Taking a bath served the dual purpose of cleansing himself of the grime of his tour and giving him a chance to think in private. Once finished, he redressed in clothes meant for lounging and set off in the direction of Erestor’s quarters. As he walked down the hallway, Glorfindel passed by one of the kitchen maids, and knew from they way she walked unburdened that she had likely just brought the meal to Erestor’s room. Upon reaching the door, he knocked carefully and listened for sound from within.
“I left it open,” came the response, and Glorfindel let himself into the room.
Quietly closing the door behind him, Glorfindel noted that there was indeed a tray with food and wine sitting on a table between the two large overstuffed chairs that Erestor owned. Erestor was in one of these, with his back to the door, and had already opened and partaken of the wine. “Good evening, Erestor.”
“Right,” he answered with a sigh while Glorfindel neared the chairs.
The blond paused and placed his hands on the back of Erestor’s chair, looking to the bed. “Different sheets,” he remarked, seeing that the dark green and blue blankets had been exchanged for softer looking cream and raspberry hued ones.
“I had to burn the others. I could not get the smell out. Anyway,” he shrugged, “I hate the colors.”
“Of the new ones or the old ones?” wondered Glorfindel.
Erestor set the goblet down on the table. “Why are you here?”
“To have dinner with you; I thought that much was obvious,” answered Glorfindel, moving to take a seat in the other chair. He poured himself a glass of wine before setting the bottle aside and picking up a slice of buttered bread. “Are you not hungry?”
No verbal answer came from Erestor, who glared at the bed and sipped his wine. As Glorfindel moved on to spooning a bowl of stew for himself, Erestor’s curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced very briefly to his companion.
The look was not lost on Glorfindel. “Did you want some?” he asked, but already he was preparing a bowl for the darker elf. “Here,” he said, putting a spoon into it before passing it across the table. Slowly, Erestor did take the bowl from him.
Deciding not to force conversation, Glorfindel allowed them to eat in silence. He was nearly finished with his dessert when an impatient knock sounded at the door. Placing his plate of chocolate cake onto the table, he looked to Erestor, but the dark elf had been startled to hear the knock himself. Standing up, Glorfindel pointed a finger at Erestor- a signal that he should stay put. Disgruntled but cooperative, Erestor stayed where he was as Glorfindel moved to the door, where another knock came.
Just as he was about to reach for the handle, whoever was on the other side took hold of it. Glorfindel stepped back as the door was opened inward. “Erestor, thank the Valar- I was hoping your door would be un- locked- who are you?”
Glorfindel narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “I live here,” Glorfindel said sternly. “More importantly, who are you?”
“Oh... oh, well, do you know which rooms Erestor is residing in these days?” asked the silvery haired blond, peeking around Glorfindel’s shoulder to see that Erestor was sitting in the room, peering around the chair. “Ah! I am at the right door!” The lean soldier tried to take a step inside, but Glorfindel stopped him with the palm of his hand on the intruder’s chest. “Oh, come now, surely we can share him,” said the guard with a wink.
“Rumil, you should leave.” Erestor’s voice was quiet, but firm.
“What?” Rumil chuckled. “No, come now, Erestor. Last time you told me to come back whenever I wanted. And now, I want to come back,” he drawled, rather predatorily.
Giving the shorter ellon a bit of a shove towards the hallway, Glorfindel said, “All previous offers are null and void. Now go, before I get angry.”
Rumil did take a step back now, giving Glorfindel a good look as if sizing up the larger warrior. “I see. So now we go through you to get to him?”
“No. Now you leave before my fist goes through your head.”
Blinking in shock, Rumil gave a snort. “A fine way to treat guests,” he huffed, and with one final glare at Erestor, the Lorien elf left down the corridor.
Glorfindel closed and locked the door. Erestor was already back to sitting in his chair, staring at the bed. Walking over to the darkling, Glorfindel leaned over the chair and kissed the top of Erestor’s head. “He will not bother you anymore,” he said reassuringly.
“I hate you.”
“Excuse me?” Glorfindel came around the side of the chair, not at all surprised by the reaction. He had expected this at some point. Actually, he was surprised, but only that it had not come earlier. “I did not quite catch that,” he lied.
