Chapter 2


Erestor looked spectacular, though Elrond was almost certain that was not Erestor's intent. Erestor's inky black hair was loose, ending about mid-back. He was dressed simply, in well-fitting pants and a loose shirt. Elrond had seen Erestor dressed like this a million times. It was just that he had not had any opportunity to be around Erestor in a personal setting for a long time. So everything seemed a little more magical than Elrond knew it should. What worried him a little was the dark bruise along Erestor's cheekbone, but Elrond knew better than to inquire about it, at least right now.

"Good evening, my lord," said Erestor calmly. He could read Elrond; he was one of the few that could. What he didn't quite understand was that look Elrond gave him from time to time, a look of absolute gratefulness just to be in his presence. Erestor did not feel that he needed that at all.

"Come in, Erestor." He closed the door behind Erestor, getting just close enough to Erestor to catch a whiff of Erestor's unique scent, a perfect blend of the forest and spices like cinnamon. To Elrond, it was heaven. "And don't worry about Glorfindel interrupting. I sent him on a task of utmost importance."

A twinkle appeared in Erestor's eye. "My lord, I am your chief advisor. It is my duty to send people on meaningless tasks. Not yours."

Elrond started to snap at Erestor, but then realized that Erestor was actually joking with him, and grinned. "I am Lord of this valley. I have every much a right as you do."

"Then I suppose that I have become useless."

"Mmm-hmm." Elrond turned his back on Erestor and headed to the chessboard. "Ready to play?"

"I was under the impression that we'd eat first, my lord."

"Can you not multi-task, Erestor?"

"I am your chief advisor. If I could not multi-task, I would not have lasted more than a day here."

"Would you like some wine?"

"Trying to get me drunk, my lord?"

"As I recall, the last time I tried to do that, I passed out first."

"It's your Man blood, my lord. You get drunk faster. But yes, I would like some wine."

Elrond grinned. He knew that that was the truth. He poured the glass of wine and handed it to Erestor. Very carefully, he made sure that his fingers brushed Erestor's lovingly. Erestor snatched the glass away, very nearly spilling the wine. "I apologize, Erestor," said Elrond quickly. The way he had always apologized to Erestor surprised him. Erestor was just about the only person in Imladris that he felt he had to apologize to.

"It's nothing, my lord."

But Elrond could tell that Erestor's smile was suddenly more forced.

"So," said Erestor, trying very hard to remain pleasant, "what's on the menu for tonight?"

"Salmon." Elrond caught the genuine smile on Erestor's face for an instant before it disappeared. Salmon was Erestor's favorite food, something Elrond had long ago learned.

About twenty minutes later, both elves were thoroughly engrossed in the game. It was not clear who the victor would be, more so because each had only made two moves. Erestor took a long time to think before making a move, which made Elrond feel like he had to do the same.

"It has been a long time since we've played chess, my lord," said Erestor, his hand hovering over his bishop.

"Too long, Erestor."

Erestor nodded. He moved the bishop, taking out one of Elrond's pawns, the first captured piece in the game. He also left his bishop in a very vulnerable position, something Elrond's practiced eye immediately noticed. "And why would that be, my lord? You simply stopped asking me to play about five hundred years ago. Did I do something to displease you, my lord?"

"No. Nothing you could do would displease me." This was yet another statement that had decided to bypass Elrond's brain before coming out of his mouth. Elrond then looked at the board, unwilling to meet Erestor's gaze. You are an absolute idiot. He doesn't want to hear these things from you. He has made that more than clear to you. Can you not deal with just having him as a friend? The truth, though, was that he could not. He almost moved his queen to capture Erestor's bishop, but then he noticed that if he did so, in two moves, Erestor would have checkmate. "Did you think you would trick me so easily?"

Erestor grinned. "It has been a long time since I have played someone as good as you. It works on others nearly every time, my lord."

"Can you answer a question for me, Erestor?"

"If you'd like, my lord."

"Why do you still call me 'my lord'?"

Erestor frowned, as if thinking very hard. "It's hard to say. You know I grew up poor … my father used to make me call all my betters 'my lord'. It's just habit, I guess."

"I think there's more to it than that." Elrond finally moved a piece, well aware that Erestor's bishop would wreak havoc on his pieces.

Erestor sat back in his chair, studying the board intently. Abruptly, he rose to his feet and began pacing. Occasionally, he shot looks at Elrond, but his gaze was mostly fixed on the ground. Finally, he said, "Yes, my lord, you're right. There is more to it than that."

"You don't call other people here 'my lord'. You rarely call visitors to Imladris, even Celeborn and Thranduil, 'my lord'. I'm just curious; do you call Glorfindel 'my lord'?"

"Yes, my lord."

Elrond frowned. He had to stop adding easy questions to the end of his hard ones. "Why do you not call others 'my lord'?"

Erestor looked at Elrond. "Do you want the truth, my lord?"

"I'd rather not have a boldfaced lie, if that's okay by you."

A small smile appeared on Erestor's face, but did not stay there for long. "It's my way of creating boundaries."

"Boundaries?"

"Yes, those things we create to separate one thing from another."

"I am perfectly aware of what boundaries are, Erestor." Erestor had always been able to do this to him; to make him feel like a complete idiot, instead of being the intellectual superior to most. "But why do you feel the need to create boundaries?" He was, after all, a healer. And some problems that he dealt with were more mental than physical. He was almost sure that this was one of them.

"Because…" Erestor was trying to decide whether or not to tell Elrond the truth. But Elrond had known him long enough to know when he was lying. "Because I'm attracted to you. And if I am to work with you in a professional capacity, I have to…detach myself like that."

Elrond's heart soared, hearing that Erestor liked him like that. "So why do you…why have you always…"

"Refused to sleep with you? Boundaries, my lord. Once crossed, they cannot be un-crossed."

So cross them, dammit. I want you, you want me. What more is there to it? This thought very nearly made it out of Elrond's mouth, but he caught himself just in time. "Very well," he said, in a surprisingly controlled voice. "Shall we finish the game?"

"If you would like, my lord." Erestor returned to his chair and moved his bishop again, striking deeply into Elrond's side of the board. He was still leaving the bishop open to attack, but Elrond could see that the only way to take the bishop would mean losing the game.

