Title: Falling into Temptation:
Chapter/ Part: 6Author: Celebrian.
E-mail: Celebrian@datafull.com
Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Celebrianlotrsfanfiction
Pairing: Elrohir/ Glorfindel & Elrond / Erestor. Elladan also mentioned.
Rating: PG 13.
Summary: Glorfindel muses about his love for his youngest charge and Elrohir is missing for breakfast.
Disclaimer: I don't own them :o( But they all live in my mind.
Warnings: Angst.?
Author's notes: According to elvish majority standards. An elf reaches adulthood at the age of 50 our 21 equivalent. So in this story Elrohir and Elladan are between 40 and 41 elvish years. This would make them 17 in human standards.
Elvish Translations: Tua Amin: Help me. // Amin mela lle: I love you. // Lirimaer: Lovely one.// Ada: Father/ Papa.
Feedback: Please, Please! I beg of you. I will be eternally grateful :o)
Thanks to my wonderful betas Emerald and Elaine… :o)
Some of the ideas you will find in this chapter, are the product of brainstorm mails with beta Emerald. So credits should go to her too. Thankyou!
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Glorfindel was sitting next to the library fire in one of the big leather chairs that were placed at the sides of the warm fireplace. There were three chairs to one side and another three to the other, and in the center of every small circle a small wooden table to hold a goblet of wine, or more books. This was meant to keep the readers warm during their studies or literary gratification in winter.
The blond elf shifted uncomfortably in the relaxing chair, he could not stop thinking about Elrohir, about how he had been cruel to the young elf the night before with his ambiguous statement.
Shifting once more around the cushions, he gave up his reading, or staring at the written pages, because he had not been able to concentrate on the meaning of the words, and with a heavy sigh the blond eldar closed the book and placed it on his lap.
He had let Elrohir believe that he had had another important elf in his life, when the truth is that the only one who had ever inflamed his heart has been his younger student, even if what the eldar had shared with Elrohir was nothing but a passionate kiss. * I love you * the young elf had declared… and Glorfindel did not doubt that Elrohir had not considered the magnitude of his words, nor had he felt otherwise, but what he was not sure was if this was an everlasting feeling, or something of the moment, an infatuation so common in elves his age.
Erestor had told him that he believed the youngster's feelings were not mere fascination but Glorfindel still had his doubts. And there was also the young elf's father, one of his best friends. He certainly did not want to lose his friend, he did not want to lose anybody. Elrond´s family, Glorfindel considered as his own even when he knew they were not, and Imladris was the only place he had ever felt at home.
Not to mention Elrond´s possible reaction to the news that Glorfindel loved his youngest son in other ways but the one expected, the one Elrond had had allowed him to do. The blond eldar was supposed to love Elrohir like a father loves his son. Not like Glorfindel did, with this terrible need of holding Elrohir close when he slept, this need to corner the young elf against the wall to trail adoring kisses all over his pale cheeks leading in the end to the so tempting lips, this need of hearing the musical voice whispering to him romantic promises of eternal love. This need… that at this moment was killing him, making the blond eldar feel weak, as weak as he never felt before in his whole life.
Glorfindel dropped his head heavily on his hand, covering his face, defeated. He was in love.
"Tua amin Elbereth …" he mumbled, overcome by the truth. "Please… Help me bear this… I am not this strong…". The words trailed off as the anguish evoked undesired tears to fill his eyes and close his throat. The blond eldar took a deep breath in, as if he could not breathe well, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and rose from the comfortable chair. Taking the book with him he headed to his private chambers whilst trying to compose himself.
He passed Elrohir´s room, hesitating to knock at the door and ask his young charge if he was feeling better. A lame excuse for a brief sight of Elrohir´s beauty… but at this time Elrohir would probably be asleep and Glorfindel reasoned that he would not bother the young elf more than he already had. He would have to control his impulses.
Once in front of his room door the blond eldar looked back at the empty shadowy hallway. Bending slightly his head Glorfindel closed his eyes and forbade himself once again to go and knock Elrohir's door. Finally, he entered his room.
The book slipped from the fingers that were holding it securely, to crash against the stone floor.
Elrohir was there. Lying in the eldar´s bed, on top of the covers, snuggled in Glorfindel´s pillow. He was asleep.
Glorfindel rubbed his eyes at this vision. Could this be a trick of his mind.? Had he come so far as to be imagining his beloved sleeping peacefully in his bed? He had certainly dreamt about it… but Elrohir was never there when he woke. And now he could see the young elf's figure, been caressed by the dancing shadows of a shimmering fire. But this time, it was not a dream. He was awake.
