Stranger in a Strange Land. by Cheeky

Chapter 2

Glorfindel sighed heavily as he reluctantly pushed the food around his plate. It all looked so foreign, so totally unappetising and he could recognise none of it. He prodded at a rather limp piece of lettuce. At least he knew what it was, so he supposed he better eat it.
 
 
Noise was all around him. Could he not have had dinner somewhere private? Instead here he was in the Hall with everyone staring. He felt like a trophy on display......and his head hurt. 
 
 
 
He felt a gentle, hesitant prod in his side and frowned. There it was again, what was up with Erestor? All day long he had been poking him. He was getting heartily sick of it. Was it some kind of game he was playing? 
 
 
 
He turned to challenge him but Erestor looked so pale and wild eyed he decided to keep his mouth shut.
 
 
 
"Is it always this noisy?" He asked instead and Erestor jumped at least two feet in the air. He had always been shy and quiet but he never remembered him being quite this highly strung.
 
 
 
"You don't have to jump every time I speak to you." It was really starting to become annoying. 
 
 
 
"It is usually quite chaotic here, yes.....during dinner that is." Erestor stammered. 
 
 
 
"Hmm" he turned back to his plate. He had been so looking forward to seeing Erestor, someone familiar, but starting with his impressive near fainting spell when they met it had all been pretty disasterous. He seemed to be completely terrified instead of joyful as he thought he might have been. 
 
 
 
And what on earth was he wearing? What were any of them wearing? Erestor was in some kind of dress.....where were his trousers? He rather hoped it was just some random festival he had stumbled into seeing how Elrond was wearing a dress as well.
 
 
 
He surreptitiously gazed down the table at Elrond. It was so disturbing seeing Earendil's child looking so adult, after all Earendil was only a child himself as far as he was concerned. And Elrond looked so very like Turgon. If he didn't look too closely he could almost pretend it was he. It hurt to look at him, this Turgon-like child/man, because Turgon was dead, he knew that much. A lump rose in his throat and he fought to keep it down. 
 
 
 
He had had enough, he couldn't eat this food and he just wanted Erestor to be as he used to be. If he could just get him alone so they could talk... He stood up abruptly and every head in the place turned to him. Silence descended on the hall. 
 
 
 
He hesitated. To whom did he excuse himself? And where on earth were his rooms?
 
 
 
"Um..." He cleared his throat and settled on addressing Elrond, he seemed to be the one in charge.
 
"Elrond, if it is alright..... I find I am tired. I think I will retire for now....."
 
 
 
Elrond leapt to his feet.
 
"Yes, Yes, of course Lord Glorfindel. Is there anything you need?"
 
 
 
He needed to get out of there but he could hardly say that.
 
 
 
"No, no, perhaps Erestor would be so kind as to see me to my rooms?" He looked at Erestor and smiled.
 
 
 
Erestor looked like a startled rabbit but nodded hastily and led him to the door. He scuttled down the corridor ahead of him as if he wanted to be anywhere but in his company.  
 
 
 
His rooms, when they reached them were adequate.....in fact more than adequate, they looked very comfortable indeed but they were not Gondolin. There was no Gondolin any more he reminded himself miserably.
 
 
 
"I am just down the hall, should you need anything." Erestor hovered nervously in the doorway.
 
 
 
"Will you not stay for a while?" He asked. "It would be nice to talk. How are you? I do not even know that much."
 
 
 
"I am lonely." Erestor said bluntly. 
 
 
 
He was taken aback. How exactly did he respond to that? 
 
 
 
"I am sorry, I do not mean to complain when you have only just arrived. It is churlish of me. But there is no one who.......no one who understands me here." 
 
 
 
He moved to stand beside him. 
 
 
 
"I used to understand you. Perhaps I can again?" 
 
 
 
He sensed rather than saw the movement beside him, Erestor's hand reaching out and quick as a flash he grabbed it, holding it fast.
 
 
 
"Stop poking me! Are you mad? It is really annoying!"
 
 
 
Erestor looked horrified.
 
 
 
"Sorry," he babbled "sorry, I just......I just wanted to make sure you are real."
 
 
 
He pulled him next to him then and held him fast. Chest to chest they stood, so close he could feel Erestor's warm breath upon his cheeks. 
 
 
 
"Does this feel real enough for you?"
 
 
 
"Yes!" Erestor gasped and so he released him. 
 
"Forgive me,"Erestor continued. "I am finding it rather difficult to comprehend you are back."
 
 
 
He looked at him thoughtfully. Perhaps it was rather harder to accept his return when you were on the other side of the equation. 
 
 
 
And then he spoke spontaneously, without thought. Suddenly this was all he desperately wanted. He did not want to be on his own in this strange place. He needed some one to remind him he was really here.
 
 
 
" I do not want to be alone tonight. Will you stay......for old times sake." He smiled in what he hoped was a seductive manner as he was rather out of practice.
 
