The Bittersweet
Reunion
By Zilah
Title: The Bittersweet Reunion
Author Name: zilah
Contact Email: zilah.o.imladris@gmail.com
Beta Name: Tena
Main Characters: Elrond/Celebrían
Rating:NC-17
Genre(s): Angst, romance
Word Count: 3671
Summary: Elrond finally travels to Valinor and meets his wife, after a
long separation.
Original Request:
Pairing = Elrond/Celebrian
Items/Rating Requested = Reunion in Valinor.
Revelation of Arwen's choice.
Revelation that the twins and Celeborn have stayed behind for awhile.
Finding themselves awkwardly together after so many years apart. Some
angst is good.
Rating--author's choice--whatever feels right.
Please DO NOT include = No extreme fetishes of any sort.
No hobbits or wizards.
Elrond
stood on deck of the grey ship that carried him to the white shores.
Mixed emotions swirled in his mind; he was relieved after leaving Middle
Earth behind; but at the same time, he feared what was coming. Elrond
knew that he had fulfilled his destiny, and he should have nothing to
regret. But still… sometimes he felt he had failed not only his wife,
but his beloved daughter too.
He
could have wept with relief when the twins had told him about their
decision to follow him as soon as Legolas was able to leave with them.
The Prince had given an oath to support and help King Elessar until the
day of his death.
“You
would be so proud of our children, meleth nín. How I hope that you
would welcome me, even if Arwen couldn’t follow me,” Elrond
thought.
So
many years he had been alone, feeling as if he had lost the other half
of his very heart. He still remembered the guilt and grief he had felt
when his beloved wife had wept in his arms and told him her decision.
*
* * *
Flashback:
“I’m
so sorry, hervenn nín. How I hoped that I would have been stronger for
you, but I can’t. I must go before all is lost.”
“Don’t
apologize, meleth nín. It isn’t your fault at all. It should be I to
apologize, for being unable to heal you. But there is one thing I beg of
you: don’t ask me to dissolve our marriage! I need to know that you
will be waiting for me when I finally step on the white shores.”
“I
could never do that, Elrond nín. I will be waiting for you as long as
necessary. There never has been another for me but you.”
*
* * *
Sometimes
Elrond had thought their last discussion with remorse. What right had he
had to keep Celebrían from building a new life for her? But he had been
grief-stricken and far too weak to let her go.
And
now… the moment of truth was within sight. Was it possible that Celebrían
still waited for him, after all these years? He couldn’t blame her if
she had decided against it and moved on. But what hope would be left for
him if that was the case? It would be devastating to see his beloved
hervess with another. And there was more that made his heart clench with
fear. How he could ever tell Celebrían that she would never see her
beloved daughter again?
“I
still love you, my beautiful Bri. I just hoped that you still remember
that,” Elrond
thought silently, as a single tear made its way down his cheek.
*
* * *
Celebrían
scanned her bedroom with slight panic. She had been on the brink of a
breakdown since the great bells of the haven had informed her that a
ship from Middle Earth had been seen on the horizon. She anticipated
that Elrond would be on the ship, because the news about Sauron’s
defeat had already reached Valinor.
“It
has been so many years, Elrond nín. How I have longed to see your
beloved face; how I have longed to rest in your arms again… and still
I find myself fearing our meeting. Do you still want me after all these
years? I couldn’t blame you if you have found someone else to be
beside you,” Celebrían
thought, as a single tear made its way down her cheek.
She
glanced at the bed once more, unsure if she was a fool when picturing
Elrond with her on it…
*
* * *
The
grey ship sailed on the haven, but Celebrían didn’t dare go closer.
She waited behind the cheering elves, hoping and fearing at the same
time.
“Bri!
Come here, iell nín!” Echoed the bright voice, and Celebrían raised
her head. At the very next moment, she was in her mother’s arms and
Galadriel wept and laughed at the same time.
“Oh,
Bri nín! How I have missed you!” Galadriel whispered, and Celebrían
smiled happily, leaning into her naneth’s embrace.
“I
missed you too, naneth. I…” she began, but Galadriel only smiled,
understanding her daughter’s silent question. Celebrían found herself
staring at the pier and her hervenn hesitantly stepping closer. For a
moment she could only stare at her beloved Elrond, before closing the
space between them. Elrond seemed tired, and he had more lines on his
face, but to Celebrían he was still the most beautiful creature in all
of Arda. She had loved Elrond from the very first moment she had seen
him, and that had never changed.
“Welcome
home, hervenn nín. You have been sorely missed,” she breathed, as
Elrond pulled her closer. Celebrían’s fingers explored those beloved
features and her eyesight clouded with newly shed tears. She trembled
with emotions, when she finally felt his strong body against her own.
But all too soon, the feeling was gone as Elrond gently withdrew.
