This Could Be A Dream

by ReyKryzeJakesTherapist

Summary:

Elrond has loved Galadriel for ages, but can't even fathom the idea that she could love him too. While Galadriel is still recovering from her injury in Imladris, Elrond takes care of her.

Notes:

• For Bagel_Of_Your_Dreams.

Hello there, it's my first Elrondriel fic! As I mentioned in a tag, there's a little reference to Haladriel, but only because I wanted Elrond to be jealous ;)

Chapter 1

Look up at the light

This could be a dream or it could be real

Dive into my mind

And don't come up for air

You won't need it here

 

Can I move you?

Can I soothe your fear?

Could you trust love?

If I prove it's there

Oh, I need to know it, too

And now, I don't feel you

 

So I lift myself and I close my eyes

And I sing sometimes to know I'm alive

I know I should figure this out on my own

But if you come by, could you take me home?

I get back up when the wind is strong

But I wish I knew how it felt to run

I know I'm not alone

And if you come by, could you take me home?

 

Being so alive

Can hurt so very much

When you're losing touch

But if I touched you, would I feel it there?

Could I trust love even if I'm scared?

Oh, I wish I could give like I'm longing to give

Oh, I wish I could live like I'm longing to live

 

And I lift myself and I close my eyes

And I sing sometimes to know I'm alive

I know I should figure this out on my own

But if you come by, could you take me home?

I get back up when the wind is strong

But I wish I knew how it felt to run

I know I'm not alone

And if you come by, could you take me home?

 

This could be a dream

This could be a dream

 

And I lift myself and I close my eyes

And I sing sometimes to know I'm alive

I know I should figure this out on my own

But if you come by, will you take me home?

I get back up when the wind is strong

But I wish I knew how it felt to run

I know I'm not alone

And if you come, could you take me home?

 

Aurora - This could be a dream 

Galadriel was still asleep when Elrond stepped lightly into her tent with a bouquet of white daffodils in his hand. As silent as possible as he didn’t want to deprive his friend of a rest she desperately deserved after her terrible ordeal, he emptied a vase from the flowers that had withered since he had brought them to her three days ago, replaced them with the daffodils he just picked from a pretty glade of flowers and filled the vase with fresh water. Then he tenderly looked at Galadriel, who was sound asleep. They were in the land he and the High King had found and protected with the power of the Rings after the Eregion debacle for more than a week, but it was the first time she looked appeased since she had been brought here. Until then, her rest was often disturbed by dark dreams and visions of the future, which she couldn’t tell if they were real or reflections of her deepest fears. 

Soon, Elrond would build houses with the Elves who had followed him here, so they could one day call this place they found home. In the meantime, they would live in large tents like the one that was set for Galadriel. He had decorated hers the best he could, with flowers and strips of cloth in colors she liked so that she would feel as close to home as possible. Elrond had also found a name for this new land, inspired by its location: Imladris. It meant ‘deep valley of the cleft’ in common language.

Galadriel had told Elrond that her wound had healed, but he sometimes caught her touching the scar it had left on her chest; he wondered if there was something she didn’t tell him, but he didn’t want to be pushy: he hoped that in time, she would open up to him. Only once, burdened with shame, she hadn’t trusted him, leading her to withdraw the true identity of Halbrand from him. Elrond still felt guilty for the reaction he had had then, fueled by anger, fear, and another feeling he could no longer deny… Jealousy. 

While in disguise, Sauron had used his most effective weapon, the only one that could make Galadriel's usually indestructible walls tumble down: seduction. He had cast his shadow over her and in doing so, had taken over her heart… And what else? Elrond hated the feeling of possessiveness he felt towards Galadriel each time the thought that Sauron had touched her came haunting him; it wasn’t right, and it was certainly not Elvish. Moments like this reminded Elrond that despite the choice made a long time ago to embrace the customs of the Elves, there were still remnants of humanity left in him; they caused him to be sometimes irrationally angry and passionate about things that would leave most Elves unfazed. 

Just as he was going to leave Galadriel’s room, he heard a groan. Elrond smiled as he saw Galadriel’s sleepy eyes looking at him with confusion, as one often does when they have just woken up. She was still the fairest Elf in Middle-Earth, though, even with a messy hairdo and sheet marks on her cheek. He sat on her bed and murmured,

“Good afternoon,” 

“Afternoon? How much time did I sleep?” Galadriel mumbled.

“Just today? Or this week?” 

Galadriel groaned and sat beside Elrond. “I cannot keep on like this. I need to get out of this tent. Would you care to take a walk with me?” She got on her feet and put on a green cloak to cover her nightgown. 

