Title: Not an Illusion!
Author: Morgana
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing; Erestor/Glorfindel
Overall rating: NC-17 or in Master Erestor’s coding
system; hot red :P
Summary: Erestor doesn’t want to be alone anymore.
Disclaimer: Not mine, all characters belong to
Tolkien.
Dedicated to Fishy because she writes lovely
Glorfindel/Erestor stories and was concerned that
there weren’t enough new stories out there, featuring them
Warnings: AU
Beta read by Lady Mirfain, thanks!
All remaining mistakes are mine.

Not an Illusion!

“I do not want to be alone anymore,” whispered
Erestor. He felt lonely and lost, looking out over the
calm, silver water of the Bruinen. Each night he came
here, hoping to find some other lonely Elf who would
sit with him. His loneliness felt oppressing and he
yearned for company – someone to talk to, someone who
would allow him to hold his hand… But he remained
alone.

His long, raven hair obscured most of his features and
the strands hid the salty tears that streaked his
face. Most of the Elves who he counted among his
friends had found lovers a long time ago. Elrond had
married Celebrían and the two Elves were still happily
in love, even after having been together for several
centuries. Lindir had found love in Melpomaen’s arms
and rumors went about that even Glorfindel was in love
and courting his chosen one.

“It is not fair,” he decided, that he was the only one
without someone to love. He had reached a point in his
life during which he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Not that he wasn’t in love! For he was in love –
deeply, madly and truly. But the object of his desire
was already in love with someone else. He didn’t know
who Glorfindel was in love with, but he believed the
rumors that said that a young, noble guard had
captured the Captain’s heart. The guards had been
whispering among themselves, often seeing a passionate
look in the blue eyes late at night. They just hadn’t
deduced yet who their Captain was in love with.

/Oh, I am a pitiful excuse for an Elf!/ Angry with
himself for letting go in such a way, he wiped away
his tears and brushed his long hair away from his
face. /I cannot give in to my despair in such a way! I
am Chief Advisor to Elrond! He depends on me for many
things. I cannot be this unbalanced./

After composing himself, Erestor rose from the rock he
had been sitting on. He used the fabric of his robes
to dry his feet, which had been dangling in the water.
It was time he set aside his self-pity and returned to
the Last Homely House to get some rest. Elrond would
need him again in the morning. The council meetings
seemed never-ending.

Erestor turned and headed back to the Last Homely
House with a bowed head and slumped shoulders. The
truth was that no one was interested in him and that
he would remain alone for the rest of his long,
immortal life.

~~~

Little did Erestor know that a pair of eyes followed
his form until he disappeared from the other Elf’s
view. His heart-rending admission had not gone
unnoticed. His words had been heard.

~~~

“Erestor?” Elrond arched an eyebrow at finding a thorn
less, red rose on his Chief Advisor’s desk. He had
come in early to catch up on his correspondence and
had found the rose. “Erestor, please come in here.”
Erestor was in the adjourning room – the half-Elf’s
study.

Maintaining his always dignified front, Erestor
entered his office. “Is something amiss, my Lord?”
Elrond had often told him to do away with the title,
but Erestor found it hard to address Elrond
informally, especially when they were at work. “How
can I be of assistance?” His eyes grew big, seeing the
rose on his desk. “What is this?”

“You tell me. It is lying on your desk.” Elrond smiled
at his friend. “Is there something you would like to
tell me?” He hadn’t known that Erestor had a lover!

“I have no idea who put this rose on my desk.” Erestor
carefully approached his desk, almost as if he didn’t
trust the situation and expected for the rose to turn
into a snake and to attack him.

Elrond noticed Erestor’s cautious demeanor and said,
“It is a real rose, Erestor. It won’t bite.” He could
smell its sweet scent.

Erestor swallowed, feeling strangely nervous. He
extended a hand and his finger brushed against the
soft petals. “Who left this here? And why?”

Elrond coughed, clearing his throat. “There is a card,
you know.” He pointed at the cream-colored note,
neatly tied to the stem with red fabric.

Erestor’s unease grew. Someone was playing games with
him – leaving roses and notes. Who would be so cruel
to toy with his feelings? A startling thought came to
him. Could it be that someone had overheard him mutter
last night?

“Won’t you read the message on the card?” Elrond was
bursting with curiosity. It was about time that
someone noticed his Chief Advisor in a romantic way.
As he was extremely happy with his wife, he wanted his
friend to be happy as well.

Erestor’s fingers trembled as he turned the card
around to read the message.

Please accept this rose…
A secret admirer

Erestor’s breathing wavered and his face grew
flustered. For one stupid moment he had allowed
himself to hope that this was a serious gesture from
someone who was interested in him, but he sobered
quickly. “Someone decided to play a prank on me, my
Lord. I apologize for the distraction.” Erestor picked
the rose up and placed her in the bin. “We should
attend to your correspondence now.”

“Why did you do that? Why did you throw it away?”
Puzzled, Elrond searched Erestor’s eyes. “It is
obvious that someone cares about you.”

“It is a joke, my Lord. I know of no Elf that is
interested in me. I would prefer to forget we ever
found this rose.” Erestor gathered the letters Elrond
had come to fetch and returned to the half-Elf’s
study, trying hard to ignore the pain in his heart.

/I cannot believe he did that!/ Elrond blinked.
/Someone removed those thorns to make certain he would
not cut himself./ Elrond turned his head and caught
sight of Erestor, sitting hunched at his desk and
reading the first letter. /Someone is interested in
you, my friend. Why are you so determined not to see
that?/

After releasing a troubled sigh, Elrond joined Erestor
in his study. After all, there was little he could do
as long as he didn’t know the name of Erestor’s secret
admirer.

~~~

Work ended late that evening. Elrond had already
retired and Erestor was extinguishing the candles and
oil lamps that illuminated their studies. As he walked
through his office, the rose in the bin caught his
attention. He froze and bowed his head. It *had* to be
a prank. He hadn’t been alone at the river last night
and someone was using his loneliness against him. And
yet, the rose was beautiful and it would be so easy to
believe that he *did* have a secret admirer. His feet
carried him to the bin and he bent down, collecting
the rose. /Thorn less. Someone removed the thorns so I
would not hurt myself./ The thought that someone cared
that much about him made him feel all warm inside, but
he was afraid – afraid to believe someone liked him
that much!

In the end, Erestor slipped the rose between the folds
of his robes and exited his study. Walking the long
corridors, he headed for his rooms. He wasn’t looking
forward to spending another evening on his own.

~~~

A soft knock on his door pulled him from his slumber.
Erestor had fallen asleep in a comfortable chair. He
had only wanted to rest a moment before washing up and
readying himself for bed. He must have been more tired
than he had thought. “Who is it?”

“The cook told me to deliver this, Lord Councilor,”
came a female voice from the other side of the door.

Pushing himself to his feet, Erestor made his way to
the door and opened it. One of the maids faced him,
carrying a tray which held a goblet and a card.
Erestor blinked, accepted the tray and thanked the
She-Elf for delivering it to his room. After closing
the door, Erestor headed over to his desk and set the
tray on the table. The fragrance of the spices that
surrounded the hot wine told him that someone had
noticed he preferred his wine hot and with added
spices. But he hadn’t sent for the drink. His fingers
trembled, unfolding the card.

