"Mmmm you smell good," Glorfindel said, wrapping his arms around the advisor and placing a kiss on his neck. He inhaled the subtle scent of sandalwood and cinnamon with a hint of cloves that was Erestor's trademark.

Erestor gave an irritated shrug and moved out from the seneschal's arms.

"Not now, Glorfindel." Erestor walked towards the window and stared out at the garden, watching as the leaves in various autumnal hues were gently blown through the air and on the ground by the breeze.

The golden-haired warrior ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "What have I done to warrant this, Erestor? Every time I approach you, touch you you shy away from me. You move away from me in bed; you will not let me make love to you. I just do not understand."

"I am sorry. My mind has been taken up with other things lately."

"Namely?" the seneschal asked, yet knowing what the answer would be.

Erestor sighed and turned towards Glorfindel. "Lindir. I do not know what ails him. Even Elrond has tried to speak to him, but he refuses to tell anyone what is bothering him."

"Do you think it stems from when he was spying on us?"

"I honestly do not know," said Erestor, his head bowed.

Glorfindel walked towards Erestor and took the dark-haired elf's hands in his. "Meleth, look at me." The advisor raised his head and looked into the blue eyes of his lover. "I am concerned about Lindir as well I know how much he means to you. But your worry for Lindir is affecting our relationship; you are excluding me from your life, and it hurts."

"You are right, pen-valthennen; I should not have neglected you," Erestor said, noting the smile that graced Glorfindel's countenance at the mention of his endearment. "It is just" His voice trailed off.

"Just what, Erestor?" The seneschal looked with concern at the tears that shimmered in his lover's eyes.

"I am afraid Lindir will leave and take the ship to Valinor." Erestor laid his head on Glorfindel's shoulder. He suddenly realised how much he missed having the golden-haired warrior near him. He could feel the seneschal's arms tightening around him, holding him close, and he snuggled even deeper into the embrace.

Glorfindel placed a chaste kiss on the advisor's head. He understood Erestor's concern for the minstrel, but he needed him too.

Hopefully, between the two of them, they would be able to find out what was disturbing Lindir so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He found his brother in the library, sitting a chair, staring contemplatively into the fire. "Gwanur?" he said softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hmm? I did not hear you approach forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. You are worried about Lindir, as we all are."

"I feel for Erestor.Lindir is like a son to him, and I know this concerns him greatly."

"As it does you; you care for him, do you not?

"Of course I care for him! He is a beautiful, caring, gentle elf, a gifted musician who has brought us great joy."

"That is not what I meant, gwanur. You *care* for him."

"I do not know what you mean."

"Yes you do gwanur. I have seen how you have looked at him; your eyes soften each time you see him. I see the smile on your lips as you watch him play. Do not deny it," he added, watching his brother shake his head. "Perhaps you should let him know"

"Let him know what! That I love him is that it? Fine, I will admit it to you, but I can never tell him his heart is taken by another, though who, I do not know, despite my careful enquiries." The elf rose from the chair and began making his way to the door. His brother's words halted him.

"When did you first realise you loved him?"

His twin turned around and looked at him. "I do not know." He sighed. "But lately, when we have been out on our forays, I have looked forward to returning home, knowing that he would always greet us with a warm smile. And I am mesmerised by the way his fingers dance over the strings of his harp, thinking how fitting it is for his delicate fingers to produce such beautiful music. As for his voice, it is truly a gift from the Valar"

"plus he is a beautiful, caring, gentle elf, if I am quoting correctly. Yes, gwanur, you are most certainly in love with him. You usually do not wax so lyrically about anyone," the other elf interjected wryly.

He blushed. "I am sorry, gwanur." He walked towards the window, and leant his head against the frame. "When he spoke of his heart being taken by another, I felt such a sense of loss. I would love to know who it is so that I may teach him a lesson for causing such grief and suffering!"

"Maybe this other elf is unaware that Lindir loves him and that our minstrel is too afraid to let him know."

He turned to look at his brother. "Aye, that is possible," he conceded reluctantly.

"Then all the more reason to get to the bottom of this. If he has been too afraid to approach the one he loves, we could try and help him."

"But if he had been able to do so and was rejected, his heart broken by this other elf?"

"Then you could help his heart to heal, let him know you would always be there for him." The twin approached his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The elf sighed. "But what happens if I am too late?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glorfindel continued to hold Erestor. He had missed his dark-haired lover; missed the tender and intimate moments they had shared; missed the sometimes impish look that appeared in Erestor's eyes; missed waking up with him in his arms. The seneschal felt as Erestor raised his head, and looked into the dark eyes of the advisor, noting the sadness that was in them.

"Thank you," Erestor whispered.

"For what?"

"For being here, and for just being you."

