“So this is why you fell asleep in council today.” Glorfindel stepped over a pile of toys near the door, entering the suite uninvited, yet knowing he would be welcome. “I was going to bring this to your rooms,” he said of the tray he held, “but I ran into your secretary and she told me what you have been up to.”

“Someone had to—Mel, get back into the tub!” Erestor shut the door with a slam and dodged around Glorfindel. “What are you doing?! You are dripping water all over the floor!”

Melpomaen, age 26, was standing buck naked, dripping wet, and holding a toy boat to his chest. He pointed toward his brother’s room. “Lindir tagged me and I need to tag him it!”

“Lindir!” Erestor’s tired voice was pleading, and he shook his head at the red-headed elfling, who was only older than his brother by a few years. “You cannot tag him when he is taking a bath- you know he will chase after you.”

“I know,” replied the elfling, trying not to smirk.

“You are going to clean up this mess while I get your brother back into the tub,” declared Erestor as he led Melpomaen back into the bathing chamber.

Glorfindel set the tray down on the counter and retrieved a pair of dish towels from the kitchen. “The job will go faster if we both work on it.”

“Thank you, Uncle Glorfindel.” Lindir mopped up the water with Glorfindel, laughing silently about the event that caused the damp floor.

The reaction was not missed by the ellon, and he motioned Lindir into the sitting room after the floor was dry again. “Lindir, you know, if I were you, I would want my little brother to look up to me. I would want to be a good example for him to follow.”

Lindir hung his head and sighed.

Tilting Lindir’s chin back up, Glorfindel continued. “Can I count on you try to be a good example for him? And to help Erestor out? He is doing the work of three right now.”

“Just two. Just Nana and Ada.”

“And his own tasks.”

“Oh.” Lindir nodded. “I forgot about that.”

“All clean!” announced Melpomaen, giggling as Erestor carried him out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy towel. “That’s my tickle spots!” he shrieked as the soles of his feet were patted dry.

Erestor winked to Glorfindel and scrambled the tips of his fingers on the bottom of one of Melpomaen’s feet, and then the other.

“That tickles!” the elfling announced again, still laughing and squirming. “Stop that!”

“Oh, well if you insist.” Erestor sat down on the couch with Melpomaen, still bundled in his towel, sitting on the ellon’s knees. “Lindir, would you fetch a comb for me?”

Lindir nodded and ran to the bathroom, then ran back. There was a small puddle he and Glorfindel had missed, and he lost his balance. Had Glorfindel not been close enough to grab the youngster’s arm, he surely would have hurt himself. “Go ahead and get that to Erestor, I will clean up the rest of this.”

Glorfindel checked the floor thoroughly to be sure there was no more water. By the time he had finished, both elflings were in their nightclothes and being taken into their bedroom. They both gave their ‘Uncle Glorfindel’ a hug goodnight before ‘Uncle Erestor’ tucked them in.

Long after Arwen had grown, Elrond and Celebrian contemplated having another child when their own children did not produce the grandchildren they had hoped for. The risk, however, was something they were unsure of. A few years later, a young couple from Imladris camping far from the safety of the valley with their young son and newborn child were spotted by a party of rogue orcs. The pair battled not only for their own lives, but for those of their elflings as well. In the end, they slaughtered the orcs, but at a great cost.

When Lindir finally made it to the nearest outpost, his infant brother in his arms, his eyes were red and his feet were sore, cut, and bruised. Melpomaen, as far as anyone could tell, had slept through the entire incident – a small consolation for such a tragic affair. It was Lindir who suffered the worst of it.

Immediately, offers to raise the young orphans poured in, but Lord Elrond and his wife decided to foster the children instead. Once again, the royal quarters were filled with the laughter of youth. In time, the children called the Lord and Lady by Ada and Nana, and Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen came to love the pair as siblings.

Things were again changing. Neither quite knew the full extent, but their world was crumbling apart. Their Nana had gone to visit her Nana, but something went wrong, and now their Ada was watching over her in the healing rooms. Uncle Erestor had come to take care of them in the afternoon and at night, and their Nanny did nothing all day but smile sadly at them whenever they asked when their parents would be home.


Erestor closed his eyes and sighed tiredly as he closed the door almost all the way. In the hall, he bumped into Glorfindel with a start. “Oh! I forgot you were still here,” he apologized in a whisper.

The pair went to the small private kitchen, where Erestor put on a kettle of water. “May I offer you some tea?”

“Thank you, I would appreciate that. I fear by now the dinner I brought is cold.”