You work too hard, Erestor. I hope that you will enjoy
this wine and that it will give you pleasant dreams.
Your secret admirer

Erestor sat down on a chair, feeling stunned. At
first, he had thought that placing the rose on his
desk had been a prank, but now that this wine had been
delivered to his room, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Only
the Elves seated at the head table knew how he
preferred to drink his wine. Which one of those Elves
was playing with him?

The fragrances called out to him and Erestor curled
his fingers around the goblet. He sipped slowly,
enjoying feeling the hot liquid running down his
throat and warming him from the inside. A glass of
wine was just what he needed after a hard day’s work.

Minutes later he had emptied the goblet and placed it
back onto the tray. He picked up the card and placed
it with the first note he had received. Studying the
handwriting, he realized that he had never seen it
before. Maybe the writer had changed his handwriting
on purpose to avoid being found out?

Erestor rose from his chair and headed into the
bathroom, where he quickly washed up. He exited naked,
as he preferred to sleep in the nude. After pushing
back the covers, he stretched on the mattress,
releasing a deep, trembling sigh. Oh, how much he
wanted to feel a warm body curled around his, holding
and touching him! But he was alone and his only way to
deal with his loneliness was to flee into a world of
fantasy.

His fantasies always revolved about Glorfindel. The
Captain had stolen his heart long ago, and although
the golden haired Elf was in love with another Elf,
Erestor still allowed himself to dream about the
warrior. Closing his eyes, he surrendered to his
fantasies…

Glorfindel’s hard, muscular body pressed against his
and Erestor willingly pushed back. The warrior’s
erection was nestled between his buttocks and rubbed
against the entrance to his body. Strong, possessive
arms wrapped around him and stilled him, stopping him
from rubbing his behind against Glorfindel’s groin.

His fingers curled around his hard flesh and he pumped
his engorged member, already feeling his orgasm
building in the pit of his stomach. He arched his
back, thrusting into his hand, into the air.

“I want you so much,” whispered Erestor, consumed by
his fantasy. “I want to feel you move inside me.”
Directing the fantasy as he pleased, he imagined
Glorfindel opening him up, slowly entering him. “Aye,
like that…”

Licking one finger, he lavished it with saliva. He
rolled onto his side and reached behind him, slowly
pushing one finger into his passage. “I want you so
much!”

In his fantasy, Glorfindel had sheathed himself to the
hilt. In his daydreams the blond Elf would always
remain motionless at first and Erestor used that
moment to add a second finger, stretching himself. He
didn’t thrust, he simply enjoyed feeling stretched,
feeling full. Stroking his member, he imagined
Glorfindel whispering endearments to him, confessions
of love and passion. Reaching completion, Erestor
squeezed his eyes shut, determined to stay inside his
fantasy and lock out empty reality. He quivered over
his entire body, riding out his orgasm.

A single tear slipped from his eyes when reality
crashed in to him again. The potent wine had made him
let go and he now regretted giving in to his need to
fantasize about Glorfindel. The blond warrior would
never be his!

Erestor pushed himself into an upright position and
used a corner of the sheet to wipe away his seed.
Sitting on the side of the bed, he watched his feet,
which dangled just above the floor. He didn’t want to
go to sleep yet, but what else was he supposed to do?
He was alone.

Feeling miserable, he took a comfortable blanket with
him and curled up on the thick rug in front of the
blazing fire in the fire place. He stared into the
fire until he finally fell asleep.

~~~

“Elrohir, would you go to Erestor’s rooms and find out
what is taking him so long?” Elrond gave his son a
warm smile and then returned to studying his letters.
The twins were close to reaching majority; only a few
more turns of the moon and they would be considered
adults. As far as Elrond was concerned however, his
sons needed a few more years to reach adulthood. They
had always remained playful and even a bit naïve
perhaps. As far as he knew they had turned down all
suitors and kept a distance where courtship rituals
were concerned.

“I will, Ada.” Elrohir’s dark hair swooshed after him
when he dashed out of his father’s study. He was happy
to have been given an excuse to escape the dreadful
place. He just didn’t understand why his father was
willing to slave over paperwork when he could also
work at the healing house! Although he was already a
capable warrior, he had not chosen that path for
himself. He wanted to become an accomplished healer.

Elrond and Celebrían had been pleased to learn that at
least in this aspect the twins were different and
applauded Elrohir’s choice because it was different
from Elladan’s, who desired nothing more than to
become Imladris’ guardian and defender.

Elrond was still smiling, reading over Thranduil’s
latest letter as he knew something Erestor didn’t know
yet. Another present was waiting patiently on the
Advisor’s desk.

~~~

“Erestor? Erestor!” Elrohir called out louder that
second time and his knock on the door sounded harder
as well, growing concerned for his friend’s
well-being. “Why aren’t you answering?”

“Oh, in the name of the Valar, stop shouting,
Elrohir!” Erestor supported his head, sitting upright
in bed. What other spices had been added to that
accursed wine? He should have known better than to
drink it when it was a gift from a stranger! Had his
secret admirer tried to drug him? Oh, but his
fantasies had never felt that real before!

“Erestor! Open your door this instant!” Elrohir felt
relieved after hearing Erestor’s voice, but wanted to
make certain that his friend was all right. Erestor
had been his tutor for many years and the twins had
always loved and respected the elder Elf, who could
tell exciting stories for hours. They had often been
spell-bound, sitting at Erestor’s feet and listening
to the Advisor telling his tales!

“Give me a moment! Please!” Erestor pushed himself to
his feet and dragged himself over to the doorway.
Opening the door, he let his long hair fall in front
of his face, shielding what had to be dazed eyes.

Elrohir marched inside, grabbed Erestor’s forearm and
brushed the dark hair away from the much loved face.
He raised an eyebrow and stared questioningly at the
elder Elf. “What is amiss?”

“I drank some bad wine,” explained Erestor, cringing
now that he had been unable to hide his state from
Elrohir. “And why are you here in the first place?”

“Ada sent me to fetch you.” Elrohir guided Erestor
over to the couch where he sat the elder Elf down. “I
will get you some water.” He walked over to the desk
and poured Erestor a glass of water. After sitting
down next to the Advisor, he handed Erestor the glass.
“Drink.”

Erestor obeyed and cringed, seeing how high Arien had
already risen. “I overslept.” He never overslept! That
was why Elrond had sent Elrohir to fetch him. “Give me
a few minutes to wash up and to get dressed and then I
will join you.”

Elrohir had seen the effect wine could have on Elves,
but he had never seen Erestor afflicted by it. Erestor
seldom indulged himself in that way. Remembering all
the lessons Erestor and his father had taught him
involving diplomacy, he decided not to address the
matter. Erestor already felt embarrassed as it was!

