And With Him Was Elrond by elfscribe

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There at My Side All Along

Chapter summary: The elves honor the king with a celebration; and Elrond and Gil have that talk.

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Twilight had descended gently. The air felt warm and moist as Elrond scrambled down a different leafy path than the one he’d used to ascend the slope. Puzzled, he looked for familiar trees. Was he lost? Then he heard Gildor’s soft voice call, “Elrond. Follow the lights.” A little distance downslope, there hung a silver lantern from a branch, and then another one further on. Sweet voices singing harmony floated on the air towards him. There was Gildor, coming up the path, his golden hair silvered in the light of the lantern he held up. “We were getting worried,” he said. “So the king sent me looking.”

“It’s not like me to get lost,” Elrond wondered.

“Oh, you are close; you would’ve found us. Come along. Can’t you hear them singing?”

“Yes, now I do.” It was a different song this time, one of joyous celebration. It made him want to dance. “Lead on, my friend,” he said.

Nearly one hundred elves had gathered in the clearing surrounding the lodge, all laughing and drinking from goblets or tankards. Many were seated on blankets in a large circle around a bonfire. Children ran about through the crowd, chasing several tail wagging dogs. Silver lanterns illuminated the trees all around. Some harpists seemed to be competing against one another as to who could play the quickest. They swayed and grinned at each other as their fingers plucked and strummed. Then the flutists and drummers joined in. Marvelous! This was a more informal gathering than Elrond was used to at court. Tapping his thigh to the beat, he found he preferred this.

Looking about, he located Gil at the other side of the circle. He was seated in a large wicker chair, wearing a blue robe, cinched with a wide belt, his head crowned with a circlet of wild-flowers, and his hair loose, but pulled back at his temples in small braids. He was drinking from a silver goblet as he spoke with Lisgil and Erestor, who laughed and clapped. The king raised his eyes and saw him; then smiled and beckoned.

With a sense of relief that Gil didn’t seem angry, Elrond followed Gildor around the circle of elves, who were getting more boisterous by the moment. When Elrond reached them, Erestor looked up at him with a conspiratorial quirk of his mouth. “Well met, Elrond, how did your meditation go?”

“A dove appeared and actually sat on my finger,” Elrond replied. “She gave me some advice.” He pulled the feather from his pocket and held it up.

“Ha, you have been blessed, my friend,” Gildor said, eyes aglow.

“Advice?” Gil’s eyebrow arched.

Elrond smiled at him. “I took it as such. I believe we should have that conversation you wanted, but not just now.”

Gil nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Agreed. Come sit beside me and we can enjoy the festivity together. That is, unless you still want to commune with birds.”

Elrond drew up a nearby chair. A dozen of the Dínoble elves released high-pitched yips, then skipped towards the center of the circle, joined hands, and began a sprightly dance. Others stood to the side, rhythmically dinging small metal cymbals, which now joined brassy horns and flutes. More joined in until there were dozens of elves, weaving around each other, some forming a chain around the clearing.

“This is one of the local dances,” Gildor leaned over to tell them. “It’s easy enough to learn.”

“I’m not up to that kind of vigor as yet,” Gil said with a laugh. “You go on.”

“Erestor, come, I’ll show you how!” Gildor grabbed Erestor by the hands and hauled him to his feet. Off they ran to find space between the others. They linked arms and began stepping forward then back, as the whole circle moved to the right.

Elrond smiled. How he loved to see them all having fun, especially after the past anxiety-ridden five days. His back moved to the beat and he tapped his hands on his thighs.

“So, what kind of advice are you hearing from birds?” Gil said, rather loudly with all the noise.

“‘Twas about trust,” Elrond replied.

“That sounds promising.”

“Later,” Elrond said with a smile. “Shall we enjoy the music?”

“Agreed,” Gil flashed a wide smile at him. In the repertoire of Gil-galad smiles, this was one of his most charming and flirtatious, and Elrond thought he’d seen them all. Close up, he noted that someone had woven the king's circlet from Evening Primrose, Feverfew, and Bluebells. Lisgil came around with a metal goblet of wine, which she handed to Elrond with a courtesy and a smile. He thanked her, took a swallow. The currant-flavored liquid slid warm and lively down his throat. He sat back in his chair and watched Gil, as he had so often in their long years together. He was at ease, acting his role as king, graciously greeting elves who came to see him, joking with Astoren and other villagers, and drinking their health. Elrond thought, I do love him; perhaps I always have.