“It is the thought that counts,” said Erestor with a smile. “I have been sick to my stomach thinking of what happened I cannot eat anyhow.” His bottom lip trembled slightly, and he attempted to smile again, as if he wanted to trick his friend into thinking things were alright, but Glorfindel knew better as Erestor’s eyes glistened.

Erestor was drawn against Glorfindel, where he sobbed quietly, not wanting to wake the children. When the kettle began to whistle, Glorfindel reached over to remove it from the fire while still keeping a comforting arm around Erestor. “Have you had any sleep since—“ Glorfindel felt Erestor shake his head against his chest.

“Just the few minutes I keep falling asleep at my desk or in council.” The reply was muffled against Glorfindel’s vest.

Glorfindel let out a sigh. “If you needed some assistance watching the children so that you could take a nap, all you had to do was ask.”

“I know, I know,” answered Erestor apologetically. “But you, you have been so busy as well. Doubling patrols, recruiting new soldiers—you hardly have a free minute of time left yourself.”

“I would have made the time for you. And the children,” added Glorfindel hastily.

“I know, I know... I know, I know, I know.” Erestor shook his head and stepped away. He blew his nose and washed his hands before beginning work on preparing the tea. “I just... I did not want to... to... do you want lemon in your tea?”

Erestor’s tactics were known well to Glorfindel, and it was obvious the flavor of his tea was not the counselor’s true concern. “Erestor, what did you not want to do?”

“Just... nevermind.”

Taking hold of Erestor’s shoulders, Glorfindel gently turned him back around. “You know that will not work on me, m’dear.”

Erestor opened his mouth to speak but only made a sound of frustration. He pulled away again and went back to making the tea, but he did answer the question. “I have been having some irrational thoughts over the last few days. I... I know we said we liked the sort of relationship we happen to have, but then... seeing how fast something you love can be taken away from you—“

“What did you say?” questioned Glorfindel abruptly. It was no secret that Erestor and Glorfindel were the best of friends, and that here and there, now and then, they would end up in bed together after one too many glasses of wine in the Hall of Fire. They had always agreed, however, to remain friends and not to ruin their friendship with something more than the mutual enjoyment they shared.

Slowly, Erestor looked over his shoulder. “I never meant to. To fall in love with you, that is. It... just happened.” Erestor looked back to the counter, staring at the steaming cups of tea. “I was afraid, had I come to see you during those first few days I might have... well, messed things up as I have just now,” he finished sadly.

“You... did not mess anything up.”

As Erestor turned around to argue that he indeed had, he was pulled into Glorfindel’s arms. The warrior bent his head, his mouth descending upon the one which was open in shock. Moments later, they were in each other’s sweet embrace, sharing one long, breathless kiss. “I never meant to fall in love with you either,” admitted Glorfindel, “but I will not continue to be a fool and hide it from you.”

“Uncle Erestor?”

The pair jumped away from one another upon hearing the tiny voice. Melpomaen, dragging his stuffed turtle behind him, was wearing a perplexed look upon his face. “I hafta go potty again.”

“Off you go, then,” said Erestor, hurrying over to help Melpomaen with the task.

Once the youngster was finished, he told his guardian with a yawn, “You and Uncle Glorfindel can go back to kissing again now.”

“You were kissing Uncle Glorfindel? Eeee-eeeew!” announced Lindir from his bed.

“Shhhh, quiet, both of you. Bedtime. Sleep now,” scolded Erestor. He was grateful that the room was dim so that they could not see the blush that colored his cheeks and neck.

Erestor crept out of the room after singing them a lullaby, and turned around only to be scared by the presence of Glorfindel immediately outside of the door once again. “Twice now. Stop that!” hissed Erestor.

Glorfindel chuckled quietly. “Sorry. I heard your sweet voice and I could not help but come and listen.” Glorfindel drew his fingers through Erestor’s dark hair before cupping his cheek. “You sing beautifully.”

“Glorfindel, I...” Erestor was invited closer, and rested his head upon the warrior’s chest as he wrapped his arms around Glorfindel’s waist, his fingers tangling in the ends of the long blond hair that was his friend’s – nay, lover’s, namesake. “I would hate to ruin what we have. I do not want things to be strange between us.”

“Nay, our love for one another cannot ruin us. It can only make what we have so much better than what it already is.”

In the nursery, Melpomaen giggled behind his hand. “Lin’ir, I think they are kissing again!”

“Eeee-eeeew,” groaned Lindir, burying his head beneath a pillow.