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It all began with a look, suggestive and intense, from across the dinner table. Erestor glanced up and smiled, but continued to eat, until he once again met Glorfindel’s eyes and discovered that the pointed azure blue stare had never left him. Erestor returned Glorfindel’s gaze with a questioning look of his own, but Glorfindel only smiled secretively, leaving Erestor to wonder just what had gotten into him.

Next came a touch, a furtive glancing of fingers over Erestor’s back as Glorfindel walked by. Erestor leaned into it, but met only air, leaving him to question whether he had even felt it at all. But when Erestor got up and went to the door, Glorfindel followed, easing himself into Erestor’s back, for a brief moment grinding his hips into Erestor’s backside and snaking a hand around his waist. When Erestor reached down to entwine his fingers with his lover’s, Glorfindel released his hands and with a backward glance, sauntered down the hallway. Erestor puffed out a breath and let his hands fall to his side, cocking his head quizzically as he watched Glorfindel walk away.

Later, before the solstice festivities commenced in the Hall of Fire, Glorfindel appeared at the door of their room, dashingly attired in his Gondolin blues, gold piping edging the cloth at his cuffs and his neck, celandine blazing on his chest. He held out his hand and beckoned to his lover, accompanying it with a deferential bow.

“Erestor, will you deign to walk with me before we attend in the Hall?”

Erestor had just finished tying the laces of his black suede breeches, and was reaching for the crimson sash, when the thought came to him and he almost giggled with the sheer delight of finally catching on to Glorfindel’s game. He lifted his head and gave Glorfindel a blazingly bright smile, and held out the sash.

“I would be delighted, my lord.”

Glorfindel moved toward Erestor and took the sash in his hand. They were close, so close that Erestor could feel the heat radiating from Glorfindel’s body and wanted nothing more at that moment than to crush the big warrior to him, but instead took a deep breath and looked into the bright blue eyes of his lover. Grinning, Glorfindel seductively wrapped the sash around Erestor’s waist and tied it firmly, for a moment resting his hands on Erestor’s waist.

“Shall we?” asked Glorfindel.

Erestor gave a slight bow and held out his hand. Glorfindel took it into his own, entwining their fingers tightly.

As they wandered through the gardens, they could hear the beginnings of the festivities inside, the haunting sound of Lindir’s harp clearly permeating the crisp, cool night. Light frost had tinged the trees with crystal and the stars sparkled in the sapphire sky. Glorfindel stopped and encircled Erestor’s slim waist with his arms, drawing him close, until their misty breaths mingled. As Glorfindel bent to kiss him, Erestor put up a hand, laughing as he stopped the big warrior in his tracks.

“Are we not supposed to dance first?”

“Dance? Come on, Erestor. I was not in my right mind then. A little worse for the wine, as I recall. Surely you do not expect me to dance now.”

Glorfindel’s protest was met by an arching eyebrow and pursed lips. But the gleam in Erestor’s eyes was unmistakable.

“That is the way it was, Glorfindel.”

Erestor lifted his hand and grasped Glorfindel’s and snugged his opposite arm around Glorfindel’s waist.

“If we are going to do this, we are going to do this, my love.”

Erestor began swaying, and Glorfindel, in spite of himself, began swaying with him. Erestor moved into him, nestling his groin between Glorfindel’s legs and pushing just the slightest bit forward. Glorfindel’s muffled moan was the answer that Erestor had sought and the counsellor smiled into Glorfindel’s neck.

“Not so bad now, is it?” whispered Erestor, daring a nibble at Glorfindel’s ear.

“Now, who is getting ahead of himself?” growled Glorfindel, pulling away. “You may not use that wicked tongue until I have…”

“Until you have?” questioned Erestor, all innocence.

“Done this,” answered Glorfindel, cradling Erestor’s head between his hands and lowering his mouth to meet his lover’s.

The kiss took Erestor’s breath away, just as their first one had so many years ago. He parted his lips and let Glorfindel’s tongue enter, his body quivering as the big warrior leaned into him.

“Ah, yes,” moaned Erestor, letting his whole body go slack. “And now you will take me to our room and finish it,” he added, hopefully.

“Not yet, and well you know it, Erestor,” Glorfindel’s teasing laugh made Erestor’s eyes close with frustration. “We have several hours until midnight and I will draw this out as long as I can. You have certainly not forgotten how long you made me wait. As you have said, this is the way it was. Hah! I love when you are hoist upon your own words! Now. Let us go inside and show ourselves, at least for a little while.”

Glorfindel slid his hand around Erestor’s waist, for a moment inching lower and giving the counselor’s backside a little squeeze before ushering him through the entrance to the Hall of Fire.

