When Glorfindel next opened his eyes, the room was dim and the laughter was soft. A conversation was taking place, but the voices were kept low on account of him, no doubt. There was a hot, sticky sort of feeling in his mouth and he pushed at the blanket tucking him in. He was damp, having sweated during his nap, but felt better now than he had previously.

“Looks like he is awake,” whispered Erestor’s familiar voice. “Aranel, would you kindly warm the tea for him?” A few moments later, Glorfindel was shadowed from the glow of the fireplace as Erestor stood over him. “Did you sleep well?” Erestor knelt beside the couch and took from his pocket his handkerchief, which he dabbed across Glorfindel’s brow.

Glorfindel only nodded, not wanting his voice to drown out the lingering, soothing sound of Erestor’s words. When Erestor sat back on his heels, Glorfindel removed the blanket the rest of the way, still dressed in the finery of the wedding. He noticed that Erestor had removed most of what he had been wearing, but still had on the expensive embroidered pants on that were part of his uniform. “Are you really leaving the guard?” Glorfindel finally asked, for the details of the day were hazy in returning to him.

“Not leaving, exactly. I see it as a temporary resignation. Now that Fingolfin is dead, the second generation of Morgoth’s wrath is gone, and he actively moves to exterminating the third. That includes Fingon, and our king as well.” The worried look on Erestor’s face told Glorfindel the rest; that the fourth and currently final generation now faced peril as well, and though Glorfindel could tell untruths to other elves, Morgoth was not so easily fooled. “But let us not speak of that now, and forgive me for bringing it up.” Erestor stood and tucked the handkerchief away before extending his hand toward Glorfindel. “Maybe we can find some different clothes for you while the tea is heating up.”

Glorfindel followed Erestor into the bedroom on the side of the joined apartment that Glorfindel and Tauniel would share. Quite a lot of things had been put away already, though not where Glorfindel would have placed them. He preferred a closet to a bureau, but opened the door to the closet to find a row of dresses hanging there. “What does she need so many pairs of shoes for?” he muttered as he kicked a slipper that had tumbled out back in before closing the door. He turned to see Erestor opening a dresser drawer and frowning. “Something wrong?”

“I thought perhaps you would have some sleeping pants in here somewhere, but I cannot find any. Maybe they were not unpacked.”

Joining Erestor by the bureau, Glorfindel peered down into the drawer. “That will be amazing if you find a pair, for I do not own any. I have a couple of long nightshirts, but I feel a little silly putting one of those on and going back out there.” He selected a pair of loose grey leggings. “These will do for now.”

When they emerged back into the main sitting room, they found Aranel and Tauniel snuggled close to one another on the couch opposite the one Glorfindel had slept on. Tauniel had one leg twined around both of Aranel’s, and they were whispering to one another as they caressed each other gently. Aranel nudged Tauniel as the ellyn entered, and they straightened back up into more proper ladylike positions again.

“Do not stop on my account,” said Erestor, grinning. He seated himself on the other sofa after rolling the blankets down to the end of it.

Glorfindel sat down next to him and smiled at the ladies. “Those robes look very nice on you. Both of you, the colors are nice.”

“Gifts from my ‘husband’,” said Aranel, putting her arms around Tauniel and leaning against her lover. Aranel wore an aquamarine silk robe with delicate embroidery around the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem. The one Tauniel had was identical, though in a vibrant magenta.

“That reminds me; I have something for you as well.” Erestor patted Glorfindel’s knee twice before standing and disappearing into the other bedroom.

Flushing slightly, Glorfindel called out, “I.. I did not know we were giving gifts.. I.. I have none to give you.. any of you,” he added a little quieter to the pair sitting across from him.

“We did not know he was doing this, either. We have so many wonderful gifts from everyone else.” Tauniel kissed the top of Aranel’s head and drew her closer. “Of course, this is the best gift in the whole world,” she said, tucking Aranel close to her.

Erestor returned with a wrapped rectangular object. “I hope you do not already have one,” he said with a wink as he handed it to Glorfindel. It was in plain, rough paper, but was tied with a yellow ribbon and adorned with a golden hued rose.

As he slipped the rose out of the loop of ribbon, Glorfindel mumbled about Erestor going through too much trouble for him, but part of him was savoring the moment. In his mind, he pretended they were alone in the room, and that the gift was not to celebrate their false marriages, but was instead a token of affection. Glorfindel inhaled the scent of the bloom and a smile spread slowly across his face.