"How did you come by that bruise, Erestor? It looks painful."

Because your bastard lover hit me. Right before he raped me. "I fell, my lord."

"That is the most overused excuse I've ever heard. Do you know what 'I fell' truly means, Erestor?"

"Enlighten me, my lord."

"It really means 'someone hit me, and they've been hitting me for a while now. But I feel that I deserve it and so I'm not going to tell you the truth even though you know that what I say is a lie. Because, really, I want you to help me and that's the reason I'm using such a stupid excuse, because I know you know it's a stupid excuse.'

"That's a lot to read into two words, my lord."

"Of course, it can also be genuine."

"And how can you tell the difference, my lord?"

"If said beaten person looks you in the eye when they tell you they fell, they really did fall. You didn't. So, who's hitting you? I would have thought that you wouldn't let anyone get close enough to you for that." The spiteful remark got out despite Elrond's best efforts to control it.

"No one is hitting me." Raping me, yes. But this was the first time he hit me.

"If I looked elsewhere, would I find more bruises?"

"No, my lord." Depends where you looked.

"Would you tell me if someone was?"

"Of course, my lord. But I would more likely deal with the problem myself. Whatever you may think of me, I am an accomplished warrior. I would not allow someone to abuse me like that." Except Glorfindel.

"Good. Would you like a salve for it?" Gods, that's a pathetic excuse to touch him.

"No, my lord. I will be fine. It probably won't last more than a day or so."

"I don't believe you, Erestor."

"I think my healing abilities are at the very least adequate, my lord."

"I'm not talking about that. Take off your shirt, Erestor."

Erestor sighed but pulled his shirt off. Elrond saw a fist-sized bruise in the small of Erestor's back. And there was a smaller bruise below Erestor's collarbone. Erestor looked at Elrond. "As I said, my lord, it is nothing."

"I count two more bruises."

"We all get bruised from time to time. Take of your shirt, my lord."

Elrond was a little puzzled by this. He took off his shirt and laid it across the back of his chair. "What do you want to see?"

Erestor walked over to Elrond. Elrond was suddenly aware that both of them had their shirts off. He felt his groin tightening and did his level best to not get hard. "See, my lord, you have a couple bruises yourself. Am I to infer that you are being abused?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"And if you must know, these bruises, all except for the one on my face, came from the practice yard. Glorfindel is strong and his blows leave bruises." I'm not even really lying. It was Glorfindel. It's just that we weren't exactly practicing.

"Okay, Erestor. I believe you." Elrond reached out and put a hand on Erestor's bare shoulder. "But be careful. I don't want you to get hurt." And then he couldn't stop himself. He leaned forward and down slightly, and pressed his lips against Erestor's.

Erestor did not return the kiss. He stepped back, a scowl on his face. "My lord, how many times…"

"Erestor, I'm…I want you, you want me. Why can't we enjoy ourselves?"

"Because we would never be able to take this night back. Besides that, you already have a lover."

"Whom I would leave in an instant for you."

"The answer is, always has, and always will be no, Elrond." Erestor turned towards the door, retrieving his shirt as he walked.

"No, don't go."

"We have nothing else to talk about, my lord." With a slight, insincere smile, Erestor bowed and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

No more than five minutes later, the door opened again and Glorfindel walked in. He saw Elrond slumped in a chair, wine glass in hand, shirtless, and grinned. "Waiting for me, Elrond?"

Elrond looked up. "No."

"Pity."

"And why would that be?" Elrond was in a very depressed mood. He knew that once again he had pushed Erestor too hard and would have to work diligently to erase the mistakes he had made this evening.

"Because I want you."

"You have a very limited vocabulary around me, don't you?"

"Stand up, Elrond."

Elrond rose to his feet. "What do you want?"

"You." Glorfindel walked closer, and pulled Elrond's body tight against his own. He tilted Elrond's head up and kissed Elrond, his other hand dropping lower, to deal with the far-too complicated ties of Elrond's pants. It was clear to Glorfindel, though, that Elrond was utterly not in the mood. He seemed very distracted, and not in a good way. So he pulled away a little. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Of course not." He took Elrond's hand and led him to the bed in the next room. He took off his shirt and lay down on the bed. Grabbing Elrond's wrist, he pulled Elrond down next to him. "You can't fool me, Elrond."

"I'm fine, Glorfindel. Just tired."

"Mnn. Go to sleep then." Glorfindel shifted a little to get comfortable and then closed his eyes, holding Elrond close.


Erestor lay in his cold bed, jaw clenched, eyes wide open. The tears had long ago stopped flowing, but the traces of the tears remained on his cheeks. He would give anything to be lying in Elrond's arms this very minute. But that would never happen. That could never be allowed to happen.

He was rudely shoved out of the way by some passing elves. He started to say something, but he knew better. They wouldn't listen to him, they would punish him. And he had had enough punishment to last a lifetime. So he just bowed his head and kept on walking.

It was then that he saw him. He didn't know the elf's name, but he radiated brilliance. Erestor felt better in all ways just to be in his presence. He walked a little closer, hoping to catch a name. A blond elf dressed in Mirkwood colors walked over to the elf and bowed deeply. "Lord Elrond."

Elrond grinned and said, "Haldir, stop being ridiculous."

Haldir snapped a salute. "Yes, sir!"

Elrond stepped forward to hug Haldir, but Haldir stepped away. "You don't want to do that, Elrond. You might have just come in from elsewhere, but I have been here for months. I am absolutely filthy."

Elrond shook his head and hugged Haldir anyway. "You think I care about a little mud?"

Erestor watched this scene in amazement. No one had ever treated him like this. He wanted for someone to. More specifically, right now, he wanted Elrond to treat him like that.

Haldir turned around and saw him. "Who is that filthy Elfling? He one of yours, Elrond?"

Elrond turned, too, and Erestor caught the unmistakable look of disgust on the elf's face. "No. I would never….look at him." In a lower voice, but still just about audible to Erestor, Elrond said, "He's grotesquely ugly and dirty as well. I would never employ an elf like that." He shrugged, then turned to Erestor. "Elf, do you want to help me?"

