“Does she still sleep?”
“As she has for the past two weeks, no changes.”
“Ada, I worry about her.” Ulmo’s countenance spoke volumes, the words had hardly been needed.
“She will be all right, there is no need to worry ion nin. All she needs is to regain her strength, find the voice within her.”
Two more weeks would slowly trickle by before her gray eyes opened to the sunlight streaming in through the windows.
~*~*~*~
“He grows restless. Soon you will have to allow him back into the world. He needs to go back and face it.” Elrond’s voice had been grave; his back was still turned to Glorfindel as he looked out the window and into the green valley beyond.
“I realize,” Glorfindel said, looking at his friend and twirling the quill between his forefinger and thumb while sitting on a large chair with his feet propped on the desk, “once he decides he is ready to go back and face it all, we will leave.”
“Have you decided how you will handle your responsibilities to the parishioners? Will you renounce your position and start a new life with him?” Elrond asked, finally turning around to face him.
“’Tis not my decision to make.”
“Does he know what it is you wish?” Elrond asked, leaning on the desk and pushing Glorfindel’s feet to the side.
“To some extent,” Glorfindel replied after thinking for a few seconds.
Observing the battle hardened warrior and raising an eyebrow Elrond commented, “You surprise me, mellon, it is unlike you.”
Glorfindel laughed wholeheartedly. “Do you fear I am not being bold and audacious? Daring and brave?”
“In reality,” Elrond replied, looking into the steel blue eyes, “it might seem you are being overprotective of him and considerate. I however think you are shielding yourself from heartbreak.”
Getting up and setting the quill on the desk, Glorfindel pondered the words as he walked to the window. “Would he choose to return and keep his vows my heart would still belong to him.” His gaze was fixed on the distant waterfall. ‘Exactly as time, forever flowing and beyond our control.’ “All will work out, in due time,” he said out loud to Elrond as he turned to leave the room.
As he was about to open the door, Elrond asked one last question that stopped him dead in his tracks. “Has nothing really happened between the two of you?”
Glancing over his shoulder as he opened the door Glorfindel looked at him sadly. “He is still my brother.”
As the door closed with a soft click, Elrond wondered what he had meant.
~*~*~*~
Rubbing her eyes and stretching on the comfortable bed Nienna, smiled for the first time in too long. It took her a day to make all the arrangements and be ready to leave.
~*~*~*~
Erestor was strolling the garden in the early afternoon. He knew Glorfindel was with Lord Elrond and he had taken advantage of the opportunity to get some fresh air. He hoped that it would also help clear his mind, and or at least help make sense of the situation.
It had nearly been a month, an entire month in which he had rested, eaten, and in general been spoiled and pampered by Glorfindel. They shared his room at the Last Homely House, they shared his bed, and yet nothing beyond the comfort of his arms around him at night or a few kisses had taken place. It had been several days now when he found himself watching the tall blonde warrior as he slept.
He was restless. He was needy. He was in love.
Every time Glorfindel walked into the room, Erestor felt the sun had come out, and when he spoke it sounded like music to his ears. His lips tortured him and left him wanting for more, and there was an ache in a void in him he was sure only the other could fill. Alas, he was too timorous to make a bold move, and Glorfindel he knew was giving him time to make a decision.
‘If only I could tell him. If only I did not hesitate when I remember my responsibilities to those who need my care.’
He bent down to pick a small pebble that was on the path when he heard a melodious voice coming from around the bend on the road. For the first time he paid attention to his surroundings and noticed his wandering had led him back to the Cathedral. He was certain Glorfindel had said no one was there, yet the song persisted, melodious notes as he had never heard before reaching his ears.
As if in a trance he walked until he found himself standing before the large carved doors. They were wide open and he was certain whoever was singing was within the halls he knew so well. For an instant he hesitated before entering. A shiver ran down his back as the memories of his last day there returned in full force, yet he was unable to stop himself as if by their own volition his feet took the steps one at a time.
The sight before him was one he had never expected to see. The radiant being standing in he middle of the hall could not be who he knew it was. She was clad in white, a silver trimming adorning her gown, and her long black hair fell unbound in soft curls that almost reached the floor.
.
More shocking than her appearance was the song coming from her lips, the smile that graced her features as she saw him. With every note she sang, every word, the hall would turn brighter. It seemed the sun that was slowly hiding behind the distant hills was reemerging right there.