“You
are a feast to my senses, meleth nín. It’s so good to see you in good
health,” Elrond said softly, as he held his wife in his arms for the
first time in centuries.
“You
didn’t bring the twins or Arwen with you… where are they? Are they
coming later?” Celebrían asked anxiously, searching for their
children. When she looked on Elrond’s face once more, she saw pain and
sorrow in his eyes.
“I…
I need to tell you something… the twins are coming later, as soon as
they can…” Elrond couldn’t continue. Now that he needed to say the
words, he found he had none.
“Then
we’ll wait for them together, but what about Arwen? Why have you not
told me anything about her?” With a growing sureness, Celebrían knew
that something horrible had happened. And Elrond’s next words took the
rest of her hope away.
“She…
isn’t coming. Arwen is married to the King of Men. Aragorn is a noble
and honourable man…”
“..
But he is mortal!” Celebrían finished Elrond’s story, and tears
began to flow from her eyes. She hardly noticed as Elrond pulled her in
his arms, cradling her. Celebrían wept her pain against his chest for a
long time, until there were no tears left anymore.
“I’m
so sorry, meleth! I tried, but…”
“Don’t.
Don’t blame yourself, Elrond. I know how dear she is to you, and I
could never blame you either. She will be sorely missed but all I want
is to know that she is happy.” Celebrían
really couldn’t blame either of them; for she herself had made the
same decision. She had known full well that by marrying a half elf she
might face the possibility their children would choose a mortal life.
Elrond had explained this to her before he had proposed her. But she
didn’t regret her own decision for a moment; how she could ever blame
Arwen for her own? She stirred from her thoughts when Elrond gently
reminded her that the evening was darkening.
“Would
you come with me, Elrond? I have prepared a home for… you if…”
Celebrían asked anxiously, not knowing if Elrond really wanted to come
with her. Celebrían’s fears disappeared when she saw a familiar,
gentle smile on Elrond’s face. Trembling, she leaned into Elrond’s
embrace and allowed herself to enjoy his closeness once more.
“I’m
so glad to hear that. You have no idea how much I have missed you.”
*
* * *
Elrond
watched her silently as they finally made their way to Celebrían’s
home. He could see that Celebrían was nervous, and he realized how much
had happened during their time apart. Their reunion would be a more
complicated matter than he had anticipated. But still, Elrond was happy
that Celebrían obviously had waited for him. Or… could it be possible
that she only wanted to soften the final blow?
“Oh,
how I hope that she really still wants me! She is even more beautiful
than I remembered,”
Elrond thought to himself, as they made their way to the little cottage.
“This
is very different from the Last Homely House, but I hope you like it.
And if this doesn’t please you, it is always possible to move into
something bigger and more suitable,” Celebrían whispered, suddenly
ashamed of the cottage. She had been happy here but what if Elrond
wanted something different? Maybe he wanted a bigger and finer home
where he could invite his friends?
“You
can be at peace, meleth. I think that privacy would be nice for a change
and this little cottage is beautiful,” Elrond said with a smile.
“Are
you sure? But… how… where…” Celebrían stuttered, completely
losing her composure. She tried to escape but Elrond didn’t let her
go.
“Don’t
go meleth, saes. Have you
any idea how much I have longed to see your beautiful face? It does not
matter what kind of a house we live in. It will be a home as long as you
will be there with me. I
just hoped… saes, don’t go,” Elrond pleaded, and Celebrían found
herself melting into his familiar embrace.
“Elrond…
meleth nin! I have missed you so much,” Celebrían admitted, finally
daring to enjoy of Elrond’s closeness.
She forgot all else; all that mattered was Elrond, his loving
whispers in her ears, his warmth chasing away years of loneliness and
longing.
They
kissed with a fervour that resembled their years of separation,
forgetting everything else but each other. Only the lack of air finally
forced them to break the kiss, but Elrond still didn’t dare to loosen
his grip on his wife. It still felt like a dream; to hold Celebrían in
his arms after so much longing.
Elrond’s
obvious reluctance to separate made Celebrían happier than she believed
possible. For a long time they just held each other close, too happy to
even speak.
“I
thought… I was so afraid for you to find someone else when I was gone.
I’m so sorry for my weakness, meleth,” Celebrían finally said, but
regretted her words as soon as she had said them. Elrond pulled away and
stared at her, shock and disbelief mixed in his eyes.
“What
do you mean? Weak? How could you ever think of yourself in that way,
meleth nín? It was I who was weak. I couldn’t heal you; I was far too
weak to even set you free. Is this the case now, Celebrían? Do you want
me to dissolve our marriage? Would you rather continue your way alone;
or maybe with someone else?” Elrond asked, trying not to sound
accusing. Hadn’t he anticipated this all along?
“Elrond!