Glorfindel smiled, and cupped Erestor's face in his hands. "Ever since the day when we declared our love for each other, I have considered myself blessed to have you in my life. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought my love for you would be reciprocated. I am always there for you, meleth-nín never doubt that. Just do not shut me out I am lost without you by my side." He let his hands fall to Erestor's shoulders, smiling gently at him. "We will both find out what disturbs Lindir and help him."

"But how?" the advisor asked. "I have asked nay, beseeched him to tell me, yet all I receive is silence as my answer. The only thing I can think of is that he is in love, but that love is not returned" Erestor stopped, his eyes widening at the sudden thought that assailed him.

"What is it?"

"Something you said before whether what bothers Lindir stems from when he was spying on us.I never thought..."

"Thought what?" Glorfindel was now a little puzzled.

Erestor stepped away and began pacing the room. "When Lindir was nearing his majority, he asked me questions aboutsex." The advisor flushed a little as the memories returned. "I am afraid I made rather a mess of explaining how an ellon and elleth made love, and I could sense that I did not really answer his questions."

"I still do not quite understand, Erestor."

"I am beginning to think that he wanted to know how two males made love; I never thought that he may lean in that direction"

"So you think Lindir is in love with another male elf? And that he was ‘furthering' his education by spying on us?" Erestor nodded his head.

"Maybe Lindir is too afraid to tell this other elf he loves him for fear of rejection."

The advisor smiled ruefully. "That I can understand, Glorfindel; it took me over 1,000 years before I finally found the courage to tell you of my feelings!"

"Yes, but you were not pining as Lindir seems to be doing, meleth. And if my memory serves me correctly, I do not believe that Lindir has been interested in any elf until now."

"First love," Erestor said softly. "It can be the most enriching experience, or it can scar you for the rest of your life. I do not want Lindir to be scarred, Glorfindel. He deserves to be loved and cherished"

"Then let us go help him, meleth-nín; find out if he truly has not had the chance to tell this elf of his feelings. Or, at worst, try and help mend a broken heart. But we will no longer let him suffer alone."

Erestor gave his lover a brilliant smile. "No, we shall not."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindir lay on the bed, his fingers teasing his shaft. As his fingernails gently scratched its length, his mind was envisaging another elf who was stroking his cock, teasing him, gradually increasing the strokes that would bring him to completion. The minstrel muttered the elf's name like a mantra under his breath, he began thrusting his cock into his hand, increasing the pressure slightly, feeling his orgasm approaching. He cupped the tip of his cock with his free hand, imagining the elf's mouth had enveloped it, the tongue licking and swirling, the suction of the mouth bringing him even closer to the brink. With a small cry he came, ejaculate leaping onto his hand and stomach, leaving him shuddering and gasping for breath. And all the while wishing it was someone else doing this to him. He gave a small whimper. "Why?" he whispered to himself. "Why did I have to fall in love with an elf who is beyond my reach?"

Reaching over to the small table, Lindir shakily picked up a cloth kept for the purpose of cleaning up his spent seed; the last thing he wanted was to stain the sheets. He would wash out the cloth in the morning; it would be dry again to be used for the same purpose the next night. The minstrel had been doing this every night for the last two months; it had almost become an addiction. Yet he felt he needed to do it to keep his sanity. And as far as he was concerned, it was all he had, all he would ever have.

The minstrel lay there, staring at the ceiling, contemplating his plans. His mind was made up; he would travel to the Havens, and take the ship to Valinor. He could no longer stay here, not with the object of his heart's desire here as well. While he admired Erestor for finally declaring his love for Glorfindel, he knew he could not do that. He knew he would be rejected, ridiculed. No, it was better to suffer in silence than to be openly derided for setting his sights too high. Turning his head towards the open window, Lindir could see Eärendil's star shining brightly in the night. ‘Were it possible that my love could shine so brightly for all to see, especially the one who holds my heart. But it can never benever be' he thought, his eyes glazing as he gradually slipped into a fitful, yet blessedly dreamless, reverie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ai! Stop teasing me!"

"I am not teasing, meleth I am merely enhancing the sensations," Glorfindel replied, before returning to the task at hand. After having thoroughly assaulted one nipple, he turned his attention to the other, giving it the same treatment.

"There are otherareas wheresensationscould beenhanced," Erestor gasped.

The seneschal raised his head. "Indeed," he said, quirking an eyebrow at his lover, who he could see was becoming more and more frustrated. But Glorfindel was determined to draw out the pleasure as much as possible; he had missed his lover too much, and he wanted Erestor to realise just what *he* had been missing Erestor moaned as the golden-haired warrior resumed his ministrations, hands wadding the sheets as Glorfindel gradually made his way down the advisor's chest and stomach, his hands stroking Erestor's thighs. Wet heat suddenly engulfed his raging hard cock, the tongue licking away the pre-come before the mouth moved away. He looked at the seneschal hovering over him, licking his lips, a predatory look in his eyes. "Delicious," Glorfindel purred, "just as I remembered"

"Then you should remember other things as well," Erestor growled. "Now take me! I can not take much more of this"

"They say patience is a virtue, ervainen vorn."