Erestor clasped his hands and bowed his head in prayer.
~*~*~*~
Glorfindel returned to his chamber. With a heavy sigh he opened the door and hid his feelings behind a smile, a smile that lasted just the second it took him to realize Erestor was not there. He frantically searched the bathing chamber and then raced to the library, the only other room the high priest had visited in the month he had been there.
Worry etched his handsome features as he left the building; he knew there was only one other place where Erestor would go. Strong legs ate the distance as his heart beat wildly in his chest. ‘I waited too long, I should have told him sooner, I should have loved him, made sure he knew how much I desired him.’
It was the music that made him stop. Gasping for breath he observed the bright golden light coming from the windows, bathing the steps that led to the entrance, making the vines that covered the walls seem a perfect and delicate golden ornament.
Willing his heart to slow down and with careful steps he reached the threshold. Nienna was standing at the bottom step of the altar and facing the entrance. Her eyes were closed, her features relaxed and more beautiful than ever, her singing ethereal.
To her right and a step below stood Erestor. Gone were the dark robes, for he now wore a beautiful white tunic with silver embroidery. A delicate circlet adorned his brow, and raven black leggings and knee high boots completed his outfit. He did not fail to notice how the colors favored him and how he had never seemed more beautiful.
Glorfindel stood transfixed as the changes in the temple happened before his very eyes. It was, however, as the final notes hung in the air that he understood the magnitude of the change.
Nienna opened her eyes just as Erestor turned to look at him, and both smiled. The Lady opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. Squaring his shoulders, Glorfindel walked down the aisle until he stood before her, and with a slight bow of his head he greeted her.
“My Lady.”
“I owe you an apology…” she started to say.
“No, you do not,” he said simply as he reached for her hand and kissed the back of it.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. Then with a smile, Nienna turned to look at Erestor.
“Shall we proceed then?”
The dark haired elf looked at her and nodded, then turned to look at the proud elf standing by his side. Glorfindel’s penetrating gaze made him blush, but he was determined to carry on. Reaching for Glorfindel’s left hand he removed the golden ring with the fiery ruby from his finger, then his own and handed them to Nienna.
“It was unjustified and unnecessary to demand of you what goes against the very nature of my father’s children. It is love that binds us all,” Nienna said solemnly, both rings still on her open hand.
“I can not claim to come here today to gift you with what you already have, for bonded souls you have always been, meant for one another. Instead if you will allow me, I will present you with a small gift.” Her left hand covered her right for a second, and when she held her hands out to them in each one there was a band of gold and mithril, the metals intertwined in a perfect circle.
“My greatest lesson came from you, my children, my priests,” Nienna said handing one ring to each of them. “I also bring my father’s blessing. Mine you do not need, for you have always had it and always will,” she whispered.
Erestor took a step forward. Taking Glorfindels’s right hand he placed the ring on his finger. Gently lifting his chin, Glorfindel looked into his eyes as his hand sought Erestor’s. Raising it to meet his lips, he placed a soft kiss on his open palm, and then slid the golden and silver band upon his finger.
As both of them turned to look at the lady to thank her, they noticed she had left. Behind the altar her statue stood proud, arms open in a welcoming embrace, a smile parting her lips, and she no longer wept.
~*~*~*~
A full moon was barely showing on the horizon as they stepped out of the Cathedral. Hand in hand they walked silently through the gardens as the silvery beams started bathing all with its magical light.
It wasn’t until they reached the secluded pond where they once bathed every morning that they stopped. Erestor stuck one bare toe into the chilly water, wiggling his foot a little. “I never knew until today that song carried so beautifully through the main chamber of the halls,” he said, watching the ripples in the water.
“There is a young minstrel in Elrond’s house. Perhaps we could ask him to play before or after the sermons,” suggested Glorfindel, his left hand still holding Erestor’s right. The other elf nodded. “Maybe he could even write a few songs for Nienna.”
“Maybe I could,” mused Erestor.
Glorfindel nodded. “I think that would be perfect. Have you written any songs before?” he asked, his own feet edging toward the water as Erestor nodded back. “Anything I would know?”
Shaking his head and turning away slightly, Erestor blushed. “No, nothing you would know,” he mumbled. Glorfindel gently pulled the darker elf back to him, embracing him loosely and kissing him tenderly on the lips.
