Chapter Text
When Erestor grabbed his towel away, Glorfindel’s first instinct was to cover himself. The second was to jump on Erestor, and have his way with him. The problem was that his feelings went beyond lust. He wasn’t sure at what point he had fallen in love, but he had. He wanted commitment, and wild, spontaneous and mind blowing sex afterward.
"You don’t wish to make a liar out of Lord Elrond, but is that the only reason you are about to ravish me?"
Erestor backed up. "No, it is not. Perhaps I don’t vocalize my feelings often enough. I am in love with you." Then he sighed in frustration. "I suppose the time isn’t right for this...again. I can’t believe it. First you are between my legs and nothing happened, and now you are in my bedroom nude, and nothing is going to happen. The Valar hate me. They really do."
Glorfindel’s head dropped and he sighed. "They hate us both. Do you really have something that I can wear back to my room, or shall I slip into yesterday’s clothes?"
"No, I have a robe, but you have to promise me something," said Erestor as he delved into the back of his wardrobe.
"What do you want me to promise this time?"
Erestor pulled out a rich looking robe and said, "This belongs to King Thranduil. He forgot and left it in a guest suite when he was here last. If you see Prince Legolas coming, turn around and come right back. I shouldn’t be loaning out his father’s clothes."
"Fine, you can come by my room later and pick it up." Glorfindel put the robe on and looked in the mirror. "Wet hair kind of ruins the effect. Thanks for the loan."
Glorfindel walked to the door and turned the knob. Before stepping into the corridor, he looked over his shoulder at Erestor. "When the time is right, we will know it. I am deeply in love with you, Erestor."
As soon as Lord Elrond told Lindir about the morning’s discovery, the minstrel began thinking of lyrics for a love song. That is what he was doing when he saw Glorfindel run by in kingly robes. Since Erestor was almost certainly alone, he changed course and made for his friend’s quarters.
Lindir cracked the door open and yelled, "Erestor? Are you here?"
"Come in." Erestor sounded and looked dejected.
"Lord Elrond just told me that you and Glorfindel are lovers. You don’t seem very thrilled by it though." Lindir took Erestor’s hand and led him to sit down. "Tell me what went wrong."
Erestor pointed to the sky. "The Valar hate us. That is what went wrong. He was in my bed and between my legs the other night, and then in my bedroom in nothing but a little towel this morning. Nothing happened either time!"
"So, he wasn’t nude and between your legs this morning? That does take some of the fun out of it." Lindir patted Erestor’s knee. "Don’t worry. Tell me what happened, and I’ll see if this can be fixed."
By the tales end, Lindir was in tears from laughing.
"It isn’t funny, Lindir."
Lindir snorted. "Not to you maybe, but it is hilarious to the rest of us. This is fixable, but do you want to bother? What do you really feel for him? Are you in love or lust?"
Erestor looked down at his hands. "I’ve fallen deeply in love with him. That is why there was no sex this morning. It didn’t feel right that our first time occur because of Lord Elrond’s big mouth. The moment has to be magical."
"Good. I have just one more question, and it involves that broken jewelry."
Later in the evening, there was an unexpected knock at Glorfindel’s door. When he answered, he found Erestor standing there in an elegant tunic over leggings of the darkest blue silk. He was a vision.
"Come in. I didn’t expect anyone, so the place is a mess." It wasn’t really. Glorfindel was just a little nervous.
Erestor smiled and said, "Nonsense. I hoped that you would be agreeable to dining on your balcony this evening."
It surprised Glorfindel, but not in a bad way. "That would be nice. I will speak with one of the house elves. I’ll be right back."
Erestor stopped him. "There is no need. I took the liberty of requesting that our meal be delivered here." Then he gave Glorfindel a sheepish smile. "If you had said no, I was going to try and intercept it. I hope you don’t mind."
Glorfindel chuckled. "That would be quite a sight; the chief counselor following food trays all over Imladris in search of the right one. It is a good thing that I said yes."
