Part 16
Sweet
Cake And Hot Milk.
Erestor tiptoed into his rooms,
trying to move soundlessly as Glorfindel was resting on the bed. Had talking to
Elrond taken him this long? As he reached the bed, he sat down, watching
Glorfindel sleep. A golden glow seemed to burn from deep within, giving the
Glorfindel moved at
hearing Erestor’s voice and he smiled lazily, looking into affectionate eyes.
“You are back. What took you so long?” Pushing himself into an upright
position, he yawned sleepily.
“I am worried about
Elrond,” admitted Erestor, reaching for the tray with food items and hot tea
water, which a servant had brought whilst he had been gone. Using the herbs
Elrond had given him, he prepared the tea.
“Worried?” questioned
Glorfindel. Seeing Erestor reach for the fruits was enough to make his stomach
contract painfully. “I do not think I can eat anything.”
“Elrond thinks these herbs
will help to calm your stomach.” Erestor finished preparing the tea and handed
it to Glorfindel. “Try it. Maybe it will work.”
Glorfindel sipped slowly
as the tea was still rather hot. “You mentioned being worried about Elrond;
why?”
“He looked tired.” Erestor
shrugged. “’Tis a feeling. I have known him for millennia and something feels
off.”
Glorfindel sighed
distressed. “When I asked him why he had taken me into his bed, he said he was
lonely. Maybe he misses appropriate company? He always seems so sad. I tried to
distract him…” Glorfindel blushed, seeing Erestor’s knowing expression, “but in
the end, even that was not enough. His heart yearns for true love.” Glorfindel
raised a hand and tenderly caressed Erestor’s skin, trailing his fingers down
the Elf’s jaw line. “I want him to have what I have.”
“We cannot force this,”
said Erestor thoughtfully. “Love happens in its own time. We will keep an eye
on him though.”
Glorfindel’s features
contorted, finally finishing his tea. “It tastes awfully bitter.”
“That would be a small
price to pay if it takes away your morning sickness.” Erestor took hold of the
now empty cup and ran his fingers through the tangled blond locks. “Would you
like me to braid your hair for you?”
Glorfindel nodded, a
blissful expression appearing on his face. “Aye, I would like that.”
Erestor got to his feet
and retrieved comb and brush. Sitting down behind Glorfindel, he wondered how
close the blond wanted him. He received his answer when the
Glorfindel purred and
looked over his shoulder at the raven-haired Elf. “I love you as well, nîn
bellas.” He then bowed his head slightly, giving Erestor access to the tangled
mess of golden hair.
Gently, Erestor removed
the tangles from Glorfindel’s still damp hair and then began to braid it. “Is
your stomach already settling down?” This was the first time that the blond
wasn’t making his way into the bathroom because he felt nauseous.
Glorfindel frowned,
suddenly realizing that his stomach had calmed. “Elrond’s potion is working,”
he said relieved. “I hope it will keep its effect throughout the day.” Whilst
Erestor’s fingers continued to move through his hair --braiding it -- he
reached for the tray and selected a piece of fruit, slowing peeling and then
eating the orange. He waited, curious if his stomach would act up again.
Nothing happened and that encouraged him to reach for an apple, already sliced
into small parts.
Erestor felt pleased,
seeing Glorfindel eat the fruits. Elrond’s potion was working all right.
Finishing the plaits, he then swept aside any remaining locks and placed a
chaste kiss at the nape of the blond’s neck. The fact that Glorfindel accepted
his caress, and didn’t flinch at his touch, filled him with happiness. He had
been scared that the
Glorfindel nodded happily.
This time, he pulled a chunk from the loaf of freshly baked bread and nibbled
on it. The cheese proved tempting as well and he managed a few bites of it.
“Remind me to drink a cup of that tea each morning.”
“I will.” Erestor
involuntarily held his breath when Glorfindel leaned his back against his chest
after the
“More than comfortable,”
sighed Glorfindel blissfully. “Being close to you always makes me feel better.”
“It is the bond,”
whispered Erestor in an unguarded moment. His eyes widened in fright, realizing
what had just slipped from his lips.
“Bond?”
Hearing the wonder in
Glorfindel’s voice, Erestor knew he had to act quickly. “Aye, I do believe
there is a bond forming between us.”
Glorfindel carefully
considered the words. He felt like he was missing a very important piece to
this puzzle. “You are right; there is a bond -- a connection -- between us. I
realized that when I went to Elrond for comfort instead of you. I only feel comfortable
when you are close. Aye, I think you are correct; we are bonding.”
Erestor involuntarily
released a relieved sigh. He felt extremely fortunate that Glorfindel wasn’t
questioning him further. “I like the idea of a bond between us. How do you feel
about that?” His heart thumped nervously, hoping Glorfindel liked the idea as
well.