“Of course. Don’t you want to change first?”

“Why should I? I am in recovery. I am allowed to go out for a walk dressed however I want!”

Elrond smirked, as ever amused by her bold carefreeness, and offered her his arms. She took it, a smile floating on her lips, but did not resist poking fun at him kindly, “I am not an invalid, I can walk without help,”

“Can’t I want to walk with a dear friend at my arm?” Elrond objected amiably.

Dear friend. These were words that applied to Galadriel since the day they had met, back when he was a young orphan and she was the Lady elf who found him wandering all alone on the beach, lost and confused after Maglor, who was the closest to a father he and his brother Elros had, left him. Maglor had sort of gone mad after the Silmaril he had stolen from Eonwë had burned his hand, proof that his crimes were too serious for him to deserve to hold it. After he had dedicated almost all his life to fulfill the oath he had made to his father Fëanor, the realization that he was not worthy of owning the coveted jewels had driven him over the edge, then into the Sea, sharing the fate of the last of the Silmarils. 

Elros, scared of Maglor as he watched him drown in despair, had escaped to find some help, but he had never come back, leaving Elrond alone and assuming that a misfortune had happened to his twin brother. After Maglor had let the waves swallow the precious jewel, he had apologized to Elrond for all the pain he and Maedhros had caused, and abandoned him on this lonely shore. Then he had walked away, but Elrond had heard him sing of sorrow for hours before Galadriel’s arrival; she had found the boy sitting in the sand and hiding his face in his knees, quietly begging the One to hear his prayers. Little did Elrond know that this beautiful lady, whose hair was shining brighter than the Sun, was the daughter of Finarfin, Fëanor’s brother. She had brought him to Lindon, where Elros was waiting for him. The High-King Gil-Galad had taken him under his wing and made him his herald. Meanwhile, to Elrond’s chagrin, Galadriel was always off here, there, and everywhere, already searching for Sauron. Once in a while, she came back from one of her errands, exhausted but still consumed by her obsession to find Sauron’s hideout, and always took time for Elrond before going back to what appeared to be a hopeless quest. 

Elrond couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when he had been struck by the realization that his feelings for Galadriel had changed . The only thing he could tell was that he had loved her in secret for as long as he remembered, in a way that was not appropriate for a friend. He knew his heart sang whenever he caught sight of her, but that this feeling was immediately followed by a wave of guilt overwhelming him. The hardest for him was to keep his composure when Galadriel teased him about his enduring celibacy and asked him when he would finally take a wife. He always gave vague answers, claiming that he was not ready for commitment, but refused to elaborate. It was not exactly a lie, as Elrond indeed didn’t feel any desire to marry anyone other than Galadriel. The way he saw it, he would probably remain celibate for all eternity and bury his feelings for her so deep into his heart that no one could ever find them, not even him. 

The only faux pas he had committed was kissing Galadriel the day Adar had tried to negotiate with him for her release. There had always been chaste tenderness between them, and physical intimacy had never been an issue between them. But the kiss he had given her that day was different, and a mistake Elrond wished she would forget, even though he knew it was an impossible task for an Elf. Neither of them had brought it up yet because Galadriel was recovering, but he knew he couldn’t postpone this conversation forever. 

Galadriel squinted her eyes as she stepped out of the tent, dazzled by the blinding sunlight after days spent in the semi-darkness of her tent. They walked in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company and the sound of the wind murmuring in the trees. 

“It’s such a beautiful land that you and the High-King found, Elrond,” 

Galadriel gazed at the blossoming cherry trees and closed her eyes to fully appreciate the singing of hundreds of birds nesting in the foliage of beeches as old as Arda. 

Not as beautiful as you…

Galadriel cast her blue gaze on him. “Did you just say something?”

Her question threw Elrond off. Had he just thought so loud that she heard him through their bond? As he felt his cheeks redden, Elrond turned his face away to hide his shame and didn’t dare to hope that she only heard the wind, for fear she could hear his prayers too. Anxious to dissipate her doubts, he attempted a joke,

“Do you hear voices in your head? Maybe you should go back to the tent and get some more rest.”

He expected Galadriel to at least smile, but instead, her face darkened.

“Sometimes I do, yes. There is only one voice, though; his voice,” She uttered between clenched teeth. 

Elrond immediately stopped walking, bemused and worried for his friend, who was now the one avoiding his gaze. Softly, he cradled her hands between his own before asking, 

“Sauron? Does he–”

“He tries.”

