reaching his destination ahead of his
pursuing twin. Sighing in relief, he grabbed the door handle and
pulled, then rattled and jerked at it, and then finally kicked at the
door in frustration before he finally realized that it was locked, and
that he had forgotten to bring his key with him. Sighing in dismay,
Elrohir squeezed his eyes shut and waited for his twin to arrive.
There was no avoiding the confrontation now.

It was not long before Elladan rounded the corner, panting and out of
breath. "By the Valar, Roh, I swear that anyone would have thought a
balrog were after you!" he grumbled. "I have never known you to run so
fast!"

Elrohir winced and braced himself for the tongue-lashing that he knew
he deserved. Elladan however, seemed less inclined to play the
disciplinarian. Leaning the wall to recover his breath, he gripped his
brother strongly by the shoulder and grinned. "You forgot your key
again, didn't you?"

Elrohir nodded in quiet humiliation as his brother produced a
duplicate from the chain he wore around his neck. How like him to go
and mess things up like this. And how like his twin to get him out of
trouble. Elrohir sighed. Why was it always him that needed rescuing?
He was every bit as formidable a warrior as his twin. So why was it
that away from the battlefield, Elrohir was always the weaker one?

"Brother?" Elladan said gently, holding the door open. Elrohir nodded
and entered the room, shortly followed by his twin. "We have much to
discuss," Elladan said, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"No we don't. I apologise, brother. I have wronged you. There is
nothing to discuss."

"Yes there is, brother. You care for the Man, do you not?"

Elrohir threw open the balcony doors and leaned against the rails.
Anything to keep him from facing his twin. Anything to hide from the
brother he had betrayed.

"Roh," his brother said gently, coming to stand beside him. "Brother…"
Slowly, Elladan snaked an arm around his twin and drew him close, and
though Elrohir sighed dejectedly, the meeker elf did nothing to
protest. Rather, he seemed to welcome the intimacy and snuggled into
his twin as Elladan cradled him protectively.

He held him for awhile, soothing his twin's troubled thoughts and
stroking his hair reassuringly. Finally, when he sensed that Elrohir
was calm enough, he kissed his twin on the forehead and drew back.
"Brother," he said softly, seriously. "We *must* talk."

"No!" Elrohir mewled softly and buried his head once more in his
twin's shoulder, hugging his twin tightly. "Curse you, Dan! I've told
you, there's nothing to talk about!"

"Yes there is," Elladan stressed. "Listen to me, Roh," he said
seriously, holding the other strongly by the shoulders, making sure
that he had Elrohir's full attention. "Brother, listen to me. I love
you," he said, drawing Elrohir in and kissing him firmly on the
forehead. "I love you, brother. So much. You know I do. You know I
will not stand in the way of your happiness."

Elrohir whimpered as a wave of agony swept over him. Distraught, the
smaller elf threw himself into his brother's arms and wept, softly
repeating his twin's name over and over again with every breath that
he drew.

"And how," Elrohir shuddered at last, "can you expect me to stand in
the way of yours?"

Elladan froze for awhile, and then sighed sadly. "Mine?" he said. "I
do not love him, Roh. We are merely companions of the flesh. There is
nothing more between us, surely you must have sensed that by now… you
who know me better than any other."

He cradled his twin's head, peppering light kisses over the other's
hairline, finally resting his lips against Elrohir's cheekbone.
"Rohir, it is not *my* happiness that is at stake, dear brother…" he
murmured into his brother's ear, "my dearest, dearest brother…"

They held each other for awhile, each basking in his twin's presence
and the comfort that the close proximity gave them. Elrohir never felt
so complete as when he was in his other half's arms. For Elladan truly
was his other half, he always had been from the very moment of their
joint conception. Identical to the core, he knew they were a single
being separated at birth; the same soul born twice over.

"I love you, Elladan," he whispered softly.

"I love you too, Elrohir," his other replied. "I love you too."

It felt so safe in his brother's arms, here in his room. So quiet and
safe and serene despite the thunder of the waterfalls just beyond, and
as they stood together in the balcony, Elrohir thought he spied a very
familiar figure meandering aimlessly through the misty pools.

"Elrohir?" his twin asked tentatively, feeling the other suddenly
stiffen. Tracing his brother's gaze, Elladan found himself looking
upon the silhouette of Lord Boromir of Gondor. The Man was wandering
aimlessly along the riverbank, his steps were heavy, his shoulders
drooping. More than once, he stopped, sighed and let his head fall
before continuing on his walk.

"He is lonely," Elladan said by way of explanation. "I had hoped to
ease his ache." Sighing deeply, he kissed Elrohir once more. "Roh, you
must tell him."

"No!"

"Aiya, my brother," he sighed again. "All I want is for you to be
happy. Look at him. He is confused. And he is lonely. He craves for
the companionship that you long to give him. I can see the need in
your eyes, Elrohir. You wish to love him."

"No, I don't."

"Don't be such a fool, Roh. I know you better than anyone else in this
world. Do not think you can hide it from me. You know that we can
never hold any secrets from each other for long. Tell him," Elladan
urged, turning to his twin so that they faced each other. "You must
tell him, Roh. You will regret it for life if you let this love slip
past you."