A/N: Welcome to my new LOTR fic. I am still delighted at the attention that my first attempt at this fandom received ("Home Truths" ... shameless self-promotion, I know). Then I had an invasion of aimless plot bunnies. So I looked for a suitable prompt series to tame them, and I found something online (see disclaimer).

There will be ten independent one-shots in this series featuring elves and humans from A like Aragorn to T like Thranduil. Some will be a little sad, some funny, and most of them fluffy, with a good dose of hurt/comfort, because that's just my thing. I've already written more than half of them, so I hope I will be able to post regularly once a week. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

General warnings: I rate all my fics T on principle, even though most of them are probably just K+. There will be no romance of any sort, just friendship, bromance in some cases, and family love. It might be wise to keep a tissue box handy, and some treats for the plot bunnies, because they've done so well.

Disclaimer: The prompts for this series are from an online article by Brianne McDonald entitled "10 simple ways to show your significant other you care". I liked the idea and thought it works just as well for friends and family. So the copyright for the prompts lies with Ms McDonald, and her article was posted on .

The characters in this work of fiction were created by J.R.R. Tolkien and put on the screen by Peter Jackson and Co. I'm just playing with them, and the only profit I make is my pleasure in writing and your reviews.

Let me show you that I care

1. Pay attention.

"I swear to you, if you die, I will find a way to come after you just so I can tell you how much I hate you for dying!" The effect of the harsh words was somewhat mitigated by two facts: one, that the addressee was unconscious, and two, that the speaker's voice was strangled with tears.

"Elrond said you might be able to hear me, despite everything," the elf continued, squeezing the cold hand a little, as if to command the attention of the still and pale form in the bed. "But what does it matter? Even if you can hear me, you are probably tuning out my voice ... like you always do." A little sniff. "Do you know how much I hate it when you do that? You might think I don't notice, but I do."

With gentle fingers the elf sitting on the edge of the bed massaged the limp arm. Elrond had said it would be beneficial to stimulate circulation. "Most of the time I don't really mind. Even I am sometimes bored with the endless reports and meetings. But when I try to tell you something that is important to me – like when I ask you to be careful out there and not take any unnecessary risks – and you just dismiss it by ignoring me, it really hurts." The elf rested the motionless arm in his lap, bracing it with his own forearm. A lone tear fell on the smooth, cold skin of the muscular hand that was so still, it just felt wrong.

"Right now, though, I'd prefer if you were awake to roll your eyes at me and ignore me." He lifted the hand to his chest and pressed it against his heart. "So please don't die. And just for once, listen to me and wake up."

*LOTR*LOTR*LOTR*

Erestor felt a little unsettled. All through the council meeting, Glorfindel's eyes had not once left his face. And it was not even an exception anymore. This had been going on for two weeks now. The Balrog Slayer's attention never seemed to waver when it came to the Chief Councillor, regardless of how boring the subject matter. It was almost worrying.

"Is there anything the matter, Glorfindel?" he finally asked when the meeting was over and they were the last ones in the room. He studied his best friend's face closely, anxiously looking for any signs that the Golden Warrior might be suffering from some adverse aftereffect of his life-threatening injuries and subsequent week-long unconsciousness. "Are you quite well?"

Glorfindel smiled, shaking his head a little. "I am well, Erestor. But I thank you for your concern."

Suddenly Erestor understood. He sank back down into his chair, blanching more rapidly than any elf should. "You heard me!" he whispered.

His best friend crouched down in front of him, looking up at him earnestly. "I did. And I am so sorry that you felt dismissed. That was never my intention. I realise I have never shown it, and this is something I regret deeply, but I value and cherish your concern for me. It may be selfish, but it makes me feel like I matter to you, and that is a wonderful feeling, my friend." Glorfindel's voice had dropped to a whisper, but Erestor heard him clearly enough.

The Chief Councillor reached out and put his hands on the Golden Warrior's shoulders. "You matter to a lot of people, Glorfindel," he replied softly.

The next thing he knew, Erestor found himself being hugged by the Gondolin elf, and warm breath brushed against his ear with words he would hold dear forever: "But they are not my best friend."

A/N2: Saturday housecleaning tip: The best way to remove dust from the review button is to press it and leave a quick note. Cheers!