Finding Lost Family by chrissystriped

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Chapter Twenty-Three

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Ecthelion ran through the wood, his own ragged breathing loud in his ears. He wasn’t silent, not at this pace but still not as loud as his pursuer whom he could hear crashing through the underbrush behind him. His heart drummed with excitement, the rush of being hunted coursing through his veins. It had taken some persuasion to actually follow up on their conversation, but he’d done it.

Pleasure shot hot through his body as he imagined how it would be when Sharû caught up to him. He dove under a deep-hanging branch, sidestepped around a large boulder and slowed down when he neared the spot he had chosen earlier – he didn’t want to wind up naked in the brambles. A brook flowed through the wood here and the ground was overgrown with moss, damp but also soft – it was summer, he didn’t mind he dampness. Ecthelion gasped when Sharû suddenly jumped at him from behind, throwing him to the ground.

“Caught you, elf!”, he growled into his ear.

Ecthelion squirmed to lift his head and spit out a bit of moss that had gotten into his mouth. Sharû was heavy, all muscle and Ecthelion knew that he had little chance  to get away now – not that he really wanted. Sharû’s breath was loud and hot on his ear, he could feel his erection press into his thigh.

“Will you keep still!”, the orc barked and pushed his face into the moss again before twisting his arms on his back, Ecthelion shuddered in pleasure as his big, calloused hand closed around his wrists.

Sharû dug his knee into his lower back so he didn’t try anything funny and tied his wrists with his belt. Ecthelion gasped when he jerked down his trousers, the cool, wet moss a sharp contrast to his heated skin. Sharû gave him a burning slap on his buttock.

“Let’s see how long it takes me to break you in, elf.” He gripped his hips and jerked his ass up, Ecthelion moaned.

‘Don’t be gentle’, he had told his lover beforehand.

Ecthelion groaned when Sharû entered him with one hard thrust. They’d spent quite some time preparing him back in Sharû's house but it still burned, he felt so tight, Sharû’s cock huge inside him. Sharû’s gasps were loud in his ears, even louder than his heartbeat, as he fucked him with sharp thrusts that made him moan with pleasure. He was hard, enjoying the rush of having been hunted down, of being at the mercy of his hunter – despite the past. He’d been a little afraid that he wouldn’t be able to follow through with this, but there was only pleasure in his mind, nothing else. Ecthelion moaned loudly when Sharû’s hand finally closed around his cock.

“More! Please!”, he screamed. He was so close!

Sharû laughed and stroked him in the rhythm of his thrusts. Sharû bit his shoulder, when he came and Ecthelion followed quickly, pushed over the edge by the prick of Sharû’s teeth.

 

Sharû slid out of Ecthelion and untied his arms. The belt had left red imprints on his skin, he rubbed the reddened spots and helped his lover to lay down more comfortably. The ground was wet, but it was a hot day and the cool moss felt good on his sweaty skin. He laid down beside him, watching Ecthelion while his breath came back to normal. The elf had a dreamy smile on his face.

“You are mad”, Sharû mumbled gently and kissed the corner of his mouth. Ecthelion’s smile became wider. “Are you okay? I wasn’t too rough?” He enjoyed rough sex and – Valar! – he’d enjoyed to hunt him through the forest, but he didn’t want to hurt him.

“Yes.” Ecthelion stretched with a contented sound. “But you can carry me home later.”

Sharû laughed and embraced him. “I’ll carry you home. And I’ll lay you in my bed. And I’ll tuck you in.” He kissed his lips after every sentence. “And then I’ll lay down beside you and warm you with my body.”

Ecthelion sighed and caressed his arm. “That sounds wonderful. I love you.” They shared another kiss.

“I love you, too”, Sharû said, it was still hard for him to put his feelings into words, but after the threat of the Númenoreans, he felt like he needed to say it – even in the Blessed Realm ‘too late’ could happen.

“Did you like it?”, Ecthelion asked and Sharû huffed in amusement.

“Of course I did. I was afraid you might... change your mind.” That was why he’d asked Ecthelion to not fight back once he’d caught him. It would have been too much – too real.

“I know. I wasn’t completely sure, either. But I didn’t." Ecthelion kissed him gently. "Thank you for this. I enjoyed it very much. Now, that bed...”

