Disclaimer:I own nothing. Everything belongs to its respective owners. I am merely borrowing.

A/N: Sometimes I have ideas, some big and some small, of moments between Elrond and Celebrían that don't really have any place within any of my full-length fics or other writings. I decided that it would be best to put them under one 'story' if you will. These will be individual short stories that have no particular connection to each other than they regard one of my favorite fictional couples.

Some might have some connection because I really like to keep consistency within all my stories, but they can span from the very first time they saw each other and until, well until the end of everything. Sometimes one chapter might include more than one short story, depending on their length.

I really enjoy writing these two and I hope it will bring you some enjoyment as well.

I decided that it would be quite fitting to begin at the very beginning. This story is about the very first time Elrond laid eyes on Celebrían and his first impression on her. If, by any chance, you have read my story Never let me go I wrote there the first meeting from Celebrían's point of view. This is not the same version as in that story since my view of these events have changed since then.

Please feel free to review, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy!

Inspiration: Letters by Abel Korzeniowsky from the W.E. soundtrack.

Infinity

I

-First Impressions-

"He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking."

-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

17th July, S.A. 1700

White blossoms twirled lazily from the canopy of trees, the branches swaying and twining together above the fair company of travelers. The hoofs of the tall horses stirred the dry earth, stones and gravel tumbling down the steep slopes.

Mist shimmered over the valley below, sinking just below the treetops of the surrounding woodland. Wildflowers sprung from the tall grass, the petals swaying under the drops of morning dew. Sunrays glowed on the fair-haired beings, light armor glimmering under fluttering cloaks of grey. In the forefront a golden haired lady sat astride a white mare, shimmering blue eyes transfixed on the narrow road ahead.

He stood on steep stone steps, grey eyes observing the assembly before him as they rode through the glade and into the courtyard. Silver banners of silk bearing the shining emblem of King Amdír of Lórinand fluttered behind the grey-cloaked warriors.

He eyed the silver haired lord by his side with concealed amusement. Mouth drawn in a thin straight line, shoulders terse, and the rigid stance belied the undercurrent of emotions in the pale blue eyes as they met those of the golden haired lady who sat tall and straight on her horse. She looked at her husband squarely, defiantly even. Elrond had a faint idea of the cause of their rift, but he was wise enough to keep such thoughts to himself. Unspoken words and emotions passed between the lord and lady, and then suddenly like a cloud drawn from the sun her whole countenance lit up, the corner of her lips curling in a knowing smile. Celeborn however remained completely still though his eyes betrayed his emotions. He broke their gaze when his eyes spotted something in the distance, and a bright smile broke through his terse countenance.

Elrond heard her voice before he saw her.

"Ada!"

Like a chime of sweet bells her voice carried through the distance where the riders were tending to their horses, the one syllable carrying an array of emotions. His gaze caught the sight of Celeborn rushing towards the riders, to one particular rider. And it was then that Elrond first saw Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel. At that moment he felt as if he had been swept in a sweet dream.

A maiden of surpassing beauty sat side-saddled on a white mare, face flushed from riding, and eyes blue as crystal waters brimmed with tears of joy and relief. They reminded him of warm summer nights by the ocean, when the sun kissed the surface of the water with a golden glow. With great agility she slid off of her horse, the long silver locks of hair swaying as her feet hit the ground, and with a cry of delight she hurried swiftly into Celeborn's embrace. A pure laughter emitted from the Elf lord, his strong arms lifting her off her feet and twirled her around. Sunrays played about her hair, gilding it with a golden hue, and Elrond found himself hard-pressed to lower his gaze for she shone like the sun, blinding him with her radiance.

Celeborn lowered her to her feet, and brushed tears from her cheeks then kissed her forehead. She laughed through her tears and embraced him again. Behind her the Lady Galadriel observed the happy reunion with a small smile on her lips.

If one looked closely one could detect intensity around her mouth and the pang of fear in the depth of her eyes, but that could also have been the trick of the eye. When her eyes met those of her husband it seemed that they were frozen in place, communicating well beyond the physical world. Celeborn's arms were still around their daughter but his eyes were focused on his wife, seemingly probing, assessing.

This Elrond watched with the outlook of an unobtrusive observer. To an outsider he appeared just as collected as always, his face stern but kind. But while he seemed serene and collected his entire being rode raging seas of emotions.

