beta: goodbye_sun
AN: more scheming.
Who knows the rules of the game
Who's able to forget them
To realize my aim
One you lock the target
Two you bait the line
Three you slowly spread the net
And four you catch the man
- Front 242
Chapter 11 - Who knows the rules of the game?
Elured had avoided Elurin all day, he had seen him in the courtyard as he and Elladan had returned, but he had ignored him, and made some excuse that he was in dire need of a bath, fleeing to his chambers. He wondered if Elurin could tell just by looking at him that he had shared his nights with Elladan? That his body was no longer just for Elurin?
Elured opened the window to let in the night air. Leaning out, he inhaling deeply, letting his still wet hair dangle like a fringe down over his hands that held onto the edge of the sill. He looked up at the starlit sky. Because that was really the problem wasn't it? That he felt something. In all of his long life he had never felt like this towards anyone other than Elurin, and now he wondered if this was how Elurin had felt every time he had left his side to be with a new lover, until he would tire of them, and return to Elured's bed. Had Elurin's thoughts really been preoccupied like this?
Elured heard his door open slowly, and he was not surprised when he heard his brother's soft voice, ”Elured?”
”I'm here,” Elured mumbled from the window. Turning around facing Elurin at the door.
”Is everything alright, Brother?” Elurin asked politely, ”You seem troubled.” Elurin closed the door behind him gently, locking it by slapping the little bolt in place, before he turned to Elured again. ”So how was your trip, Brother dear?” he asked, slightly annoyed.
”Great, thank you,” Elured answered merrily, annoyed by his twins' tone. Grabbing hold of the sill, he hoisted himself up to sit in the window ledge, his feet dangling in the air over the bedroom floor. ”I think it's a much better arrangement for Arwen.”
Elurin squinted his eyes and quickly covered the distance from the door to the window where Elured was sitting. ”I meant, did you get your target?”
Elured sighed, and nodded, ”Yes, I did.”
Elurin smiled widely. ”Marvellous!” he cheered, ”What did you do?” Elurin purred, ”You must tell me.”
Elured knew his brothers mind and just smiled amused. ”Later,” he mumbled. ”And you? Did your plan work?”
”It did,” Elurin said winking at his brother, ”I spent every night in Elrond's bed for the last week.” He shrugged, placing his hands on Elured's knees, ”He does not trust me yet, but I might earn that trust in time.” Elurin shook his head slowly, ”It won't be an easy task, but we both agreed, right? Whatever means necessary.”
”We did,” Elured said with a sombre tone, sliding down from the window ledge, he wrapped his arms around Elurin, resting his head on his twin's shoulder. ”I missed you,” he whispered. Why did that feel more like a lie, than when he had told Elladan that he loved him?
”I missed you too, Brother,” Elurin whispered back, running his fingers through Elured's cold, wet hair. ”I wish I could claim you right now,” he mumbled, ”But I am afraid that either Elrond, or his mangy son will suspect something, I'm sorry Brother. When all this is over, I am going to ravish you for a week straight,” Elurin giggled.
”I bet you will,” Elured chuckled as well, kissing his brother on the cheek, ”And I love you for it.”
~*~
Elured rested his head in his brother's lap, watching the fireplace, dangling a wine glass lazily in his hand. If they couldn't touch each other, they could at least drink wine together. ”Elurin, does it never bother you? You know, what Father told us?”
”Whatever do you mean?” Elurin asked softly, taking a sip of his own wine while stroking Elured's hair absent-mindedly.
”That we can never travel to the white shores? We can never reunite with our kin.” His voice fell to a whisper, ”Are we doomed to stay here until we are driven insane and dive off a cliff, or someone plants a dagger in our chest?” Elured turned his head to look up at Elurin, who still stared off into the flames, listening. ”I bothers me,” he finally admitted in a weak whisper.
”It used to bother me as well,” Elurin said gently. ”A lot of things used to bother me, but Father never forced our hands Elured, we did that all on our own.”
”I wish I could see them, just once,” Elured whispered, ”The white shores, I have read that they are the most beautiful of all sights to behold. And Mother would be there Elurin, have you thought of that? Our birth father... and...”
Elurin looked down at Elured in his lap. ”Are you going all sissy Elven on me?” Elurin laughed hushed. ”You can just as well quit it, you know as well as I do, that the doomsman is not merciful, and even should he show us mercy and allow us in his halls, the other Valar might not be as lenient as he.” Elurin smiled sadly seeing his brothers sorrowful expression, ”Don't be sad, Brother. We were born here, and we shall die here, such are the terms. So there is no need to dream of Valinor.”
”But,” Elured whispered, ”What if we hear the call of the sea, just as Lady Celebrian? What do we do?” Elured closed his eyes.
”The twins have the choice right? They can choose if they want to be counted amongst the first born, or mortal men.” Elurin said, looking back into the fire, thoughtful. ”But they are only bound to the race of mortal men by Elrond's father, their grandfather. And so are we, our grandfather was mortal as well, so maybe we too can make that choice.”
Elurin smiled to himself, ”Maybe Father just forgot to tell us.”
”You have a point,” Elured mumbled lazy.
”But I have no need for mortals,” Elurin shrugged, ”So I don't care if I have a choice or not, I made my decision a long, long time ago. I promised my twin I would never leave him.”
Elured reached up and caressed Elurin's face. ”Never leave me, promise me you won't ever leave me behind, you would always return to me, right?”
Elurin looked down at his brother resting in his lap, and smiled. ”I would never leave you, surely you know that.” He took a deep breath, ”I fear nothing besides that, I would go mad from grief if I were to stay in this world alone, without you.”
Elured seemed reassured by those words, slowly rising from his comfortable spot on his twins lap. ”Did you promise Elrond you would go to him tonight?”
”I did,” Elurin mumbled, ”You're right, its late, and I should be going, will you be okay on your own?”
Elured nodded slowly, ”I will.”
”Soon, okay, soon we can be together again,” Elurin whispered, kissing his brother's cheek tenderly, before he stood up from the pillows they had arranged in front of the fireplace.
Elured just smiled and nodded, watching his brother as he left the room.