Elrond came to stand beside him on the balcony, not saying anything, not needing to.
"She's like the sunrise. Outshines the stars at night," he whispered hoarsely. Elrond looked at his old friend, and nodded. He understood.
"I'd have taken a thousand arrows before I would let one hit her Elrond. I did not mean for this to happen. I thought that we were beyond this now."
"Glorfindel, you must understand, her devotion to you is too harmful to her for me to allow it to continue. And you standing on the balcony spouting sonnets isn't going to help. I'm afraid, that, is she agrees, I will send her away. Haldir has extended an invitation…"
"Not Haldir!" Glorfindel snapped, whipping around to face the monarch. Elrond raised his eyebrows.
"Have you not seen the way he looks at her Elrond? He would consume her, and then spit out the husk of what she was. He wants nothing more than his Joselyn, who will not have him. And in the mean time, he has all others. Sallahra may be hurting here, but she would only be hurt so much more there, without….." Glorfindel stopped abruptly.
"Without who Glorfindel? Without you? How is the way you treat her any different?"
Glorfindel lowered his head, and remained silent for a very long time. "I have been a fool, haven't I?" he said softly, not meeting Elrond's eyes.
"Yes, you have. You know of her devotion, her love for you. You know how you feel for her. You know all of this, Glorfindel, and still you deny her. You do not deserve her, old friend. But for some strange reason she still wants you. I will not pretend to understand the elleths mind, my friend, but it would seem she is as foolish and stubborn as you are."
Glorfindel smiled warily at his old friend. "So you will not send her away?" he asked quietly, the moons shadow masking one side of his face, making him appear haggard, and grief stricken. Elrond would not meet his gaze.
"Elrond?" Glorfindel pressed, afraid of the answer, knowing he would not like it.
"If she wants to go, Glorfindel, I will not stop her. That is up to you." And with that, Elrond turned from the balcony, and retreated into the halls of Imladris, leaving Glorfindel to ponder just how he could live without her.
He stood outside her room, unable to summon the courage to move, to knock, to even announce his presence. She knew he was there. She could see his shadow beneath the door.
For once, she did not call to him. She did not make this easier. He must come to her. It was his turn to save her. And she wondered what she would do if he did not. When he finally stepped into the room, the sight of him filled her with hope. He approached her bed, unable to look at her.
"Lord Elrond said you spoke of leaving," he murmured, stroking a strand of her hair upon the pillow. She looked away from him.
"I have little to hope for here now," she answered back, gazing out the window.
"Stay. Stay…with me," he said. "I cannot stay in this world, nor the next, without you."
"You can mange without me Glorfindel. You do not need me."
"How do you know that? I need you more than you know."
"Than why not show me? Why not tell me? Why did you leave me for so long Glorfindel. It may be too late for me now. I will go to Lorien, where I am wanted." For the first time since entering the room, he looked at her, grasping her hand in his.
"No. I could not bare it if you left me. What will it take to make you see I need you? What will it take to make you stay?" And for the first time since he entered, she turned to face him.
"Love me." She said, and this time, he did not hesitate. He lay beside her upon the bed, and held her to him, shaking, as though he had never done this before. And perhaps, he hadn't. He still had so much left to learn. She allowed him to put his arms around her, and just this once, she did not save him from his own awkwardness. It was up to him to find his own way with this.
"Sallahra, do not leave me. Not for him, not for anyone. Stay. Stay with me," he whispered to her. "I-I love you," he murmured to her, stumbling over his words, as though he had never said them before. And perhaps, he hadn't. They lay in stillness, whispering to each other, the moment so fragile, both feared that anything louder would shatter it. The darkness cradled them, as the first strands of an unbreakable bond were created. He did not take her, he did not need to. For the first time, he was content to just hold someone. For the first time, that was enough.
&&78
And that should have been the end of it. After coming so close to losing her, and finally telling her of his love, it should have been the end of one story, and the start of another, telling of their long, and happy life together. Of marriage, and births and joyous times together. Despite not sharing a bed, at her insistence, both were happier than they ever had been.
However, this was not to last. Fate, in the form of Gwyneth, was not finished with them yet. Instead, it only grew darker. For a week they were happy. For one week, she allowed herself to hope.
A/N: dun dun dun! Cliffie! Tune in next week for the "Elfish and the Selfish"! Lol. What can I do to these two next! Cheese city my friends!Lol. Review people, please?