In the garden stood a tree. Tall and beautiful, it glistened in the sunlight. A light breeze shifted the leaves, creating a whisper on the air. The tree called to him. Beckoned him to come closer. Erestor took a step. And another. He started shivering with conflicting emotions. He should not...but he wanted to...he should not...
Erestor violently sat up in the bed, panting. Cold sweat ran down his face. It was the same dream every night. They were getting worse. Every night it was harder to fight the urge to listen to the call of the tree. It had come to the point where Erestor did not want to go to bed at night. He fought sleep as he fought the temptation. But Elrond always noticed his weariness, and ordered him to sleep. Elrond did not understand.
Erestor got out of bed, bathed and got dressed. He straightened himself out, and put on his cool face, not showing any of his inner turmoil as he entered the corridor. He made way to Elrond's study, where the half-elf was already waiting, and they commenced with the morning tasks.
"Well," Elrond stated as they were almost done. "Everything seems to be in order. I will notify Glorfindel of the changes to the rosters, other than that...." He noticed Erestor's blank stare out the window. "Meldir, are you listening?"
"What?" He turned his head abruptly. "Oh, I am sorry. I did not sleep well."
"Again?" Elrond looked at his advisor with a swell of sympathy. Erestor's eyes turned to the floor. He felt the Peredhel's inquisitive stare, and suddenly felt like a caged animal. He nearly giggled when he realized that was not very far from the truth.
"Would you excuse me, my lord, I think I will go for a walk outside." He rose from his chair and tried not to run for the door as the need for air became urgent.
"Of course. But Erestor," he halted and met Elrond's gaze. "Do not go into the north gardens. I want you to stay away from there."
"I know, Elrond." Erestor nodded, not really needing to be reminded. He quickly turned and hurried to the south gardens, not stopping until he came to a section overflowing with flowers emitting strong scents. There he collapsed.
Elrond anxiously paced the corridors of the last homely house. Every year around this time, Erestor behaved this way. The dreams returned, and he was unable to concentrate on his duties. Elrond could only pray that he would be able to fight it this year as well. He had seen first hand what happened to his friend when he was exposed to his secret temptation, and he did not want that to happen again.
He looked outside the window, where the trees were heavy with fruit. All the elves in Imladris loved this season, when they could pick the ripe sweets fresh off the branch. The scent of the blossoms was still potent, and the leaves and grass was still green. It was the best part of summer, yet for one elf it was it was a season of nightmares. Elrond sighed and rubbed his temples.
It was then a slow sense of panic arose in his heart. A barely noticeable smell found his sensitive nose, and he swirled to find the source of it. In seconds, he concluded it came from the direction of the library. Infuriated by the fact that someone disobeyed his direct orders, he ran down the hall and into the room where the insolent elf must surely be.
Elladan was sitting in the southward window, reading a book and absentmindedly peeling an orange, when his father came barging into the room. He looked up, surprised at the look on Elrond's face, but soon understood his mistake.
"Elladan!" the small elf nearly jumped off his seat at the sharp tone. "What have I told you about fruit in the house!?"
"Ada," he crumbled before his father eyes. "It is only an orange...."
"Only an orange!?!?!" Elrond was fuming. "I have strictly forbidden oranges in the house, and you know it!"
"But..."
"But what?!"
"I just do not understand, ada." Elladan looked at the round fruit in his hand, confused about the reason to why his father would consider it sinister. Elrond approached him, slightly calmer.
"I have told you, Elladan. There are elves in this house that are gravely allergic to oranges. If you want to eat them, do so in the north gardens where they grow." Elrond felt his heart sink at the sadness in his son's eyes as he beheld the fiery fruit.
"You know," Elladan began, his voice tainted with memories. "I remember when we were younger, Elrohir and I, you would make us sweet orange soup on rainy days. We would have oranges with whipped cream for dessert, and orange juice for breakfast. This was always our favourite time of the year, because the entire valley smelled of oranges, and every food dish was enhanced with its flavour. Now we get scolded for even bearing its scent on our breath."
Elrond put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the present sorrow over a childhood lost. "I know it is hard. I know you love the fruit, but you have to understand, my son. For someone in this house, oranges are a source of great misery and pain. When putting his misery against your pleasure, I choose him."
"I just don't understand," Elladan looked up at his father's gentle face. "How can an elf suddenly become allergic to a fruit? It does not make sense!"
"I know, my son. I do not understand it myself."
"But who is he? Why does he not just move somewhere where there are no orange trees?"
"That is an unfair question, Elladan." He looked sternly at his son. "He does not leave because he cannot. We need him, and he needs us. He loves us. If you knew who he was you would not want him to leave."
"I am sorry, ada," Elladan sighed. "I just wish there was some way to make everyone happy."
"You can start by taking that orange outside. We will talk later."
"Yes, ada." Elladan surrendered, and rose to leave.
"And wash your mouth before talking to anyone." Elladan paused, but then continued his way to the north gardens. He had to find out who this elf was, and why Elrond was protecting his identity. What harm could the scent of an orange really do?
Erestor sat under a tree, inhaling the strong scent of the flowers. He felt at peace. He had cleared his head of all impure thoughts, and focused on the sounds of the birds in the canopy. He sighed with relief, and relaxed against the trunk. With his eyes closed, he dreamed of apples. Green apples. Red apples. Apple pie. Applesauce. Apple rings. Apple...orange...cake. What?
His back straightened, and he looked around for whoever had whispered that word into his mind. 'Orange'. The word made him shiver with delight. "No!" He stood, and began pacing the grass, holding his head between his hands. He fought the impure thoughts. But the stirring in his stomach was relentless. 'Orange'. He trembled. Where was this coming from?
It was then he noticed. A subtle smell on the wind. A familiar, sweet scent carried down from the house. Erestor looked towards the beautiful structure, wondering which room held the tempting fruit, and which elf was enjoying it. Images of lips closing around the dripping pulp entered his brain, and a shocking tremor hit his body and threw him to the ground. He could almost taste it. He inhaled as much of the scent as he could, sampling it on his tongue like a snake.
He did not know whether to fight or give in, but somehow he seemed stapled to the ground. He could not move. A gust of wind sprayed his face with more scent, and he grew hard in his leggings. He groaned and clawed at the earth with trembling hands. He summoned a recollection of the authority in Elrond's voice. "You have to fight this, Erestor. You are a danger to others and to yourself. You must give up the fruit before it consumes you. Give up the fruit..."
Erestor succeeded in somewhat calming his raging blood, and his erection faded slowly. He focused on his breathing. In and out. There was no longer a trace of the alluring fruit on the air, and he collapsed onto the soil. It was so hard. He had been fighting this battle for centuries, and it got harder every year. There were times when he hated Elrond. Hated him for taking the oranges away, but he knew it was for his own good.
He had seen the disappointment in the faces of the other elves when Elrond moved all the orange trees to the north of the house, and ordered that no fruit would leave the gardens. He remembered the hurt in the twins' eyes when they understood. No more pies, cakes, or any other dishes with oranges. Erestor felt so guilty. It was not fair for all the other elves to lose their beloved fruit just because he could not control his passion for it. He sobbed into the ground where he lay, frustrated with his helplessness.
Elrond still paced the corridor. He walked through the house, feeling a sudden need to remind everyone he saw about the rules regarding fruit. He paid special attention to the wing of the house where Erestor had his residence. He especially checked the twins' room for any signs of rule breach. He even was as bold as to enter their private bathroom and look in the waste bin for orange peels. He found none.
"Well, this is a sight I thought I would never see," a voice snickered in the doorway. Elrond turned around, quite angry with himself for getting caught in the act. "The lord of Imladris, digging through garbage?" Glorfindel grinned smugly at Elrond's offended facial expression.
"What do you want, Glorfindel?" Elrond asked, actually relieved it was not one of his sons that had caught him.
"Oh, I just noticed the open door, that's all. Just what are you doing, anyway?"
Elrond seemed to be sniffing the air, and without warning pushed past Glorfindel into the twins' bedroom. "Do you smell oranges?" He appeared frantic.
"Honestly, Elrond," Glorfindel sighed, concerned. "What is it with you and oranges? Why do hate them so much that you will not even allow them in the house?"
