Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters
and/places thereof.
Reginabean: Ooh. . .your opinions will definitely not change after this chapter. . .
Darragh Tieraneux: Thanks! Yeah, Elrond is a bit of an antagonist in this story, but I was looking at the way he reacted to Arwen and Aragorn's relationship before I started writing, and he seems to really disapprove of it, so I thought perhaps any unorthodox relationship. . .no, not abandoned, just writers' block.
TrinityC: Thank you. That really means a lot, because I personally have never been in love so am trying to be as delicate as I can meddling in such things.
Estelle Yavetil: Thanks.
*****
Six years passed. Elladan and Elrohir spoke little of their unusual relationship, Elrohir still nervous and Elladan no less persistent than ever. A few times Elladan tried to seduce Elrohir, but these decisions were not well made: Elrohir would come close to returning to Elladan, then at the other's force would be deterred.
Maybe, Elrohir resolved at last, I should find someone else, someone who will not mind that I am so timid. If Elladan cannot respect my shy nature, then perhaps he is not as good a friend, or a lover, as I fooled myself into believing.
As Elrohir walked along thinking these things, he rounded a corner and stopped. Elladan stood before him, no ploys showing, but clearly having something in mind. His eyes gleamed with some sort of plan. "All right, Elrohir," Elladan said, "I know your game. I know that you make me wait so that I will want you more. Unfortunately, it works. Are you pleased now? I want you more than anything."
"This was hardly my intention," Elrohir scoffed.
"Fine. Deny it. See if I care. But first. . ." Elladan, for once, was speechless. He leaned forward and kissed Elrohir, savoring each moment as if it were his first kiss and his last. Elrohir was filled with love and hate for his brother, hate for forcing him to feel these things he wished he did not feel, and love, because he could not stop himself from feeling it. Before he knew what he was doing Elrohir leaned into the kiss.
There was a sound of a door shutting, and at once the boys drew apart. "If it's Ada. . ." Elrohir said.
"I do not care," Elladan replied, and Elrohir found that neither did he as they kissed again and rapture overtook caution or logic. However there was a factor both boys had forgotten. The sound of a number of books falling to the floor distracted them, and they turned to see a thunderstruck young mortal staring at them. "Estel. . ." Elladan began, but he turned and ran.
"One of us should go to him," Elrohir said as Elladan attempted to resume their prior activities. "Elladan, no."
"Which of us is it, Elrohir? Which brother would you have?" Elladan demanded.
"You child," Elrohir said spitefully. "You stupid child. I loved you. I did love you, once. I care not if Estel loves me another way. I am going to go to him now. He needs me. You need a whore." With these cold, harsh words Elrohir turned and strode down the corridor, out into the sun. Somehow, he felt liberated.
"Elrohir." Oh, no. Elrohir knew just from Lord Elrond's tone that he was in trouble. "What have you done to your brother? He is hysterical!"
"Nothing, he just. . .he saw something that frightened him is all," Elrohir replied.
"You mean to tell me that you allowed him to see--"
"He saw us kiss, all right? And you can be as angry as you like, but that really is not going to help Estel!" Elrohir exclaimed. He was tired, he realized, of trying to please everyone. He had had it with his father's unspoken demands of behaviour and belief, of his brother's lust. Instead of waiting for Elrond to reply Elrohir pushed past his father and heading in the direction of Estel's footprints.
Estel was sitting in the dirt by the side of a river. His reflection stared back at him, obscured by the occasional tear. He had felt something strange earlier that day, something he had never felt before. It had been about a female, one he had known long but had never had such emotions towards. Yet when he saw his brothers kissing, he knew something that disturbed him greatly. The feeling evoked in him was similar to what he had felt for the girl, but clearly, stronger--truer.
"Estel?" A second reflection appeared in the water, a taller being with raven hair, grey eyes, and pointed ears. Elrohir could see that Estel's eyes met those of his reflection. "Are you all right?" Elrohir asked, sitting beside his brother. "I do hope you are not too upset. What you saw Elladan and I doing--"
"I know. I felt that way about a girl today," Estel replied. He did not add how all the others had laughed at him, how they had called him names he did not even understand. "But about you it was stronger," he added softly, trailing his fingers in the dirt.
"It is all right to love a woman, but it is also not wrong to love another male," Elrohir replied. "I know you are young, but do you understand?"
"Of course I do," Estel replied. "But Elladan is your kin."
"Yes, yes he is."
"Is that. . .all right?"
"Estel," Elrohir began, staring into the waters of the river. "Love is a funny thing. We cannot choose who we love or who loves us. In truth such powerful emotions control us, we do not control them. So every love is right, if it is true."
"How do you know if it is true?"
"You take one moment," Elrohir replied, "and in that moment you see your life."
"What do you mean?" Estel asked. His life was short, but to him had seemed long. It could not be summed up in one moment!
"I mean. . ." Elrohir gently lifted a hand to the young mortal's face, caressing his cheek as he ignited the flames of passion bred of one single kiss.
Behind the two, Elladan stood angrily. He had taught Elrohir how to love. He had taught Elrohir everything! What right had that spiteful Elf to go off and use that knowledge elsewhere? Elladan was furious beyond anger. He wanted to hurt them both. This was a feeling he had not felt for anyone before, save his father, this want for emotional destruction. A slow smile crept onto Elladan's face as an idea came to him.
