FicWad

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make nothing financially off of my writings. I owe everything to the Great Bird of the Galaxy and Great Wizard of the Universe.


Chapter Seven: Beloved Moments

As the days passed and the nightmares ceased, time almost seemed to stand still. Elrond and Picard no longer resembled the parts of host and visitor they held upon first meeting but had become closer than friends and more. Their liaisons became more frequent during the day while either one tended to tasks, be it fixing the beacon or dealing with daily chores and decisions for Imladris. Amongst the working hours a respite was found to relax in each other's comfort.

Before Picard realized it, he had been a resident in Imladris for nigh four weeks. The beacon no longer held the luster of escape but reminded him of duty and wearing a uniform. Picard loved his ship and crew and no one could deny that. Somehow his visit to this new world had changed him so much that he dreaded knowing how he would miss it. Or more appropriately, how he would miss Elrond.

They were taking their time in exploring the relationship between them despite knowing Picard's timeframe was growing shorter by the day. Elrond knew that Picard did not take intimacy lightly and that he was cautious when opening himself so utterly to another. It was this respect and patience that Picard loved and brought him closer to the elf. Yet, Picard also knew that Elrond could never join him on the Enterprise and leave his duties and obligations behind. Those thoughts hindered him at times, wanting to hold back from developing deeper feelings for Elrond. Inside he hoped that they could still continue their affair with long distances and intermissions between them.

"Jean-Luc, you seem lost in your thoughts," Elrond spoke suddenly, breaking Picard out of his thinking.

"I was but let's not trouble ourselves with it now," he said with a sigh.

Picard had been repairing the beacon that evening but while doing so his mind wandered. Elrond, as usual, had been at his desk writing to the High King who resided in the Grey Havens.

"Perhaps it is best you take a reprieve until later," the elf offered as he placed his hands on Picard's shoulders. "The night air is still warm from the day, we can take a few minutes to enjoy it."

"You are right," Picard sighed. "I'll leave it until morning."

As Elrond led Picard to the door, the elf let his closeness be known with a light trace of his fingers over Picard's back. Smiling to himself, the captain welcomed the little reminders of Elrond's regard for him that seemed small, but were just as meaningful as his words and gaze.

"I was hoping you might leave tomorrow free from work," Elrond said as they stepped outside.

"What have you planned for us?" Picard asked curiously.

"There is a place nearby to Imladris but it is rarely traveled to by others. I visit it as my own hide-away of sorts," Elrond explained "I want to share it with you. We need some privacy from prying eyes for a day or two."

"I had not noticed anyone watching us," Picard said. "Or who knows of us."

"That is the life of someone so public as I am to my people," Elrond sighed as he looked up into the darkening sky where the first stars began to appear. "There has been talk about how often we are in each other's company."

"Gossip is not missed even here it seems," Picard chuckled.

"Rumors do not bother me," Elrond said as they passed over one of the bridges above the river. "Especially since they are true."

Picard felt his cheeks warm with the red blush that came with hearing Elrond's comments. So unafraid...

"I think getting away would be a good idea," Picard concluded. "Considering this is supposed to be my shore leave, I welcome it gladly."

"I have our needs in place for an early departure in the morn," Elrond said. "We will break our fast then ride."

"Sounds like a wonderful plan," Picard said.

"You will love it as much as I do," Elrond smiled. "Come now, I hear the others gathering for the fire."

"I cannot believe the hall is nearly finished," Picard commented as they walked. "The carpenters have certainly done grand work."

"Thank you," Elrond replied while absorbing the compliment. "I will make certain to pass your praise to them. I believe by the end of this week we will have it ready to congregate in for our nightly spells."

"Now that is something I look forward to seeing," Picard said as they came up to the growing group of elves. "Where are Glorfindel and Erestor tonight?"

Elrond sighed, "They will not be present this night. It was requested the story of Gondolin be told tonight."

"Oh, I see," Picard nodded, recognizing the city name from previous conversations.

"Let us listen," Elrond said as he motioned for Picard to sit next to him on the outer edge of the circle.

*

Picard was quiet as the storytelling ended and remained so as he and Elrond headed to their rooms. The tale of life and death, the survival of elven-kind had been very poignant; though, it had taken him again into deep thought.

"Are you well?" Elrond asked once they were alone.

"Yes, I am thinking about the story," Picard said. "How your people never give up despite what appears to be a constant threat to your way of life."

"I had thought the tale too premature for telling, considering the all too recent destruction of Eregion," Elrond related. "However, it seemed to give some hope to the survivors that they, too, can go on like those before them in Gondolin."

"Healing of woes in that way is always a good first step," Picard said.

"Yes, it is," Elrond sighed. "There is much more to come still."

