Finding Hope

Chapter 20 is rather short, so I can't resist posting 21 as well - one of my very favorite chapters of all. Enjoy.

‘____’ Indicates Erestor/Glorfindel or Lorien/Tinnu mind speaking.

Chapter 21

Erestor, Faelion and Amdiriel spent the day with Elrond and Erynoron. They chatted the morning away, after Elrond examined Faelion, then had lunch on the balcony. Elrond insisted that Erynoron rest after lunch, so while the advisor, Faelion, Amdiriel, and Tinnu napped, Erestor walked with his oldest friend in the gardens outside Elrond’s rooms.

“Elrond, I saw the way you looked at Erynoron all morning. You have feelings for him.” Erestor smiled at his friend.

“Aye, Erestor, I do. You were right…he is kind and wise. His heart is …good. I can feel it. And he is so very beautiful to these old eyes of mine. He has stirred feelings in me that I thought long dead. His eyes…his eyes enchant me.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Why do you say that, Erestor?”

“You are in love, my Lord,” Erestor responded quietly.

“Aye, I am.” Elrond cut a red rose off a bush with his thumbnail. “Do you think he might…like…me?”

Erestor chuckled. “Oh, there is something there, I think. Every time you turned away, Erynoron could not keep his eyes off of you.”

“Truly?”

“Truly, my friend. At the very least he is interested.” Erestor grinned. “And the way he says, ‘my…Elrond’ is so sweet.”

“So do you think I might…have a chance with him?”

“Aye, my friend, I do. Elrond, I do not think Erynoron has ever had a mate or lover before. You will be…careful…with him, will you not?”

Elrond nodded. “Of course I will, Erestor. I would never hurt him. He is already far too important to me.”

~~~*~~~
Erestor, elflings and cat returned to their rooms later in the afternoon. Opening the door, he laughed to find Glorfindel holding up Gailion over his head, as the elfling tried to remove Galvorn’s claws from the curtains. The little black and white kitten had managed to climb to the very top. Glirien sat anxiously, head back, watching her kitten. The furry black Brogdithen watched from his perch on the table.

“Neow now,” Tinnu meowed loudly at Brogdithen, and the kitten jumped from table to chair to floor. Cats sitting on tables were not allowed. Tinnu knew Erestor and Glorfindel would not let anything happen to Galvorn, and waited patiently for the kitten to be brought down as he licked Glirien’s head, comforting his sweet little mate.

“All right, Ada, I have his claws out.” Galvorn’s little legs trashed around as Glorfindel slowly lowered the elfling and kitten, until Tinnu’s loud “Reow!” at the kitten made him stop trying to get free.

Gailion set the kitten on the floor next to Glirien, who promptly proceeded to lick the kitten madly, then carry it away to their basket.

“Hello, my sweethearts,” Glorfindel said, picking up Amdiriel with one arm and wrapping the other around Erestor and Faelion. “Did you have a good day, my love?” he asked, kissing Erestor soundly. “Those kittens have been underfoot and getting into trouble all day long. Did you have a good time visiting today, sweetling?” he asked Amdiriel, kissing her cheek.

Amdiriel nodded. “Elrond and Noron are nice, and we had lunch outside on the balcony, and then Tinnu and I and Faelion took a nap with Noron,” she said, not stopping for breath.

Glorfindel smiled at his beautiful little daughter and gave her another kiss. “Gailion and I missed you all today. Would you like to see what we did?” Amdiriel nodded. “Close your eyes, then. You too, Erestor, my love.” When Erestor’s eyes were closed, Glorfindel held Amdiriel in one arm and took Erestor’s free hand in his own. “Now no peeking, either of you. Keep your eyes closed.” Grinning at Gailion, he led Erestor into the children’s new room. “All right, you may open your eyes now.”

Erestor opened his eyes, amazed at what he saw. A fire burned warmly in the fireplace, casting a soft glow around the room. Three little beds were lined up, dressed in matching blue, green and gold, with carved chests at their foot ends. On a table in the corner of the room sat a completed large dollhouse.

