Axis Mundi by just_jenni

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Chapter 1

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Sometime during the warm, summery days in the light of the Trees in Valinor, Feanaro and his half-brother Nolofinwe's sexual feelings for each other began to awaken. They had always felt strong emotions for each other no matter if they were arguing or in agreement about something. They were the best of friends and perhaps the worst of relations.

Sometimes they would spend an entire day together, doing nothing but lie on the smooth emerald grass that covered Finwe's vast expanse of lawn until the lights mingled and the sky began to grow so dim that Nolofinwe could hardly make out the handsome planes of Feanaro's face.

Feanaro had been holding some of Nolofinwe's extravagantly long hair in one of his hands, letting the silky tresses slip between his fingers. He announced his admiration of the way the enmeshed gold and silver of the waning tree light played upon the strands. He swore that he could see every color in them - yellow, gold, silver, grey, brown, green, orange, red and so on, before Nolofinwe's hair returned to an earthly brown in the impending dusk.

"I think you must have the most beautiful hair in the world," Feanaro said. IIn the right light it appears not of this world."

Nolofinwe turned at that to gaze at his half-brother, a shy smile lighting his pale face. His green eyes sparkled with affection.

"You cannot mean that Feanaro," he murmured. "Your hair is much lovelier than mine."

Feanaro snorted. "I wouldn't say that plain, uninteresting raven black is attractive. No, in yours I can see multi-colored strands, every color of the rainbow. It inspires me."

And to Nolofinwe's questioning look he replied, "This hair of yours, Nolofinwe, has given me some ideas for crafting. I have been thinking long about making a device by which we could communicate at long distances. I believe I've just come up with the answer, and it involves using light...a lot of it."

It was Nolofinwe's turn to snort. "And my hair made you think of that?"

Feanaro smiled widely. "Yes, indeed. I can't wait to get started. But not until tomorrow, when the lights return. Come, let's go inside where we can see each other better and can talk, uninterrupted."

He chuckled softly at what he perceived to be an amusing jest.

Holding hands, the two half-brothers returned to the house.

~~~~~

They lay stretched out upon Nolofinwe's bed. Feanaro leaned toward his brother after a while and kissed him on the lips. Lately, they had been kissing each other often. It had started with gentle busses on the cheeks when Nolofinwe was still a child. They were not of an age - Feanaro was much older - but in Elvish years the difference was hardly noticeable. They were both young Elves whose sexuality had gradually awakened and since they spent almost all of their time together, it seemed to develop naturally between them. Whether it would have happened if they had not been together so much was something impossible to determine. Nevertheless, they were happy to let their relationship progress into something deeper, and they kept it between themselves. They never appeared overtly affectionate, and never behaved differently than what brothers would naturally.

One day in the prime of his adolescence, Feanaro had surprised Nolofinwe with his first kiss on the lips. Nolofinwe vividly remembered the strange but delicious tingling he had felt in the core of his body at that first somewhat intimate touch. He had closed his eyes and when he opened them a curtain lifted and under it he saw a rainbow. He had awakened.

After that first time Feanaro would touch him a lot. But in the beginning only on the arms or shoulders where he would let his fingers linger after a few moments of stroking or soft touches. Gradually the innocent strokes gave way to much more intimate ones.

Every touch of Feanaro's hand would leave Nolofinwe with feelings of arousal and cravings for more. And no matter whether or not he had experienced a terribly frustrating day, it would fall away as if dust at the first touch by his beloved Feanaro. It was like a coming together of fantasy and reality, or of heaven and earth, the former always stronger in Nolofinwe's mind than the latter.

The boys had their own rooms but inevitably Feanaro moved into Nolofinwe's bedroom, at first sleeping on a cot that the servants brought in for him, and eventually sharing Nolofinwe's bed, so that they could be together longer. They told their parents that it was so that they could continue discussions about their work for as long as possible before falling asleep - first their schoolwork, then their occupational studies.

Finwe and Indis had asked Feanaro why he preferred to sleep in Nolofinwe's room instead of his own, which was much bigger, more of a suite really, and he had replied that he and Nolofinwe were working on several projects together and would often stay up long into the night to discuss some particularly brilliant ideas and the logistics behind making them work.

Finwe had seemed surprised, raising his eyebrows at Feanaro's words. "I must admit my great confusion at what you say, Feanaro," he had offered. "To me, Nolofinwe has never expressed a creative idea in the past, but you tell me he is helping you with some of your brilliant creations? And why can you not work on them together in your rooms, which are much larger?"

Feanaro leaped upon that question to express his anger at the situation. "And why are my rooms so much bigger? And why 'rooms' when Nolofinwe has only one small chamber? Please explain that to me Atar!" Feanaro punctuated his demand by bringing his fist down sharply on the table, making the candlesticks tremble and almost fall over.

Finwe looked taken aback. He took a few steps backward and composed himself before he answered. "Because you are my firstborn and because your mother, our dear Miriel, left you so many of her possessions when she passed away, that you needed somewhere large to store them all. When Nolofinwe arrived Indis chose his bedroom for him. She preferred that he occupy something less grand and more accessible."

Feanaro shook his head, his lips compressed into a thin line. His eyes gleamed with anger still, though he felt somewhat ashamed of what his mother wanted for him. When it came to Nolofinwe, he would never back down in his defense of him. "I do not accept your explanation, which for me does not hold the ring of truth. I know that you feel differently about my brother than you do me, Atar, despite your explanation about what my mother may have wanted for me. Until you can answer me truthfully, please do not speak to me." With that, Feanaro turned and stormed out of the room.