Haldir shook his head. "You don't know nearly enough about command, Elrond. Watch and learn." He walked towards the Elfling. "Go collect Lord Elrond's bags and take them to his tent!"

Erestor bowed, his eyes filling with tears. The most perfect elf in existence thought he was 'grotesquely ugly'. "Yes, sir," he said dully, turning away. He remained close enough, though, to catch the end of the conversation.

"See, that's how do you do it. You tell them, you don't ask."

"Mmm, I don't think I should thank you. That disgusting thing will tag around me now. I'll have to find some way to get rid of him."

Erestor closed his eyes, his body shaking due to his sobbing. Getting control of himself, he brushed the tears away and sat up. He knew he couldn't let himself spiral downwards like this into depression, but he just felt that his life was not worth living. No one cared about him: Glorfindel used him; Elrond just wanted him for sex. He had no real friends, no lover. He knew that no one would care if he died. He saw no point in living, but he respected life too much to take his own. But that wouldn't stop him from wishing that he was dead. That was allowed in his mind.

A knock came on his door. "Go away," he called.

The door opened anyway. Haldir walked in, dressed as though he had just arrived. "Even me?"

Erestor sat up, smiling weakly. "Especially you." He rose to his feet to receive an enthusiastic embrace from Haldir. "What are you doing here?"

"Celeborn wanted me here. So I came."

"Did you do something wrong?"

"When do I not do something wrong?" He pulled slightly out of the embrace, studied Erestor, and then asked, "Is something wrong? You look upset."

"I'm fine. And why did you get here so late at night?"

Haldir shrugged. "It's more pleasant to sleep here than outside."

"Sleep here or sleep in Imladris?" asked Erestor curiously.

"I'd settle for Imladris, but I'd prefer here." He kissed Erestor tentatively. They had only been together once, almost a century ago. Haldir had no idea how he really felt about Erestor, but as Erestor had offered, Haldir would more than gladly take him up on the offer.

Erestor kissed him back hard, almost frantically. "Please," he murmured.

Haldir couldn't help but oblige. He quickly divested himself of his clothes, and his hands reached out to do the same for Erestor, but Erestor pushed his hands away. Erestor stepped back, studying Haldir. Haldir let him do that; he knew he was good-looking and he didn't mind if Erestor wanted to admire him. "Is something on your mind, Erestor?"

Erestor shook his head. "No, I don't think so. And even if there was, I'd rather not talk about it now." He closed the distance between the two of them and kissed Haldir, then kissed along his jaw line and bit lightly at Haldir's neck.

Haldir swatted at Erestor's head. "No marks that I'm going to have to explain tomorrow."

Erestor mumbled something in response, but Haldir didn't hear what it was. Erestor continued his re-exploration of Haldir's body, lightly kissing each nipple, and sinking to his knees. He kissed Haldir's stomach, and was about to move lower down when Haldir suddenly pulled him up. "Let me," said Haldir softly, his hands going under Erestor's shirt.

Erestor almost pushed the hands away, but he couldn't fight it anymore. He had to give in, he knew that. He and Haldir both wanted it tonight and who was he to deny either of them? So he allowed the removal of his clothes and laughed when Haldir inadvertently discovered he was very ticklish. Haldir tickled Erestor to the ground, which took all of about five seconds.

Haldir was exactly the opposite of Glorfindel. He was slow and gentle, and Erestor, who had been half dreading it, found himself enjoying it when Haldir came inside Erestor, with a muffled grunt and a moan that could have been just about anything. Haldir rolled off Erestor and said, "We may want to actually move to the bed."

"I hear that they tend to be more comfortable than the floor," said Erestor, now in a very good mood.
Haldir grinned, and tickled Erestor to breathlessness for that comment. Then, with ease, he lifted Erestor off the ground and took him over to the bed. He kissed Erestor once more, but could see how tired Erestor was, and that Erestor wasn't in the mood for a second round. Erestor turned away from him in bed, but Haldir put an arm around Erestor and pulled his body close. Haldir could tell that Erestor had wanted comfort tonight. For what, Haldir did not know, but he intended to find out.


Elrond woke up in the middle of the night and freed himself from Glorfindel's embrace. He got out of bed and dressed silently. He knew by now that he wouldn't fall asleep again so he might as well be up. Vaguely, he thought about visiting Erestor, to apologize once again for his behavior. He was almost certain Erestor would be up. Or that he would be glad to talk to Elrond. There had been many nights in the past where Elrond would wake Erestor up in the middle of the night and the two would talk until a more respectable hour. His mind made up, Elrond headed out of his chambers and over to Erestor's.

He found the door unlocked and pushed it open. What he saw upset him. Erestor was clearly asleep, curled up in another elf's arms. Elrond didn't feel that he could wake Erestor up under such circumstances. He was about to leave when the other elf half-sat up and said, "Lord Elrond?"

"Haldir?! What are you doing here?"

"I came here for a visit. I am afraid that Erestor intercepted me before I could greet you. And I only arrived an hour or so ago. Can I do something for you?"

Get away from the love of my life. "No. I just came to talk to Erestor, but he looks so peaceful…"

At that moment, Erestor woke up. For a moment, he was confused. He heard Elrond's voice and he felt arms around him. Was he finally in bed with Elrond? But no, he could hear that Elrond's voice was coming from the wrong direction. So he sat up and saw Elrond at the doorway. "Good morning, my lord," Erestor said sleepily. "Do you need something from me?"

"I just wanted to talk, but if you'd rather stay here…"

"No, my lord, I can come." He leaned over and kissed Haldir tenderly. In a low voice, so that Elrond would not hear, he said, "I enjoyed last night. I shouldn't be long. Go back to sleep, I'll try not to wake you up when I come back."

"Don't worry about it," murmured Haldir.

Erestor got out of bed. He exhibited no modesty whatsoever; he was completely nude and made no effort to hide his body from Elrond. Elrond tried his best not to look like he was staring, especially as there was another in the room. Another that got to actually have Erestor.

When Erestor was dressed, he headed to the door, allowing Elrond to lead the way. "So, where are we going?" asked Erestor.

"I couldn't sleep. I just…wanted to see you." Some of the indignation burst out. "How long have you been sleeping with Haldir?"