“Go on, I will wait here for you.” He watched Erestor
push himself to his feet and enter the bathroom with
sluggish steps. Knowing his father as well as he did,
he reckoned Elrond would take one good look at Erestor
and give him the rest of the day off. Erestor was in
no state to work today.

~~~

Elrond’s brow inched higher and Erestor cringed. “I
did not do it on purpose. I sometimes drink a glass of
wine before going to bed, but this wine was much more
potent than I am used to.”

“And it came from your secret admirer?” They were in
Elrond’s study and Erestor hadn’t seen the gift
sitting on his desk yet. Elrond walked up to Erestor
and placed his hand on his friend’s brow. Erestor
looked flushed; was there more going on than he could
tell?

“Aye, it did, my Lord.” Erestor felt ashamed; he had
let Elrond down this morn.

“Erestor, please stop calling me that. We have known
each other for centuries. I think it is safe for you
to call me Elrond. You should know by now that I am
not for ceremony.”

Erestor bit his bottom lip and felt grateful when
Elrond pulled back his hand. “I will try to remember
that.”

“Erestor, you are in no condition to work today,” said
Elrond in an authoritative voice. “I release you from
your duties for today. Go to the gardens and find a
nice shaded place to rest. Or go to the libraries to
read.” He knew of Erestor’s passion for books. “Or go
to Bruinen and join the boys there.” It was a
beautiful, sunny day and the twins had gone to the
river to swim.

“I should not,” whispered Erestor, his guilt ever
increasing. “We are supposed to reply to Thranduil’s
latest letter and then there are conditions for the
treaty with the human village near our borders, which
need to be negotiated. And what about the duty roster
and…” Erestor grew silent, seeing Elrond’s firm
expression.

“The treaty can wait. I can reply to Thranduil’s
letter without your assistance and the duty roster… We
need Glorfindel for that and he is away on border
patrol.” Elrond had countered each of Erestor’s
arguments and hoped his friend would finally give in.
He couldn’t remember the last time Erestor had taken
off time for himself. However, the expression in
Erestor’s troubled eyes told him his friend wouldn’t
award him victory that easily. “I will take the day
off as well. Imladris will survive without us. Why
don’t you collect some towels from your rooms and meet
me in your study in ten minutes? We will head for the
river together.” Elrond complimented himself on how
well he had handled that. Erestor now had no other
choice than to comply.

“But…” Erestor realized Elrond had outmaneuvered him
and that he was left with no way out. “Aye, my Lord.”

“Erestor…”

“Aye, Elrond. I will meet you in ten minutes.” Erestor
bowed his head, feeling like he had failed his friend.
It was bad enough that he was forced to take the day
off and couldn’t catch up on his work, but now Elrond
had to take time off as well. This was *his* fault!
Nay, he thought, shaking his head, this was the fault
of the Elf who had sent him that damn wine!

~~~

Resigned to his fate Erestor removed his heavy, formal
robes and slipped into a shirt and leggings, which
were far more suitable for going to the river for a
swim. /But I am not swimming./ He had always been very
wary about being naked in the presence of others. It
was also the reason why he never went to the public
baths. He wasn’t as well-built as most of the
Imladris’ Elves. He had grown up during the fall of
Gondolin and the long journey into safety had taken
its toll on the small boy, keeping him from developing
the same muscle tone as the other boys. His body had
remained lithe, his muscles less developed and he had
never reached the height he would have, given proper
nourishment and nurturing. His parents had died in
that attack and his heart had felt shattered ever
since.

Erestor picked up a towel and left his rooms, heading
for his study to meet with Elrond, just as he had
promised he would. Opening the door, he froze in the
doorway. On his desk sat a book and in front of it
stood a card. Even from this distance he easily
identified the now familiar handwriting. He stalked
closer, looking about and seriously expecting his
‘secret admirer’ to reveal himself as a prankster. But
nothing happened and he gingerly picked up the card to
read it.

I know of your love for books and thought you would
like to read poetry on a lovely day as this one.
Your secret admirer

Erestor swallowed hard, his nervousness still
increasing. He wanted to believe that someone had
taken an interest in him, but he was too afraid to
believe he could be that lucky. Cautiously, he curled
his fingers around the book and examined it. He
quickly realized that he had never seen it before. All
volumes that belonged to Elrond’s library collection
had been marked in a certain way and this book carried
no such mark. This book came from someone’s personal
collection. Leafing through it, he found most poems
were on the subject of love. Studying the handwriting
led him to another startling discovery; the
handwriting on the card and in the book were the same.
His secret admirer had written this poetry!

“Do you know yet who your secret admirer is?” inquired
Elrond, leaning against the wall as he studied his
friend. He had also changed into more comfortable
clothes and like Erestor he wore a simple shirt and
comfortable leggings. He had left boots and house
shoes in his rooms, wanting to feel the earth beneath
them when they ventured out. Erestor jumped at hearing
his voice, telling Elrond that his friend was not
comfortable receiving these expressions of affections.
“Erestor?”

“Aye, it is from…” Erestor turned, tightly clutching
the book and card against him. “I do not even know if
it is a he or a she.”

“What would you prefer it to be?” Elrond smiled at his
confused Adviser. “Have you ever been attracted to
She-Elves, my friend?”

“Nay, I have not.” Erestor’s face grew flustered. “But
what if my secret admirer is a She-Elf?” He would hate
hurting her feelings.

“Looking at the choice of gifts I do not think that we
are dealing with a female.” Elrond extended his right
arm. “May I have a look at the handwriting?”

A startling thought came to Erestor; what if this was
Elrond’s handwriting? Could it be that the Lord of
Imladris was playing with him? But no, he dismissed
that thought immediately for several reasons. The
writing on the card wasn’t in Elrond’s hand, the
half-Elf dearly loved his wife and Erestor didn’t
believe Elrond capable of willingly hurting him in
this way. He handed the card to the Elf-Lord. “Do you
know that handwriting?” he asked, seeing Elrond’s
expression change.

“Even if I did, I would not tell you,” said Elrond,
reaching his own conclusion to who Erestor’s secret
admirer was. Handing the card back, an impish smile
appeared on his face.

Erestor’s heart thundered in his chest. “You know!” he
said in accusing voice.

“Maybe I do,” hinted Elrond, delighted to have solved
this mystery. “But I am not telling you. Are you
taking that with you or do you want me to find a
secure place for them?” He pointed at the card and
book in Erestor’s hands.

“I will take them with me,” said Erestor, unwilling to
part from his gift.

