Title: Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow
Author: Zhie
Rating: NC17
Pairings: Haldir/? ; Erestor/? (and apparently, Orophin/Everyone and
Rumil/three beautiful ladies, but we won't go there)
Summary: A love festival in Lothlorien, a secret admirer or two,
thornless roses (and roseless thorns), and most important of all, a
night of love for two of the three- wait, no, four!- Lorien brothers.
Notes: Written for the St. Valentine's Day Challenge issued by Athos
at the LothlorienLoversGroup TWO years ago. And I'm finally finishing
it now...


"It is so wonderful to see you again, brother," greeted Rumil, giving
his younger brother a warm hug. Haldir was less familiar with his
greeting, but he meant it with the same sincerity as Rumil as he
placed his hand upon the youngest brother's shoulder and gave it a
friendly squeeze.

With a silly grin, Orophin, the last of the three eldest Lorien
brothers to give his salutations to the baby of the family, gave
Erestor a mischievous look. Before Erestor could step out of the way,
Orophin had shouted, "Elf-pile!!!" and managed to pounce Erestor onto
the ground. With a snicker, Rumil dropped down onto his knees and
pushed Orophin over lest he smother their youngest brother. Haldir,
proper as always, cleared his throat and gave passersby a look that
read `I'm not with these three'.

"We were hoping you would come along with the party from Rivendell,
but we were not sure," said Rumil to Erestor. "With how much work His
Grumpiness has you doing, we assumed you would be stuck at home. How
is Imladris? Do you think you will stay there when your internship
expires?"

Erestor had only been in the valley realm for a few years of his
twelve year assignment there as an apprentice to one of the
counselors. Not one for the harsh border guarding his brothers
preferred, the opportunity to work in Rivendell had seemed one worth
his time. The smile he gave to his brothers showed that his guess
had been correct. "I love it there. I do miss Lothlorien, and the
three of you, and Nana and Adar of course, but you should see
Imladris! The library, the museum -- oh! The Hall of Fire! It is
extraordinary -- storytelling and singing on days of celebration, and
in the evenings most every other night, small groups of scholars
meet there to discuss such interesting things. Except to come here to
visit all of you, I think I shall never leave Rivendell until the sea
calls unto me," admitted the scribe.

"Really? Hmm. The hall does sound interesting," remarked Haldir,
offering his hand to help Erestor up from the ground.

Once on his feet again, Erestor said, "Oh, it is! I have been told on
more than one occasion that once in a great while the master minstrel,
Lindir, throws a rather debaucherous ball of sorts, for couples and
lovers only." Immediately, Erestor blushed. "Rather like the
festival here, but... even more wicked."

Haldir's brows rose up at this. "Even more wicked? How very, very
interesting."

"I doubt that," spoke Orophin as he continued to sit in the snow on
the ground even after Rumil had stood up. "Even if it is, the
committee came up with something to make it an even more interesting
affair this year than in previous years."

"Honestly?" Erestor wrung his hands nervously, having never actually
attended one of the infamous Lothlorien Love Fests previously. His
excuse to Lord Elrond for coming back to Lothlorien was to attend this
year's festival, and he had yet to tell his brothers his plans.

"Come along -- we can go to Orophin's flet, no one will disturb us
there," decided Rumil.

"If we're going to Orophin's flet, then Orophin needs help getting
up," remarked the ellon on the ground, raising both arms up and
wiggling his hands about.

Rumil rolled his eyes before reaching down to take hold of Orophin's
hands and pull him up. As soon as he was standing, Orophin let loose
a belch right into Rumil's face. "Gah, you orc! I swear, you must be
adopted. Haldir, tell me, please, that he is adopted," begged Rumil
as he pushed Orophin away and fell into step with his other two
brothers.

"I think Nana and Adar said something about finding him floating in
the river one day while fishing and they didn't have the heart to
throw him back," answered Haldir.

Erestor snorted as Orophin blew raspberries at them from a few feet
away. As much as he loved Imladris, he missed this, surprisingly
enough.

- - -

"Besides having everyone in the clearing, which is secluded and fenced
off as well as guarded so that there is no fear of attack of any
sort," explained Rumil, "this year, everyone is going to be
blindfolded."

"Oh, dear. Wouldn't that perhaps cause problems if siblings were to
happen upon one another? Or parents and their children?" questioned
Erestor as he blew over the top of his teacup to cool the liquid it
held.

Rumil shook his head. "Every house is given a different password that
needs to be spoken when any two elves happen upon each other. If the
passwords match, then you move on, obviously."

"Unless your name is `Elladan' or `Elrohir'," said Orophin quietly to himself.

"Hush," scolded Haldir.

"Is that why this rule was invoked?" asked Erestor, fairly happy about
it, as it meant not having to tell his brothers his intentions. In
fact, it would save him completely -- no one would ever know whether or
not he had attended.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Rumil said, "One can only assume that
the Lord and Lady would rather no one see what everyone knows. Their
grandsons made it quite clear that they would be attending, and what
they would be doing." Rumil was always privy to the best gossip, as
he was employed often as one of the royal guards in the Great Mallorn
for the fact he could keep secrets from everyone, save his brothers,
who really had no one else to pass the secrets on to.

"Which is going to make things even more difficult for Haldir," spoke
Orophin. He was promptly jabbed in the ribs by the eldest.

"What's that?" Erestor looked across the table to Haldir with
curiosity. "Were you going to, erm, try for someone in particular
this year?"

Haldir sighed, glared at Orophin, and then sighed again. "Just a few
days before you arrived, after we escorted the party from Mirkwood
into the city, I went back to the borders in order to greet the group
from Mithlond. When I arrived at my post, one of the other guards
handed me a note that was given to him by someone from Mirkwood. It
was very brief, just a note saying that he had remembered me from the
last time he was in Lothlorien and wanted to-"

"He?" piped up Erestor suddenly before biting his lip.

"Yes." Haldir straightened up a little. "Problem with that,
brother?" he asked defensively.

"Oh! No, no, not at all," Erestor said in a rush before gulping his
tea to keep himself silent.

There was a pause before Haldir continued. "He wrote that he wanted
to get to know me better -- much better."

"How much better?" Erestor couldn't help to ask.

"MUCH better," interrupted Orophin. "I saw the note accidentally," he
said in answer to Erestor's mouth opening. Erestor pursed his lips.
"He hid it, and, honestly, it's his right to. But," he added, "I do
hope he finds whoever wrote that note -- would be a shame if he
doesn't."

"There was no name?" asked Erestor.

"No, there was no name." Haldir scratched his cheek and yawned.
"Which makes me wonder if it is just a joke."

"I know you really do not want anyone to see it," said Erestor, "but I
have seen a lot of official documents, many from Mirkwood. Most of
the party from Mirkwood was made up of royalty and advisors. Perhaps,
I might know who wrote it."

Haldir contemplated this. "Stay here. I will be right back," he
said, and he went to the center of the room, climbing down to the flet
below where he lived.

"So, I assume the two of you will be attending the festival?" Erestor
asked as they waited for Haldir to return.

Nodding lazily, Orophin replied, "Last year, Haldir and I were on
guard duty, so only Rumil got to go. That means I've been horny twice
as long as him."

Rumil snorted at this. "Right. Next you'll tell me things were noisy
here two weeks ago because you were just holding a very exciting game
of cards."

"Mmmhmm," nodded Orophin with a smirk. "Actually, this year, I'm
hoping to be chosen as one of the cupids."

"The cupids?" questioned Erestor.