“I would love to hear your voice raised in song,” he whispered in the still night, sincerity shining in his eyes. “Please, Erestor, sing for me.”
Unsure of whether Erestor would comply or not, Glorfindel smiled and relaxed as Erestor softly began to sing in deep, liquid tones:
“Where you go, I will follow;
Lead me down, the path you choose.
By your side, in all your glory;
I promise now and forever,
To worship you.”
It took Glorfindel a moment to catch his breath. “That was beautiful,” he finally said. “She is most worthy of such a fine song.”
For a moment, Erestor looked confused at Glorfindel’s words, and then a little panicked. Finally, he said, “It isn’t for her. I wrote it for you.”
No words came to Glorfindel as he listened to Erestor’s voice once more, singing now the second part of the song:
“You were my friend, You knew my soul,
My brother, how could I refuse?
But now I know, all of the story
I want us to be together,
To worship you.”
Glorfindel was speechless. He wanted to say so much, yet no words seemed appropriate to express the overwhelming emotions he felt. If it hadn’t been for his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes looking at him adoringly, Erestor would have worried he had not liked the song.
Both of them were completely caught in the moment. Mesmerized, nothing could enter their private world as their souls reached out to one another. Slowly lifting a hand Glorfindel grasped a stray strand of hair and brushed it away from Erestor’s face, burying his hand in the silky strands he pulled Erestor towards him.
“It was here I saw you undress for the first time. It was a sin then to feel what I felt,” he whispered against his companion’s lips.
Erestor lowered his eyes with a sigh. “It is a sin no more.”
“Will you allow me to watch you undress then?” Glorfindel asked, lifting his chin so their eyes could meet.
Blushing, Erestor took a step back and slowly, one at a time, undid the buttons on his tunic. He then let it slip off his shoulders and onto the soft grass. His undertunic soon followed. The pale skin seemed resplendent under the silvery moonlight. Glorfindel’s breath hitched as he watched Erestor unlace his leggings.
Erestor bent down to pull his legs out of the garment, his dark hair forming a curtain around him. Glorfindel’s heart beat faster with anticipation. He could feel his arousal straining to be freed even before Erestor stood up straight, tall and proud, his dark eyes fixed on him.
Taking a few steps so he was only inches from Glorfindel, he reached for the front of the warrior’s tunic. “Allow me,” he said in a husky voice before he started undoing the buttons.
His long beautiful fingers caressed Glorfindel while he removed his clothing. First his shoulders as he took care of the tunic, then lightly they traced a path from his collar bone to his leggings, sending shivers running down the Balrog Slayer’s body.
Deliberately taking his time he undid the lacings, Glorfindel held his breath when the cool breeze reached his fevered skin. For an instant Erestor paused to look at him, then slid the leggings down strong muscular legs, his finger pads caressing him. Kneeling down he looked up at the blond elf’s eyes for the first time since he had started undressing him, and a smile curved his lips. His head was inches from Glorfindel’s proud elfhood as he waited for him to lift his legs, finally tossing the last piece of clothing onto the pile next to him.
Glorfindel could take no more. When Erestor stood up he wrapped an arm around his waist and brought him closer to him. He could feel the heat radiating from his lover’s body. ‘My lover,’ he thought possessively as their lips met in a hungry kiss, their erections rubbing together.
“Come with me,” whispered Erestor as they gasped for air, fearing his courage would leave him if he gave any true thought to the situation. Everything in his life had been slow and planned, all things taken under careful consideration. Everything- up until now. He took a firm hold of Glorfindel’s arms just above the wrists and walked slowly and purposefully back into the water, ignoring the bite of the icy pond.
They came waist deep when Glorfindel froze, not allowing himself to be moved further. Once more he drew Erestor against his body, breathing deeply of his lover’s scent. What little wind there was provided a gentle rustle of leaves and only a trace of a ripple along the water’s surface and the night sky was clear, but neither saw nor heard anything but the other. Soon they were exploring with timid touches and restrained caresses, until Erestor’s eyes met Glorfindel’s and in his deep, melodic voice asked, “Will you make love to me this night?”
“If that is what you ask of me, I will, for it is what I desire,” answered the golden-haired elf. “To be bound with you, body and soul.”
“Then I ask it of you,” replied Erestor. “I implore it of you.”