The dance came to a wild finish and everyone clapped.

Gil rose, steadying himself on the staff, and held up a hand. “My friends and countrymen, thank you for your warmth and generous hospitality, as well as your courage in slaying that vicious beast. I fear I am still recovering from the attack, therefore, I must retire early and may not celebrate with you as vigorously as I’d like. But please continue your revelry, so that I may enjoy the celebration from my bower. And now, I bid you good night.” For a solemn moment, they all paused and bowed towards the king, then with cheers and clapping, the music resumed even more boisterously.

Gil said quietly to Elrond, “My dear friend, would you be so kind as to help me back to the room?”

“Of course,” Elrond responded. They waved goodbye once again and Elrond took the king’s arm, as they walked haltingly back to his end of the lodge. Once out of sight, Gil straightened. “Thank you, but I think I can manage now,” he said. He proceeded with only a slight limp into the room and gently shut the door.

“You’re improving by the hour,” Elrond said.

Gil said, “Your skills are excellent; I feel much stronger. Most of that hobbling was for show, so they would not be offended that we left so soon.” He smiled sweetly and Elrond smiled back, with a rush of feeling.

Several oil lamps were turned low. A servant had laid the fire and set a basin, towels, and several flagons on the table by the bed. Interesting. The quilt was turned down. The room was suffused with warmth and comfort. Elrond followed Gil as he kicked off his shoes and unfastened his hose from braes, an action that revealed those long muscular legs to good advantage. He sank with a sigh on one of the upholstered chairs, now positioned by the fire. Elrond did the same.

For a time, they watched the leaping flames. Then Gil said, “So, may we talk now? I’m finding this awkward as I do not know where to begin, except to tell you how . . . important you are to me. Not only for the sterling quality of your work, your wise counsel, the way you know how to handle my moods . . .”

“I don’t . . .” Elrond began.

Gil held up a hand. “You do and you know it. Not to mention saving my life.” He smiled. “But for some time now, I have sensed something changing between us and I need to know . . . do you feel it too?”

“Yes,” Elrond said, somewhat breathlessly. The time for truth had come.

Gil said, “Do you want this change? To have what we are to each other become something . . . deeper?” He turned to face Elrond, who noticed that his flowered crown had tilted to one side.

Elrond reached over with both hands to straighten it. Sitting back, he said, “Yes, for some time I have desired ‘something deeper,’ as you put it. We were both resisting for a long time, weren’t we? Telling ourselves it couldn’t be. You are the king and I your subordinate, the one who merely straightens your crown for you behind the scenes. And whether you want to admit it or not, there is the marriage issue and your need for an heir. I’m afraid the latter is something beyond my capability.” His mouth quirked.

Gil smiled, but grew solemn again, “The marriage issue need not come between us, Elrond. Don’t imagine that I haven’t thought long on this. There are other solutions if something were to befall me, which we can explore together in future. When my counselors mentioned it, as they have frequently in the last few years, you among them, I might add, I thought about it and realized I had no interest in finding a queen. But it took me some time to puzzle out exactly why, no let me finish or I may not get this out.” He laid a hand on Elrond’s arm and looked directly at him.“It is because the companion I want, the one who has stayed faithful through all the trials and problems of rebuilding our world, the one who makes me laugh and who heals my wounds, quite literally, well, that person has been here at my side, all along. It’s you, Elrond. There is no one else for me. Now, if you do not feel the same, if you would truly like to leave and learn how to fish in Forlond . . .”

Elrond’s heart lightened like a feather cast to the wind. “Not unless you’re there baiting the hook with me,” he said, with a laugh. “I, too, have pondered much today, with help from your intelligencer, Erestor, who, when he chooses to say what he thinks, does not mince words. It seems that your struggles to understand these new feelings have been concurrent with mine. I thought my duty required me to bury them, but they have burdened me to the point that if I had learned that you did not return my affection, I would have to leave and I knew it would break my heart. So, I pretended nothing had altered, and did not speak of it. And then a few days ago, I thought I might lose you, and that changed . . . everything.”