"The serving staff," explained Rumil. "Lord Celeborn chooses someone
to be a cupid, usually one of his house staff who has done a
particularly good job during the year. Then they choose another, then
that one chooses another, and so on, until there are twelve. They get
to act rather silly as they wait on those who retire to the Great
Mallorn for refreshments after the main event."

"It's quite a lot of fun," interrupted Orophin. "They get to wear
wings and shoot arrows with no points at couples. They are constantly
fondled and are clothed in nothing but a loincloth and a smile. They
usually try for very young elves, but I think I still have a few years
of youth in me. Actually, Erestor- you'd be perfect."

Erestor blushed. "Errr..."

"Back!" Haldir leaped onto the flet from the hole in the ground,
clutching the note in his hand. "Here it is." Handing the note to
Erestor, he hovered over his youngest brother. "So? Who is it?"

Pondering over the sheet and concentrating on the scrawl of the words
and not the words themselves, Erestor finally let out a sigh. "I
don't know. It's very poorly written." He began to skim the note and
frowned. "Lots of spelling mistakes, and bad grammar. It wasn't
written by any royal I am familiar with."

Orophin snickered. "Probably written by some young chamberboy or
stablehand, smitten with our dear old brother."

"At least someone other than my horse wants to kiss me," retorted
Haldir, snatching the note back and giving Orophin a glare. "Thanks
anyhow, Erestor."

"So, Erestor, what do you plan to do during the festivities?" asked
Rumil. Although the main event was a half-drunken gathering in the
glade, there were other activities that some pursued. Those who
preferred something quieter simply sought out another like soul and
wandered themselves to a place of seclusion for the evening.
Apparently, Erestor's brothers took him for one of the latter.

"I, uhm, well, I..." Erestor's face flushed again. "I never thought
it could happen, but... I think... well, that is, there is someone I
find myself interested in."

"Someone more interesting than a scroll or a book?" teased Rumil,
nudging his baby brother's arm with his elbow.

"Well, there is this one in particular, that I, uhm, erm..."

Orophin grinned. "What do you mean, there's only one?" he asked with
a wink. "So, what are you going to do for her?"

"Uh..." Erestor's blush deepened as Orophin and Rumil began to devise
courses of action.

"You know what Rumil did once?" The two middle brothers were soon
thick in their discussion of ways to aide their youngest brother. "He
had a truth or dare game going. Of course, that was with three very
adventurous ellyth, but, night of the festivities, you get the right
one in the right mood-"

Rumil snorted. "The kind of girls he's interested in? Please.
They'll break his nose. Now, Erestor, listen to me," advised Rumil.
"There is nothing more romantic than a thornless rose. Well, perhaps
an entire bunch of them."

"A whole bush!" piped up Orophin. "An entire thornless rose bush!"

"Hush, Orophin," scolded Rumil. "Listen, Erestor. What you need to do is-"

"What he needs to do is get away from the two of you!" laughed Haldir,
shaking his head. "He has only just arrived, and you're about to wear
him out!"

Both Rumil and Orophin backed off, leaving Erestor to smile a little
uneasily in thanks to Haldir.

"Besides, he's probably tired from the long trip from Imladris. I
suggest that we all get a good night's rest, and in the morning, the
two of you can continue offering your insight to him." Haldir's
suggestion was heeded, and after everyone said their goodnights, Rumil
headed to the next higher flet that he lived on, while Haldir and
Erestor took the rope down to the bottom flet. Haldir's was the
largest flet on the tree, and it made sense for Erestor to stay here
for the duration of the festival. It was that, or be a guest at his
parents' home. Obviously, Erestor planned to stay here.

As he was settling in for the night, Erestor realized he was being
stared at. Turning around and meeting Haldir's inquisitive gaze, he
raised his brow in askance. "You might be able to deceive Orophin and
Rumil, but it is obvious to me that you are not in love with some
maiden. You need not tell me, but I am wondering who he is."

Erestor sucked in a deep breath and let it out quickly. How it was
that Haldir always knew, even when Orophin and Rumil did not, Erestor
would never know. Nervously he crawled into the makeshift bed on the
couch, positioned so that his back would be to his brother. After the
light from the candles went out, Erestor waited a few minutes, then
softly called out, "Haldir?"

For a moment, he thought perhaps his eldest brother was asleep. A
muffled sound followed by, "Yes, Erestor?" alerted him that this was
not the case.

There was another long pause, and finally Erestor said, in an even
quieter voice, "His name is-"

TBC...

*********************************************

Glorfindel sneezed. Again. And again. He had woken up to a bloody
horrible nightmare.

Someone had invaded his guest chambers. Indeed, not only had they
done such a horrible, insensitive thing, but they had also strewn the
one thing he was allergic to all over the room.

There were roses at the foot of his bed, each of them thornless, like
the single golden-yellow rose someone had managed to place beside his
head on his pillow. Rose petals of red and pink were scattered across
the floor, in a path leading to the small washroom where a basket of
perfect, snow-white petals had been left. There were roses on the
table, in vases, and on any other flat, available surface in the
talan. Every time he turned around, Glorfindel found another rose and
another twitch in his nose.

Meanwhile, down below and very near to the trunk of Glorfindel's tree,
Erestor was nervously walking back down the path. He had hoped that
his stealth was enough to evade the golden warrior -- being one of the
famed `Lorien Brothers' meant Erestor could sneak with the best of
them, even if he was a scribe and not a soldier. He was so wrapped up
in thoughts about his surprise for his secret crush that he did not
see one of his brothers in his path, and stumbled into him.

"Orophin! G-gah-ah-Good morning," stuttered Erestor.

"And what a good morning it is!" Orophin proudly held out a small bow
that was painted red and not of much use for anything but a child's
toy. "Know what this is? Do ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"I, ah, I-"

"It's my cupid bow! And look! Tiny arrows!" Orophin was practically
squealing like a maiden, and excitedly showed Erestor the small quiver
that was decorated with tiny red hearts and swirling pink designs. "I
was chosen first! First! Do you believe it!"

Erestor smiled, happy for his brother's odd joy. "Well, it seems you
were likely talking to everyone about it. Someone must have
eventually told Lord Celeborn."

"Ah, no. I've not told very many- but, yes, you are correct. Someone
did tell Lord Celeborn. Lady Galadriel, to be exact, but it was dear
Rumil whom I must thank, for he was the one to tell her." Orophin had
loaded one of the little arrows into the bow and was haphazardly
pointing it at things. "I get to choose who is next." He grinned,
aiming the arrow at Erestor's heart.

"Me?" The question came out as a squeak, and he rapidly shook his
head. "Oh, no, no, no, Orophin, no, I cannot."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, you can- like I said last night, you are PERFECT.
You would be absolutely stunning with wings, practically naked, with
that dark hair of yours all curled up like you used to do back when we
would play talan we would force you to play the nana because you were
the littlest and otherwise we'd sit on you."

Erestor was blushing redder than the bow in Orophin's hands. "Please,
Orophin, do not make me!"

"You do not have a choice if I insist," Orophin warned, but his
expression told Erestor he was only teasing.

"Whad do'n dou wadda do?" Lord Glorfindel discretely sneezed and blew
his nose as he approached. "Are dou dretenning by assistdent?"

"Good day to you, m'lord," greeted Orophin, bowing along with his
brother. "Your assistant? Good heavens, no, I was not threatening
him, merely jesting with him. He is my brother, you see."

Rubbing his nose and clearing his sinuses as he came to pause before
them, Glorfindel nodded his head. "Id's nice to meed you," he said.
"So dis is your brodder?"

"One of them, m'lord," answered Erestor. "I have two other brothers,
but this is Orophin. Orophin, this is Lord Glorfindel, military
counselor and master tactician to Lord Elrond."

