Food for comfort.

Title: Food for comfort.
Author: Fishy (fishyz9@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Notes: AU, Slash, **sappy**
Summary: Erestor has a sweet tooth.

Food for comfort.

Glorfindel paused in his stride as he passed Erestor’s slightly ajar office door. With an eyebrow quirked, he silently pushed the door open and stood in the doorway; biting the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing at what he saw. There sat Erestor, in his office, unceremoniously stuffing his face. His desk was covered with pastries and sweet breads alike, and what was even stranger, was that the advisor seemed to be eating almost….angrily. Each new bite he would take would be ripped apart by his teeth, he chewed furiously, and would take another bite before even having swallowed his last.

“Hungry are we?” he asked with an amused grin. He chuckled when Erestor mumbled an unintelligible response amongst his chewing.

“I’m sorry?” he asked again, laughing forthright at the adorable scene before him, Erestor‘s cheeks were swollen and full, making his scowl and pursed lips look suspiciously like a pout that was to loveable for words.

The advisor chewed and paused in his show of gluttony to answer the nosey warrior’s questions. “Yes, what of it?” he asked sharply before taking another bite of his pastry.

“Oh, oh nothing” Glorfindel replied with a maddeningly passive smile as he invited himself into the office and slowly circled the advisor’s desk. Erestor watched, chewing slowly as Glorfindel seemed to look his scholarly form over.

“What?” Erestor snapped, not at all in the mood for company, let alone Glorfindel’s.

“I was just wondering where you’re putting it all!” he laughed, “You’re so tiny I can not fathom…”

“I AM NOT TINY!” Erestor suddenly bellowed out of nowhere.

Shocked, Glorfindel stood still, it was then he realised that Erestor was not just in a greedy mood, the petite elf was upset.

“Erestor, what is wrong?” he asked gently.

“Nothing, please leave me be” the advisor muttered embarrassedly as he took another bite of his pastry and slouched in his chair; turning away from the warrior.

“No there is something wrong with you, tell me what it bothering you” he sat himself on the edge of the dark haired elf’s desk, and helped himself to one of the many pastries that lay there.

“’Tis nothing you would know anything about, now leave me” Erestor mumbled miserably as he childishly snatched away the pastry and turned his back away from the warrior.

The dismissal had no effect on the warrior, so used to them was he. He simply smiled as the advisor took another bite of the sweet food; icing temptingly smeared in the corner of his mouth.

“You know if you continue this way, you will not have any room left, nor an appetite for the ball this evening”

“I am not going to the ball, please just…go away” the advisor finished quietly.

“What do you mean you are not going? You helped…nay, you organised the damn thing! How can you not attend?”

“Quite easily I assure you,” he laughed humourlessly, he straightened up from his slouched position and turned away in his chair when seeing the concerned look on the fair warrior’s face. “I am busy Glorfindel, please just…leave me be!”

“Fine,” he sighed, “be that way. Hoard yourself up in your office with your delicacies, but if you wish for a listening ear, you know where to find me”

Erestor turned and looked to where Glorfindel just exited his office. And just for a moment, he lowered the pastry in his hand and swallowed the lump of food and emotion in his throat. Glorfindel could not understand how he felt, the warrior knew nothing of what it was to be undesired, unwanted…..alone.

~*~

Glorfindel hated working in his office, he much preferred working out doors with his men, but even he had some small amount of paper work to deal with.

“Come,” he beckoned as a knock sounded at the door.

“Glorfindel, I have the quotas you asked for,” Taylar, one of Glorfindel’s soldiers waved a rolled up scroll before him as he entered the small stuffy office.

“Ah thank you my friend, I do appreciate you doing this at the last minute. I know you need to get ready for the ball.”

“Ah yes the ball, I can not wait!”

“Can you not?” Glorfindel smiled at his friends enthusiasm and momentarily dropped his quill to sit back in his chair, and spare a moment for friendly conversation.

“Aye I can not, I am going with Canren, can you believe it, he actually agreed to go with me.”

Glorfindel laughed at his friends excitement, he knew that Taylar had harboured romantic feelings for Canren, a mighty elf, and fellow warrior for some time now.

“I am happy for you, and I’m glad you finally worked up the nerve to ask him.”