Glorfindel picked up the discarded book and closed the door behind him. Looking once more at young prince sleeping unaware of his presence, the elder elf sat quietly in the chair next to the fireplace and stared hungrily at the figure resting on his bed.
How he wanted to go, lie next to his beloved and cradle him in his arms till dawn.
How he wanted to feel the silky dark hair tickling playfully against his face, how he wanted to feel Elrohir´s arms enfolding him as if he would never let his prey go… But instead he remained in his chair, watching the relaxed sleeping figure in his bed.
He stared at Elrohir longingly, both joy and sadness invading his pained heart. And he realized that he needed to be near Elrohir, he needed him to breathe, to live. It did not matter anymore if this cost him the young elf's love, no matter if he had to see him in other arms than his own, as long as Elrohir was happy. It would always be less painful than not see him at all. Watching Elrohir peacefully resting, Glorfindel became conscious that he would depart from this life once again if he was not allowed near his beloved, and this time it would be more painful and slow for his departure would be due a broken heart.
Long hours passed, and the blond eldar remained in his place, guarding the young elf's dreams. Suddenly the resting figure moved, pulling the long legs up trying to snuggle closer to the pillow.
Glorfindel sighed and rose from his warm place next to the fire and came close to the bed. Reaching for the silky-smooth cover at the foot of it, he covered Elrohir quietly so as not to wake him. An annoyed muffled noise escaped the young elf's lips, but long fingers quickly gripped the soft and cosy fabric Glorfindel was covering him with. Shifting comfortably under the new source of warmth, Elrohir snuggled his head deeper into the pillow.
Glorfindel observed Elrohir´s perfect features, longing to kiss them softly, longing to move that loose strand of hair lingering on Elrohir´s cheek. But his hand did not move from the side of his body, nor did he bend to kiss the sleeping elf.
He went back to his chair. And there he snuggled in as best as he could, crossing his arms over his chest.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Elrohir woke, it took him a few moments to realise where he was and to remember why he was there. He sighed heavily, frustrated, for even if the sun had not appeared yet, he knew he had slept several hours, and that Glorfindel had not come to bed yet.
Considering the idea of going search for his tutor, Elrohir shifted in bed to face the fireplace and there, he saw him. Glorfindel was asleep in the chair. The beautiful ocean blue eyes were lost somewhere in his dreams, and his arms crossed over his chest moved faintly with his relaxed breathing.
The young prince pulled the cover up to his neck, snuggling in Glorfindel´s pillow and looked at the sleeping figure in the chair next to the still, blazing fire. Lights and shadows played over the eldar features making him look even more beautiful and appealing to Elrohir´s eyes.
Closing his eyes momentarily, the tender elf took a deep breath in to inhale the remains of the eldar´s perfume from the pillow. Glorfindel had always smelt like spring grass mixed with the coming of the summer to Elrohir, even though his favourite perfume was made from fruits and flower petals…
The prince of Imladris pulled the coverlet off him and stood at the side of the bed. Quietly, not to startle his beloved, he approached the sleeping figure. Glorfindel was beautiful…
"Amin mela lle Glorfindel…" Elrohir whispered quietly as an uncertain hand rose to pet lovingly the eldar´s cheek. He pulled the loose lock of blond hair away from the elf's face and placed it behind the pointy ear. Tonight he would settled with this small sign of affection although he wanted to kiss his tutor awake instead. With his light touch Glorfindel woke.
"Elrohir…" The blond eldar mumbled, still half asleep.
"Come to bed with me…" Elrohir pleaded. "You can not rest properly in this chair…" With Glorfindel´s heavy sigh of apprehension towards Elrohir's suggestion he tried to reassure him. "I promise I will behave if that is what you are afraid of… Please?…" He pleaded most charmingly, batting his eyelashes. "Please…" He offered his hand to his beloved, who after some moments of consideration took it hesitantly.
Elrohir lead Glorfindel to his own bed, and crawling to the other side of it, he allowed his dearly loved one to slip next to him.
The prince of Imladris bent over Glorfindel and cupped the eldar´s cheek in his palm, he smiled lovingly at the scared elf under him, and kissed him tenderly on the lips before snuggled against the eldar´s chest, encircling it with a restraining arm. He fell asleep once again, this time lulled with the even movement of the other's breathing… and some moments later so did Glorfindel.
* * * * * * * * * * *
A loud sound on the door pulled Glorfindel away from his dreamland to find Elrohir´s body tangled with his own. * It was not a dream…* he thought as he petted the dark mane falling disregarded over his chest. A louder knock made Elrohir complain, half sleep, shifting in the blond eldar´s loving embrace.