Glorfindel nodded once and
then looked over his shoulder at Erestor. “I like being bonded to you. I really
do.”
Erestor forced himself to
accept that answer and not question it. Part of him still wondered if
Glorfindel wouldn’t prefer to be with Elrond, but he refused to dwell on that
subject any longer. “This is happening awfully fast, is it not?”
Glorfindel nodded again.
“But I do not mind, I am glad you are here for me.” Smiling, he turned in
Erestor’s embrace until they faced each other. He raised a hand and gently
caressed the raven-haired Elf’s face. Slowly, he leaned in closer and pressed
his lips against Erestor’s, who tenderly returned the kiss.
Erestor’s heart fluttered
with delight now that Glorfindel was kissing him. He hadn’t dared to hope that
the blond would ever take the initiative like this. Maybe Mandos had kept his
word and had taken away the worst of Glorfindel’s memories; he hoped so. The
He eagerly gave in when
Glorfindel placed his hands on his shoulders, slowly pushing him down until he
was flat on his back. His body tingled when Glorfindel placed his body atop of
him, enfolding him in a tight hug whilst continuing to kiss him. This felt nice
-- no, better than nice -- this felt divine. After all these centuries of
loneliness he was finally holding his beloved in his arms.
Glorfindel slowly pulled
away and gave Erestor an adoring smile. “I feel a lot better now. That must be
due to your kisses.”
Erestor couldn’t help
himself; he giggled.
Chuckling as well,
Glorfindel pressed another kiss onto Erestor’s lips. “I want to go outside and
walk in the gardens. I do not want to stay inside.”
“Of course we can go
outside.” Erestor would do anything to please his lover. “But that means you
will need to change into more formal clothes. We cannot go outside wearing our
sleeping robes.”
Glorfindel nodded eagerly.
“Let us change then. I want to walk in the sun!”
Erestor placed a kiss on
the blond’s brow. “Aye, let us get you into the sun!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tired, Elrohir opened the
door to his rooms. He never expected Elladan to literally jump him and pull him
toward the bed. Studying his twin carefully, Elrohir wondered about the
excitement in his brother’s eyes. “Elladan, I am tired.”
“You must listen to me,
Elrohir!” Elladan gently pushed Elrohir onto the bed. Enthusiastically he began
pacing the room, wildly gesturing whilst he spoke. “Elrohir, you won’t believe
this, but it actually happened!”
Elrohir resigned himself
to Elladan’s enthusiasm. “What won’t I believe?” He wished he could lie down
and sleep instead of listening, but it was obvious that Elladan needed to tell
him now. His twin seemed ready to burst with excitement.
“
“In love?” Elrohir raised
an eyebrow inquisitively. “Who is he in love with then? Anyone I know?” His
curiosity had been piqued. He couldn’t possibly think of anyone his father
would want to be with in that way.
“An injured Elf from
‘Lórien arrived a few days ago and
“Haldir?” That name
sounded familiar to Elrohir. “Does he have any brothers?”
Elrohir nodded once.
“Rúmil and—“
“Orophin,” finished
Elrohir for Elladan. “I met Orophin once when I was visiting Nana in ‘Lórien.
If Haldir takes after his brother,
Now it was Elladan’s time
to raise an eyebrow. “Interesting moments?”
“Orophin is a flirt,” said
Elrohir, smiling brightly. “He showed me around and we often took
“A flirt?” Elladan’s
enthusiasm faded away. “A flirt is not good enough for
“Aiya, I might have
phrased that the wrong way,” said Elrohir thoughtfully, “Orophin may flirt, but
that does not mean he just beds anyone he likes.”
“Oh,” whispered Elladan.
“I am no longer sure if I should…”
“Should what?” Elrohir could
tell his brother was up to something. He knew that expression only too well. It
usually meant that they would end up in trouble. “Tell me.”
“I was thinking about
telling Haldir that
“You are right,” said
Elrohir, sighing, “But I am not sure you should meddle in this, Elladan.”
“If I don’t, nothing will
happen.
“And what if Haldir is not
interested in
“So you will help me?”
Elladan turned on the puppy dog look, eyeing his twin pleadingly. “Please, I
know that you want
Elrohir shook his head,
sighing deeply. “I am not so sure about this.”
“Maybe you will change
your opinion after a good night’s sleep.” Elladan began to fuss over his
brother. He knew how to wind Elrohir around his little finger. “Let me help you
undress and then I will fetch you some food from the kitchen. You must be
hungry and tired.”
Elrohir let Elladan help
him remove his clothes. Lying down, he pulled the sheet up to his shoulders. “I
would like something to eat… and some wine.” Maybe Elladan was right and he
would think differently about this matter after a good night’s sleep.
