A one-shot at the twins of Imlandris because I have a soft spot for them. This can be considered as kind of a prequel for my other story, "The Prince of the Woodland Realm", but can stand alone as well. It's an idea I've had for quite some time, ever since my little cousin (who's about four) decided to paint himself. Please, review and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Disclaimer: They are both adorable, but... no.
Summary: A little peak into the everyday life into the Elrondion household. The twins get into trouble, Elrond worries and Glorfindel gets caught in the crossfire. One-shot.
Elrond was this close to pulling his hair out.
He had been searching for his sons all day, ever since he realized that he couldn't find them.
The twins of Imlandris were around five years old, and already infamous for their mischief. Elrond still couldn't quite look Erestor in the eye after the accident with the pastries in the library. Both Elrohir and Elladan had heartfully apologized, feeling very guilty about "filling 'Restor's library with food", and Elrond could not stay angry at them when they pulled that face with the wide, innocent eyes that looked up at him with guilt and sadness written all over them.
It was mostly fake of course. Elrond knew that.
There were a few times those eyes were pulled without the purpose of getting them out of trouble (Erestor's library incident being one of them) but fake or not, Elrond could never resist them. It was unfair, really.
He, one of the most certain leaders, Lord of Riverdell and quite scary when he wanted to be, could never resist his son's puppy eyes.
This time however, he had to find the Elfling's first.
It all started at breakfast.
Elrond was the only one that noticed the twins were up to something. It was more due to his experience than lack of observing from Lady Celebrían, that Elrond noticed it and not his wife. Celebrían didn't have nearly as much experience with their mischief. She was usually the one who found out about it, and scolded them afterwards. The lecture always ended with the twins promising that they would never do it again, only to forget that promise the very next morning. And she was immune to the puppy eyes.
It was completely unfair, really.
Elladan and Elrohir had been squirming in the seats the whole time, exchanging glances and occasionally smiling for no reason -mocking their oblivious parents, Elrond was sure- and finally running out of the hall once they were dismissed.
Elrond tried to leave himself shortly after, trying not to make Celebrían suspicious. He had seemingly succeeded, but with the daughter of Lady Galadriel you could never know. Elrond was certain she knew exactly what was going on inside her house at any time, and decided instead to feign ignorance.
It was definitely where the twins got their characteristic of taking pleasure in knowing something others did not.
So, Elrond set out to find his son's before another regrettable accident occurred, only to start mindlessly worrying when he couldn't find them anywhere. They were not in the gardens, neither at the library, nor the training grounds, and definitely not in their rooms.
In the only turn of Elrond's luck this morning, he spotted Glorfindel walking inside the house.
The revived Balrog-slayer had a soft spot for they Elflings, even quicker to give in to them than even Elrond. They threw in a "please uncle Glorfie" and the golden-haired elf was theirs. It was hilarious how they had the entire Elrondion household wrapped around their tiny fingers.
Except maybe Celebrían, but she too, gave in the end.
"Glorfindel!" Elrond quickly covered the distance that separated him and the other elf. "Have you seen the twins? I have been sear-"
Just then a pink blur passed between them, and, faster than Glorfindel's eyes could follow, Elrond leaned down and snatched it, settling it into his arms. The pink blur, as it turned out, was an Efling, and no other than one of Lord Elrond's mischievous sons. Glorfindel could not tell if it was Elladan or Elrohir, due to the pink color that covered him from head to toe.
Elrond was not limited by such details.
"Elladan!" He scolded. "What exactly do you think you're doing? Running around painted pink, and how exactly did you ended up like that?"
Loyally following his older twin, the other Elfling came running towards them, giggling. Glorfindel could only watch, stunned, as Elrond leaned down once again and snatched his second son without breaking the flow of his lecture.
"And you Elrohir!" He continued as he placed the Efling into his other arm. "Aren't you children the least bit concerned about the consequences of your actions? Disappearing like that after breakfast, and now running around in different colors! What will your Ammë say? Do you have any idea how worried I have be- Elrohir stop squirming."
The Elfling that was trying to break free from his father's grasp stilled.
"Sorry Atto." Both twins said in union, hanging their heads.
"Yes, you are sorry." Elrond said. "And now let's try and get those colors off before Ammë sees you- how did you manage that anyway? If I didn't know better, I would say that you fell in the barrels with the berries by accident-"
"No!" Elrohir protested, sounding offended. "We fell into the barrels with the berries on purpose!"
Elrond mentally slapped himself. This is your fault. He thought. You and Elros pulled those pranks on Maglor and now you are paying for it.
"And why did you fall into the barrels on purpose ion nîn?" Elrond sighed.
"We were hunting!" Elladan exclaimed proudly.
"Hunting what Elladan?" Elrond was desperately trying to keep his temper at bay. It was mixed sentiments, really. Relief, anger exasperation, disbelief and a sting of despair at being in this situation.
"Berries!" Elrohir answered for him.
"Hunting berries..." Glorfindel chuckled at the sight of Elrond's exasperated face. "Ai Valar... Don't laugh!" He hissed at the golden-haired warrior.
A sudden idea made his dark eyes glint. "And now children, we need to go clean up and Glorfindel will help us." The expression of composed horror in the other elf's face got a smirk out of Elrond, not even sorry for putting the swordsman in that position.
"Yay! Uncle Glorfie!" Elrohir exclaimed and reached his hands out towards him. Elrond handed the Elfling to him.
There was a purple stain on Elrond's tunic where Elrohir had been, but Glorfindel's golden hair turning purple from the Elfling's hands was even more amusing. Together they started towards the bathrooms to clean the twins, Elrond going as hastily as he could to avoid being seen.
"Will you tell Ammë?" Elladan asked timidly.
"Oh, your Ammë will know of this Elladan, be certain of that." Elrond said as he strolled purposely though the halls of his house. "I will not even have to tell her. She will pretend that she doesn't know, and we will pretend that it never happened."
Glorfindel snorted. Elrond sent him a glare over his shoulder, smirking as the fair elf's face flushed.
"That applies to you too, Uncle Glorfie."
Quenya Translations
Ammë= Mother/Mommy
Atto= Father/Daddy
ion nîn= my son