"Not that it's any of your business, my lord, but this is only the second time we have. He just showed up at my room…and things happened."

Elrond saw that they were at the entrance to the library and figured it was as good a place as any. He opened the door for Erestor and followed him in. They sat down in two comfortable chairs. Elrond, noticed Erestor, looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. "Are you sleeping okay?" asked Erestor.

"No."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping then, my lord?"

I would sleep better in your arms. "I wouldn't be here if I could sleep."

"Surely you have something that could put you to sleep, my lord."

"I'm sure I do. But I don't like to."

"Well, my lord, it wouldn't be good form to collapse from exhaustion in front of others."

Elrond grinned. "No, probably not."

"So, do you have something on your mind? Or do you just want to talk about nothing until it's time for breakfast, my lord?"

"I want to talk about last night."

"What do you mean?"

"Our conversation last night, Erestor."

"I think we both said all that needed to be said…"

"No. I didn't say all that I wanted to say."

"I think you made it quite clear what you wanted from me, my lord. Forgive me if I don't see you that way. I care about you as a friend, your best friend if you'd like, but not, never as your lover. I don't want you like…like I wanted Haldir last night."

"What don't you like about me?"

Erestor couldn't help but smile at this thoroughly un-self-confident question. "There's nothing specific that I don't like about you. I…you're just my lord. That's all. I can't see you as a lover…"

"That would be because you never gave me a chance." Elrond tried hard to contain his feelings, but it was late and all his emotions were on the surface. "You will sleep with anyone else, as far as I know, there's no one besides me that you've turned down. I don't mean to be conceited, but I'm as good looking as any other elf here. We both know it's bullshit that we wouldn't be able to work together if we slept together. You know that Celeborn is having an affair with his chief advisor. I don't think they have any issues with that. You know we could work together. I am very attracted to you, I have been since the Last Alliance, you know that. I want you to at least give me my chance, or to give me a damn good reason as to why I don't get a chance."

"I'll give you your good reason," said Erestor calmly. "I'm not attracted to you. I told you that already. I don't want you because I feel nothing for you…"

"That's a blatant lie. You told me last night that you were attracted to me. Now you're denying it. I wish you would stop lying to me. I wish you would stop lying to yourself and just admit to me or even just to yourself that you want me and that you want to give me a chance…"

"But I don't. What I feel for you…it's like an adolescent fantasy. I look up to you, I admire you. That's why I'm attracted to you. I feel very little or no romantic attraction to you."

"So why not a one-night fling? You can't possibly tell me that you're attracted romantically to all the elves you fuck."

"Because, my lord, if we slept together once, you would want to do it again and again. And I would feel obligated to say yes. My lord, for someone as intelligent as you are, I cannot see why you cannot accept this for what it is. Cherish my friendship, but please stop asking what I cannot give. And I cannot hold this conversation with you any longer. I'm going back to bed. You should as well."


Haldir could tell that Erestor was upset the moment he stepped into the room. Erestor shed his clothes and snuggled back into bed, barely restraining sobs. Haldir held Erestor tightly until Erestor fell asleep again. Haldir, though, did not sleep. Something was seriously wrong in Imladris, and Haldir had no intentions of leaving until he found out what it was and how to stop it.

Elrond woke up hating himself. He had fallen asleep on the couch in his room. Now he woke up and looked through the open door to where Glorfindel was still sleeping. This is all Glorfindel's fault. If he had never come here…. Elrond didn't know how to finish this thought. Elrond didn't really think he would be sleeping with Erestor right now if Glorfindel had never come here. But there was a chance. Still, 'what ifs' helped no one and wouldn't help him at all.


Elrond couldn't get the mental image of Erestor and Haldir asleep together out of his mind. Elrond had always known about Erestor's flings, and had even walked in on them more than once. But now he was seriously dedicated to winning Erestor and it felt like Erestor was cheating on him. He shook his head to clear them of these thoughts. Erestor was not his; Erestor had never been his; there was a good chance that Erestor would never be his.

He smiled to himself. Who would ever guess that Elrond, renowned healer, scholar, and warrior would not be able to get the one elf that was all he ever wanted, all he needed? Then he looked to his bed, at Glorfindel. Nearly every elf would give anything to have Glorfindel in their bed. Elrond knew that, on some level, he too, was glad. And now he decided that it was best to enjoy what he had instead of pining for what he could not.

He stripped out of his clothes and walked into the bedroom. Glorfindel remained asleep. Elrond crawled onto the bed, making sure not to wake Glorfindel up. He pulled the blanket off Glorfindel's body. Glorfindel shivered slightly, but still did not wake up. Elrond straddled Glorfindel's hips, making sure to put no more weight on Glorfindel's body than was strictly necessary. Glorfindel did not wake up. Elrond leaned down and kissed Glorfindel. Glorfindel did not wake up. Elrond grinned; this was amusing. He began to stroke Glorfindel's lax member. Now Glorfindel woke up.

"What?" Glorfindel asked, a little confused. Elrond had never taken the initiative before. Not that he was complaining. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

"So, what was wrong last night?"

"Nothing was wrong last night, Glorfindel."

"That's a lie."

"Maybe."

"I love you, Elrond. Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it."

"I don't love you, Glorfindel. I love Erestor. You know that by now."

Glorfindel frowned. He knew this was true, but he had been doing his level best to change that. "And?"

"We talked last night."

"Is that why you were shirtless when I came in?"

"That's a long story. One of you isn't telling me something. You say that he's no better than a whore, and he confirmed it to me when I confronted him about it. You say he lusts for power, and he agreed. If he slept with me, if he became my lover, he would have almost unimaginable power. Yet he refuses. So there must be something one of you won't tell me."

"Some things are not for your ears to hear," said Glorfindel softly. He pushed Elrond off him and sat up. "Some things are not for anyone to hear."

"So you do know why."

"So does he."

"So why won't one of you tell me?" Elrond was getting annoyed. He wanted to know, whether he needed to or not, whether they wanted him to know or not.

"Because neither of us feels that you need to know."

"You are my lover."

"Yes, I am."

"Whatever you tell me stays between us."

"I know that."

"So why won't you tell me?"

