Awakenings

Note: Special thanks to Charlie for the beta on this part.

Part 18.

Erestor was baffled. Glorfindel had been avoiding him all day and he knew not why. When he had spotted Glorfindel in the kitchens that morn, Erestor had smiled brightly and approached him- Only for Glorfindel to visibly blanch and quickly leave. After having caught up with Glorfindel on the way to the training grounds, he finally managed to keep the warrior still for a few moments.

“Glorfindel?” He had been calling after Glorfindel the entire way, and now that there were no other elves near he quickly ran to catch up with the warrior. Although Glorfindel continued to ignore him until Erestor pulled at his arm.

“Glorfindel!” He said repeated a little breathlessly, he brushed a few stray strands of his hair behind his ear as he smiled. “Glorfindel, I was calling you. Didn’t you hear me?”

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t.” He lied, avoiding eye contact.
“Is…are you alright? You seem a little out of sorts…”
“I am fine…I really need to get to the training grounds..”
“Alright.” Erestor replied with a slight frown. He reached up to softly kiss Glorfindel upon the lips, but was shocked, for just as his lips were to touch Glorfindel’s, the warrior turned his head. Allowing Erestor to simply kiss his cheek. Glorfindel then, without looking back, turned and silently left. Missing the look of hurt the graced the advisors face.

Erestor had tried to find him again at midday, but the blond had proved elusive. If he didn’t know better, he would of said the warrior was avoiding him. But why would Glorfindel do that? Just yesterday the warrior had told Erestor he loved him. Nay, there would be an explanation. Glorfindel must simply be busy.

It was evening now, (change to and) he had visited the warriors rooms twice, but they had been locked and empty inside both times. He had checked the library, his office, the kitchen, even the training grounds and barracks despite the late hour, and could not find Glorfindel. He was now beginning to feel anxious, Glorfindel was avoiding him. And the fact hurt him.

He had been sitting in his own rooms, just in case Glorfindel would come to him. With a sigh, realising Glorfindel was not coming, he again made for the warriors rooms. To check one last time.

Having arrived outside Glorfindel’s rooms he with little expectations turned the handle of the door. It was unlocked! Glorfindel was back. He quickly let himself into the rooms, scanning the modest insides for the blond.

“Glorfindel?”
“Erestor, what are you doing here?” Glorfindel had immerged from the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist. Erestor had turned and despite his worries smiled brightly at the blond, but when Glorfindel simply looked away, searching for clothes Erestor swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat.

“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I…I’m not avoiding you.” Yet hypocritically his eyes would not meet Erestor’s.
“Then why wont you look at me?”

Hesitantly Glorfindel met Erestor’s gaze, and his guilt seemed to increase tenfold at the insecure look Erestor was giving him.
“Erestor I…I was just not expecting you to just walk in like that.”
“You said I didn’t need to knock.” Erestor whispered.
“Aye, I did didn’t I.” He replied guiltily.
“I’m sorry I’ll knock next time.”
“No, no its alright Erestor.” He quickly replied, hating how badly he was dealing with the situation. “So what is it I can do for you?”

Erestor’s brow furrowed as Glorfindel again avoided his gaze and walked back into the bathroom, appearing a moment later in sleeping trousers.

“We meet every night Glorfindel.” He replied in offence at how coldly Glorfindel was treating him.

“Oh, yes. Would you mind if we skipped the trip down memories lane tonight?”
“Alright.” Erestor walked across the room to his usual seat, “so how was your day?” he asked with a hopeful smile as he sat.

“Actually, Erestor…I am tired…” Glorfindel did not sit, he stood there, not able to face Erestor as he waited for the advisor to leave.

“Oh.” Erestor replied quietly as he stood from his seat. Slowly he walked towards the door, but determinedly he turned to face Glorfindel who would still not face him.

“What have I done?”
“What?” Glorfindel turned to Erestor with a tired expression, which softened seeing Erestor pull on his sleeves and bit his lip as he defiantly straightened his shoulders.

“You…you have avoided me all day, when I tried to kiss you earlier you turned away. If I have done something to anger you, you should have the decency to tell me. I mean yesterday you claimed to love me today you don’t want to know me…”
“I do love you, truly I just….” he moved forwards and gently held the advisors hands. “I am just tired.”

Glorfindel watched curiously as Erestor seemed to think for a moment before something seemed to dawn on the advisor. Erestor moved forwards and stroked his hand up the warriors arm.

“You had another dream didn’t you?”