"War may be on my own people's doorstep," Picard said. "It appears we may have no choice. The negotiations and diplomatic talks are fruitless since the leaders of the Dominion already have their minds made up."

"An enemy bent on destruction and oppression cannot be easily turned," Elrond said. "If at all. I only hope yours will have a quick victory for your side."

"I do as well," Picard said with a deep sigh. "However, it appears it may be longer than we had anticipated. The Dominion has soldiers like these orcs that roam your lands, created and manipulated for terrible purposes with no conscience or care for lives lost. It seems strange and foreign to me now after being here for so long."

Elrond saw the clouded, faraway look in his love's eyes and took his hand, gently squeezing it as they walked along. The gesture brought Picard back and a small smile passed over his lips.

"For now I should not worry too much," Picard said finally.

"By focusing your attention elsewhere?" Elrond asked as they approached his room first.

"On other thoughts that do not bring sadness, yes," Picard smiled.

"Would you care to come in for a while?" Elrond offered.

"I will," Picard smiled.

Having never been in Elrond's chambers before, Picard took a cursory glance around. It was similarly furnished like his own but with a four-poster bed and drapes hanging from above that seemingly veiled the bed inside. Elrond had left his balcony doors open to let air flow freely into the room and while he kindled the lights in the room, Picard found a place in the sitting area to wait.

"I was hoping we could talk for a time," Elrond said when he finally settled next to Picard. "There have been many thoughts on your mind lately."

"Indeed," Picard sighed as he took Elrond's hand in his own. "Tonight's story did not relieve me of those thoughts either."

"Jean-Luc, I see the worry in your eyes. Are you uncertain of where we shall go in the future?" the elf asked. "I have given you much time to become comfortable with me, but I want to know if we should discontinue or let it move forward?"

Squeezing Elrond's hand, Picard moved closer to him and slipped an arm around his waist.

"I want to stay with you," Picard said. "It is what decisions I have to make in the near future that trouble me."

"That I have thought about as well and know that neither of us will ask or demand of the other to leave a former life," Elrond replied while he placed a hand on Picard's knee.

"I can visit as often as I can," Picard answered while his voice dropped a bit. "This can still work."

"We will," Elrond whispered as he leaned his head against Picard's. "There are other worries to come; however, we can face them when the time comes."

Nodding in agreement, Picard placed a gentle kiss on Elrond's mouth that the elf gladly returned. A murmur of enjoyment came from Elrond as the kiss deepened. Picard sighed in contentment when he felt the elf enclose him in his embrace. Their encounters often led down that path of lying in one another's arms while blissfully becoming lost in the other's arms.

It was this fall into pleasure that Picard did not notice Elrond's hand on his hip. The fingers tracing on his thigh were only met with muffled moans. However, Picard felt his breathing quicken once Elrond took a step into new territory. Fluttery lips pressed against Picard's neck as Elrond tasted the soft skin. A deep breath and shudder passed through the captain the moment the elf found a sensitive place to exploit.

Smiling, Elrond returned to the spot that elicited a response and began to suckle and nip lightly with his teeth. A louder moan escaped Picard's lips when he leaned into Elrond enticingly. Capturing their mouths together once more, they tasted the sweetness inside, tongues battling as the kisses became hungrier and more forceful.

It was when he was gently lowered onto his back that Picard opened his eyes to look upon Elrond. Above him stormy gray-blue eyes drank in the image of Picard below, eyes that did little to hide Elrond's intentions. Further continuing their caressing, their breathing became heavier. Picard felt a rise inside of him while Elrond lay upon him, his weight covering the captain covetously. He had been the aggressive partner in the flings with Louis but Picard suddenly realized how much he had missed by not being a little submissive.

"Elrond," Picard managed to say between breaths. "You do not... enjoy letting me go, do you?"

"Never," the elf smiled before taking control once more.

Finding his wits, Picard eased back and began his own ministrations to please Elrond. His dark locks felt like strands of Tholian silk flowing between Picard's fingers. Unexpectedly Elrond's hands roved over Picard's body, their dancing touches electrified Picard's senses as Elrond wandered from Picard's neck to his chest. A sharp intake of breath from the captain brought a pleased moan from Elrond as one of his wandering palms cupped underneath Picard's backside.

The reaction was more shock than an intrusion to Picard. The boundaries they both had kept and occasionally ventured close to had been broken completely with the brazen move Elrond had made. Having received no act of disapproval or reprimand, Elrond went further by clutching Picard with his fingers, pulling at the fabric of his slacks to feel what was underneath.