"I have this new body, I would like to try it out. See if it is as good as the old one!"
 
 
 
At first Erestor's eyes lit up but he hurriedly shook his head and took a step back.
 
 
 
"We can't do that Glorfindel."
 
 
 
"Why not? Do you have someone else?"
 
 
 
"No," Erestor sighed, "only Maglor."
 
 
 
"Ah Maglor, of course always Maglor." he struggled to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "I suppose I should take it as a compliment you turned me down for no less than a Feanorian. Still Maglor is not here and certainly would not judge us. And I, having been busy being dead for the last few hundred years are free.......for now... What is to stop us?!"
 
 
 
"You don't understand." Erestor said in earnest."Things have changed. It is not like that any more."
 
 
 
"What things have changed?"
 
 
 
"Wait here!" Erestor cried, "I will show you. Dont go anywhere!" And he rushed out of the room.
 
 
 
Glorfindel frowned as he stood and waited for him. Just where did he think he would go anyway? He didn't know where anything was. He did not have long to wait before Erestor appeared again, breathless, red faced and clutching a very small book.
 
 
 
"Here!" He pushed the book into his hands. This is what has changed everything."
 
 
 
"A book?" Glorfindel looked at it carefully. It was very nondescript. He turned it over in his hands.
 
"The Laws and Customs among the Eldar." He read aloud.
 
"What is this?"
 
 
 
"It appeared out of nowhere," Erestor explained, "Just after the War of Wrath. I think the Valar left it here on purpose. Some cruel joke to make sure we never enjoyed ourselves again!"
 
 
 
Curious at what could be so bad he opened it and began to skim through it. At first he found nothing very exciting. Some notes about how Women should be the only ones to make bread....well that was not so bad, he would be quite happy never to have to make bread again, a tedious job it was. But then he found it.
 
 
 
"What is this rubbish?! Bound once only and for eternity?? This is outrageous!"
 
 
 
"You see! See why we cannot! You would not wish to be bound to ME for eternity would you!"
 
 
 
"Well," he said pensively, "It would not be so bad but I can quite see why you wouldn't.......what with Maglor and all." He continted his reading.
 
 
 
"This is even worse.....desires eventually fade? I DONT think so!"
 
 
 
"I know!" Erestor seemed quite impassioned by it, well as impassioned as Erestor ever got.  "It is all total rubbish...but they all believe it, the young ones. They will not listen to us. Galadriel got so fed up with it all she has taken herself off to Lothlorien and become very secretive, They can do what they want there."
 
 
 
He looked up from the book.
 
 
 
"Damn the Valar! Well this means nothing Erestor. We know none of it is true. It does not matter to us, it changes nothing."
 
 
 
"Don't you see" Erestor was becoming increasingly frustrated. "All the rest of them believe it. It would be an absolute scandal if we....if they found out."
 
 
 
"Then they will not find out! They will never know, anyway who cares if it is a scandal?"
 
 
 
"I care." Erestor said stubbornly. "What if Elrond finds I am missing from my room?"
 
 
 
"Then tell him we were up all night reminiscing....that is not so hard to believe."
 
 
 
Glorfindel reached out and placed a hand on Erestor's shoulder.
 
 
 
"Come on Erestor, you were always quiet but never boring. Live a little, what has happened to you? you have become all prim and proper." 
 
 
 
"It is alright for you," Erestor cried. "You were dead! You haven't had to survive here alone with all these prudish elves! What else could I do but try to fit in?"
 
 
 
He drew nearer to him, standing close once again. He could feel his body heat.
 
 
 
"You are alone no longer. I am here, and together......well we do not have to be prudish do we? Just because they say so. If you wish no one to know then they will not, I am happy with that." He thought Erestor may be wavering so he pressed home his advantage.
 
 
 
"I have missed you Erestor. Have you not missed me....just a bit?"
 
 
 
"Yes...." Erestor said it as almost a sigh.
 
 
 
"It is so strange here, I am uneasy, restless. I need.......something, someone, familiar to ease me, Give some comfort. I would wish it were you."
 
 
 
Erestor chewed on his lip, that usually ment he was about to give in so he smiled, ever so gently.
 
 
 
"Do we not deserve a celebration? Just once?" He cupped his face in his hands and bent to kiss him. Surely he could not resist his kiss.
 
 
 
But Erestor backed away and slipped out of his grip. Had he really lost his touch that badly? Being dead was obviously no good for his sensuality. He watched mournfully as Erestor turned toward the door. He had missed him so much, and he needed this connection.
 
 
 
"Don't go Erestor. I need you! Tell me you don't want this!" 
 
 
 
Erestor paused, his hand on the doorknob and he watched silently as he slowly, slowly turned the key in the lock with a clunk. Glorfindel held his breath hardly daring to breathe as Erestor turned around to face him with a grin.
 
 
 
"Yes!" He said, his eyes dancing with mischief.
 
 
 
"Why not!" 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"