Amdiriel’s mouth had formed an ‘O’ when she saw the doll house. “Down, Ada Glor, please,” she said. The second her feet touched the ground, she ran to the table. Opening doors and windows on the doll house, she laughed happily when she saw furniture and little carved figures inside. “Ada, look! We are inside! There is Ada Glor, and you and me and my brothers!” the elfling squealed.

Glorfindel grinned as he lifted half of the roof up on its hinge so Erestor could see inside. “Look, little one. When you want to move us around, just lift the roof and you can reach in.” The detail was exquisite. There were tiny dishes and rugs, and each bed was covered with a quilt. There were even tiny replicas of the elflings toys, including Faelion’s bunny. And each room was exactly like their real chambers.

“Oh, Glorfindel, it is wonderful!” Erestor said, as he kissed Glorfindel and Gailion. “However did you do it in such a short time?”

Gailion snickered. “Ada and I have been working on it in secret ever since that day he went shopping. We fooled you! You did not know we were doing it!”

Amdiriel hugged her brother and kissed his cheek, then lifted up to arms to Glorfindel. When Glorfindel lifted her, she whispered, “Thank you Ada Glor,” and rained little butterfly kissed all over his face. Glorfindel giggled and Erestor laughed.

“Glorfindel, my love, is that not our wardrobe?” Erestor asked, looking around the rest of the room. “And our bedside tables?” He opened the wardrobe to find the elfling’s clothing neatly put away, then peeked into the bathroom to find it was as cleverly arranged as the rest of the room. “Amdiriel, look at your bathroom, sweetheart,” he said, as Glorfindel carried her into the room.

“Do you like your bathtub, sweetheart?” Glorfindel asked her.

Amdiriel nodded. “It has bunnies and squirrels and birds and trees and flowers in it, Ada, look,” she said, pointing to the large, elaborate bathtub.

“Just like your new beds and chests do,” Glorfindel said. “Come to our room now, my love,” Glorfindel said reaching for Erestor’s hand. He stopped at the doorway to their room, giving Erestor a gentle push in the room ahead of him.

“Oh, Glorfindel, it is magnificent,” Erestor whispered, trying to take in the new wardrobe, bedside chests, and storage chest. He walked to the wardrobe and opened it, giggling at all the drawers and shelves. Some of the children’s clothing, as well as diapers and their nightshirts were neatly stacked on a shelf so they would not have to go to the children’s new room for everything. Erestor turned around and smiled at Glorfindel. He laid Faelion in his cradle, then took Amdiriel from Glorfindel’s arms and set her on the bed next to Gailion. “I need to borrow your Ada Glor for a minute, my love,” he said.

Erestor turned around and stalked back towards his husband with a grin on his face. Wrapping his arms around the taller elf’s neck, he drew the golden head down and captured Glorfindel’s mouth with his own for a long, passionate kiss.

Glorfindel moaned into the kiss. When Erestor finally released his lips, he whispered, “There is more, my love.”

“More?”

Glorfindel nodded. He took Faelion from the crib, and holding him in one arm, grabbed Erestor’s hand. “Bring your sister, Gailion”, he called, as he pulled Erestor out of the room.

Entering the dining room, he carefully placed Faelion in his special chair and lowered the tray in front of him. The baby giggled and cooed and pounded on the tray with little fists. Erestor laughed merrily at the sight, and opened cabinets to find dishes and glassware and linens. “Oh, Glorfindel,” he whispered. Glorfindel pulled him into the kitchen where the kettle and their dinner simmered on top of the stove. Erestor looked around at all the supplies, opened the icebox to find bottles of milk inside, and tears filled his eyes. “A real home. We have a real home, my love.”

“Ada, you are going to have to give Ada Glor lots and lots and lots of kisses,” Amdiriel said.

“Lots and lots and lots of kisses indeed,” Erestor whispered, looking up adoringly at his golden husband.
~~~*~~~