“Well, I decided that if I could not work up the courage to ask him, then I would not allow myself to attend. And you know how much I love these things” he finished with a grin.

“Aye I do, I hope Canren knows what a lucky elf he is”

“Oh trust me, by the end of the evening he will know just that”

Glorfindel threw his head back and laughed, oh how he loved gatherings or celebrations such as the one he would attend tonight. It gave all a chance to join with the ones they cared for, secretly or openly.

“How many invitations did you turn down my friend?”

“Quite a few actually” he replied smugly.

“Ai, those poor deaf blind maidens” Glorfindel joked, laughing when Taylar glared at him playfully.

“I‘ll have you know that I received many an invite, and none of them suffered any sort of disability!”

“Oh really?” Glorfindel teased.

“Aye, four lovely young ladies, five other warriors, and even one chief councillor asked for my company to the ball”

“Wait, Erestor asked you?” he asked, with surprise, and perhaps even a hint of jealousy clear in his voice.

“Aye he did, shocking I know. Actually…” the warrior began with a somewhat affectionate smile, “it was rather, sweet.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he intercepted me in the hallway ‘accidentally’ when I was heading back to my own quarters. It was an odd thing, I have never seen the chief councillor blush or heard him stutter before…” he chuckled softly, recalling how endearing the advisor’s bashfulness had been. “…if it were not for Canren, I may of excepted his invitation”

“So what did you say to him?”

“I thanked him for considering me, but informed him that I already had a partner to accompany me” he said with a shrug.

“And….how did he take it?”

“Ah, well, I feel rather guilty actually, his face had fallen some and a most becoming blush spread across his cheeks. But he smiled none-the-less and asked me who the lucky elf was. And then he had wished me an enjoyable evening, though I could tell he was disappointed and a little embarrassed. I would never of suspected the chief councilor to be coy.”

“Aye, not many know that, of course, I do not think that many really take the time to get to know him all that well…” Glorfindel was cut off as another elf pooped his head around the corner of the door after a light nock.

“Sorry to interrupt, I have the tally of supplies from my squad, as you asked Captain”

“Thank you Menar, I’ll only take a moment to read through them, I’ll sign and authorise them now, take a seat” Glorfindel nodded over to an empty chair besides Taylar.

“I did not interrupt anything did I?” he asked as he slouched comfortably into the chair besides Taylar.

“Aye we were just discussing the ball, and the many elves and invitations I turned down”

“Truly? Tell me your tally, and let us see if it exceeds my own!” He laughed.

“Well, as I was just telling Glorfindel, four beautiful young maidens asked for my company, as well as one chief councillor Erestor, five war….”

“You to?” Menar interrupted him.

“What?” Taylar asked; slightly miffed that he had been interrupted.

“Erestor, that pompous know it all elf, he asked me to!” He finished with a laugh.

Glorfindel frowned at the unfair description of Erestor and probed further.

“Erestor asked you to go with him?”

“Aye, can you believe it? After years of having to adhere to his commands, as if he were Lord Elrond himself, he had the gall to ask to the ball!” He laughed again, though less enthusiastically when realising his companions did not seem to find the prospect as amusing as he did.

“And what did you say to him?” Taylar asked, if not a little shortly after his recent and rather endearing encounter with the dark haired elf.

“Ahm, well, after watching him stutter and fumble with his words I told him that I did not desire his company,” he said with an apprehensive shrug and considerably less confidence, “but it’s not as if he cares, I mean…it’s him!” He implored in his own defence.

“How can you say that? You don’t even know him!” Taylar argued as Glorfindel leaned quietly back in his seat.

“What are you so upset about Taylar? ‘tis only the chief councilor, what did you say to him?”

“I *politely* declined his offer, as you should of.”

“What did you say exactly Menar?” Glorfindel asked calmly.

Misinterpreting Glorfindel’s calm state as passive interest, Menar leaned forwards and told all.

“Well, as I said, I told him that I did not desire his company, or him. That he is to scrawny a thing and that I did not wish to be on the end of his bitter tongue the entire evening.”

“Menar!” The elf beside him slapped his shoulder, “there was no need for such cruelness!”