"Elrond, we're not going to argue over this. Erestor chose not to tell you. I choose not to tell you. We are the only two that know. We don't think you need to know, so we aren't going to tell you. You just have to accept that."


When Erestor woke up, he was alone in bed. That didn't surprise him, but he would have liked better to wake up in Haldir's arms. Haldir had always been a good friend to him, and Erestor would have appreciated the comfort of Haldir staying the whole night. He snuggled deeper down into the blankets and tried to forget everything. He knew he should get up, but he couldn't find the energy to do so.

Then something warm landed next to him on the bed. Blearily, Erestor turned and saw Haldir staring fondly at him. "Still sleeping?"

"Mmm-hmm," murmured Erestor.

"I brought you breakfast. You don't look like you've been eating enough."

"Mnn."

"I'm not leaving until you eat it all."

"Mnn."

"And after that I intend to ravish you."

"Mnn."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Mnn."

"I have just allowed five hundred orcs into Imladris."

"Mnn."

"Sauron has just reemerged."

"Mnn."

"Elrond is dead."

"What?" Erestor turned and looked at Haldir. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. Are you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

Haldir kissed him. "Eat for me?"

"I'm not five, Haldir."

"You're acting like it."

Erestor sat up. He frowned at Haldir. "I'm really really not hungry."

"But your body really really needs food."

Erestor smiled half-heartedly. "Okay." He began to eat some of the food, if only to please Haldir. After a few moments, he asked, "So how long are you going to stay in Imladris, Haldir?"

"I have no idea."

"And do you plan on pestering me until you leave?"

"If by pestering you mean keeping you company and seeing that you do the bare minimum to stay alive, then yes." Haldir thought for a few seconds and then asked tentatively, "So what…why were you so upset when you came back to bed last night?"

"I wasn't upset."

"Please don't lie to me."

"Then it's none of your business."

"I want to help you."

"I don't need help."

"Let me help you."

"Don't need help."

"Now you sound like a stubborn five-year-old." He pushed the food out of the way and kissed Erestor deeply. "Does this have anything to do with Elrond?"

"No."

"Well, coming from you, that means yes." Haldir kissed him again, his hand wandering down to rest on Erestor's hard, flat abdomen. "Does it have to do with the fact that Glorfindel is sleeping with Elrond?" It was surprising how few secrets there were in Imladris.

"No."

"Another yes." This time when he tried to kiss Erestor, Erestor turned his head away. Haldir knew he had gone too far. "I'm sorry, Erestor. That wasn't…I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, you shouldn't." Erestor got out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged about ten minutes later, clean and dressed. Haldir was surprised by this; it took him at least an hour. Without another word to Haldir, Erestor disappeared out of the room.


In many ways, considered Elrond, things were more awkward between Erestor and him than if they had been sleeping together. Elrond knew he had to back down some if he ever wanted to be able to work alongside his chief advisor again. So he was trying his best. "How soon will we be able to accomplish what we brought Glorfindel here for?"

Erestor shrugged. "A month, tops, my lord." He overestimated. He could see, despite all of Elrond's pretenses, that Elrond was happy to have Glorfindel around. Despite what Erestor thought of that relationship, he wasn't going to deny Elrond his happiness. Erestor cared too much about Elrond to do that.

"Is that all?" Elrond tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He had gotten used to having Glorfindel around and would be more than a little sorry to see him go.

"I thought that you wanted to get rid of the orcs, my lord. Maybe I was wrong." Erestor grinned.

So did Elrond. "Yes. I suppose you're right." I wonder if I could convince Glorfindel to come back afterwards. That thought surprised him. He hadn't realized until now how much he would miss Glorfindel's presence. Though Elrond was not sure that Erestor would be able to stand that. The two had seemed to have formed an uneasy truce, but Elrond knew that it wouldn't last very long. "Is he progressing well?"

"Very well, my lord. He is a fast learner."

"Talking about me?" Glorfindel walked into the room.

Elrond caught the flash of disapproval on Erestor's face. No one ever interrupted their meetings without really good reason, and Elrond somehow doubted that Glorfindel had such a reason. "Yes?"

"I thought that as I am to be doing Imladris's work, I should sit in on her meetings."

Now Erestor could not contain his displeasure. "There are a great many elves here who work for Imladris. Yet they feel no need to sit in on our meetings, my lord."

"He can stay," said Elrond, though he didn't know why he said that.

"Thank you." Glorfindel sat down, listening attentively.

"Back to business," said Erestor, ignoring Glorfindel to the best of his ability. "The extension to the house should be finished in a week."

"Provided that our builder decides to show up?" joked Elrond. They had recently discovered that the builder showed up to supervise construction no more than one day in three.

"I have appointed a new one, my lord," said Erestor.

"Without telling me?"

"I assumed that my position allowed me to do some things without informing you first, my lord."

"Not replacements of staff, Erestor."

Erestor didn't want to fight with Elrond in front of Glorfindel. So he ended the fight. "I am sorry for outstepping my boundaries, my lord. I shall re-instate the old builder as soon as I leave here."

Elrond knew he had been too harsh with Erestor, but couldn't back down in front of Glorfindel. "Good."


Haldir was somehow not surprised to see Erestor looking upset when he walked in around noon. Haldir had been settling into Erestor's rooms (having already decided that he was staying here as long as he was in Imladris). "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Erestor looked around the room. "Am I to assume you intend to move in?"

"Do you mind?"

"Possibly." Erestor paused. "You may or may not have heard this about me, but I don't do relationships."

"Fine. I said nothing about a relationship."

"I also don't do commitment."

"And I also said nothing about commitment."

"But it will be difficult to sleep with other elves if you are in my bed every night."

"Unless I am also seeking another." Truth be told, Haldir was very interested in a relationship with Erestor. And he became unduly jealous when he thought of Erestor with another.

"You're not moving in here."

"I already have."

"Then you can just move back out."

"No."

"Haldir…I don't need this right now…"

"To the contrary. I think this is exactly what you need. You are suffering from something right now and you need someone by your side. Even if I am perhaps not exactly the one you wish to be beside you, I am offering. I am not overly unpleasant, and I am very interested in spending time with you. I want to comfort you, help you, and just be with you."