Sharû lifted him up, half-clothed with leaves in his hair and a smudge on his cheek. “You look ravishing, Thel.”

Ecthelion chuckled. “More like ravished, eh?”

“Same to me.”

Sharû laughed, a little breathlessly because Ecthelion was tall and muscular, it wasn’t easy to carry him like that. Might have been easier to throw him over his shoulder... Sharû grinned at himself, he might have even done that if he’d intended to get them in the mood for more, but Ecthelion’s lids were heavy, he looked like he’d fall asleep any moment.

The door was open, Ecthelion had started to run so suddenly that he hadn’t had time to close it, but it didn’t matter, no one would steal from him. He closed the door with his foot and laid Ecthelion on the bed, pulling his boots of and untangling his trousers from his ankles. Sharû undressed too and embraced into him under the blankets, Ecthelion had already fallen asleep. He kissed his forehead gently.

“I love you”, he whispered, it felt good to say it. Maybe... elves married when they loved each other, didn't they? Could that be the next step for them?

 

~*~*~

 

Sharû played with the small velvety box in his pocket. He had argued with himself a lot if he should buy this or not. It would be so final... but wasn’t it that already? There was no reason to not make it official. And he was sure that it would mean a lot to Ecthelion. His friend was always so considerate of his feelings, he’d never pushed him to go further than he was comfortable.

He had wondered sometimes if Ecthelion was carrying a ring around. It was obvious to him that his lover wanted their bond to be permanent but was holding back. For such a long time. And just for him. Sharû felt awkward, he didn’t even know how to approach this. He’d read books, but... he wasn’t sure if they were authentic.

Ecthelion waited at the harbour, a smile on his lips. He always came down to walk with him into the city. Ecthelion. He’d never have thought that he would once meet someone – and an elf at that – who he wanted to share eternity with. And even less that it should be granted to him. He was an orc. They had tried to train love out of him – but they hadn’t succeeded.

Sharû smiled at Ecthelion. They had won. Really and truly. He held on to the ring box in his pocket. Not here in public. It was late afternoon, Sharû had been on the Island for a few days to settle some strife between his men. He spent a lot of time on the mainland with Ecthelion, but he still had his house on the Island and he didn’t intend to permanently move away from there. He was the leader of his men, many of them still called him ‘Colonel’ and he had a responsibility for them.

“Good afternoon, love.” He kissed Ecthelion’s lips.

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Ecthelion smiled at him. “Went everything well?”

Sharû nodded. “Yes. Peace is restored and I can come back to my favourite elf.” Ecthelion laughed and gave him another kiss.

“I love you, too.”

“Autumn is coming”, Sharû said and shivered when a gust of wind found its way under his coat.

Ecthelion who was completely unfeeling when it came to weather, as Sharû thought, lifted a leaf off the ground and twirled it on its stem.

“Yes, looks like it. You were lucky to be able to make the journey before the storms.”

Sharû nodded silently. He didn’t like boats much, although he used them out of necessity, and sitting in a nutshell, at the mercy of the elements – or an Ainu, depending on who you asked – was frightening.

“Let’s go home?”, he asked Ecthelion. It was a sunny day and usually they ate at a restaurant in the city, but he wanted to be alone with his lover now.

“Feeling horny?”, Ecthelion said with a wink and Sharû shrugged unapologetically.

“Yes.” That, too. “How couldn’t I with such a beautiful elf in my reach.”

It was impossible to have this enticing elf around and not want him. Ecthelion laughed and linked their fingers as they walked up the hill.

 

Sharû caressed Ecthelion’s naked back. The elf had fallen asleep after they had fucked and usually he wouldn't have been awake much longer himself. Ecthelion mumbled something in his sleep and snuggled into him, his body warm against Sharû’s. Sharû wasn’t tired, he was still wondering how he should approach the topic.

He looked around the room and saw his belt pouch lie beside the bed. He wondered if he would wake Ecthelion if he reached for it. Carefully he stretched his arm. Maybe he’d surprise him with it, when he woke. It wasn’t at all like in the books, but Sharû decided to follow his instinct. They weren’t like the people in the books, either. He stretched a little more and managed to pull the belt closer with his fingertips.

