The Great Hall was filled with crowds, colour and joyful noise as Elrohir pushed his way through the hoards of people towards his brother.
"Elladan! So many people here, it has taken me way too long to reach you!"
Elladan smiled at him, his face lit with excitement, then he glanced behind him, searching.
"Where is Legolas?"
"I don't know?" Elrohir had lost track of him long ago. "I haven't seen him since the ceremony. He is probably with Gimli somewhere."
Elladan looked concerned, Elladan spent most of his life looking concerned.
"Aren't you worried where he is? What he is up to?"
"No. He will be with Gimli or those Hobbits. They faced many trials getting Aragorn here, it is quite right they celebrate today together."
"You know what Legolas is like..."
Elrohir cut his Brother off before he could really annoy him.
"Enough! He is not about to sleep with a hobbit if that is what you are suggesting. And this is an official royal celebration. He represents his Father here, he takes that very seriously. Just leave it ...just for one day, will you. Anyway..."
He wanted to divert Elladan quickly, for he did not want them arguing today of all days.
"Anyway where is the mighty Glorfindel?"
"I am not sure..."Elladan was hesitant. "He went in search of Erestor ages ago."
Elrohir beamed at him, he felt nothing could dampen his exuberant mood today.
"Make sure they don't get hold of any wine! You have heard the stories...of when they chased Father through the halls..."
Elladan's face creased with worry.
"He wouldn't do that...not today...would he?"
"Stop it Elladan!" He took hold of his brothers elbow and went to steer him through the crowds. "You do not need to worry about Glorfindel, he is old enough to be your father...actually he is old enough to be your Father's Father, no wait! He is old enough to be your Father's, Father's Father. You don't need to look after him."
Elladan did not look very convinced.
"Come on, look at our little Brother. He looks hassled. I think we should go and give him some support. Let the others celebrate by themselves and the three of us together. It is fitting."
Aragorn certainly did look hassled when they reached him, hassled and rather a bit fed up.
"You have no idea how pleased I am to see you. This is a nightmare, so many incredibly boring people wanting to tell me their life stories and what exactly they think my first priorities should be. Save me from this Elrohir!"
"Never fear brother, " Elrohir reassured him. "We are here to support you, like we always have done. Let us find you some fun. Where is my sister?"
Aragorn shrugged sadly.
"With Elrond I imagine." He looked more closely at them, "Where is Legolas?"
Elrohir sighed, Why did they all think his prime concern in life should be knowing Legolas's exact location at any given time. Did they not know that was an impossible task?
"With Gimli." He said with confidence for he had convinced himself that was where he must be.
It did not reassure Aragorn,
"I hope they are behaving."
Talking of Legolas reminded Elrohir of something and he bent closer to his little brother to have a word in his ear.
"Speaking of Legolas, what WERE you thinking, sending him to me to get one of those bracelets? Do you want to destroy me?"
"Oh!" Aragorn looked slightly guilty. "Did he actually ask for one?"
"Of course he did! Why did you tell him Arwen got it from me?"
"He would just have gone to her!" Aragorn protested
"And she would have thought up something to keep him off the scent. She is clever like that. Instead I had to."
"Why don't you just give him one? He doesn't know what it is."
"Are you serious?" Elrohir stared at Aragorn as if he had lost his mind. "I cannot have him running round wearing a bracelet made out of his own hair! ...with those letters."
"He thinks they mean he hates spiders. He will never know."
"You are mad Aragorn. I knew I should never have given you one. I have told him the man who makes them is dead. Can you at least stick to that if he asks you again! I can't believe you."
Elladan tapped him on the shoulder.
"Enough of your mad business opportunities Elrohir, you are almost making me feel sorry for Legolas. Let us go and enjoy ourselves."
And they turned together to find a place quiet enough to actually think. The three of them together, thought Elrohir. For today at least he put aside any issues he may have with Aragorn running off with his beloved sister and enjoy the brotherhood.
Who knew when they would next have the chance to be together again.
...
Glorfindel sauntered down the corridor. Where was Erestor? He had been missing for hours and he really could do with his company. He swayed slightly to the left and realised that perhaps he had had just a little too much wine. Still he did feel astoundingly good. There was a tinge of sadness to this day however, try as he might he could not keep his thoughts from straying to all those he had lost throughout the years spent fighting to achieve this moment. How he missed them all.
He needed Erestor. He was the only one who would understand this...except maybe Galadriel, but he was staying away from her today. Her wine was far too potent.
He couldn't find Erestor so he decided he just might go to his room for a bit, just until this irritating spinning of his head slowed down. But when he opened the door he got the surprise of his life.
"Erestor! What are you doing?"
For Erestor was there already, in his room, sitting quietly waiting for him and judging by the empty wine bottles beside him he too had had plenty to drink already. He stood up and smiled when he saw Glorfindel and it was then Glorfindel realised Erestor was wearing trousers! Ever since his rebirth he could never resist him in trousers.