Wanting to do away with the awkward moment, Elrond
pulled his friend into the corridor. “It is a lovely
day; we should use our time well.” His family was
already at the Bruinen and would be delighted to see
them join them.

~~~

“Elrond!” Pleased to see her husband taking some time
off from his work, Celebrían waved at him and patted
the grass next to her. She had also exchanged her
formal robes for a dress of light texture and enjoyed
sitting in the shade of an old oak tree. From where
she sat, she had a perfect view of her sons, splashing
in the water. Arwen was sleeping at her feet, curled
up and looking happy. “Erestor?” she added, surprised
to see the Advisor as well.

“Maybe I should return to work,” whispered Erestor,
feeling uncomfortable.

“Nonsense!” said Elrond, placing a hand on Erestor’s
shoulder. “You are always welcome to join us.” He
hoped his friend knew his words were true. “We look
upon you as a trusted friend.”

Celebrían rose from the grass and embraced her
husband. Then she turned to Erestor and gave him a
warm smile. “You did well to join us here on this fine
day.” She had often tried talking Elrond in to taking
a day off, but her husband always remained faithful to
his duties.

“Thank you,” whispered Erestor, feeling shy around
her. His gaze came to rest on Arwen and he smiled,
seeing the contented expression on the Elfling’s face.

“Come, sit with me!” Celebrían sat down again and
pulled Arwen into her lap. The Elfling moved about,
but didn’t wake, settling down into a comfortable
position.

Erestor felt nervous, realizing Elrond was removing
his clothes. Elves usually didn’t feel shy about their
bodies, but he was the exception. He simply couldn’t
look at Elrond’s naked body.

“You should go swimming,” said Celebrían, addressing
her husband and Erestor. “The twins would be delighted
to have someone new to chase and dunk.”

“We will – in a moment.” Elrond’s heart filled with
love for his family, seeing his wife cradle Arwen in
her arms. He had always wanted a large family. “Has
she been eating?” Arwen was a difficult Elfling when
it came down to eating. She only seemed to like the
sweetest foods.

“I managed to feed her some porridge this morn, but it
was not easy to get her to comply. Promising her that
we would go to the Bruinen helped,” explained
Celebrían.

“Ada! Erestor! Come into the water!” The twins had
finally noticed the new arrivals. They wildly splashed
about, trying to draw the elder Elves’ attention.

Erestor cringed. “Would you mind if I stayed here and
read?” Hopefully Elrond would permit it. He wasn’t
certain how he would handle himself being chased
through the water by three playful half-Elves.

“Actually I would,” said Elrond, confronting Erestor
head on after long years of avoiding of dealing with
the real issue. “I could make it into an order, but I
would prefer not to.”

Erestor drew in a deep breath, surprised that Elrond
was this determined to get him into the water. “I will
humor you,” he said, trying for a teasing tone, but
failing. He felt extremely self-conscious removing his
clothes and fought the urge to cover himself with his
hands – well, at least his private parts.

Celebrían giggled and Erestor’s blush increased.
Erestor gave Elrond a venomous glare. As far as he was
concerned Elrond was to blame for everything!

Elrond on the other hand remained unimpressed and
extended his right hand. “Come into the water with
me.” The fact that Erestor felt ashamed of his body
puzzled him. Aye, it was true that Erestor was smaller
than most Elves and slender, but his body was
perfectly proportioned – all parts of his body – noted
Elrond with a grin. He considered chiding Erestor for
using his raven hair, which reached below his
buttocks, to shield most of the Elf’s upper body from
curious looks, but he decided against it. Taking this
step was already a great accomplishment for his
friend.

Erestor allowed himself to be led into the river and
once the water reached his waist, he felt a bit more
comfortable now that he wasn’t completely exposed
anymore. Suddenly a wave of water splashed over him,
making him cough. He threw an indignant glare at the
twin who had surfaced behind him. “Elladan!”

“Erestor, the point is to misbehave, so do not tell me
to behave,” Elladan said quickly, preventing Erestor
from berating him. “We are here to play!” Taking
control, he jumped Erestor and pulled him beneath the
surface. Elrohir, watching his twin, chuckled merrily
and joined in the fun. Erestor found himself attacked
from two sides and did his best to struggle free. Once
he had freed himself of their greedy hands, he emerged
again from the water, quickly scanning for Elrond, who
could hopefully keep him safe from the twin terrors.

But the Lord of Imladris had different ideas. He swam
toward Erestor beneath the water and hooked his arms
around his friend’s legs, effectively pulling Erestor
under.

Erestor tried to be patient and understanding of their
childish acts, but his patience reached its limit when
the twins began fighting over who got to dunk him
next. Deciding it was time to take control of this
embarrassing situation he attacked Elladan, pulling
him under. Turning beneath the water, Erestor pulled
Elladan along. Elladan however still had a hold on his
twin and refused to let go.

Elrond laughed, seeing Erestor turning the tables on
his sons. He swam toward a rock, which emerged from
the water, and settled onto it, sitting cross-legged.
Today was a good day.

~~~

Today had been bizarre at best, mused Erestor, sitting
on the river bank and letting his skin dry in the sun.
It was amazing how quickly he had set aside his shame
and had participated in the twins’ games. The fact
that Elrond had also joined in still surprised him. He
had paid Elrond back for dunking him earlier. The
twins had been most helpful when it came down to
getting payback on their father.

“Today was a good day, wasn’t it?” Elrond sat down
beside Erestor and watched Arien descend. Within the
hour Ithil would appear in the sky.

“It was,” agreed Erestor, whose fingers caressed the
leather cover of the book. He had glanced inside,
reading several poems, which had all featured a
raven-haired Elf with brown eyes. It hadn’t taken him
long to figure out who the author was describing.
“Whoever gave me this must have watched me for a very
long time.”

Growing interested, Elrond leaned in closer. “May I
have a look?”

Erestor reluctantly handed the book to Elrond. “Why
won’t you tell me who he is?”

“Because I think he should reveal his identity to you
when he is ready to do so.” Elrond smiled, reading
another description of Erestor in the book. “Aye, he
has been watching you for a long time. I remember the
time when you wore your hair like that.” Erestor
seldom braided his hair, but he had made an effort to
do so last Yule.

“Do I like him?” asked Erestor, desperate to learn
more about his secretive suitor.

“I think you do.” Elrond handed the book back to
Erestor. “We should return now. Darkness will come
quickly and I want my family inside once night settles
over the lands.” Elrond rose from the grass and
gestured for the twins to dress. Arwen had woken and
was cooing loudly, trying to catch a butterfly flying
around her head.

Erestor actually felt disappointed that the day had
come to an end. Spending time with Elrond’s family had
been amusing and he had felt a part of the tight
family unit. After dressing himself, he tucked the
book beneath his arm, taking it home with him.

~~~

/I wonder who he is. Elrond knows, but refuses to tell
me./ Erestor searched the eyes of the Elves seated at
or near the head table. There were the twins of
course, close to reaching majority. Erestor recalled a
time, not so long ago, that Elrohir had come running
to him because he’d had an upsetting experience.
Erestor had quickly explained to him that reaching
completion in his sleep was quite normal and happened
to each adult male Elf. Elrohir had given him an odd
look and the question Elrohir had asked him had almost
shocked him. Elrohir had asked him if he reached
completion in his dreams as well, and he, the teacher,
had grown fiercely flustered. At exactly that moment
Glorfindel had rounded the corner, saving the
situation by distracting Elrohir. /I am not much of a
teacher when it comes down to such intimate matters./

“Erestor?” Celebrían cleared her throat by releasing a
soft cough, which also served to draw Erestor’s
attention. “Aren’t you going to eat that?”

Erestor blinked and looked at his plate. During his
musings they had apparently moved on to dessert.
“What?” he stammered, realizing that the food set
before him different from the content on the other
plates. The cook stood next to him and the young Elf
smiled, curiously.

“I hope this will be to your satisfaction. I do not
make ice cream that often.” The cook wiggled his
eyebrow. “Would you please try it and let me know how
it tastes?”

“Ice cream?” The twins’ eyes widened, seeing the
delicacy.

“Strawberry flavored ice cream,” said the cook, still
smiling.

Erestor stared at the miniature swan, made from ice
cream, which sat in the center of his plate. Around it
laid blueberries, creating the illusion of water.
“Who…?”

“He asked me to give you this.” The cook, realizing it
was time to return to the kitchen, placed a card next
to Erestor’s hand. “I hope you will like it, Lord
Councilor.”

Erestor quickly read the content of the card and
sucked in his breath.

You must taste as sweet as this delicacy does, my dear
Erestor. I pray to the Valar that I will get the
chance to find out one day.
Someone who loves you

“You should eat it before it starts to melt,” advised
Celebrían, who wished the ice cream sat on her plate
instead of Erestor’s.

Erestor nodded, absentmindedly, and pushed the note
toward Elrond, begging the half-Elf with his eyes to
read it. “The words have changed.” At first, the gifts
had been courtesy of ‘a secret admirer’, now they came
from ‘someone who loves you’. What was he supposed to
do?

“Eat,” said Elrond, reading the note over. A blinding
smile appeared on his face and he nodded his head
once. Hopefully Erestor’s secret love would shortly
reveal himself to the Advisor.