Erestor sighed. "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"Not a chance."

"Very well, then. But I have no plans to be monogamous just because you have decided to impose yourself on me."

"Fine." Actually, very not fine. But if that is what I have to deal with, I will deal with it.

Erestor collapsed down in a chair. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Then go get us some food."

"Am I your servant now?"

"Afraid so."

Haldir smiled. He knew he shouldn't let Erestor take advantage of him now, because then Erestor would feel entitled to do so whenever he wanted. But Haldir didn't care right now. He walked over to Erestor and kissed him. Erestor pulled away initially, but then gave in. Haldir straightened up and walked out of the room. If he was sure of one thing, it was that he would win over Erestor's heart. He just needed time.


Glorfindel paced his room. Actually, it was Elrond's room, but he had come to think of it as his room. He had spent nearly every night with Elrond, and there was no reason to assume that any of that would change. Provided, of course, that Erestor didn't break down and agree to sleep with Elrond. But Glorfindel didn't realistically see that happening. Erestor was too strong to allow that to happen.

Elrond had been right. They were both hiding something. But unlike most things, this was not something that Glorfindel was comfortable sharing with Elrond, especially because Erestor, who had known Elrond longer, was still unwilling to share his part in said secret. It wasn't as if it were vital to Elrond that he knew, anyway. Sometimes, Elrond is too nosy for his own damn good.

A knock came at the door. Glorfindel walked over and opened it. Erestor stood behind the door. He frowned when he saw Glorfindel. "Is Elrond here, my lord?"

"No, not presently, Erestor."

"Ah. Can you tell him when you next see him that I need a moment of his time, my lord?"

"On one condition."

Erestor frowned. He was sickeningly sure what that condition was. "I shall find him myself then, my lord." He turned as if to go.

Glorfindel grabbed Erestor's wrist, hard. Erestor tried to pull away, but the resulting, sickening crack of bone in Erestor's wrist pretty much ended Erestor's resistance. Erestor grimaced in pain, but managed to contain his cries of pain. He bit his lip as Glorfindel pulled him inside the room and closed the door.

"No, Erestor," said Glorfindel quietly. "That is not how it works."

Erestor looked at the ground. Only Glorfindel could still make him feel like an Elfling. "I know, my lord."

"Strip, Erestor."

Erestor had long learned that when Glorfindel was in a mood like this, it was best to just do what he said. So he stripped out of his clothes and then leaned casually against the wall.

Glorfindel smiled at the sight. He closed his eyes, remembering.

Erestor looked at him with a cheeky grin. "We have at least an hour, Glorfindel. Is that not enough time for you?"

Glorfindel smirked. "More than enough. But we have other places to be. We cannot linger here, my love."

Erestor advanced on him, a hungry gleam in his eye. "I want you, Glorfindel. I don't want to wait until tonight. I don't want to wait any more. You have denied me now for more than a month and I can't take it any longer."

"Drawing it out makes it all the better when it finally happens." Glorfindel already knew the outcome of this. He was drawing it out as long as he could to see how far he could push Erestor.

Erestor was breathing hard now, his arousal painfully clear. "Glorfindel, please. I thought you loved me…"

"Indeed I do."

"Then how can you do this to me?"

"With ease. I get a measure of satisfaction knowing that you are at my mercy."

"So long only as I am faithful to you. I could get anyone I wanted. You know that."

"But you chose me."

"Correct."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, dammit, yes."

"Do you want me?"

"Have I not made that quite clear?"

"Afraid not." Glorfindel grinned. He allowed Erestor to push him against the wall, to kiss him hungrily, his hands moving as fast as they could to remove clothing. Glorfindel found his hands doing the same. He hadn't really been aware of how much he wanted Erestor until this very moment. When both of them were nude, Erestor stepped back and admired Glorfindel's body. He leaned casually against the wall, leaving the next move up to Glorfindel.

"Get on your knees, Erestor." Erestor closed his eyes in annoyance but, as always, did exactly what Glorfindel wanted, when Glorfindel wanted it. It had always been that way.


Elrond wanted to kill Haldir. But he didn't think that that would be in the best interests of Imladris. Lothlórien was not a place he could afford to make an enemy out of. It had started when he had offered to find some guest quarters for Haldir to use during his stay. Haldir had smiled in that smug, impudent way of his, and had said, "That won't be necessary. I have found sleeping arrangements more suitable than that, though your offer is most gracious."

Elrond wondered if Erestor knew that Haldir intended to move in with him. To the best of Elrond's knowledge (and Elrond's knowledge was quite formidable), no elf had ever taken up residence with Erestor. Erestor preferred casual sex. Elrond wondered if Haldir knew that. Elrond also knew that if Erestor didn't want Haldir sharing his bed every night, he would make it painfully clear. If that was the case, Haldir would almost certainly be hurt. But he deserves it. Elrond pressed that thought out of his mind. That was unsuitable for someone in a position like his.

And now Haldir was back in his study. Elrond put on what he hoped was a pleasant expression and asked, "What can I do for you, Haldir?"

"I wish to talk to you."

"That would be plainly obvious from the fact that you are standing here in front of me when I am trying to work."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, my lord. But I believe what I wish to talk about concerns you as well."

"What is this matter, then?"

"Erestor."

Elrond wasn't sure that he had managed to hide the grimace that came to his face. From Haldir's expression, he doubted it. "What, exactly, do you wish to talk about regarding Erestor?"

"Can we drop the formality, Elrond? We've known each other a really long time, and Erestor is a friend to both of us."

Elrond sighed. "If we must."

Haldir sat down in a chair by the side of the room. "Something is seriously wrong with Erestor, and I suspect it concerns your relationship with Glorfindel."

"I have made it more than clear to Erestor that if he wishes to share my bed, the place is his."

"That's not what I mean, Elrond."

"Then what do you mean?"

"He fell asleep crying last night in my arms. When he came back from talking with you, he was crying. How many times have you seen Erestor cry, Elrond?"

Elrond frowned, thinking. Looking back over the countless years he had known Erestor, he could not name one time that he saw Erestor cry. "I don't believe I have seen him cry."