“Well, go on then, open it!” insisted Tauniel. “We have been made to look and wonder all evening!”

The ribbon was untied carefully and slipped off, followed by the paper. Revealed to him was a book, and Glorfindel smirked, for what else would Erestor give as a gift? The title baffled him, and Glorfindel looked at Erestor in alarm. “This... you did not really...?”

“Steal it from the library? Nay, I did not. There are few items I would liberate from the stacks, although, I did consider it. No, this is your copy.”

“Where did you get it? I was under the impression it was rare and I would not be able to acquire my own copy of it.” Glorfindel opened the cover carefully, finding an inscription within. He paused to read it, and tears came to his eyes which were swiftly wiped away lest they ruin the text.

“What is it?” asked Aranel with worry.

“Nothing, just a little message,” said Glorfindel, though to him, it was everything. He reread the message again, which began with ‘To my dearest friend and companion’ and ended with ‘Love and light, Erestor’.

“I copied it for you,” Erestor explained as Glorfindel flipped to the text, and it was obvious to Glorfindel that Erestor had, for his precise penmanship was plainly displayed on each and every page. “Now you will have no worries of evil librarians chasing you out of their domain at night.”

“Other than thank you, Erestor, I do not know what to say. This is such a gift to give me, and I have nothing for you.”

“Your smile and the light in your eyes is gift enough for me. I know it will give you great joy for many years, and that makes me glad enough to have done it.”

“What is it?” asked Aranel again.

“Only the most interesting book in the city. ‘A Guide to Equations for Alchemists and Mathematicians’, and now I will not have to sit in that dark library reading it.” Glorfindel continued to examine the book while Aranel brought him a cup of tea. “I have been working on an idea for something, but it was so difficult to write down what I needed, get home, and realize I needed to reference something else.”

Glorfindel’s excitement ebbed away the residual pain he was feeling with help from the tea, and soon he was engrossed in his book. When he finally looked up from it to rub his eyes and retrieve his reading glasses, he blinked in shock. “Whhh... oh, umm...”

Erestor, who was still sitting beside him but now had his arms resting across the back of the couch on either side, turned to regard him with a smirk. “Well, they seem awful happy together.”

Unable to look away, Glorfindel watched as Tauniel and Aranel kissed one another, hands disappearing between folds of fabric and soft moans coming from each of them. Aranel pulled back with a bashful smile and began to untie Tauniel’s robe. Tauniel tugged impatiently on the sash of Aranel's robe in return. As the blue-green fabric slipped down her shoulders, Aranel leaned her head back. Tauniel continued to push the material away, exposing Aranel's breasts as she crawled atop her lover and shoved her down onto the couch.

The blond warrior’s head snapped downwards. He stared at the pages before him but was unable to make out the words. “M-maybe they should go into one of the bedrooms,” whispered Glorfindel to Erestor.

Erestor shifted to face Glorfindel a little, still keeping his focus on the pair of ellyth. “This bothers you.”

Glorfindel nodded. “I... umm...” He swallowed hard and his eyes drifted to the empty cushion beside him, back to his book, and then to Erestor’s lap. Glorfindel grew even more uncomfortable when he took note of the bulge of Erestor’s desire. At any other time, it would have been arousing. To know that it was Tauniel and Aranel who were causing such a reaction and not him made Glorfindel ill. “I think I am going to go into the bedroom, where the light is better,” he said quickly, leaving his book and his cup of tea before Erestor could speak further to him. Curiosity caused his eyes to flick toward the pair on the couch, and he became more uncomfortable to see Aranel writhing on the couch, fondling her own breasts, with Tauniel crouched down at the foot of the couch, licking and nuzzling the hidden space between Aranel's thighs.

An hour passed, but even with the door closed and the pillow over his head, Glorfindel still heard the faint moaning and panting coming from the main room. There were a few occasions when the noises would stop and Aranel would ask Erestor if they were bothering him. Whatever his soft replies were, they never put a stop to the lovemaking of the two ladies. The few glimpses Glorfindel had gained stirred his imagination, but none of it delighted him as it seemed to please Erestor.

A brief time passed after they finished, followed by gentle laughter, some giggles and insistence, and finally a knock on the door. “Darling, are you in there?” called out Tauniel.

At first he thought to lie and say nothing, and to pretend not to be awake. He was getting hungry, however, and doubted there was any food in the bedroom. “Of course I am. Did you think I crawled out the window or something?”