As she eased from her father's embrace he saw that her gaze fell from her parents and towards him, and as their eyes met he felt a spark from his chest radiate through his entire being. At once he found that he could not take his eyes off of her, but at the same time he felt the urge to look away. It was so sudden, this feeling that overcame him, that it knocked him off balance momentarily. Sound and sight faded until there was nothing but her, and he felt that at that moment nothing else mattered but her and him. His stomach fluttered, the blood boiled in his veins and a piece of his heart, the part deep within him that had remained cold and dead for many millennia, suddenly sprung to life. The world collapsed and fell into place at once, and for that single heartbeat he felt whole again.

In her eyes he thought he saw something light deep within their blue depths, but he could not be sure for she lowered her gaze and the connection broke. Time rushed past him at an amazing speed. A shuddering breath escaped him and he looked about him to make sure that no one had witnessed this brief lapse. His eyes fell on Celeborn and Galadriel who stood together, hands touching and barely contained smiles on their faces, acceptance and love radiating from them both.

They had approached him a little later. He bowed low before Galadriel, and kissed her hand courteously. It had been many years since last they met and so he said to her.

As he released the lady's hand his eyes caught a flash of silver in the periphery of his vision. He straightened and schooled his features as Celeborn stood forward, his hand clasped around delicate fingers. He kept his eyes fixed on the Elf lord, though he could feel her presence clearly. But as he stepped forward his gaze fixated on a strand of silver hair caught by the wind and followed its direction as it swept over high cheekbones, to the bridge of a delicate nose and down to the corner of full lips. He swallowed thickly, and focused his gaze on something, anything else than her. So distracted was he that he barely registered that Celeborn was speaking to him and merely caught the last trace of his sentence.

"…this is my daughter, Celebrían."

His gaze fell on her and he schooled his features. A shy smile appeared on her lovely face as she curtsied. Dutifully he captured her outstretched hand in his and felt a sudden spark ignite with the contact and kissed her hand. He raised his eyes and their gazes locked. When he straightened he at last found his voice.

"Welcome to Imladris, Lady Celebrían."

The sun had set and the stars twinkled brightly over the quiet valley. There was no sound except for the gentle crackling of fire in the torches and the light footfall that was barely discerned in the silence of the night.

Elrond walked down the hallway, head tilted down as he read the scroll he carried in his right hand, the other one clutching a small tattered book. Despite the full attention he gave to the letterings in front of him he was acutely aware of everything around him. Sharp ears detected a faint hum behind one of the closed doors, a hoot of an owl as he passed an open window, and a soft note of a harp. The soft breeze carried the scent of the surrounding trees and wild flowers mixed with the smoky scent of burning log from the glade where he could hear the soft singing. The night had been held in celebration for the new arrivals. In the time of war the welcoming carefree environment of dance and song was most appreciated by the worn travelers. They would sing most of the night, songs of summer and love, peace and prosperity. In the morrow the harsh reality of war would cast its shade upon the valley, but the night was for rejoicing.

Though Elrond enjoyed such merriment he could not evade the burden of responsibility and discussed lengthily with the captain of the Lórinand army who brought a message from Amdír. Celeborn and Galadriel had disappeared early, as had their daughter.

Knowing that sleep would not come easily that night, much like most other nights, he decided to retreat to his study. Despite the short time of inhabitation he had easily found sanctuary within the halls, crafted with the skill and craftsmanship from the surviving smiths of Eregion.

He walked around the now familiar walls of the house and easily found the way to his study, head still buried in the book. He paused by the heavy wooden door and was just about to unlatch the door when he heard a muffled sound from within. Astonished he paused, hand stretched out mid-air, and leaned closer to the door, brows furrowed in curiosity. He thought he heard a sigh, but he couldn't be sure. The crease on his brow deepened when he heard a faint creek and then a quick intake of breath before a loud crashing sound erupted from within the room and the audible sound of something breaking followed by a heavy thud that unmistakably sounded like a hoard of books tumbling on the floor.

"Blasted." A musical voice cursed from the other side.

He opened the door quickly, eyes twitching searchingly for the one who had invaded his study only to halt mid step, taking in the sight before him with a barely concealed surprise. Everything appeared as he left it that morning, the desk in the left corner in the organized disarray it normally was in, the teacup still parched rather precariously on top of a huge pile of books, scrolls and maps. What caught his gaze was the total disarray of books on the floor; the precious books scattered and sprawled on the hardwood floor. His gaze turned fleetingly upwards to the top shelf of the tall bookcase where he knew they belonged and found that almost the entirety of the books had fallen down, except for one small book of poems that barely clung to the edge of the shelf. Coincidentally that shelf contained one of the most valuable codices of legislation from Gondolin, now in its entirety scattered on the floor in a heap. In normal situation he would have raged over whomever would treat such artifacts in such a distasteful manner. As it was he found that he could only stare for his eyes had found the culprit and he could not take his eyes away from her. In her beauty she had stood before him that morning, and now she was there like a being sprung from tales of old. Face hidden under a waterfall of silver tresses that cascaded over a pale blue gown trimmed with silver edges, the shimmering material pooling around the slender limbs as she knelt by the broken remnants of a green vase.