"Why? What have you heard?" Elrond glared at his seneschal, and Glorfindel could only shake his head in defeat.
"I just saw Elladan."
"What?" Elrond walked up to him. "Where is he?"
"Well, currently he is sitting in the north gardens, crying under the orange tree. Elrohir is with him." Elrond sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily.
"Somehow I get the feeling all hell is about to break loose," he said, and leaned on his seneschal for support. Glorfindel put an arm around him and rubbed soothing circles on his back. Elrond apparently could not get the orange smell out of his nose, and was beginning to think something was wrong, until he had an epiphany. "What have you put in your hair today?"
"What do you mean? There's nothing in my hair." Glorfindel wondered about the Peredhel. He was acting very strangely.
"Nothing? No oils even?"
"Well...yes. I have oil in it." What was he getting at?
"What type of oil?" Elrond looked accusingly at him. "What is it made from?"
Glorfindel nodded, as he finally understood. "Oranges...."
"What were you thinking putting that in your hair?!" Elrond was raising his voice in a pained manner, and Glorfindel did not know what to think. "I specifically ordered, no oranges! In any form! Why did you make an oil from them?"
"Please, meldir," the seneschal pleaded. "I have not used this oil in centuries. I simply felt like wearing it. I like its scent."
"Well, you can just go straight back to your rooms and wash it off. I will not tolerate this blatant breach of my rules. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, of course, my lord." He slumped his shoulders in defeat, and watched as Elrond turned and stormed out of the room, mumbling something inaudible. Glorfindel sighed, and ran a strand of hair between his fingers. Something very strange was going on in the last homely house. Something very strange indeed.
Erestor tried to return to his rooms, but seemed unable to find his way. His body pulled to the north, and he had to stop himself several times when he realized he was almost at the door to the garden. He felt drained. The struggle tired him. The best thing for him to do would be to lock himself in his room for the next few weeks, and busy himself with making scented candles. Anything to keep that alluring smell from entering his mind.
Lost in thought, he hardly knew where he was stepping, and bumped into another elf passing through the corridor. "Erestor, are you all right?" Glorfindel asked concerned, as he caught the chief advisor in his arms. Surprisingly, Erestor did not struggle to free himself. He appeared weak for some reason. "Erestor?"
"I am fine, Glorfindel..." he began, but suddenly felt more weak than ever. His knees buckled, and he could hardly stand. The seneschal acted instinctively, and swiftly helped Erestor to his rooms. Well inside the door, he tried to make the raven-haired advisor look at him.
"Erestor, what is wrong?" He pressed the slighter form to his chest, to keep him from falling to the floor, and noticed a slight shivering. He could not be sick? "Tell me what is wrong," he begged, and was rewarded by large, shiny eyes of a deep ocean-green.
"I...I...." Glorfindel looked at him so expectantly, he did not know what to say. Staring into exotic sapphire eyes, he understood how truly beautiful the Elda really was. That long golden hair, that smooth, fair skin... He was utterly exquisite. Erestor also noticed how close they were standing, bodies pressed fully against each other. His hands were on Glorfindel's chest, put up in some mock-reluctance gesture. When he moved his fingers, they experienced the contrast between the soft, silken tresses of hair, and the coarse fabric of the light blue tunic. For some reason, it made him feel very warm.
"Erestor, what is it?" Glorfindel was getting really worried. Erestor never behaved this way. What was wrong with the Peredhil today? Elladan crying, Elrond obsessing, and now Erestor collapsing into his arms. Erestor even seemed to move closer. Before he knew it, the half-elf's breath warmed his ear.
"You smell nice..." he nearly panted into the pointed ear. Closing his eyes, he relished the feeling of soft hair against his face. Glorfindel grinned from ear to ear, never knowing this more seductive side of the otherwise so sober advisor.
"Do you like it? It is orange."
Green eyes grew wide and he gasped. Erestor felt his heart speeding up its rhythm, and sweat broke out on his brow.
"Say it again." He trembled in the blonde's embrace.
"What? Orange?" Erestor whimpered at the sound of the word, and rubbed up against the dumbstruck Elda like an overheated feline.
"Again," he panted. Glorfindel grew increasingly amused at Erestor's mystical behaviour, but he could not deny it was also arousing him. He spoke teasingly, elongating the word that brought such pleasure to his friend.
"Oooooraaannngge...."
Erestor groaned loudly, wrapping arms and legs around the warm body of the larger, more muscular elf. With his heated lips against a delicate ear, he panted his desire. "More..."
More what? Glorfindel teased, nipping at a pale neck, and extracting a whimpe from the flushed Noldo.
"Please... I need it," he pleaded, feeling his hardness straining in his groin. Everything was spinning inside his head. The scent on him, his voice... it was all so intoxicating. More so than Erestor could bear.
"You need oranges? I can bring you some."
Such a simple offer, it would seem. Erestor started shaking violently, anticipation heating his loins. He wanted it so badly. He wanted to taste it. It had been so long. He panted uncontrollably, and planted wet kisses on Glorfindel's neck. The Elda groaned from the treatment. If this was what the word could do to Erestor, he could not even imagine what the actual fruit would do. He needed to get hold of some oranges, that was for sure, but he did not want to leave Erestor now.
Erestor ground his hips against Glorfindel, seeking the glorious friction his presence brought. Both elves, delirious with excitement, exploring each other's bodies with trembling hands. It was not long before lips found lips, and passionate kisses consumed their entire attention. Glorfindel grabbed onto a dark head, angling it for easy access to the eager mouth. He pushed his questing tongue inside, exploring every corner of the wet cavern with great delight. Erestor groaned, and happily engaged his tongue in the wrestle, swirling it around Glorfindel's, trapping it and suckling it seductively.
It was the blonde who first broke the kiss, desperately needing to breathe. Their lips bruised, they looked into each other's eyes and panted hot breath onto blushed skin. "Come to my room," Glorfindel asked breathlessly. "I have more orange oil." He knew it was a shameless bribe, but he did not want to let Erestor get to his senses, for then he would surely be rejected. The beautiful Noldo was beyond dreams, and Glorfindel did not want to end this moment.
"More...orange?" The dark haired elf asked between breaths, and once more engaged their lips in a passionate combat. They stumbled out the door, their mouths never losing contact as they dragged themselves down the corridor to Glorfindel's room, not even caring if anyone saw them. Erestor only realized they were there when his back touched the mattress of the Elda's bed.
The seneschal laid down on top of his unexpected lover, pressing him deep into the mattress, still kissing him with rapture. Erestor groaned at the intimate contact, and grabbed hold of the blonde's backside, pushing their erections together. Glorfindel broke the kiss with a loud groan. He rubbed his hips in circles against the excited half-elf, bringing them both dangerously close to the edge. Erestor whimpered and writhed beneath him, and the situation was unbelievably erotic to the aroused blonde.
"I have something for you, melethron," Glorfindel whispered, suddenly afraid to move.
Erestor let out an unrecognisable sound in response, as his eyelids fluttered in delirium. The blonde pushed away and got out of the bed, heading to the bathroom with quick steps. Erestor lay breathlessly left behind. His mind was spinning. In the back of his conscience he still heard Elrond's commanding tone, but his primal brain had taken over, and swiftly killed off the annoying voice of reason. To Mordor with reason! he thought, and started tearing off his clothes.
Glorfindel's hands were shaking so badly, he dropped the flask of oil several times. He took a few moments to calm his raging blood before returning to the bedroom. He froze in the doorway, startled to find the chief advisor naked on his bed. His eyes were closed, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his face and torso. He was still panting. The fiery afternoon sun gave his skin a warm glow, and the ordinarily raven locks shone of mahogany. Glorfindel came to wonder why he had never noticed what a breathtaking beauty Erestor really was.
Seeing the elf on the bed calm his breathing, Glorfindel realized he needed to act quickly lest the moment would pass him by. He stripped more rapidly than he remembered ever doing in his life, and uncorked the flask of potent orange oil. Sneaking up to the bed and sitting down, he lowered the opening of the flask under Erestor's nose.
