IMPORTANT NOTICES:
Firstly: My username has changed. Hopefully no one was thrown off by that. Reasons for changing it are on my profile. :)

Secondly: This is not a new chapter. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but it's a shorter version of chapter 3, shortened to make the end more suspenseful. Ordinarily I don't announce edits like this, but this is a major oneand people would get confused if I didn't do it this way. Making this chapter shorter means that the story plot unfolds even slower at this point, but I wasn't happy with how it was before and I'm much more satisfied now – this is how I should have ended it in the first place. Hopefully after the next chapter the pace starts to pick up a bit.

I hope you guys approve of this change, but please let me know if you don't. If that's the case then it doesn't mean I'll put it back the way it was, but I would like to know what you think.

On with the show!

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Universe: AU
Story Rating: M
Chapter Rating: T, to be safe

Candis and Celelas are mine, everyone else is Tolkien's.

Erestor rushed into the kitchen, looking like he had seen a ghost. Ereinion and Glorfindel looked up at his arrival, and did not even have time to ask what was wrong before the advisor answered their unspoken question.

"Ereinion, come with me. There's something you need to see."

Curiosity piqued, Ereinion, Glorfindel and Celelas followed Erestor up the stairs and into the family wing, towards Ereinion's rooms.

"...My old rooms are still there?" Ereinion asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Well, it's not like they fell down," Glorfindel replied with a small grin. "But yes, they are. No one has lived in them since you died. Elrond doesn't like the thought of someone else in there, messing everything up. He makes sure they're still kept clean and everything."

Ereinion smiled warmly. Of course he would do that. It made being alive again feel a little less odd, and a little more like he had never been gone. He had not given where he would live much thought, but he realised that the thought of sleeping in unfamiliar guest rooms scared him. He was suddenly glad that Elrond had kept his apartment as it had been.

"So, Erestor, what's all of this haste about?" Celelas asked from behind Ereinion and Glorfindel. Erestor stopped outside of Ereinion's old chambers, and turned to look at the housekeeper.

"When was the last time you cleaned these rooms?"

"A couple of months ago, I think. Why?"

Erestor opened the door and gestured inside by way of answer. "Look."

The other three elves looked at each other, and then at Erestor. Ereinion stepped forward first, and walked through the doors into his sitting room. The others followed, the reason for Erestor's surprise becoming evident.

The rooms were spotlessly clean, no dust anywhere. All the curtains were open, and the balcony doors were open to let in the breeze. Further investigation revealed that there were fresh towels and soap in the bathroom, clean sheets on the bed, and every article of clothing Ereinion had ever owned in his adult life was either hanging neatly in the wardrobe or folded into the bureau.

"Did you do this?" Ereinion asked, addressing Celelas but not turning to look at him.

"No," Celelas replied. "Like I said, I haven't been in here for months, and no one else has either. But this is definitely a recent job - it looks like it was only done yesterday."

Ereinion smiled to himself. Oh, he knew who had done this. He had no inclination to enlighten the others, however. He turned to them and shrugged. "Well, whoever did it, they did a good job. So now, if you don't mind, I'm going to have a shower and a nap."

The others nodded, and took one last curious glance around the rooms before leaving to attend to their various jobs. Erestor was the last to leave, and informed Ereinion that he would fetch him for dinner at six-thirty. When he was alone Ereinion took a moment to relish being in his old rooms again. He had missed his beautiful dark mahogany furniture, the cornflower blue walls, the massive four-poster bed big enough for five and the royal blue and gold bedspread and matching curtains. At the moment, however, the thing he had missed the most was his white tiled bathroom and glorious blue and gold-tiled swimming-pool sized bath with hot running water.

Ereinion kicked off his boots and headed into the bathroom, regretting that it would take quite a while for the sunken pool to fill up. He pulled off his vest as he walked through the door, and laughed at what he found.

The pool was already filled with water. Ereinion shook his head and fetched a towel, a wash cloth and some bath lotion, deposited them by the side of the bath and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He tested the temperature of the water, and found it perfect.

Smiling warmly, he glanced upwards. "I know that all of this is the work of one of you, so thanks."

Straightening up, he took a step back from the edge and then dove in.

Elrond was almost half-way through next month's duty roster when there was a knock on the door of his study.

"Come in."

He glanced up when the door opened to admit Candis, one of the maids. She was carrying a small tray which she set down on an unused corner of Elrond's desk. "Celelas said you weren't at lunch, and asked me to bring this to you."

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I meant to go down, but I lost track of time."

How easy lying had become. The truth was, he knew exactly what time it was but did not wish to go down to the Great Hall and face the entire population of his city. Still, he was hungry. The tray contained a plate with an egg and salad sandwich on it and a smaller tray that contained the instruments needed to make tea. Candis put the plate on the desk and proceeded to pour the Lord of Imladris a cup of tea, pushing a strand of wavy red hair behind her ear as she did so.

"Must be strange to have the King back after all this time."

Elrond, who had been daydreaming while he watched her hands go through the motions of brewing the tea and adding milk, glanced up sharply. "The King?"