"Patience be damned! I want you now and if you do not give me what I want, I shall take it!"

A slow smile spread across Glorfindel's face. "Oh, will you," he said softly. "Not this time, melethron. You are mine tonight." Leaning across Erestor, he picked up the bottle he had placed on the table near the bed. His lover watched him hungrily as he coated his fingers with the oil before setting the bottle aside. Sitting back on his heels, he looked down at the flushed face of the advisor, the almost obsidian eyes half-closed with passion and need, kiss-bruised lips slightly parted. A small hiss escaped Erestor as Glorfindel inserted two fingers into his passage, stretching it, before a look of bliss appeared on the advisor's face.

"No more pen-valthennen I need you *now*."

Glorfindel needed no further invitation; he wanted to be sheathed inside his lover and wasted no time in achieving his desire. He groaned as he penetrated Erestor, and he stilled for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being inside his lover, before setting a slow rhythm, gently thrusting, angling so as to hit the sensitive bundle of nerves with each thrust.

"Harder, meleth please do not draw it out so," Erestor pleaded, wrapping his legs around Glorfindel's waist, forcing him deeper within his body. The seneschal complied; despite wanting to draw it out for as long as possible, his desperate need to make love to Erestor won out. Grasping his lover's shaft, he tried to stroke it in time with his thrusts, but soon any rhythm was lost as they both reached their pinnacles of ecstasy, leaving them both trembling at its intensity.

Carefully removing his softened shaft from Erestor's body, Glorfindel lay down beside the advisor and gathered him into his arms, not bothering to wipe away the semen that covered his lover's stomach. "I have missed this," he murmured into Erestor's hair.

"As I have," was the reply. Erestor raised himself slightly and looked into the blue eyes of the seneschal. "I love you," he said simply. "I always will."

Glorfindel smiled. "And I you, ervainen vorn."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindir had woken long before Anor's rays peeped over the horizon. Dressing quickly, he made his way quietly out of his room and out of the house into the gardens. Without realising it, he made his way to the small clearing where Glorfindel and Erestor had always gone, then sat down on the grass, not heeding the dampness of the dew that penetrated his breeches.

He sat in quiet contemplation, watching as Anor gradually appeared, spreading a faint golden glow; the promise of another mild autumn day in the offing.

His sharp ears picked up the faint footfall of another approaching the clearing, and he turned his head.

"Good morning, Lindir."

Standing up hastily, the minstrel inclined his head slightly. "Good morning, Lord Elrond."

"You are up early."

"I could not sleep, my Lord, and therefore decided to come outside and watch the sun rise."

Elrond looked at the elf standing before him, and smiled. "Would you allow me to join you?"

"Of course, my Lord I would be honoured by your company."

The Imladris Lord gave a small laugh. "Nay, you honour me with yours, pen-neth. We seldom see each other except at mealtimes; it would be a pleasure to enjoy your company." Elrond sat down on the grass and patted the ground beside him. "Come, sit next to me." He watched as the minstrel gracefully sat down next to him, before turning his head to watch the sun rise. "I often watch the rising of the sun; I find it soothing to do so. A new day sometimes means a new beginning."

"My Lord?"

"I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to you, Lindir. I know we have spoken before," raising his hand to still the other elf, "but this can not continue. Can you not tell me what ails you? Erestor is deeply concerned and, moreover, hurt you do not confide in him. Others have made the attempt to speak to you, yet you avoid answering their questions. But enough is enough, pen-neth. You will not leave this clearing until you have told me." The tone of Elrond's voice brooked no argument, and Lindir looked at him apprehensively.

"You will think me foolish," he whispered.

"I will not think you foolish, Lindir. I only wish to see you happy again."

The minstrel swallowed. "I do not think I will ever be happy," he said miserably.

Elrond looked sharply at the elf sitting next to him. "I do not wish to hear you say that again, pen-neth! Enough of this nonsense!"

Lindir looked at the Imladris Lord, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Forgive me, my Lord it is just I do not know what you will say when I tell you"

"Tell me what, pen-neth?" Elrond asked gently.

"I..I have fallen in love and" Lindir stifled a sob.

"But to fall in love is not so terrible, pen-neth! Have you told her of your feelings?"

The minstrel brushed away a tear. "Not her him," he said, glancing briefly at the Lord to gauge his reaction, but seeing none. "And no, I have not told himhe is beyond my reach."

"It is not Erestor?" Elrond asked a little worriedly.