Erestor chuckled. "Lindir saw you run down the hall in King Thranduil’s robe this morning. He thought it to be quite an impressive sight. He intends to work it into the next song or poem that he writes." Erestor cleared his throat nervously. "He also knows about the...accident...a few nights ago. I tried to exact his promise not to use it in one of his songs, but the best that I could do was an agreement to keep our identities out of it."
Dinner arrived before Glorfindel could ask how Lindir had learned of their misadventure. The main course was cioppino and fresh baked bread. Dessert was chocolate covered strawberries around a molten chocolate cake.
"I see that you have a fondness for chocolate, Erestor," remarked Glorfindel.
"I hope you like it. Chocolate is my vice...one of them anyway. In this instance, though, I requested a special menu and the head cook obliged. Chocolate is supposed to be an aphrodisiac." Erestor blushed. "She is the one who insisted that cioppino was appropriate for a romantic meal. Apparently some seafood has aphrodisiac qualities as well."
Glorfindel grinned. "You are in collusion with the cook to make me have romantic feelings for you?"
Erestor gave him a lopsided smile. "Actually, I hoped that you already had them. The meal was an effort to heighten them, if possible."
The food was exquisite, but Erestor was so nervous that he barely ate a bite. Finally, he could wait no longer. He took a deep steadying breath, and addressed Glorfindel. "The other night, you presented me with a gift. A piece of jewelry to replace what had been lost." Erestor rose and walked around the table. "This evening, I would like to present you with a gift."
Glorfindel looked at Erestor with a question in his eyes. Erestor shook his head and said, "Not here. Come with me."
They walked outside, and much to Glorfindel’s surprise, up the hill where he loved to stargaze.
"Sit down. I will be right back." Erestor walked over to a large boulder, and retrieved a small box. "Glorfindel, this may be the most beautiful place in all of Imladris, but that is not why we are here. I wanted to be outdoors where there are no impediments to the Valar’s sight. Although they seem to hate us at times...this morning is a good example...tonight I ask a favor. Tonight, I ask that they not meddle." He looked up and said, "Noninterference, just this once, would be appreciated."
Glorfindel looked around to make sure none of the Vala were hanging about. The coast seemed clear, but one could never know for sure.
Erestor knelt beside Glorfindel and held out the box. "I don’t just want to replace a ruined piece of jewelry."
Glorfindel accepted the box and looked at Erestor intently. Before opening it, he traced the lines of Erestor’s face. "Tell me what is it that you do want, if not to replace my broken ring."
"I love you with every fiber of my being. What do I want? I want you: body, mind and soul."
Glorfindel opened the box, and there on a bed of black velvet, was a mithril band to rival any he had ever seen. He looked into Erestor’s eyes and saw love reflected there. Only then did he take the ring out of the box.
"Will you bind with me, Glorfindel? It is more than a simple marriage that I propose."
In that moment, Glorfindel allowed his true inner light to shine forth. Many things had been written of him that he modestly played off as fantasy. However, fantasy paled to the reality of the elf that was Glorfindel.
"I have never believed in half measures, Erestor. With all that I am, I love you. Yes, I will bind with you." Erestor placed the ring on Glorfindel’s finger, and was drawn into a slow and lazy kiss.
When they broke apart, Glorfindel said, "I don’t have a ring to give you tonight. If you need the ring first, so be it. But this is the perfect place, and the right time. Bind with me tonight, Erestor."
Erestor pushed Glorfindel onto the grass and lay atop his body. "I have enough bling. The ring is superfluous. Yes, I will bind with you, here and now."
Under the stars, in an intensely private and personal ceremony, Glorfindel and Erestor bound their souls for all eternity. As requested, the Valar watched but did not interfere except to bestow their blessing. Had Erestor known how literal they tended to be, he might have been more precise in his wording.
Lorien jabbed Namo in the ribs. "I told you it would work. You should trust me more often."
Manwё sighed. "Love conquers all; even meddlesome Vala like you two."
"My work here is done," Lorien remarked smugly. Later, he would be surprised to hear Erestor requesting his aid. Apparently, Haldir was in need of his special touch.