“How foolish we have been.” Gil held out his hands and Elrond clasped them. “Shall we begin anew?”

Elrond nodded. “Agreed, my lord, then let me speak plainly. I wish to declare, Ereinion Gil-galad, that I love you. Have loved you for many years, though for so long, I knew it not, as it was such a slow journey from camaraderie, to friendship, to . . .” he hesitated, then plunged ahead. “To desire.” He could not continue, his heart was thumping so.

Gil rubbed Elrond’s knuckles with his thumbs. His eyes shone with tears. “Your words echo those of my heart as well.” Then, he drew Elrond’s hands to his lips and kissed his knuckles, one after the other. “Meleth, how might we sate that desire?”

“Mmm,” Elrond said, “I can think of a few ways, but . . . perhaps, I should first lock the door.”

“You were always the sensible one,” Gil chuckled.

Elrond rose, and opened the door to glance outside, nodded at the guard stationed nearby. In the field, the elves were making merry, dancing and singing around the fire. The pulse of the drums throbbed directly to Elrond’s loins. Yes, at long last. He threw the bolt on the door.

Gil was pouring a glass of wine at the bedside table, when Elrond came up behind him, slipped his arms about his waist and buried his face in the king’s silky hair. His body felt so good in his arms and he smelled fragrant as the wildflowers in the circlet, which Elrond now removed and set aside on the table. Gil turned, set down his glass, and drew him into a tight embrace. Their bodies molded together as naturally as if they’d been born for this very purpose. They began to sway to the music, turning slowly.

Elrond said, “As long as I’ve known you, we’ve never touched quite like this before. It’s a new sensation. Now, I’m the one not sure of how we . . . ”

“I believe we both know the basics,” Gil replied. “And that it’s simply a matter of experimentation. But we can hold back, if you’d prefer.”

Holding him at last in his arms, Elrond’s heart overflowed with emotions long suppressed. He ached with desire; ached to join hearts. He didn’t want to wait any longer. “No more holding back,” he said. He tilted his head, clasped Gil’s cheek and their lips met with the thrill of the first contact, moving tenderly at first, together, over and over, changing position, pressure, trying out each new sensation, as Elrond’s senses opened to Gil’s. They breathed in each other, opening wider. Their mouths raked together, tongues brushed, danced, curled about each other.

Gil pulled back, breathlessly, stared at him, then went back to Elrond’s mouth, as he slid his hand around the back of Elrond’s neck. His other hand twisted in Elrond’s tunic, tugged.

Elrond spoke against his lips, “I believe this works better without so many clothes, Gil.”

“Let’s remedy that, shall we?”

Although Elrond had helped the king disrobe on many occasions before, usually when he’d drunk too much on a late night, how different this was! Because now, for some reason, Elrond couldn’t get Gil’s robe over his head. It became entangled with his undertunic and his arms. The more Elrond pulled, the more stuck they became. “Help,” Gil said, and began to laugh. Elrond started to giggle as well, as he wrestled the recalcitrant fabric. Gil became unbalanced and sat abruptly on the bed, with his arms held straight up, his head covered by the blue woolen robe. “Elrond, if you were my valet, you’d be sacked!” came his muffled voice, between fits of laughter.

“Who tightened the side laces, Gil?”

“Erestor,” Gil replied. “He’s sacked too.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” Elrond howled. “Hold still now. Best if I pull this down and then work it off.” Slowly, by dint of persistence, Elrond managed to free the king from the rest of his garments, until he sat, completely unclothed, on the bed.

“It’s your turn,” Gil said, overcome still with helpless giggles. He waved his hand. “Best do it yourself.”

Elrond busied himself removing his belt, tunic, chemise, breeches, hose, braes, the lot, casting them piece by piece onto the nearby chair (the same one he’d sat in all those nights) until he was finally fully naked. He sank down on the bed next to Gil, who pulled him into his arms and sucked on his neck. “There,” he said. “Marked, for any to see who can figure out how to disrobe you.” They laughed some more. “Mmm,” Elrond said, as he savored the feeling of the king’s warm chest pressed close, “The package is worth unwrapping.”