Lindir gave a small smile. "No, my Lord. Erestor is my mentor, and I am glad that he and Glorfindel have found each other."

"Then who is it?"

The minstrel took a deep breath. "It is one of your sons, my Lord." There, it was out. Lindir waited nervously for the explosion of wrath, but there was only silence. He risked a look at Elrond, and was astonished to see kindness and understanding on the older elf's face. "Youyou are not angry?" he asked hesitantly.

"Angry? A little surprised, perhaps, but no, not angry. I think I could even venture a guess as to which of my sons it is. And if I am correct, you could not have made a better choice." Elrond looked at the young elf beside him. "I fear for my sons, Lindir. Ever since their mother sailed to Valinor, their main aim in life is to seek out and kill every orc they can. I am well aware of the fact that one day one or possibly both may not return. But" The Lord of Imladris fell silent. "I want them to see there is more to life than just killing," he continued softly. "I want them to see there is still love and beauty in this world. Most of all, I want them to be happy. They may be seen as princes of Imladris, but if either one should ever fall in love and wish to bond with another whether they be male or female then I would encourage it. Rather that than a political marriage, or a life without love. But I digressthe question remains as to whether he feels the same about you."

"I do not believe he does, my Lord. And why should he? I am just a minstrel" He was cut off as Elrond raised his hand again.

"You are *not* just a minstrel, pen-neth. You are a practically a part of the family. I will not have you talk yourself down in this way." Rising up from the ground, he offered his hand to Lindir. "Come, it is time we went back inside. Once we have broken our fast we will continue this discussion."

Grasping the proffered hand, the minstrel allowed himself to be pulled up. "Yes, my Lord," he replied meekly. Following Elrond back to the house, he wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into by his confession.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erestor and Glorfindel watched from the balcony as the two elves returned back to the house. There was a mixture of resolution and relief on Elrond's face, while Lindir's was filled with trepidation.

"I think Elrond has managed to find out what has been troubling our minstrel," the seneschal said softly.

"I hope so I shall enquire as soon as I can to find out," the advisor replied, turning his head towards his lover.

Glorfindel smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from Erestor's face. "Let us go and break our fast; then we shall speak to Elrond." Taking the advisor's hand in his, they both made their way downstairs

Elvish translations: ada = father "elleth = female elf "ellon = male elf "ervainen vorn = my dark beautiful one "gwanur = brother "meleth = love "meleth-nín = my love "melethron = lover (male) "pen-neth = young one "pen-valthennen = my golden one

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning meal was a quiet affair. Elrond was at the head of the table, looking a little smug, while Lindir sat further down, feeling miserable!the one he loved was sitting opposite him, gazing at him with concern as the minstrel picked at the food on his plate. "Is the meal not to your liking, pen-neth?" the elf asked softly.

Looking up, Lindir flushed. "No, there is nothing remiss with the meal!I!I am just not very hungry."

"You are never hungry; you are becoming far too thin. Eat, meldir, before you fade away to a shadow," the other elf exhorted, leaning across the table slightly to emphasise his words.

Lindir's flush deepened and he bowed his head, hiding his face behind a curtain of hair. "I will try," he mumbled. The elf opposite him leaned back in his chair, oblivious to the curious looks of the others at the table. Elrond noted the interaction between the two elves, and inwardly smiled. This would prove to be easier than he thought. Always observant, he had noticed the looks his son had been bestowing upon the minstrel and suspected he harboured feelings for Lindir. Now the young elf's reactions confirmed his suspicion as to *which* of his sons he had lost his heart to. Oh yes, this would be very easy indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Melethen?"

Turning his head to his lover's voice, Erestor smiled. Returning the smile, Glorfindel gathered the advisor in his arms. "You saw what happened at the table?" he asked.

Erestor nodded. "I should have guessed long ago," he said quietly.

"How could you have possibly guessed, meleth? That Lindir is in love with one of Elrond's sons? You do not have the gift of foresight, Erestor. None of us would have come to this conclusion; our minstrel has become very adept at hiding his feelings. If anything, it is the son who gave the game away."

"Yes, he is obviously concerned about Lindir; as you rightly pointed out earlier, we all are. But that does not mean he returns Lindir's feelings."

"Elrond seems to think so."

Erestor looked sceptical at the seneschal's remark. "Why would Elrond think that?"

"While everyone else was busy watching them, I was watching Elrond. He seemed to have a knowing smile on his face. Remember when he and Lindir returned to the house this morning? Did I not say Elrond has managed to find out what disturbs our minstrel?"

"Yes, I remember. Yet I can not see Lindir confessing to the Lord of Imladris he is in love with one of his sons. I do not think Elrond would be entirely happy if his son *did* return Lindir's feelings."