"A pleasure to meet your, m'lord," Orophin said, bowing once again.
"I was aware that my brother was assisting someone of high regard, but
I had no idea it was one of such prestige."

Glorfindel simply smiled, and then took note of the items Orophin was
holding. He sniffled one final time into his handkerchief and
breathed in deeply in relief. "Ah, the choosing of the cupids must be
upon us."

"Yes, `twas what was making my brother so anxious," remarked Orophin.

Glorfindel's brow rose slightly as a blush crept up Erestor's neck. "Really?"

Orophin smirked. "Do not worry yourself, Erestor. I will not force
you to, but still I think you would make an excellent cupid."

"Indeed, your brother is right." Glorfindel continued despite
Erestor's mouth being agape. "'Tis a true shame you have decided
against your brother's suggestion. Inexperienced cupids are always a
delight."

As the warmth traveled up into Erestor's face, turning him bright red,
he responded by looking down to the ground. Orophin suppressed a
snicker, unable to cover it, but gave Erestor a pat on the shoulder.
"Next year, perhaps, brother. I must excuse myself," he apologized.
"There is the next cupid to find, and then I shall have to loosen up a
bit for the festivities."

"By all means," said Glorfindel, which was followed soon after by,
"May I... assist you in that?"

Cheekily, Orophin cocked his head to the side. "Depends on what is on
your mind, m'lord."

"Only this." Glorfindel stepped nearer to Orophin, threading one hand
into the other's hair. Their groping was mutual, hands grasping in
all the best and most pleasurable spots. Erestor's curiosity could
not be helped, and up he looked, sucking in his breath as he saw that,
instead of Orophin, Glorfindel was leering at him all the while as he
kissed and fondled his brother. "And now," he said as they parted, "I
must bid both of you good day." Glorfindel gave them another nod, and
left in his wake two flushed Lorien brothers.

When Orophin finally caught his breath, he turned to Erestor and said,
"The she from last night, she's not a she, is she?"

- - -

The rest of Erestor's morning had been spent attempting to stay away
from both his brother Orophin, and also Lord Glorfindel, to whom he
was assigned for the duration of his internship in Imladris. At least
he would be leaving Lothlorien in a few weeks, and would be rid of
Orophin's grins and snickers. Glorfindel... well, he did not want to
be rid of Glorfindel, but neither did he want to be in his presence at
the moment.

What he really wanted was to talk to Haldir, but that was impossible.
His eldest brother was currently mingling with the elves from
Mirkwood, hoping to discover who his secret lover was. Erestor sighed,
secretly wishing for the cool confidence that his elder brothers
possessed.

"Good afternoon."

The greeting startled Erestor into backing into a tree. Rumil flashed
him a smile that said `I am sorry, and promise not to laugh though you
look ridiculous'. "Good afternoon, Rumil." Erestor straightened out
the robes he had changed into after the event of the early morning.
He was now wearing long black robes that swept the ground with a high
collar that covered his neck up to his chin. He wanted no one to get
any idea in their head that he was any candidate at all for being one
of the cupids.

"I heard that you have a crush on a certain elf-lord."

A sparkle twinkled in Rumil's eyes, and Erestor returned the look with
one of his own. It was full of hurt and betrayal. "Who told you?
Was it Orophin? Or was it Haldir?" Erestor looked nearly ready to
either cry or hit Rumil or both, for tears were welled in his eyes and
his fists were balled at either side.

Placing his hands on his younger brother's shoulders in an apologetic
manner, Rumil shook his head. "Erestor, no. `Twas not either of
them."

"Then, who?" asked Erestor in desperation.

"I was on guard duty this morning in the Great Mallorn, where Lord
Celeborn held counsel with a number of other dignitaries. When
everyone disbanded, he stayed behind to speak to Lord Celeborn, and-"

"Who? Who stayed behind?" demanded Erestor, his own hands gripping
Rumil's elbows.

Rumil shook his head. "Sorry, Erestor, you have me at a disadvantage
and I cannot clearly think. It was Lord Glorfindel who stayed; it was
he who mentioned it to Lord Celeborn. He remarked that you seemed
quite fond of him and he was asking what Lord Celeborn knew of you."

"Oh, no!" Erestor's hands rose up and he buried his face in them.
"What am I to do?"

"I am sorry," Rumil said finally, not knowing what else to say. "Oh!
Well, I know this is of little consequence considering your problems,
but I discovered who wrote that note to Haldir!"

Erestor sighed. At least that was some good news. "Who is it, then?"

Rumil grinned. "It's..."

TBC...

******************************************

Legolas carefully took in the sight of the masked elves who were
filling the designated area. It was decided by the Lothlorien Love
Fest Safety Committee, which basically consisted of Celeborn and
Galadriel, that blindfolds in an area with bonfires was too risky even
for elf-kind. Consequently, everyone was masked instead of being
blindfolded. Although it perhaps gave everyone the allusion of being
unseen and unknown, Legolas would have been able to know in the dark
who was who.

Beside a tree, a lone ellon was leaning against the trunk. With a
feral grin, Legolas knew who it was and why he was here. Though
Haldir had never before been present at such events, this time, there
was a mystery. And a mystery seemed something that the young warden
was simply too curious about.

- - -

Somehow, Erestor had managed to make it through the last few days
without running into Lord Glorfindel. On occasion, they had nearly
crossed paths, but the former Lorien elf knew the woods too well to be
stumbled upon. He had made his decision -- as much as he wished to go,
he would stay hidden away during the festivities. Earlier in the day
he had raided the royal library for a number of volumes he had never
finished during his time living in Lothlorien, and planned to make use
of the days he would have now.

His mind was so focused upon his evening reading, that for once since
he had been managing to stay clear, he did not escape Lord Glorfindel.
"So, there you are!" came the familiar voice from council meetings
and late nights spent working by candlelight on things of importance
that could not wait until morning. "They have been looking for you."

"G- uh- g-good evening, Lord Glorfindel, I, uh... they?" Erestor
gasped as he looked to what Glorfindel was holding. "M'lord, have you
been honored to be, uh, chosen, as-"

Erestor was cut off by a boisterous chuckle. "Me? Surely not, I am
far too old for the role. That is who have been trying to find you,
Erestor. The other eleven; you are late." Glorfindel held out the
feathered wings, and Erestor stumbled backwards. "Something the
matter?"

"Orophin promised me..." Erestor shook his head. "There must be a
mistake. They must have meant another elf?"

"Another elf?" questioned Glorfindel, not seeming at all convinced.

"Yes, another elf-"

"Erestor, I was told your name, and it was I who was sought out to
bring these to you, for it was assumed that I would know where you
were," explained Glorfindel, absently fluffing the feathers on the
faux wings.

Wringing his hands, and thinking to the description that Orophin had
told him, Erestor shook his head. "Please, m'lord, I am sure many
would think this an honor, but I am terribly afraid that I just will
not do in the role."

Glorfindel looked over the young scribe curiously. "Why not?"

- - -

Legolas's path carried him around others who were already beginning to
greet one another in a more than friendly manner. Twice, he was
nearly stalled on his way to his destination, but both times, the
prince managed to avoid those who would otherwise have had him.

He did not approach Haldir directly; instead, Legolas walked around
the tree, then leaned over the warden's shoulder. "Dilly-dilly," he
said in the most regal way possible, then snickered in spite of
himself.

"What the fuck was that?" Haldir turned slowly to regard the ellon
next to him. From the costume and stance, it was obvious he was one
of Thranduil's sons, but to Haldir, they were all alike.

"That was my password, not a very good one, but when you're the
youngest of twelve brothers, you tend not to get a say in such
things." Legolas brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve.

