Down by the water

Author: Az
Email: Az.ombie[at]gmail.com
Website: http://www.nad-no-ennas.net
Disclaimer: Don’t own them, don’t sue me
Summary: – Midsummer’s feast is here, and Erestor gets more dancing done than he had in years. Too much wine, and unguarded moments, is wished far away when new reaches Rivendell.
Pairrings; Erestor/Glorfindel Erestor/Arato implied
AN: Alright, I was made aware that it was not Bone Faunas binding ceremony theory, but a spin off, off Ilye’s – so credit should go to her, id still want to credit both, for no other reason than I want to. – and again, this is made for my girl EJ, I really hope you like it.
Betaed by; Lisbet she of wicked commas.


_____________________________________

Thank you for holding me
And saying "I could be"
Thank you for saying, "Baby"
Thank you for holding me
Thank you for breaking my heart
Thank you for tearing me apart
Now I've a strong, strong heart
Thank you for breaking my heart

Sinéad O’Connor - Thank you for hearing me

_______________________________

Chapter 3 - Thank you for staying with me.

Erestor sat down on a bench; he had danced more and
had more fun than he remembered having in years.
Elladan had turned out to be quite the dancer, and it
had actually been with a little bit of jealousy that he had
handed Elladan on to another elf. Now as he sat there and
watched the elder son of Elrond dance, he could see
why, even if he would always feel in his heart that
Elrond’s children was but wee ones, that was not the
case, not anymore. Elladan was every bit grown up; his
brain had just not registered it yet. Erestor had to
hide his wide grin; this was a most wonderful time of
one’s life, and he couldn’t help but be a little bit
envious of the twins, who were just about to discover
the world for real.

“Erestor?” a voice said, shaking the advisor from his
musings.

“Yes, I am sorry,” he said, turning to see Elrond with
two cups in his hands. He handed Erestor one and sat
down next to him on the bench. “Why are you not out
dancing, my lord?”

Elrond chuckled, and smiled brightly. “I am not much
of a dancer.” He crooked his head and looked at Elladan
and the elf who danced together. “Not like my son, I am afraid,
he must have gotten that gene from his mother,” the elf
lord jested.

Erestor smiled. “Yes, I have to admit that young Elladan
proved to be quite the dancer.”

“So are you,” Elrond said with a smug smile.
“But, thank you,” Erestor said, taking a sip of his
warm wine. “’Tis is a wonderful feast.”

“As always,” Elrond mused.
“Yes, as always” Erestor repeated and looked up, and to
his slightly annoyance he found himself searching the
crowd for one single golden haired elf.

“He is over there” Elrond said and nodded in the
direction of the large table filled with food and
drink.

Erestor would have loved to give some snappy comeback,
but instead he just looked in the direction that Elrond
nodded, and there he was, Glorfindel. He was
discussing something with Elrond’s assistant, and
from the look of it the poor young assistant
seemed quite taken with the golden lord.

“You’d better hurry, my friend,” Elrond whispered.

“Excuse me?” Erestor whispered back.

“They seem to get along just fine, those two,” Elrond
said with a little lecturing voice. “You wouldn’t want
to see him dance with Glorfindel, would you?”

If it was the wine, or if it was this strange magic
moment, Erestor didn’t know, but he opened his mouth
to answer Elrond, when the young elf toasted with
Glorfindel, and Erestor clearly saw those deep blue
eyes smile at the young elf over the brim of the cup.
“What harm could come from that?” he said, trying not
to wring his hands in his lap, from frustration.
Elrond was right, he couldn’t stand it. He didn’t like
to watch Glorfindel flirt with that other elf at all.
“Hmmm,” Elrond said looking thoughtful. “He is a
handsome, and might I add young, elf.”

“Do you really take Glorfindel to be that shallow?”
Erestor groaned and took a sip from his cup. He knew how
stupid that sounded to his own ears. Of course Elrond
took Glorfindel to be that shallow, he himself took
Glorfindel to be that shallow.

Elrond didn’t even answer, he just smiled. “Your drink,
my friend,” he just said.

At first Erestor didn’t understand what he meant, but
then he noticed that he had tilted his goblet, and now
the wine soaked his robe. “Ai!” he exclaimed and stood
up. He started to try and brush the liquid off, to no
avail, and Elrond seemed to find this highly amusing.

“Why don’t you just go over there, Erestor?” he said
as he handed his advisor his own goblet of wine.

“Because, because…” Erestor stated childishly, and then
smiled as he shook his head, amused at his own
reaction. He sounded even younger than young Elladan.
“Erestor,” Elrond said in a parental chiding tone. And
nodded towards the couple at the end of the buffet
table.

“All right,” Erestor sighed and sent Elrond a strange
look. Oddly, this was causing butterflies to rise in his
stomach, anticipation mingled with fear, and he felt
his mouth go dry and the gentle buzz the alcohol
had given him seemed almost too much. He bit his lip
and looked like he was 1000 years younger than he was.
“But what if he doesn’t want me to interfere?” he asked.