"Exactly. Neither had I, until last night. I would like to get to the bottom of this problem. We are Erestor's friends, and we should help him during his time of need."

"I don't want you sleeping with him again," Elrond blurted out.

Haldir looked momentarily confused. "Why?"

"Because I love him."

"If you love him, then you should also know that he loves you as well. When you seek another, he has every right to do so. Someone has to be there to comfort him, to hold him in his sleep…"

"I would gladly be that person!"

"Well, for whatever reason, he doesn't want it to be you. I…we will find out why. I know he loves you. He confided that to me a long time ago. But something has changed…"

"Nothing has changed. He is friendly enough, but any time the subject of attraction comes up, he retreats into a shell through which I cannot follow. I want to help him as much as you do."

"Then stop pressing him for whatever it is you want. That will only make things worse. Let him accept his feelings in his own time. Meanwhile, we will try and root to the bottom of all this tension between Erestor and Glorfindel. Because, obviously, that is where the problem lies…"

"That is where part of the problem lies," clarified Elrond. "I do not think that Glorfindel is the source of all these problems. But I…we will find out the source. If you care about him as much as I do, then you must help me find a way to fix him."

"He is not a broken toy, my lord."

"No. He isn't. He is a broken elf."


Erestor grimaced as he tightly bandaged his broken wrist. He didn't want do draw attention to it, but it would be less likely to get more injured like this. He had always known Glorfindel was strong, but he had never broken a bone before. Sexually, he was quite rough, but he had always been. Otherwise, though, he had rarely laid a violent hand on Erestor. Indeed, there had been a time when he would never have thought to do so.

Erestor couldn't help but smile when he saw Glorfindel walk down the corridor. He had a bunch of flowers in his hand. There was a distracted expression on his face. Erestor waited patiently for Glorfindel to walk over to him. "Those for me or your other lover?" teased Erestor.

Glorfindel grinned. "Afraid so."

Erestor nodded in mock-sorrow. "Then go see him. You surely don't want me around."

Glorfindel backed Erestor into his room and kicked the door shut with his foot. He kissed Erestor hard, the flowers forgotten. "I will never not want you around, love."

Erestor pulled away a little. "Don't make promises you know you can't keep."

A puzzled expression appeared on Glorfindel's face. "Why do you think I can't promise that I'll always love you?"

Erestor shook his head. "We live forever, Glorfindel. Well…save war or other unpleasant occasions. But, in general, unless elves are bonded, relationships will not last for all eternity."

"Then let us be bonded!"

Glorfindel's enthusiasm shocked Erestor. He stepped back from Glorfindel, studying him. "You don't want to do that. We are both too young. I only passed my majority three years ago. I can't say that I'm ready to make that kind of commitment…"

"Are you saying you don't love me?" Glorfindel looked genuinely hurt.

Erestor smiled. "Of course I love you. But I don't know that I will always love you. We have not even been together six months yet. And you are already asking me to make an eternal commitment? Can we not wait and see whether this is lust or love?"

Glorfindel nodded solemnly. "You are too wise for your years." He brightened. "Will you make me a promise?"

"What?"

"That if we continue to love each other as much as we love each other right now, will you bond with me?"

"So this is a kind of proposal?"

"A bad one, yes. But I love you. And I can't think of anyone else on Arda that I would rather spend my life with other than you."

"Something on your mind?" said a voice from the doorway.

Erestor turned, forgetting about his arm and the fact that he didn't want to show it to anyone until it was better. It was Haldir. "No."

"What happened to your wrist?" asked Haldir in an extremely worried tone of voice. He rushed over and inspected Erestor's wrist. "Is it sprained?"

"Broken."

"Erestor, who broke your wrist?"

"Haldir, I fell. Those things do happen from time to time."

Haldir smiled. "Didn't know you were that clumsy."

Erestor smiled internally. It looked like he was going to get away with that ploy. "Despite my lofty achievements, yes, I am still an idiot that trips on occasion and injures myself." He grinned. "How about you make me feel better?" With his good hand, he stroked Haldir's chest.

Haldir took Erestor's hand in both of his own. "No."

Erestor frowned. "Why not?"

Haldir closed his eyes. It was so hard to say no to Erestor. Especially when he looks at you with those big eyes of his…gods, why does he torment me so? He pulled Erestor close, careful not to hurt Erestor's wrist further. "Just kidding." He kissed Erestor, pushed him up against the wall, and stripped him. When Erestor was nude, Haldir stepped away and smiled.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at you."

Erestor took a step forwards, towards Haldir. Haldir took a step back. "Haldir, stop being so difficult."

"Am I being difficult?" It was getting difficult to think; his mind was clouded by arousal. Distractedly, he slipped his hand into his pants and began stroking himself.

Erestor watched Haldir, his own mind becoming similarly distracted. He stepped once more towards Haldir, who stepped backwards again. "Haldir, I'm serious. Unless…unless you start…" Erestor's words were slowly becoming more and more incoherent. "…start cooperating…I will find someone who will…"

"Is that so?" Haldir had no doubts whatsoever that Erestor would do just that. "Would I get you tonight?"

"Maybe."

The pouty look on Erestor's face pushed Haldir over the edge and he moaned slightly as he came. A contented smile appeared on his face and he said, "Okay then. As long as I get you tonight…I'm not really in the mood for you anymore." Haldir grinned insolently, walked past Erestor and out of the room.

Erestor was left hard and needy in his room. He closed his eyes as he sat down on his bed, stroking himself hard. He hadn't realized that Haldir could be so difficult. Maybe it would be interesting to fuck someone else. Haldir would surely find out about it. It would be a just punishment. But who?


Glorfindel was prowling the hallways. He was bored. Elrond had kicked him out about an hour ago, saying that he was being too distracting. And Glorfindel had no idea where Erestor was. So his two outlets for amusement were missing. As he walked, he briefly contemplated finding someone else to fuck, but he was sure that Erestor and Glorfindel were the two most attractive elves in Imladris, and he was not willing to lower himself just to pass away an afternoon.

And then he saw the tall, muscular elf walking down the hallway. He couldn't recall seeing the elf before. But he's definitely in Elrond and Erestor's league. By extension, then, he is also in mine. He approached the elf, a seductive smile on his face.