"Ah." Knowing now who was behind the mask, Haldir rested against the
tree again.

"Bored already?" teased Legolas. Haldir shrugged. "Or have you
sampled all you wish tonight?" Haldir blushed slightly, and Legolas
chuckled. "There's always room for one more," he teased, his hand
creeping over to rest on Haldir's thigh.

The warden practically jumped out of his skin, skidding away from
where Legolas stood, puzzled. "Thank you, I, uh, I... I'm done,"
muttered Haldir, hurrying to leave.

Legolas caught up with him some ways away. "So soon? It's hardly
begun. My apologies; I did not mean to disconcert you."

"No, no, I... good night," Haldir said quickly, trying to lose the
ellon following him. Unluckily for Haldir, Legolas had spent quite a
few nights in dark forests with rangers, uhm, tracking... things...

- - -

"Well, I..." Erestor's mouth gaped open as he floundered for words.
"Uhm, I, ah..."

"You are young, you are, dare I say beautiful, and you are quite
innocent looking. `Tis all the qualifications that are necessary."

"With all due respect, m'lord..." Erestor let out a sigh and said in
a low voice, "Please, allow me to take my leave and simply tell them
you could not find me. I would prefer not to be seen as some sort of
whorish slut-"

"What?" The tone in Glorfindel's voice changed drastically. "You
think you are being asked because they wish to make a mockery of you?"

Erestor meekly bowed his head, swallowing hard. "N-no, sir."

"You think that this honor is some sort of joke?"

Shaking his head rapidly, the scribe declined to answer.

"Do you have no pride in your homeland and your people?"

Tears were threatening now, and Erestor grabbed for the wings, nearly
ripping them from Glorfindel's grasp. Stomping a few feet away, he
stopped, sniffled, and looked miserably around.

"Now what is wrong with you?" sighed Glorfindel.

"I... I don't know where to go," he replied in a small voice.

Glorfindel closed his eyes, counted inwardly to ten, and approached
his young apprentice. "Here, this way. The baths; that is where they
are. I will take you there."

`Because you think I will run away otherwise,' thought Erestor, and he
wished that he could.

- - -

It was at the river that Legolas caught up with Haldir. "If I didn't
know better, I would think you had never been touched before, warden."

Halting in his tracks, Haldir looked over his shoulder, still masked.
"What makes you say that?"

"You flinched at a love festival. A masked one, at that. Would you
like to know what I think?" asked Legolas, stepping closer and closer.

Saying nothing, Haldir, waited until he and the prince were face to
face, and finally asked, "What?"

"I think... that you think you cannot forget your station for a single
day. I think that you, like so many of the other soldiers here, would
benefit greatly by holding this sort of celebration more than once a
year."

"Thank you for your comments; they shall be taken under
consideration," noted Haldir.

A moment passed in silence before Legolas burst out laughing. "Do you
know what I just realized?"

"What?" Haldir had now crossed his arms and looked quite unamused.

"I doubt you have ever been kissed before. Have you?" Legolas did not
wait for an answer. Grabbing hold of the front of the Lorien elf's
shirt, he yanked the warden forward into a hasty, and somewhat sloppy
considering Haldir's surprise and inexperience, kiss. "Very nice.
Work on that; I expect improvement for next year," said Legolas,
before leaving Haldir to stand at the edge of the river, face flushed
and mouth half open.

Legolas smiled to himself as he rejoined the festivities, soon being
invited into a secluded glade by Rumil, three anonymous ladies, and a
young border guard who was quiet, but was obviously going to be quite
a lot of fun. Part of the prince wanted to go back to the river for a
moment and tell Haldir who his secret admirer was, but the rest of him
decided it was better for Haldir to find out on his own.

- - -

Once the pair had reached the hot springs, Erestor took one look
around and panicked. "They're all gone! Oh, great, I'll be the
laughingstock."

"Why do you say that?" asked Glorfindel, kicking aside a tunic. The
area was littered with copious amounts of clothing that had been
removed when the other cupids were getting ready, which was now just
strewn about every which where.

"Because I have no idea what I am to do," admitted Erestor. "I have
never been to one of these functions; I have no clue what they look
like." Sitting down on the nearest bench, he tossed the wings beside
him. "I will look even more foolish than I imagined."

"No, you won't. I can help you. Take off your clothes," instructed
Glorfindel, walking about and gathering up various assorted items.

"What? Why?" Erestor defensively drew a hand up to the collar of his
robe, pulling the folds together.

Glorfindel rolled his eyes. "I'll order you if I must- remove your
clothing, and put this on," he said, flinging a white loincloth in
Erestor's direction.

Catching the garment, Erestor crinkled his nose. "Is there no other?
This is going to be... quite small and awfully tight," he said as he
examined the white cloth.

"That," drawled Glorfindel with a leer as he joined Erestor on the
bench, "is the point."

"Oh." Erestor set the loincloth atop the wings and carefully began to
undress, folding each item of clothing neatly before proceeding to the
next. When he was in nothing but his own undergarment, he gave
Glorfindel a pleading look. "Can I not use this one? It is white."

The older elf could not help but smile. "Trust me, you would stand
out, and it is better for it to be tight, than for it to be loose."

"Why is that?" asked Erestor as he untied his and let it fall to the ground.

"We don't have the time for me to explain all of the reasons," replied
Glorfindel with even more of a smirk, and Erestor blushed and remained
quiet as he tied the restricting garment. "Now, put on your wings,
and then sit back down."

Erestor did as told, and perched himself on the edge of the bench
seat. "Now what?"

"I wish we had time to properly curl your hair, but we do not."
Glorfindel took hold of one of Erestor's braids and began to unravel
it. "Help me with these, but don't pull on them. Perhaps we can make
something of it."

The tight braids Erestor had woven into his hair after his washing
that morning made his normally straight brown hair ripple over his
shoulders and down his back. Glorfindel fluffed it up a bit before
retrieving a small, low stool and dragging it over to the bench. "Try
not to blink while I fix your eyes," he said, picking up a palette
that contained thick paints of black, pink, white, and red.

"You certainly know a lot about this," commented Erestor after he had
been beautified to the standards of a cupid, with his hair cascading
down his back, rosy cheeks, and sinfully red lips. His darker than
usual lashes fluttered as he looked over to Glorfindel while he
cleaned off the brushes he had used. "Forgive my asking, but have you
attended many of these celebrations?"

"There is no need to ask for pardon, and yes, I have, but never here.
This is my first time in Lothlorien." Glorfindel set the brushes
aside and looked around the area almost wistfully. "We had something
like this, long ago, in Gondolin."

"How much is our festival like the one you knew?" questioned Erestor,
shifting to adjust the tight cloth that covered him. "I suppose you
had cupids there."

Ruefully, Glorfindel smiled. "Actually, we did. But not quite as you
know them. Ours were... not as modest."

Erestor let out a loud laugh. "Not as modest? Please, do tell," he
added, his current state giving him extra boldness as some form of
defense.

"It would be more fun to show you." Glorfindel strolled around the
area, between the pools of warm water. "I have a confession."

"Oh?" Erestor waited for Glorfindel to continue.

tbc...

**********************************

Galion paced back and forth. Should he go, or was it a waste of his
time? Damn him for writing the note -- with his luck, it had not even
been delivered. And if it had, it had probably been the highlight of
the day, and laughed at that night. If he went, he would likely be
ridiculed.

Fidgeting with the mask in his hands, Galion bit his lip and then tied
it on over his face. Who would know, with everyone masked? He would
go, and observe- there was no harm in that. And perhaps, if he was
lucky, then Haldir would be there.