~~~

Erestor had curled up on his comfortable chair near
the fireplace. He felt somewhat off-balance and now
that he was in the privacy of his rooms he allowed his
confusion to show. At first, he had assumed that
someone was playing games with him. That someone had
overheard his muttering that night and was now sending
him gifts out of pity. But what puzzled him was the
choice of gifts and that the sender said he was
someone who loved him. /It is only an illusion. It is
not real. Someone is trying to make it look like they
love you, but in reality they do not./ It was hard for
Erestor, who had been alone for so many millennia to
now admit that someone might be interested in him.
Although he wanted nothing more than a lover, the
thought also frightened him.

He felt relieved when no wine was delivered to his
room. He wouldn’t have drunk it to begin with – not
after last night. After shedding his clothes, he
curled up on the bed, taking the book of poetry with
him. Opening it, he read the poems again, trying to
find a clue which would tell him who the Elf was who
had written them. This Elf certainly had a way with
words! The poems brought a smile to his face and made
him feel special. Someone had watched him year after
year and had written poems about him. /Does that mean
this Elf has been interested in me for a long time?/
But that would mean that this wasn’t a prank and that
the other Elf’s interest in him was real and not
pretence.

He grew tired of asking himself such questions and
Erestor placed the book aside. He had no idea who his
mystery suitor was and Elrond refused to tell him.
There was little he could do but wait for the next
present to appear.

~~~

“My Lord?”

He hadn’t overslept again, had he? Erestor instantly
sat upright in bed and scanned the horizon. No, he
hadn’t overslept – it was still early in the morning.
“Melpomaen?” Had he identified the voice correctly?

“Aye, it is me, my Lord. May I enter?”

“Enter?” Why would Melpomaen seek him out so early in
the morning? The door opened, much to his surprise,
and he realized that Melpomaen had interpreted his
question as an invitation to enter. He pulled the
sheet up to his shoulders and eyed the other Elf
closely. Why was Melpomaen bringing him robes?

“A friend asked me to deliver these… and this card.”
Melpomaen draped the robes over a chair and handed the
note to Erestor. “Do you require help getting dressed,
my Lord?”

“Nay, I do not.” Erestor blinked, trying to get his
emotions under control again. “You may leave now.”

Melpomaen placed the card next to Erestor on the bed
and left the Chief Advisor’s rooms, quietly closing
the door on his way out.

Erestor’s hands trembled, picking the card up to read
it.

You would look lovely in these. Would you wear them
for me?
Your love

Erestor swallowed, convulsively. He placed the card
with the other notes and rose from the bed. The sheet
slipped, revealing his naked body and Erestor crossed
the room over to the chair. The robes were a deep
green, lined with gold. Erestor’s fingertips moved
over the fabric and picking it up, he realized it had
been made just for him. Just by looking at it, he
could tell it would fit him perfectly. Someone had
gone to great lengths to get his measurements right.
/He must have commissioned this robe a long time ago./
Making an exquisite piece like this took time. His
fingertips encountered something hard and his eyes
widened, realizing emeralds and little buttons of gold
had been attached to the valuable velvet. /And he
wants me to wear this?/

Conflicted, Erestor returned to his bed, taking the
robes with him. He arranged them on the bed beside him
and stared at the gift. /If only I knew who you are./
Elrond had hinted he would like his secret admirer and
he trusted the half-Elf’s judgment. But actually
accepting this courtship and wearing the robes for all
to see was something wholly different. /What if *he*
sees me wearing them?/ But wasn’t that the point?

Erestor pondered his dilemma until Arien unfolded her
warm beams, allowing her light to caress the troubled
Elf’s face. Erestor made up his mind and headed into
the bathroom to ready himself for the day.

~~~

The soft fabric caressed his skin with every step that
he took. Erestor closed his eyes, fighting down his
arousal. Never before had wearing robes had this
effect on him. There was something else though,
besides the soft fabric moving over his skin, the
robes carried a distinct scent, one he should know,
but he couldn’t quite place it. Erestor knew that he
had smelled it many times before.

“Erestor?” Elladan, on his way to Elrond’s study,
looked at the Chief Advisor in surprise. Erestor
preferred wearing dark colors, which brought out his
dark eyes and seeing him in such greens surprised
Elladan. “I have never seen you wear anything like
that before.” He reached out, running his fingertips
down the soft fabric, encountering an emerald stitched
onto the sleeve. He *knew* those robes! He *had* seen
them before! Or something resembling them!

“These robes are a gift,” managed Erestor, feeling
shy. He offered Elladan a weak smile. “Do I look
ridiculous in them?” He still wondered why he had put
them on. His head and his heart had been at war for a
long time, but in the end he had realized that he
wanted to take this chance at love.

“Nay, you do not,” said Elladan, eager to reassure his
former mentor. “You look radiant.”

“Thank you.” Erestor smoothed the folds of his robes
and looked Elladan in the eye. “I do not know who
gifted them to me, though.”

“You do not?” Elladan remembered dinner last night.
Erestor had received a card and had been treated to
that delicious ice cream. “You should find out. It
looks to me like someone is desperately in love with
you.”

“Do you really think so?” Could that be true? Did
someone love him? His heart swelled with pride and
affection.

Exactly at that moment Elladan remembered where he had
seen the emerald and golden design before. He also
recalled who had worn a cloak with the same design.
Had Erestor forgotten? He grinned and pulled Erestor
into a quick hug. “I am happy for you.” Releasing a
puzzled Erestor, Elladan turned on his heel and headed
for his rooms, eager to share the good news with his
twin.