The elf glanced briefly at him, nodded a greeting, and then walked on.

Glorfindel was stunned. He couldn't understand why the elf wasn't interested. Nearly all elves were indiscriminate about gender. Unless the elf was bonded. But no, nearly all bonded elves wore a ring of some sort, and this elf's hands were devoid of any jewelry. Now Glorfindel was confused. But he sensed a challenge. And if there was one thing Glorfindel was always ready for, it was a challenge. He headed down the hallway in the direction of the elf. It did not take long to catch up to said elf.

"Hello," said Glorfindel, deciding to go for a less seductive approach in case the other elf felt intimidated. "I don't believe we have met before."

"No," said the elf.

"I'm Glorfindel."

"I know."

Glorfindel frowned in frustration. "What is your name?"

"Haldir."

"Of Lorien?"

"Yes. Of Lorien."

"Are you just visiting?"

"Yes."

"When did you arrive?"

"Last night."

"How long are you staying?"

Haldir stopped in the hallway and turned to face Glorfindel. "I did not know it was Imladris custom to interrogate new guests. Or if it is simply the way you try to find prospective bedmates…" he raised a hand to prevent Glorfindel from speaking and continued, "but I can tell you that it will not work with me. I have heard enough of your exploits to want to take no part."

"The things I could show you…"

"I know enough by myself, thank you."

"You'd really be missing out…"

"I have a loved one. And unlike some, I am unwilling to throw away that love simply to pass an afternoon. Is your lover not Elrond? Is he not enough for you? Does he know you attempt to seduce every pretty face in Imladris?"

"For one, Haldir of Lorien, my lover is none of your business. And secondly, I have no desire to seduce you nor to bed you. I have heard…that you are sharing rooms with Erestor. Are those rumors true?"

"Is that any of your business, Lord Glorfindel?" Haldir smiled smugly, and then walked away from Glorfindel.

Glorfindel did not bother to follow.


As Elrond had told Glorfindel when he had sent him away, he really was busy. Life outside Imladris did continue, no matter the heartbreak that seemed to have appeared recently in Imladris. Orc attacks were increasing. Elrond knew that he would have to send Glorfindel out soon. They could wipe out each individual force of orc, but the key was to get the central command post. And that was what they needed Glorfindel (or Erestor) for.

But it was very hard to keep his mind on external affairs when Erestor's face kept popping up in his mind. A trade delegation from Mirkwood was to be arriving the following week. Elrond knew he had a lot to plan so that it didn't all fall through, especially as the king's youngest son would be arriving as well. Reports said that the elf was quite attractive. Elrond didn't want to think about what kind of chaos Legolas could cause.

He had been working all afternoon and he had decided that he deserved a break. A part of him instinctually wanted to seek out Glorfindel, but he knew that that would be the wrong thing to do. He lusted after Glorfindel, he enjoyed sleeping with him, but Elrond really didn't like him enough to want him permanently in his life. Glorfindel was just too annoying for that.

He stood up and suddenly found a pair of hands slip around his waist. Elrond pulled away from the unfamiliar contact; those hands were most definitely not Glorfindel's. The grip tightened, pulling Elrond back against a warm body. Elrond's mind raced, trying to think who would dare to touch him like this. Then his brain froze for a second as a warm mouth descended on his neck, biting just hard enough to leave a mark that Elrond knew he was going to have to explain to Glorfindel. Once again, he tried to pull away. An impatient voice said, "What are you doing, Elrond?"

"Erestor?!"

"Yes?" The hands became looser. One roamed up Elrond's shirt, caressing the smooth, hard chest. The other dropped a little to rest on Elrond's hip.

"What are you doing, Erestor?" asked Elrond, trying to marshal some evidence of control, even though he wanted nothing more than what he was getting.

"Is this not what you want, Elrond?"

Elrond distantly registered that Erestor was no longer calling him 'my lord'. "Yes, but…Erestor, think about what you're doing. You don't want to do this." Elrond couldn't believe he was saying this, but deep down, he knew it was true. Elrond knew enough of Erestor to know that Erestor had to have some kind of ulterior motive. "I want this, but I know you don't."

"Do you now?" The hand on Elrond's hip moved to the ties of Elrond's pants.

"Erestor," said Elrond, trying valiantly to remain in control, even though he knew he was losing control more and more every second, "I know how this is going to end. I don't know how much further we'll get, but then you'll lose your nerve and we'll end up not talking for a month. Maybe longer. I don't want that. I'm willing to have just you friendship if it means that we can not fight all the time over stupid little insignificant things."

Erestor deftly untied Elrond's pants. "If you really want me to stop, I will. But I can guarantee you that this will not affect anything. This is a one-time offer. Take it or leave it."

Elrond tried to turn to face Erestor, but one hand held him firmly in place. "What…why?" asked Elrond.

"Don't ask me those things," said Erestor softly. Elrond thought he heard a tint of sadness in Erestor's voice. Erestor pushed Elrond's pants down. Elrond moaned at the sheer ecstasy of knowing who was doing this to him. Erestor kissed Elrond's neck again, one hand holding him firmly against his body, the other slowly stroking Elrond's member.

"Will this ever happen again?" Elrond managed to ask.

"Probably not."

"I do love you, Erestor. I hope you know that."

"Yes, I know."

"Let me kiss you. Just once."

"No, Elrond."

"So you're going to call me 'Elrond' from now on?"

"No. You will always be 'my lord'. This is a one-time exception. It will not happen again. So I can call you Elrond now if I like."

"What will you do if Glorfindel walks in right now?"

Erestor smiled and kissed the back of Elrond's neck. "I don't think he will. If he does…I don't know what I shall do. Let's just hope he doesn't."

"Can I ask you a question?" Elrond was surprised by how calm he could remain.

"Of course."

"Do you love Glorfindel?"

Elrond came suddenly, collapsing back into Erestor's arms with a faint moan. Erestor kissed his neck tenderly, then easily lifted Elrond up and placed him on the couch. Elrond looked at Erestor fondly. "Answer my question."

Erestor had made it most of the way to the door before he answered, without turning, "Almost as much as I hate him."


Please give me feedback!!!!!!! It's the only way i know whether to continue this or not