“How could anyone deny such a request from one so beautiful and pure as you,” murmured Glorfindel, and words were no longer spoken as the pair renewed their exploration, more eager and less inhibited now, the sounds of their gasps and cries piercing the calm of the night.
Somehow one of them persuaded the other to move to shallower waters, and they fell to their knees, lust still guiding their hands and mouths, their bodies trying desperately to stay in contact as they continued. Less wanting and more needy were the sounds that came from their lips, the crystal water lapping more furiously against the nearby shore as they grunted and moaned, stroked and grabbed, nipped and teased and felt and loved.
“Not here,” gasped Glorfindel as he noted Erestor’s eyes seeking some spot for them to consummate their love for one another. He held onto Erestor’s arm as he ducked his body beneath the water, washing the sweat from his skin. Emerging, he shook his head and then wrung his hair as Erestor did the same, bobbing under the water momentarily before popping back up and smoothing his soaked hair back.
“Then where?” whispered Erestor. “Not the cathedral,” he warned in a panicked voice.
Glorfindel pulled him close and wrapped his arms around Erestor, embracing him tightly and kissing his neck and jaw. “Not there,” he promised softly into Erestor’s ear. “I wouldn’t do that, brother,” he said, and he felt his companion shiver at the words. “We shared a bed in friendship, in the house of Elrond. Share it with me again tonight,” he said, and smiled as Erestor nodded his head against him. “I will love you, Erestor, and cherish you for all the time that is to come, and my dearest, above all, I shall worship you as you have always deserved.”
The words played over again and again in both their minds as they left the water, dressed, and walked swiftly to the Last Homely House.
~*~*~*~
“I’m so very, very nervous,” admitted the elf that paced the study.
“Glorfindel, if he said it was alright, then why are you still here?” questioned Elrond.
Sighing, Glorfindel fidgeted with the new ring on his finger. “It just happened so fast. It happened just as I had hoped, but so, so fast,” he said, shaking a little. Sitting down on the window seat, he asked, “What if I do something wrong? What if I hurt him? I don’t want to see him hurt, not again, not ever again.”
“Glorfindel!” Elrond shook his head and sat down next to his friend. “Glorfindel, first, relax, or you won’t have to worry about him because you’ll have hurt yourself first. Second, why not allow him to lead?”
“Let him lead?” asked the blonde elf, breathing a little easier.
Elrond nodded. “He’s been the one leading so far, no need to stop now. You followed him around day after day, in friendship, through oaths, over many a year more than I can count! I’d go back before he begins to worry if you’ve changed your mind,” advised Elrond, handing Glorfindel the vial he had come to ask him for. “And breathe, Glorfindel!” he scolded. “The last thing he needs is for you to hyperventilate mid-coitus!”
The walk back to his room was short and uneventful, and gathering his courage, Glorfindel opened the door to his suite. He gasped softly at the change in the main room.
Candles had been lit, and the curtains of the canopy pulled back just along the side facing the door. Something that smelled of wild berries wafted through the air, a warm and inviting fragrance that he realized came from the candles. Their glow lit the room just enough for him to make out the nude figure that was lazily propped on his side, staring at him through half-lidded eyes. Erestor held out one hand and Glorfindel approached him immediately. Seizing Erestor’s arm, Glorfindel began to kiss along the pale skin, inching his way from wrist to shoulder, and back down again as he climbed upon the bed to join his lover.
Brushing his cheek against Erestor’s neck, kissing his throat, Glorfindel then tugged on Erestor’s ear with his teeth. “I changed my mind,” he said in a low voice.
Drawing back, Erestor’s eyes were wide and a frown marred his face. Before he could ask why, he felt something being slipped into his palm. He looked down to see a small glass tube with a cork, and within a clear fluid. Understanding washed over him.
“If you wouldn’t mind... I’d enjoy it if you were the one who made love to me this night,” continued Glorfindel.
Smiling as he tucked the vial beneath the pillow, Erestor cupped Glorfindel’s chin in his hands. “With pleasure,” he answered, and brought their lips together.
Breaking the kiss, Erestor helped Glorfindel to remove his clothes; once they were skin to skin he ran his hand through the golden tresses as he kissed his lips once more. “Have I told you I love you?” he asked.
“No,” Glorfindel said as he gripped the sheets when Erestor kissed his neck.
“I love you,” Erestor said as he nipped Glorfindel’s skin. “Have I told you how much I desire you?” he asked, trailing kisses down his lover’s chest and stopping at his nipple.
