Arrangement of Thorns

Posted: May 2003
Type: FCS
Author: Kharessa Bloodrose
Characters: Erestor/Elladan/Elrohir
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or settings, and I am making no profit from the writing and sharing of this story.
Warnings: BDSM, twincest, angst
Author's Notes: This was an idea that struck me a while back when I was tossing around ideas on what to do when I'd finished with Glorfie and Erestor. Seems I haven't quite gotten Erestor out of my system. This is NOT the same Erestor as the one I wrote in my previous series.
Summary: Elrohir discovers that his brother is involved in a rather unique relationship with their former tutor.

*****

Part One

From a distance, and to the casual observer, nothing would have seemed amiss. Erestor was seated on a low stone bench, back to a latticed arch riotously covered in red climbing roses. Elladan sat or knelt on the ground beside him. Elrohir was no longer watching them from a distance, however, and he was not a casual observer. Standing half concealed by a marble garden nymph, he considered the scene being played out before him with a furrowed brow. He was unaware that his breathing had become shallow, his posture that of a hunter lying in wait for his prey. Elrohir hovered, poised, watching and waiting, consternation deepening.

Yes, Elladan was kneeling, and though Elrohir could not see clearly through the tangle of roses, it seemed that his hands were
clasped behind his back. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were fixed upon those of their tutor's far more intensely than they ever had in the classroom. It seemed that nothing existed in this distant corner of the garden save for Erestor; the young elf had no eyes for flowers and fountains, fruit laden trees and verdant greenery. It was this expression of fascination that intrigued Elrohir, that and the blush that nearly matched the flood of roses.

He caught his breath a moment later when Erestor ran his fingers lightly under Elladan's chin, tilted his head upwards to
expose the smooth column of white throat. The counselor's hands were encased in black leather, tight black leather that fit like skin. From where Elrohir stood the gloves looked perfectly smooth, stretched taut over the flesh beneath them. There was something vaguely menacing about those gloves, the way they looked on Erestor's hands, the way he traced that gloved hand along the line of Elladan's jaw, under his chin, the way he drew his thumb lightly over Elladan's lower lip.

Elladan remained perfectly still save for a parting of lips, a flicker of pink tongue. Elrohir felt a strange, insidious heat coiling low in his belly as he watched his brother delicately taste the smooth leather, as he imagined the warmth of it, the texture, the faint tang of salt. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared, willing them to move, willing this scene to make sense. They did not move, however. The two elves might have been statues themselves, motionless, connected only by a few centimeters of flesh separated by leather.

Elrohir could not see Erestor's face, could not tell if the older elf wore the same expression of flushed fascination. Erestor's profile was obscured by a fall of raven hair, unbraided, and that was something else that was unusual, though Elrohir had not immediately noticed that amidst all else here that was unusual. He suddenly wanted to change his position so that he could see what emotions might be playing across the chief counselor's face, but now he was as moveless as they were, trapped under the too hot sun next to the marble nymph.

The other hand came into view and the thumb was retracted. Elrohir held his breath. Heels of palms met under Elladan's chin; finger tips danced lightly against ear lobes. For the briefest of moments Elladan's dark eyes closed. Erestor said something sharply, something that Elrohir could not quite hear, and eyes fluttered opened once again, dilated.

Erestor's fingers moved along the curve of Elladan's ears, slid upwards, stroked the tips in a gentle yet merciless rhythm. Elrohir could see the increasing tension in his brother's posture even through the concealing veil of roses and flowering bushes, could see the tightness in the line of his jaw, the narrowing of his eyes. His hair had been pushed back to reveal his ears completely, and though Elrohir knew that the delicate points were sensitive, he had never thought the sight of exposed ears could be so stimulating, so erotic. His brother's lips opened soundlessly, and Elrohir bit his own lip as he continued to watch.

Again Erestor spoke, so softly that it could be heard only as a soft murmuring. Elladan's hands emerged from behind his back, his movements stiff from the awkwardness of his position and stillness too long maintained. Elrohir could not see what he was doing, but he did not need to. The angle of his shoulders and elbows told all. Elrohir expected that once he had undone the laces of his breeches that Erestor would touch him, or that he would touch himself. Instead, he once more folded his hands behind his back. Erestor continued his ministrations, thumbs working across ear tips while his fingers skated along the curve and rounded lobe.

Elrohir had no idea of how long he stood there, how long he watched the strange tableau by the roses and fountain before Elladan finally reached his climax. In spite of the distance between them he could hear the raggedness of his brother's breathing, the uncontrollable whimper that passed his lips with each exhalation. He could see the trembling in a frame no longer able to maintain perfect stillness, a slow shattering of perfection into something more heated, more sensual, more desirable. When it was finished Elladan swayed on his knees, hands still caught up at the small of his back, and Elrohir forgot to breathe as he waited to see if his brother would fall.

He did not fall, however, and at another murmur from Erestor he sank back on his heels. Only the top of his head was now visible over the screening barrier of rhododendrons, dark brown silk gilded by bright sunlight, bowed. Erestor handed him something, and once more there was movement that Elrohir could guess at but not see. When he was finished, Elladan shakily knelt up once more. Erestor's lips met his in a searing kiss, a black gloved hand clenched on his trembling shoulder. A moment later the two rose, and Elrohir silently backed away, disappeared into the controlled tangle of shrubbery and flowers.