"Glorfindel?…"
Elrohir´s snapped upright at the recognition of his father's voice at the other side of the door. Glorfindel´s hands covered his mouth quickly, preventing the already formed words of panic from leaving his lips. The dark haired elf looked at the blond one as this one retrieved slowly his hand from the covered mouth. An index finger warned Elrohir to remain silent.
"Glorfindel?… Are you there?" The now annoyed Lord Imladris barked at the door.
"Coming…"
Elrohir looked at his beloved puzzled. There was no way he could open the door without Elrond noticing his son in the bed, in other rooms maybe, but not this one. The bed was the first sight you had in the entire bedroom. Glorfindel signalled Elrohir to go to the bathroom. And with this both elves stood as quietly as possible and did what they had silently agreed. The young prince had almost reached the bathroom entrance, when he turned to see Glorfindel one last time and realized his cloak had been unnoticed and was lying at the foot of the bed. Elrohir had no chance to warn his beloved, and he was a couple of steps of Glorfindel´s hiding place. His father would notice his clothes on his friend's bed, Elrohir was sure of that, so with the agility of a cat he hurried to the bed, took his cloak and he heard the muffled noise of the door as it opened.
"Have you seen Elrohir?" The Lord of Imladris asked, subtly searching his friend's chamber for some indication of his younger son's presence. "He did not appear for breakfast and he was not in his room when Lindir went to wake him…"
"No… I have not seen him…" Elrond´s penetrating glare froze his heart and soul,
* Was he was doubting of him?*. He surely had reason to, but *was he aware of it?. *
"You have not changed?…" Elrond remarked.
"I came up from the library very late and I was tired… I have not slept in days…" He mumbled as much of the truth as possible.
"You do not look very good. You are pale…" Elrond arched one eyebrow as he noticed a movement under the bed. Something was swiftly pulled out of his sight. "Come see me before you start your day and we will go to the dispensary to find something that will help you council your dreams… If you happen to see my son… tell him I wish to speak with him."
"I will…"
With a slight nod the Lord of the house left the blond eldar´s private chambers.
Breathing deeply Glorfindel rested against the now closed door and when he dared to open his eyes, he saw Elrohir´s head appearing from under the bed to be followed by the rest of his body.
"We did not noticed my robe on the bed…"Elrohir explained at the puzzled gaze of his tutor. "Father would have noticed…". The prince dropped the piece of fabric on the bed once more and turned to face his beloved, chuckling heartily. Now it was his turn to be puzzled.
"What am I doing hiding you under my bed, Lirimaer?…" Glorfindel mused still chuckling, he shook his head from side to side not wanting to believe his recent juvenile actions… "Not even in my youth I have hidden somebody under my bed…"
"Did you hide them in the bathroom?…" Elrohir smiled seductively at the blond eldar while he approached to hug Glorfindel tightly.
"No…"Glorfindel told him, pulling the slender body closer to his own. "I told them to hide behind the curtains…" he smiled at the green eyes that looked up at him jealously and petted Elrohir's cheek reassuringly. "We had better start our day…" he smiled and pulled out the loving embrace, leaving an almost pouting elfling behind him.
"Glorfindel…"
"Yes?…" He asked picking up his attire for the day.
"I will not hurt you…" With this small phrase Elrohir got the eldar´s full attention. "I know you think I am too young to understand the meaning of love but… I do love you… I can not help feeling this way every time I see you… I…"
"Elrohir…" Glorfindel eyes pleaded for forgiveness, if he could turn back time he would erase the previous night to write it all over again.
"No… Please…" Elrohir cut in the other's words. " Last night I came here to tell you…that…"
For a timeless moment Glorfindel could not help but fear the young elf's next words…
"… you told me you would wait for me… and… I have decided to wait for you as well… I will wait all the time you need to realize that my feelings are real… and not a mere fantasy as you might think…"
Glorfindel smiled at his young charge. Somehow this statement made him fall harder for the youngster. "Thankyou Lirimaer…". The young elf smiled at him and approached hesitantly to kiss him softly on his lips. And apprehensively he left the room leaving his beloved watching him go.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Glorfindel knocked at Elrond´s study door. And a deep voice beckoned him to enter.
A knot formed in his throat as he saw the Lord of Imladris talking with his younger son, obviously questioning him about where the young elf had spend the night.
"Glorfindel… Come in…" Elrond accentuated his invitation with a slight movement of his hand. "Are you feeling well my friend?…" he asked concerned. "You look even paler than the last time I saw you…"
"I am well…" He managed to say, trying to be in command of his treacherous nerves. "I can come back later if you need to talk…" His gaze flipped from the Lord of the house to Elrohir.
"That will not be necessary… I was only asking Elrohir to inform any of us were is he going to spend the night if it is not in his room."