“I thought we already discussed this, Erestor,” Elrond
said. “Of course he wants you to go over there.” He
reached out towards his advisor, and grabbed his hand.
“Listen, Erestor, he might be many years younger than
you, but there is only one you, and I know how
difficult this is for you, but as your friend, I tell
you that you should go and mingle, now or never.”

Erestor just stood there and listened and in the end
he nodded. “I shall take your advice,” he whispered and
smiled at Elrond, as he squeezed his hand, before he
gulped down the rest of the wine in the goblet that
had been Elrond’s own a few minutes ago. And then he let
go of the lord of Imladris and slowly walked over
towards the couple at the end of the table. For a
minute he wondered if he should just pretend to gather
something to eat, or get himself a new drink. But that
would just be too pathetic, for he knew why he was
there. He couldn’t stand that his assistant was
chatting up Glorfindel. But the reason why he couldn’t
stand that scared him; he didn’t feel anything for
Glorfindel, did he? Maybe he did. And that was the
hardest thing he had had to admit.

He ‘did’ get himself yet another drink before he
ventured further down to the couple; he cleared his
throat and waited.

“Erestor!” Glorfindel exclaimed and smiled a bright
happy smile. “I never thought your dance with young
master Elladan would end, and that I would get too
drunk to even dance as I promised.”

Erestor smiled back. “Oh, he soon tired of me stepping
on his toes,” the dark-haired elf chuckled.

“I doubt that was the case, my friend,” Glorfindel said
with a smug grin, as he looked over Erestor’s shoulder,
seeing Elladan dancing with a third elf. “He seems to
be quite the popular dance partner this eve,” Glorfindel
murmured to himself.

Erestor chose to not answer to this and just sipped
his drink and nodded at his assistant “Good evening,
enjoying yourself?” he said with a polite smile.
And the assistant just nodded and smiled politely back.

“Come, Erestor,” Glorfindel said. “Yesterday you promised
me a dance, and I intend to hold you to that promise.”
Erestor smiled, and Glorfindel smiled back. He had
noticed the rather cold air between the advisor and
the apprentice, and he had in his slightly drunk,
teasing mood, felt like letting Erestor squirm some,
before dragging off with him to dance. This dance
that Erestor had promised him, had been the sole
reason that he had even come to this party.

Erestor hid his little triumphant smile as Glorfindel
dragged off with him, and they mingled among the dancers,
and as Glorfindel grabbed Erestor’s hand and waist,
the dark advisor was surprised for a moment over
the warm smooth hands. How could Glorfindel’s hands be smooth?
They should be rough from all that fighting and what
not. Maybe that had happened in Mandos? Maybe Mandos
had given Glorfindel back his infinite self? And who
was he to argue? But as Glorfindel suddenly twirled
him about to the music all thoughts of that kind fled
Erestor’s mind.

As they danced, Erestor faintly noticed that
Glorfindel’s hands rested on his hips. He knew he
should object, but he didn’t. He just looked up, and
looked directly into Glorfindel’s smiling eyes, and
for a second Erestor wished things were different. He
wished that he could turn back time to way before that
damnable day of his bonding in Gondolin. Why had it not
been these smiling eyes he had met? Erestor felt
himself blush slightly under Glorfindel’s gaze, and he
watched the golden-haired elf smile even wider.
_________________

The dance was over, and most elves had retired, but in
the shadows were two figures still standing. Erestor
and Glorfindel. Erestor had long ago taken his
hand back, and he found that he was a little sad that
he had. It had felt nice to hold Glorfindel’s hand. It
felt right, and made him tingle inside, in the
strangest way, something he had not had happen to him
since he was just of age. It tasted of things to come.
“Erestor?” Glorfindel said, as he emptied the last
goblet of the party. “May I walk you to your chamber?”

Erestor smiled a crooked little smile and nodded. He
crossed his arms over his chest in lack of somewhere
else to put them, but at the last second he became
aware of how his body language must seem, and he let
his arms fall to each side again.

They walked side-by-side towards the house. “I really
enjoyed this feast,” Glorfindel whispered as they made
their way into the main hall.

“So did I,” Erestor answered and turned up the large
spiral staircase. “You are quite the dancer, Glorfindel.”

“Oh, but so are you,” Glorfindel hurried to say, and
patted the other elf’s shoulder in camaraderie.
What he really wanted to do was to slip that arm
around the dark haired elf’s shoulder and hold him
tightly as they walked on. Just to walk such a way with
Erestor would make him happy. But now was not the time,
it seemed, and Glorfindel, who had given up all hope of
ever courting his hearts desire, suddenly felt more
bold. He smiled to himself as they reached Erestor’s
door. They both stopped and Erestor turned to face
Glorfindel. “I am glad I came,” he said softly. “I really
enjoyed myself.”

“I found you to be really pleasant company as well,
Erestor,” Glorfindel murmured. And as Erestor turned to
open his door, Glorfindel moved closer, and when
Erestor’s door squeaked open, and the dark-haired elf
turned around again to look at him, he grabbed his
heart’s desire with a hand on each side of his face,
and kissed him.