Shortly after uttering these words, Galadriel winced and put her hand above her chest, where the wound left by Sauron still lay. Elrond then could do nothing but watch, helpless, as his friend almost bent double under the pain, a grim reminder that despite all the good care she had received, this was no mere wound; he would probably never heal completely, unless maybe once the threat posed by Sauron disappeared once and for all. 

He offered her his arm again, which this time she took with relief. He felt it would be indelicate to question her more, so he refrained, but walked her back to her tent, wondering why Sauron was still so obsessed with Galadriel that he couldn't let her go, even after she showed him that she would rather lose her life than join him. Jealousy raised its ugly head again when unholy thoughts that could have been inspired by Sauron himself invaded his mind; had Galadriel professed her love for the fake Halbrand at some point, giving him the impression that she would have a change of heart if he pressured her long enough? Had she offered him her body and thus, her soul? Sauron would know Elves well enough to be familiar with their customs and their rules… He would know that if Galadriel lay with him, it would mean, for her, giving herself entirely. Elrond hated himself for having this fear, but he couldn't help it. The thought that Galadriel, the brightest light in the universe, could have been sullen by this abject monster was too much for him to endure. It was incredibly selfish of him, he knew. He needed to stop focusing on his feelings and dedicate himself entirely to Galadriel, who right now needed medical attention, more support, and the unconditional love of a friend!

“Let me walk you to your tent and examine this wound.”

Galadriel nodded, even though the pain seemed to have gone away, for now. She looked smaller and very tired, as if she hadn't slept a wink for the last hundred years. The Galadriel he knew would have waved away his concerns and pretended to be fine. She would have taken a sword and started training to focus on something she liked; she was just that strong. Seeing this force of nature so weakened and reliant on him wrung Elrond’s heart. He wished Sauron stood in front of him so he could make him pay for what he did. 

Elrond gently asked Galadriel to lie on her bed and to show her the wound. He refused to let the sight of her barely covered breast distract him, entirely focused on the task at hand. The injury was the same as he had seen it the last time, clean and healed, in appearance. It didn’t surprise him, as it was obvious that the problem was much deeper, screeching under the surface. He murmured words of comfort that made her smile and invited her to close her eyes and relax. An amused laugh came out of her throat.

“Close my eyes, I can do that. Loosen up, though… Elrond, it’s me!” 

Elrond’s only answer was a thin smile tugging at his lips. Her spirit was as sharp as ever, as well as her wit was intact. He let his hand hover over the wound and, his eyes shut, murmured words of prayer to let the light flow through him. The sound of Nenya chiming told him Galadriel's ring was rejoicing with him in his attempt to cast the darkness away from Galadriel's soul, desiring as much as he did to save her bearer from the grip that Sauron still had on her. Elrond had inherited healing skills from his foremother Melian, but neither he nor Gil Galad would have been able to stop Galadriel’s soul from being ensnared in the Shadow realm without the intervention of Nenya. And today, again, she would help him to push Sauron away. Elron stared at Nenya, who was now shining with a particular intensity, then his eyes softened as they lay on Galadriel’s face. She was now so calm she seemed asleep, though Elrond could feel through that she was very much awake, unable to ever calm the tempest in her. But at least, she was no longer battling… For now.

Elrond had been very wary of the Rings and of the influence Sauron might have on the Elves who wore them; but the day Galadriel had been hurt, Nenya had sung in his ear and made him see the truth: the Elven rings, created by Celebrimbor, were not evil despite Sauron's shadow looming over their conception. 

As he looked tenderly at Galadriel, his heart was now beating so fast that torn between his love and his fear to disappoint her, Elrond wished he could rip it off his chest so he would stop feeling this way for her. He boldly extended his hand to touch her exquisite face, but carefully backed off when she moaned and opened her eyes. What madness had just taken him? 

“Thank you, Elrond,” Galadriel murmured as she put her hand on his. Why was her skin so soft against his? “What would I do without you, mellon ?” Elrond let out a brief laugh.

“You are the strongest person I know. It is an honor to help you with anything, while you are usually the one who saves me, starting with the day we met.”

She playfully scrunched her nose at him. Elrond loved her little nose scrunch and couldn’t help but smile. “Do not get used to it,” she growled, before smirking. “Twice, you saved me, Elrond. And today, I feel the Light of the One on me again, thanks to your good care… I think we are more than even!”

“Did I, though? I gave you a pin, but you alone saved yourself. As for the last time, well… I did my part, but you know as much as I do that you were saved by Nenya.”