“I concur,” Gil said, bent his head and laved his tongue over Elrond’s nipples, lapping and sucking until Elrond gasped in delight. The king reached down and grasped Elrond’s cock, now unfurled to full mast, then with the other hand, brought his cock to press against it. With a movement of hips, he rubbed back and forth striking tingling pleasure throughout Elrond. “Is that better now, after that comic display,” Gil said.

“Oh, so much better,” Elrond groaned. He glanced down, noting that the king’s bandage was still intact. “You will tell me if you’re in any pain,” he said.

Gil chuckled again. “Likely I’ll groan, but it’ll be up to you to tell whether it’s pain or pleasure. You’re the expert, are you not?”

“Ha, so then, yip if it’s painful,” Elrond said. He fumbled a hand around Gil’s cock.

“Just now, all I feel is delight,” Gil replied. He kissed Elrond’s shoulder, then purred, “Wait a moment. Lean back.”

“Why?” Elrond said, but he did so, leaning his head on his hand.

“I just want to look at you,” Gil said. He ran fingers through Elrond’s hair, which caught on some hidden snag, so that they laughed some more, then the king lifted it forward, parted in two thick locks over his shoulders, where it flowed half way down his chest, the sable a contrast to Gil’s silver. Gil smoothed it down, then pulled a strand between his fingers. “I’ve always loved your body, so lithe and slender, yet so strong.” He stroked a hand over Elrond’s hip, then drew his finger down his chest. “I think I should repay you for the other morning.” He continued the path downward between his pectorals, over his tight stomach, swirled around the strands of hair that ran from navel to the fine nest around his cock. “Elrond Peredhel,” he said. “I’ve always loved this bit of hair, anytime I saw you without your shirt, in the baths, sparring practice. And I’ve imagined doing what I want to do now. If you’ll let me.”

“Have at it,” Elrond laughed.

“That’s the answer I’ve longed to hear.” Grinning, Gil rolled over, lay between Elrond’s spread legs. He stretched forth his tongue and licked down that trail, kept going until he buried his nose in the hair, and inhaled. Elrond’s cock jumped. Gil slid his hand around it, brought it upright, then swirled his tongue around the head. “You taste sweet, my love.”

He said, my love. Leaning back on his elbows, Elrond watched with increasing pleasure. “Go on, more. Be rough.”

Gil took the head into his mouth, teasing, coming off, blowing on it, then going back down half-way, coming off again, until Elrond thought he would go mad. “Gil,” he moaned.

All at once, Gil engulfed him down to the root. With a gasp, Elrond threw back his head. Ah yes!

Gil began to pulse up and down while he cupped Elrond’s balls and squeezed gently. Sensations surged through Elrond’s loins and he cried out, his hips flexed. Gil’s mouth formed a tight suction, gaining speed, up and down, swirling his tongue. “Ai, Gil, oh blesséd stars, how did you learn to do that? No, don’t tell me. Just keep going!” Elrond’s thoughts tumbled, fiery hot, spinning. Abruptly, Gil came off him, smacking his lips. And Elrond mourned the loss. For a moment, he lay breathing hard, tingling everywhere. Then, “And now, my lord, it’s my turn.”

“I won’t say no.” Gil rolled to the side. Elrond repositioned himself, taking care to miss the king’s wounded thigh, bent down and took him in his mouth, enjoying the feel of that hard pole as it slid slickly against his lips. He proceeded to give as good as he’d just received, perhaps longer and more vigorously, until Gil’s legs shuddered with impending orgasm, at which point Elrond sat up and wiped his mouth.

“What did you think of that, my lord?”

“Uhhh,” Gil panted. “I think that I was a fool to forgo your skills so long. Give me a moment here.” He raised up, stabilizing himself on one elbow, stuck his finger in his mouth, drew it out, held it up. “May I?”

“It’s been several years,” Elrond replied.

“Truly?” Gil laughed. “I thought sure that jeweler from Ost-in-Edhil knew how to ply his drill.”

“Ha, so you think,” Elrond said. “He took it all quite well.” He arched his back and spread his legs. “Very well, you first as long as I get a chance later.”