~~~~~

Seething with anger, Feanaro had returned to Nolofinwe's room that night.

"What's wrong, Feanaro? You look like thunder."

Feanaro paced around the cluttered room. "I don't like the way Atar treats you," he snarled. "First, look at this room!" He kicked a box of papers out of the way while he continued marching about the limited space. "It's not even half the size of mine...and it's only a bedroom...mine has three separate rooms to it...the one where I am supposed to sleep, a separate one for my clothes and one for bathing! It's ridiculous! And yet yours is one room the size of a thumbnail by comparison. I do not like the way Atar treats you."

Nolofinwe's cheeks turned pink from blushing. He felt shamed by Feanaro's words as if he had done something wrong. "I don't quite see it that way," he tried to explain. "I know that Atar thinks I am a failure because I do not have your intelligence or skills."

"Nonsense!" Feanaro roared. "Atar's problem is that he cannot see subtlety. He is easily distracted by the loudest voice or the flashiest object. He does not appreciate your talents, which are so different from mine. Unfortunately, mine are more noticeable on the surface, hence more noticeable to him."

Despite Feanaro's keen intellect and desire to learn all he could about practically everything, but especially how to craft his inventions and fabricate artifacts of great beauty, there was a time when he blossomed sexually and cared for not much more than exploring its parameters to the greatest extent possible, not unlike what he did with his crafting skills.

The sight and touch of Nolofinwe's hair, for instance, could send every nerve in Feanaro's body into a state of rapturous tingling. He would lie beside his half-brother, stroking first his hair, then his shoulders and arms, and finish touching the rest of his body. He would roll Nolofinwe onto his stomach and smooth out his luxurious hair to lie flat on top of his back, where it reached as low as his shapely bottom, then lie on top of Nolofinwe and the mass of hair and become immediately erect. He would press his erection gently between Nolofinwe's thighs and stroke it until he climaxed.

Nolofinwe would whimper beneath him. "Please touch me, Feanaro, before I lose my mind and descend into madness."

And Feanaro would oblige, sometimes with his hand and sometimes his mouth until he could bring Nolofinwe to the same level of ecstasy as he had experienced.