Green eyes shot open, and long limbs trembled in the sheets. Grabbing Glorfindel's wrist, Erestor pulled himself up sitting, his nose pressed to the mouth of the crystal flask. He inhaled the bittersweet scent, finding himself immobile in the seneschal's arms. Glorfindel grinned from ear to ear. Apparently it was not Elrond who had a thing for oranges after all. Placing his hand flat against Erestor's heart, he pushed the mesmerized Noldo back into the mattress.
Erestor gasped when a thick liquid trickled across his skin. His mind was in uproar. Glorfindel's extremely gifted hands started working the oil into his skin. The scent of it, the feel of it, the mere sight of it nearly caused Erestor to spend himself. He groaned at every touch. Thinking he had reached the highest level of bliss, he was once again shocked when the Elda managed to push him even higher into the sky.
Glorfindel laid down on top of his lover, rubbing their bodies together, making sure not an inch of skin was left without oil. The liquid sensation of their oily muscles sliding over each other was far more intoxicating than anything either of them had ever felt. Adding extra oil to his hands, the seneschal started working on their erections. Erestor groaned loudly at the slightest touch, and Glorfindel knew it would not be long. They were both beyond the point of no return.
Carefully holding their arousals in one hand, the blond elf took charge of their passion. The Noldo shivered beneath him, and Glorfindel could think of nothing else to do than to claim his lips and ravage his mouth until pleads for release escaped him. Erestor instantly threw his arms around the Elda, trying to pull him deeper into the kiss. The oil on his skin made it difficult to hold onto anything, but he tried, desperately.
The two slick bodies moved in such perfect symbiosis, it almost seemed as if they were one being. The fluent motion of their carnal act causing ripples of ecstasy to flow through their souls. The sounds and scents filling the room would have hypnotized any elf that had dared to enter. Orange orbs of light danced inside Erestor's eyelids, and a sparkling, buzzing feeling spread through every nerve in his body. The hot mouth pressed against his panted the same passion.
Suddenly, as if all the muscles in their bodies contracted at the same time, their movements halted, and wave after wave of painful pleasure washed over them. Erestor wanted to scream, but no sound left his lips. His jaw remained barred open, and his eyes wide in shock after the powerful convulsion. Glorfindel's stiff form jerked, as he spilled his seed on Erestor's oily flesh. Collapsing heavily on top of his lover, he rode out the final waves of orgasm.
The Noldo still panted below him, but he also sighed blissfully. Glorfindel smiled tiredly, and realizing he would not be able to stay awake much longer he moved off Erestor, letting the exhausted advisor breathe. None of them had the urge or the will to clean up, and both fell asleep in a tousled, oily mess on the bed.
Elrond sighed to himself while unfastening his robes. He felt more tired than he had in months. He would have liked to check in on Erestor before going to bed, but had decided that the troubled advisor probably wanted to be alone. He always did. The loneliness soothed him better than any form of company ever did. Elrond slipped out of his daywear and made way into the bathroom.
He had spent the entire day running through the house, making sure no oranges were brought inside. Poor Erestor. He loved those fruits, but they had such dangerous effects on him. Elrond was not entirely sure how it all began, but it had changed things for everyone. Erestor started to obsess about the fruit. He would use them for strange purposes. He would turn into someone else.
It frightened Elrond to see his friend in such a state. Erestor drew some form of perverted pleasure from the oranges, and it did not matter to him what he had to do to get hold of them. He had nearly killed Lindir the last time. That was when Elrond had put a stop to it. Lindir still battled his internal demons over the incident, and kept well away from the chief advisor. Erestor could not be allowed to continue this madness.
Elrond leaned over the sink and washed his face in cool spring water. Looking at his tired features in the mirror, he traced the lines of his face with slightly calloused fingertips. Lines that would surely not be there had he been fully elven. Half-elves have weaknesses, Elrond thought to himself while drying his face with a towel. We are not as strong as other elves. Not like the Sindar, the Galdhrim, or the Eldar.
The only Elda in Imladris was Glorfindel, and Elrond was suddenly reminded of him. Strolling back into his bedroom to slip into his sleeping robes, Elrond thought back to meeting the blond seneschal in the twins' room earlier. The former balrog-slayer had no idea of the danger he was in wearing that oil in his hair. What if he had run into Erestor? The results would be catastrophic to say the least. The beast that dwells inside the counsellor must stay caged.
Elrond crawled into bed and nuzzled into the pillows. He was looking forward to a good night's rest. All was quiet in the last homely house. The aged lord hoped good dreams would visit his friend this night. His urges always got worse after nightfall. Be strong, meldir. Sleep well and dream beautiful dreams. May the Valar watch over you in your hour of need. With that thought, Elrond fell asleep.
Glorfindel's sleep was disturbed by an unfamiliar sensation. His gaze fastened on the moonlit body in his arms. Erestor was covered in cold sweat and shaking violently. Glorfindel worriedly raised himself on his elbow and leaned over his lover. Touching his hand to a clammy brow he grew alarmed. Something was not right.
"Erestor?" he whispered anxiously, but the only response he got was a weak moan. "Erestor, love, what is wrong?" But the advisor said nothing.
They were both still covered in oil, and quite slippery, but Glorfindel tried his best to rearrange them in the bed to make Erestor more comfortable. He held the quivering form tightly to his chest and wrapped them both in a warm blanket, but the shivering was unrelenting. The whimpers coming from the chief advisor grew louder, and Glorfindel was beginning to despair. He wanted to run and fetch Elrond, but somehow he had the feeling his lord would have his head if he knew what had transpired in this room.
Erestor began moving his shaky limbs, and awareness came back to his eyes. He looked around, his gaze wandering the outline of an unfamiliar room. He had no idea how he had gotten there. The bitter smell of orange peels was still in his nose, making him dizzy, and waking his inner beast once more. As he moved, he felt the body of another wrapped around his, the oil between them slicking his form. He groaned, and weakly tried to push away from the grip that held him captive.
"Erestor, please!" Glorfindel tried to steady the shaking counsellor, but Erestor easily snaked out of his grip.
Erestor heard the pleading voice, but was confused as to its source. His only focus was escaping the sticky sheets clinging to his skin. Tumbling over the edge of the bed he ended up on the floor, finally freed from his prison of cloth and flesh. On all fours, he panted, trying to clear his head. But the potent scent of the oil was still all around him. Images flickered through his mind. Blond hair. Blue eyes. That smile... Did any of that really happen, or did he just dream it all? Was he still dreaming?
A hand on his back quickened him, and he cocked his head only to see the same face that haunted his brain. The touch on his skin no longer felt like a violation of his person. It aroused his senses. The air was bitter on his tongue, and the sweetness in Glorfindel's voice as he spoke made Erestor wish for other types of sweetness. In one easy turn he faced the seneschal, throwing himself into his arms and kissing him madly.
Glorfindel was surprised by this sudden change, and for a moment he could not bring himself to react. Erestor seductively rubbed his slick body against him, pressing them tightly together. A groan escaped Glorfindel, his primal lusts awoken by Erestor's questing kisses. He enfolded the other body with strong, warrior arms, and sent his tongue into battle. As their passion grew their kisses lost control. Panting into each other's mouths, they were unwilling to disconnect.
Straddling Glorfindel's lap on the floor, Erestor tried to push him over on his back, but the seneschal was not so easily swayed. Their movements were fervent and erratic, bordering on hysterical, and Erestor was exited beyond belief. In a moment of pure desperation, Glorfindel's need for air overshadowed his need for Erestor, and he harshly pushed him off. This left the advisor sprawled on the floor, panting, still licking his lips as if he felt the presence of another's.
Glorfindel beheld the beautiful creature. Long pale limbs, hair as black as night, all shimmering in the light of Ithil. Shiny from oil and sweat. Erestor lifted himself on his elbows, dark, lust filled eyes fixing on the blonde. He tentatively lifted his foot, and let his toes play over Glorfindel's chest. Tiny shivers travelled through the seneschal, hardening his nipples and bringing a grin to the counsellor's face. With both feet on Glorfindel's chest, he massaged the taut muscles, rubbing the nipples between his toes. Glorfindel groaned and leaned into the touch.
