Evening came in the New Palace, the garrison orders were given, the watch in place, and Triwathon was still not properly present in himself until he stood in front of the looking-glass to tidy his hair.

Something about the sight of his own hands to his head as he unwound his braids prior to remaking them reminded him, abruptly, of Parvon plaiting his hair back so the strands wouldn't tangle around his throat as if he were being throttled, and he wondered whether or not his friend the advisor would approve of his friend the dyer…

He sighed as he reached for a comb. Probably not; Parvon didn't seem to approve of any of Triwathon's friends, and, had he realised Triw was the one Thindo was seeking, perhaps the reunion would never have happened…

No. That was doing Parvon a disservice. But still, Triwathon was sure Parvon would not approve this old, old friendship…

Perhaps he shouldn't dine with Thindorion tonight, perhaps he should send apologies, claim he was needed at one of the watch flets; he could actually head out to one of the perimeter stations, in case anyone asked, perhaps…

Perhaps and perhaps and perhaps…

No. This was foolish, and he wasn't even sure why he was considering backing out, what was he thinking…? Thindo had come a long way to say goodbye; the least he could do was spend a little time with him. And, after all, it was winter, and it had been cold on the practice ground that morning, perhaps that was why Triwathon had trembled, he had simply been shivering from the cold…

And, anyway, why should it matter? Why could he not just be how he felt he wanted to be, why did he have to consider his station and responsibilities, and… and Parvon's approval, and when exactly did he become so old…?

And why had Thindo not said, 'oh, Elkling, you are nice, but you are not my fëa-mate,' what reason could he have to leave the suggestion alive…?

And what should Triwathon do about it?

When Thindorion opened the door with a greeting on his lips, Triwathon stepped forward and put his arms round him.

'Hullo, Thindo.'

'Hello yourself… and now you decide to give me a hug? Not when I arrived yesterday, or even last evening when you were leaving, or…?'

'Well.' Triwathon smiled, speaking against the side of Thindorion's face. 'Yesterday, I was on duty, and not sure what your circumstances might be. And last evening, I was… a little unbalanced, after my outburst of sorrow. It would not have been fair.'

'And now?' Thindorion relaxed his own arms, but Triwathon, instead of breaking away, used the pause to reinstate the hug.

'And now, I have my wayward emotions for the dead settled and back where they belong, in the memories of my heart, not my heart itself. Now I can hug you and it be for you, Thindo, not for me pretending it is for you.'

Thindorion drew away, smiling and gently disengaging from Triwathon's arms.

'I tried to tell you yesterday how it was for me,' he said. 'I have always admired you and wanted you from afar, knowing you were another elf's elf. And now, here you are, within arm's reach, and I don't know if that's good or bad… or wonderful…'

'One thing I learned, Thindo; I don't want to be any elf's elf any more, I want to be my own elf, to be Triwathon. And I think with you I can be that, you will let me be Triwathon and you will be Thindorion.' Triwathon reached out again, not to hug his friend this time, but to hold him, hands gentle on his arms. 'Last night, you said… didn't say… but we said a lot of things, and…' He tipped his head in a sort of a shrug. 'You asked if I had thought Red was my fëa-mate, but when I spoke of being concerned lest you declare yourself mine, you did not say…' His words began to speed from his lips and all unaware, his hands gripped Thindorion's arms more tightly… 'and it has been on my mind, why did you ask, but why did you not say unless it mattered and why should it matter…? And…'

'Elkling.' Thindorion dipped his head forward to rest on Triwathon's brow. 'Elkling, shush. It's fine, nothing to worry about.'

'Last night…'

'Last night was raw for you, and not much less so for me. Last night was not a night to say yes, or no, because both or either could have hurt you. Or me. Or both of us.' Thindorion's voice was low, and soft. 'But this morning… I saw something in your eyes and felt something in your touch and for Valar's sakes, Elkling, you've a grip on you and I think I'd rather you hugged me again than kept up this infernal squeezing of my biceps…'

A startled laugh from Triwathon who had been listening with all his body to Thindo's words. Now he relaxed his grip on his friend's arms and stepped forward to hold him, to hug very, very gently.

'I am sorry. There, is that better?'

'Oh, much better, but now I'm thinking perhaps I should have waited… Triwathon, what sort of a hug is this?'

'Any sort of a hug you want it to be, Thindo.'

'Hmm… well. I'd like it to be… Oh, Elkling, I'd like it to be one that has you, and me, in the other room, lying down, and then… but last night you were so… unsettled and…'

'And is that why you still haven't answered me? Or will you tell me? Or… or I have heard it said, that sometimes, an elf can know as soon as he sees someone he's found his forever-love. But other times it does not happen like that, it takes a touch, or a kiss, or… more. So perhaps it is that sort of a hug, the kind to tell me what you will not…'

'Perhaps I just don't know the answer. Perhaps it is something to be avoided, or feared, because what if…?'

'But then, what if not…?' Triwathon leaned back, half closed his eyes, and allowed himself to relax and smile from the fëa as he granted himself permission to explore the what-if and what-if-not to the fullest. 'I think, before you sail and put us out of each other's reach, we owe it to ourselves to find out, do not you?'

'Ai, Little-elkling… what am I to say to that?'

'I think you should say, yes, Little-elkling.' Triwathon snuggled his arms more closely around his friend. 'That is, unless you object…?'

He tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice, to sound confident and amused, but he wasn't quite sure he managed it. And Thindo was laughing now, so perhaps he hadn't sounded at all how he'd hoped… but suddenly, he really, really wanted this elf…

'Elkling! It is but that I… to be honest with you?' He pulled back against Triwathon's arms and walked, danced him backwards into the room, sat down on the sofa so that Triwathon must needs do the same; somehow, the embrace stayed intact, arms loosening, but not losing contact. '…and I want to be honest with you, above all else! It's about time I was, I think…'

'So, what is this, Thindo? Is now the moment when you tell be about the lovely elleth and the little Thindorionion waiting for you somewhere…?'

Thindorion grinned, shaking his head and adjusting his hands on Triwathon's arms.

'No, Elkling, it's the moment when I confess that the whole point of my coming to see you before I sail was to see if I could seduce you first… Yes, last night, I could have said then, but… but I still wanted you, still want you, Elkling; I thought that if I mentioned Red, I could talk you into bed as I consoled you for the loss of him… and then you grew so distressed about your Balrog-slayer that I felt really very ashamed of myself; it would have been wrong, last night. But the time is now that I must confess that while I have always, always wanted you, I think I've always known you were unlikely to be my fëa-mate… it hasn't stopped me thinking about you, sweetheart. I'm sorry I deceived you.'

'Oh. Thindo, I don't know if I should be flattered or… or a little bit hurt…' Triwathon took a breath. 'But there is not time to be offended, and to make you apologise until it no longer hurts, so I forgive you. Let it be seen, then, I came to you willingly with the suggestion that we lie down together. It is true that last night could have been a terrible mistake. I have made enough of those! But now, here we are…'

'Wonder of wonders, here we are, and this morning on the range, when you touched me, it was… I did not think I could bear to wait to be private with you, Elkling, and now you are here, in my arms…'

'Ah. I thought, rather, that you were in my arms,' Triwathon said, and kissed him.

'Well, I don't mind if you don't mind,' Thindo replied, when he could breathe, and kissed him back.