Ecthelion protested sleepily, but he didn’t wake. Sharû took the box out of the pouch, pleased with himself, and put it on his chest, next to Ecthelion’s face.

“What’s this?”, Ecthelion mumbled and Sharû jerked.

“I thought, you are asleep!”, he answered.

“I was.” Ecthelion yawned. “But now I’m awake... almost. So, what is it?”

“Well...” Sharû hesitated. Was this really the right moment? But what was that? The right moment. They loved each other, had done so for years.

‘What if he says no?’, shot through Sharû’s mind. But that was ridiculous, wasn’t it?

“We’ve been together such a long time that it’s almost normal to all around us. Even your father and Egalmoth got used to me.” Ecthelion huffed, but didn’t interrupt him. His eyes were on him and he vibrated with excitement. Sharû suspected that he knew exactly, what he was intending to do. “And, well, usually elves who love each other marry, I’ve been told. I’m not an elf, but I don’t want to be without you ever again, Ecthelion. And that’s why I want to ask you, if you want to marry me?”

Sharû fumbled with the clasp, his fingers clumsy with anxiety.

“Sharû!” Ecthelion kissed him lovingly. “Of course I want to marry you.”

He caressed the silver ring Sharû had commissioned from one of his men. It had engravings that were a mixture of elvish and orcish motives. He offered him his hand and Sharû slipped the ring on his finger, before Ecthelion turned around and opened a drawer in the cupboard beside his bed.

“I, Ecthelion of the House of the Fountain, give myself to you, Sharû, Colonel of the orcs of Tol Eressea, in betrothal.” The ring fit Sharû perfectly, a blue stone was set in the silver. “May these rings be a promise and a sign of our intentions to all.” He kissed him again and grinned. “You know that my mother is going to throw us the biggest wedding of the century?”

Sharû gulped. “To be honest, I didn’t bother to think beyond this moment. I was too occupied with reading about elvish marriage traditions.”

Ecthelion blinked surprise. “You read books? I’ve never seen you read, I think.”

“I could hardly ask you!”, Sharû said. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“You succeeded.” Ecthelion’s voice was husky and Sharû noticed tears in his eyes. “I love you, Sharû. And... and this”, he caressed the ring, “means everything to me.”

Sharû had never understood why elves gave so much weight to a ceremony. It was just a ritual. Ecthelion and he were already living like a married couple. But he didn’t say that now. Instead he hugged Ecthelion close.

“I love you, too, Ecthelion. I can be the person I want to be with you.”

Ecthelion clung to him for a while before rolling on top of him and smirking down at him. “What kind of books did you read?”

Sharû squirmed embarrassed, but that only led to him becoming aware of the closeness of their bodies. “I started with some books about your customs, but...” He felt Ecthelion’s suppressed laughter in his chest and slapped his backside. “Don’t laugh! It seemed the most obvious course.”

“I can’t believe that you bothered with that.” Ecthelion stifled his giggles on Sharû’s chest. “Those were already starting to get outdated when I was young. There are people who life after them – elves can be very traditional – but most of us, especially those of us who favour men, don’t think much of them. And after? What kind of books did you read?”

Sharû scratched his neck. “Well, it were... stories. Of elves in love, you know?”

Ecthelion was laughing outright now. “You took romances as inspiration? Where did you get those?” “

Alqualonde has a well-stocked library. I believe the librarian was a little weirded out by my presence.”

Ecthelion wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “I can imagine.” His voice trembled with mirth. “That sounds like the start of a joke. ‘An orc comes into a library...’”

“Haha." Sharû sniffed. "I’m glad that I’m amusing you. I seriously thought about inviting you to dinner and proposing to you on my knees. Do you really do it like that?”

“That’s called romantic, love.” Ecthelion was still giggling. “But don’t worry. These books aren’t... real, they are just romantic fantasies. And it wouldn’t have felt like you. This is real.”

He kissed him again and Sharû’s hand travelled down his side and squeezed his backside, caressed up and down his thigh. Ecthelion moaned into the kiss and rubbed against him. Sharû felt his blood rush to his groin and gripped tighter. His gaze slid to the ring on Ecthelion’s finger. Betrothed. Bonded. He’d never dared dream of this in the darkness of Angband and even afterwards... How could he be so incredibly lucky? He felt so happy he thought his heart would burst.