The old ways

The door flew open and Gimli stood in the middle of the room, eyes wide, the battle axe in his hand ready to charge. All he saw was Legolas, his arms wrapped around himself and Gandalf at his side holding and calming him.
"What is the matter? Did any harm come to you? Take you hands off him, old man!" the dwarf advanced his axe raised.
Gandalf stopped the dwarf by raising his hand and looking calmly at him "No harm has been done, Master dwarf. Nor will there be. It's just a little shock our elf has to get over."
"Just a little shock?" the dwarf grumbled, but lowered his axe. With determined strides he moved next to the huddled elf, gently laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Gimli, I don't think it is a very good idea if you stay here right now." Gandalf said quietly.
"I will not leave his side. The last time you send me out of this room, his scream called me back here. I'm not moving and that's final!"
They sat in silence for some time, until they felt the elf uncoil from his position. His face was white and his breath was ragged. He very slowly moved off the bed and away from his friends and turned to the window staring outside where the people of Edoras were going on about their business, not really seeing them.
"Gandalf, what happened to him. Was he injured, did anything happen to his family, oh no, don't tell me something happened to Haldir!"
"You know about Haldir? No, nothing has happened to him, neither to his family. I don't think I can tell you what is the matter with him. It is up to Legolas."
Gimli was everything but satisfied with the situation. He got up and moved over to the elf. Very gently and a little bit awkwardly he started to stroke his friend's back in soothing circles. At first Legolas didn't react at all, but after a few moments Gimli had the impression that Legolas leaned into his touch a little as if to draw strength and composure from the touch.
Gandalf watched the odd couple and smiled to himself, without doubt this was the most strange friendship he had ever seen and most likely the strongest one as well. He continued to look at them, when Legolas at last turned around and moved over to the chair Gandalf had previously pulled over to the bee sae sat down with a sigh on his lips and put his legs onto the bed stretching them.
"How did you know?" he asked looking directly into Gandalf's eyes.
"I felt it as soon as we met again in Fangorn. I wasn't sure but when I had some time to watch you I was certain. Legolas, what I don't understand is, how you could not have noticed. You surely didn't forget the vast procedure you had to endure in order to become fertile."
Gimli listened with growing confusion. What was that all about. An elf becoming fertile? Why on earth was something like that important to an elf who was married to another male elf? Was that the secret of the low population of elves, because they weren't fertile? Was Legolas supposed to bed a she elf in order to keep his race going. And why would it matter now, while they were on this quest?
Legolas hung his head and mumbled something. "Sorry, I didn't quite get that." Gandalf cocked his head and mentioned Legolas to repeat what he just had said.
"I really didn't think about it. I was so happy to be with him again, to make up with him and to have him love me again. I forgot about the risk."
"Well, that is obvious." Gandalf stood and laid his hand on Legolas' shoulder for a moment, "We shouldn't tell the others and you should make up your mind what you will do now. I will come by again a little later on." He left the room quietly and closed the door behind him.
Gimli stood in the middle of the room not really knowing what to do. Approaching the elf didn't seem to be the right option, leaving neither. So he stood and waited, what for he didn't know.
Legolas had his eyes closed and tried to calm down. He still couldn't accept that this had happened. Once it had been his greatest wish and he had endured most uncomfortable and painful procedures to achieve this ability, that know caused him so much distress. Without really noticing it his hands moved down to his lower abdomen stroking his belly softly. If he would lay down flat on his back, would he already be able to feel anything?
He was very slim, there would be a distinct possibility of noticing it.
A quite sigh called him back to the here and now. Gimli looked at him in wonder and disbelieve. "Can you tell me what this is all about?" The dwarf put down his axe and moved over to the bed. He sat down letting his legs dangle over the edge.
Legolas' eyes were full of despair but also joy and love. "I am pregnant." He smiled tentatively.
Gimli choked on his laughter "Oh yes, sure! You elves think you call tell a dwarf anything. Right. Come on. Admit it, you have eaten something that has upset your stomach and now you are too proud to tell. Elves never get sick and so on. You don't fool me, you know. Maybe you have forgotten, but I saw you naked. You looked quite the male type to me."
"Believe me Gimli, I wish it was true that I just wanted to fool you, but I regret it is true what I just told you. But maybe you can help me with something." With that the elf rose from the chair and started unfastening his tunic. Gimli stared for a moment, but quickly moved off the bed, when his friend also took off his shirt he was wearing underneath. Maybe Legolas wanted the dwarf to tend to some hidden injury, so the dwarf stayed near the bed, but when he saw those slender hands starting to loosen the binding of the leggings, he backed off raising his hands in defence. "Ah, wait a minute there, Legolas. I don't think that this a very good idea. I am not the right person for this, besides you already have someone on your side, who obviously loves you very much and I don't think that he would be very pleased by your idea."