Haldir. Just the thought of the tall, lean warden caused Galion's
pulse to race. Every time he accompanied his King or his King's sons
to the Golden Woods, his one true joy was to get a glimpse of the
proud, quiet guardian of the forest. There were some who said the
reason the warrior was so silent was because he was unintelligent and
knew not what else to say. Galion knew different from what few times
he had conversed with the soldier. Haldir, like Galion, knew his
duties, and accepted them wholeheartedly. Knowledge and wisdom do not
come from speaking, but from listening.

"But when both of us are listening, and neither one is saying
anything, it makes for a difficult courtship," mumbled Galion to
himself wryly. Checking over his appearance one last time in the
mirror, Galion left for the celebration.

- - -

With a sigh, Glorfindel said, "I lured you here under false pretenses.
The twelve cupids were already chosen, and you were not among them.
But your quarrel with your brother last week kept in my mind a rather
interesting image that I could not seem to get exactly right. I
thought, if I deceived you thusly, I might have a chance to see my
vision in the flesh, as it were."

Erestor lounged on one of the benches, keeping a straight face so as
not to smirk at the increasing amount of insecurity he could feel
emanating from the Imladrin elf. "And, do you like what you see?"
asked Erestor, idly preening the feathers of his wings.

"Aye, I will not deny that," answered Glorfindel, licking his lips.

Leaning further back, legs shifting slightly with wanton desire,
Erestor cocked his head to the side. "Is it only the image which you
wished for?"

Staring, mouth gone dry, Glorfindel shook his head and began to
approach. Halfway to his destination, he paused. "You are past your
majority, are you not?"

"By six years." Erestor sat forward, crossing his legs and placing his
hands defensively on either side of him, palms upon the bench. "Why do
you ask?" he questioned, eyes narrowed.

"A... terribly uncomfortable incident from some years past," admitted
Glorfindel, a blush creeping up to color his cheeks. "I had an
apprentice once who... was not as old as he led me to believe, and it
all went rather badly."

"Oh?" Erestor studied his mentor with curiosity. "Do you make it a
habit to seduce your interns?"

"No," snorted Glorfindel, rolling his eyes. "Normally, they attempt to
seduce me, I ignore them, and they fail miserably in their venture. I
have, in the past, made it a point not to be romantically involved
with my apprentices."

Now, Erestor did smile. "What caused a change in your policy?"

"You're the... first one who didn't try," replied Glorfindel.

- - -

"Looking for someone?" questioned Legolas, who had long since wandered
away from the party he had been part of, on account of the fact none
of them could stop laughing after hearing his password. A moment
later, he shook his head upon remembering protocol and said, "Dilly
dilly."

Galion pursed his lips, having not needed the password to know who
this was. All the same, he gave his reply. "Chocolate."

"Wait just a minute." Legolas tugged Galion's sleeve, pulling him
aside, and then slipped his own mask from his eyes. "Alright, why do I
have such a terrible password and you have such a... dare I say,
normal one."

Although it was King Thranduil that Galion served directly, he knew
never to question when asked a question, and as the King had not
specifically forbade his telling the reason, Galion said, "Your
father, long live the King, is hoping that you and your brothers will
not frolic too muchly, and by giving you such an odd password, hopes
that perhaps not as many illegitimate future heirs will be produced as
last time."

"Well, it isn't my fault my brothers are so bloody virile -- do you
know how difficult it is to get laid when your first phrase to all
prospective bed partners is `Dilly dilly'?" Legolas sighed. "And by
the way, I'm not sleeping with you."

"Likewise," Galion said swiftly, taking a goodly step away from the
young prince. "Why not visit with the cupids for a time?"

Taking a look around and finding that most of the couples and groups
looked extremely engaged with one another, Legolas nodded. "Shall we
walk there together?"

"I... ah, I had other plans..." began Galion, but Legolas frowned. "What?"

"He left. He went running off in the direction of the river; I've not
seen him since." Neglecting to add that he had also kissed the warden,
and teased him a bit, Legolas shrugged. The truth was, the prince was
a little jealous of the fact that, despite all those who swooned in
his presence, he had never been given so much as a second look from
Haldir. "I suppose he is just not as brave as one might have thought."

Slumping his shoulders in defeat, and in self-loathing for having
waited so long to join the festivities, Galion nodded in the direction
of the Great Mallorn. He and Legolas set off for the tree.

- - -

"So I am a prize to be won?" Erestor's expression was cool and
nonchalant, but within, he was shaking. Here was what he desired for
so long, and yet, he hesitated -- risked it, even. But he was prideful,
and would not be content as a trophy for a spoiled elf lord.

"No, not at all." Glorfindel was looking a bit panicked now,
especially as voices could be heard coming closer to them. "Erestor,
I... truly, I desire you. I just... I did not wish for this to be
simply a one night encounter, but I think I have gone about things
rather badly tonight, and-" In a rush, Glorfindel grabbed a cloak and
handed it to Erestor. "Put this on; someone approaches!"

Erestor stood up. "Are you ashamed they will see me like this?
Embarrassed you will be caught with me?"

Adamantly, Glorfindel shook his head. "I- I am a greedy sort."
Lowering his voice, he added, "I want no one else to see you like
this, no one but me."

This made Erestor smirk in a victorious manner as he wrapped the cloak
hastily around himself. The wings made it not quite close in the
front, and as the volume of the voices increased, Glorfindel looked
around desperately for a larger cloak.

Realizing the plan would not work, but not about to be seen in this
manner by anyone else, Erestor dropped the cloak and tugged on
Glorfindel's shirt. "Take this off," he hissed, trying to pull it over
Glorfindel's head. Glorfindel did as instructed, then found himself
dragged into one of the pools.

- - -

"I think we might have taken a wrong turn." Legolas looked at one
tree, then another. "Why did they feel the need to plant all the same
tree here? It would be easier to find the one we're looking for if
they weren't ALL mellyrn!" Walking around a stone wall, he leaned
against it, defeated. "Great. This is also, NOT the Great Mallorn. I
think they moved it on us."

Galion looked about at the strewn clothing and general disarray of the
area. Spying a couple in one of the bathing pools, locked in a
passionate embrace, he cleared his throat and looked away the moment
the pair disengaged and looked over to them. "We're looking for the
Great Mallorn. Any idea where it has been moved to?"

Legolas snorted as one of the lovers answered, "Directly north. Look
for the one with the empty barrels of ale at the base."

"Thank you kindly. Sorry to interrupt. Ahm, carry on," Galion added,
pulling the curious Legolas away from watching. "Your highness, I must
remind you, `tis improper to stare."

"'Tis improper to be fornicating in a public bath as well, but you did
not hear me reprimand them," grinned the prince.

- - -

"Haldir! My lap is free! Come, sit upon it!"

"Nay, I shall not." The warrior filled his glass again, unable to
count the number of times he had previously.

The wanton cupid sauntered over to the soldier, taking his drink from
his hands and sipping from it. Batting his eyes prettily, he said,
"Why is it you sit upon my lap any other night, but not tonight?"

"Because... well, just because, Orophin, do you really need another
answer?" Haldir snatched his glass back and drank deeply. "Orophin, I
think I heard the lord and lady call, perhaps they seek your
entertainment."

"Nay, I was with them already this night." Orophin grinned cheekily.
"Twice," he drawled.

"Nana and Ada will be ever so proud," muttered Haldir under his breath
as the fabric curtain was pushed away at the entrance, and two more
ellin entered. "There you are, newcomers to delight," said Haldir,
motioning toward the doorway.

Orophin turned and narrowed his eyes, looking at the pair
suggestively. "Are the two of you worn out already from your
excursions, or might the three of us continue to get acquainted?" he
asked coyly.

