A Simple Delight
Eleniel: 16
Estel: 21
Elrond smiled as he looked around him.
It was Yule.
And with Yule came family.
Celeborn and Galadriel were sat on a couch opposite him, the Lady of Light wrapped in her husband's arms. Arwen and Erestor were laughing together as they played a game of chess. Elrohir, Estel and Elladan were talking among themselves by the fire, a glass of wine in their hands. And Glorfindel and Eleniel were… well. The balrog-slayer was currently grinning widely as he held Eleniel's circlet above her head, the elleth attempting to jump up and grab it. As soon as her fingertips got close enough to reach it, the tall warrior would casually lift it higher.
"Give. It. Back!" Eleniel said, jumping up after each word.
Glorfindel said nothing, instead taking a sip from the glass in his right hand and lifting the circlet in his left higher.
Eleniel huffed, turning to look at her smiling father. "Ada," she said. "Fin is being mean."
Elrond's smile disappeared, and he quickly put on a face of mock-anger. "How dare you be mean to my daughter, Lord Glorfindel," he said to the smirking balrog-slayer, who shrugged and only lifted the circlet higher.
"Okay," Eleniel said, "this is getting irritating, now. Please give it back."
Glorfindel said nothing.
"You are too short," Celeborn spoke up from where he was sat. "You must grow."
"I cannot make myself grow, Daerada." The elleth crossed her arms. "Maybe he should just shrink. It would make all our lives easier."
Everyone laughed at that, and even the blond's mischievous grin grew wider.
Eleniel didn't find it amusing, however, and turned to face Glorfindel. He took a drink from his glass and looked down at her, one elegant eyebrow raised. The elleth stared up at the circlet hanging from one of his fingers and made a face. Why did he have to be so tall?
"Go on, El," Elrohir encouraged from his spot on the couch, winking at his sister when she turned to him.
Eleniel knew it was pointless. The circlet was already above his head, and jumping up to get it would only make him lift it up higher. "Oh, for Valar's sake," she mumbled, before bending her knees and jumping up. Her fingertips didn't even graze the circlet, but, as she came down again, she landed on the warrior's foot. Hard.
Glorfindel tried not to make any noise. He really did. But it hurt. A lot.
And so, he couldn't help it as he quickly handed the elleth her circlet and fell to the floor, clutching his booted foot in one hand as he buried his face in the carpet and screamed… a little too dramatically.
Eleniel smirked. "I'm not even going to apologise for that," she said smugly, turning to sit next to her father on the couch and neatly placing her circlet back on her head. "Because you are a big, mean, horrible elf who deserved being stepped on."
"Elrond," Glorfindel groaned, flattening himself out on the ground and twisting his head to look up at the elf lord, "you have raised a monster."
"I'm the monster?" Eleniel said exasperatedly. "You do not see me stealing your circlet, or chasing after you for no reason at all, or pinning you to the floor and tickling you, do you? No! You are the monster, Fin, and I have no trouble admitting that!" And with that, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned into her – highly amused – father's side.
"Clearly," the warrior huffed. He sat up and turned blue eyes on Elrond. "Are you honestly going to let your daughter get away with this kind of language?"
"Mhm," Elrond considered it, raising an eyebrow at Eleniel. "She may not be a monster, but she certainly is a little imp."
"Not," the elleth said, a defiant look on her face.
"Celebrian," Elrond heard Galadriel mutter quietly to her husband, and smiles grew on their faces as they watched the exchange between balrog-slayer and Peredhel.
"I am going to have a bruise, now." Glorfindel rubbed at his foot.
"Stop whining."
"Alright, that is it."
An anticipatory grin spread across Eleniel's lips as she watched the warrior stand to his feet and stalk over to her.
"See!" she called out as he reached the couch and grabbed her in his arms, turning and playfully wrestling her to the floor. "This- is why- get off! This is why you are the monster! No respect! Idiot! Horrible… horrible bully! Ow! Hey! You absolute orc! I can't- Fin! No- don't take it again! Give my circlet back- hey! Fin, stop! Just- just… ow! Let- me go!"
Elrond smiled as he raised his glass to his lips. Ah. The simple delights.
Of Yule.
Of love.
And of life.