Galadriel sat and considered the Ring she bore on her right hand for a few seconds before taking her intense blue gaze back to Elrond. 

“It pleases me to hear you call her by her name. You trust her now, don't you? You trust the Rings of Power,” Elrond nodded. 

“I am yet to be convinced that Sauron cannot use them against us, but I have to admit that they probably saved us all from a certain death. No evil force can force the borders of Imladris, thanks to the protection provided by the Rings.”

“I never told you why I trusted my Ring so much, you believed it was by Sauron's design that I did, but you were wrong,” 

Elrond opened his mouth, ready to give a heartfelt and overdue apology for his recent misbehavior, but Galadriel lifted her finger to his mouth to stop him.

“I know what you are going to say, I can feel your words before they come out of your mouth,” Elrond chuckled awkwardly. “Let me finish first,” she added. 

“You know that I sacrificed Finrod’s dagger so Celebrimbor had gold from Valinor to make the Rings. It was very painful to me, more than I cared to admit then. It felt as if I had renounced my oath somehow. But the moment I put on the Ring on my finger, I heard it; I heard my brother's voice, soothing me and telling me I had made the right choice,”

“How can you be sure that it was not–”

“Another of Sauron's tricks? It could, but I know in my heart that it was my brother. My Ring, Nenya, guides me like Finrod used to when I was a child.” She took Elrond’s hand to put it on her heart; “I feel it here.”

“And I shall always trust your intuition, now,” he whispered. Feeling her heartbeat under his palm, he stared at her, desire flooding through his veins.

Could she feel it?

“You would better not,” Galadriel pretended to sound severe, but her smirk told another story. Elrond discreetly took his hand off her and bowed sarcastically, even though his promise to respect Galadriel's feelings was as sincere as it could be. He made the mistake of distrusting her and had almost lost her; there would never be a third time. “I cannot be certain whether my belief is wisdom or folly. Yet, each time I needed her, Nenya never failed me. When I was standing alone against Sauron on that cliff, and he had me at his mercy, Nenya gave me the strength to resist him again! She did not want him to take her, and she told me so. I knew then what I had to do.”

“But you almost died…”

“I was ready to. Do you remember what I asked you when we were on our way to Eregion? I asked you to put opposing Sauron above all other considerations, even my life. It goes for me too.” Elrond lowered his eyes, crippled with guilt. 

“I remember. I made many promises I could not hold, including this one. I wanted to, but when I saw you in the cage, with Adar’s sword pointed at your neck… I could not keep charging. I could not,” he confessed, choking out on his words. 

A smile grazed her lips, and she put her hand on his cheek. Elrond closed his eyes, as such tenderness was too much. He forced them to open as she murmured, 

“It was foolish of me to ask such a thing of you, after you already lost so many people… 

Besides, if I had been in your place, I would not have acted differently.” She added jokingly, “And this, even though you behaved like a spoiled child!”

“Galadriel, there are no words strong enough to tell you how sorry I am for the way I treated you these past few months. I do not know if you can ever forgive me, but I will make sure I will never threaten our friendship again. You have my word,” he proclaimed wholeheartedly, fighting the tears that begged to fall on his cheeks.

“Elrond, to forgive you, I would need first to resent you, but I never did! It is no use dwelling on the past. We both made mistakes.” She paused and softly put his hand in hers. “Today, we must focus on the present and admit the truth we both know...” Galadriel’s deep blue eyes pierced through him, making him feel exposed. 

She knew . 

Chapter 2

Summary:

When she was finally close enough to touch him, she put her hands on his chest and felt the beat of his heart: it was pounding fast, echoing hers. The tip of her nose nuzzled his neck, leaving him time to push her away if he didn’t want her; she breathed in his scent as he did not.

“Can you handle me?” She whispered against his throat, resisting the temptation to sink her teeth into his flesh; this would come later, she promised herself.

“I want to,” Elrond mouthed. “I love you. I think I always did, and I would not want you to be any different than exactly who you are.”

Notes:

I must say I wasn't sure I would manage to finish this story, but recently I decided I really wanted to because I love these two idiots and this story I had began for them, so here it is! I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it.