Erestor felt the soft lips on his, and instead of
pushing Glorfindel away, he raised a hand and rested
it on Glorfindel’s hand on his cheek. He tasted of wine
and something Erestor couldn’t put his finger on,
something that was uniquely Glorfindel.

Glorfindel had hoped this kiss would never end; it was
even sweeter than he had ever imagined. For so long he
had fantasized about what those full lips would taste
like, what Erestor would feel like against him. And
now he knew, but it was not enough! He wanted more. He
wanted!... Slowly and reluctantly Glorfindel let go
of the dark-haired advisor. His eyes sought out
Erestor’s and found them worried. Oh no, he had gone
too far, but he had thought that Erestor had wanted
this as well, he really had. “Forgive me,” Glorfindel
whispered.

“You’re forgiven” Erestor whispered back, as he
stropped backwards into his room. Oh, he needed to
think about this. He didn’t know what to make of it,
what to think or feel. “Good night, Lord Glorfindel,” he
whispered as he slowly closed the door.

Lord Glorfindel?? The Balrog slayer dropped his head
and pulled his hands up in his sleeves, just standing
in front of Erestor’s door. “Good night, Chief Advisor
Erestor,” he whispered as he turned from Erestor’s door
and left for his own chambers.
___________________
The next day after breakfast, Elrond had announced that
he wanted Glorfindel and Erestor to come to his office
after the meal. Both elves were curious to what could
be such urgency that it could not wait until
everything from the party had been taken care of. Both
elves walked to Elrond’s study in silence. But just
before they reached the door Erestor finally broke the
ice. “I am sure it is nothing really serious,” he
whispered to Glorfindel.

“I pray you are right,” Glorfindel whispered back, and
smiled a little nervously. He didn’t quite know what to
do or say. Should he just blame the amount of alcohol
he consumed? Or should he just admit the truth, that he
had wanted to kiss Erestor for years and years?

Elrond looked at them both and gestured for them to
sit. “I imagine you’re wondering why I called you here.” Both
elves looked at their lord with equally confused
faces, and Elrond continued. “Something has happened,
and I must express my utmost apologies to you both. I
should never have meddled like I did. I hope you both
forgive me.”

“My lord?” Erestor said with a slightly nervous tone,
very unlike him.

“This came for you,” Elrond said, “along with one for
me.” He handed Erestor a parcel with a seal on it.
“Oh,” Erestor gasped. “Oh!”

“What is it?” Glorfindel asked, looking at Erestor as
he paled, and Elrond who handed his friend a glass of
water.

“This is... it is…” Erestor whispered and looked at
Elrond and then at Glorfindel, with eyes full of
confusion and what Glorfindel could only interpret as
sorrow. “It is the seal of the hours of the golden
flower.”

“Arato?” Glorfindel gasped and looked up at Elrond,
and as Elrond nodded, Glorfindel felt as if his heart
clouded over. What had he done? He had assumed his
brother dead, and pursued his husband with a lover’s
interest. “But wh-why did he wait so lo-long?” the
golden haired elf stuttered.

Erestor had opened the seal and was reading. He felt
his skin crawl as he saw the hastily written note. It
was Arato, all right; he even recognized the
handwriting. “Alive,” Erestor whispered. “He is alive,
and on his way.”

Glorfindel let out a breath he didn’t even know he had
been holding. “When will he be here?” he whispered, not
meeting Erestor’s eyes.

“Soon” Elrond said, looking at the two elves in front
of him, feeling terribly guilty that he had even
suggested that Arato had been dead. But who would have
thought that he would show up after so long a time? No
one. “I must take care of something,” Elrond said,
knowing how stupid it sounded, but he wanted to give
the two of them some privacy. And as Erestor nodded
faintly, Elrond quickly left his office, leaving
Glorfindel, Erestor and that damned letter behind the
closed door.

“Erestor?” Glorfindel whispered. Erestor looked up
from the letter and looked at Glorfindel with large
frightened eyes, and for a second something prodded
Glorfindel’s memory, but he couldn’t put his finger on
it, so he just continued. “I hope you will forgive me
for… for...” he paused for a second and searched his
brain for the right word, but he didn’t find it, and
all that came to his mind was, “I… I thought he was
gone.”

“You are forgiven.” Erestor whispered and then slowly
stood up. “Promise me something, Glorfindel, my friend,”
he said softly but with a desperate edge to it.

“Anything,” Glorfindel said and reached up for
Erestor’s hand, but the advisor moved backwards and
Glorfindel’s hand missed its target and he let it fall
idly to his lap again.

“Never mention yesterday again,” he whispered.

“I promise.”

“Thank you,” Erestor said and turned to leave, but then
he suddenly stopped and turned halfway to the door
“Will you come greet him with me?”

“Yes, if you wish me to,” Glorfindel answered, turning
in his chair to face Erestor.

“I do,” the advisor said. He wanted to say a million
other things, but he stopped himself, and just nodded
to Glorfindel as he left the room. Who could have
thought that Arato was still alive? He had known,
hadn’t he? Somewhere deep inside he knew that the
devil was alive, and now he was coming here for him,
in what he had thought his sanctuary for thousands of
years.

-tbc-