“Taylar clam yourself! I doubt he even cares”

“He does care!” Glorfindel suddenly shouted from behind his desk as he stood and looked down at the elf opposite him. “You do not know him Menar,” he said with less gusto, seeing that he had shocked his ignorant friend. “You do not know him at all.”

“And you do?” He replied with nothing but curiosity.

“As much as it may pain him to admit it, aye I do, better than most at least.”

“Perhaps….my words were a little harsh then, should I…apologise?” He asked with genuine confusion.

“No no, just let it lie,” Glorfindel advised, “you would only make it worse.”

“So what exactly did he say in response to your thoughtlessness?” Taylar asked shortly.

“Well, he, he did not say anything.”

“He said nothing at all?” Glorfindel asked, it was unlike Erestor simply take such an insult.

“Nay, he, he stood there a few moments, nodded and then left.” Menar shrugged. “Though….now that I think upon it, perhaps….he had looked a little hurt.”

Menar frowned at the sudden awkwardness between them, “honestly Glorfindel I…I meant no harm, he’s never listened to a word any of us have said before I…”

“Forget it, Menar. It will blow over, let me sign these papers and you may be on your way.”

Menar slumped back in his seat, feeling guilty where as only a few minutes ago he had been highly amused.

~**~

Erestor grumbled when hearing a knock at his door, he did not wish to be disturbed that evening. It was bad enough that he could hear the celebrations from his balcony, he did not wish to witness the merrymaking that he was not apart of. Wiping the crumbs from his sleeping trousers and quickly chewing and trying to swallow the food in his mouth, he wrapped a light sleeping robe around himself and begrudgingly answered the door.

“Glorfindel?” He said around a mouthful of food.

Glorfindel had been standing there spic and span, ready to escort Erestor to the ball and with an almost excited smile upon his lips, as he waited for the door to open. His smile faltered however when Erestor had answered the door so very dishevelled, in a night robe, and with a mouthful of food, again.

“Ai Erestor, do not tell me you are still indulging, you will make yourself ill!”

Erestor quickly swallowed and glared at the blond.

“What do you want Glorfindel, shouldn’t you be else where?”

“Can I come in?”

“No.”

“Good, thank you.”

Erestor growled as Glorfindel simply pushed pass him and into his quarters.

“Valar Erestor, what are you doing to yourself?!” Glorfindel shouted as he noticed nearly a dozen empty plates upon the advisor’s bed, and more food upon his chest of draws.

“Glorfindel, kindly remove yourself from my rooms!”

Glorfindel sighed, “only if you will come with me.”

“I am busy!”

“With what? Gorging?”

“…..Yes! Now get out!” Erestor had shouted almost shrilly.

Glorfindel sighed compassionately, Erestor was getting upset again he could tell. The advisor always tilted his quivering chin up proudly when he was upset. He took Erestor’s hand, ignoring his objections, and pulled him so as to sit beside each other on the littered bed.

“Erestor, I know why you do this, I know what he said,” he began in a gentle voice, sighing as the advisor scowled and turned his head away. “Erestor he did not even mean it, honestly.”

“Who exactly are you talking about?” Erestor began in a quivering voice, still avoiding the blond’s eye line. “The one who said I resembled an unattractive scarecrow? Or the one who thought my company to boring? Or perhaps the one who said he would not run the risk at being seen with a bony little…*little* creature such as myself, or perhaps…”

“Erestor, how many people did you ask?” Glorfindel asked softly, as he gently stroked the hand he held.

“A few,” Erestor shrugged, still looking away, “….quite a few, actually,” he finished in a whisper. “I had waited for someone to ask me…but no one did. So,” he shrugged again, “I tried asking others.”

“And all, said…”

“None, wished to go with me, if that is what you want to hear. Though some were more polite than others.”

“Erestor I…uh…” Glorfindel did not know what to say, what could he possibly say to make Erestor feel better?

“I really had no idea so many had such a low opinion of me,” he whispered sadly, now physically unable to look at the one sat beside him. “I…I only wished..” here his voice cracked, “I only wished for a little company, nothing more. A conversation, perhaps a dance, but that is all.” He quickly stood and tried to hide his tears, but Glorfindel pulled him back by the hand he held.