"Celebrían you fool," she muttered under her breath as she gathered the small shards of glass.

Elrond frowned, and discarded the sudden fluttering in his stomach as he closed the door firmly behind him, making his presence known. Celebrían jumped up and let out a small yelp of surprise. As she looked up her hair fell around the fair features. A part of her hair was gathered in plaits around the crown of her head, a few array strands of hair fell in loose ringlets about a face that rivaled even the beauty of Galadriel. Blue eyes widened when she recognized who stood before her. Her mouth opened, lips forming inaudible words before she closed her mouth and glanced down in shame. Blush spread from her cheeks and up to the roots of her hair.

Rarely he found lack of words, but he was entirely too aware that they were alone in his study and her distracting appearance made any coherent thought impossible. Realizing her folly she stood up and curtsied deeply before him.

"My lord Elrond." She breathed.

"My lady Celebrían," he managed to say, and bowed low, careful to keep his façade calm and collected.

Shamefully her gaze landed at the books on the floor, and she smiled nervously.

"I apologize deeply for this inconvenience. Allow me to amend this imprudence on my part, then I shall not disturb you further."

"Do not trouble yourself, my lady. I shall take care of this…" he gestured feebly at the disarray before him and smiled reassuringly at the perceptibly distraught lady.

"You…you are not angry?" She asked, surprise evident in her bright features.

"Of course not." He replied earnestly, in the hope to quell her worry he leant down and picked up the books from the floor, carefully examining them for any damage. He looked up as his ears depicted the soft ruffle of clothing and caught the sight of Celebrían crouching by his side, delicate hands fumbling for the heavy tomes.

"Please do not trouble yourself. You are a guest here, and…"

"Nonsense, I might be a lady but I am not devoid of manners, Lord Elrond." She caught him off before he could finish his sentence.

"But…"

"I quite insist." She persisted, eyes glinting with a joyful spark. "You are not so easily rid of me."

The warm glow of the candlelight played about her features, and in this close proximity he could see details he had not seen before. Details he found most fascinating. He admired how the light from the candlelight played about her hair accentuating the golden strands amidst the dominant silver. Her eyes, which he had so admired before seemed fairer than the brightest of jewels and in their depths he saw innocence of a young maiden yet experience of a woman who had lived through both joy and grief. But most endearing of all were tiny specks of freckles on the bridge of the narrow nose, barely visible on the sun kissed skin.

Unbeknownst to him she was examining his features with equal awe and curiosity and when their eyes caught each other they both looked away, awkwardly continuing their work in silence.

Elrond looked up briefly, somehow unable to keep his gaze away from her for too long.

"What exactly brought you here so late this evening?" He inquired softly after an unbearable stretch of silence.

"I could not sleep."

"It can be difficult in unfamiliar surroundings." He reasoned gently.

"Usually some light reading will do, therefore I was delighted to stumble upon a room full of books. The have a way to bring solidity, and comfort especially when no place seems safe." She looked at him then, her lips twitching in an apologetic smile. "I was unaware that it was your study that I had invaded so rudely."

"There is no need to apologize. My study is open to all."

"You are most kind." Celebrían smiled warmly as she collected the final volumes off the ground.

He stood up; carrying the heavy books in his hands and returned them to their rightful place. After he had returned them all he turned and looked for the small book that belonged there. A strange look flickered about his face when he spotted it in two delicate hands. Celebrían's eyebrows furrowed as she studied the thin spine.

"Ah, here is the culprit of our troubles. I could not reach it and… well you can easily guess what happened next." She laughed but stopped when she saw the unease in her companion.

Elrond bit his lip, his heartbeat suddenly quickened, fluttering like a hummingbird's wings caged within his chest as he observed the old book. Unbidden memories flashed through his mind, memories he firmly kept locked deep in his mind, but were now skimming over the surface. He shook his head and found his voice at last.

"Why this book?"

"I am not sure." She frowned and leafed through the book slowly. "It seemed to call to me, and I found it curious that such a small book was stored alongside such grand volumes."