"I am sorry I worry you Ada…" Elrohir´s uncomfortable eyes stared at his tangled fingers. Glorfindel was so close, and he did not dare to face him even for a brief instant. If he did he would leave their secret fully uncovered to his father's eyes.
Glorfindel´s heart broke hearing his beloved assuming full responsibility for something he was also part of.
"Today you will help in the kitchen in your free time…and tomorrow you will help Erestor in the stables…"
"Yes Ada…"Elrohir mumbled looking at his feet.
"Go now… Erestor and Elladan are waiting for you to start your lessons."
Elrohir turned to leave and his eyes met Glorfindel's for a brief moment, that brief moment filled his heart with joy again and it reminded him his punishment was worth spending the night in Glorfindel´s arms.
The Lord of Imladris observed carefully the pair's reactions and he noticed the burning fire of longing mixed with the tenderness of pure love in their eyes.
They were both in love, there was no doubt about that, anymore.
"It does not amaze me that he does not speak with me… What does surprise me is that he would not talk to you either…" Elrond lifted his gaze from the parchments he was organizing on his desk. "So…"Elrond continued, not giving time for any comment to his previous statement, as he rose from his chair and walked close to the blond eldar. "You can not sleep?"
"No…"
"Come…" Elrond lead their way to the dispensary and Glorfindel followed quietly next to him. "For how long have you not been able to sleep?…"
"Some days now…"
"Do you feel tired?"
"Yes…"
"You feel tired during any particular moment of the day?"
"No… I just can not sleep."
"Had something happened?…" He looked at his friend suspiciously. " Something that might worry you… somehow…"
* Your son… * He denied Elrond´s question with his head. Glorfindel did not want to talk. Here he was… lying again to one of his best friends. He had hidden from Elrond that his son had been safely embraced part of the night and that in the morning he was still there with him… He did not want to lie again.
"Mnnn… You can not connect this sudden change to anything at all?…Strange…Usually there is a connection between a fact and the lack of sleep…"
The blond elf managed to shake slightly his head. He was feeling dizzy and he did not dare watch his friend's eyes. He had betrayed Elrond´s trust in one of the most important aspects of all, his family. And here he was trying to help him, worrying for him, Ah… Glorfindel did not deserve this attention, he might have sometime in the past, but definitely not now…
"Glorfindel?… Where are you?…" He asked concerned, frowning his eyebrows. "I assure you this is starting to worry me… You confess you can not sleep at night… you seem to daydream most part of the day…"
"I am sorry Elrond… I am only tired… That is all…"
"If I did not know you better I would think you are in love…" He studied the blond eldar getting even paler and turned to search the dispensary for the herbs needed to prepare the sleeping elixir.
Glorfindel felt the dizziness flood his senses, he felt he was going to faint, this was even worse than how he had felt when Elrond went asking for Elrohir in his room, He had thought he would die then… He was mistaken…
"I am in love with Elrohir…"
He blurted with out thinking. He could not live like this, without being able to look his friend in the eyes, lying all the time. The pressure was too much. He could barely handle it this past days… and he knew it would only get worse with time.
The Lord of Imladris turned and his gaze pierced the blond haired elf.
"I … could not help it happening…"
"He spent the night with you?…" Elrond´s features were cold as the ice itself, no sign of emotion showed on them, making the blond eldar tremble ahead of the probable reaction of his long time friend.
"Yes… and he was there this morning, when you came looking for him…"
Instead of yelling or recriminating at the blond eldar, Elrond leaned on one wooden table to look at Glorfindel quietly as if waiting for a confession.
" Nothing happen… I only held him in his sleep…" Glorfindel assured the young elf's father.
"He is young Glorfindel…" The Lord of Imladris stated after breathing in deeply. "Too young…and fragile"
"I know…"The other eldar muttered.
Elrond sighed heavily. "There is nothing I can do to prevent this from happening if this develops into mutual love. Neither can I make you stop loving my son nor will I be able to change Elrohir´s heart if your feelings are returned… I will not say I agree because he is too young and vulnerable and I will not say I do not agree because I know the transparency of your heart. I will only trust YOU to do the right thing and decide what is best."
The dark haired elven lord recomposed himself and looked at Glorfindel one last time before going back to his search. "I will bring this when it is ready…" With this he dismissed the blond eldar who left quietly.
Elrond turned to see the golden hair faintly flew on the air as Glorfindel crossed the door frame and sighed. He was grateful Glorfindel had been able to speak with him, somehow this acknowledgment had greatly eased the Lord of Imladris' heart, he knew it must have been terribly hard for his friend to take that decision, but this helped Elrond to corroborate what he already knew. The fact that he had confessed about Elrohir spending the night, and part of the morning with him, confirmed that he could trust his friend.
TBC…