"Erestor, you surprise me," said Glorfindel. "You obviously do not know Elrond as well as you thought! He wants his sons to be happy - nothing more, nothing less; he would rather they married for love than for political gain. And whether they were male or female does not matter to him. There is no need for an heir for Imladris to follow in either of the twins' footsteps; the time will come when the elves will leave Middle-earth - what is the point of begetting an heir when they will not be here to inherit?"

The advisor shook his head, a little unwilling to accept Glorfindel's logic. "I do not see any good coming from this; I fear Lindir will be hurt," he murmured.

"Stop fretting, melethen. I have no doubt that, as we speak, Elrond is now plotting to bring the two together. And I do not think he would allow for either his son or Lindir to be hurt - do not forget, he is rather perceptive of others' feelings; one of the reasons why he is such an effective ruler. He can often temper possibly unpleasant situations before they escalate into something unmanageable."

"Very true, pen-valthennen. Only the Valar knows how long he knew about our feelings for each other before we decided to act upon them. And, of course, there is the bottle of wine which I had appropriated from his private collection!only he could deduce I had been the culprit."

Glorfindel laughed. "Indeed!he was rather amused by the fact that it *was* you!" Both elves smiled.

Then the seneschal sobered and looked into the dark eyes of Erestor. "There is something I wish to ask you, ervainen vorn."

Mesmerised by the sapphire blue of Glorfindel's eyes, the advisor swallowed. "What is it you wish to ask?" he enquired hoarsely.

Taking a deep breath, the golden-haired warrior closed his eyes briefly. The thought of what he wanted had taken much of his time lately. For him, it felt right, but was unsure of what Erestor's reaction would be. They had not been lovers for even a year, though they had known each other for much, much longer than that. He exhaled, and opened his eyes. While concern for Lindir had overshadowed much of their lives recently, it was now or never. "Would you bind yourself to me?"

Erestor's eyes widened. Pulling away slightly, he stared at Glorfindel, the surprise of the question robbing him of any ability to speak. The silence stretched out between them; though it was only the matter of a minute or so, to the seneschal it seemed like an eternity as he waited in trepidation for his lover's response.

"Oh." The reply, when it came, was as unnerving as the wait.

"I am sorry, Erestor. Maybe I was a little too hasty to ask this of you!"

"Really Glorfindel, do you not think it a little too soon? We have not been lovers for that long."

"I know, but I am sure of my feelings for you. I do not wish for any other, I only want to be with you until the end of time, to let others see my love for you!"

"Yes." The one word stopped Glorfindel in his tracks.

"Yes?" he asked, rather stupidly, not quite believing he had heard correctly.

"Yes, I will bind myself to you," stated Erestor calmly.

"You will?"

"Yes."

"Truly?"

"Yes."

"You are sure of this?"

"Sweet Elbereth, Glorfindel - how many more times must I say it? Yes!"

"Oh."

Erestor looked with exasperation at the elf in front of him. "'Oh'," he said, a little sourly. "Is that the best you can come up with? You ask me to bind myself to you. I said yes. And all you can say is ‘oh'?"

"As you did," proclaimed the seneschal mildly, having finally regained some sense of coherency.

Erestor smiled ruefully. "You are right - I did," he admitted. "But only because you had caught me unawares." Cocking his head to one side, he regarded the Glorfindel thoughtfully. "When did you want to have the bonding ceremony? Though something tells me I know the answer."

The seneschal quirked an eyebrow at his lover; a smile graced his lips.

"On the anniversary when we declared our love for each other," Erestor said.

"Do you mind? I know we should wait a year, but I know my feelings for you will never change."

"Nor will mine." He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Glorfindel's lips. "If you had suggested tomorrow I would have agreed. Nothing would please me more than to have you as my mate."

"Then we are in agreement."

"Yes, we are. But now," Erestor continued, pulling himself reluctantly out of the seneschal's embrace, "I have duties to attend to. Plus I wish to speak to Elrond with regards to Lindir."

"Wait ervainen vorn - there is one more thing I would like to do for you."

"Namely?"

Glorfindel reached down with his hand and cupped Erestor's erection that he had felt against his thigh.

The dark-haired elf grimaced. "Unfortunately, you seem to have this affect on me," he groused.

The seneschal feigned mock-hurt. "Unfortunately? But melethen, think of what I could do to help alleviate this." Erestor swallowed, feeling the shivers of delight coursing through his veins as his lover gently massaged his erection through the layers of clothing.

"What!did you!have in mind," he whispered, eyes fluttering shut as Glorfindel gave a gentle squeeze.

The golden-haired warrior chose not to answer, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves. Undoing the fastenings on the advisor's robes, he pushed them off his shoulders, leaving Erestor clad only in his undershirt and leggings. He then made swift work of the lacings on the leggings, allowing his lover's hard shaft to spring free from its confines. Taking it in his hand, he began stroking it. His other arm was around his lover's waist, holding him close, and he could feel as Erestor relaxed in his embrace, letting the sensations of what Glorfindel was doing to him take over.