“You are?” Erestor blinked; did Elladan also know the
identity of his secret admirer? This was driving him
insane!

~~~

Erestor fought for control. All day long Elrond had
given him *that* look. That certain look which said,
‘I know something you don’t’ and Elrond appeared
thrilled to know his suitor’s identity. It only served
to make Erestor even more frustrated than he already
was.

“Those robes look good on you,” said Elrond, unable
not to tease Erestor a bit. “He must have had them
made especially for you.” Erestor’s suitor possessed a
cloak in that same color, with emeralds and gold
embroiled on the velvet material. Erestor’s admirer
was growing cockier; there was a chance Erestor would
remember that he had seen the design before and then
he would finally solve the puzzle.

Erestor snapped. “Tell me!”

“Nay.” Elrond cocked his head and smiled sweetly at
his friend. “I believe that he will shortly reveal
himself to you. Patience is a virtue, Erestor.”

“Who says I want to be virtuous?” He wasn’t virtuous
when he lay alone in bed at night, touching himself,
penetrating himself and feeding himself fantasies.

Elrond was impressed; he was seeing a side to Erestor
he had never seen before, although he had always
suspected it was there. A fierce and passionate fire
burned beneath the calm and controlled exterior. “Just
be patient a little longer.”

“What if I do not like him in turn?” asked Erestor,
growing calmer and a bit desperate.

“You already like him,” said Elrond, covering the
distance between them and gently pulling Erestor into
a loose hug. “Trust me, you like him.”

Erestor managed a smile. “I will trust your judgment.”

“You do that.” Elrond steered Erestor toward the
doorway. “Why don’t you head for your study? I think I
saw something on your desk – it resembled a card.”

“You did?” Big-eyed, Erestor exited Elrond’s study.

“I know the two of you will be happy,” whispered
Elrond, pleased that Erestor was opening up to the
possibility of becoming someone’s lover.

~~~

If you feel ready to meet with me, come to the Bruinen
at midnight. I will be there…

Erestor felt nervous, giddy, thrilled and afraid all
at the same time. The time had come to face this
mysterious Elf. Would he accept the challenge? Was he
ready to do so? /I do not have a choice,/ realized
Erestor. /I do not want to be alone anymore./

~~~

Erestor felt beyond nervous. He was so nervous that he
had arrived early. Ithil was full tonight and covered
the Bruinen in a magical, silver light. He sat down on
the ground, enjoying feeling the grass tease his toes.
He had removed his house shoes, wanting to feel as
free as possible tonight. The soft, green robes still
caressed his body and he had grown hard once more.
Everything seemed so surreal, yet he was here, waiting
for his ‘love’.

“You are wearing the robes I gave you…”

Erestor trembled, instantly recognizing the golden,
honey-sweet voice addressing him. Butterflies spread
their wings and teased his insides. Sensing him
approach, Erestor waited for his form to tower over
him. Only then did he look up.

“Glorfindel.”

“Good evening, Erestor. May I join you?” Glorfindel
felt shy, finally revealing himself to the Elf he
loved so much.

“Of course.” Erestor gave Glorfindel a blinding smile.
“Are you the one who left me those notes and
presents?” Glorfindel seated himself close to him and
Erestor wanted nothing more than to pull the warrior
atop of him and kiss him breathless, but he controlled
these urges. His gaze was drawn toward the cloak
Glorfindel wore and suddenly everything shifted into
place. “Your cloak…” He should have realized it
before, should have remembered seeing the design made
of emeralds and gold. The design was a golden flower,
set on a field of emerald grass. “I think I can answer
my own question.”

“Aye, I sent you those notes.” Glorfindel carefully
curled his fingers around Erestor’s, gathering the
Advisor’s hands in his. “I was not certain you would
accept them if you knew the identity of the sender.”

Erestor suddenly realized that Glorfindel felt as shy
and insecure as he did – that was amazing. The
golden-haired vision was a lovely and sweet balm to
his lonely soul. How could Glorfindel possibly doubt
himself? “I would have accepted them,” said Erestor,
offering Glorfindel a smile.

Glorfindel released the breath he had been holding. “I
am surprised that you did not realize it was me until
now. I have worn this cloak before.”

“It must have slipped my mind.” Erestor returned the
hold Glorfindel had on his fingers and squeezed in
turn. He still had trouble believing Glorfindel was
this timid around him. “I loved each of your gifts and
I have kept the cards.”

Glorfindel had never seen a more lovely sight.
Erestor’s normally dark eyes revealed love and gold
seemed to drive away the brown. Brown-golden eyes,
illuminated from within by love stared back at him. “I
have loved you for a while now – from a distance,” he
added quickly.

Erestor wanted to believe Glorfindel, wanted to
believe the golden-haired warrior was in love with
him, but that was something his mind couldn’t accept.
This was just an illusion the Elda was creating in
order to make him feel less lonely. It *had* to be an
illusion! Glorfindel couldn’t possibly love him in
that way! Making himself extremely vulnerable as well,
Erestor admitted, “I love you too.”

Glorfindel felt immensely relieved at hearing
Erestor’s admission. Caressing Erestor’s elegant
fingers, he remained silent, relishing this perfect
moment in time.

“But I thought you were away,” whispered Erestor,
suddenly intrigued. “How did you arrange for the cards
and the gifts?”

“I had help,” admitted Glorfindel. “Lindir has always
known of my love for you and offered his help. I wrote
the cards and took care of the gifts. Lindir arranged
for you to get them.” Seeing Erestor raise an eyebrow,
he added, “I had those robes made a long time ago. I
always hoped I would one day be allowed to give them
to you.”

“What brought about this change?” Erestor thought he
already knew the answer.

“I overheard you the other night. It was here at the
Bruinen and I was watching you. I watch you a lot more
than you know. You said, ‘I do not want to be alone
anymore,’ and I feel the same way. I do not want to be
alone either – certainly not tonight now that I
admitted my feelings to you.”

Erestor allowed himself to be drawn close when
Glorfindel pulled him forward. He wanted to believe
this illusion. He wanted it to sweep him off his feet.
He wanted to experience the best night of his life and
he wanted Glorfindel to be the one to take his
virginity. “You are sweet.”

“Sweet?” Glorfindel sounded disappointed, but then
caught the adoring expression in the warm eyes.
“Erestor, I do not want to be alone tonight. Will you
allow me to walk you back to your rooms? Will you
allow me inside tonight?”

Erestor smiled. “Inside my rooms or inside of me?” To
his utter surprise, Glorfindel blushed. /He did not
expect that./ Aye, he was a virgin, but Glorfindel
probably didn’t know that and he had no intention of
sharing that information with the warrior. He was too
afraid that Glorfindel would be gone in the morning
and that he would return to his lonely life. Love just
didn’t happen in his life.

“You would let me take you?” Glorfindel moved onto his
knees and knelt in front of Erestor. His fingers found
their way into the ebony mane and his lips inched
closer to Erestor’s. “You want that?”

“Aye, I want that.” How many times had he fantasized
about Glorfindel taking him? How many times had he
penetrated himself in order to make him feel? Now he
wanted the real thing – even if their affair would
only last one night. Erestor had always prided himself
on being realistic and he was convinced that
Glorfindel could have any Elf he wanted, so why settle
for him? No, he would give in to this sweet fantasy
and give himself to Glorfindel.

~~~

Glorfindel tried to hide his nervousness now that they
had arrived at Erestor’s rooms. All the way back to
the Last Homely House he had held Erestor’s hand in
his, rubbing the knuckles and caressing the fingers.
He had been in love with Erestor for centuries and had
never made a move, thinking Erestor was content with
his life the way it was. He hadn’t realized the truth
until he had heard Erestor’s plea that night.

Erestor pushed down the door handle and the door
opened. He stepped into his room and pulled Glorfindel
inside. Tonight, the blond Elf was his and only his.

“Don’t you think we are moving a bit too fast?” asked
Glorfindel, closing the door behind him. He wouldn’t
mind if Erestor wanted their courtship to last longer.
He had actually expected Erestor to insist they
courted before expressing their love in a physical
way, but Erestor was eager – so very eager to become
one and Erestor’s eagerness was awakening his own
fire, burning him.