 

~~~~~

Later on, when they were working together on one of Feanaro's projects, Nolofinwe asked him, "What are my talents? You said I had some but they were less flashy than yours. What are they? I cannot think of any that I may possess."

"I have watched you, quite closely at times," Feanaro replied with an affectionate smile. "I have seen how graceful you are and how quickly you move about without bumping into things. You are the least clumsy person I have ever known. I remember when you were only a toddler, you ventured into the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. When you came out with it in your hand, you walked from the kitchen to the parlor where Indis had just replaced the old rug with a brand new, pure white one. Your glass of orange juice was full to the brim, yet you did not spill one drop, not even when Indis let out the most Valar-fearing scream when she saw you with it so close to her precious rug. The glass wobbled precariously in your hand, but you adjusted it and not one drop was spilled. Mind you, Indis gave you the telling off of your life after that. The stupid woman completely missed the point. Oh, sorry to speak ill of your mother. She has always loved you, as any parent should."

"No, it's perfectly all right," Nolofinwe said. "I know she is not your favorite person, yet she at least has been kind to me. Please tell me if I have any other skills I am not aware of. Because that one isn't much, Feanaro."

"Well, that one would get you far in a battle perhaps," Feanaro stated solemnly. He ran his hand through his mop of black hair. "I have had an idea. We should manufacture some weapons. I've been working on some designs. Perhaps someday they may be useful to us."

Nolofinwe's otherwise solemn face broke out into a huge smile. He thought he would enjoy making weapons and learning how to use them.

Feanaro continued. "As for other talents, you are very good at negotiating. Your voice is softer than mine, and you are much more patient than me. And you are not bad at figuring out the logistics for my inventions. You have saved me a lot of time and hard labor by helping me. Because of those skills of yours we have been able to work together without arguing or having any sort of conflict. That is invaluable when saving time is essential."

Nolofinwe smiled and embraced Feanaro warmly. "Thank you, my brother," he whispered. "I can see it now. We work well together and help each other. Your words have made me feel worthy of this family, no matter what Atar says. I love you."

"I love you too," Feanaro squeezed his arms tightly around his brother and nuzzled his cheek against Nolofinwe's. "Forever. Promise me that you will stay with me forever. I would not be able to bear it if for any reason we became parted."

~~~~~

Years passed. Together, Feanaro and Nolofinwe fashioned many weapons of different types, stockpiling them inside the storage area in the huge workshop that Feanaro had expanded to fit his many creations. There was a yard outside the storage area where the two brothers would practice their sword-fighting skills. Feanaro was pleasantly surprised to find that as the years wore on, Nolofinwe had become a highly-skilled fighter, better than him. He took every opportunity to praise his brother highly. Feanaro continued his work on the crystal globes that he had envisioned would allow different people to communicate with each other over distances. While the experiment hadn't been entirely successful, he did manage to make a few globes in which one could see what another was doing in a separate location, although they could not speak to each other through these devices. And he had made others called "gazing globes" that could "look" out over vast distances and allowed the holder to see what was going on in those places through a second globe. While the brothers kept the uses of the globes a secret from others while Feanaro was trying to perfect them, there were several of them placed around outside the workshop, hidden within the garden beds that rimmed the building. They enabled Feanaro to "keep an eye on things". There had been a problem with theft recently despite the shop being kept locked and Feanaro had the idea to use the globes as sentries, to watch out over the surrounding area and detect if anyone was lurking about the workshop. This had enabled him to catch one of his apprentices red-handed selling some of Feanaro's goods to others, which led to dismissal of the fellow.

One day Nolofinwe stuck his head around the corner of Feanaro's wood crafting room. "What are you doing, my love?"

Feanaro turned and grinned. "Come in, Nolofinwe, my dear. You are late this morning and I wondered what had happened to you. I have something to show you." Excitement flashed in his eyes and his cheeks were flushed.

"I had to run an errand for Atar," Nolofinwe replied. "I'm sorry I was late. I would not have you worry about me for one second." He crossed the room swiftly to wrap his arms around Feanaro.

"I am glad that Atar is treating you better since I last spoke with him about it." Feanaro sighed. "It seems I have to keep telling him how wonderful you are."

"He has been acknowledging my existence at least," Nolofinwe said with a satisfied sigh. "He actually praised my sword-handling skills this morning."

"I am glad, but so he should." Feanaro put down his tools and kissed his brother on the cheek. He ached to linger a moment and stroke the fine skin of his face but he was impatient to show Nolofinwe his latest craftwork. He reached for a large slab of wood on his table and held it up for Nolofinwe to see. "Have a look at this."