“I wondered.” Tauniel opened the door and padded in, closing it gently behind her. “Did we traumatize you?”

“Only a little.” Glorfindel yanked the pillow off of his head and tossed it aside. “I was expecting you to be a little more discrete.”

“I apologize. Both of us do. We never dreamed to be together, and now, to have this... it is amazing, and we could not help it.” As she sat down on the edge of the bed, she touched Glorfindel’s cheek. “We both owe you so much, for your sacrifice in all of this.”

Glorfindel shrugged modestly. “Well, I... I am glad to help, and anyway, it is not all that terrible company that I have now.”

Tauniel smiled, mischief dancing in her eyes. “I know. Speaking of... there is something in the living room for you.” Her voice was very low and secretive now. “You must not say a single word, though, and walk quietly. Come with me.”

They snuck out of the bedroom, Glorfindel stepping as Tauniel did so as not to reveal himself. His mouth gaped open and he nearly crashed into a low table when the main part of the room came into view again. Aranel was standing behind a chair, massaging Erestor's temples and saying very dirty things in his ear. He was blindfolded, naked, and tied to a chair, grinning yet nervous, answering her back with little phrases, calling her a naughty little minx and other such things. “Tauniel, did you find it?” asked Aranel. She raised her voice a little louder, helping to muffle any sound Glorfindel might inadvertently make.

“Mmmhmm... and do not worry, Glorfindel is still engrossed in his book.” Tauniel winked at the blond ellon as she plucked a small bottle out of her pocket. She removed the cork and took a small sip. “Mmm... delicious...”

Aranel was handed the bottle and sipped from it as well before handing it back. “That is good,” she purred. She bowed her head back down to speak into Erestor’s ear. “Want to taste?”

“You are both such wicked teases,” he admonished. Aranel smiled and came around in front of him as he flexed his hands against the bonds. His arms were bound behind the back of the chair, and his feet to the legs of two chairs placed at either side and further away, so that his erection was pointing up toward the ceiling. Putting her hands on his shoulders, Aranel leaned down and kissed him deeply, forcing her tongue into his mouth with little resistance.

As she did this, Tauniel offered the bottle to Glorfindel. He took a small drink after sniffing it, and another when she coaxed him to again. The liqueur had a strong minty flavor to it that made his mouth warm and cool at the same time.

When Aranel stepped away, Erestor groaned at the loss of contact and struggled again, to no avail. “Now... the fun part of this game is you not knowing which of us will be where, doing what, and when. The fun starts... now.”

Erestor was letting out soft little pants that were a delight to Glorfindel’s ears. While Aranel had spoken to Erestor of their devious plan, Tauniel whispered to Glorfindel into his ear. “Do not touch him with your hands, for he will know your touch, and do not kiss him on the mouth, for he will know it is not one of us.” The rest did not need to be said.

Glorfindel looked at Aranel, as if seeking permission from her as well, before stepping closer. Tauniel came with him, and stood behind the chair. As Glorfindel knelt down, looking in awe up at the handsome elf, Tauniel fisted the dark hair and pulled back. She began to kiss Erestor slowly, seductively, making Glorfindel jealous. Then he looked back to what was before him.

A leg jerked but stayed in place as Glorfindel's tongue ran up the opposite leg, teasing the skin between thigh and groin. Erestor whimpered into Tauniel’s mouth, but thrust his pelvis out further. “Feels like you have... ughhh... done this before! Ah!” Erestor gasped for air as the talented tongue continued to torment him. Smooth, satiny lips enveloped him, making him cry out again. An assault of both fire and ice shot through his body.

As for Glorfindel, he was trying very hard to make as little noise as possible. He devoured Erestor hungrily, for his taste was so very different from Gildor’s and so much more appealing. Erestor’s scent was muskier, and more masculine. It was enticing, and as Glorfindel looked up, his eyes half-closed, on his hands and knees as he took Erestor’s length down his throat, he could not help but feel subservient despite it being Erestor who was restrained and he who was left free.

It was a powerful feeling, and such a pleasurable one for his imagination to explore. If only Erestor knew it was Glorfindel causing him to gasp and moan. If only Erestor would be pleased to know it. If only Erestor's hands were free, free to take hold of the blond mane, to hold him where he wanted, to wrestle him to the ground without a fight, to keep him on all fours, to make Glorfindel beg to be taken, to prepare the tight passage that had felt only fingers and tongue and longed to be filled with the whole of Erestor's length, to take him rough and yet at the same time with such fierce passion.