Erestor's features twisted with another grin the moment before he spread his legs, letting Glorfindel fall unprepared on top of him. He giggled at the blonde's shocked expression as he landed, but Glorfindel silenced him with a deep kiss. His hands full of dark hair, Glorfindel tasted the laughter on Erestor's tongue. He felt light-headed and warm, the advisor's saliva seemly manipulating him as if it were an aphrodisiac.
Erestor displayed great skill in his kisses, suckling the tip of Glorfindel's tongue into his mouth, and circling it with his own. His fingertips were lightly grazing the long muscular neck, sending shivers down Glorfindel's spine. The advisor was calm and composed, kissing the seneschal lazily, as if his passion was already spent. Glorfindel on the other hand was more aroused than ever, but was afraid to push it with the chief counsellor. Erestor was the one in control.
It was he who ended the kiss, turning large shiny eyes to his lover. They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, drowning in one another. Glorfindel felt his heartbeat quicken at the intensity of the moment. He would never have thought there existed another side of the advisor he had always known. Erestor had always been withdrawn, paying more attention to books and scrolls than to the other elves in the house. Glorfindel had been so preoccupied these last hours, he hadn't given himself time to think things through.
The oranges. The oranges were the key. He had never seen Erestor in the north gardens were they grew, nor had he ever seen him eat one. Elrond must have forbidden him. It was the only explanation to why the Peredhel had been so distressed when he saw him in the twins' rooms. Why forbid him? It was no wonder Erestor had such a fixation with the fruit if he knew it was forbidden. Glorfindel could not even imagine the horror of having your lord forbid you your favourite fruit. He himself was particularly fond of cherries, and would never accept a restriction of that sort.
A sudden swell of sympathy for the counsellor nearly made his eyes water, and he gently caressed the flawless features with the back of his fingers. The expression in the shimmering green eyes had changed, and Erestor now looked up at him with a bewildered gaze. His brow furrowed ever so slightly, and there were many questions in his ocean depths. Glorfindel just smiled warmly and placed a chaste kiss on his brow.
"Come," he said. "I want to take you somewhere."
"Where?" It was a mere breathless whisper, as wide and frightened eyes searched his.
"I want to take you to your forbidden desire, my love. To a garden that has never known your footprint. To the north, where your passion grows."
Erestor's face was blank, all emotion hidden again behind the mask he had always worn. But a glimmer in the green eyes told Glorfindel all he needed to know. He sat up, carefully pulling Erestor with him, and gathered him into his arms. He kissed him reassuringly, lightly touching their tongues together. In his embrace the chief advisor started to relax. His eyes sparkled with lust, but hesitation gnawed at him still. He pulled away and looked to his lover.
"Why?"
"Because no one has the right to tell you which fruits you can and cannot have. If you want oranges, then oranges you shall have, my love."
Erestor was nothing short of amazed. He had never seen this side of the seneschal before. He placed his hand on the exquisite face, mapping the angelic features with his fingertips. He traced his thumb over the arch of a rosy lip, earning it an appreciative kiss. Their eyes met as Glorfindel kept kissing each finger, making his way into the palm before finally resting it on his cheek. They looked at each other, and Erestor felt it was right. It was time to let go.
The corridors of the last homely house were deserted. Not a sound was heard and no lanterns were lit. The only source of illumination was a row of windows along the west wall, where the moonlight created pools of silver on the floor. As Erestor ran down the hall, the air was cool on his naked skin. He felt freed. Liberated. Saved from the shackles that had bound him for centuries. So he ran. He ran north.
Glorfindel was not far behind. He followed the musical chuckle and the long mane of dark hair flowing behind the advisor. He smiled as he ran, watching the naked body in front of him change hue as it passed between light and shadow in the corridor. They ran naked through the north wing of the house, giggling like children playing catch. As Erestor turned his head and smiled at Glorfindel, liquid raven locks framed his face, and Glorfindel thought it was the loveliest sight he had ever seen.
When they reached the north gardens, Erestor flung the doors open, but paused a few steps out on the grass. Glorfindel caught up, and stood behind him, adoring his figure. Washed in starlight, Erestor inhaled the scent of the night. He closed his eyes to better experience the tranquillity he felt. The breeze in his hair. The soft grass under the soles of his feet. And then he felt Glorfindel at his side. He opened his eyes. The blonde was even more beautiful under the stars. Erestor did not realize the Elda had taken his hand, until he was led away, into the garden.
It was very quiet. Serene. Even the birds were sleeping. Erestor explored every piece of vegetation with eyes widened by curiosity, like a child exploring a new room for the first time. Glorfindel walked beside him, still amazed that this was the same person who always wore dark robes and sat in a stuffy library all day. He slowly led the raven-haired beauty toward the orchard. Erestor walked with his eyes closed. He had picked a flower, and was now twirling it under his nose, letting the soft petals tickle his upper lip. The smile he wore was unmistakeable. It was one of pure joy.
The flowery bushes parted into a clearing, and in its centre stood a single tree, showered in moonlight. Heavy branches bore round, golden fruit, and the beauty of the scenery almost made Glorfindel's heart stop. He looked to his side, where Erestor was still standing dreamingly, twirling the little flower over his lip. Their hands still connected, Glorfindel pulled him closer.
"Open your eyes, lirimaer," he whispered. "Look at this."
As the advisor opened his eyes, his jaw dropped and the flower he had held danced to the ground in tiny loops. It was like straying into a dream. The tree that had always haunted his nightmares was everything but threatening to him now. Eyes wide with admiration, he entered the clearing and walked towards the glowing tree. A few steps away from his companion their hands slipped apart, and Glorfindel let Erestor take his time. He would have been content with merely watching him, but he hoped there would be more. They couldn't ask for a more romantic setting.
Erestor felt a jolt of energy surging through his body when he first laid his hand against the rough bark. He stroked it, feeling the coarse texture move on his sensitive skin. He smiled as joy filled his heart, and in a moment of final surrender he flung his arms around the trunk and embraced his own desires. No more would he deny it, no longer hide from it, and never ever again would he give it up. Deep breaths of night air filled his lungs, carrying him off on waves of euphoria. This was no bitter oil that filled the air. This was the real thing. The tree, the flowers, the fruits; they all helped spread the wonderful scent in the valley.
Erestor pressed himself harder against the tree, the rough bark leaving temporary imprints on his skin. A single tear left each eye, even though he desperately tried to hold them back. What must Glorfindel think of him? As he started to relax, a strange thud sounded from behind. Mystified he turned, but Glorfindel was still standing in the shadow, too far away to have made the sound. His gaze dropped to the floor, where a single golden ball lay on a cushion of grass. It called to him. Beckoned him to come closer. Before he realized he had left the tree, the orange was in his hands. He held it gently, almost with reverence, carefully caressing its leathery surface.
Glorfindel could not contain himself any longer. He saw the desire building inside the counsellor, and ever so stealthily he treaded the soil that lay between them. He was unable to take his gaze off Erestor. The fruit alone appeared golden in a sea of silver wherever the moon touched the land. Tiny gold specks reflected in Erestor's dark eyes. For a brief moment, those eyes left the round object situated in pale hands, and locked gazes with Glorfindel. Weak at the knees, the seneschal stood in front of the chief advisor. He placed his hands over his, cradling the precious fruit in a nest of protective fingers.
Erestor looked at the blonde appreciatively, leaned forward and softly touched their lips together. Glorfindel shivered slightly from the gentle kiss, and kept his eyes closed for several seconds after, just to savour the feeling. When he opened them, there was Erestor. Smiling.
"Thank you," Erestor said.
"For what?"
"For setting me free."
They smiled at each other, their hands joined over the sphere of perfect gold. Another thud sounded in the clearing, and they both turned to see a second perfect fruit lying waiting in the grass. Erestor looked at the Elda and smiled even brighter. Then another thud was heard, and a third sphere settled on the ground after rolling down a tuft of grass. The two elves now looked at each other with bewildered amusement. Suddenly, the air filled with a sound not unlike thunder, as dozens of oranges tumbled off the branches, one by one hitting the ground like raindrops. For a few incredible seconds, the couple was surrounded by falling orbs of fire. As silence returned to the garden, a stray orange rolled into Erestor's foot, where it stopped and settled against his naked skin.