Candis nodded. "Yes. He arrived early this afternoon, just after twelve. Put Celelas into a right state. He says he now has to make a welcome feast, and is panicking because he's out of parsley or something that's not really necessary, if you ask me."

Elrond rubbed his eye. "Sorry, what King are you talking about?"

Candis stopped working and gave him a strange look. "The High King. His majesty Gil-Galad."

When Elrond's eyes widened, she ventured, "...you didn't know he'd come back?"

"No," Elrond replied. He was quickly deciding that he had fallen asleep at his desk and that this was, in fact, all a dream. Ereinion, back from the dead? The thought almost made him laugh.

"Oh." Candis added two teaspoons of sugar to his tea and stirred them in, and then placed the cup and saucer next to the plate. "I thought you would have been one of the first to know."

Elrond shook his head. "Apparently not."

Candis shrugged and picked up the tray. "Good afternoon, my Lord," she said, inclining her head as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Candis. Tell Celelas thank you for this," Elrond replied, indicating the sandwich and tea.

"I will." She left the room and Elrond picked up a half of the sandwich and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully as he got up and walked over to the window. It did not really feel like a dream, and he could not remember ever eating in his dreams before, but he supposed that he did not remember every dream that he had ever had in his life so it was entirely possible that he had eaten once in a dream and just did not remember. He finished the half of the sandwich that he was holding and went back for the other; resuming his place by the window and watching Elladan play fetch with Fergagh without really seeing them. He felt like there was something he was missing, but he could not put a finger on what it was.

Returning to his desk, Elrond picked up the tea cup and took a small sip as he went to sit down, grimacing slightly. The tea was hot - very hot, and burnt the tip of his tongue. He'd have to have a word with Candis next time she made him tea. As he sat down his hand jolted slightly and a few drops of tea landed on his hand. Swearing softly as the liquid burned his skin; Elrond quickly set the teacup down and wiped his hand with his ink rag. A thought hit him and he stopped moving.

His hand hurt. His tongue hurt.

One does not feel pain in dreams.

Elrond jumped to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over in the process, and rushed towards the door. He opened it and stepped out into the empty corridor, heading towards what used to be Ereinion's apartment, instinctively knowing that if the High King was back, that was where he would be. He reached the blue wooden doors and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, and then opened them and stepped inside.

Ereinion ran a wide-tooth comb through his wet hair, and then appraised his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in simple black leggings, soft black leather boots and a navy tunic. His hair was as yet unbraided, and he decided to leave it that way. He had always hated braiding his hair, and technically there was no need for it now as he had no formal station. Gathering up his discarded travelling clothes, he carried them into the bedroom and deposited them on the bed, then picked each article up individually to ascertain whether or not it needed to go in the laundry. He decided that it all could be worn again before it needed washing, and began to put them away. He had just hung his tunic and vest in the wardrobe when he heard the door to his rooms open. He frowned slightly. It wasn't even four o'clock yet, so why was Erestor-

He turned around and forgot how that thought ended. Elrond was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, breathing slightly heavily and regarding him with a mixture of surprise, hope, and disbelief.

"She was right," the Peredhel breathed. He was still for a few seconds, and then walked over to the former King, and stopped a few inches away. Elrond slowly raised his right hand and pressed it against Ereinion's chest, breath hitching as he felt the strong, steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. Elrond looked up into Ereinion's face, presented with palpable evidence but still afraid to believe the truth. This elf had been his brother, his best friend, his lover for almost 3400 years. When he had died Elrond had felt like all of the best parts of him had died as well. Losing Elros had hurt less than losing Ereinion and Elrond was too afraid of hurting that much again to easily believe that Ereinion was really standing in front of him, and that he wasn't just hallucinating.

"This is a dream," Elrond whispered, looking at his feet and closing his eyes. Ereinion's arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"Then it is a good dream."

"But still a dream. Not real. I'm going to wake up and you're going to be gone and-"

Ereinion broke the embrace and placed a finger under Elrond's chin, lifting the younger elf's face up so he could look into the eyes of his former lover.

"No. This is reality. I am here, I'm real. I promise."

Elrond shook his head and blinked back tears. "Prove it," he pleaded. "I can't believe that they'd give you back so please, prove it."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment and then all of a sudden Ereinion's hands were entangled in Elrond's hair and the King's lips were pressed against his own.

So. They did not waste any time, did they? ;)

Those years are correct, by the way. I actually worked it out because I'm nerdy like that. Elrond and Ereinion's relationship from the time they first slept together until Ereinion's death is 3390 years, and Elrond and Celebrían were married for 2401; that's 989 years which falls just outside of the 'almost' bracket, but for the first few centuries of his relationship with Ereinion, Elrond would have had trouble viewing himself as the King's equal (see Stripes for some explanation). Taking that into account and taking maybe three or four centuries off of the difference, the figures are not so far apart, especially by elven reckoning.

This was originally going to go further but it would have been a bit too long…this is five pages already XD In the next chapter this Elrond and Ereinion dilemma is solved, and we meet the children, as well as someone else who is very important to Ereinion.. I suppose I should warn you that Arwen will not be the perfect polite princess that you're expecting her to be ;)

Long comment is long. I won't do a tl;dr because it's all important. :3