Reginabean: Ooh. . .your opinions will definitely not change after this chapter. . .
Darragh Tieraneux: Thanks! Yeah, Elrond is a bit of an antagonist in this story, but I was looking at the way he reacted to Arwen and Aragorn's relationship before I started writing, and he seems to really disapprove of it, so I thought perhaps any unorthodox relationship. . .no, not abandoned, just writers' block.
TrinityC: Thank you. That really means a lot, because I personally have never been in love so am trying to be as delicate as I can meddling in such things.
Estelle Yavetil: Thanks.
*****
Six years passed. Elladan and Elrohir spoke little of their unusual relationship, Elrohir still nervous and Elladan no less persistent than ever. A few times Elladan tried to seduce Elrohir, but these decisions were not well made: Elrohir would come close to returning to Elladan, then at the other's force would be deterred.
Maybe, Elrohir resolved at last, I should find someone else, someone who will not mind that I am so timid. If Elladan cannot respect my shy nature, then perhaps he is not as good a friend, or a lover, as I fooled myself into believing.
As Elrohir walked along thinking these things, he rounded a corner and stopped. Elladan stood before him, no ploys showing, but clearly having something in mind. His eyes gleamed with some sort of plan. "All right, Elrohir," Elladan said, "I know your game. I know that you make me wait so that I will want you more. Unfortunately, it works. Are you pleased now? I want you more than anything."
"This was hardly my intention," Elrohir scoffed.
"Fine. Deny it. See if I care. But first. . ." Elladan, for once, was speechless. He leaned forward and kissed Elrohir, savoring each moment as if it were his first kiss and his last. Elrohir was filled with love and hate for his brother, hate for forcing him to feel these things he wished he did not feel, and love, because he could not stop himself from feeling it. Before he knew what he was doing Elrohir leaned into the kiss.
There was a sound of a door shutting, and at once the boys drew apart. "If it's Ada. . ." Elrohir said.
"I do not care," Elladan replied, and Elrohir found that neither did he as they kissed again and rapture overtook caution or logic. However there was a factor both boys had forgotten. The sound of a number of books falling to the floor distracted them, and they turned to see a thunderstruck young mortal staring at them. "Estel. . ." Elladan began, but he turned and ran.
"One of us should go to him," Elrohir said as Elladan attempted to resume their prior activities. "Elladan, no."
"Which of us is it, Elrohir? Which brother would you have?" Elladan demanded.
"You child," Elrohir said spitefully. "You stupid child. I loved you. I did love you, once. I care not if Estel loves me another way. I am going to go to him now. He needs me. You need a whore." With these cold, harsh words Elrohir turned and strode down the corridor, out into the sun. Somehow, he felt liberated.
"Elrohir." Oh, no. Elrohir knew just from Lord Elrond's tone that he was in trouble. "What have you done to your brother? He is hysterical!"
"Nothing, he just. . .he saw something that frightened him is all," Elrohir replied.
"You mean to tell me that you allowed him to see--"
"He saw us kiss, all right? And you can be as angry as you like, but that really is not going to help Estel!" Elrohir exclaimed. He was tired, he realized, of trying to please everyone. He had had it with his father's unspoken demands of behaviour and belief, of his brother's lust. Instead of waiting for Elrond to reply Elrohir pushed past his father and heading in the direction of Estel's footprints.
Estel was sitting in the dirt by the side of a river. His reflection stared back at him, obscured by the occasional tear. He had felt something strange earlier that day, something he had never felt before. It had been about a female, one he had known long but had never had such emotions towards. Yet when he saw his brothers kissing, he knew something that disturbed him greatly. The feeling evoked in him was similar to what he had felt for the girl, but clearly, stronger--truer.
"Estel?" A second reflection appeared in the water, a taller being with raven hair, grey eyes, and pointed ears. Elrohir could see that Estel's eyes met those of his reflection. "Are you all right?" Elrohir asked, sitting beside his brother. "I do hope you are not too upset. What you saw Elladan and I doing--"
"I know. I felt that way about a girl today," Estel replied. He did not add how all the others had laughed at him, how they had called him names he did not even understand. "But about you it was stronger," he added softly, trailing his fingers in the dirt.
"It is all right to love a woman, but it is also not wrong to love another male," Elrohir replied. "I know you are young, but do you understand?"
"Of course I do," Estel replied. "But Elladan is your kin."
"Yes, yes he is."
"Is that. . .all right?"
"Estel," Elrohir began, staring into the waters of the river. "Love is a funny thing. We cannot choose who we love or who loves us. In truth such powerful emotions control us, we do not control them. So every love is right, if it is true."
"How do you know if it is true?"
"You take one moment," Elrohir replied, "and in that moment you see your life."
"What do you mean?" Estel asked. His life was short, but to him had seemed long. It could not be summed up in one moment!
"I mean. . ." Elrohir gently lifted a hand to the young mortal's face, caressing his cheek as he ignited the flames of passion bred of one single kiss.
Behind the two, Elladan stood angrily. He had taught Elrohir how to love. He had taught Elrohir everything! What right had that spiteful Elf to go off and use that knowledge elsewhere? Elladan was furious beyond anger. He wanted to hurt them both. This was a feeling he had not felt for anyone before, save his father, this want for emotional destruction. A slow smile crept onto Elladan's face as an idea came to him.