The two elves looked around completely dumbfounded. The grass was covered in bright marbles, except a small circle around their feet. Not one fruit had hit them, even though they had been standing right below the heavy branches. They looked up at the canopy, where fruit still lingered, suspended above their heads, waiting for their turn to ripen. Erestor closed his eyes and silently thanked the tree for his luscious gifts. A light breeze rustled the leaves, giving Erestor his reply. Glorfindel could only watch in pure awe. He would remember this night for all eternity.
Erestor lay on the grass with closed eyes, humming on an old song, simply content with being at peace. The oranges were all around him, and he felt such serenity in his heart knowing he had but to reach out and he would be fulfilled. He enjoyed the feeling of empowerment for a moment. A tearing sound alerted his ears, and when he opened his eyes he saw Glorfindel with his back against the tree, ripping the peel from an orange. Erestor immediately felt his mouth water. He licked his lips and quietly watched the blonde part the fruit in a very erotic way.
Glorfindel tore off a segment and raised it to his lips. But as he made to put it in his mouth he heard Erestor's sharp gasp. He chuckled and looked teasingly at the advisor. He took the segment in both hands and broke it in half, sending the sweet scent of the hidden juices into the air. With a shocked groan Erestor sat up and urgently dragged himself over to Glorfindel. He stopped only a couple of inches away from the parted orange segment, which Glorfindel was holding up so enticingly in front of him.
"Did you want the first piece?" the Elda said innocently, the amusement visible in his eyes.
Erestor nodded, never taking his eyes off the prize. Glorfindel moved the piece of fruit closer, and Erestor expectantly parted his lips. The blonde jerked the fruit back, nearly making the advisor jump after it. Glorfindel giggled teasingly at the dark haired elf and did it again. Erestor looked almost offended, but Glorfindel was actually beginning to fear for his fingers should he try to put the fruit past the elf's sharp teeth.
"You are not going to bite me, are you?" he asked, and Erestor merely shook his head.
Glorfindel finally surrendered, and held the fruit in front of him. Erestor waited for him to jerk it back, but he never did. He extended his tongue and received his reward. The soft pulp melted away in his mouth, and he closed his lips to suck Glorfindel's fingers clean of the juices the fruit had left behind. The Elda felt an immediate heat envelope his body as he watched the counsellor suckle his fingers. With his other hand he held up the other half of the orange segment, earning the fingers on that hand the same treatment.
Erestor had closed his eyes again, eating the fruit slowly, trapped in silent worship. Glorfindel took the opportunity to put a piece of fruit into his own mouth, and chewed on it hastily. As soon as he had swallowed, he grabbed Erestor and pressed their lips together with great urgency. The other body was alive and vibrant, full of unspent passion and lust. Glorfindel embraced it, feeling his own limbs quicken from the intimacy. They kissed heatedly, falling in each other's arms on the grass.
Glorfindel reached for the parted fruit, putting another piece between Erestor's lips before kissing him again. Within their kiss the fruit was shared and spent, only to make way for another piece. They ate of the forbidden, they drank of one another, they lived one second away from the edge and never feared to fall. They were lost in the moment, and nothing else mattered than what was right here, right now.
Erestor happily devoured everything Glorfindel gave him, but he grew frustrated with small pieces and slow dealings. Growing heated and feverish with lust, he forcefully rolled the Elda over on his back, and straddled him. Glorfindel was stunned at first, but had no problem with Erestor taking charge. If there was something he had always admired about Elrond's chief advisor, it was his determination. If he wanted something, he usually got his way. Erestor sat up straight and looked down on his lover. He teased his fingers over taut nipples, sending a surge of shivers through the muscular body of the elven warrior.
There was still oil on their skin, but not enough to please Erestor. Grabbing the nearest orange from the grass, he held it up in both hands, sunk his nails through the thick peel and tore the fruit apart. Cool juices dripped down onto Glorfindel's chest, trickling in tiny rivers between the muscles on his stomach and throat. Erestor pressed one half of the orange against the blonde's skin, squashing the pulp and smearing it over his torso. The other half he put to his own face, devouring the fruity flesh with large bites as the juices ran down his neck.
Glorfindel only got more aroused by the counsellor's savage behaviour, and his member was now painfully erect. Erestor picked up another orange and tore it apart. This time he made the blonde eat it, pressing the fruit against his mouth. He enjoyed watching the balrog-slayer lap up the pulp, and intrigued he watched the larynx move up and down the warrior's throat as he swallowed. He slowly became aware of the erection pressing against his buttocks, and decided it was time it received some attention as well.
Using the other half of the orange he pressed the engorged member against his behind, rubbing the exposed pulp over the hard shaft. He felt Glorfindel's desperate groan, and removed the empty peel from his face to let him breathe. The blonde bucked beneath him as he continued to rub the swollen length with the dripping fruit. Erestor bent down and started licking the sweet juices off Glorfindel's fair face and neck. The seneschal groaned and squirmed in his grip. Erestor nipped at the sensitive skin and withdrew an excited whimper from his lover.
Glorfindel's hands wandered from his sides, searching for something to grab onto. One hand found grass, and the other took hold of another orange. Erestor's tongue was massaging his lips, making him dizzy. Erestor was a very skilled elf, in whatever task he took upon himself, kissing included. The whimpers and moans Erestor was able to extract from the seneschal only aided in arousing him further, and he started panting heavily. Glorfindel was able to rip apart the orange, and fed it to his lover so he may catch his breath for a moment.
Erestor greedily tore the flesh from the orange with his teeth, and swallowed it in one gulp. Casting aside the peel, he returned to kissing Glorfindel breathless. Lying flat on top of the blonde, he rubbed himself against him, craving the friction his body provided. Erestor still had a hold on Glorfindel's member, squeezing it inside the shredded orange, the juices slicking the shaft and dripping down the sac. However, the chief counsellor was growing impatient.
He threw away what was left of the orange, and took a firm hold on Glorfindel's thick member, catching the Elda's cries of pleasure with his mouth. Slowly, Erestor stroked the erection in his hand, ever so teasingly nudging the blunt head against the entrance to his body. The blonde quivered with anticipation. Glorfindel groaned into the kiss, his hands grabbing hold of Erestor's hips. Their skin was slick and sticky with oil, smashed pulp and fruit juices, but they hardly noticed.
Erestor started licking and kissing his way down the Elda's chest, lapping at the sweet orange that lingered on every inch of his skin. The skilful advisor let both hands massage a muscular torso as he slid himself down to settle on Glorfindel's long legs. His inquisitive tongue found a pool of golden liquid in a perfect navel, and kissed it clean. The balrog-slayer moaned his consent. Jet-black hair tickled his every nerve as Erestor's kisses travelled lower.
That ever so skilled tongue drew a wet path up the reddened column of Glorfindel's member, making him quiver with suspense. Erestor eagerly licked the dripping juices from the sensitive skin on the Elda's inner thighs, the wrinkled sac, and the hard shaft that so impatiently awaited his attentions. Deciding to have pity on the suffering blonde, Erestor took the member into his mouth, and suckled the purple head until Glorfindel was groaning with mad desire. Letting his tongue dance over the sensitive tip, he elicited noise after noise of pleasurable surrender from the wicked blonde. Tracing the tip of his tongue at the slit, he could make Glorfindel's entire body tremor with lust.
He finally decided that the Elda had had enough, and planted one last kiss on the glistening head. Sliding back up Glorfindel's body, he brushed their erections together briefly, before he once again settled himself on the muscular hips. Leaning forward to kiss his blond warrior, he let him taste the mixture that was their lovemaking this night. The taste of Erestor, of Glorfindel, and of the fruit that was forbidden.
Glorfindel could not recall ever being this aroused. Oranges must indeed be a very powerful aphrodisiac. He kissed his love passionately, tasting the sweetness of the fruit, and the saltiness of his own essence on Erestor's tongue. That thought only excited him further. He wanted to have Erestor, to take him and ravage him until the sun came over the mountains. He ached for it.
His arms and hands frantically searched to get a good hold on the slippery advisor, but it was useless. The straining member jutting out from his groin ached for contact, but Erestor only kept teasing him. Frustrated, Glorfindel grasped both of the Noldo's buttocks, and pulled them apart. Erestor cried out and broke the kiss. He panted with excitement as the Elda kept massaging his backside. Erestor reached back and carefully laid his hand over Glorfindel's. He tentatively moved the hand into a more desirable position, and Glorfindel caught the hint.