*****

Elrohir was the younger of the two, if only by a matter of minutes; he was the more bookish twin, quiet and introspective. His thoughts turned inward, often on their own track separate from the world around him, while Elladan was the more outgoing, vibrant, vivacious and active twin. There was little that Elladan missed, whereas Elrohir was often so tightly focused upon his interests that all else could go up in flames around him without his notice. Once his attention had been caught, however, Elrohir was not one to be diverted.

They had shared a single room until they had reached their majority, and it had been Elladan's idea to separate. Elrohir considered that as he laid back on his bed, restlessly teasing at the backwards trail of his memories. They were still considered elflings by most of their elders. A year had passed since the celebration of their coming of age, but Elrohir knew they were woefully young compared to the other elves in their father's house. Apparently one of those other elves did not think them too young, though. He was not quite sure in what manner Erestor had been treating Elladan, but of a surety he was not treating him like an elfling. Had this begun soon after their coming of age? Was that why Elladan had wanted his own room?

He began to stroke himself through his breeches as he considered the scene in the garden. Remembered heat blended with renewed heat as he rubbed the heel of his palm over hardening flesh, his thoughts whirling as he lazily tantalized himself. Strange that had been, the only contact between the two being that of gloved hands to lips and ears, lips to lips, hand to shoulder. They had not embraced. Cold logic and excitement mingled as he thought of this, thought of the abrupt stiffening he had felt in that same place that he now stroked when he had watched Erestor touching his brother so shamelessly, so expertly, so surely.

Elladan and Erestor had never been close as far as Elrohir knew. His brother had not been particularly interested in his lessons, and had been little more than a passable student. If he had not been born into a house that placed great value in learning he probably would not have bothered to learn more than the basics of language and history that all elves were expected to know. Elrohir had been the good student, the one who listened and learned, the one who studied because he felt motivated to learn more, to know more. He had been the one to ask endless questions, to seek their teacher out for more, more, more. He had been Erestor's pet as Elladan had been Glorfindel's. At least, that's what Elrohir had always thought.

But Elladan was the one who saw and heard, who missed nothing that happened around him. Elrohir frowned over this as he unlaced his breeches, took his length in hand, thought of his brother's face transfigured in ecstasy. Elladan would have known if it had been him with Erestor; it would not have taken a year and a chance encounter to bring such a thing to his attention. Was that all the reason there was for Elladan's presence at Erestor's feet?

He saw leather gloved thumbs on ear tips, saw sweat forming on Elladan's brow in pure beads. Muscles flexed hard in thighs and stomach as his hips jutted upward, as his member convulsed in his grip. Elrohir settled back with a soft sigh, sleepiness mixing oddly with curious, frightened excitement.

*****

"Do you remember how we used to sneak out to the river at night? Go fishing or swimming? Or back to the caves?"

"Mmmhmm." Elladan replied. They had finished their supper an hour ago. Elladan had gone to the stables to check on one of the pregnant mares, and Elrohir had gone along with him. Now they stood by the stall door watching the horse contentedly eating the apples they had brought her.

"What say we go tonight? We won't have to sneak out now." He grinned broadly, and Elladan smiled in return.

"I do miss that. Tonight's no good, though; I have to get up early tomorrow to patrol with Glorfindel. Once my training's done he and I are going to be switching off on mornings."

"Mmm." Elrohir nodded. He knew Elladan did not begin morning patrol with Glorfindel until the following week because he'd asked the seneschal before speaking with his brother.

"Maybe some other night?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow night's good for me. See you an hour after bedtime, just like the old days?"

Elladan laughed. "Sure, though I'd prefer to leave by the door instead of by the trellis under the balcony! Remember the time you dropped the fishing poles and they landed on the patio?"

"Don't remind me. I thought my heart was going to stop when father ran in to see if we were alright. How much of that stuff do you really think he didn't know about?" Elrohir asked, and Elladan shrugged.

"I don't know, and I daresay we're still too young to ask. Let it mellow for a century or two."

Elrohir snickered. "Aye, I'm not eager to bring our... indiscretions to his attention yet, either." He cast his brother a sidewise glance. "Especially your later ones."

"You must admit she's a pretty lass." Elladan smirked, and Elrohir raised an eyebrow.

"She? I would think 'they' would be more like it."

"So I had a little bit of trouble differentiating between love and infatuation."

"And since then? I always suspected you wanted your own room so you wouldn't have to listen to me teasing you about your girlfriends."

"I think I might have learned the difference." Elladan looked away, but not before Elrohir saw color rise in his cheeks, saw a shadow cross his dark eyes.

"Well, we had best be getting back to the house since you need your rest."

"Aye." Elladan's voice tone was slightly strangled, and Elrohir barely managed to hide his grin.

"Tomorrow night, then, if you can manage to avoid Glorfindel. Or any other entanglements."

Elladan said nothing, and the two left the stables in oddly weighted silence.

*****

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