I didn’t mean it that way! I could never be with someone else. I just
thought; you needed me, but I couldn’t be there for you. You needed
support, but I was unable to give it. What kind of wife was I?” Celebrían
said, bursting into tears.
“Don’t.
It is useless to linger in those days that are long gone. It wasn’t
your support or your duties I missed, Celebrían. It was you yourself;
your warmth and love that had brightened my days since I met you for the
first time and fell in love with you,” Elrond whispered and a wave of
relief washed over him. Slowly, he took Celebrían in his arms again,
cradling her gently.
“Is
this true? Do you still want me?” Celebrían asked with a quivering
voice. She couldn’t relax until she knew for sure.
“I
have had no other, nor will I ever. You are the only one I have ever
loved, Bri nín; and I still love. This is true, if you just wanted it
to be,” Elrond assured.
“I
want that more than you know. I still love you with all my heart.”
*
* * *
Step
by step, Elrond and Celebrían started to adjust to the new situation.
This wasn’t same as in the Last Homely House. They had had a
big and bustling household to take care of, but now there were just two
of them. Elrond looked at his wife over the dinner table and decided he
liked the feeling very much. For the first time in ages, he felt peace.
“I
can see that Valinor is starting to affect you. You seem to be more at
ease,” Celebrían smiled at her hervenn.
“I
am more at ease, but it is not Valinor that affects me so, meleth nín.
Have you really forgotten that it is your company that had always given
peace to me? Though, I must admit that I am very glad to have you all by
myself for a change. I don’t have to share you with anyone,” Elrond
said softly. He was surprised when he saw his wife blushing at his
words. For thousands of years they had been so close; they had had three
children together and still Celebrían blushed by mere words. Suddenly,
Elrond felt a wave of desire coursing through his body. Still, he
resisted its call. Elrond was sure that Celebrían needed more time to
adjust, before they could share that kind of closeness again.
Celebrían
was confused. For a moment she had seen the familiar gaze in Elrond’s
eyes; those grey orbs had shone with desire. But then Elrond had
withdrawn for some reason she could not understand. What had happened?
She had grown nervous again when it was time to settle for the night’s
rest. With a rapidly growing panic and embarrassment she thought about
the bed she had made for them; it would reveal her ludicrous
imaginations in a second. Why she had to be so stupid to make a romantic
nest, when Elrond obviously was so reluctant to even touch her?
Elrond
stood in the middle of the room not knowing what to do. He could see
that Celebrían was nervous and he anticipated the reason of it. The
cottage was so small that there couldn’t be more than one bedroom.
Should he suggest that he could sleep at the couch, if Celebrían really
was so averse of them to sleep together? He didn’t want to pressure
his wife in any way, even if he longed to hold Celebrían close. Before
Elrond could form any words he looked into Celebrían’s eyes and
started. In a second he closed the distance between them and pulled her
in his arms.
“Don’t
cry, saes! You’ll break my heart if you do. I can sleep on the couch
if sleeping with me frightens you so much,” Elrond whispered. To his
dismay, Elrond found his words to upset Celebrían even more. It took
quite a long time, but finally Celebrían collapsed against him,
exhausted from her struggles. Gently, he lifted her up and started to
carry her to the bedroom.
Celebrían
didn’t have any strength left, and so she had to let Elrond have his
way. She buried her face into his chest for she didn’t want to see
Elrond’s face when he realized the truth. The door opened and she
stiffened in Elrond’s arms.
Elrond
stopped at the door and looked at the bedroom, completely taken aback.
First, he couldn’t believe what his eyes told him. Could it really be
possible that Celebrían still wanted him this much? The knowledge made
his soul sing.
*
* * *
Celebrían
couldn’t say anything when Elrond lowered her in the bed. She felt his
kiss on her cheek before he turned away. For a moment she feared that
Elrond would leave her, but he only lit the candles that were on the
table and came back. She gasped when she saw his face; it seemed as if
Elrond had shed the weight of years from his shoulders and now smiled at
her lovingly.
“Could
it be? Could it be that you still want me?” Elrond asked with a shaky
voice. He still asked for assurance; he had to be sure about this.
“I
still want you, Elrond nín. But I thought… I wasn’t sure…”
Celebrían breathed, but her words smothered into a breathtaking kiss.
When the kiss ended, Elrond rose but only to undress. Celebrían stared,
mesmerized at Elrond’s magnificent body that was slowly revealed to
her gaze. Her hervenn still was the most amazing creature Ilúvatar had
created. Her heart started to race when she saw that Elrond did want
her; he already was fully ready to claim her at any moment!
“Don’t
ever doubt my desire for you, meleth nín. This is how you affect me;
that has never changed, nor will it ever,” Elrond said and smiled, but
his eyes were wet with unshed tears.
Celebrían
trembled, when she saw emotions that she could read in Elrond’s gaze.