After dinner, dishwashing and drying with Gailion and Amdiriel helping, baths, story telling and lullabies, the elflings were sound asleep in their parent’s bedroom. As usual, their parents had crept out of the room to the sitting room. Lying naked on the fur rugs in front of the fire, Erestor held Glorfindel’s face in his hands and looked down into the blue eyes he so loved. ‘I know not what I did to deserve you, beloved, but I thank the Valar daily for giving me such a wonderful husband. I love you so very much, my darling one.’

Erestor’s words washed through his mind, and a deep feeling of peace, contentment, and overwhelming love rolled over Glorfindel. He gently ran his hands over Erestor’s back and caressed the beautiful bottom that fit so perfectly in his hands. ‘Erestor…my Erestor…my Erestor…my love…my life…kiss, me my love.’
~~~*~~~

Lorien drifted through the Last Homely house, making sure all of its residents were soundly asleep and would remain so. Coming to Glorfindel and Erestor’s rooms, he blew gently on the elflings, ensuring their deep sleep. He checked the new rooms and looked into the dollhouse, chuckling when he saw the little figures. He laid the three elflings’ figures in their beds in their parent’s room, and arranged Erestor and Glorfindel in each other’s arms in front of the sitting room fire, chuckling again. Moving to the sitting room, he looked at the basket of sleeping cats, and gently picked up Tinnu, then blew on the others. ‘Come and sit with me, my little friend.’ The shadowy shape sat in a dark corner of the room with Tinnu on his lap, unseen and unnoticed by the elves.

‘Why are you here, non-elf? You will not ask me to give my remaining kittens away, will you?’

Lorien chuckled in Tinnu’s mind. “Nay, little one. I am here for them…for your master and his mate. And you may call me Lorien.’

‘You are not giving them or their kittens away, are you?’

Lorien chuckled again. ‘Nay, Tinnu. I bring them a gift.’

Tinnu felt a little better and relaxed slightly. ‘What kind of gift? Is it a good one?’

“Aye, little one. It is a very good one. You see, Tinnu, your master and his mate are very special elves. They are very good and very strong, and they will do much good in the years to come, as will their children and their children’s children.’

‘Their kittens will have kittens and will do good things too?’

‘Aye, Tinnu. Their…kittens…were always meant to be theirs, chosen for them since the beginning. Have you not noticed how easily and quickly their…kittens…loved their new parents? Their souls already knew them, you see.’

‘Oh. What gift did you bring them, Lorien?’

‘Watch.’

‘Do I have to? I have seen them doing this many times before.’

‘This time will be different, little one. That is why I sent everyone else into a deep sleep. The first time can be a little…overwhelming…for elves. It is a gift that usually only the Valar and Maiar share, and we are giving it to them. They have many special tasks to perform in their years on Middle-earth. This gift will help them be even stronger. Their love is the strongest of all of Middle-earth. They will stand before the Nazgul and their fell beasts, before Sauron and his evil, and they will be victorious.’

‘What is a Nazgul and Sauron, Lorien?’

‘Later, Tinnu. Watch.’

The air began to fill with golden, sparkling lights. Tinnu reached out a paw and batted at one, but it passed right through his paw. It made him feel warm. And then he saw the golden lights were coming from his master. ‘Ooooh. Why is Erestor glowing, Lorien? Why is he gold?’ And then Erestor moved, and rolled Glorfindel on top of him, and Tinnu could see Glorfindel was glowing gold too, and the little golden lights were coming from him too. ‘What is happening, Lorien? What is it?’

‘The golden light is their love, little one, that is now a visible thing. At times, all around them will even be able to see and feel it. See how the gold from Glorfindel is pouring into Erestor, and Erestor’s into Glorfindel?’

‘Why are their eyes changing, Lorien?’ Erestor’s dark eyes sparkled with gold, as did Glorfindel’s blue ones.

‘Because of their love, little one.’

The elves screamed, and Tinnu jumped. ‘Are they in pain?’ he asked in a panic.

‘Nay, little one. It is just very intense for them. I am here to make sure that they will be all right.’

The way that Erestor was sobbing and crying out for Glorfindel to take him was unlike anything that Tinnu had ever heard before. Glorfindel sobbed something about Erestor not being prepared. Tinnu’s round eyes grew rounder as he stared between his elves and Lorien. The Vala petted the cat to calm him. ‘It is all right, Tinnu, they are all right.’

Erestor flipped Glorfindel beneath him and quickly lowered himself on his husband’s hard member, taking it fast and hard inside his passage as their moans and sobs filled the air, and the golden lights grew larger and brighter. Erestor lifted his hips and slammed them back down again and again, before Glorfindel turned them over and started thrusting wildly into the elf below him. Erestor’s fingernails tore at Glorfindel’s back, until Lorien softly blew at the writhing elves, and Erestor’s fingers began pressing instead of clawing.

Erestor could not think or speak. All he could do was feel as Glorfindel pounded into him and his love poured through him. There were no words that were needed, because he was in Glorfindel and part of Glorfindel. Sobbing with the intensity of it, Erestor crawled inside of Glorfindel, and was wrapped in his love.

‘Will it always be like this for them now, Lorien? I mean, they are awfully noisy, and it does not look like they are enjoying it,’ Tinnu asked.

‘Nay, just this first time is like this, Tinnu,’ Lorien chuckled. ‘After tonight, outwardly it be much like it was before…except for the golden lights and what they feel inside. That will stay. And trust me, they are enjoying it, little one.’

Glorfindel wailed as he pounded into Erestor, and every thrust buried him deeper and deeper until all that existed was Erestor. Erestor was in him and around him and Erestor was all that mattered.

Finally screaming their completion, the two elves collapsed in each other’s arms, as golden lights still sparkled through the room.

‘Time for me to leave you now, my little friend. Your mate and kittens will wake soon. Go to them, Tinnu.’

‘Will I see you again?’

‘Someday, perhaps, little one. Someday.’

Tinnu nodded and went to his basket as Lorien waved a hand over Glorfindel’s back, then shimmered away. The marks on Glorfindel’s back disappeared, and Tinnu wrapped himself around Glirien and licked her head gently, as golden specks of light fell over them, warming them.

Erestor and Glorfindel slowly recovered and searched each other’s eyes. ‘What was that, my love?’ Erestor whispered. ‘What happened? Your eyes are gold.’

‘I do not know, sweetheart. It was…it was…so…wonderful…intense…perfect. And your eyes are gold as well, my love,’ Glorfindel said as he kissed Erestor deeply.

They lay in each other’s arms and watched as the gold flickered in their eyes. Silently and tenderly they spoke words of undying love as hands and arms lovingly caressed glowing flesh. Golden sparks of light still fell around them and through them, unnoticed by the elves. They fell into reverie, and the gold of their eyes slowly retreated behind blue and brown.

Tbc….