“If that’s what you want.” Gil’s finger probed, then pressed forward and crooked as Elrond gasped. “Is that it?” Gil said. Elrond’s hips came off the bed. “Oh yes, that’s good. Very good,” he said. “But I’d rather have your cock in there.”

Gil came back up and settled himself on Elrond’s chest, kissed him deeply, and rubbed against him, until Elrond visualized sparkling stars. “We need, uh, something slippery,” he said.

Reaching over to the bedside table, Gil picked up the smallest flask sitting there. “We’ve got oil.”

“You fox, when did you get that?”

“Today, just in case,” Gil replied with a wolfish grin. He poured a handful and rubbed it around his cock, then prepared Elrond, who spread his bent knees and then guided him forward, felt him ease past the gates, inch by inch, deep within, until he groaned with pleasure/pain, as Gil’s hips contacted his rear. So full.

“Gently now,” Elrond cautioned. “For your sake, as well as mine.” Gil flexed his cock, which Elrond felt deep.

“I will try to be gentle as spring rain, but those drums out there are having a powerful effect,” Gil said. He braced himself on his arms, then began easing back and forth, soon gaining speed, until he was thumping harder and harder, grunting with the effort. Elrond took hold of his own cock, stroking in time with the drumbeat, now exceeding it, double-time. He closed his eyes, felt how close they were now, becoming one together in rapture. Gil’s feelings and his own depth of emotion reached for each other, met, mingled, swirled to greater heights, until he didn’t know where each of them began and ended, it was all one. Closer, closer, then with a deep groan, Gil released, and Elrond came shortly thereafter in a pulsing wave of pleasure that continued, more, more, catapulting them both into ecstasy. Until finally it was done and they lay gasping, tingling. And sticky.

Gil pulled free, and landed next to Elrond, sighing with pleasure. He dragged Elrond into his arms and kissed him hard on the lips. “Magnificent,” he said. “As I knew it would be.”

Elrond still felt as if he were floating. “And to think that we could’ve enjoyed that all these years.”

“The night is yet young, however I fear my thigh is not happy with all this movement. Could you hand me a towel over there?”

Cleaned up, they lay in each other’s arms, inhaling each other's breath, drifting off.

In the middle of the night, Elrond woke to find Gil nibbling his neck, and they went at it again. This time, Elrond played the lance, finding the king receptive, if not practiced. Before passing out in pleasant exhaustion, Elrond stared at the embers of the fire gently glowing on the hearth, wondering how he could possibly be so lucky. Relief and bliss together, he reflected. Why did we wait so long for this?

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Dawn came, suffusing the room with a golden glow. Elrond woke to hear a tentative knock on the door. Erestor's voice called gently, “Gil-galad, Elrond?”

Elrond wrapped a blanket around himself, and made his way, somewhat unsteadily to unbolt the door. He opened it and stuck his head out. “Um,” he managed.

A misty rain was falling beyond the porch. Erestor stood at the door, balancing a tray with a steaming pot of tea and cups. He laughed.“Well, it’s about time you two did this! Here, I thought you could use some hot tea. The servers will be coming in about an hour with breakfast. Thought you might like the warning.”

“Yes, much appreciated,” Elrond said. When he took the tray, his blanket slipped and he caught it under his elbow, nearly upending the tray. Erestor whistled softly. “What charming bite marks! Looks like you two figured things out. I’ll come back later.” He left, humming a tune.

The blanket slid off completely, landing on the floor. So, quite naked, Elrond carried the tray back to bedside table. “Was that Erestor?” Gil said sleepily, turning his face from the pillow. He looked up, and smiled like sunshine. “I’ve always wanted a beautiful nude man to appear at my bedside—with breakfast, no less.”

Elrond set it down with a spritely dip. “Always at your service, my lord. Yes, that was Erestor. He is pleased with what has transpired. I fear we won’t keep this secret for long.”

Gil hauled him into bed. “Erestor won’t say anything. As for the others, I don’t care. Is that tea I smell?”

“You will care when the Council hears about this. I think, my lord, we should be discreet. This is not likely to go over well elsewhere in Lindon.”

“We’ll talk about tactics, later. But, Elrond, I have no remorse, do you?”

Elrond kissed him hard, then snuggled into his arms. “No, my love, none at all.”

 

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The End