His fingertips gently traced the puckered opening, teasing it, before very carefully inserting one finger. Erestor whimpered, and collapsed heavily on top of his lover. Glorfindel teased and stretch the tight entrance, and then added another finger. Erestor groaned pitifully, and circled his hips enticingly, signalling he wanted more. Glorfindel grinned wickedly, and scissored his fingers as deep inside Erestor as he could. The aroused advisor responded by groaning loudly and pressing harder against the Elda's firm body. Erestor felt a slight brush against the most sensitive spot inside him, and it made him shake fiercely. Goosebumps spread over his skin, and he tried desperately to push into the touch.
Glorfindel sensed his lover's desperation, but it was not much more he could achieve with his fingers from the position he was in. He retrieved his hands and soothingly rubbed them over Erestor's back. To his surprise, Erestor sat up, instantly glowing with all the might that was Ithil. He was still panting as he reached behind him, and took hold of Glorfindel's member once more. Before Glorfindel could say anything, Erestor had impaled himself upon the slick shaft.
Erestor grimaced with pain when he felt the thick erection sink into his body. He lowered himself slowly, until he was securely settled on Glorfindel's hips. There he stayed still for a moment, adjusting to the throbbing member filling him. The Elda's hands were moving on his skin now, stroking his hips, begging him to move. The blonde's brow was glistening with tiny beads of sweat, and he drew shallow, ragged breaths. Erestor grinned, and clamped his inner muscles around the invasive erection.
Glorfindel screamed and arched his back, his nails digging into the skin on Erestor's pale hips. Erestor fell forward, and braced himself on determined arms. He moved his hips in tiny circles, making his lover whimper and beg. When he felt comfortable, he started moving more forcefully, trying to get Glorfindel's member to go where he wanted it to. The Elda was not used to lying back and being passive. He pulled Erestor into his arms, and squeezed their bodies together while trying to thrust into the Noldo's welcoming heat.
Erestor felt as if he were about to implode on himself. All sensation in his limbs seemed to travel inward, and congregate in his lower body. The heat where Glorfindel was moving in and out of him was unbelievable. His own member was pressed tightly between their bodies, and so hard it almost felt numb. He whimpered in Glorfindel's embrace, not able to take the state of his arousal anymore.
Growing frustrated with lack of reach, Glorfindel rolled them over, ending up on top of the chief advisor, comfortably settled between his spread legs. Now it was his turn to tease. He repeated Erestor's circular movements, rolling his hips enticingly against the Noldo's slick behind. Erestor groaned, the thick member pushing against his swollen prostate with every move. Their union was taking its toll on them both. Limbs were shaking with strain and built up desire.
Erestor wrapped his arms and legs around Glorfindel's strong frame, and pulled him close. They were too lost in their lovemaking to kiss. Fumbling lips and tongues missed their target. So they just held each other as tight as they could muster, while their heated coupling proceeded in pushing the limits of what their bodies could take. Glorfindel thrust as hard as he could into the tight body, his mind reeling with unimaginable sensations. Erestor was almost beside himself with the feeling of Glorfindel filling every part of him. Their bodies undulated together in a snakelike dance of ancient origins, their souls lifting in joyous union, a celebration of love and lust as old the earth itself.
Loud groans and screams filled the air as the friction created between them drove them both to the edge of their sanity. Erestor at last surrendered to the erotic pleasure that overwhelmed him, and when his lover pushed himself deeper than he had ever been, Erestor screamed his release. Glorfindel jerked violently and drove himself as deep into his lover as he possibly could, and there he spent himself. Spraying his warm seed inside the dark channel, he tickled Erestor's senses, making him clamp down on the swollen member still inside him. Glorfindel groaned painfully, his whole body throbbing and shaking from the brutality of his orgasm. Erestor too quivered with relief, and welcomed an exhausted seneschal into his arms.
Rolling over on their side, Glorfindel's sated sex slipped out of Erestor, and they both sighed from the loss of intimacy. Looking into each other's eyes, they smiled tiredly. Gathering the slightly slimmer body into his arms, Glorfindel cradled Erestor protectively against his chest. Stroking the dark silken tresses, he soothed the beautiful Noldo to sleep. And by doing so, he himself drifted off into a web of dreams.
All was quiet in the valley, and Ithil slowly surrendered the sky to Arien, warming the earth and waking its children. Elrond stretched in his bed, feeling quite rested after a long, good night's sleep. He got up and looked outside. It was a wonderful morning. This would be a great day to take a walk in the forest with his closest friend and advisor. It had been a long time since they walked together and just talked. He missed that. Somewhere along the line Erestor had changed, and Elrond regretted not being able to help him.
Washing up and getting dressed, Elrond kept thinking. There had to be a reason for all that had happened. Some event that stirred these changes in his friend. But what could that be? Nothing much had happened these last few centuries that would explain the counsellor's peculiar behaviour. While braiding his hair his thoughts drifted to Glorfindel. It had always bothered Elrond that his two closest companions never became friends. It was odd. Even though the two of them were very different on the outside, Elrond knew they were the same at heart. Once or twice he had even imagined seeing a spark between them.
But whatever fire had been there, it had been rapidly stifled. In the early years Glorfindel had tried to befriend the shy advisor, but Erestor always withdrew into his study and asked not to be disturbed. And then there was Lindir. The minstrel that had admired Erestor so. Now the poor boy was even afraid to be in the same room as him. All because of the oranges. The damn oranges! Elrond grew frustrated. His thoughts only ever led him back to the problem.
He sighed and left his rooms to go and have breakfast. His mood was not so cheerful anymore. He took a detour around the corridors, hoping to catch Erestor before he locked himself in his study. The door to the Noldo's rooms was open, and peering in Elrond saw no sign of the advisor. It was still early, and the bed was untouched. So Erestor had not slept. His nightmares were surely bothering him again. He would be in his study, then. Elrond sighed disappointed, and closed the door when he left.
He greeted a few elves he met in the corridor on his way to the dining hall, but the house was awfully quiet. This was usually the time of day where Glorfindel found most pleasure in practising with his sword, and many of his admirers would follow him and watch in awe. From the east balcony you would hear the metallic ringing of blades, and the joyful laughter of young elves watching their fathers being bested by the balrog-slayer. Elrond smiled to himself thinking of the snorts Erestor would make when hearing the racket.
'Does he not have better things to do than showing off his brawn every morning,' the advisor would say. And there would always be a hint of jealousy in his voice. Elrond entered the deserted dining hall, and went directly to the balcony. The rising sun was shining on an empty yard. A few elves were grooming their horses or oiling their weapons, but all was still. It was a very peculiar morning this day.
"Ada, are you in here?" a young and agitated voice sounded from the hall.
"Elrohir?" Elrond stepped back inside and saw the fear on his son's face. "What is it, melme? What is wrong?"
"Tell me, ada," he said. "Tell me, is it Erestor?"
"Is what Erestor?" Elrond did not understand what his son was trying to say.
"Is it Erestor who is allergic to the oranges?" the urgency in his voice told of a more serious matter than the question would imply.
"Why do you ask such a thing? I though we had already discussed...."
"Tell me, ada! Tell me now!"
"All right!" He was not used to his children or anyone else ever raising their voice at him, and he grew uneasy with this whole interrogation. "Yes. It is because of Erestor that I forbad the oranges. Why bother with this now?"
"Because we found him...in the garden..." Elrond heard his heart gallop in his chest, afraid that something terrible had happened. "...we cannot wake him!"
Elrond followed his youngest son as they hurried through the corridors and into the north garden. Pushing past bushes and trees, the two Peredhil took a shortcut to the orchard, where the large orange tree centred a clearing. As they entered the clearing they saw Elladan. He looked very upset. Elrond hesitated in his step. The ground was covered in fallen fruit. Smashed, crushed and torn to pieces, the oranges were strewn across the grass. On the other side of the tree, Elrond could see something lying on the ground.
The twins had covered the naked bodies with blankets, but Elrond did not have to see them to know what had happened. Erestor and Glorfindel were lying a few paces apart, dishevelled and sticky with the broken fruits. Elrond kneeled beside Erestor and hovered his hand over his brow. Closing his eyes, he felt for darkness in the elf's mind.