Glorfindel immediately closed his eyes and turned away from the intimate touch.

“Glorfindel I told you there was no shame. You needn’t think you must keep up this macho façade with me. If you had a nightmare then…”

Glorfindel snorted and ashamedly pulled his arm free. “A nightmare is right.” He sat on the side of the bed, his shoulders slumped in self-loathing.

He met concerned brown eyes when his chin was tilted upwards. Erestor rested his hands on the warriors knees while kneeling before him.
“Was it bad? You can tell me.” He whispered.

Glorfindel took a deep breath and forced himself to speak, though he felt bile rise in his throat when picturing the younger heart broken elf in his dreams. “I did not dream of…it was a different dream, so much worse. It was not about the beast. I….I remembered something else Erestor, something that I wish had stayed hidden from me.”

“You did? Well what was it?”
“I, I remember kissing…I was kissing…”
“I assure you Glorfindel all our kisses were enjoyable.” Erestor chuckled, though he frowned with worry when Glorfindel shook his head, teary blue eyes meeting his gaze.

“I was not kissing you.” He whispered. Again Glorfindel saw that brief shadow cross Erestor’s face, an old hurt briefly flashing before him. He lowered his head in shame. “I betrayed you. Didn’t I?”

“Its complicated, it’s a long story..”
“But I did didn’t I? I betrayed you!”
“Shh, Glorfindel its alright..”
“No its not! I remember turning and seeing you….you were holding a withered rose, it fell to the floor and you ran away. We caught up with you but you pushed us away, you were crying and screaming and…”
“Glorfindel!” Erestor placed his hands either side of the warriors face, trying to stop the torrent of guilt that was overwhelming Glorfindel. “Glorfindel you did it for a reason, and I forgave you.”

“But why, what was my reason? I remember not even liking the kiss! Neither did ‘Thel. Why would we do that?!”

Erestor sighed and sat beside the blond. “Glorfindel, your father did not approve of our relationship.”
“He didn’t?”
“Nay, he thought me…below your station.” He looked guiltily to Glorfindel, not wanting to tarnish the loving memory he had built of his father.

“He did?”
“Yes. And, after one evening, where your father had offended me…”
“How did he offend you?”
“Well, he was fawning over Ecthelion, and I got a little jealous..” he shrugged feeling foolish, remembering how he wished it had been him Glorfindel’s father had taken to. “…And I told him of my news of being invited to live in the kings court as an apprentice to the councillors there. But that I was not leaving straight away. I told him it was because I did not want to leave home yet, but in truth I just didn’t want to leave you. He…in his way told me how ungrateful I was being, that I should be ‘honoured’ for simply being considered. Being but the son of a carpenter.”

Glorfindel studied Erestor closely, it soon became all to obvious to him.
“You hated my father, didn’t you?”
“He truly thought he had your best interests in mind. But aye, I am sorry, I hated him..”
“Well, I suppose, if he treated you this way you can not be blamed for disliking him so. What happened next?”
“Well, that night you snuck out and made your way to my home. You climbed my balcony and snuck up on me in the bath tub. It was rather romantic actually.” Erestor finished with a small smile.

“What happened next?” Glorfindel probed, interested as to where this was going.
“You apologised for your father, and gave me a rose. Then…uh..”
“What?” Glorfindel raised a brow as Erestor seem to blush and grin inanely. “What happened next?” He asked with a small chuckle.
“I, well…I pulled you into the bath with me. We were, somewhat intimate and then you stayed in my bed for the night.” There was silence between them, Erestor nervously cleared his throat and turned to Glorfindel who seemed to be in deep concentration.

“Do you remember any of it?”
“Not at the moment. So, we…”
“No, I, I just wanted you to hold me. It was all my fault what happened next.”
“What happened?”
“Well, you insisted that you had to be back in your own bed by dawn. But we fell asleep. The next day when you returned home your father was not pleased with you. He had had the guard of your house out searching for you. When he discovered where it was you stayed the night he was furious. You hadn’t told me but apparently he had warned you against getting to close to me, for he did not approve. That night I made you stay in my bed was the final straw for him, he forbade you to see me again. It was months before I saw you, ‘Thel would pass messages between us but that was it.”