Elladan energetically
walked over to the doorway. “Try to stay awake until I get back, brother!”
”I will try,” said Elrohir, smiling. After Elladan had left the room, he
mumbled, “But you had better hurry, because I am awfully tired.” He hoped he
could stay awake until Elladan returned with his food.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elrond lost himself in Haldir’s
handsome features. The hazel eyes, once more vacant with healing sleep, seemed
to pull him closer, making it hard for him to leave the room. He should have
returned to his study an hour ago, but the pleasure that he found in just
looking at the silver-haired Elf made him stay. It had been ages since someone
had captivated him like this.
/Celebrían was the last
one to capture my heart./ He had loved his wife dearly and had cried bitter
tears at her departure. If only he had been able to heal her completely, but
the emotional wounds had been too deep and had begun to mentally poison her.
Sailing to Valinor was the only way to ensure her sanity and happiness.
And now he found that his heart
was fluttering madly. Butterflies tickled his insides and an adoring smile
surfaced on his face. There was a unique beauty to Haldir and he hoped that the
silver-haired Elf’s character was as stunning as his appearance. /But why am I
pondering these things? Haldir is quickly recovering and he will return to the
Golden Wood shortly./
Curious, Elrond leaned in
closer to stroke back a strand of wayward hair that had settled in Haldir’s
face. Brushing it away, he tucked it behind a pointed ear. Suddenly, Haldir
stirred at his touch and the eyes quickly filled with awareness.
Elrond involuntarily held
his breath, feeling caught. Shaking himself mentally, he forced himself to
smile. “You have slept for several hours.”
Haldir blinked once,
focusing on the half-Elf, who quickly moved away from him. He could tell Elrond
felt somewhat uncomfortable, being caught in a gesture that could be considered
intimate. Shifting cautiously on the bed, Haldir found that the agony in his
leg had vanished. There was some mild discomfort, but not enough to seriously
bother him.
“How do you fair, Haldir?
Are you still in any pain?” Elrond leaned back into the comfort of the chair,
increasing the distance between them. He carefully hid the attraction he felt
toward the silver-haired Elf.
“The pain is gone. Thank
you for looking after my injury. The healers in Lothlórien had given up.”
Hearing that surprised
Elrond. “How long have you been ill? When did that poisoned arrow hit you?”
“About one turn of the
moon ago,” said Haldir, pushing himself into an upright position. A sigh left
his lips and hearing it made Elrond lean in closer in obvious concern. “I am
well,” said Haldir, reassuring the half-Elf. “I just want to find out how much
I can move about. How much longer before I can leave this bed?”
Elrond smiled fondly at
hearing Haldir’s impatient tone. “Haldir, you still need to rest. Orc poison is
strong and it takes time for your body to deal with it.”
“I feel well enough to
leave my bed,” said Haldir stubbornly.
“Nay, you will rest for at
least one more day. Do not leave your bed yet.” Elrond forced himself to rise
from the chair. He would have loved to spend more time with Haldir, but that
would only strengthen this attraction. “I will leave you now so you may rest. A
servant will bring you something to eat later.”
Haldir wondered about the
half-Elf. The sensual attraction was still there and he knew they both felt it.
So why was Elrond fighting this? Weren’t they old and wise enough to simply
acknowledge this attraction? Or was Elrond just waiting for him to make that
first move? Well, that could be arranged.
Clearing his throat, he
looked at Elrond from beneath luscious eyelashes. “I hope you do not consider
me forward, but I was wondering if that invitation to dinner still stands. I
would like to properly thank you for your care.”
“You have already thanked
me sufficiently,” replied Elrond, feeling hopeful now that Haldir had mentioned
the dinner invitation. “Aye, it still stands.”
“Then I accept. Maybe I
can join you for dinner tonight?” Why waste any time? Haldir smiled warmly,
hoping the half-Elf took the hint.
Elrond wondered about
Haldir’s eagerness and allowed himself to grow hopeful that maybe the
silver-haired Elf was interested in him as well. “Aye. But not tonight though.
I do think you should rest.”
“Tomorrow, then?” asked
Haldir, hopeful.
Elrond wondered if it was
wise to encourage this, but then he nodded eagerly. “Tomorrow it is.”
Haldir grinned
victoriously. “I am already looking forward to dinner.”
Elrond grew slightly
flustered at hearing the purring quality to Haldir’s voice. /Is he trying to
seduce me?/ And he had just agreed to have dinner with the silver-haired Elf!
What had he gotten himself into? “I will talk to you tomorrow, then.”
Haldir gracefully inclined
his head. “We will talk.” Amused, he raised an eyebrow, seeing Elrond almost
flee the room. /Ah, lirimaer, prepare to be seduced!/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glorfindel had thoroughly
enjoyed their walk in the rose gardens. The flowers’ rich fragrances had had a
calming effect on him and by the time they returned to Erestor’s rooms,
Glorfindel felt at peace.