Those beloved eyes were darkened with desire, but there was so much more
in them: love, devotion and longing that matched her own. She extended
her hand as a silent invitation and Elrond acted immediately. He came
and lowered himself on the bed beside her.
“I
hardly dare to touch you, meleth. This feels like our first time
together,” Celebrían whispered hoarsely and blushed deeply. Still,
she didn’t resist when Elrond pulled her closer. His warmth tempted
her and a wave of desire made her writhe.
“We
don’t need to rush, Bri nín. We have all time of Arda. May I undress
you? I have longed to see you beauty once more,” Elrond said, gently
kissing her.
Celebrían
was visibly nervous, but she nodded without hesitation. Little by
little, Elrond opened her dress until she finally rested on the bed
naked and so very beautiful. Slowly, he pulled her closer until they
rested in an intimate embrace, without any barriers between them.
“This
is what I missed the most. I have always felt so safe when you hold me
like this,” Celebrían breathed, starting to relax. Elrond felt so
firm and strong against her, but she had never feared Elrond’s power.
Maybe because he had always held her ever so gently, as if she had been
a fragile flower or a piece of porcelain. Carefully, almost shyly, she
caressed Elrond’s shoulders and back, and heard his pleased sigh.
“I
have missed your touch on me, Bri nín. You have always made me feel
loved and wanted,” Elrond admitted.
Celebrían
could feel restrained pain behind his words, and she knew what Elrond
meant. She still remembered how many of her friends had mocked her
choice; laughed at Elrond because he wasn’t a full blood elf. But to
Celebrían, he had always been the most magnificent creature on Arda.
And she had wanted Elrond from the very first time they had met.
“I
do want you, Elrond nín; I have always wanted. And I still love you as
much as the day we met for the first time. Saes, make love to me now; I
have waited you for far too long,” Celebrían whispered and kissed
Elrond with all love she had for him.
All hesitation disappeared and Elrond answered with a fervour
that almost frightened her. But above all else she felt joy and
gratitude that she had her beloved Elrond back. She yielded willingly,
as Elrond pinned her against the bed, still kissing her as if he was
starving.
Heat
shot through Elrond with a quivering force and their bodies entangled
together until he didn’t know where he ended and Celebrían began.
“Oh,
Bri nín! You are so beautiful… so soft…” he groaned, pressing his
lips on the heated skin of his beloved. Celebrían’s moans echoed in
Elrond’s ears as he bowed his head and spread kisses on her neck and
breasts. He could have wept with joy when Celebrían’s hands started
to move on his body, caressing him ever so gently. Slowly, he continued
even lower, until he smoothed Celebrían’s soft thighs, silently
coaxing her to open up for him.
“Saes,
Elrond! I need you so much,” Celebrían pleaded breathlessly,
trembling from head to toe. Longing burned inside her, and she knew that
only Elrond could satisfy it. Without hesitation, she spread her legs,
begging Elrond to take her.
Elrond
lifted his head and met Celebrían’s gaze. He trembled when he saw his
own need mirrored in those blue eyes he loved so much. He kept their
gazes locked as he carefully settled atop his wife, for he wanted to be
sure that she really wanted this as much as him. To his great joy,
Celebrían only clung to him, as he finally thrust into her velvety
heat. He stopped as Celebrían writhed beneath him and tears burst from
her eyes.
“Are
you all right, meleth? Do you want me to stop?” Elrond asked, fearing
that he had hurt Celebrían.
“Oh,
no! Don’t you dare to stop! You feel… wonderful…” Celebrían
managed, wrapping her legs around Elrond’s waist. She waited
anxiously, as Elrond finally believed her and relaxed. His first
movement made her gasp, the next one made him cry out with rapture.
Elrond
was beyond all control and coherent thoughts. Celebrían’s pleasure
was music to his ears and he burned, almost melted inside of her
welcoming warmth. Tears streamed from his eyes as their souls reached
each other and finally joined together. Their bond, torn asunder so long
ago, pulsed and glowed between them as they finally reached their peaks,
one after the other.
Using
his last strength, Elrond rolled on his back, pulling his exhausted wife
with him. He held her tightly against his chest, taking pleasure in the
aftermath of their completion. He caressed her gently, whispering words
of love in her ears. When Celebrían finally raised her head and their
gazes met, Elrond shook to his very core. Her blue orbs shone with
happiness and love, and all fears and doubts had disappeared from them.
“I
love you, Elrond nín. I’m
so happy that you are with me once more,” Celebrían whispered,
caressing Elrond’s face.
“I’m
with you till the end of Arda. Nothing can separate us anymore,”
Elrond smiled, and pulled his meleth in a passionate kiss.
FIN.
*
* * *
Meleth:
love
Meleth
nín: my love
Hervenn:
husband
Hervess:
wife
Iell
nín: my daughter
Bri
nín: my Bri