"Melin chen, Erestor," he whispered.

"Melin chen, bevae. Now stop teasing me and take me!" Erestor's eyes had opened and, now glazed over with passion, were staring into Glorfindel's, leaving the seneschal with no doubt as to what his lover wanted. Yet the mischievous side in him wanted to torment the dark-haired advisor a little more.

"Ah, ervainen vorn - time presses. You did say you had duties to perform, and you *do* wish to see Elrond. It may be best if we continued this later."

"Contin!you!you!cretin! You will finish what you have started, or so the Valar help me, you will be lucky to live to see our bonding day!" Glorfindel only smiled, before drawing Erestor closer to him, letting him feel the need and desire the seneschal had for him.

"So direct, as always, melethron." He gave his lover's erection another squeeze, eliciting a gasp. "However, do not blame me if you are late!I cannot help as to how you react to my presence, meleth!"

A knock on the door interrupted the seneschal. "Erestor? Are you there? Ada asked for me to find you - he wishes to see you in his study immediately."

The advisor groaned. Hiding his face on his lover's shoulder, he smiled ruefully. Damn the elf - both elves - for their bad timing. "Thank you. I will be there directly." It seemed both of them would have to wait before they could fulfil their desires. Trust Glorfindel to get him in this state! And while feeling frustrated by the interruption that would now leave them both feeling a little uncomfortable for a while, he decided to have some revenge on the one who got him like this in the first place. Schooling his features, he raised his head and threw a baleful glare at the smiling warrior. "You," he hissed, "will pay for this dearly."

"Pay?" Glorfindel protested weakly, taken aback by the vehemence in Erestor's voice. Feeling a little shaken by the sudden change of mood, he looked at the set face of his lover, before swallowing and wordlessly picking up his lover's robe, watching as Erestor tried to do up the lacings on his leggings.

The advisor grabbed his robe from the golden-haired warrior's hands. Throwing it on, he quickly did up the fastenings. A hand on his arm forestalled him from making his way to the door.

"Melethen." Erestor looked at Glorfindel. "Yes?" he asked, trying to hide the smile at the contrite expression on the other's face.

"I!I am sorry. I did not mean!did not want!" The golden-haired warrior's voice trailed off under the stern gaze of the advisor.

Erestor's lips twitched. Glorfindel did look rather adorable standing there, blue eyes gazing at him in mute apology. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on his lover's lips. "I'll let you decide what your ‘payment' should be," he purred, watching the seneschal's eyes widening in disbelief. "You really did not think I was angry at you, did you?" he asked in all innocence.

Glorfindel's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should think of a ‘punishment' for you," he growled. Erestor merely smiled before turning and exiting the room, leaving a bemused seneschal behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The elf stood at the window, staring sightlessly out into the garden, his thoughts returning to earlier that morning. "You give yourself away, gwanur," his brother had whispered, grabbing his arm after they left the table. "You will not be able to keep your feelings hidden to yourself for too much longer; already others begin to notice. Tell him!"

"I can not!"

"You can; would you prefer if someone else told him? Better it comes from you. If someone has hurt him, then I can not think of a better person to help him overcome his pain."

"Ah, there you are."

Snapped out of his musings, the elf turned at the sound of his father's voice. "Yes, Ada?"

"I require your assistance; it is with regards to the cataloguing in the library. Normally Erestor would be doing this, but I will need his help over the next few days. I thought you might be able to continue to do it in his stead - you are familiar enough with what is in there as you have helped him in the past."

"Of course, Ada, I will gladly do this. You know I enjoy going through the old books and scrolls."

"Precisely why I am asking you," Elrond replied. He turned and made to go, then stopped. "Oh, and Lindir will be helping you."

"Lindir?" The elf swallowed.

"Yes, Lindir. He would have been helping Erestor with this anyway; instead, he shall be helping you. Do you have any objections?"

"No!no, of course not; I would be glad of his help."

"Good. I shall leave you to it, then."

The elf watched as his father walked away before sighing. He would have preferred to have done the work on his own; the fact Lindir would be there was not going to help him at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindir sat at the desk in the library. Elrond had asked if he could help with the cataloguing. Having done this in the past with Erestor, he was waiting for the advisor to come so they could begin. Hearing the door open, he turned. His face blanched when he saw it wasn't Erestor; it was one of Elrond's sons - *the* son. "Erestor is not here," he said, his hands gripping the arms on the chair so tightly the knuckles were white.

"I know Erestor is not here. Ada advised me that he requires him for the next few days, and asked if I could do it in his stead."

"Oh." The minstrel turned away quickly, wanting to hide the flush he could feel creeping up on his face.