He wished to snatch the book from her privy fingers but couldn't find the heart to refuse even this to the lady before him, despite the terrible envasion he felt. Little did she know that she held one of his most priced possessions in her hands, a part of him that he had not shared with a single soul except with his long lost twin who had also shared the same burden.

"What book is this?" She asked curiously. "I have never seen this collection before." She mused distractedly.

"That is not surprising. This was written a long time ago, even by Elven standards."

"What a curious thing this is. Ah, and look there are even notes of music here." She looked up in delight, and he could only but nod his head, the sudden vice like grip of his heart tightened with force. The sudden feeling of invasion gripped him with a viselike grip. She was too close, too close to this one weakness, this one secret of his. He easily felt the cool clutches of his old familiar resolve emerge. The familiar old voice whispered that it was better like this. Age old instincts forcing him to close off his heart and mind to those who stepped too close for comfort. It quickly shattered when she looked up, those incredibly insightful eyes staring into his being, and with a slight incline of her head asked him an impossible request.

"Can I borrow it?"

The hummingbird quieted, his heart still in his chest, breath caught deep in his throat. He knew that he was being irrational, but as his heart answered 'no' he heard, as if in a dream the affirmative reply to her request.

"If you so wish, but do be careful for it means much to me. Tattered and old as it is." He said quietly.

"I shall be very careful. I promise." Her smile lit the whole room, and she clutched the book closely.

"Do not." He paused, realizing the absurdity of his request, yet feeling the need to fulfill it. "Please keep it to yourself. Do not show it to anyone."

She glanced at the book curiously then back at him searchingly, doubt creeping in her eyes, then she inclined her head graciously.

"As you wish."

"Thank you." He murmured and turned from her, unease settling into his heart. Silence fell between them.

"I shall take my leave, my lord. I understand that you have much on your hands."

"Yes, yes indeed." He glanced at her and watched her toy with the cuff of her sleeve, her gaze turned away from him.

"I thank you for the book." Blue eyes peeked from under long lashes.

"You are most welcome. I hope it will help you find sleep. These poems have been great comfort to me through the years." He trailed off, lost in memory.

"I am sure it shall."

He escorted her to the door and she opened the latch carefully, then turned to him.

"Good night my lord, sleep well." She stepped into the empty corridor.

"Good night." He breathed and watched as she closed the door. He detected the gleam in her eyes and a slight smile upon her lips as she stole a one last look through the small crease between the doorpost and the heavy door as she shut it softly.

He leaned against the bookshelf and ran a hand across his forehead, and closed his eyes. Her presence lingered in the room, her smell wafting around him enticingly, and in a moment of weakness he imagined the feel of her skin under his own, and the feeling of her lips against his. Grey eyes flashed open; their depths storming like clouds in a thundering storm. Get a hold of yourself, Elrond. He reprimanded himself harshly and neared his desk, settling into the chair behind the massive desk.

It was no good thinking thusly, he thought as he dragged the gathering scrolls towards him, leaning both elbows on the table, hands tucked firmly under his chin as he read. Soon he was deeply focused on the letter before him; that was until he thought he saw a flash of silver in the periphery of his vision, and he thought he saw her running before him on a golden field, her smile lighting her features, and his soul brightened for it was meant only for him, and his heart soared with an unfamiliar feeling. Then the vision cleared and he was alone in his study, the wafting smell of roses lingering in the room. Whether it was a fancy of his imagination or some future vision he was not sure. He stared at the darkness outside his window and decided that he was merely tired. A good nights sleep would do him good, he thought as he blew out the candle on his desk and gathered the array sheets of paper before he headed to his own chambers, the breeze fluttering behind him as he closed the door.

Unbeknownst to him his fate had been sealed, and from that moment onwards he had fallen utterly and completely in love, though it would take him many years to admit it to himself and many more until he would confess it.

Extra notes:

*This is based on the quote that has been used countless of times: "(…) and it was then that Elrond first saw Celebrían, and loved her, though he said nothing of it." (Unfinished Tales, p. 251).

*I date this on the year 1700 of the second age, though the exact date is not clear in the Unfinished Tales and the timeline indicates that it could be either in the year 1700 or 1701 as seen in the appendices. I picked the year 1700 for various reasons that have a lot to do with another story I am currently writing that happens during the events that occur during the war in Eriador.

*Amdír is the king of Lórinand, later called Lothlórien where Celeborn and Galadriel later ruled as lord and lady.

*The book of poems Celebrían lent from Elrond might sneak back at some point. For those who are curious, there are subtle hints on who wrote it, which also explains the strong reaction from Elrond. But that is a story for another day.