"Just one more, Erestor," called out one of the revellers, trying to push the dark elf back onto the stage with one hand.

"Oh, no, that was my worst performance yet!" he announced to the laughter of the crowd. "Three pints of ale, and my voice is gone. Let Lindir sing for you; no doubt he shall hit more of the notes than I."

As a shift occurred and the young musician came forth to the front of the stage, couples cleared the area for dancing and Erestor meandered his way to one of the many tables where alcohol was in plentiful supply. Somewhat uncoincidentally, it seemed, Glorfindel happened across his path. "Wonderful choice of songs, Erestor."

"Lady Celebrian decided upon them," he answered, picking up a clean mug from the table and getting in line behind the others wanting another glass of beer. There was a lesser crowd here than a few feet away, where the flow of wine was the obvious choice of many at Elrond's wedding.

"Still, love, you sang beautifully," complimented Glorfindel.

Erestor froze, his posture becoming stiff. He offered no reply until after filling his mug, then nodded his head toward the gardens, away from the celebration. "May I speak with you for a moment, Captain?"

His smile fell, but Glorfindel gave a nod. Once the pair was well away from the singing and merriment, Erestor gave Glorfindel a long sideways look and then said, "I wanted to talk to you about all of the sweetheart, love, darling stuff."

"Oh?" Glorfindel shoved his hands into his pockets, finding a far-distant spot on the horizon to look upon.

"Do you think you might stop doing it? I mean, when you talk to me."

"Well.. I.. call everyone that," Glorfindel said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, no you don't, not really," argued Erestor gently. "I have yet to hear you say 'Darling Elrond' or 'Thranduil-Love' or-"

"Because they are lords and kings, and lords and kinds really do not appreciate the gesture," interupted Glorfindel. "There is always an exception to the rule."

Erestor paused, stopping at the base of the main bridge. "Then why can I not be an exception to the rule as well?" he asked after drinking from his mug.

"I.. I guess I thought you were my friend." Glorfindel took a few steps out onto the bridge, leaning over the rail to look into the water.

Rolling his eyes, Erestor stomped over the wooden planks to where Glorfindel was standing. "Fin, stop acting like a child. Others are talking, alright, behind our backs, and I just.. would like for it to stop."

"What are they saying?" Glorfindel's voice was not curious, instead, it was somewhat angered. That his honor, or worse, Erestor's, was in jeopardy caused his eyes to narrow and his jaw to be firmly set.

"We spend so much time together, Glorfindel, you spend more time with me than with anyone else. They talk. About us. They hear you use all of these.. endearing terms, and they say things," explained Erestor.

"Well, obviously, they are wrong," snorted Glorfindel, who secretly wished they were right. "I suppose you want me to stop so that no one thinks you are.. well, you know, 'unclean', like I am," he stated, using the derogatory word that some Eldar used to refer to those who showed preference in the same gender.

"What? Fin, you are being silly now," scolded Erestor. "I have told you often, there is nothing wrong with you. Glorfindel, it has more to do with me. Old as I may be, I like to think that I still have a chance at finding a wife. Stupid as it may seem, I still think that maybe, someday, I might be a father. It is rather difficult to court ladies when they say 'Oh, I thought you were with Lord Glorfindel, teehee'." The falsetto Erestor used to mimic the ellith made Glorfindel chuckle, and Erestor sighed. "I have been trying to think of a better way to say all of this to you, but I guess I can just blame it on the liquor." He raised his mug and drank from it again.