These thoughts were making Glorfindel speed up, and he suddenly felt something warm in the back of his throat. With his eyes closed, Glorfindel swallowed again and again while he expanded and contracted his sphincter, imagining how it would feel if the hardness filling his mouth was piercing him from behind instead. He had never quite managed to keep Gildor in his mouth when this happened, but with Erestor, he continued to milk the rest of his essence until he heard Erestor let out a spent sigh.

It was then that Glorfindel realized he had spilled his seed as well. He let Erestor's limp member slip out of his mouth and hastily retreated. His loose hair accidentally brushed against Erestor’s thigh, making the dark one moan one final time.

Tauniel aided Glorfindel in getting back into the bedroom without being heard while Aranel nipped at Erestor’s neck and teased him just a little more. Glorfindel began to speak once they were in the room, but Tauniel put her finger to his lips, shook her head, and silently closed the door.

Looking down at his damp trousers, Glorfindel cringed. He had only the one pair like these, and it would make Erestor wonder if he came out in some other ones. Quickly, Glorfindel stripped them off and began to wash the scent off at the basin. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered quietly, wadding up the now damp leggings. He shoved them into a pillowcase, and shoved this into the closet behind the many, many, many pairs of shoes.

Yanking open the middle drawer of the dresser, Glorfindel sighed as he looked through the contents. Another drawer was opened, and then the top one, but still there was nothing he could find that might work.

The laughter in the main room became louder and louder, and Glorfindel opened the closet in a panic, hoping that perhaps there was something there.

“Glorfindel? Glorfindel, are you still awake?” Aranel called out a third time.

“Yes, are the three of you done yet?” He tried his best to sound exasperated instead of alarmed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his answer. Back to the closet he went, grabbing the pillowcase. He removed the pants and tossed the pillowcase back inside, then raced back to the nightstand, where the remainder of his tea was resting.

He poured the liquid onto the spot on his pants, set the cup aside and waited.

“Glorfindel!”

“Aiya!” He paused and then shouted. “Now I have gone and spilled my tea upon my trousers! It is a good thing it was those and not my book. I will be out in a moment, as soon as I change!” Glorfindel listened carefully, and when Aranel called out an apology, he made some grunting noises of some sort and breathed a sigh of relief afterwards as he pulled out a new pair of pants and a loose white sleeping shirt that was slit a third of the way down the front.

When Glorfindel rejoined them, Aranel had just finished giving her request to one of the maids she had flagged down in the hallway. Tauniel was lighting a few extra candles and Erestor gave Glorfindel a worried look as he took his place once again on the couch. “Are you alright?”

“Just a little wet,” replied Glorfindel.

“You were not burned?”

“The tea was cold.”

“You drink cold tea?”

Glorfindel opened his mouth, and began to feel the warmth in his cheeks. The look Erestor was giving him was so innocent, and yet, there was something so crafty about Erestor. Cursing himself inwardly for letting his guard down, Glorfindel shook his head and said, “No, I just forgot it was cold. What is wrong with cold tea, anyhow? It still tastes the same.”

“No need to get defensive; I was just asking.” But something in Erestor’s tone made it evident he was not simply just asking.

“I asked them to bring up something light for us. The maid thinks there may still be some wedding cake left,” said Aranel brightly. She and Tauniel snuggled onto the other couch.

Erestor was watching Glorfindel curiously, until finally the blond gave him a small glare in return. “What? What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Erestor picked an imagined piece of lint off of his leggings. “So, how is the book?”

“Very nice, thank you,” answered Glorfindel quickly. Perhaps, a little too quickly.

“Good, I am glad. Which chapter are you on?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“Which chapter, Glorfindel. You know, chapter, a collection of pages with a similar theme, set aside as a section with a title of its own-“

“I know what you meant,” Glorfindel snapped back.

Erestor nodded, looking down at the pattern on the couch. “Good. So, which chapter are you on? Which one intrigued you the most thus far?”

“I... I do not know, it has been a while since I looked at the chapters in that book.”

“You just spent the last two hours reading it, Glorfindel.” Erestor captured Glorfindel’s gaze with his own. “Or were you engaged in some other activity?”

