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He plans on building himself a cabin in the woods, away from civilization and regaining the contact with others slowly.
If it were his decision, Maedhros would probably go on and start appearing publicly again, but it might be kinder on other people not to. He’s relearning self-control and respecting boundaries, he’s not going to leap into politics immediately. (He will get into politics again soon, that much he is sure of, just not perhaps this soon.)
The cabin in the woods sound more appalling every time he thinks about it. Too far away from people, how is he meant to re-accustom others to his presence when there are no others around?
He mentions so much to Caranthir the next time he ends up laying on his brother’s couch, smoking some suspicious leaves Amrod apparently dropped of a few weeks earlier and Moryo just laughs.
„We have a house on Tol Eressea. My wife hates the island, but the taxes for selling property there are horrendous.”
„You’re offering I could stay there?”
„Transferring property to family is free. Promise to reimburse us sensibly once you are able and it’s yours.”
„Your wife won’t mind?”
„She’s been offering the house to every reasonable relative, you’re the first who even considers it. Trust me, she’ll be delighted”
„You know, you were always my favorite brother”
(In a hindsight, he should have probably asked why does his sister in law hate this house so much.)
The first time he saw her, Maedhros was convinced he had seen a ghost.
(She lives on this island, it’s the newest, biggest market they just opened. Why should she not be there?)
(If only he haven’t seen her on bloody a marketplace before.)
The second time it happens, Elwing sees him too and freezes. He considers approaching and apologizing, but Fingon keeps giving him the talks about giving people space, so instead he just nods and gets out of there.
(He considers mentioning that meeting to Fingon, but decides against it. They are only starting to be at ease with one another again and that would worry him too much.)
They keep running at one-another and he knows she’s uncomfortable. He is too. For a brief moment, he plans on giving up this doubtful pleasure (really, new market or not, why are there so many people there, all buying spices?) and going back to shopping on a smaller, local market but then she deliberately snatches the last pink melon from the stand after seeing him reach for it and that really pisses him off.
(Fingon was going to visit, and considering how one flavor he always adored was that of pink Vanyarin melons, Maedhros really doesn’t think he can be blamed for his later actions.)
A week later, he overhears her talking to a woman he can only assume to be Galadriel’s daughter about needing to buy cloves for Earendil’s favorite dish and promptly makes sure to purchase all the remaining ones.
It’s a war now and there’s no knowing who will break down first.
Afterwards, it would be foolish not to expect a retaliation, so the next time Fingon visits he makes sure to get to the market extra early. He reaches the melon-seller, just to be informed that all of the fruits have already been sold out.
A seagull laughs at him.
Better person would have given in. Luckily, he really doubts that Elwing sees him as a better person.
He persuades Caranthir to help him bribe the vendor into sending the next month’s delivery of cloves directly to his house.
(In a hindsight, the unfortunate chain of the house’s ownership is to be blamed on birds. They shit on the porch constantly. Elwing really does not control the local pigeons (but will not, under any condition, ask them to stop, not while he is holding the cloves hostage). It’s not her fault he moved into this neighborhood. They even exchange a couple of semi-polite letters on this matter.)
A couple of years latter, Elrond almost gets an aneurysm after coming across his mother and Maedhros shopping together and discussing which of the vendors has the best tomatoes.