Chapter Text
Celebrían flopped down on the bed next to her husband. Elrond wasn’t all that surprised by his wife’s tiredness. It had been a long day, preceded by an even longer week and before that a month of hecticness.
“What I wouldn’t give for a weekend away,” she grumbled, flinging an arm over her face.
Elladan and Elrohir were almost two years old and those two years already felt like they had stretched on for an Age and a half. They weren’t bad children, they just had a lot of energy and were hard to corral. Elrond couldn’t help but wonder if he and Elros had ever been this bad as children.
“Agreed,” Elrond groaned.
“I’ll trade you the twins for paperwork?” Celebrían offered.
It was a tempting offer. Elrond might love his books and writing poetry, but he hated all the paperwork that Imladis seemed to create. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if he could single-handedly wrangle his sons.
“I’m good, thanks,” he groaned.
“Coward,” Celebrían sighed without any real heat in her voice.
“I know how to choose my battles. The twins like you better than me. They are mama’s boys,” Elrond snorted.
“That’s just because I spent the most time with them,” Celebrían poked Elrond in the side.
Elrond knew this as true.
“Hey. What if we left for a weekend?” Celebrían rolled over so that she was on her side, looking at Elrond.
“Where would we go?” Elrond mused.
“Anywhere,” Celebrían shrugged.
Elrond found the idea tantalizing.
“What about-”
“Enough with your stupid paperwork. It can wait for a few days,” Celebrían griped.
“I was going to say, what about the twins?” Elrond sighed.
He was far more realistic than his wife was in terms of his expectations.
“We could leave them with Glorfindel and Erestor. Nothing bad would happen and we would only be gone for two or three days at most,” Celebrían said.
“I suppose that might work,” Elrond mused.
“How about this weekend then?” Celebrían proposed.
Elrond was silent in thought for a long time. He still wasn’t fully convinced that this was a good idea.
“Well?” Celebrían poked Elrond in the ribs.
“I’m a little worried about the twins,” Elrond admitted.
“They’ll be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?” Celebrían coaxed.
“They die,” Elrond grumbled.
“You are feeling very morbid today, aren’t you?” Celebrían poked her husband once more. Elrond knew that Celebrían wasn’t being neglectful. She just needed a break. Elrond swatted her back.
“It will be fine. Nothing will happen,” Celebrían huffed.
“Very well,” Elrond relented.
Celebrían squealed happily. Now to plan their excursion.
<><><><><><><>
Erestor liked his quiet morning routine. He absolutely abhorred anyone that dared to interrupt it. This is why when Glofindel invited himself onto the private balcony, Erestor was less than amused.
“What do you want?” Erestor glared at the taller elf.
Glorfindel didn’t answer the question. Instead he marched right up to Erestor.
“Here. This is one is for you,” Glorfindel deposited one of Elrond’s twins in Erestor’s arms.
“What?” Erestor spluttered.
“You can hold that one while I hold this one,” Glorfindel explained.
Erestor nearly yelped when the twin in his arms began squirming.
“Why do I have to hold one?” he demanded, trying to give the toddler back to Glorfindel.
“Because we are watching them until Elrond and Celebrían get back and I can’t hold them both at once. They’re too big,” Glorfindel huffed.
Erestor could only gape at the blond elf.
“We have to do what?” he choked, not certain if it was panic or anxiety that clogged his throat.
“Calm down. It’s not even that hard. We’re just supposed to watch the twins until Elrond and Celebrían get back,” Glorfindel said appeasingly.
“And when will that be?” Erestor demanded.
“Meh, like two days or something,” Glorfindel shrugged.
“Two days!” Erestor yelped in fear.
The toddler in Glorfindel’s arms blinked sleepily at Erestor. It was then Erestor realized that it was early enough that Glorfindel must have taken the twins from their beds.
“It's not the end of the world,” Glorfindel sighed.
“But it is! How am I supposed to do my duties if I also have to help you watch over these…. hellions? I can’t do both. Also, why wasn’t I informed that they were leaving?” Erestor growled.
The twin in his arms started squirming again. Erestor glanced down at the child. He was holding…. Elladan? No, wait…. Elrohir? Erestor grumbled under his breath. He could never tell them apart.
“Well, they did decide last night,” Glorfindel shrugged, completely unbothered by Erestors increasing panic.
“Where did they go?” Erestor growled.
“How should I know?” Glorfindel frowned.
“Because Elrond tells you everything,” Erestor bit out.
That wasn’t strictly fair. Elrond was equally likely to tell Erestor things as he was to tell Glorfindel. That being said, Glorfindel was far more of a confidant for personal information than Erestor was. There were times that Erestor begrudged his friend for this role and there were other times he had no envy. At the moment, he was very strongly feeling the first.
“Well he didn’t this time. He just gave the bare details,” Glorfindel huffed.
“You still haven’t answered my first question. How am I supposed to manage my work with these two around?” Erestor hissed.
The twin in his arm began fussing as though agreeing with Erestor. Erestor awkwardly hushed the child as best as he knew how. The twin thankfully quieted, though he did reach for his brother.
“You take one and I’ll take the other. Easy peasy,” Glorfindel waved off Erestor’s concern once more.
“I’m not good with kids,” Erestor wrinkled his nose.
He avoided them as much as possible.
“It will be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?” Glorfindel called over his shoulder as he left.
Erestor was later left wishing that Glorfindel could eat his own words.
Exactly two hours and fifteen minutes after this conversation, the twin in Erestor’s care was gone. Did Erestor mention he wasn’t good with kids?