"What? Us? Uch, no!" Legolas placed as much distance between himself
and Galion, who was working on removing his mask.

"Thank you, your highness, your sentiment is too kind, really,"
replied Galion rather dryly, tossing his mask aside. It was then that
he noticed the fourth elf in the room.

- - -

"We can stop kissing now," panted Erestor as he and Glorfindel paused
to breathe. Initially, the guise had been to deceive whoever had
stumbled upon them, to make them leave quickly. It had worked, but
after the lost pair had left, Glorfindel renewed their kissing, with
Erestor trapped against the side of the pool.

Glorfindel pulled back slightly, but did not let go of his hold on
Erestor. "Do you wish for me to stop?"

"Yes... well, no, but, not here." Erestor struggled out of the
drenched wings as soon as Glorfindel let go of him. "I know where this
will lead us, and I would hate for that memory to be... here." Erestor
looked around, noticing for the first time that someone's socks had
ended up in one of the trees.

"Good point." Glorfindel climbed out of the warm water, offering his
hand to Erestor. After splashing his face to remove the smeared
makeup, Erestor took the offered hand and was pulled out of the bath.
"Now what?"

Erestor gathered his clothing and toweled off with one of the
discarded cloaks. As he dressed, he thought on Glorfindel's question.
"What about your guest rooms?"

"Wonderful idea." Glorfindel pulled his shirt back on, then led
Erestor to their destination.

- - -

Noticing the look Galion gave Haldir, Orophin waved his hand in the
direction of the Lorien elf. "Really, we are having a fabulous time
here. Please ignore my brother; he is simply unable to let go of a
fantasy of his."

"Orophin," Haldir said in warning, setting down his drink on the counter.

"You see, he was to meet someone today, someone who was a mystery, and
it seems they did not show up. Personally, I think he just did not
look hard enough," continued Orophin.

"Orophin, that is enough." Haldir stepped forward to silence his
brother, but Orophin dodged out of the way.

Picking up the glass Haldir had discarded, Orophin added, "It seems
his romantic side was really hoping that he might finally find
someone. `Tis difficult for him, being so old and having never been
with anyone intimately before, but he's a hard worker and very
dedicated to his profession, so you can see why it is that- oh,
Haldir, do not gawk like that, anyone who is anyone can tell you have
never so much as been kissed before."

"Actually, he has been kissed before, but I am happy to know my other
assumptions were correct." Legolas placed his hand on Galion's back
and pushed the older elf forward. "He's the one. He wrote the note.
Now, go find a room and do whatever it is that stoic old elves do with
one another. Just... don't break a hip," he offered as advice to
Galion before linking his arm through Orophin's and tugging the
mischievous cupid into the nearest corner.

TBC...

**********************************************

"So, you wrote the note."

Galion nodded.

Haldir breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that eases my mind. All
this time, I was worried about who might have done it."

"I take it you approve, then?" Galion tried not to sound too hopeful.

Haldir tied his mask back on with a slight smile. "Ambiguous," he
said, and Galion chuckled. "I know, I know. My fault for letting
Orophin choose the word this year."

"Chocolate," replied Galion as he replaced his own mask.

"I think we can find some of that," promised Haldir as he linked his
arm with Galion's and led him away from the drunken orgy in the Great
Mallorn.

---

Glorfindel set to lighting a few candles in the guest talan while
Erestor stood idly near the ladder. His eyes fell upon a vase that
held a single golden rose, the same one he had left on Glorfindel's
pillow a week earlier. It was beginning to wilt, but even stranger,
it was under a larger glass vase that was overturned, creating a total
enclosure.

"Please leave it under there," said Glorfindel as Erestor touched the
glass. Erestor withdrew his hand. "I appreciated the flowers, but, I
have a terrible allergy to roses."

"Oh. Sorry." Erestor blinked. "Wait... how did you----"

"There were only two people who knew which talan I was assigned to
that first night -- you, and the liaison who showed me here. As
welcoming as the liaison was, I highly doubted she was going to take
the trouble to fill my room with rose petals as I slept." Glorfindel
approached the once again bashful apprentice. "Thank you. I know you
went through a great deal of trouble to do it. Just... do me a favor
and don't do that again."

"If I had known, I would have found something else. I just thought
roses were the most romantic... do you know how hard it was to find
roses in this weather?"

"I would take pity on your quest, except I know how resourceful you
are. It probably took you five minutes more than if you would have
used pinecones," grinned Glorfindel.

Erestor frowned. "Pinecones would have taken longer. All we have
here are mellyrn trees."

Glorfindel rolled his eyes as he moved behind Erestor and placed his
hands on the younger elf's shoulders. "Are you always going to be
this difficult?"

"That depends. If you need me to do something work related, you can
rely on me to complete any task you request me to, accurately and on
time. In the bedroom... probably," admitted Erestor.

"Good." Glorfindel lowered one arm in order to wrap it around
Erestor's chest so that he could pull him close against him. As he
nuzzled the crook of Erestor's neck, he said, "I much prefer a lover
with a little fire in him."

"I can probably muster up a spark or two," mumbled Erestor as he
leaned back. He let out a groan as Glorfindel's fingers wandered over
his bare flesh.

As he kissed his way up and down Erestor's neck, Glorfindel moved them
back toward the bed. "I regret we were unable to salvage your
cupid-like appearance. It would have been a delight to relive those
days of old that are yet vivid in my memory."

"You said that the cupids of Gondolin were even more risquéé than
ours," answered Erestor. Glorfindel nodded against Erestor's cheek,
his fingertips sliding slowly between the tight fabric and Erestor's
hips. "Well, you could... we would not have the wings, but..."

Glorfindel spun Erestor around, a look of delight on his face. "I was
hoping you might say something like that."

---

"So...

"So......" Haldir sighed. "So, this is my home."

"Nice place. Very nice. Very... branchy. Shaded. Outdoorsy."
Galion cleared his throat. "Soo..."

"So... we should probably just get to it right off. I mean, that is
why we are here, right?"

"Right. Exactly." Galion wiped his sweaty palms against his tunic. "So..."

"Oh, for the love of Eru." Haldir took hold of Galion's arm and
pulled him into his arms. "When I received that note, I was hoping it
was you." Actually, Haldir was just hoping it was NOT one of
Thranduil's sons, but saying that seemed a little inappropriate at the
moment.

Galion smirked. "You were probably just relieved to find out it
wasn't Legolas."

Bugger. Haldir scrambled to make the save. "Is there really anyone
who would HOPE it was Legolas? Honestly?"

With a snort that turned to laughter, Galion shrugged. "Good point.
Your brother didn't seem to mind."

"If Morgoth propositioned him, Orophin would probably bend over,"
admitted Haldir. "We can discuss my brother's polygamous nature
later. Unless you consider that foreplay?"

"Not particularly... I do believe someone said something about chocolate."

"That was you," Haldir reminded Galion.

"And then you offered," Galion countered.

Haldir sighed. "I guess I lied then; I doubt I have any chocolate up here."

"Well, then, we had better get right to the sex."

---

Erestor watched with interest as Glorfindel mixed different colored
powders with water. He was using teacups to make the concoctions,
stirring with a soft brush. "These are edible," explained Glorfindel.
"The red tastes like cherry and the pink is strawberry flavored.
White is vanilla and black is chocolate. The cupids of my day wore
wings, and nothing else."

"Not even a loincloth?" asked Erestor, although he doubted it would
have stayed on long even if he was allowed to keep it.

Glorfindel shook his head. "They were painted, each of them
different. Some of them were adorned with beautiful designs, and
others were more vibrant and silly." He smiled at something privately
remembered, and then shared the recollection with Erestor. "I was a
cupid four different times in my youth. The second time, I had a
target painted on my ass. You can just imagine how that night went."