“I am content with the pace of our courtship,”
whispered Erestor, removing the cloak from
Glorfindel’s shoulders. Tonight was *his* night and no
one was going to take that away from him. This
illusion would die in the morning and he wanted to
savor Glorfindel’s closeness tonight.

Glorfindel gulped, feeling Erestor unbuttoning his
shirt. He hadn’t thought Erestor would be this eager
to consummate their love, but he would do anything to
please his lover. Used to taking control, Glorfindel
also did so now. Allowing Erestor to remove his shirt,
his own hands became busy as well, undoing the lacing
of the robes. Sliding them down Erestor’s shoulders,
he released a shuddering breath. “You are naked
beneath them.”

“I love the way the fabric moves against my skin.”

Not only was Erestor naked, but he was also fully
erect. Glorfindel drew in a deep, steadying breath and
adjusted to this new situation. He had been under the
impression that he would have to go slow with Erestor,
but he had been wrong. The dark-haired Elf pressed
against him and nimble fingers hooked beneath the
waistband, already pushing down the fabric of his
leggings. “Erestor, we can wait. We do not have to do
this now.”

“I want this and I want you,” stated Erestor. He
wouldn’t allow Glorfindel to take this way from him.
“Please make me yours.” He pressed his body against
Glorfindel’s, hissing sharply when the blond Elf’s
arousal pressed against his hip. Glorfindel was taller
than he was and much more muscular. “Please do not
deny me,” he whispered, resting his head against
Glorfindel’s chest. “I have wanted this for a very
long time.”

Glorfindel wondered if he should inquire about
Erestor’s history concerning his lovers, but thought
doing something like that would be tactless. He would
just proceed carefully and take his time preparing his
new lover. Bringing his arms up behind Erestor’s back,
he slowly lowered him onto the bed. Glorfindel slipped
between the parted legs and felt humbled, seeing the
expression in Erestor’s eyes. There was no longer any
doubt in his mind that Erestor wanted this. Looking
about, he spied a vial of oil on the nightstand. Oil
Erestor probably applied to his hair in order to keep
it so silky and shiny. “I love you,” he whispered,
finally claiming Erestor’s lips fully. He teased the
lips into parting and his tongue found its way past
the teeth. Finally tasting his lover Glorfindel kissed
him long, taking his time to enjoy Erestor fully.
Beneath him, Erestor squirmed, trying to create
friction between them as he was rubbing his erection
against him. “Do you need me so badly?”

Erestor nodded once. Suddenly the enormity of what he
was about to do registered with him and in an
unguarded moment he admitted, “You have no idea how
many times I fantasized about being with you in this
way.”

“And I never knew… I never suspected…”

“Glorfindel, please…” Erestor arched toward
Glorfindel, trying to claim the ruby lips again. At
the same time, he managed to curl his fingers around
Glorfindel’s shaft and he began guiding the hard flesh
to the opening to his body.

“Nay,” whispered Glorfindel, fighting his heightened
breathing. “I do not wish to hurt you.” He reached for
the vial, uncapped it and covered his fingers with
oil.

Erestor’s breath caught, seeing the fire of
determination in Glorfindel’s eyes. Until a moment ago
the blond Elf had seemed uncertain of his next step,
but not any more. Glorfindel’s muscles tensed and the
expression aimed at him made Erestor hold his breath.
Glorfindel was strong, broad-shouldered and quite
muscular. The Elf could move him about as he pleased
and Erestor realized what kind of lover Glorfindel
would be. That realization made his heart beat faster.

Glorfindel rolled him onto his left side and Erestor
closed his eyes, nervousness fluttering in his
insides. It was going to happen now – Glorfindel would
take him. He could stop fantasizing about the blond
Elf claiming him – it was going to happen now!

A cool finger crept up the cleft and rubbed against
the entrance to his body. Erestor had never felt more
excited and nervous at the same time before.

“Pull your knees toward your chest, meleth.” Now that
his mind was made up, Glorfindel concentrated on his
new lover, reading all the
– subconscious – signs that told him that he was
dealing with an inexperienced bed partner. When he had
first realized how eager Erestor was the most
acrobatic positions had come to him. Erestor was lithe
and hardly weighed a thing and Glorfindel had almost
given in to his desire to take Erestor in a different
way, but he had realized just in time that he should
do what was best for Erestor. He wanted Erestor to
enjoy this.

Erestor closed his eyes in bliss, concentrating on
that oiled finger that massaged the outer ring. He
yelped, feeling that first digit press inside and he
tensed. His body tried to expel the intruder and
Glorfindel instantly soothed him by placing kisses
onto his shoulder and whispering words of love and
dedication. Erestor relaxed and this time,
Glorfindel’s finger easily pushed inside.

“You have never been in this situation before, have
you?” Glorfindel had to make certain that he had
reached the right conclusion.

“You are my first,” confirmed Erestor, pressing back
onto Glorfindel’s finger. “I only wanted to give
myself to someone I truly love.”

“Relax,” crooned Glorfindel. “I will take good care of
you.” He wouldn’t betray the trust Erestor was placing
in him. For one moment he wished he could have replied
the same thing, that Erestor was his first, but he
couldn’t lie. Ecthelion had been his first lover.

Concentrating on stretching his lover, Glorfindel’s
finger moved in the loosening passage. “I will add a
finger…” he said. “Tell me if you are in any pain.”

Erestor nodded and pressed back against Glorfindel’s
chest. The warrior folded one arm around him and the
kisses returned along with the soft murmurs.

Glorfindel added more oil and returned with two
fingers. “I am going to stretch you,” he announced,
judging it best that Erestor knew what to expect
during his first time. His fingertips searched for
that hard nub and when he rubbed Erestor’s prostate
the dark-haired Elf called out his name. “Do not come
yet,” he whispered, licking Erestor’s neck.

“Please take me,” whispered Erestor in turn. Too long
had he brought himself to orgasm by using his fingers
– he needed to feel Glorfindel inside him.

Judging Erestor ready, Glorfindel removed his fingers
and replaced it with the head of his erection.
Spooning close to Erestor, he inched inside. “Your
wish is about to be granted,” he whispered. Nuzzling
Erestor’s neck, he licked the skin, kissed a shoulder
and continued to inch inside – slowly and carefully –
ready to stop should Erestor give any sign of
discomfort.

Erestor had never felt anything as divine as
Glorfindel pushing inside. He had dreamt of this
moment for ages and there was no pain, only pleasure.
Pushing back, Glorfindel slid in the rest of the way.
“You are inside of me.” It was a wondrous experience
and Erestor never wanted it to end.

“Aye, I am.” Glorfindel tightened his hold on Erestor,
keeping his arm wrapped around the other Elf’s
shoulder. His other hand stole toward his lover’s
groin and his fingers curled around the slick
erection. “I will make this good for you,” he
promised, thrusting shallowly and slowly. He pumped
Erestor’s shaft in time with his thrusts and sucked
gently on his lover’s ear lobe.