"I have no desire to make you unhappy," conceded Glorfindel. "From now on, I shall do my best to refrain from such informalities."

~~~

"How are you fairing this morning, dear Lady Celebrian?" Glorfindel handed a yellow rose across the library counter to the lady of the valley.

Giggling and accepting the token, she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Very well and thank you, but Fin, please, stop calling me lady," she implored her cousin.

"I shall try my best," he grinned. Looking past the elleth, he addressed the ellon working at the large, cluttered desk. "Good morning, Master Erestor."

"Good morning, Fin." Erestor looked up as if about to say something more, but shut his mouth and returned to his work.

"Well, I should get to work, then," said Glorfindel. "Good day to you both. Until tomorrow, Clebri, darling." Glorfindel exited, and Erestor let out a long sigh.

Turning around, Celebrian shook her head. "Master Erestor, I have noticed that ever since I came to live here, that there has been a certain.. higher degree of sadness about you."

Glancing up briefly, Erestor said nothing, and went back to his work.

"Is it me?"

"Good heavens, no!" Erestor rested his quill to the side and folded his hands upon the desk. "It is a joy to have you here in our home and in our valley."

"That sounds awfully rehearsed, and not the answer I would expect after knowing you for so many centuries," she answered slyly. Erestor sighed and looked down at his hands. Approaching his desk, she twirled the flower between her fingers. "This was really meant for you, was it not?"

"Maybe." Erestor shifted uneasily. "Most likely."

Recalling how in the past she had always seen some sort of golden or yellow flower in a vase on Erestor's desk until the day she began working in the library, she placed the rose on the papers Erestor had been looking at. "You know, I hate to be the one to bring it up," she said apologetically, "but, the reason why the ladies you show interest in bring up Glorfindel is not because they honestly believe that the two of you are involved romantically with one another, but because, you are very old and extremely intelligent and awfully intimidating. Plus, you can be a little stand-offish at times," she added, realizing that, as lady of the realm, she could finally say these things to Erestor, and shouldn't someone? "If I were the one in your position, I would favor a friendly companionship with someone who honestly does care about me, opposed to a convenient marriage."

Erestor picked up the rose after Celebrian walked away.

~~~

"Uh, good afternoon, Erestor." Glorfindel stood up, having only glanced up from his paperwork once when he heard a knock on the open doorway, and then again upon seeing the counselor enter. "I.. was I to be expecting you?"

"I came for tea," replied the dark elf, somewhat uncertainly.

"Oh?"

"You invited me," Erestor reminded him.

"Did I?" Glorfindel stood up, clearing away the ledgers to make room for it, and promptly gave up and pulled his chair around to the empty desk that faced his in the middle of the room. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "You mean all those year ago, that day I was in the library?"

"You mean the day you assaulted me behind the desk? Precisely, that was it," answered Erestor, sitting down at the desk. "Whose desk is this?"

"Oh, I used to have an apprentice, remember? Actually, that had been my desk, but I found I preferred to be able to see the door, so I moved to that one," Glorfindel said, pointing to it.

Erestor opened the drawers, peering into each of them, checking the placement of the inkwells. "So, no one uses this desk, then?"

Glorfindel watched Erestor checking the desk over. "I imagine, if you want it, we could have it moved to the library for you. It is much nicer than the desk you have there."

"I was actually thinking.. well, never mind," he said suddenly as one of the kitchen maids entered with a tray of tea and biscuits, setting it down on the desk before leaving.

"What were you thinking?" Glorfindel perched himself on the edge of the desk, picking up a biscuit to munch on while Erestor poured the tea.

"I was just thinking that sometimes, I might like to get out of the library to do some work. It would be nice to have a little office space somewhere. I had that little office when I used to teach, but since then I only have the library and my room, which is highly impractical. Unless you would not want me invading-"

"Oh, please do, darling, I get so terribly lonely here all day, just me and my numbers and my abacus." Glorfindel looked away and slid off of the desk, walking to the window. "I am sorry, I spoke before thinking, Erestor."

"Fin, about that.." Erestor stood up and picked up both teacups on their saucers, carrying them to where Glorfindel was standing. "I was wrong. I am sorry."

"Oh?" Glorfindel took the tea he was offered, but did not drink from it.

"You can.. go back to using all of the pet names you call everyone when you are talking to me," he said sincerely.

"Really?" Glorfindel couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, and you can even bring me flowers again as well- in moderation," added Erestor after seeing the gleam in Glorfindel's eyes.

"And you are going to move in with me?"

"What?" sputtered Erestor, nearly choking on his tea.

"In here, in the office," said Glorfindel, though, they both knew that part of him had really been hoping for more than the office.

"Yes," confirmed Erestor, and with a wicked smirk, he added, "I will even let you tell everyone I am moving in with you, exactly that phrase, just to see their reactions."

Glorfindel laughed and nodded. "Whatever you say, love."