Chapter 1 was from Elrond's POV, chapter 2 is told from Galadriel's :)

 

Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say

Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face

There's no one quite like you

You push all my buttons down

I know life would suck without you

 

At the same time, I wanna hug you

I wanna wrap my hands around your neck

You're an asshole, but I love you

And you make me so mad I ask myself

Why I'm still here, or where could I go

You're the only love I've ever known

But I hate you, I really hate you

So much, I think it must be

 

True love, true love

It must be true love

Nothing else can break my heart like

True love, true love

It must be true love

No one else can break my heart like you

 

Just once, try to wrap your little brain around my feelings

Just once, please try not to be so mean

Repeat after me now R-O-M-A-N-C-E-E-E

Come on, I'll say it slowly (Romance)

You can do it, babe!

 

At the same time, I wanna hug you

I wanna wrap my hands around your neck

You're an asshole, but I love you

And you make me so mad I ask myself

Why I'm still here, or where could I go

You're the only love I've ever known

But I hate you, I really hate you

So much, I think it must be

 

True love, true love

It must be true love

Nothing else can break my heart like

True love, true love

It must be true love

No one else can break my heart like you

 

I think it must be love (I love you)

I think it must be love (I love you)

 

[Lily Allen:]

Why do you rub me up the wrong way?

Why do you say the things that you say?

Sometimes I wonder how we ever came to be

But without you, I'm incomplete

 

Pink & Lily Allen : True Love

 “Today, we must focus on the present and admit the truth we both know...”

 

Galadriel held her breath after she said these words to Elrond. Would he see the point she was trying to make? And if he did, would he drop the facade, or would he keep pretending his feelings were no different than what they were a thousand years ago? 

 

Galadriel gazed at him with such intensity that the poor Elrond could only lower his eyes, his face flushed and breathing heavily. She could have easily freed him of his misery by voicing it for him, but deep inside, she wanted him to yield. She needed him to admit that the kiss he had given her was not only meant to distract Adar and his Uruks, but that he had kissed her because he longed to but had waited all these years for an excuse.

 

“Wh– What truth?” Galadriel, I do not– I do not understand,” Elrond stammered hesitantly after several minutes of awkward silence. 

 

Galadriel, vaguely annoyed but also amused by Elrond’s coyness, raised her chin and gave him a pointed look.  

 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, meldë .”

 

Elrond looked at her with surprise, as he knew the word ‘meldë’ could mean both ‘friend’ and… ‘lover’. 

 

“Galadriel… You already know how I feel about you. I love you. You are my friend.”

 

Galadriel fought the urge to roll her eyes at Elrond’s insistence on beating around the bush. She came so close to him that their faces almost touched, and she whispered, gazing intensely at him,

 

“Is this all that we are? Friends?”

 

Elrond looked cornered, as if she had seized him and forced him to answer her questions. Which, to be honest, was not far from the truth; Galadriel knew she wasn’t leaving him much of a choice on the matter, because she was tired of the pretense and wanted Elrond to be genuine with his feelings, just like she was with hers. 

 

Finally, Elrond swallowed nervously before replying, with shifty eyes,

 

“If I say what you want me to say, I fear you will stop being my friend. And this… I cannot allow it. I already lost you once, or almost did, to my stupidity. You cannot ask me to risk our friendship again.”

 

“Elrond! Do you give me so little credit that you genuinely believe I would forsake you?” 

 

As Galadriel’s voice gave away the outrage at Elrond’s lack of trust in her, there was now something pitiful in the way he looked at her, like a lost puppy. Softening, she took her hand and murmured, her voice as low as if she were telling him a secret, 

 

“Besides, what allows you to decide in my stead that I do not share these feelings you refuse to say out loud?”

 

Elrond’s facial expression suddenly changed, as if he had just received a revelation. 

 

“Galadriel, are you saying that–” Then his face darkened as if he was remembering an unpleasant memory. “No, it cannot be.” Elrond nervously ran a hand through his curls and slightly walked away from her, as if he needed to keep a safe distance. “If you already know I love you no longer as a friend should and that you are in all my dreams, even when I’m awake, why do you force me to say it? I never knew you as cruel,” Elrond claimed bitterly, his back turned on her.

 

Galadriel could have laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation if the moment hadn’t been so important for both of them. 

 

She closed the distance that separated her from him, put her hands on his shoulder, and reached up so she could murmur in the shell of his ear,

 

“What allows you to think I do not feel the same as you do?”

