Work Text:
“… I’m sorry, what?”
Erestor was frozen in his seat, left hand outstretched to grab the glass of wine from the side table. The two elves were seated comfortably on a couch in Glorfindel’s chambers, enjoying several drinks after a thorough chess battle. Glorfindel could only chuckle as he repeated the question.
“I asked if I may kiss you, Erestor. Was that unclear somehow?”
“No, I… I, uh, heard you the first time. I just did not quite process it until now. Kiss me?”
Glorfindel bit down a giggle, thoroughly amused at Erestor’s naivety but careful not to have the elf think he was laughing at him. Erestor was adorable when he was oblivious, yes, although Glorfindel intended in no way to embarrass the elf.
“You are the smartest elf in the valley, my dear, need I repeat myself a third time?”
“I just… where is this coming from, Glorfindel?” Erestor’s brow furrowed although he remained motionless, still reaching out for the goblet that suddenly felt like it sat leagues from his grasp. He looked up at the captain, who had no trace of irony upon his face — Valar, that beautiful face, — only an amusement that made him blush.
“Have you seriously no idea? I have been flirting with you for nearly a century now, Erestor!”
The captain could no longer hold back his laughter, face breaking into a wide grin as he sat back on the sofa, the half-empty wine bottle in hand. Erestor just stared, mouth flapping open and closed although no words came out.
Glorfindel had always been friendly towards him, of course. The captain was by nature easy-going and polite, having made many friends in the years since his return to Middle-Earth and arrival in the valley. But never had Erestor detected there was anything deeper to their acquaintanceship. He acted warmly towards everyone, showing great respect to everyone from Lord Elrond to the cook’s assistants. Yes, he had his history and acclaim on his side, but more than the stories, Glorfindel was, truly, kind and soft despite the deadly fall of his sword. Strong, handsome, and polite was indeed a rare combination, and everyone saw it in the reborn Balrog-slayer.
Erestor had indeed noticed him when Glorfindel came to the valley, finding the new captain quite a handsome fellow and good company indeed. He had befriended the grumpy councilor, too, which few had done before, although Glorfindel always seemed to understand the terms on which Erestor preferred to socialize. The two unlikely acquaintances found themselves together many days, sometimes only in a work context (Glorfindel reviewing the latest reports from the border while Erestor completed paperwork), although their responsibilities often yielded to a strategy game or reading for pleasure.
They just… enjoyed each other’s company, Erestor supposed. Glorfindel understood the quiet and serious elf, respected his devotion to his work, and was content with their casual rapport. They were not quite friends, their relationship lacking that personal intimacy, but certainly more than just coworkers. They were familiar, to put it simply, understanding the other instinctively and content in that fellowship.
“Why do you think I am in the library every week, asking for you to point me to a certain text? I have asked you for the same book dozens of times! You would think by now I would know where to find it myself!” Glorfindel laughed, breaking Erestor’s train of thought.
“I… I thought nothing of it, honestly.” Erestor sat back and returned to his own thoughts, trying to recall just how many times Glorfindel had requested the librarian find him The Tales of Luthien, or why he would even want to read that children’s book over and over.
Glorfindel continued, “Erestor, we play chess every night! Over a bottle of wine!”
“Is that not what acquaintances do?”
“I mean, sure, but not every night for a century!”
Erestor’s face was blushing red by now, both from the alcohol and embarrassment, honestly and fully taken aback at his coworker’s confessions. Glorfindel was attempting to court him? Had he really no clue, this entire time? Was he that dense? It was not as if Glorfindel’s seemingly sudden advances were not welcome, the captain had a striking beauty that even Erestor had noticed: long, curly blond hair falling over a muscular torso tanned from long hours on the battlefield. Any elf would have been lucky to be the target of his affections. Erestor just never thought to consider that that elf was him.
Glorfindel only smiled at him, thoroughly amused, with a soft sparkle in his eyes and those broad shoulders still shaking in laughter.
“Valar, Erestor. You’re the only one I have ever let braid my hair! And I yours!”
Erestor just stared.
“Do you remember the time,” asked Glorfindel, breaking the librarian’s silence, “that I invited you to come watch the Midwinter’s fireworks with me? When Elladan stole your wool robe and I gave you the one off my back? And then when you returned it, I told you I loved how it smelled like you?”
Erestor nodded and Glorfindel waved a hand, seemingly gesturing for the other elf to continue along that same train of thought.
“And… when you asked me to dance at Estel’s wedding? That was not just out of mutual respect?”
“Definitely not! I truly wanted to dance with you, you fool!”
“And several years ago when you asked me about my plans for Midsummer?”
“Erestor, I — in no uncertain terms — invited you into my bed! How could you have possibly misinterpreted that!?”