"I bet you never did that again," said Erestor as he stepped out of
his loincloth and tossed it aside.

"Actually, it became my calling card of sorts. If people wanted to
find me, they just had to look for the bull's-eye." Glorfindel tested
the consistency of the pastes he was making. He crooked his finger,
and Erestor came to him. The first thing he did was braid Erestor's
hair and then pin it on top of his head. Once this was done, he
picked up one of the teacups. "Try not to make any sudden moves." He
started with the red, painting the first heart over Erestor's left
nipple. The young ellon groaned. "Oh, this is going to be more fun
than I thought," decided Glorfindel as he continued to add
cherry-flavored hearts across Erestor's skin. The trail wrapped
around Erestor's back, around again to his stomach, and down around
one leg. Pink hearts were added next, and then artistic designs in
black and white chasing the hearts.

Glorfindel painted Erestor's face to match the artwork on the rest of
him, tinier hearts across his cheeks. "You look good enough to eat.
Good enough to lick, at least," said Glorfindel as he stood back to
admire his work and let the edible paint dry.

Erestor could feel himself sweating slightly with anticipation, and
hoped that the paint would not run and ruin the work that Glorfindel
had done. On the other hand, it was likely that the paste was going
to be removed soon anyhow, by Glorfindel himself. The thought of
Glorfindel's tongue covering every bit of his body made Erestor hard,
and much as he wished he could hide it, there was no way to do so.

It was a welcomed reaction, however, and Glorfindel picked up the cup
with the red paint. "Seems wrong to waste the opportunity," he said
as he knelt down in front of Erestor. He swirled the brush in the cup
and withdrew it, only to hold it above Erestor's erection until the
paste began to drip. The cold against the heat of Erestor's hard
length made him groan and shudder. "Shh... hold on, honey, no coming
just yet." Glorfindel quickly coated Erestor's erection, turning it
bright red.

As Glorfindel set the red aside, he walked around behind Erestor with
the remaining white paste. "I think it is safe to assume you have
never had a lover before," he said. Erestor did not answer verbally,
but he did blush. Glorfindel painted something in Tengwar across
Erestor's back, and then retrieved the pink, painting what felt like
an arrow pointing downward, and then a large heart that was split at
the center where Erestor's cleft was.

"What did you put back there?" questioned Erestor as he tried to twist
to see what was written. Glorfindel pointed to a floor length mirror
near the door of the washroom. Erestor turned around and looked over
his shoulder, reading the word after translating the backward text.
"Virgin." He pouted. "That isn't very nice."

"Oh, yes, it is. At least, I think it is." Glorfindel was stripping
out of his own clothing, and Erestor turned back around to find
Glorfindel naked, holding out one of the teacups to Erestor.

"Should I wash these out?" Erestor asked as he took the cup, assuming
that, despite the intimate relationship they were beginning, he was
still expected to perform his duties as apprentice.

Glorfindel laughed. "Well, if you want, but I was thinking..." He
made a sweeping motion with his hand from head to foot. "Blank
canvas, if you were at all inclined."

Erestor stirred the glossy red mixture. "I get to do whatever I want?"

"Of course. It seems only fair," replied Glorfindel, his flaccid
member giving a twitch at the scrutiny he was under as Erestor eyed
him up and down.

---

It did not take long for Galion and Haldir to end up undressed and on
the bed. What was taking a while was deciding who was to be where.

Galion rolled on top of Haldir, regaining his initial position. He
bowed his head and bit at Haldir's shoulder, making the warden hiss
and throw back his head, exposing his throat to a similar attack. "It
makes more sense for me to take you," said Galion as he reached down
to push one of Haldir's legs further aside. "I have more
experience... I know just what to do to make you scream..." He
punctuated this by nipping Haldir's shoulder again, and was caught off
guard and rolled onto his back.

"I have no doubt you are more experienced than I," drawled Haldir as
he rubbed his groin against Galion's. "That is exactly why you should
let me take you... instruct me... teach me what I should know..."

With a gentle shove, Galion moved Haldir off of him and sat up. "This
is getting us nowhere," he complained, looking at his own thick member
and then to Haldir's. "And I am too horny to argue about this."

"So I get to be on top?" asked Haldir hopefully.

"Yes, but not the way you think." Galion crawled toward the end of
the mattress, and repositioned himself so that his head was now at the
foot of the bed.

"What are you doing?" questioned Haldir, scratching his head.

"I think this is a good compromise for tonight. We can further debate
the issue of who takes who tomorrow."

Haldir continued to stare blankly.

Galion laughed. "You really are green. Just crawl on top of me. You
lick my dick, I suck your cock, and we both have a good night's
sleep."

"Well, that was hardly romantic," grumbled Haldir, somewhat flustered,
but eagerly taking his spot above Galion. "So, how should I..."
Haldir's question was interrupted by a long, low moan as Galion took
the warden's long length into his moist mouth.

Momentarily, Galion let Haldir's erection slip out of his lips. "Just
keep your mouth open, lower your head, and you'll figure it out." He
took Haldir back into his mouth, swallowing to draw him in further.

It took Haldir a few moments for the initial shock to dull enough for
him to do as Galion had instructed. Most of what he knew about
intercourse he had learned from his younger brothers, and most of what
they talked about was fast and raw. As he tentatively took the
swollen head of Galion's erection into his mouth and sucked upon it, a
feeling of euphoria rushed through his body, pooling in his loins.
Hungrily, Haldir took in more, relishing the musky taste and scent of
his lover, noting that the faster his head bobbed up and down, the
faster the favor was returned.

Galion waited until it seemed that Haldir had caught on to the idea,
and then began to hum slightly in the back of his throat as he took
Haldir in as deep as he could. He smiled when he felt Haldir tense
and heard his muffled moans. Galion took hold of Haldir's firm
posterior with one hand and wrapped his other hand around the base of
Haldir's erection, and as he brought Haldir to climax, thrust his own
hips gently in hopes to give Haldir the idea to speed things up a bit.
His silent plea did not go unanswered, and soon the sated pair was
situated in bed, quietly and sleepily renewing their argument over who
was going to take who next time.

---

Erestor snickered and chuckled his way from letter to letter, trying
to keep his hand still as he finished the last bit of body art on his
boss-turned-lover.

With a good-natured laugh of his own, Glorfindel insisted to be told
what was being painted on his back. "Oh, wait, the mirror," he said
as soon as Erestor announced he was finished, and he scrambled over
with a grin. "Oh... is that what you think?"

"It certainly seems true," managed Erestor as he sniffed at the
bristles of the brush. It smelled chocolaty enough, but he wasn't
sure if it would taste that was or not. There was only one way to
find out, and he drew the end between his lips and sucked the odd
concoction from it.

Catching the action in the reflection of the mirror, Glorfindel turned
his head in order to watch directly. He walked silently back to where
Erestor was perched on the edge of a chair, teasingly lapping the
chocolate from the paintbrush. "You like that?" asked Glorfindel.
Erestor nodded, withdrawing the brush slowly from his lips, cheeks
hollowed, eyes lifted upwards. Glorfindel picked up the cup that held
the remaining dark paint and without breaking his gaze from Erestor's,
poured the contents onto the head of his erection.