 

Slowly, Elrond turned around to face her, his eyes widened with surprise and delight. She smiled then, her heart beating in her chest when he looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

 

“Galadriel, I thought that–”

 

“You think too much”, she interrupted him, before swiftly putting her hands on his face and kissing him before he could say another stupid word. It had been an impulsion, but now that his mouth was against hers, opening slightly as her tongue probed gently, she realized it was the best thoughtless decision she had ever taken. Elrond broke the kiss to gaze at her with amazement, then dipped his head to kiss her again. Galadriel wrapped her head around his neck and let her hair run through his hair. It was soft as silk under her touch, but it was his body pressing against hers as their tongues engaged in a passionate dance that made her abandon herself in his arms. He moaned in her mouth as she daringly slipped a hand under his tunic to feel his skin under her hand. She felt the traces of a scar, one of the numerous wounds he had received during the battle of Eregion, and let her fingers linger on it. But as things were getting heated, Elrond suddenly broke the kiss and slightly pushed her away, out of breath. Galadriel tried to reach for him as he stepped back with a concerned look on his face, but he gripped her hand before she could touch his cheek. This gesture hit her like a bucket of cold water; did Elrond have a change a heart? Was she such a terrible kisser that he didn’t want her anymore?

 

“What is the matter? Don’t you love me anymore?” Galadriel asked, her voice heavy with worry.

 

Elrond looked stunned as if it was the last thing he expected to hear from her, but kept a respectable distance to confess,

 

“You ask me if I stopped loving you? Galadriel, I wish I could. I have been loving you for so long that there will never be enough words to describe how I feel about you… If I listened to my heart, I would hold you close like this forever and never let go, but…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, lowering his eyes as if he were ashamed to express what was in his heart.

 

“But what?”

 

As she walked the distance he had put between them, Elrond didn’t retreat again, but his eyes were still filled with sadness and doubt. Galadriel was confused, unable to figure out what could confuse Elrond so much. She suspected he was going to bring up Celeborn, her husband, who died long ago on the battlefield. Elrond had always been very respectful of the Elven laws, and one of them forbade the Elves to remarry if their spouse died; they were supposed to wait until they sailed to Valinor, where they would be reunited with their beloved. But since Elrond had kissed her the day he had given her the means to escape Adar, she could no longer deny how she felt about him. She wanted to be bound to him, without the Valar’s consent if she had to. Somehow, she felt that Celeborn would not want a long life of solitude for her, especially if she loved another Elf… Celeborn had always been kind and understanding. He would not resent her because she had fallen for someone as honourable as Elrond; she was certain of that. She had no idea what Elrond’s feelings were about this, though.

 

Elrond finally broke the silence to mutter,

 

“I love you with all my heart, but I am not sure it is me that you love.”

 

Galadriel closed her eyes in defeat and slid her palms to his chest.

 

“Listen. Celeborn and I–”

 

“I was not talking about your husband,” he harshly cut her short.

 

Galadriel froze, flabbergasted.

 

“Whom, then?”

 

Elrond kept a stony gaze as he replied slowly,

 

“When Sauron was still in Eregion and we all believed he was a man named Halbrand, I saw you both. I saw how… familiar you were with each other. I believe he is the one you love, still.” 

 

That was new and definitely unexpected, Galadriel thought. Taken aback, she remained speechless for a few seconds, which probably looked like a confirmation of her guilt to Elrond, she realized. But at this moment, she didn’t care what he thought of her. She was only angry that the Elf she loved dared to doubt the sincerity of her feelings. 

 

“Do you think so little of me, Elrond?” She said with scorn, glaring at him and forcing him towards the tent wall. 

 

Elrond was now trembling, yet stubbornly insisted,

 

“His intentions towards you were undeniable, and you did not seem entirely… disinterested.”

 

“And what scenario formed in your anxious mind, tell me?” She asked, her stern gaze fixed on him. 

 

His face turned red from shame; she could see it, but she had no intentions of freeing him from his misery as long as he didn’t confess. 

 

 “Forgive me,” Elrond finally uttered after an agonizingly long silence. “I believe that you and he–, I believe you gave yourself to him.” As Galadriel’s eyes widened in indignation and she opened her mouth to say he was wrong, oh, so wrong! He mistook her reaction for a silent agreement and continued in haste, 

 

“But I know I have no right to judge you if you did! He was pretending to be someone else and used all his power of seduction to get you under his spell. I do not care what you did, because it was not your fault. But I cannot help but fear that he has not left your heart yet. And how could I live with you, knowing your heart belongs to Sauron?”

 

The slap that landed on his cheek was unexpected, even by Galadriel. It had been such an impulsive move that she was herself surprised by her lack of restraint; Elrond’s chagrin and shock were so obvious that all her anger vanished, and she gently stroked his sore cheek to appease the inflamed area. As she touched it with the hand wearing Nenya, the red mark left by her hand disappeared immediately, she realized with amazement. But as he remained impassive to her display of affection, irritation rose within her again. 

