Elfpunzel

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm only playing with them. Some scenes set using names of the author and other authors in the fandom, completely and totally for fun and enjoyment. If you don't like it... well... these aren't the droids you're looking for... move along...**


“Erestor?”

“Yes?”

“Tell me a story.”

“What?” The ellon put down the evening paper and regarded the pouting brunette with a look much more like one Elrond might use. “Tell *you* a story?”

“Yes, please.” Snuggling up onto the couch between Erestor and Glorfindel with a big mug of cocoa, Zhie gave Erestor a forlorn puppyish look. “I do all of the storytelling around here. You, with all of your vast knowledge, and wisdom, and long years-“

“Your flattery was working until you hit ‘long years’,” replied Erestor dryly.

Clearing her throat, Zhie said, “Well I suppose we could spend the evening watching Thranduil play Tomb Raider again.”

“Or... someone could tell us a story.”

“Oh, sweet Eru, not you, too, Fin,” scolded Erestor. Now he had two pitifully puppy-eyed pouters staring at him, and he thrust his hands towards the sky in a gesture of surrender. “Fine. One story, and then, bedtime.”

“Bedtime?” questioned Zhie, looking quite leery over the fact one of her muses was demanding she go to sleep.

“Bedtime...” drawled Glorfindel, waggling his eyebrows at Erestor.

“I’ve an idea,” spoke Thranduil from where he sat, still playing video games with his back to them. “Why not all go to bed, and leave me in peace?”

“Oh, come now, Thranduil,” said Glorfindel. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy a good bedtime story.”

“Is there a cliff, lots of fire, and a balrog in it?” he questioned, still not looking away from the screen.

“No,” huffed Glorfindel, getting a pat of reassurance on the shoulder from Zhie.

“Not interested then,” came Thranduil’s response.

“Well, for those who are,” said Erestor, waiting for Zhie to move to the other side of him, so that he had her cuddled beside him on the left and Glorfindel snuggled against him on the right, “allow me to tell you the tale of Elfpunzel.”

“The tale of Elfpunzel? How intriguing,” Zhie said, winking around him at Glorfindel.

Nuzzling close to Erestor, Glorfindel asked, “Does this story have a happy ending?”

“I like to think so,” Erestor replied.

“What about magic? I like stories with magic in them,” said Zhie.

“There may be a little magic, yes,” confirmed Erestor.

Glorfindel tugged on his sleeve. “What about pirates? Are there any pirates?”

“Of course. Every fractured fairytale should have a pirate or two in it. But see here,” said Erestor as Glorfindel began to open his mouth again, “am I telling the story or are you?”

Stealing on kiss from Erestor’s cheek, Glorfindel smiled and cuddled up beside him again. Zhie was already pulling her purple blankie over from the side of the couch. Faintly, the sounds of Thranduil’s game could be heard until Erestor picked up the remote and hit the mute button. “Now, this story,” explained Erestor as Thranduil tossed the controller aside and shut off the game before sitting on the other sofa to listen, “begins just the way that most other fairy stories do.”

“In a cottage in the woods?” guessed Zhie.

“With a fairyerunana?” wondered Fin.

Erestor smirked. “No, not in a cottage, and not with a fairy. It begins with...”