Nolofinwe peered closely at what seemed to be a very large frame, its highly polished, beveled edges covered in runes all the way around its oval surface. These runes were many and very detailed, carved into the wood, then filled with gold leaf so the letters would stand out.

"What is this wonderful thing you show me? It looks complicated indeed."

Feanaro carefully set it down on the table. "That is what is so exciting," he said. "It seems our friends in Alqualonde admire the alphabet I created so much that they want us to carve names onto the fronts of their ships. Their spokesperson said that they would pay us very well for it. And I am hoping that I can convince them to sell me some of their ships in return."

"That's wonderful, Feanaro," Nolofinwe's eyes widened and he grinned with pleasure. But he stopped and thought for a moment, and his countenance turned more thoughtful, his eyebrows creasing. He put a couple of fingers to his pursed lips. "But why would you want some of the Telerin ships?"

"I've been thinking about the lands of Arda lately. I would love to go there and perhaps establish a trade route for our goods. I'd like to see what the Moriquendi might also be skilled in making themselves. And what they have mined out of the lands there, which, I hear, are much different from ours, since Melkor destroyed some areas. But in the meantime, we shall have to take on more apprentices and teach them how to carve the letters into the wood. This frame is a prototype. I just wrote something silly on it as a sample. And I think the best way to complete the task, because I believe the Teleri have about a hundred ships, is to carve the runes on separate pieces of wood, to be fastened to the ships after they are complete."

Nolofinwe continued staring at the prototype frame. "Speak friend and enter," he read. "What do these words mean?"

Feanaro laughed. "I told you it was nonsense. I wanted to see how the carved words would look and how I should space them. I do hope the names the Teleri want on their ships won't be too long and cumbersome or they won't fit well."

The brothers smiled happily at one another. But after a moment Nolofinwe, who had been thinking about what Feanaro had said, offered, "Your ideas are very ambitious, Feanaro. However, I would love to join you in embarking to Arda."

"By the way, Nolofinwe,"Feanaro said. "You've done well in your study of the alphabet and learning to read my letters most efficiently. This is yet another talent you have demonstrated."