“No,” came the husky reply.
Sucking on his nipple and then blowing softly Erestor said, “ I desire you.” Moving further down as he continued to kiss Glorfindel and caress him he asked again, “Have I told you what I want to do to you?”
“NO!” Glorfindel nearly yelled as Erestor’s lips caressed the engorged head of his elfhood.
“Then I will show you,” Erestor replied as he licked the moist tip. His tongue swirled around it; looking up at Glorfindel with passion-glazed eyes he licked his lips, enjoying the salty taste of his lover’s precum. His hand reached between Glorfindel’s legs and caressed the soft sac as he took him into his mouth. Loud moans came from the warrior that was now completely at his mercy. Glorfindel’s hands continued to grip the sheets as Erestor took him deeper and deeper into his throat.
He could also feel his own desire, the blood pounding at his temples as he concentrated on pleasing Glorfindel, his hardened shaft rubbing against the silky sheets.
“Saes!” Glorfindel said between moans, “I cannot take much more of this.”
Erestor’s mouth released him as he looked up, but his hand kept the pace he had set. With a wicked grin he looked at him. “Oh, but I want to see you come undone.”
His breath hitched, barely able to speak, Glorfindel whispered, “With you… I want to… ahhh….” He was unable to continue as Erestor increased the tempo and at the same time licked his fingers and then caressed himself. “….I want to… come undone…. with you.”
“Relax,” Erestor whispered in his ear as he reached for the small vial that was under the pillow.
Kneeling between the blonde elf’s legs he uncorked the vial with his mouth and poured a generous amount of the scented oil onto his hand. He allowed it to slowly drip down his shaft as Glorfindel sat up and observed.
“Allow me,” Glorfindel said, taking his lover’s erection in his hand and rubbing the oil on him. Erestor’s moans were music to his ears, and once he was coated in oil he kissed him passionately and turned around so that he was on his hands and knees in front of him.
Pouring the remaining oil on Glorfindel, Erestor caressed his opening, probing gently with one finger. When he heard him moan encouragingly he inserted another.
“Now,” Glorfindel said as he pushed back against him, “I want you now!”
It was a request Erestor would not deny, posing himself at the entrance he prayed he would not hurt him. Hesitating for a second proved to be too long as Glorfindel pushed back towards him, taking all of Erestor’s length within him. The dark elf felt the warmth envelop him, the tight muscles adjusting around him. Slowly at first and a bit awkwardly they found a rhythm that worked for both, and soon passionate cries filled the room. Their moist skin gleamed in the candlelight as they gasped for breath. Glorfindel started to contract around him, and this proved to be too much for Erestor. He released his seed into his lover just as Glorfindel cried his name and joined him.
It took several minutes for their heartbeats to return to normal as they lay in bed together. Glorfindel embraced Erestor and kissed his lips softly before they both slipped into peaceful sleep.
~*~*~*~
At the altar, Erestor held the pitcher into the air and said a blessing, to which everyone responded with the customary ‘Namar’. He carefully poured from the pitcher into the large goblet Glorfindel held in his hands. When the cup was near full, Glorfindel bowed his head, then walked to one side of the altar as Erestor emptied the remainder of the contents into a second goblet, completing the act of transubstantiation.
At one side of the altar, Glorfindel held out the cup as Elrond came to stand before him. Gone from the front was the fence and gate that separated the parishioners from the priests. Gone, also, were the somber robes, the dim lighting, and dark colors. The light streamed in through the windows and glazed the floor with a bright yellow gleam, and on the walls scenes of life in Valinor had been painted. Good scenes, happy scenes, scenes to be remembered. In a corner, the young minstrel, Lindir, strummed a harp in meditative tones as the two lines shuffled up to the front, for some things never change.
“May the tears of Nienna cleanse your soul,” spoke Glorfindel as the cup was passed to Elrond, who sipped from it before handing it back and moving silently back to his spot on one of the benches. Once the lines had dispersed back, the final song sung and the final prayer said, the congregation filtered out through the doors, followed by Lindir as the priests set about collecting the hymn books from the benches and tidying the altar. The new priest was arriving and Erestor wanted everything tidy. Not a replacement, they reminded themselves, but another to serve in Nienna’s halls.