“You ruined me life!” shouted Erestor, his fingers clawing into the arms of his chair. “Everything was fine before you came in here that day.”
“Yes, I suppose I did,” answered Glorfindel sarcastically. “I forgot how perfect it is to be fucked by total strangers night after night, left in sweat-soaked sheets reeking of sex. I neglected to think of the advantages of being used for the sexual desires of others without any thought to your well-being. Honestly, what was I thinking?” He finished by shaking his head and picking up his goblet of wine again.
Erestor kicked his heel into the base of his chair and growled in the back of his throat. “You stupid... arrhhh.” Another kick. “I could just slap you right now.”
Glorfindel took a large gulp of wine before replacing his goblet on the table. “Go ahead.” He stood with his hands entwined behind his back.
For a moment, it seemed as if Erestor was simply going to mumble into his wine glass again, but then he stood up. Waiting to see if Glorfindel was going to step away, he then raised his hand and slapped the warrior across the cheek. The blond’s head hardly budged. “Done?” he asked in an unamused voice.
Snarling in frustration, Erestor raised his hand again, slapping Glorfindel with more force. This was followed by a barrage of light punches against the warrior’s chest, none of which did much damage to his muscled physique. When at last Erestor slowed down, his chest heaving and sweat on his brow, Glorfindel prodded him again. “Now are you done?”
Once more Erestor’s fist connected with Glorfindel’s shoulder blade, exhausting his strength. “Now I am,” he panted.
“Are you sure?” asked Glorfindel, his hands falling to his sides from where they had stayed behind his back. Besides the fading mark on his cheek, there were no signs he had been assaulted. Erestor nodded. “Good.” Without warning, Glorfindel pulled Erestor to the side as he lifted his leg up. Placing his foot on the seat of the chair, he bent Erestor brusquely over his knee. “You will NOT attack me AGAIN,” he stated harshly as his hand fell across Erestor’s backside.
Erestor squirmed, so Glorfindel managed to wrestle his wrists behind his back and hold them out of the way until after his finished. Then he shoved Erestor down into the chair. “No more,” he added, waving a finger in Erestor’s face.
“You... “ Erestor reached beneath his posterior, rubbing the place where the most contact had been made. “You hit me!”
“You hit me first,” Glorfindel answered simply.
“But... but you gave me a spanking!”
Nodding as he picked up his goblet again, Glorfindel let out a sigh. “If you act like a child, I will treat you like a child. Adults talk things out; they do not hit one another to solve things.”
“You told me to!” screamed Erestor, pounding the arm of the chair with his fist.
“No. I told you that you could. I never made you do anything. Just like I never made you lock your door; I never made you stop sleeping with everyone in the house. I never made you do any of that. I told you what you should do; I never said you had to listen.”
“Yes, you did!” argued Erestor. His fist slammed down on the chair again. “You told me to clean myself up and stop what I was doing and to get rid of the smell, which, I should have just left just to spite you.”
“But you did not. Not because I told you; because you wanted to. You did all of that, not me. I never stood here forcing you to do any of it, did I?” Glorfindel waited for another outburst, but none came. “It is late, and I think we should get some rest.”
Kicking his heel back into the chair again, Erestor ground out, “I do not feel like going to bed yet.”
“Fine. Then do not. But if you insist on throwing a temper tantrum, like a child, I will spank you again.”
Erestor glared at Glorfindel’s back as the warrior walked to the bed and turned down the sheets. The pillows were fluffed and Glorfindel pulled the edge of one of the blankets up to his nose, inhaling the scent of paper and ink mingling with fresh air and the sea. In other words, Erestor. Glorfindel smiled, and with his eyes closed, he missed the small, fleeting smile on Erestor’s face.
But then Erestor remembered, he was supposed to be upset at the blond ellon. He turned his attention back to the food on the dinner tray, picking at the bowl of grapes that had gone mostly untouched before settling on another sip of wine.
“If you are done, I will clear it away. Otherwise, I am going to bed, and perhaps you might clean the table off before you turn in,” suggested Glorfindel as he pulled his tunic over his head and folded it up before neatly placing it on the chair he had been sitting on.