Elrohir embraced his brother and tried to comfort him. Elladan felt such guilt over bringing that orange into the house, and thought that somehow this was all his fault. They could not lose Erestor. He had been a second father to them after their mother passed. And Glorfindel who had been their hero since the day he set foot in Imladris, how could they survive losing him? Elladan wept on his brother's shoulder, praying to the Valar that their loved ones would stay.
Elrond checked both of the sleeping elves, surprised to find nothing wrong with them. They only appeared exhausted. He rose, baffled, not certain what to do about this situation. He looked at his sons, who were holding each other worriedly, looking to him for answers. He reassured his sons that everything would be all right. He concluded that the best thing to do would be to leave the sleeping elves where they lay, until they were properly rested. He situated guards at the entrances to the garden, stating that no one was permitted to enter.
He then faced long hours of pacing and worrying, wondering if he should not check on them one more time. The twins also worried, but their presence helped calm him down. It was a relief for him to finally tell them the truth. They were most shocked to hear about Lindir's 'accident'. They would never have believed Erestor to do such a thing. Hours passed. They waited and listened, dreading the moment when their friends realized what they had done.
Erestor managed with great effort to open his eyes. His eyelashes were stuck together from dried orange juice. Groaning tiredly he sat up and looked around. Arien soared the western sky, and a light breeze ruffled his hair as he cleared his mind. When he tried to smooth his hair from his face, his fingers stuck in the dark locks, and a fierce struggle to free himself took place. His ears filled with a melodic laughter.
Glorfindel lay on his stomach, resting his chin on his hands, and watching Erestor with great mirth. Pieces of drying pulp still clung to his skin. He smiled adoringly, and Erestor nearly melted into a puddle of goo. He couldn't help but giggle at it all, and blushed like a young boy when the seneschal looked at him so lovingly.
"We need a bath," Glorfindel stated, and held up his hand to show how his fingers were stuck together. Erestor chuckled and nodded.
"We certainly do," he said, and held up what looked like a bird's nest in his hair.
They got to their feet and stretched. Erestor looked around at the mess they had created. It was a wonder no one had caught them here, since it was quite late in the day. He frowned when he noticed the blankets, because he could not remember that they had brought blankets. He saw the same expression on Glorfindel's face, but in the end they just shrugged, wrapped the blankets around their bodies and headed for the bathhouse.
Surprised to see two guards standing by the house, they sneaked past them while they were talking, and were glad to find the bathhouse empty. Inside was a large pool where everyone could sit together, and then there were a few smaller, more secluded pools for couples who wanted privacy. Glorfindel led Erestor to one of these pools, and helped the sticky advisor enter the water. They sat quietly for a long while, just soaking up the heat. The water came directly from the nearby hot springs, and was always nice and warm.
Glorfindel sighed and put an arm around Erestor, pulling him close. Erestor rested his head on the strong shoulder provided, and closed his eyes in bliss. It had been a long time since he had felt such peace. Nuzzling up against his lover, he felt himself drift off again. But he did not mind. Everything was just right.
Glorfindel woke softly by a melodious humming. When he opened his eyes he saw a perfect, pale back, slightly curved as Erestor was sitting in front of him, running his skilled fingers through shining, black hair. Glorfindel parted his legs to either side of the advisor, and slid forward to embrace him from behind. Erestor gratefully accepted the kisses bestowed upon his neck and shoulder, and tilted his head to make sure some of them hit his face and lips as well. After kissing softly for a few moments, Glorfindel drew back for a better view of those green eyes that he adored.
Erestor relished the feeling of secure arms around him. Wet skin on wet skin. The slightly wrinkled fingertips tickling his stomach. Those intense blue eyes, seeing him, and only him. It was where he always had wanted to be. He reached up to touch that flawless face. To caress that smooth, perfect skin. Letting his gaze follow his fingertip as he traced over those full, pouty lips, his voice quivered when he spoke.
"I love you, you know."
"We became lovers but a day ago, and already you love me?" Glorfindel said with a dazzling smile. Erestor only shook his head slowly, feeling the need to be absolutely sincere.
"No. I always loved you."
Glorfindel's smile vanished, and he held Erestor even more tenderly. The look in the green eyes was so honest, so pure, and so afraid. Vulnerable even. He didn't know what to say. He petted the soft hair, trying to wrap his mind around the words spoken.
"I thought you despised me," he finally said. "I must have tried a hundred times to befriend you, and every time you shut the door in my face."
"But I never wanted to be your friend, Glorfindel. It was easier to just stay away from you. I hated you as much as I loved you."
"You hated me?" Glorfindel wasn't as surprised as he sounded, but he was curious now. This was the first time the two of them had ever really talked. He needed to know everything.
"I hated you. From the moment you showed up in Imladris, everything changed. You were the great saviour, the warrior sent back from the dead by the Valar to protect us. You became everyone's hero. You took the twins from me."
When he spoke the last words he could not manage to look Glorfindel in the face. The bitterness he felt was obvious. He still remembered the pain.
"How did I take the twins from you?"
"Always had I been there for them. Whenever they had a problem they came to me. When they were children I would play with them, read to them, sing with them, teach them things and tell them whatever they wanted to know. I was a third parent for their entire lives, and I was their friend. All that changed when you showed up. They no longer cared for books or songs. All they ever wanted to hear were your brutal war stories. And if one of them found a special someone, I was always the last to know. They spent all their free time with you, and I was forgotten like I never existed."
"That is not true!" Glorfindel was shocked. How could Erestor believe such a thing? "Many times they came to me out of worry for you. In fact, they often spoke of how much you meant to them, and how it hurt them to watch you change. They said you were different once. That you used to smile."
Erestor looked at Glorfindel, his eyes swimming in tears. Of course he had changed. Everything had changed that day. What became his sunlight also became his storm cloud. He had loved and admired the Elda as much as the other elves had, but Glorfindel had never treated him as one of the other elves. He wanted to ask him why, but he couldn't find the words to phrase his question.
"You didn't like me, did you?" It was more a statement than a question. "Whenever you tried to 'befriend' me, it was because Elrond asked you to, not because you wanted to."
"I was afraid of you," Glorfindel admitted. "I thought you were cold. Heartless even." It shamed him to say such a thing, but he had to tell Erestor the truth.
"Heartless?" Erestor was not only offended, but deeply hurt by such a grim, not to mention incorrect, term. "Heartless?" He squirmed to get out of Glorfindel's grip, but the blonde held him tightly in place.
"I was wrong, Erestor. I was so very wrong. Please forgive me." Erestor stopped wriggling, and Glorfindel tightened his hold on the advisor, kissing his forehead pleadingly. "Please forgive me."
Erestor released a ragged breath, and tried to put words to his feelings. "I only ever wanted you to love me. But you made it very clear that you had no respect for people who rather devote themselves to books and politics than to swords and arrows."
"What makes you say that? I never claimed such a thing."
"Never mind," Erestor said. He was growing tired with all this emotion. "Just a lot of little things. I was simply never welcome in you little group of followers."
"I didn't think you wanted to be there."
"I didn't."
"Then what are you arguing about?"
Erestor chuckled then, and Glorfindel was relieved he had been able to lift the mood. He kissed Erestor on the forehead once more, and embraced him tightly. He felt sad he had not been aware to see this other side of the chief counsellor before. He wished he had noticed it earlier. As he saw him now, there was nothing cold about him. He was warm, passionate, and incredibly devoted. Glorfindel had been sad when he first came to Imladris. There was no elf that he really felt connected with, no one that was special to him. Elrond and his sons were of course his close friends, but he would have wanted a companion. A partner. He never saw a potential mate in any of the elves he had gotten to know.
Erestor had been so mysterious. He had wanted to get to know him, he really had, but Erestor frightened him. He was a very authoritative elf, and was known across the lands as the negotiator who could stare down a mûmak. He had admired the advisor. Looked up to him. Whenever one was in his presence one felt so insignificant. Erestor simply beamed with pride, knowledge and wisdom. Surely he would have no need of mixing with the mere common folk. Or so Glorfindel had thought.