They made their appearance and watched as Elrohir brazenly seduced Elladan and Gildor followed Lindir’s call. Elves slipped out in pairs on a regular basis and all the while Erestor’s anticipation and arousal grew. He narrowed his eyes and stared pointedly at Glorfindel, but to no avail, as each glance was met only with a mouthed, “Not yet.”

Until the moment came when Glorfindel sidled up to Erestor, and graced his neck with a brushed kiss.

“Now,” he said, grabbing Erestor’s arm.

“About time,” the counsellor answered.

“Your timetable Erestor, not mine. If it had been up to me, we would have been in bed yesterday,” Glorfindel answered, as he led them through the hallway.

Upon entering their room, Glorfindel took Erestor into his arms from behind, held him close for a moment and reached down to the crimson sash, slowing unwinding it from around Erestor’s waist.

“And now, I get to unwrap my present,” said Glorfindel, whisper close to Erestor’s ear.

Erestor squirmed, his backside nestling into Glorfindel’s groin as Glorfindel finished with the sash and went to the tie at his neck. Just the glance of Glorfindel’s fingers at his nape make him shiver and he turned to unclothe Glorfindel, but his lover was having none of it.

“Uh-huh, Erestor. My turn. As you well recall, it was I who first seduced you. Now stand still.”

“If you think so,” said Erestor, rolling his eyes and smiling at the thought. As if he had nothing at all to do with enticing Glorfindel into their first encounter.

“And besides, we have to take this s l o w l y. First, I uncover your flesh, yes? And then there is the touching. A lot of touching.”

“Get on with it then,” answered the counsellor. He held his arms above his head, the better to facilitate the removal of his shirt as Glorfindel, devilishly slow, skimmed it off of his chest. The glance of the cloth caused Erestor’s nipples to peak, and Glorfindel took advantage, sliding his fingers around the darkened aureole until they reached the center. With a quick tweak of the pebbled nubs, he slid his hands down to the lacings on Erestor’s breeches.

Glorfindel soon had Erestor fully unclothed and began at the top, relearning every curve and crevice. He slid his hands through lush dark hair and cradled Erestor’s head between his hands.

“Oh Valar, Erestor, so beautiful. So hard fought for and so well won. I love you.”

Glorfindel licked his lips before taking Erestor’s mouth, sliding his tongue over the seam. His hands skimmed downward, over Erestor’s shoulders and lower, feeling every muscle in Erestor’s arms, stopping as he encircled Erestor’s wrists with his fingers. Squeezing. Finally taking Erestor’s fingers through his own, closing his eyes in a bid to slow himself down.

“Will you lay down, now?”

“Aye,” answered Erestor, brushing a kiss over Glorfindel’s lips. “And I will watch as you reveal yourself to me. Just as it was.”

Erestor lay on his side, cheek on his hand, sultrily spreading his long, lean body over the bed. His right arm caressed his thigh and roamed over his loins, periodically taking a detour from the base to the tip of his swollen cock.

“Well, go on,” said Erestor, a lewd depth to his voice.

Shaking himself out of the trance that Erestor’s displayed body had lured him into, Glorfindel’s fingers moved to the closures of his jerkin. Though he wanted to take his time, he found his hands almost moved of their own accord and quickly he disrobed. He left a trail of clothing on the floor behind and slid into the bed next to Erestor, allowing their bodies to touch in full.

“And now, my mouth,” whispered Glorfindel, kissing Erestor’s forehead, then cheeks, licking at the seam of Erestor’s lips. Glorfindel traced a trail with his tongue down Erestor’s neck and to his nipples, taking each in their turn, wetting and sucking.

Erestor moaned and arched into him, grasping handfuls of golden hair, allowing slack as Glorfindel moved inexorably, slowly down his body, until at last reaching Erestor’s painfully engorged shaft. Just a breath over it and Erestor gasped, choking out a muffled “please,” as he fought for breath.

Glorfindel rimmed the tip with his tongue, dipping into the slit before taking Erestor fully into his mouth. Down to the root and gently rolling his balls between his fingers.

“Glorfindel, I am going to…I am…”

“Oh no, not yet,” answered Glorfindel, pulling up, squeezing a tight ring around the base of Erestor’s cock. “Not until the stroke of midnight and I am buried deep will I let you come.”

“Midnight? Oh Valar, Glorfindel. Then stop, please. For a moment. I cannot…”

“And next come my fingers,” said Glorfindel tapping at the sensitive midpoint between Erestor’s balls and his opening.

Erestor groaned. “You are torturing me.”

“Why yes, I am,” answered Glorfindel, smirking, “just as you tortured me, for years and years. Making me wait. Did you not think I would get back at you some day?”

Glorfindel reached for the oil and opened the vial with his teeth, spitting the cork to the floor. He painted a line with it, beginning at Erestor’s navel and drizzled it down over Erestor’s cock, letting it drip down farther, over Erestor’s sac and into the crevice between his legs.