“That explains the rose, but not why I kissed Ecthelion.”
“Well, your father, though he did not approve of me, approved very much of Ecthelion, he was heir to the house of the fountain after all. He had said to you that if you could prove that you were over me and would not approach me again in that manner, that he would allow us to at least be friends and see each other.”
“That is why I kissed him!” Glorfindel exclaimed with sudden understanding.
“Aye, though I had not seen or spoken to you in months and knew nothing of this. The Yule festival was coming up and we would see each other for the first time in months. So, to convince your father you kissed Ecthelion. But, as you know I saw and…already being paranoid that you would eventually forget me and…as much as I liked ‘Thel I was always worried that…because you two had so much in common that we did not that, that…”
“I understand. What happened next?”
“I left.”
“You left?”
“Aye, I took that apprenticeship at the kings court and tried to forget you. I didn’t even say good bye to you.”
“I was crushed, distraught.”
“You remember?”
“No, but I remember how much I loved you, I can imagine.”
“But luckily for me, you were stubborn.” Erestor tried to laugh and reached to affectionately stroke Glorfindel’s cheek. “As soon as you joined the royal guard a few years later you sought me out. It took many tries on your behalf, but after humiliating yourself in another balcony stunt I could not deny that I still loved you. When you explained I eventually forgave you, and even Ecthelion. Our last few years together were…some of the best years of my life.”

“I still feel guilty.”
“You need not, I forgave you long ago and am just glad to have you back.”
“I am sorry I avoided you today, I…I could not bring myself to face you.”
“Shh, I understand, its alright.” Erestor leaned forwards to kiss Glorfindel upon the cheek and stroke back blond hair. “Just promise me you will not do it again and simply ask me.”
“I promise.”

They sat that way for a while, on the edge of the bed in a loose embrace. Erestor gently running his fingers through blond strands. Eventually Glorfindel lifted his head to face Erestor.

“Erestor, will you stay? Like that night, so that I can hold you. I crave it, and have craved to do so for so long.”

Erestor smiled and nodded his assent. Glorfindel stood and pulled back the sheets of his bed. He was about to climb in when he noticed Erestor standing there, again toying with his sleeves. And realised that Erestor was nervous.

“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, do you have any spare sleeping clothes I may borrow?” He asked with an embarrassed grin. Glorfindel laughed and walked over to a drawer to pull out a spare pair. Making sure it had a drawstring to fit the smaller elf. After he had handed them over he sat back on the bed, again there was an awkward silence accompanied by small grins.

“Something wrong?” The warrior asked with a knowing smile, also knowing the answer.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen me in naught but my skin.”
“You can change in the bathroom if you like.” The warrior chuckled.
“But then I will feel truly silly.”
“I’ll tell you what, I will use the bathroom whilst you change in here.” With that he left the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

Erestor quickly undressed, and donned the ridiculously large and baggy sleeping trousers. He was nestled in bed, sitting up against the headboard with the covers pulled up to his chest when Glorfindel re-appeared.

The warrior had smiled at the adorable and more than enticing image that he was presented with and quickly approached the bed. He joined his partner and smiled as Erestor allowed him to pry the coverlet from his grip to slide closer.

“Can I hold you?” The blond whispered.

Erestor did not answer, but slid closer still. He sighed feeling Glorfindel’s hands on his waist, pulling him against the warriors larger frame. Soon he was resting his head beneath the warriors chin, with strong arms wrapped around him, gently stroking his hair and running up down his naked back.

“I have missed this.” He murmured sleepily.
“Nothing has ever felt so right to me since my return as this. Perhaps you….you would like to make this a regular occurrence?” He whispered, kissing the top of Erestor’s head softly.
“Can I wear my own sleeping trouser?” Erestor said after a pause for consideration.

Glorfindel laughed and hugged him closer.
“If that’s what it takes.”
“Then, perhaps I shall. This way I can ward off any of those bad dreams, and hold you when you need me.”
“Thank you.” Glorfindel whispered in a strained voice. Touched and glad in knowing that if he were to wake from one of his haunting dreams, Erestor would be there to soothe him as he had wished for so many times before. They fell asleep that way, closely entangled in each others arms.

He was dreaming, but of amazing, beautiful things. He was dreaming of Erestor, in a bath tub, singing adorably out of tune with hair wet, sleek and heavy. His body concealed by bubbles and skin slick with bath oils. He dreamed of running a rose along the dark haired elf’s jaw line, watching as a blush the same shade as the flower bloomed beneath it. He dreamed of laughing as he was pulled into the tub. He dreamed of kissing Erestor, touching Erestor. It was suddenly as if he were back in that small bathing chamber, he could even smell the bath oils. Little did he know it but he began to groan quietly and sigh in his sleep. A tight heat pooling in his groin as the memory, like others that came back to him during his slumber, became all to real.