"Thank you," Nolofinwe bowed his head in gratitude. He felt great pleasure every time Feanaro complimented his efforts. In his heart, he felt this love and attention made up for the neglect of his father over the years.

~~~~~

Midnight found them in bed together, lying face to face, lost in their passion, oblivious of everything else. Feanaro, his hair unbound as was Nolofinwe's, was nuzzling the crook of Nolofinwe's neck, while one hand was clutched around a section of his long, luxurious hair. Both men were erect and moaning, their cocks pressed together while being held in Nolofinwe's grasp. He was stroking them slowly together, feeling how evenly matched they were, like two rigid yet supple twins, thickening and lengthening the more he stroked. He arched his neck backward, allowing Feanaro to kiss and suck the smooth skin, leaving small red marks which immediately afterward disappeared.

"I want you so badly, Feanaro," Nolofinwe whispered between moans of pleasure. He nipped the edge of Feanaro's ear, causing his brother to raise his head.

"Do you want me right now?" Feanaro gasped. "I feel as if I could come any moment."

"Yes, please let's do it now. I'm afraid waiting any longer will also make me burst."

Feanaro obliged, lifting himself up and gently rolling Nolofinwe onto his stomach. Burying his face in the beloved hair, he took his already well-oiled cock and carefully inserted into Nolofinwe's already prepared orifice. A few thrusts and he was done. He rolled Nolofinwe onto his back and finished him quickly with his hand.

"That was a bit brief," Nolofinwe remarked, his voice sleepy. He punctuated it with a yawn.

Feanaro laughed. "We must get our proper sleep tonight," he said. "There is so much work to do tomorrow."

He had turned to lie down and close his eyes when he noticed a bright light suddenly flash from within the gazing globe that sat on his nightstand. Curious, he grabbed it and looked inside. What he saw caused him to leap to his feet, startled, his eyes flying wide open. "Wake up, Nolofinwe, wake up!" he cried, shaking his already sleeping brother.

"What?" Nolofinwe sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What is it? You said--"

"Look!" Feanaro handed him the globe. Inside appeared one of the most disturbing sights that he would ever behold. A figure dressed entirely in black was trying to climb Laurelin, one of the two light-providing trees in Valimar. The sinister figure was accompanied by a huge, bulbous creature that looked very much like a horrifically large spider. It seemed to be readying itself to plunge its fangs into the trunk of the tree.

"What are they doing?" Nolofinwe cried.

"Quick! We have no time to waste! We must try to stop them before they destroy the tree!"

Laurelin was a long way off, sitting beside its companion, Telperion, on the hill of Ezellohar outside Valimar. The Elves took two fast horses from Finwe's stable, as well as armor and two longswords from Feanor's weapons cache and raced to Valimar, hoping that time would be on their side and they would be able to reach the trees before harm could be done to them.

"It's Melkor," Feanaro said through gritted teeth as the brothers rode like the wind. "I recognized his silhouette. There has been talk of trouble between him and the other Valar of late. Too bad they didn't do more to curb his evil after he destroyed the lamps. They've always been too kind and soft with him. They let him do damage to Arda without curbing his madness. Their kindness will be their downfall."

"Or someone else's," Nolofinwe agreed, his tone bitter.

When they arrived at the site of the trees and climbed up the hill on their bellies so that Melkor couldn't see them until they crawled closer, the trees' lights were waxing. The Elves peeked over the top of the hill and witnessed Melkor berating the spider about something it had failed to do. The trees seemed fine and undamaged, but the two brothers were not about to take any chances.

Nolofinwe struck first, delivering a glancing blow to the spider's voluminous flank, then driving his sword home into the most vulnerable part of its abdomen. It fell over dead. The entire attack took no more than a few seconds.

Feanaro smote Melkor a heavy blow to his ankles that brought the errant Vala down. Both Elves then unwound lengths of thick rope from their shoulders and tied him up so that he could not move. They then drove him back to Tirion lying across the backs of their horses while they walked alongside, keeping a careful eye on him lest he try some trickery to get away.

~~~~~

Feanaro and Nolofinwe were praised and honored greatly in Tirion for their efforts in saving the two trees of light. The Valar took Feanaro's advice and punished Melkor, chaining him and throwing him into a dungeon where he would remain until he repented. Life returned to normal in Valinor after a long period of celebratory festivals and formal functions, which the two brothers did not entirely enjoy because they had had to be separated on a number of occasions.

After the fuss had settled down, late afternoon one summer day found Feanaro and Nolofinwe reclining together in their favorite secluded spot under a tree, beside a still lake of sparkling blue water. The lights of the trees were just beginning to mingle and the air was warm and very calm.

The brothers were clad in only loose shirts and thin breeches, stockings covering their lower legs. They had doffed their shoes and great wet, muddy stains covered the soles of their socks. Suddenly Feanaro jumped up and grabbed Nolofinwe by the arm, pulling him to his feet.

"What is it?" Nolofinwe gasped, startled, his eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. "Feanaro?"

"Come!" Feanaro led him down the grassy bank to the lake and pulled him into the water, fully clothed. He commenced splashing water all over his brother, soaking his clothes until they were practically transparent and clung to his tall, lithe form.

"What are you doing, Feanaro? My clothes..."

Feanaro laughed, a deep, rich sound. "I just fancied peeling your wet clothes off of you and making love in the water." He grabbed the corner of Nolofinwe's shirt collar and pulled the thin garment down over one shoulder, then slipped his hand between wet shirt and skin to rest under his armpit. "Mmmm..." he sighed, bending to kiss Nolofinwe's chest. "You taste delicious." Next, he knelt in the shallow water and carefully unfastened Nolofinwe's breeches, letting his cock, already erect, spring freely from its confines.

They made love half in, half out of the water. Nolofinwe found the experience refreshing and very invigorating. Feanaro was an attentive, loving brother and the person dearest to him.

"We'll always be together," he whispered, while Feanaro lay beside him, pressed close to his side. Nolofinwe could feel and hear his heart beating strongly and knew that this would be the truth - the two of them in perfect harmony, in a perfect world, forever.