“Oh no, no Erestor please do not weep I could not bare it…” he stood as Erestor tried to forcefully pull his hand away.

“Please go, don’t look at me, just leave,” he cried gently as tears fell in an unstoppable tide down his cheeks.

“No,” Glorfindel forcefully pulled Erestor into his arms and held him tightly.

“Please don’t,” Erestor said as he struggled weakly.

“Shh now, it’s alright, it’s alright Erestor,” he whispered softly as he rested his cheek atop of the advisor’s soft hair, and ran his hands up and down his slim back reassuringly.

Eventually Erestor stopped all struggling, and simply allowed Glorfindel to hold him, hold him how he had needed to be held in such a long time.

“Glorfindel?” He whispered into the broad chest, unwilling to look up when he felt the warrior loosen his grip to look down at him.

“What is it Erestor?” He asked as he gently stroked Erestor’s long black hair.

“Why….why…”

“What’s that?” The warrior whispered patiently when hearing Erestor try to find his voice.

“Why is it….what is it about me, that is so unlovable?”

“I would not be able to answer that Erestor,” he forcefully, yet gently tilted Erestor’s head up, so as to be looking into the saddest dark brown eyes he had ever seen, “for I simply adore you Erestor. Simply. Adore you.”

Erestor frowned, but managed a small smile despite his confusion.

“And there are plenty Erestor, who would of gone with you, had you asked them sooner, I know this.”

“Truly?” Erestor whispered.

“Aye, and I even know of one elf who would of loved to of been escorted by you to the ball.”

“Escorted by me?” Erestor asked with some amusement as he sniffed and wiped the dampness from his cheeks.

“Aye, escorted by you, to of been lead on to the dance for by you, and to have spent the evening listening to your marvellous humour. But he of course thought it pointless to ask, for you have a mild tolerance for him at most times,” Glorfindel chuckled, “though he still hoped you might of possibly asked for his company.”

“You would of gone with me?”

Glorfindel smiled, Erestor was never one to be confused for long, how brilliant.

“Aye you silly thing. And I would still go with you. I would dance the evening away with you, I’d even let you lead you rogue.”

He grinned as Erestor actually chuckled.

“Why have you always been this way with me?”

“What way?”

“So infuriatingly kind.”

“I…as I said,” he laughed nervously, “I adore you, to put it mildly,” he finished quietly.

There was a quietness between them for a moment, where Glorfindel stood with his arms still gently around Erestor. All that could be heard for those few moments was the soft and now slow music coming from outside Erestor’s balcony.

“I, do not wish to go to the ball with you Glorfindel.”

Glorfindel blinked a few times as Erestor’s words settled in. Slowly he withdrew his hands from where they held Erestor, he tried to smile politely but found he was unable to. He nodded as he ran a hand nervously through his hair and backed away slowly, willing himself not to shed a single damn tear.

“I would much prefer for you to stay here with me.”

“Stay here?” Glorfindel asked as he froze.

Erestor smiled and moved to stand before the warrior.

“I do not think I could fit into my robes tonight, let alone be able to waddle on to the dance floor after all I’ve eaten today.”

And Glorfindel found his smile again.

“Would you dance with me Glorfindel? I dearly like this song.”

Glorfindel smiled and allowed Erestor place a hand at his hip, and lead him in their first dance. It was utterly lovely, he chuckled as Erestor pulled away and held his arm high for Glorfindel to twirl beneath whilst laughing merrily.

“Did I not say you had marvellous humour?”

“Indeed,”

“You are quite the dancer too”

“Oh just wait until I’m not filled to the brim with pastries,” he chuckled.

“Ah, so you are done with your over indulgence and gluttony.”

“Nay,”

Glorfindel raised a brow.

“I plan in overindulging in you Glorfindel, you are so much sweeter than any cream filed pastry.”

Glorfindel laughed and suddenly turned the tables, lifting the advisor in his arms and spinning him. Though he had mercy on Erestor’s poor stomach and set him on his feet a moment later. He smiled down at the helplessly giggling advisor and leaned down to gently touch their lips together. Their kiss was sweet and gentle, and the first of many many more.

“Ai,” Erestor sighed happily, “so much more sweet.”

The End.