“It was Midsummer…” Erestor shrugged, still blushing, “I just assumed it was a polite gesture. No romantic bonds necessary, is not that the general idea?”
It was Glorfindel’s turn now to just stare at the other. The captain chuckled one last time before grabbing Erestor’s hand, still stretched out to that glass of wine, and pulling the smaller elf towards him, leaning over to speak softly in his ear.
“Believe it or not, my dear,” he whispered, letting his warm breath tickle the librarian’s neck, “‘coworkers’ do not usually share in each other’s company in that way.”
He sat back again, watching in charmed humor as Erestor mumbled to himself, recalling decades of memories and counting on the fingers of his free hand.
Glorfindel had volunteered to help construct the new shelving for the library expansion. He had brought the councilor supper many a time when Erestor’s work would not allow him even the time to step away from his desk for a meal. He had assisted Erestor in taking care of the twins when they were but elflings, knowing that the librarian felt uncomfortable outnumbered by small children. Erestor even suspected that Glorfindel had fudged some budgetary numbers one season so that the two of them would have to collaborate to fix the error.
Glorfindel took a sip from the bottle, the third one of the night. It was nearly empty, they had been drinking for hours now after an early ending to the work day and subsequent afternoon playing chess. He looked intently at the elf in front of him: Glorfindel had watched Erestor disappear into his own head in thought a million times — in council meetings, his head tucked into a book, even scowling down at his own supper. But the elf never looked so beautiful as he did in thought now, long black hair mussed after an evening of wine, flush running up to the tips of his ears, slouched haphazardly over Glorfindel’s sofa, staring at some far-off point. Erestor usually looked so composed, so serious, and to see the librarian like this, flustered and blushing, had Glorfindel’s mind wandering to just how Erestor would look lying beneath him, lost in pleasure.
Glorfindel pushed the dirty image from his mind quickly, eager to keep things rather innocent for now. He had, essentially, just confessed his love to Erestor out of nowhere, for the sake of the Valar, since Erestor had apparently failed to register decades' worth of advances. Rather let him start by processing this first display of affection before they escalated to physical passion.
“Erestor, you madenning elf,” Glorfindel started, hand still in his. “I have looked upon you with love and lust since we first met.”
Erestor blinked. “Oh…” The smaller elf muttered. His face had turned the shade of a ripe tomato as he supposedly fit the pieces together, “Oh, you have been courting me…”
“Yes! Now have you decided on an answer, my dear librarian?”
“Wait, what was the question again?”
Glorfindel laughed, leaning once again towards Erestor to tuck a lock of black hair behind the elf’s ear. He could swear he felt Erestor shudder as his fingertips grazed the side of his neck.
“May I kiss you?”
Erestor nearly melted under Glorfindel’s gaze, suddenly aware of the pleasant warmth of the wine flowing through him, or perhaps that was the heat of his own blood coursing through his veins?
“Please,” he was barely able to mutter before Glorfindel pressed those soft lips into his.
The kiss was chaste yet far from passionless. Erestor could think of nothing but how he could taste the sweet wine on Glorfindel’s lips, feel the captain’s soft breaths against his own, how Glorfindel brushed the back of Erestor’s hand with his thumb — he was still holding it warmly. The captain’s other hand came to find the side of Erestor’s face, fingertips lightly tilting the elf’s face to his own. Erestor sighed and eased into the touch, soft and comforting, so perfectly welcome and so perfectly delicate.
“You are the smartest elf there is,” Glorfindel spoke softly as their lips broke, “yet so completely oblivious to love, my dear, especially when it is looking you straight in your beautiful face.”
The confession had Erestor surging forward, grasping Glorfindel’s face in his own hands now, pulling him down and into another kiss, just as loving but now with a new heat, a new desire to hold the blond elf so closely that he could not tell one body from another. At the new intensity, Glorfindel’s tongue darted against Erestor’s lips and the librarian opened his mouth eagerly at the advance. The captain’s tongue was strong and honey-sweet as it explored every corner of his mouth, Erestor feeling his own breath quicken with every passing second.
There they stayed for what felt like an eternity of soft sighs and firm hands around waists, shoulders, dancing up the back of necks, until Erestor pulled away panting.
“How you have managed to undo me with such speed and intensity I do not know, but if you call me oblivious one more time, I promise that this is the most you will ever receive from me.”
Glorfindel smirked, “And if I keep calling you smart?”
“Then I may have to take you to bed.”
“Oh, already?” Glorfindel quipped.
“It has been a century, or so you say, I feel like it is acceptable to skip the proper courtship process.”
The captain’s smile deepened, blue eyes grinning too, and Erestor wanted nothing more than to fall completely and utterly into that gaze.