 

She was now the one to walk away and turn her back on him, deaf to his desperate plea,

 

“Galadriel…”

 

She first stood with her arms crossed on her chest, hesitating between leaving the tent and lashing out at Elrond. After a few seconds of weighing the pros and the cons, she decided to go for the latter. 

 

She turned around to face him, her arms still crossed.

 

“You said that if I had fallen for Halbrand, it would not be my fault. Is that the only way you could accept me, Elrond? If I were blameless? If I remained pure in your eyes, free of any reproach?”

 

“No… I mean–”

 

“No? Let me set this clear: nothing happened between me and Halbrand. Nothing like what you think, anyway.”

 

“Galadriel, I’m so sorry, I should not have–”

 

“I am not finished!” She snapped with so much authority that he had no other choice but to surrender, not without a sheepish look that would have caused her to melt if she wasn’t so furious.

 

“I never lay with Sauron, or Halbrand as was his name then, but I wanted to,” she claimed fiercely. Or at least, I thought I did. It was not love, and in the end, it was never about him. But I feel no shame for having this kind of desire, Elrond. So, what does it say about me? Do you think you can handle it?”

 

She walked slowly, feeling like a predator moving cautiously towards its prey; she enjoyed the light of desire she saw shine in his beautiful eyes, and suddenly noticed that Elrond was standing right before her bed, where she wanted him. She licked her lips as she shamelessly let her gaze wander over his neck and body, impatient to take his clothes off him… On the condition that he would let her, of course. She braced herself for his rejection, but he didn’t say a word nor a move to stop her; he only watched her come to him with a mix of desire and apprehension. 

 

When she was finally close enough to touch him, she put her hands on his chest and felt the beat of his heart: it was pounding fast, echoing hers. The tip of her nose nuzzled his neck, leaving him time to push her away if he didn’t want her; she breathed in his scent as he did not. 

 

“Can you handle me?” She whispered against his throat, resisting the temptation to sink her teeth into his flesh; this would come later, she promised herself.

 

“I want to,” Elrond mouthed. “I love you. I think I always did, and I would not want you to be any different than exactly who you are.”

 

A smile floating on his lips, Galadriel pushed him onto the bed and immediately climbed on him. Not only did Elrond do nothing to cool her ardor, but he let out an amused laugh as she had caught him by surprise. It was so contagious she started laughing as well, and soon they couldn’t stop, the tent echoing the sound of their giggles. Then they stopped and gazed into each other’s eyes before he tenderly caressed her face with the hand that wore the ring she had offered him almost two centuries ago, before she had gone off on another journey to find Sauron. She had made it for him in what used to be Celebrimbor’s forge, in Eregion, and had created one for her as well; they had called them the ‘twin rings’, even if they were designed differently. They both wore them on the third finger of their right hand as a symbol of their eternal friendship. As she felt Elrond’s ring brush her cheek, Galadriel thought that it was as if they already had wedding rings, as if their love had always meant to be, waiting to flourish. 

 

Galadriel dipped her head to kiss him, softly first, then with hunger as he opened his mouth and let his tongue slink between her parted lips. She felt his hardness under her as she rocked against his hips and, emboldened by his obvious need, pulled his tunic up and over his head. She licked her lips as Elrond squirmed beneath her, muscles rippling under smooth skin glistening with sweat. He moaned as Galadriel covered his chest with kisses, but just as she was going to take his pants off, he gripped her hands to stop her.

 

“Wait.”

 

“What now?’ She asked impatiently, before retreating with a sigh as she met his slightly admonishing gaze.

 

“I want to do this. Do not have doubts. But there is something I need to ask you first.”

 

Galadriel raised a brow and tilted her head in response, waiting for the question.

 

“You said–” Elrond struggled to find the right words, probably fearing to hurt her feelings again, so Galadriel gently stroked his face to encourage him. It seemed to work, as he relaxed and continued, 

 

“You said you were tempted to–, you know, with Halbrand.”

 

“To have sex?” Galadriel filled the gaps for him, amused but also endeared by Elrond’s refusal to say the words.

 

Elrond bit his lower lip and nodded coyly. Galadriel suddenly wondered if he had ever lain with anyone. Probably not. He would have never had sex with somebody he didn’t have strong feelings for. She was now certain she was the only person Elrond had ever loved this way, which could only mean one thing: Elrond was a virgin. Far from upsetting or worrying her, this discovery made her somewhat proud. It was too late for him to be her first, but she would be his, and it was beautiful.