Looking over what was left, Erestor put his goblet onto the tray and shrugged, giving it a wave of his hand. Taking this to mean he was done, Glorfindel stacked everything back onto the tray, then took it to the hall and left it for the maid to collect later. He was mindful to close and lock the door again before returning to bed to find Erestor sitting on the edge of it. “Did you change your mind?”
“Am I allowed?”
“Of course.” Glorfindel turned away to take off his shirt, mostly so that his smirk would go unseen. “Should I leave my pants on before crawling in?”
“Ichh.” Erestor wrinkled his nose, and Glorfindel turned in time to catch his reaction.
There was a playful smile on the blond’s lips. “What?”
“Do you know where those clothes have been? And you are even thinking of putting them into the bed? That is just... disgusting.”
Speechless, Glorfindel lowered his breeches to the floor and kicked them off before flinging them over to join the rest of his clothing on the chair. Who knew that clothes would bother someone who would leave their sheets to be dirtied by the fluids of uncountable others? Glorfindel declined to voice this comment as he sat down on the bed and slid his legs beneath the covers, drawing them up to his waist.
Erestor stared at the bed for a few seconds before removing his own clothing and tossing it into a pile on the floor near the side of the bed. Walking over to the tables where candles were lit, he blew out all of the little flames before coming to the one by the side of the bed. Again he looked at Glorfindel, this time, their eyes meeting, before he let out a puff of air to extinguish the last flicker of light.
After comfortably draping his arm over Erestor, Glorfindel snuggled himself up so that his chest was against Erestor’s back. He could feel how tense the slighter ellon was, so he nuzzled his neck and asked, “How was your day?”
“How... was... my day?”
Glorfindel placed a chaste kiss on Erestor’s jaw, missing his cheek. “Yes. Was it good, was it bad, do I need to go into council tomorrow and punch someone for you?”
“Only if you are going to punch your fist through their head,” answered Erestor mischievously, thinking back to the words Glorfindel had said to Rumil. “Because that, I would like to see.”
“Really? Depending on who it is, it can be arranged.” A moment later, Glorfindel was laughing, and Erestor then joined him. “You know, I would never really punch my fist through someone’s head, right? I meant I would punch him; I have no idea how I came to say that- ye valar, I thought that little warden was going to piss himself!”
When Erestor let out a snort, it only served to make Glorfindel laugh harder. “Honestly, how was your day, my dear?”
The term of endearment made Erestor stifle his laughter into an uncomfortable silence. Finally he shrugged the shoulder that was pointed to the ceiling and mumbled, “It was alright. Just the usual- without you in the council, everyone was fighting with everyone else.”
“Really? I always wonder why the others become civil when I am around,” said Glorfindel, repositioning one of his legs over one of Erestor’s beneath the covers.
“Probably because you have that certain something that makes everyone submit to your will.” Erestor relaxed a little, expecting the inevitable.
“Maybe.” Nestling his head down onto his pillow, Glorfindel allowed a yawn to escape from his lips. “Well, tomorrow they shall be polite and congenial when I get there. Else, I shall have to threaten them with a fist through the head.” He chuckled softly, and stretched his neck to kiss the top of Erestor’s head. “Eru bless you, sweetheart. Good night.”
Erestor stared across the room in confusion for the next ten minutes, until he heard light snoring behind him. He managed to look over his shoulder to see that the blond’s head had lolled back so that his blank gaze was directed toward the ceiling.
His first thought was to wake Glorfindel, for surely he drifted into reverie unknowingly. But he had said good night, so perhaps his plan was for them to have sex in the morning instead. It certainly made more sense, for Glorfindel was likely tired from his travel that morning.
The even breathing against his back vibrated gently throughout his body, and Erestor decided to close his eyes and sleep without fear of someone suddenly entering his bedchamber in the middle of the night.
---
“Tomorrow I will be leaving for the borders,” Glorfindel informed Erestor over breakfast, a meal they now shared together in Erestor’s rooms, which had slowly become their rooms. Glorfindel slept there, eventually brought his possessions into the room over time, and over the past six months had moved everything that had once been in his rooms to mingle with the items in Erestor’s. The smell of fresh air and the sea was now joined by grass, earth, and occasionally the smoky scent of the Hall of Fire on nights when Glorfindel passed through the hall on his way home.