Erestor adjusted himself in the Elda's embrace, leaning his back comfortably against the broad chest, and relaxing once again. He didn't want to fret about the past anymore. He was content to be where he was. He sighed deeply and smiled to himself.
"You know, I might have approached you earlier had you not been such a show-off," he teased.
"Oh, I'm the show-off, am I?" Glorfindel joined in the teasing.
"Always playing with your silly little knifes, taking of your shirt so that everyone can se what pretty muscles you have..."
"Says the walking dictionary!" he countered, mocking offence. "Like you don't take every opportunity to show off all the knowledge you crammed in that pretty little brain of yours."
"That is hardly the same thing."
"It is exactly the same thing."
"So we're both show-offs."
"Exactly."
They broke out in a fit of laughter, and had to dip their heads under water to be able to stop. When they surfaced, they embraced tightly, and kissed each other in a way that made them feel closer to one another than they had ever felt before. Blue eyes locking with green, they smiled.
"See," Glorfindel said. "We are not so different after all." He raised his hand out of the water, took Erestor's hand in his, and intertwined their fingers. "Look how we fit together."
Elrond didn't have much of an appetite. He passed time at dinner by simply moving the food around on his plate. Looking up, he noticed that his sons were doing the same. It was late in the afternoon, and still no sign of anything happening in the garden. He would go and check in on them as soon as he had finished dinner. What a joke that was, he thought to himself. Seeing the worry on identical faces, he tried to say something encouraging.
"They will be all right, my beloveds. There is no need to worry."
"Is that why you are not eating either, ada?" Elladan asked with a hint of amusement. Elrond smiled fondly.
"Sometimes I wonder if not you two take more after Erestor than you do me. You tease just the way he does."
"I remember," Elrohir said. "That we once called him nana, just for fun, and he ended up chasing us through the entire house. We thought he was going to spank us silly." Elladan laughed so hard he nearly choked. They had been a very mischievous pair, even after they reached their majority.
"I remember you two used to sit on the floor in the library, hour after hour, just to watch him work," Elrond added. "You were always very fond of him, and he knew that. He would never have hurt you, even if you did call him nana." He smiled at his sons. He was so proud of them. They had grown into fine men.
"I know," Elrohir said. "But he changed. We changed. After we started battle training we spent more time with Glorfindel than we did with him, and we lost that closeness that we used to have."
He spoke with great sadness in his voice, and Elrond felt his heart grow heavy with regret. Erestor had been very close with the boys once. Perhaps in his despair the lonely Noldo had sought other pleasures as substitute for their company. Elrond shook his head. It was still not an explanation, but felt as though he was getting closer.
"Don't get me wrong," Elrohir continued. "I love Glorfindel, and I'm very glad we have grown so close to him, but I miss Erestor."
"So do I," Elladan agreed. "Elrohir, do you remember the day Glorfindel first arrived?"
"Of course. I remember everything about that day." His face received a dreamy expression, and he stared into thin air as if he was picturing it in front of him. "He was wearing the finest clothing, set in green and burgundy, with golden flower embroideries."
"He looked so regal," Elladan filled in.
"His armour shone in the sunlight, and his weapons were like nothing I had ever seen."
"The fabled balrog-slayer," Elladan said, lost in his own memories.
"I even remember the feeling of awe I got when he walked passed me," Elrohir continued. "And I remember the way his hair smelled."
"Oh yes," Elladan agreed. "Like spices and oranges..."
This is when Elrond choked on his meal. He didn't even realize his sons were patting him on the back until a half chewed piece of an unrecognisable vegetable flew across the table. Before the twins could ask any questions, Elrond was already on his feet and pacing the room. Oranges. Oranges. Always back to the oranges. Elrond thought back to meeting Glorfindel in the twins' room. Please, meldir. I have not used this oil in centuries. I simply felt like wearing it. I like its scent.
Indeed. It was the same oil he had worn during his first time in Imladris. It was not much later that Erestor started behaving strangely. Hiding basket after basket of oranges in his room, devouring them in a manner that would bring you to imagine the way an orc would eat a baby's head. Slowly, Elrond Peredhel was beginning to find the last pieces of the puzzle. The bigger picture was unfolding itself in front of him.
The lonely advisor. The overachieving seneschal. The sparks. The uncharacteristic behaviour. The losses. The suppressed emotions. The obsession. The oranges.
"Ada?" Elrohir's voice reached him through the haze of his brooding, and he stopped pacing. "Ada, do you think..."
"Yes," he whispered. Slowly, a sly smile crept into his features, which utterly baffled his confused sons. "Yes, I think.... I think everything will be all right."
Three months later, snow covered the entire valley. Naked trees glistened with frost, and everywhere in the forest you could see the footprints of animals imprinted on the white quilt that sheltered the earth. The days were dark, but the valley was alive and lit with lanterns. After the sun had completed its round and left the heavens black, tiny wads of soft snow began their slow journey to join their fallen brothers. In the last homely house, large hearths were warming the elves that dwelled within. But two remained without. A trail of soft footprints led away from the homestead, and up a hill. From that hill anyone who wanted could have a perfect view of the gardens all around the elven haven. Gardens where next spring orange trees would blossom unrestricted once more.
There in the shadow stood two figures, hand in hand, gazing up at the darkened sky. There was a blond one, clad in blue, and a dark one, wearing the deepest of red. From the garden they were barely visible, veiled behind a curtain of falling snow. The air was still. There was no sound that could disturb the couple where they stood in reverence of nature's miracle. Their heads tilted upward, tiny stars of crystal snow landed on their faces, only to melt away on their warm skin.
Erestor giggled when a snowflake nearly got inside his nose, and it tickled him so badly he needed to sneeze. Glorfindel looked at his mate dotingly, unable to stop a wide grin from appearing on his face. In Erestor he had found the partner he had always craved, and more than that. He loved him something terrible, and could not imagine ever living without him again. Glorfindel rubbed his thumb over the hand in his, drawing Erestor's attention. Ocean green eyes turned to look at him. It was amazing that he still got weak in the knees from such a simple thing.
"I love you, you silly elf," he smiled, and pressed a kiss to the pale hand.
"I love you too, you big show-off," Erestor grinned, and moved in close, face to face with his lover.
"Oh, I'm the show-off, am I?" Glorfindel's grin grew wider, and he rubbed their noses together affectionately. Erestor nodded.
"You are."
They kissed lovingly, trying not to giggle into each other's mouths. Glorfindel got a bit frisky, and his hands travelled lower to cup a firm behind as they kissed.
"Guess what I want," he teased, and started kissing Erestor's neck, making him groan with pleasure.
"You... want to go inside?"
"No..." Glorfindel teased the most sensitive areas on the pale neck, knowing exactly where they were located.
"So you want to do it here, in the snow?"
"Uh-huh..."
"We did that yesterday, my love. You'll have to think of something new."
Glorfindel stopped and raised his head to look at his lover. "So I have to think of something new every day?"
"Uh-huh..." Erestor grinned and started kissing Glorfindel's neck, eliciting a deep sigh of contentment.
"Don't ever change, Erestor."
Erestor stopped the teasing and faced his beloved Elda. The words had moved him almost to tears, but there was nothing but a warm smile on his face as he embraced Glorfindel. Rubbing their noses together affectionately, Erestor caressed the hair and the face he had been spellbound by for so long. They were finally together. Glorfindel took his hand and kissed it. He repeated the words he meant so sincerely.
"Don't ever change."
Site Info
We are the home of 1292 authors from among our 2552 members. There have been 2904 reviews written about our 3820 stories consisting of 10734 chapters and 29400445 words. A special welcome to our newest member, Rosamundeb.Categories
Skin Change
Donate
Help us keep one of the oldest running LotR archives available to all. Even the smallest donation helps!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
The Library, elsewhere
Other projects
Forbidden Fruit by Eremir
Story notes: Warnings: Smut, kink, messiness, and general weirdness. Minor angst and a little fluff. Just the right combination. ;)
Written for the Library of Moria 'Secret Fetish' challenge.
Chapter end notes: meldir = friend
ada = dad
melethron = lover
Ithil = the moon
Arien = the sun
lirimaer = my lovely one
melme = love
mûmak = oliphaunt