 

“Why did you not?” 

 

A soft smile tugged on her lips. She traced the curves of his face before answering, amazed again by the perfection of his traits. Elrond was at every level the worthy successor of Melian and her daughter Luthien, and now he was hers. Finally, she granted him the answer he was eagerly waiting for.

 

“Because… I realized that what I liked was not him, but the way he looked at me.” She made a pause, anxious to see if she caught a glimpse of disapproval in his eyes, but he just looked intrigued, interested. She felt encouraged, but first lay her head on his chest before continuing,

 

“You need to understand: until then, I felt loved, but never desired. It was my first reaction to his attention. And I liked his absence of reverence for me or for my status. It was thrilling. I wanted to be wanted, to be taken . Does it shock you?”

 

“No…”

 

Galadriel rose and ran her hand through his soft curls.

 

“Sometimes, Elrond, a woman just wants a dick.”

 

“Surely, Sauron told you these words,” Elrond groaned, a glimmer of jealousy in his eyes.

 

Galadriel giggled and shook her head.

 

“No, that was a woman in Numenor. I had never heard anyone talk so crudely before. And for the record, when Halb– when Sauron realized he would never get anything from me, he went with this woman. His room was next door to him, and I heard them going at it all night . I think he wanted to upset me. Or make me jealous, perhaps?”

 

“Did it work?”

 

Galadriel smirked and let a finger linger on his lips, shuddering as he took it in his mouth and started sucking on it.

 

“No. It only made me realize how vain he was regarding these matters. How human , I thought then.” She rolled her eyes in embarrassment. “Besides, since I was forced to hear their sexual romps and I couldn't sleep, I had time to think. I remembered something that night. I had felt someone else's desire for me before, but I did not have the mental and emotional capacity to see it then, because I still felt bound to Celeborn. I feel this bond no more, now, not since I had this realization that a certain Elf had often looked at me the same way as Halbrand did…

 

“Who was this Elf?” Elrond mouthed.

 

Galadriel wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked her hips against his before murmuring in the shell of his ear,

 

“You, meleth nin . Do not doubt I saw your jealousy towards Halbrand… But I was not sure until you kissed me."

 

There was nothing more to say after that. Elrond kissed her without restraint, no longer refraining from displaying all the love and hunger he had for her. They spent the rest of the afternoon making love, mindful of each other’s desires and needs, free of being whoever they wanted to be, at last. 

 

At the end of the day, exhausted but happy for the first time in ages, they lay naked in each other’s arms, Galadriel’s resting in the crook of Elrond’s shoulder. They remained like this without exchanging a word, needing no more. Galadriel used osanwë to tell him,

 

“I wish I could make time stop…”

 

“Me too, melmenya . But I’m afraid it is not possible, as we need to leave this bed at some point,” he replied, sorrow lingering in his voice.

 

“Do we?” 

 

She raised her head to gaze at him, overwhelmed by the infinite tenderness shining in his eyes.

 

“There is something I never told you. I want to do it now.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Galadriel told him about Sauron’s proposal to rule Middle-earth with him, and the fact that he still wanted her to join him when they fought in Eregion.  He looked surprised but also, amazingly understanding when she confessed she had been tempted to accept his proposal the first time. 

 

“It would have been to do good! For a brief instant, my folly led me to believe I could use the power he offered me to heal Middle-Earth, just like he claimed he wanted to. But thankfully, you stopped me, Elrond..”

 

“Me? But I wasn't even here…”

 

“You were,” Galadriel whispered. She put his palm on her chest, where her heart lay, and concluded, 

 

“I pictured your face, and I imagined how you would be disappointed in me if I joined Sauron. I knew I would love your respect and your love forever, and I could not bear it. 

 

Elrond’s lips stretched into a sad smile, and his hand ran through her golden hair. Just as Galadriel thought she couldn’t love him more, he said the words that proved her wrong.

 

“You would have probably lost my respect, this is true... But my love? Never.”

 

Galadriel shed a tear of joy, so intensely happy that she couldn’t help but cry it out. Elrond wept as well, and soon they were back in one another’s arms, forever inseparable. They knew there would be complications, but neither of them wanted to talk about it now. They would find a way… They always did. 

Notes:

The idea that Elrond should help Galadriel heal was inspired by a post made by @Redrosesandcharmingsouls on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/redrosesandcharmingsouls/782428704561299456/the-idea-of-elrond-tenderly-tending-to-galadriels?source=share I found the idea so lovely I felt the need to include in my fic <3