"Are you all right, Lindir?"

"Yes!yes, I am fine. Forgive me, I!I need some fresh air." The minstrel got up quickly out of the chair, almost stumbling in his haste. He made to go past the other elf, but was stopped by a hand grasping his arm.

"You are not ‘fine', Lindir. You seek to run away every time I try and speak to you. Have I done something to offend you? If I have, please, let me know so that I may apologise and make amends! Surely you know I would never deliberately cause you any pain or distress?"

"Please," whispered the minstrel. "Please, just let me go."

"I can not. Not until you tell me what I may have done wrong."

"You have done nothing wrong. Please, l!"

"Then has someone else hurt you? Upset you in any way?" A shake of the head answered his questions.

"Then what is it?" he ground out in frustration. "Do you not understand - I can not bear to see you like this any more! I care what happens to you - I care about *you*!" He stopped, a look of uncertainty on his face.

Lindir looked at the elf, his large, expressive eyes looking haunted. The words ‘I care about you' echoed in his head.

"How much do you care?" he asked abruptly.

The other elf was taken aback by the question. He could only stare at the minstrel, noting the tenseness in the other elf, as if he were ready to bolt at any moment. He took a deep breath. He had already said he cared - dare he tell Lindir how he *really* felt about him? Despite his brother's words, he wasn't sure if he had the courage to do so.

The two elves stood there, looking at each other. The twin loosened his grip on Lindir's arm, and the minstrel turned away, as if in sorrow.

"No!wait, please! You!you asked how much I cared for you. I!what I mean to say is!" The elf licked his lips nervously. The minstrel watched in fascination as the tongue moved over the lips of the dark-haired elf standing before him, and began to move closer to the other elf, till he was standing right in front of him. Hesitantly, without realising he was actually doing it, he raised his hand and placed two of his fingers on those lips, feeling their softness. He stared, wide-eyed, into the eyes of the other elf, then watched as a hand enveloped his, removing his fingers, watching as those lips placed a gentle kiss on the palm of his hand.

"Lindir!" Heads slowly began moving towards each other, hesitating briefly, eyes staring before closing as lips met. Chaste at first, the kiss deepened as both elves wrapped their arms around each other, fingers tangling in each other's hair. The kiss seemed endless before they broke apart, each gasping for air.

"I love you," the elf whispered. "I don't know for how long; all I know is I always look forward to seeing you every time I return to Imladris - to see your beautiful face, to hear your voice. You have become my sanity in these dangerous times, meleth. Please, tell me, can I hope that you may return my feelings?"

Lindir looked at the elf. "But I am only a minstrel!" he started to say.

"You are my heart, Lindir. Do not ever think you are not good enough. You are in every way perfect to me. And I know my father would be happy for us - he has often told me not to deny my heart; that he would happily accept the one who would have my heart in their keeping."

"I!I know!I spoke to your father earlier this morning." The dark-haired elf looked in puzzlement at the minstrel. "You spoke to my father?" Lindir nodded his head. "He, umm!he found me in the small clearing Glorfindel and Erestor use. He made me tell him what was bothering me. I!I told him I!I was in love with one of his sons." The minstrel cast a quick look at the elf, trying to gauge his reaction.

"One of his sons!" the elf murmured. "Did you tell him!did he ask!which one?"

There was a shake of the head. "No, but he said he could guess which one it was."

"Then, please!is there hope for me? For if it is my brother, I would have you tell me now. I know I have declared my love for you, but I would stand aside if it is my brother you care for." He looked at Lindir with pleading eyes. "Please!which one of us is it?" the dark-haired elf asked; his voice was hoarse with tension.

Lindir raised his eyes to meet those of the other elf. Yes, he had heard the other elf telling him he loved him, yet he was still unsure. But it was now, or never. "You," he said simply.

He watched as the smile broke on the other's face. "Do you speak truly?" he asked, taking hold of Lindir and drawing him closer.

"Yes," the minstrel whispered. His lips were claimed in a fierce kiss, its intensity robbing him of any coherent thought.

Breaking off the kiss, the elf spoke, his words punctuated by the small kisses he was placing on the minstrel's face. "I can not believe..it is me..all this time.I feared someone..had..broken your..heart..that you..would leave..us for..Valinor."

Lindir held the other elf at arm's length. "I do not deny I had thought of leaving. Seeing you, believing my feelings would never be returned - it made me very despondent."

"But now?"

"But now I have no desire to go anywhere unless it be with you." The minstrel moved away towards the door, the other elf watching him in puzzlement.

"You say you are going nowhere without me - yet you head towards the door?"