Sitting down on the bed,
he looked at Erestor, who had briefly detoured to the kitchen to fetch them
dinner. Time had passed quickly whilst walking in the gardens. His first
reaction was to wave away the food, but his stomach protested, growling loudly.
“I must be hungrier than I thought!”
Erestor placed the tray on
the floor in front of the fireplace and sat cross-legged on the nearby rug.
Glorfindel joined him, realizing he was practically drooling at the sight of
the food. He ate small bites of everything, but found that he was hungry for
something completely different. Although the stew tasted excellent it was not
what he wanted -- what he craved.
Erestor caught
Glorfindel’s slightly disappointed expression. “Is something wrong?”
Glorfindel gave his lover
an apologetic look. “I crave something else.”
“Tell me what it is that
you crave and I will bring it to you.” Erestor smiled warmly. He would do
anything to please his lover.
“Sweet cake… Cake with
raisins, apples and cinnamon.” Saliva gathered in his mouth, just saying the
words. “Maybe with roasted nuts and some sugar.”
Erestor smiled broadly. What
Glorfindel wanted was a treat usually given to Elflings and he was perfectly
capable of acquiring it. “Anything else?”
“Hot milk… with honey!”
Glorfindel enthusiastically nodded his head several times. “Aye, I would like
that. Cake and milk.”
Erestor got to his feet
and headed for the doorway. “I will be back in a few minutes.”
Glorfindel looked at the
bed, as if considering something. “I might lie down for a while.”
Erestor nodded. “Make
yourself comfortable. I will be back with your cake and milk shortly.” After
closing the door behind him, he made his way to the kitchen. /That particular
cake used to be my favorite as well. Even when I was an Elfling it was popular.
I might just try some myself./
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Erestor returned to
his rooms, he found that Glorfindel had uncovered his chess game. He hadn’t
played for ages and had forgotten he even possessed one. Glorfindel, looking at
him, shot him a startled glance.
“I did not want to
infringe on your privacy, but I saw it on top of your closet and I wondered if
you would like to play against me?” Glorfindel smiled seductively. He had made
himself comfortable in Erestor’s bed, propping a pile of pillows behind his
back. But thoughts about the game were quickly forgotten when cinnamon and
other spices invaded his nostrils. “You managed to get your hands on that
cake!”
Fondly, Erestor smiled at
the blond. After placing the tray on the bed, he sat down and moved into place
beside Glorfindel. “I even brought you hot milk.” Seeing Glorfindel’s eyes
widen with pleasure, warmth descended onto him. “You can have as much as you
want. There is more in the kitchen.”
Glorfindel actually licked
his lips. Reaching for the cake, he tore off a small piece and greedily put it
into his mouth. “Mmmmmm…” It was delicious! After giving Erestor a thankful
look, he proceeded to eat more of the sweet cake. Only belatedly did he offer
Erestor some. “I am so sorry…” Breaking off a small piece, he lifted his hand
and signaled for the raven-haired Elf to open his mouth.
Erestor obeyed, and
involuntarily his tongue caressed one of Glorfindel’s fingertips when the blond
pushed the cake inside. Bestowing another lick onto the digit, he was surprised
to see his lover blush.
Feeling strangely shy,
Glorfindel giggled. “I do not know what is wrong with me,” he confessed,
finishing the cake and then reaching for his mug filled with hot milk and
honey.
Erestor studied his
partner, having a fairly good idea what had upset the blond’s internal balance.
It had to be the pregnancy.
Glorfindel gulped down the
milk now that it had slightly cooled and then pleadingly looked at Erestor from
beneath long eyelashes.
“Go ahead,” said Erestor
amused, as he handed the
“Thank you!” Glorfindel
sipped slowly this time, studying Erestor in turn. “You think it is…the… baby.”
He had to force himself to call it that. He still thought of it as an
abomination. Part of him still couldn’t understand that Erestor willingly
accepted the product of Saruman’s spell in their lives.
Erestor saw the puzzled
look in Glorfindel’s eyes. “I love your son because I love you.”
“I cannot be that simple.”
“It *is* that simple,”
said Erestor warmly. Now that Glorfindel had eaten the cake and drunk the milk,
he placed the tray on the floor. “So you want to play chess… It has been ages
since I last played. I doubt I will be much of a worthy opponent.”
“It has been decades since
I played,” said Glorfindel, returning Erestor’s smile. “We will be evenly
matched then.”
“I hope so.” After Erestor
had brushed a wayward lock of blond hair behind Glorfindel’s ear, they smiled
and concentrated on the game.
T.B.C.
Beta read by Lizzle, thanks!