Title: Sleep, Meleth, Sleep.

Author: Morgana
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon

Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Erestor watches over Glorfindel.

Disclaimer: Not mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: AU of course.

Beta read by Patricia and DA, thanks!!

All remaining mistakes are mine.

Sleep, Meleth, Sleep.

Erestor took great care to open the door without making any sound. He had waited for Glorfindel in their rooms, but when the Captain hadn’t made an appearance, he had thought it wise to check on his lover. It was why he currently stood in the doorway of Glorfindel’s office at the barracks. A smile surfaced on his face as he found that his beloved Glorfindel was in no condition to notice his arrival. Slumped forward with his head resting on his arms, the blond warrior was sound asleep. “Glorfindel,” Erestor muttered beneath his breath. How many times had he told the warrior not to work so late?

Tiptoeing, Erestor made his way over to the desk, where he came to a halt in front of Glorfindel, who was still blissfully unaware of his presence. The golden locks tumbled along the desk and floated in mid-air and, although Erestor’s fingertips itched to touch them, he clasped his hands behind his back. “What am I to do with you?” he whispered and shook his head. Glorfindel never knew when to stop working. He slaved over duty rosters for the daily patrols and worked his way through all the reports the guards gave him.

His gaze shifted from his lover to the comfortable couch nearby. That couch had seen lots of action during the five centuries in which Glorfindel and he had been lovers. He considered his options. He might be able to lift his lover and carry him over to the couch.

He made his way over to his lover and gently eased the golden head back before pushing his arms beneath Glorfindel’s back and knees. That Glorfindel didn’t wake showed how exhausted he was for the warrior was trained to wake at the smallest sound. The golden head rolled against his chest and he smiled at his lover. “You really are exhausted!”

He carefully lowered Glorfindel onto the couch. “You need to sleep, my love.” Glorfindel suddenly stirred and one of the warrior’s hands reached for him. Erestor wanted to step aside, but the blond Elf was quicker and the strong fingers grasped the back of his neck and kept him in place. “You are not asleep!” Erestor tried to sound indignant but failed to pull it off. Glorfindel suddenly put his strength to good use and pulled him onto the couch with him. “Glorfindel!” Erestor put up a fight briefly, but resigned himself to the situation. He snuggled into Glorfindel’s arms and rested his head on the warrior’s chest. “You do not play fair, meleth!”

Glorfindel opened his blue eyes, which gleamed with mischief as they focused on his long-time lover. “Neither do you with your carrying me over to the couch when I ought to be working!”

“It is late, Glorfindel. You are allowed to rest. You can finish up your work tomorrow!” Erestor admonished his lover. “I have found you slumped over too many evenings lately!”

The blond Elf raised a hand and slid his fingers through Erestor’s ebony mane. “You know why I am so busy lately. After what happened to the Lady Celebrían, I…” He choked on his words.

Erestor immediately reached out to his lover and buried his hand in the golden hair. “Glorfindel, what happened to the Lady Celebrían was not your fault! It was no one’s fault that she decided against waiting for her escort. You have to let go of that guilt.” Glorfindel stared at him with swimming eyes and he curled closer to his lover. Glorfindel rested his head against Erestor’s shoulder and wept softly.

“Erestor, it is my task to keep all of the inhabitants of Imladris safe and the Lady… I will never forgive myself for what happened!” The Orcs hadn’t just ruined Celebrían’s life. They had ruined Elrond and their family’s as well and Glorfindel battled with his guilt on a daily bases.

“It was not your fault. Please remember what Elrond told you, meleth. No one is to blame save the Orcs.” Elrond had summoned Glorfindel to his study one day not long past and had talked at length with his Captain. At the time, Elrond and Erestor had thought that they had persuaded Glorfindel, but they had been wrong. Glorfindel still felt guilty.

Glorfindel calmed down and curled his fingers around the fabric of Erestor’s green robes. Absentmindedly, he realized that his lover was wearing the gift that he had given his love the last time they had celebrated their marriage. “Thank you for wearing this,” he murmured, hoping to change the subject.

Erestor smiled into Glorfindel’s hair. “I treasure each gift you have ever given me, meleth.” The last five centuries had had their ups and downs, but so far they had managed to resolve all of the problems that had arisen during their relationship. “And thank you for wearing this, meleth.” His fingers brushed over the ring Glorfindel wore on his right hand.

Glorfindel’s expression brightened and he raised his head to look into Erestor’s brown eyes. “I never expected you to propose that we bond that night.” Erestor asking him to spend the rest of his life together had completely taken him aback, but in the next breath, he had said yes before kissing Erestor. That had happened a hundred years ago and they had been happy ever since. He would never forget the look in Erestor’s eyes when he had accepted. The next day, Elrond had overseen their bonding. They had decided against a pomp-filled ceremony and had spoken their vows with only Elrond present as their witness. “I will never forget the day you became mine forever.”

Realizing he had at least momentarily distracted Glorfindel from his guilt, Erestor smiled and kissed his beloved on the lips. “You are tired, meleth and should sleep.” Glorfindel’s eyes had started to become unfocused since the all-consuming guilt had been offered a way out and the weeping had drained the warrior further. “Sleep, Glorfindel. I will watch over you and keep the nightmares away.”

Erestor’s voice possessed a hypnotic quality, making Glorfindel relax further. “Stay close,” he whispered as his gaze went blank. His lips remained slightly parted and released small puffs of breath as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, knowing that Erestor would watch over him.

Erestor rested his dark head on top of the golden and drew in a deep breath. Glorfindel needed time to deal with what had happened to the Lady Celebrían. Didn’t they all? But he was also confident that his lover would eventually understand that it had been fate and Celebrían’s own stubbornness that had caused the incident. In the mean time, he would look over Glorfindel and guard his beloved’s dreams.

The end