Erestor flipped the brush over his shoulder and leaned forward, but
Glorfindel took a step back, and then another. He crooked his finger,
one hand still holding the teacup. As Erestor stood up and came
forward, Glorfindel dipped one finger into the cup and swirled it
around the edges. He held his finger up to Erestor's lips, and after
one tentative lick from his apprentice, Glorfindel gently but firmly
pressed his finger forward, smearing chocolate upon Erestor's lips
before pushing between them. After the chocolate was cleaned from the
single digit, Glorfindel covered two and repeated the actions. The
third time, he stepped in closer and barely gave Erestor time to
breathe before forcing his fingers back into his mouth, pumping them
in and out. "You know what I want to do with these. You think you
can take it? You want to try?"

Erestor swallowed hard as he sucked the rest of the chocolate from
Glorfindel's hand. "Yes," he panted once his mouth was empty. "Oh,
yes... yes..." He lunged forward the short distance between them, and
soon had invaded Glorfindel's mouth, using his tongue to help convince
the elder elf he was indeed very aware of just what Glorfindel had in
mind.

"Mmmnn..." Glorfindel separated himself from his anxious young lover
only after his mouth tasted of chocolate as well. "Of course, you
know what I... really want to do to you..." He put his hands on
Erestor's shoulders and looked down at the chocolate dripping from his
erection before pressing Erestor down onto his knees.

Lack of experience was not something this Lorien brother had to
contend with. His love of books and reading had made him
knowledgeable when it came to practically any topic, and on the art of
lovemaking, he was an expert despite having very little practical
experience. Erestor licked his lips, looked back up to lock his eyes
with Glorfindel's, and drew the swollen head into his mouth. He was
very careful not to use his teeth, and to flick his tongue over the
most sensitive places.

It was Glorfindel who broke the gaze first, closing his eyes as his
head tilted back. He gripped Erestor's hair and pulled his head back,
looking back down at him. "Are you certain you have not done this
before?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly, only half-serious
about his question.

Erestor groaned as Glorfindel twisted his fingers, loving the perverse
sort of pleasure he was gaining from the pain it caused. He turned
his head when Glorfindel loosened his grip in order to regain the
sensation.

Glorfindel smirked and tugged Erestor's head back further. "No, I
suppose you haven't. You just discovered how much you want it, that's
all."

"Would you rather I was a bumbling fool? If so, I can see if my
brother Haldir is still free tonight," offered Erestor.

"Mmm, you are cheeky when you want to be," Glorfindel said, reminding
himself more than Erestor. "Do you know what I am going to do to you
tonight?"

"Not exactly, but I can imagine," admitted Erestor. His arms were at
his sides, his neck and legs starting to ache from the position he was
being held in.

"Do you want me to tell you what I am going to do to you?"

Erestor nodded, not only because he wanted to know, but because the
motion caused Glorfindel to pull at his hair even more.

Glorfindel let go of his grip and petted Erestor's hair as he spoke.
"First, I want to watch you do a little more of this," he said, giving
a thrust of his hips so that the tip of his length brushed Erestor's
swollen lips. "Then I want to take you, here, on the floor. I was
going to suggest the bed, but... no... I want you here, and rough.
You don't really know it yet, but that's how you like it. It's how
you want it. And I'm going to give it to you. You'll reach heights
you never thought possible from depths you never knew existed. Then,
after I... fuck you," said Glorfindel slowly, lingering on words that
had Erestor panting hard, "I'm going to lick you from head to toe, and
then we'll go crawl into bed. And then... maybe we'll do it again,
right before you fall asleep."

He gave a strand behind Erestor's ear a tug and said above the moan,
"If you're good, I might even thrill you with that a little."
Glorfindel lowered himself down onto his knees, and then a little more
so he was nearly sitting on the ground with his legs bracing him on
either side. His erection jutted up, and Erestor bowed his head down
to resume what he had been doing. It proved a little difficult at
first, so he raised himself onto his hands and knees before trying
again.

When he cleaned the remaining chocolate from Glorfindel, he was petted
on the head and told to retrieve the cup and brush with the vanilla
body paint. Erestor hastily brought them over, dipping the back end
of the brush into the mixture when he was instructed to, but he looked
confused as he did so before handing it to Glorfindel.

"Now get back where you were... yes, good," remarked Glorfindel when
Erestor was back on his hands and knees before him. "Can you do that
with just one hand on the ground?" Erestor lifted up one hand,
shifting his weight to keep balance on the other. "Good." Glorfindel
handed the brush back. "Go ahead." When Erestor still looked
puzzled, Glorfindel laughed and said, "If you really are a virgin, and
I suspect you are, my fingers are going to hurt to prepare you
straight off, so you better try that first."

Erestor felt a shiver down his spine, but he managed with only slight
difficulty to position his arm beneath him and his hand around behind
so that the back tip of the brush, which was stubby and rounded,
pressed against his tight opening. He closed his eyes and let out a
deep breath and then took it in again as he tried to push the brush
within him.

Glorfindel's hand on his wrist stopped him. The blond had moved
behind Erestor in almost an instant. "I wanted to see how far you
were going to go." He took the brush away and tossed it aside after
drawing his tongue over the sweet paste that was coating it. "You
promise me right now, you're never going to do something just because
I tell you to, you only do it if you want to, alright?" Erestor dared
to look over his shoulder, fearing for a moment he had upset
Glorfindel. When he saw the concerned look, Erestor nodded
immediately. "Now, where were we..."

---

The bell that alerted Glorfindel that someone was at the bottom of the
tree rang for the forth time in less than five minutes. Deciding he
had better go see who it was, he detangled himself from Erestor,
grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, and headed out of the tree.
He waited until he reached the bottom to take the towel from where he
had it draped over his shoulder. As he knotted it at his hip, he
smirked at the way the afternoon caller shook his head and buried his
face in one hand. "Good day, Elrond. What brings you here?"

"I suppose asking if you had a good time at the festival is hardly
necessary," replied Elrond. Glorfindel merely grinned. "I came to
see if you had any idea as to the whereabouts of your young
apprentice. I had scheduled lunch with him and his parents today to
go over his excellent progress, and was hoping you -- and he, obviously
-- might attend. However, neither his parents nor his brothers know
where he is, and... Glorfindel, just what is up in those branches that
is so damned interesting?" insisted Elrond, for Glorfindel appeared to
be ignoring him and staring at the leaves of the mallorn above him.

"Erestor," said Glorfindel when he looked back at Elrond.

"Yes, exactly. Do you know where----" Elrond caught a glimpse of the
writing on Glorfindel's back as the blond turned to wave at some
passersby who wished him a good day. Elrond took a step around and
pushed back Glorfindel's tangled golden hair. "Cradle Robber? What
is that all about? Please tell me you did not----wait, is that... that's
Erestor's handwriting," realized Elrond, and he, too, looked up into
the branches. "Oh, shame on you, Glorfindel!"

"What? This one was of age!" he protested as Elrond shook his head
and crossed his arms. Glorfindel mirrored his arms to Elrond's pose,
and dared say, "What, jealous?"

"Most certainly NOT," said Elrond. "I simply have no idea what I am
to tell his parents when I return to their home."

"The way I see it, you have two options. You can either tell them you
never found him, or you can tell them the truth."

"Dare I ask the truth?"

Glorfindel grinned. "Well, the truth includes a fair amount of
foreplay and a whole lot of sex. That's probably why he's still
asleep. I could give you details if you'd like----"

"Nevermind," Elrond interrupted quickly. "As far as I am concerned, we
never had this conversation. I hope none of that is permanent," he
added as he began to walk away.

"No need to worry. I'll just have Erestor lick the rest of it off,
and there won't be a trace left." Glorfindel snickered as Elrond
covered his ears and walked away. He decided now was not the time to
thank the peredhel for recreating the formula for the powder that
turned to edible paint for him at just that moment.

In fact, it seemed it was a much better time to climb back up into bed
with a certain sweetheart instead...

-end-