Category: Tolkien-Universe

Rating: M

Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant

Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything

Chapter: 30

Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me

Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'

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The Hunt had stopped for a break in Formenos a few days after Tinnuion forced the twins to take him there. There had been lots of teasing when those friends he had made - mostly Celegorm - realized why he was all the way out here. Oromë had looked on fondly, deciding their break might just last a while longer than intended - which had been until Curufin had fixed some damaged weaponry.

Sitting on the roof of one of the buildings that had not yet been fully repaired, he had become aware of the unrest just a touch too late. By the time he reached the guest-quarters the Lord of the Mole had claimed, the screams had started.

Within moments, most others had also arrived, though only Salgant joined him at the bedside of the distinctly donut-shaped elf.

"Hey... hey..." The other Lord of Gondolin softly soothed his fiancé. "It's okay, it was just a nightmare..."

It had been more than that, Oromë could tell.

"My fathers..." Tinnuion whispered. "They..."

"Do you want me to check on them for you?" The Power offered, leaning forward lightly. The entirety of Aman by now knew of the near-catastrophe of the Gondolindrim a month or two ago and he had long realized exactly how much the younger elf needed the two older ones. It was no surprise that their potential loss had shaken him badly. "It would not take long."

"Yes, please..." Inclining his head, he left the building before disappearing. It always felt politer, after he had become close to the Children, to not outright disappear in front of them except at great need.

His first stop was in Valmar, just to be sure Eöl was still where he was supposed to be. He was, glumly working on something in the smithy even this late at night. The Hunter did not reveal himself, staying just long enough to see Tinnuion's biological father before heading north to New Gondolin.

Blinking, he considered the view of his two chosen fathers. That... the elf had not mentioned when talking about them. Blinking some more, he considered that perhaps the youngster did not actually know... and wasn't that a thought.

He grinned fondly, imagining the teasing Celegorm would get into if he arrived back in Formenos and revealed this. Tilting his head, he considered the sight of the two Lords cuddled together on the couch, speaking softly of... ah, Rog's culture. But no, better to leave the reveal of their relationship to them...

"All three where they are supposed to be, and quite alright." He reported obligingly when returning to Formenos. In his absence, Lairisse had taken control of matters and Turgon's nephew had been piled upon by half the Hunt, a mug of warm herb-and-honey-spiced milk in his trembling hands and two or three blankets wrapped securely around him. He sunk into a smaller shape, settling just outside of the pile.

"Oh...Okay..." Mouse was a very fitting nickname at the moment, the youngster looking downright skittish, even held by his fiancé as he was. "Thank you..."

"What was it about?" Celegorm had draped himself over the other's legs, both sets of twins squishing him with their combined weight. "I find it helps, to talk about it..."

Mouse shrunk a bit, clearly unwilling to want to think back to what had woken him in screams. "I... I was back in New Gondolin..." Despite that, he started talking, softly and haltingly. "And went for some night-smithing... There... I..." Taking a few breaths and another sip of the warm beverage in his hands, he struggled for words. "Rog and Egalmoth were in the smithy for something... I came in on Eöl killing them both..." His voice dropped, as did his eyelids. "Because I did not chose him, again..."

Amras hummed something. "We can go back, if you prefer?" He offered, shifting from the Fëanorian part of the pile to look up at the Fingolfin-bit. "If you... like, want to stay with them."

"No... it's... it's fine." Tinnuion took another long draught of his drink. "I'm fine..."

"They wouldn't begrudge you wanting to return." Oromë felt obliged to point out. Even despite only having gotten him when he was already an adult, he had heard - and seen - enough of that small adopted family to know they were doing quite well as parents, especially compared to the previous father. He refused to consider that practically all parents he had seen much off were doing better at parenting than Eöl.

"I know." It was a weak smile, but warm and beautiful nonetheless. "I know they won't begrudge me... but I am fine. Honest. Just... I had been thinking about Eöl a while ago and what he'd think of... well, all this..." One hand released the mug to gesture at Salgant, who probably was one of the last people Eöl would ever have approved of as a law-child. "So I guess my mind... just went places... I suppose..." He shrugged in his safe cocoon of blankets. "It's fine."