**~**~**

Water sloshed over the side of the tub, moans filled the bathing chamber, water and sweat droplets ran down brows and backs as they rocked together. The side of their faces pressed together, mouths were agape in identical ‘O’ shapes as both panted harshly, wet blond and black locks mixed messily together. Every so often they would turn their head for a messy kiss, too lost in passion to maintain it for more than a few seconds. Erestor grinned when Glorfindel actually whimpered and buried his face into the crook of Erestor’s neck. A shiver ran through him as the head of Glorfindel’s arousal continuously brushed over his opening. And then with a cry into the soft flesh of Erestor’s neck, Glorfindel came, his seed shooting over Erestor’s back, only to be washed away by the water a moment later. He stroked Erestor’s length once, twice, three times before the flesh jerked in his hand, the seed shooting out and at once again mingling with the water.

Glorfindel then turned Erestor easily back around in the water and lay beside him in the water, his leggings soaked through and twisted about his thighs. They stayed that way only for a moment, as Erestor turned and laid atop of Glorfindel, gripping his chin possessively and kissing him deeply.

“You…” he looked Glorfindel square in the eye, “..are unbelievable.”


**~**~**

Glorfindel’s moans and movements had woken Erestor. The advisor covered his mouth to keep from laughing as he witnessed Glorfindel having an erotic dream. He gasped when the warrior seemed to pull him closer only to feel a familiar hard heat brush his thigh. He leaned up on an elbow and watched curiously as the edge of Glorfindel’s lips twitched, curving into a smile, and then relaxing back into sleep. Little did he know that Glorfindel had just recalled a particular yellow duck and climbing the trellis to Erestor’s balcony in the palace and singing terribly in front of a crowd of highly amused elves. Chuckling to himself he delivered a quick kiss to Glorfindel’s brow and left Glorfindel to his apparently highly erotic and amusing dreams.

Erestor once again stirred as he heard Glorfindel groan and felt him move beside him. Though he frowned when he noticed that the sounds coming from his bed partner where not sounds of pleasure. Nor were his movements the slow writhing movements as before, they were quick and panicked thrashes, accompanied by small whimpers and mumbled cries for help.

He immediately sat up and looked down at his beloved worriedly. Glorfindel was pale of face, and sweat covered his brow as he twisted and clutched at the tangling sheets around him. There was a look of pure terror on the warriors face, despite his slumbering state.

“Glorfindel? Glorfindel please wake!” Urgently Erestor shook him.

Glorfindel shot bolt upright with a cry, panting heavily. He jumped when Erestor laid a hand on his shoulder, having forgotten that he was there. Realising that he was sweating, shaking and in near tears he quickly tore away the sheets and swung his legs around to touch the floor. He slumped his shoulders and buried his face in his hands, hating that Erestor had seen him in such a way. He vaguely managed to keep quiet as tears descended his cheeks, but could not keep his shoulders from shaking. Erestor did not need to ask, just as Glorfindel did not need to say what the dream had been about.

“Oh Glorfindel! Sweetheart its alright…”

He felt Erestor’s hands upon his shoulders, encouraging him to turn to face the advisor. He closed his eyes as Erestor wiped away his tears, his cheeks burning with shame. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders, studiously avoiding Erestor’s worried gaze.

“Sorry..” He mumbled quietly and quickly wiped at his face.
“Don’t apologise, cry all you need to..” Erestor covered the warriors face with kisses, whispering soft reassuring words to him. Erestor welcomed him into his arms when Glorfindel finally broke and wrapped his arms around Erestor’s middle, silently asking to be held.

Erestor rocked them gently, rubbing the broad back soothingly as he stroked back blond hair.

“Come love, lay down.” Erestor pulled Glorfindel to lay back down beside him, encouraging the warrior to rest his head on his chest as he brought his arms up behind the broad back of the warrior.

“Everything is alright, I’m here. Sleep now, I will guard your dreams.” He whispered. Erestor could feel a lump form in his throat as his he felt the small wet droplets of tears on his chest. He continued to rub Glorfindel’s back, kissing the crown of his head and humming an old melody quietly. Soon enough Glorfindel’s breathing evened out, and Erestor eventually realised that he had lulled the blond into sleep. Looking upon Glorfindel’s beautiful face he could tell his love was in a now peaceful dreamless reverie. Finally he allowed himself to follow, vowing to watch over his lover, this night, and every night to come.


TBC...