" What are you doing?" He repeated numbly.
Erestor tilted his head suggestively,
"Well " he said, " I wondered if we might... "
Glorfindel was at the same time both horrified and excited.
"I can't...Elladan...I want to but...I can't."
Erestor came up to him and cupped his face in his hand.
"Today is a hard day, So many we love are not here to see it."
"I was just thinking that..." Glorfindel was finding it very hard to think at all in truth. Erestor was so close he could feel his breath and they had not done this for so long, The rational part of his brain seemed not to be functioning beyond 'I can't, I can't, I can't' spinning like a mantra round his mind.
"Where is Elladan hmm?" Erestor asked him.
"With his brothers, I felt it right they be together."
"They are all too young. They do not understand what this has cost us." Erestor murmured. "Elladan would never know."
"You know he would not understand," Glorfindel felt his resolve weakening, "It was you who insisted we finish this between us."
Erestor nodded. "I am lonely tonight Glorfindel...and I miss..." He did not finish but Glorfindel knew who it was he longed for and it was not him.
"I find I need this. Let us make this night a memory to sustain us in the time ahead. If we are ever separated we will at least have this. Do we not deserve to celebrate, have we not earned it?"
"We will not be separated. We will sail, Elrond has his plans already."
"But if we are, who knows what the future holds." Erestor leaned forward and whispered in his ear, his breath warm upon his cheek and Glorfindel felt his resolve melting away.
"Elladan will never know." He murmured.
Erestor pulled back and watched him with a smile,
"It is your decision to make," he said quietly, "I have nothing to lose."
Glorfindel told himself later it was the alcohol but he knew that wasn't so. On this night in this place there was no one he needed more than Erestor. They would have their memory, a prize for their long years of struggle.
And then he kissed him.
...
Legolas was drunk. In fact he was very, very drunk. He thought this as he staggered along the hallway to his room. He should have known better than to let Gimli ply him with so much wine. What was in it? It must have been at least Dorwinon to have this effect on him.
If only the floor would stop tilting like this, if only he could remember exactly which room was his. He had a terrible feeling he might even be sick.
At least, he thought, he had managed to extract himself before he had made a fool of himself and disgraced his Father by collapsing in the middle of Aragorn's celebration. He stopped in front of a door, was this his? He was pretty sure it was. Thank Goodness, he really needed to lie down.
He staggered in unsteadily and made his way cautiously to the bedroom then stopped dead.
"Oh!"
It was all he could think to say. This was obviously NOT his room. Before him on the bed were Erestor and Glorfindel and there was no doubting exactly what they were up to. The fact they had no clothes on made it pretty self explanatory, even to his befuddled brain.
"I'm sorry!" He gasped, he had to get out of here but his legs seemed to have forgotten how to move.
Erestor looked up at him with horror,
" Legolas!" He cried
And he pushed Glorfindel away from him which in actual fact only made Legolas's view worse.
"I will go, I am sorry," he burbled and finally his legs regained movement and he stumbled quickly out of the room slamming the door behind him. He paused for breath leaning against the wall and feeling his heart hammering in his chest. What had they been doing? What was he saying, it was quite obvious exactly what. He had no time to think any longer about this as he realised he HAD to find his own room. The creeping feeling he might be sick had suddenly become an intense certainty that he would be sick, very very soon. There was no way he was going to let one of Aragorn's people find Legolas Thranduillion vomiting in the corridor. If this was Erestor's room he was in trouble for he was not even sure where that was, but if it was Glorfindel's then his room was 1,2,3,...4 doors down.
He made it there just in time.
...
"Oh!"
The strangled gasp filled Erestor with dread. Had Glorfindel not locked the door?
He turned to see who on earth it was...,please let it not be Elladan.
"I am sorry,"
It was Legolas standing there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water and the boy did not look at all well .Was seeing him and Glorfindel together really that much of a shock?
"Legolas!" He cried and reflex made him push Glorfindel away from him, not that it helped in the slightest.
"I will go, I am sorry."
Legolas turned and stumbled rather than ran from the room. Erestor rose to follow him but Glorfindel held him back.
"I must go after him!"
" Don't worry," Glorfindel said lazily, "He will say nothing. He knows of us already, has done for years and he has never let on."
" Knowing we have been together in the past is not the same as this!"
"I will speak with him tomorrow." Strangely Glorfindel seemed incredibly at ease now.
"He looked unwell, I should check, I spoke with him earlier and he..." He remembered that melancholy Legolas and shuddered.
"He will be with Elrohir, relax." and Glorfindel strode over to the door and locked it.
"Don't panic Erestor. Legolas will keep this to himself. Trust me."
He sauntered back to the bed and Erestor had to admit he was so very appealing.
"We will have this night." he said as he pulled Erestor toward him, " You are right, we have earned it.
and it will take more than Legolas Thranduillion to take it from us."