Erestor nodded. “You will return in a month,” he assumed, but Glorfindel shook his head.
“Two months.”
“Two months?!”
“Two months,” repeated Glorfindel as he peeled the rind from an orange.
Holding his mug of coffee between his hands, Erestor shook his head to clear it. “Why two months?”
“It is what Elrond decided upon,” Glorfindel said carefully. The truth of the matter was that he had requested some time off after his tour, to be spent away from Imladris. So, Elrond had decided that Glorfindel should take a month; however, his reason for this short holiday was something he wished to keep secret from Erestor.
Erestor slumped in his chair. “I will see you in two months then.” Suddenly realizing that with Glorfindel leaving that the blond might finally take the initiative to do something in bed other than sleep, Erestor straightened back up. “Is there anything I can do to help you get ready, then?”
“Impatient to be rid of me?” asked Glorfindel with a smile and a wink.
“No, I just thought-“ Erestor was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. He looked to it with confusion as Glorfindel stood up and walked briskly over to open it. Although it had been months since anyone had come by looking for late night companionship, Glorfindel had still insisted upon opening the door whenever anyone called.
“Lord Glorfindel.” The page at the door bowed, looking out of breath. “Your horse has been readied and the rest of the party leaving for the borders has been assembled for more than an hour. I was sent to see if anything was the matter.”
“Oh, damn.” Glorfindel drummed his fingers on the side of the door. “Tell them I will be right there.” The page nodded emphatically and ran down the hallway as Glorfindel closed the door. “I miscalculated. I thought it was tomorrow that I left,” apologized Glorfindel as he began to gather what he needed as quickly as possible. “Can you find my other cloak, the heavy one?” he asked as he shoved this and that into a leather sack and slung it over his shoulder.
Pulling the requested garment from the closet, Erestor abandoned their breakfast to join Glorfindel as he hurried down the hall. “Two months and I will return. I am sure with the treaties the council is arguing over, you will not miss me for a moment.”
“You know that is not true,” said Erestor, rushing to keep up with Glorfindel’s pace. “Is there anything I should do while you are away?”
Pausing at the main door that led out to the courtyard, Glorfindel gave Erestor an adoring smile. “Nothing in particular that I can think of. Whatever you like- I trust you.” He pushed the door open, holding it for the dark elf before exiting himself.
“There you are. You had us worried.” Elrond, whose schedule had been free for the morning, had decided to see off the guards who would be swapping places with those finishing their tours of duty.
Elrohir, who had been standing alongside Asfaloth, handed the reigns to Glorfindel. “Stay safe, Uncle Fin,” he said, giving the older elf a quick hug before Elladan stepped over and did the same.
“Thank you. Take care of yourselves and your sister,” he answered back. Glorfindel waited until the twins wandered back to their father near the stairs and then glanced over at Erestor. All it took was a little frown to get the other ellon to come to his side. “Take care, Erestor. I am going to miss you while I am away.”
“I will miss you, too,” admitted Erestor. His bottom lip quivered as it hit him how long two months was going to be. “Eru bless you, Glorfindel, and keep you safe.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. And the same to you.” Ignoring everyone else in the courtyard, Glorfindel stepped closer and placed his hand on Erestor’s cheek, smiling as the touch was accepted and leaned into. “I love you.” Leaning in, his lips brushed Erestor’s, and he deepened the kiss when he was sure Erestor would not pull back. A second kiss graced Erestor’s forehead before Glorfindel broke their contact and mounted his horse.
As the party rode away, Erestor stood away from the other elves on the steps, watching the group of warriors disappear past the gate with a mix of emotions on his face. “Erestor? Are you alright?”
The counselor turned to find Elrond next to him, a look of concern on his face. “It was... just unexpected,” he said softly.
“What was? His departure?” asked Elrond in confusion.
“No, I knew he was leaving.” Erestor looked again in the direction of gate. “He just... never kissed me like that before.”
