I Love You Just The Way You Are

I Love You Just The Way You Are

Rating: G.

Summary: When Estel gets in trouble, he believes that Elladan doesn't love him anymore. Short and sweet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tolkien.

A crash from the foyer made Elladan look up from the piece of parchment that he was reading.

"Estel, what was that?" he called.

"...Nothing," came a very small voice.

Elladan frowned. A "nothing" was usually the worst kind of "something". Rising, he went to find the little boy. When he reached him...

"Oh, Estel!" Elladan exclaimed softly.

In pieces on the floor was Elrond's prized bronze candlestick, the one that Celebrian had given him before she passed over the sea. Elladan knew that Elrond would be deeply troubled. It was one of the few remaining artifacts that he treasured from their marriage.

Estel's lip began to quiver, and his eyes filled with tears as he backed away from Elladan. "You aren't going to tell Father, are you?" he whispered.

Elladan sighed. "I have to, Estel."

The boy' s tears spilled down his cheeks. "I...I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I...I didn't mean it. I was just playing, and it...it fell..." Estel's voice broke as he turned away from his brother, and then, suddenly, the true reason for his tears came out in a rush of words.

"Ada's going to hate me now," he wailed. "And so are you. The Orcs that killed my parents that day were right. I'm nothing but a filthy human." He turned back to Elladan, who looked shocked.

"I'm sorry I'm not an elf," he whispered.

But Elladan caught the boy by both arms and looked into his eyes.

"I never want to hear you say that again," he said fiercely. "Do you understand me? Estel, I care not that you're a human. I care not that you aren't an elf. I love you just the way you are. And nothing will ever cahnge that."

"Nothing?" Estel said in a tiny voice.

"Nothing."

Finally Estel let Elladan draw him into a firm embrace. "I love you, Elladan," he whispered into the elf's shoulder.

"I love you too," Elladan murmured back.

And then the elf pulled away. He wiped the tears from Estel's cheeks and smiled. "Come now. We need to clean this up. Otherwise Father might think that I broke it."

Estel giggled. He well knew of how clumsy Elladan used to be.

Elladan arched a slim brow.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No." Estel giggled harder, backing away.

"I think that you are. And you know what that means." Elladan rose and took a mock fighting stance.

"No!" Estel shrieked in laughter.

But Elladan caught him up and began to tickle him fiercely. Soon the boy's happy shrieks were resounding throughout the valley.

Elladan smiled as he heard them. For you see, neither race, nor color, nor anything else mattered that day. What mattered was that Estel was loved, and that he was happy. And really, that was all Elladan could ask for.

THE END