Erestor trembled beneath the sensual assault. He would
never forget the way he felt now. The feeling of
Glorfindel moving inside him made him come within
seconds. He sobbed, apologizing for coming so quickly,
but the sensation was too much. For too long had he
been limited to fantasies and now that Glorfindel was
really making love to him he climaxed too quickly.

“It is all right, meleth.” There would be other times
and then he would make them last. Stilling inside
Erestor, he smiled into the raven hair. The
contractions started weak and slowly, then sped up and
brought him to orgasm in turn.

Just when Erestor thought he had experienced
everything, another sensation coursed through him.
Liquid warmth filled his insides and he moaned,
realizing it was Glorfindel depositing his seed deep
inside him. This was the most intimate moment he had
ever experienced in his life. “Thank you,” he
whispered, pressing back and rubbing his face against
Glorfindel’s arm. “Please stay like this?”

Glorfindel wanted to comply, but his lax member
slipped from Erestor’s body. Trying to make up for
their fast release, he continued to lick his lover’s
skin. His fingers soothed the trembling Elf in his
arms and he whispered more confessions of his love.
Erestor’s breathing deepened and slowed down, telling
him that the dark-haired Elf had fallen asleep.

Glorfindel remained awake though, guarding Erestor’s
sleep and keeping him warm throughout the night.

~~~

The next morning, Erestor reluctantly freed himself of
Glorfindel’s powerful embrace and sat, pushing himself
into an upright position. Sitting next to the
golden-haired warrior, he leaned in closer and pressed
a kiss onto the other Elf’s brow. “Thank you for last
night. Thank you for making my fantasies come
through.” Sometime during the night his subconscious
had managed to convince him that Glorfindel had
created the perfect illusion of love. But that was all
it had been; a sweet illusion and now they had to go
back to real life – a lonely and empty life. “I will
cherish last night for the rest of my life.”

Erestor’s eyes revealed pain once he pushed himself to
his feet. During their lovemaking he had experienced
no discomfort, but now he found he was sore. But it
was a good kind of sore for it reminded him that they
*had* made love last night.

Soundlessly, he disappeared into the bathroom, where
he washed and dressed in comfortable brown robes. He
combed his hair and let it hang loose. Once he had
reached the bed, he allowed his fingertips to touch
Glorfindel’s golden hair and then he pulled back. It
was time to face reality and let this fantasy die.

~~~

Even in his sleep Glorfindel reached for his new
lover. He felt cold and Erestor’s body heat would warm
him up again. But his hand only encountered mattress
and tangled sheets, but no Erestor. His eyes filled
with awareness and vexed, Glorfindel realized that his
lover was gone. But Erestor had left something behind
for him. A card sat on the pillow and he unfolded the
paper to read his lover’s message.

Thank you for last night. I will never forget the way
you made me feel. It is a gift I will always treasure.

Up until that point, Glorfindel had been smiling,
rather cockily, priding himself on being such an
attentive lover.

But I also know the illusion for what it was. You
overheard me that night and felt pity for me. You
tried to make me feel special, sending me all these
gifts and cards and you succeeded. Glorfindel, I will
always love you, but I also realize that it is time to
face reality.

I understand.

Erestor

“You understand?” Frustrated, Glorfindel glared at the
note. “Just what do you *think* you understand,
Erestor?” No, he wasn’t going to let this happen! He
was going to take charge now!

~~~

“Where is Erestor?” Glorfindel marched into Elrond’s
study. Erestor’s office had been empty and he
suspected he would find his elusive lover here. He
wasn’t mistaken; Erestor sat near the window, reading
a letter. “There you are! What did you think you were
doing, writing that note?”

Elrond discreetly moved away from Glorfindel, who now
stalked toward Erestor. Elrond stayed close enough to
overhear their conversation. He didn’t want to miss a
moment now that Glorfindel seemed ready to confront
Erestor.

Erestor had the grace to look ashamed and blushed. The
blond Elf was only wearing leggings! “Glorfindel! You
are not properly dressed!” He gave Elrond an
apologetic look and was surprised to see a grin on the
half-Elf’s face. Why was this amusing?

Glorfindel waved the note in front of Erestor’s face.
“Care to explain this nonsense?”

Erestor would have preferred to do this in private –
without Elrond present – but Glorfindel seemed
determined to do this here and now. “I appreciate what
you did for me,” he said, raising eyes in which lay
all the love he was capable of. “But I also know the
truth.”

“The truth?” Glorfindel’s anger vaporized, seeing that
adoring expression in Erestor’s eyes. He didn’t know
what Erestor thought was the truth, but he was certain
he could fix this. “What is the truth then?” he asked,
kneeling in front of the raven-haired Elf, who was no
longer wearing *his* robes. The green had looked so
good on him! Now Erestor had returned to wearing dark
colors! “Tell me.”

“You heard me say that I did not want to be alone
anymore and you took pity on me. And that is all
right. I understand why you did it and I am grateful
for last night. You made my wildest dreams come true.
But it was only an illusion and I know that.”

“Erestor, this is not an illusion. My love is real.”
He gathered Erestor’s hands in his and maintained eye
contact. He wanted to see the exact moment when the
truth registered with the dark-haired Elf. “I do not
know what happened to you in the past to think that I
am playing games or acting out of pity, but I assure
you that I am sincere. I love you, Erestor. I want to
be with you. I want to make love to you. I want to
crawl inside you, take up residence in your heart and
never leave again. What must I do to convince you?” He
threw Erestor’s note onto the floor and caressed his
lover’s hands. “I love you,” he said, stressing each
word.

Elrond held his breath, counting the seconds until
understanding would show in Erestor’s eyes.

“You… Not an illusion? But… You love me?” A deep frown
was etched onto Erestor’s brow as he struggled to
understand. “But you… You cannot… You do not…”

“I love you,” whispered Glorfindel, rising to meet
Erestor’s lips. He claimed them in a tender kiss,
slipping his fingers into the ebony hair. His gaze
remained locked with Erestor’s and suddenly he was
pulled close. Possessive arms wrapped around him and
lips and teeth parted. Erestor lured his tongue inside
and Glorfindel followed. Their kiss deepened and he
had to break free to breathe. Erestor used that moment
to shower his face with kisses and Glorfindel smiled
now that Erestor had finally accepted the truth. “I
love you, you silly Elf,” whispered Glorfindel,
relieved that Erestor was reacting to his kisses and
caresses.

“Oh, Glorfindel, I did not think that you could really
love me.”

“That was most silly of you,” mumbled Glorfindel,
taking possession of Erestor’s lap. Once he had had
made himself comfortable, he wrapped his arms around
the dark-haired Elf and looked at him – simply looked
at him.

The silly smile on Glorfindel’s face made Erestor
giggle. “You really love me!” he called out, pulling
Glorfindel close and smothering him with kisses until
the blond Elf begged for mercy because he needed to
breathe.

“Sorry,” said Erestor, apologizing, and loosening his
crushing hold on the blond Elf. An impish expression
shone from his eyes. “You *do* realize that I will
never let you out of my sight again? You are stuck
with me until the end of Arda.”

“I do not mind one bit,” said Glorfindel, brushing his
lips against Erestor’s. “I want you at my side.”

Elrond had seen enough and decided to give the two
lovers some privacy. Closing the door behind him, he
grinned. It looked like love had finally found
Erestor.

The end