Erestor gasped at the first drop, startled, even though he had expected it and he drew his legs up to his chest, urging the oil to flow over his entrance.

“I love when your belly heaves and quivers like this,” said Glorfindel. He gave Erestor a long, languid stroke up his shaft, oil oozing through his fingers and spreading before sliding his fingers lower and circling Erestor’s aperture.

Erestor closed his eyes in anticipation and held his breath. Glorfindel smiled, waiting. Waiting until Erestor finally relaxed and inhaled. Only then did he enter the slick passage with his fingers, two of them, sliding past the tight ring and searching the walls until, yes, there.

Erestor gasped and rocked upward, “Oh please.”

Glorfindel slid over the spot again, until Erestor moved in counterpoint, sucking his fingers deeper and deeper still.

“Oh please, Glorfindel, Oh Valar.”

“Not yet,” answered Glorfindel, nonchalantly moving his fingers in and out, “we still have, oh, fifteen minutes or so.”

“I am going to kill you,” answered Erestor, clenching hard. “I am going,” gasp, “to,” buck, “kill you.” Pushing himself forward, wrapping his legs around Glorfindel’s head.

Glorfindel huffed out a laugh as he disentangled himself from Erestor’s legs and again reached for the oil. He coated his own shaft, hissing at the touch, and inched forward, taking Erestor’s thighs in his hands and resting them upon his own.

Glorfindel entered Erestor slowly, just barely breeching him before stopping. He groaned and clenched his teeth, before exhaling raggedly as he felt the tightness take him.

Taking his lower lip between his teeth, he bit, and sucked in a great breath.

“Will you be able to last for these final minutes?”

Erestor smirked.

“Will you?’

Gritting his teeth, Glorfindel answered, “Oh yes,” and thrust forward, hard.

Erestor rose up to meet him, his laughing riposte caught in a moan.

“Oh yes. Five minutes, Erestor.”

Glorfindel leaned forward and took Erestor’s hands in his own, entwining their fingers and holding them down on either side of Erestor’s head. His hips moved and Erestor bit at Glorfindel’s neck, needing, wanting to reciprocate.

“Three minutes,” counted Glorfindel, panting, heaving hard against Erestor’s thighs.

“Touch me. Please, touch me,” gasped Erestor.

Glorfindel reached down and took Erestor between his fingers, sliding once, slowly up his shaft. Then downward, quickly.

“Two,” he gasped, thrusting and stroking.

Glorfindel, holding his breath, a glance at the clock, then a quick exhale.

“Now, Erestor. Oh yes, come with me now.”

Shuddering, seizing, a pulse of white heat spilled between them and the clench drew Glorfindel with Erestor, a final deep thrust and the explosion within.

Glorfindel fell against him, and Erestor wrapped his arms around his beloved, leading Glorfindel’s lips to his mouth, kissing, kissing, holding him as tightly as breath would allow.

They embraced, heat and sweat pouring between them, until Glorfindel extricated himself and lay next to Erestor, spent. Erestor turned toward him, limning a finger over Glorfindel’s chest.

“I do not know what put it in your head,” whispered Erestor, placing his palm in the center of Glorfindel’s chest, “or your heart, to do that. But thank you, beloved. And if you ever do it again, I will kill you.”

“Hah,” Glorfindel answered, a smug smile on his face, “If I had reenacted our courtship over real time, you would have been waiting for years. You are lucky that I am benevolent.”

“Hm. Luck has nothing to do with it. I chose you.”

“And I you. Happy Solstice, Erestor.”

“And also to you, Glorfindel.”

Erestor rose from the bed and went to the bathing chamber, returning with a warm cloth to cleanse them. As he returned, he peaked out of the curtains into the night sky and turned back to Glorfindel.

“Well, will you look at that.”

“What?

“It is snowing. Elrond must have rested the ring for a time. It is really quite beautiful.”

“Do you wish to go out?”

“Not really,” answered Erestor, sitting next to Glorfindel on the bed, trailing the cloth over his lover’s body. “But it is a rare thing, and I think that Elladan may be disappointed if he cannot pelt you with snowballs.”

“Ah,” sighed Glorfindel, taking Erestor’s fingers through his own, “duty calls. And will you be ducking Elrohir’s missiles?”

“I think we can give as good as we get,” answered Erestor, with an arched eyebrow and mischievous gleam in his eye. “Let us go show the young ones just how it is done.”

Afterward, after the running and jumping and the dodging of snowballs, with rosy cheeks and light hearts they returned to their room. Erestor nestled into the warmth of Glorfindel’s arms and, sighing with contentment, they closed their eyes and slept.