Across the room, Aranel was looking slightly uneasy as she unbraided her hair. Tauniel ignored the banter, or at least pretended to, as she unpinned her long blond locks and unraveled them from the pile on her head. Glorfindel felt perspiration upon his forehead and pushed his hair back, letting out an indignant little snort. “If you really must know, I was reading about the bonding of inorganic materials, focusing on single and double displacements. There are some theories I have about chemical equilibrium when dealing with the combination of mithril with other metals and substances. I could go into great detail about my work, but then, I think you would all find it rather boring, difficult to follow, and even among the greatest minds, impossible to understand.”

Glorfindel resisted the urge to bite his lip after his short speech. He looked away from Erestor, who slowly licked his lips and sighed. “Alright, I am sorry. I did not mean to accuse you of anything, Glorfindel.” Erestor put his hand on the blond’s shoulder. “Sorry. Truce? Still friends?”

“I suppose,” said Glorfindel with a sigh, thankful that he did not hurt Erestor’s feelings with his comments. Although Erestor’s knowledge covered a vast amount of topics, the simplest mathematical subjects were challenging for him, and alchemy tended to be completely out of the question as something Glorfindel could discuss with his friend. “I really do enjoy the book, Erestor. I just tend not to memorize chapter titles. Actually, I skip around a lot. It is a reference volume, you know.”

“I know. I actually had to smuggle it out of the library to copy it. Bloody library dictator refused to allow me to check it out.”

“You said you did not steal it!” blurted out Glorfindel.

“I did not steal it. I borrowed it without permission, and brought it back later.” Erestor stood up as someone knocked on the door and went to answer it. “Ah, good evening, thank you, I can take it from here.” He returned with a large tray laden with a variety of foods, including a large slab of the wedding cake, smothered in strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

The tray was set on the table, and everyone milled around it selecting bits of this and that. Glorfindel poked the knife at the odd dessert and made a face. “What kind of cheese is in it?”

“Creamed cheese, very soft and sweet,” said Tauniel, plucking a berry from the cake and popping it into her mouth.

Glorfindel put a chunk of bread on a plate for himself and added some of the strawberries that had fallen off of the cake. “I think I shall pass.” He went back to the couch and sat down.

“You have to have some. At least try it.” Tauniel cut a small piece and put it onto a plate. This she took to Glorfindel, holding it out to him. “Please?”

As he chewed his bread, he shook his head. “No thank you.”

Erestor came over to Glorfindel as Tauniel walked away. His plate contained a large slice of the cake and a good amount of cream and berries beside. “Cheesecake is not a thing to miss, in June, under the stars, if you care for such things. That said, I am taking my dessert onto the balcony. The invitation is open to all.”

It was only a minute that Erestor spent alone on the balcony. Glorfindel wandered out to join him, bringing the plate of berries. “You know what goes well with berries, right?” asked Erestor.

“It looks very unappealing,” Glorfindel said.

"It is delicious."

"Cake should be firm. That looks squishy."

“Try it. Just a bite.” Erestor broke away a piece of the cheesecake from the rest and scooped it up with his fork. He dabbed it into the cream and offered it out to Glorfindel. “Just taste it.”

Swallowing hard, Glorfindel was unable to resist even the smallest plea that Erestor made. He reached out to gingerly take hold of the fork, but Erestor still kept a hold on the end of it as Glorfindel closed his mouth around the delicacy. The smooth texture was unexpected, and the taste was more divine than Erestor could have described. “Mmm... that is good.” Glorfindel opened his eyes, surprised he had closed them. Blushing, he let go of the fork he still had hold of.

“I told you it was.” Erestor took a bite himself, and then offered another to Glorfindel, this time with berries. Glorfindel ate without taking posession of teh utensil, secretly pleased that he was sitting on the balcony, alone with his secret love, being fed dessert by him. It was something the blond could get used to. They sat and talked quietly about the weather and their new living space until the rest of the cheesecake was gone, and then returned back inside.

“Ah, we were just about to go to bed,” Tauniel informed them as the doors to the balcony were closed.

“A sound idea,” agreed Erestor, walking toward the bedroom on the east side of the quarters.

Tauniel gave Erestor an odd look as the two of them reached the door at the same time. “What are you going to do, sleep between Aranel and I?”

“Uh... well, I just thought... since... my stuff is in there...”

“That is true, your ‘stuff’ is in there. But so is the bed that Aranel and I are going to be sharing.” Tauniel blew each of the ellyn a kiss. “Good night.” She disappeared into the room, and closed the door behind her.