With the Last Homely House so close, it was decided that the pair would live there most of the time. Though the small room was kept at the cathedral, it was more a place to relax and the two meager cots had been replaced with a more comfortable bed, though one that was used only for taking rest. Erestor had gained a seat on Elrond’s council, and a new title of ‘Chief Advisor’, though it was not uncommon for those in Imladris to continue to address him in the familiar ‘Adar Erestor’ that they had become used to when one would find him in at the altar rather than in the Rivendell Library.
Glorfindel served as security advisor, and took time to patrol now and again, yet never quite regained his former position. His new office of Seneschal gave him little time for such gallivanting on border patrols. It was also determined that his husband would not have been overly fond of such excursions, either.
In the evenings, on weekends, and any time they felt there was a need, the pair would hold prayer meetings, meet with parishioners at the cathedral, and held the customary worship gathering with the congregation once a week. Even so, there was a rising need for someone more permanent within the halls. The answer came from the past and from the South.
~*~*~*~
“My father thinks you spoil him with the accommodations,” Rendiriel said as she walked between the two priests in the garden. “For years upon years he has lived in the barest of flets, sleeping on a hard pallet and eating naught but lembas. Truly, I am thankful not to have to worry quite so much about his well-being!”
“He spoils us,” chuckled Glorfindel. “To devote eight months of the year is a tithe few would make.”
Rendiriel smiled. “He has been ever grateful to you, to both of you, and to Nienna. He feared the void, the darkness, the nightmares that haunted him. His visit brought peace, and often he speaks of it. There were often times he mused over this idea, I am glad that Lord Elrond spoke to Lady Galadriel and that she knew of Ada’s thoughts, however it is that she did.”
The trio approached the back entry of the cathedral where an elf sat in meditation on the stoop. His eyes were shut and his lips moved in prayer, and none of the three disturbed him until he audibly uttered ‘Namar’ and placed his hand to his heart. Standing and stretching his long limbs, Haldir smiled and looked skyward. “There is such comfort in this place, such peace in my heart,” he said. “I wish I did not need return to Lothlorien for the winters, but my oath to Lady Galadriel I took long ago, and my family still lives there and I would worry for them during that time.”
“Even one season spent here would be a great blessing for us,” spoke Erestor. “Our duties in Imladris are ever-growing. Still, we shall help you when we can, and we are just up the path in case you ever tire and need rest.”
Breathing deeply of the spring air, Haldir smiled. “I am invigorated by this place. I doubt I will have such need, though I thank you for your offer,” he replied.
“No doubt,” laughed his daughter. “I would think being free from that warden’s uniform would invigorate anyone!”
Haldir grinned as he adjusted the open green-grey sleeveless robe that he wore over loose tan pants and a simple white shirt. “I thought I would miss my boots, but I feel greater comfort thusly.”
“For that is how you were meant to be,” answered Erestor. “It is not in the nature of the elf to be restricted by hard-soled boots that keep his feet from the earth, nor by armor and shield that direct the rays of the sun that should shine upon him away.”
~*~*~*~
“Do you think he’ll be alright?”
Erestor chuckled and patted the empty side of the bed. “He will be fine,” he assured his lover. “He’s not afraid of the dark, he’s dealt with things that go bump in the night, the bed is infinitely better than a wooden pallet, and he doesn’t walk in his sleep,” winked the dark-haired elf.
Heaving a slightly playful sigh, Glorfindel dropped the curtain, shadowing the room in darkness. “Good thing you keep track of me so that I don’t wander the halls.”
“Well, I can’t be entirely sure,” replied Erestor. “Some nights I sleep so soundly, I really don’t know if you’ve roamed or not.” A wicked look crossed his face. “Maybe I should tie you down before bed to be sure I don’t lose you in the night.”
Grinning back, Glorfindel shook his head. “Who knew you had such thoughts, Erestor,” he admonished.
“Just you,” winked his lover.
“Oh, the scandal! I should make it public,” he announced as he crawled into bed.
“I should think not!” Erestor pouted, turning away from him with his arms crossed over his chest. Glorfindel laughed wholeheartedly and pulled Erestor back around to face him, their legs and arms entwining comfortably.
“Mmm, my love, I would do no such thing. You are dear to me and know it,” he added, kissing Erestor’s pouting lips into a smile. “Now, put out the candle, beautiful one, for I wish to hold you… to love you…” he murmured between kisses and caresses. “To worship you…”