A small ‘snick' could be heard as Lindir turned the key in the lock. "I meant what I said - I am going nowhere. However, I do not wish for us to be interrupted." There was a gleam in the minstrel's eyes that sent the blood rushing from the other elf's head to his groin. Lindir gave himself a mental shake. What in Middle-earth was he doing? Locking the door so they would not be interrupted? This was not like him to be so forward! He looked at the dark-haired elf standing before him. Forward, be damned. He wanted this elf, and he wanted him now. He undid the fastenings on his robe and let it drop to the floor, leaving him clad only in his shirt and leggings, then started towards the other elf.

"Are you sure you want this, meleth?" the dark-haired elf enquired.

"Yes, I am sure," Lindir replied. Some of his surety dissipated. "It would make all of this seem more real."

The other elf laughed. "Oh, believe me, this is very real," he said. "But I would be happy to make this more real for you," he added, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"There is some oil in one of the desk drawers," said Lindir, blushing.

The dark-haired elf raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. You will certainly need something to help ease the way if you are to take me."

"What?" The minstrel looked at the other in shock. "You...you wish for me..for me to take you?"

The smile faded from the other's face. "Do not be so surprised, Lindir. I see you as my equal. Do not think I will always take you - I wish for you to take me as well. And right at this very moment, it is something I desire greatly." Grey eyes had darkened to slate, and the evidence of his desire was seen in the now obvious bulge in his leggings. "Take your clothes off for me. I wish to see you."

Lindir swallowed, then sat down on a nearby chair and pulled off his slippers. He was conscious of the other watching him intently as he began to remove his clothing - firstly the shirt, followed by his leggings, leaving him only with his loincloth in place, tented by his growing erection. He got up and made his way to the desk, opening one of the drawers and taking out the oil. Turning around, he gasped. The other elf had taken the opportunity to remove his clothing, and now stood in the middle of the library, completely naked.

‘Sweet Eru,' he thought, his eyes taking in the lithe, yet muscular body of the elf before him. ‘What have I gotten myself into?'

"Lindir?"

The minstrel looked with frightened eyes at the other elf, clutching the bottle of oil. He swallowed. "I can not do this," he whispered.

"I..I am sorry!"

"No, Lindir!" The elf rushed forward, taking the minstrel in his arms. "Do not apologise. We do not need to do this. Maybe this is going a little too fast for both of us!" His voice became husky. "But you feel so good in my arms, as if they were made to hold you, meleth. My sweet minstrel!"

Lindir was all too aware the only thing separating them was the flimsy piece of material around his hips. His desire had not dissipated; if anything, it had become more enflamed, making his fear slowly fade into the background. He *did* want this, desperately - wanting something more tangible; that this was not a figment of his imagination; that this was really happening. With a trembling hand he removed the last barrier, and moaned as his heated flesh met that of the other.

"Meleth? What!?"

"Shhh!" Lindir placed his fingers on his soon-to-be lover's lips.

"I..I do want this..I am just not sure I can do what..what you want me to do.."

"Then we will not," the other elf answered. "We have all the time in Arda to explore!and there are other ways of pleasuring each other."

His hand moved down to grasp the minstrel's erection, and Lindir gave a small gasp. "Let me show you!" He stroked a little faster, increasing the pressure slightly, feeling the body in his arms tremble.

He watched Lindir's eyes flutter shut. "Open your eyes for me, meleth."

Lindir felt himself being swept away by the sensations coursing through his body. His legs felt weak under him; if it wasn't for the other elf holding him, he would have fallen in a heap onto the floor. He grabbed the other's shoulders, opening his eyes to stare into the almost black ones of his lover.

"Touch me," he heard the other whisper. Mesmerised by the emotions he saw in the eyes before him, he moved one hand down and tentatively grasped the dark-haired elf's erection, marvelling at how the rigid length seemed to fit so well within his hand.

"Oh yes!your touch!it will be my undoing!"

Emboldened, Lindir tightened his grip, moving his hand up and down the shaft till it was at the same tempo as that on his own erection.

He could feel his orgasm approaching. The other elf seemed to sense it. "So close!come with me!come with me," he whispered. Gasps were soon replaced with loud moans as the elves spilt their seed, covering each other's hands and stomachs with the warm fluid. They sank to the floor, seemingly boneless, lips seeking each other for a languid kiss.

"I love you, my sweet minstrel."

"And I you, Elrohir!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My Lord, the door to the library seems to be locked!"

"Is it? I have no doubt there is a very good reason for that," Elrond replied serenely, a small smile playing on his lips. He continued to walk down the corridor, leaving the elf-maid to stare at him and wondering what it was that had the Lord of Imladris smiling.

~~ FINIS ~~

Elvish translations: ada = father ervainen vorn = my dark beautiful one gwanur = brother meldir = friend (male) meleth = love melethen = my love melethron = lover (male) melin chen = I love you melin chen, bevae = I love you, too pen-neth = young one pen-valthennen = my golden one