Another shudder involuntarily racked Picard as Elrond pressed against him. The telltale bulge in the elf's leggings stood out between them, especially with the weight it had against Picard's thigh. The realization Picard had in knowing Elrond's amount of enjoyment also increased his mind's lustful meanderings. He did not pull away as the elf rocked against him, but rather let himself fall under the spell Elrond was conjuring around them. It was when Elrond pressed his groin against Picard's quickly hardening length that the captain expressed fully his want to not stop through a loud moan.

"Let yourself be mine," Elrond whispered huskily in his ear. "And I, yours."

Picard's hips arched toward the elf as Elrond's hand skillfully unlaced the captain's pants in seconds and skipped underneath. The first stroke brought incredible heat flashing through Picard's body, fingertips lightly toying against the sensitive flesh before taking Picard's arousal completely in a tight grasp. Crying out into Elrond's mouth, his ecstasy muffled by more plundering kisses, Picard bit tantalizingly onto Elrond's bottom lip as each stroke sent his mind reeling out of control.

Buttons quickly came undone as Elrond's free hand removed Picard's shirt. More fingers felt Picard's heated skin over his stomach and chest, the healing hands that had once tended to his wounds now felt like tickling volts of pleasure in the same places. More kisses continued as Elrond's lips headed down Picard's neck and over his chest. An uncontrolled cry of Elrond's name resounded in the room, bouncing off the walls as the elf smiled wickedly over his lover. Whimpered sounds that Picard hardly recognized as his own called upon Elrond to finish the task he had started, but he caught his breath as he watched the elf-lord disrobe on top of him.

Elrond's rain-cloud gray eyes watched Picard unblinkingly as if keeping him in a frozen moment of time that the captain would not escape from easily. Elrond began by unwrapping his tunic, baring his torso in the dim torchlight. He still straddled the captain on the divan, letting his bulging length still rub against Picard's.

The elf could see Picard's gaze take his half-naked form in, learning his contours by sight that he had mapped over clothing before. As soon as the green irises dropped to below his waistline, Elrond moved over Picard's body like a serpent and sharply nibbled at a peeked nipple. A hiss of pleasure slipped through Picard's lips when Elrond whispered into his ear.

"Follow me to our bed, melethron," he beckoned.

/Our bed/, Picard repeated in his mind. The words surprised him but it also hearkened to a budding love growing stronger.

Doing as he was bid, Picard rose after Elrond had relinquished his hold on him. Helping Picard remove the rest of his shirt, Elrond let his fingers wind over Picard's hips while he backed him to the edge of the bed. Deft hands quickly removed the captain's pants, leaving him bare to the bone before Elrond's hungry eyes. Reaching with his own want, Picard unlaced his partner's leggings, hands shaking slightly at knowing where their love play was headed.

The girth and prominence of Elrond's shaft sparked a surprised inhale of awe from Picard. Pressing Picard onto the bed, Elrond climbed next to him as they lay facing each other on their sides. He felt himself come near to spending himself while Elrond guided his hand with his own to his length. Elrond began to move Picard's hand over the tender skin, much as he had just done to Picard. The elf moaned and nuzzled his face into Picard's neck once the captain began stroking on his own.

Their lips came together earnestly as they both gently fondled and teased each other with touch. A shared groan of contentment was met the moment their shafts came in contact. Slow strokes quickened while passion flared once more, a building intensity emanated between them as they moved together as one in pace and ferocity. The last thread of control broke as their mixed seed spilled over their hands.

Breathing soon slowed: foreheads pressed together as their energy subsided. A tender kiss, almost too chaste compared to the bantering play from before, carefully and gingerly was tasted. After what seemed like hours, Elrond took to helping Picard clean up as well as tending to himself. Finished and spent, Elrond pulled Picard's body into the crook of his own. Picard could feel the heat of the elf's body against his back and curled into the comfort and solace offered, taking Elrond's hand in his.

*

"What was that cry that awoke me?" Erestor asked as he looked up sleepily from his pillow. "It was if some fell beast met his end to another in the forest."

He gazed at Glorfindel's face for an answer. The golden elf lay staring at the ceiling as if he had long been awake.

"Nay, it was no beast," he replied to Erestor. "However, he who cried it had indeed succumbed."

Erestor raised his head and looked at his lover quizzically.

"You make no sense, melindo," the dark-haired elf said.

Glorfindel sighed when he rolled on his side in bed, bringing Erestor closer to him.

"It is nothing you should worry yourself with at this time," he said, running his fingers in the dark hair of his mate.

"Yet it troubles you," Erestor replied, brow furrowing.

"It does," the older elf acknowledged. "I must leave it be for now. The Valar and perhaps Eru himself have reasons for this twist and upheaval in life."

"Then forget it," Erestor said as he claimed Glorfindel's lips and the golden elf returned the caress.