"Speaking"

"Thinking"

Italics – special emphasis on word or elvish word.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tolkien's work

Warnings: male/male relationships, mpreg

~:The Waiting Game :~

Crickets sang in the background, and the Last Homely House lay still as the stars turned overhead, shedding their cold white light over the Valley. Though, there was still one who remained awake despite the late hour.

The bed creaked and the covers rustled as the figure shifted for what would seem as the hundredth time in the last two hours. Finally falling to a stop on his back, eyes opened, allowing dark orbs to stare restlessly at the ceiling. The elf adjusted the thin covers once again, shifting them around and airing them out twice before he gave up with a huff.

Erestor turned his head to the side, willing the other occupant to stir with his mind. When his stare did not get the effect he had hoped on, he called out softly, "Fin?"

All that met him was silence and he turned back to the ceiling, voice rising a smidgen, "Fin? Are you awake?"

Still no response.

Heaving a sigh, Erestor used all his balance to rise into a sit on the bed. A hand held steadily to his bulging stomach allowed him to somehow pull himself off the bed. His back ached as he did so, but the cool feel of the floor tiles against his boiling feet was enough to ease off any complaint. Casting a curious eye on the sliver of starlit sky visible between the drawn curtains, Erestor resigned himself to another restless night, while his husband remained blissfully unaware of his sleeplessness.

Leaving their room without donning a dressing gown, he padded down the hall, his heavy steps resonating throughout the surrounding silence. Upon reaching the kitchen, he downed a large glass of water before he set out looting the pantry. His stomach rumbled insistently, but each item he pulled out caused him to grimace in distaste.

"Do not tell me we are out of it.." He grumbled, one hand setting a jar of olives aside for later. The search continued on, adding more and more food items to the group gathered on the counter. Apples, cheese, blueberry pie, smoked fish and..

"Oh Valar, yes!"

He made a small victory dance – or something resembling one as his large girth would not let him hop around as he wanted to – his hands cradling a small basket of dates.

"Dates!" his mind sang gleefully.

Mouth twisted into maniacal grin, he hauled his little feast over to the small table near the windows. He was halfway into devouring his blueberry pie sprinkled with cheese and olives when the floorboards outside the kitchen creaked, a half-asleep peredhel dragging himself in through the doorway.

Elrond paused for a moment, rubbing his eyes, "So it is you, Erestor." The peredhel had suspected it to be him wandering the corridors, but his mind insisted that he ascertain the fact himself. Eyes creasing, he asked tiredly, "Having a hard time catching sleep again, my friend?"

"Mmm.. Hungry," Erestor said around a spoon of pie. He tried to ignore the disgusted look on Elrond's face as the elf saw what exactly he was eating. Swallowing, he offered, "Want some? Though you will have to fight me for the dates."

"No, thank you," Elrond replied, "I think I have had enough of dates for quite some time."

The peredhel took a seat in one of the empty chairs, shivering slightly at the thought of the sickly sweet dates. No, after seeing the dark elf's last craving which consisted of dates mixed with fried eggs and preserves, Elrond did not think he would be able to eat them again without that queazy feeling accompanying them.

"Suit yourself," Erestor said indifferently, "All the more for me then."

Elrond sat observing his friend. His eyes took in the plump cheeks, the light billowing nightgown and the strange glow that had settled over Erestor ever since the start of his pregnancy. Elrond was quite sure that he had not seen his advisor this healthy in a millennia at least. The normally colorless elf had drifted far from his tired visage, and now seemed to hold more energy and life to him.

A cracker covered with smoked salmon was waved in front of his face. "Do you mind passing the salt?" Erestor asked, his head tilted slightly in question.

"You should take it easy with the salt, you know. It is not good for you," Elrond answered, but still handed him the small bowl. He knew better than to argue unnecessarily with a pregnant elf.

A delicate brow rose on the advisor's face. "If the Valar has deemed me fit to carry a child, I think I will manage it to the end, with or without a little salt."

"Yes, yes. Of course," Elrond said, biting his cheek to stop his healer side from snapping back at him that it couldn't hurt to take precautions anyway.

When it became clear that Erestor was set on lounging in the kitchen, Elrond saw to himself and fetched a cup of tea. He held the warm cup, sipping at the beverage every now and then while discussing meaningless topics with Erestor. The normally quiet advisor seemed to become more of a conversationalist in the early hours, because before Elrond knew it, they had talked three hours away. Enough time for the bubbling pair of twins to come bustling into the kitchen.

"Ah! Erestor!" Elladan greeted as he bends down to give a hug. "How is my favorite elf in all of Arda?"

The playfulness in the elder twin's voice was infectious, and Erestor found himself answering in kind, "Only a bit bigger than yesterday. But yes, I am well. Thanks for asking."

The elves chuckled, the twins helping themselves to some breakfast. "And the little one?" asked Elrohir, as he flump down in the chair beside Erestor's. Curious grey eyes stared at the bump. As if listening to their words, the babe kicked, causing a dent on the stretched wall.

Erestor smiled in amusement, "He says good morning as well, it seems."

"I do not understand how you can be so certain it is a boy," Elladan argued, the elf sipped hot tea on the bench beside the windows. He stared across the table at Erestor, eyes bright. "It might be a girl."

"I would love another little girl," Elrond added from his side of the table. A dreamy expression on his face as he imagined the small feet running down the hallways.

Erestor chose not to answer that little comment, instead propping his head up on his hand, elbow on the table. He gave a sigh, this particular discussion had been going on for far too long. "Fin is certain it is a boy, and since I can't tell myself I hold to his theory."

"Which he probably based off of some unscientific old wives' tale from back in Gondolin, determined by the direction you faced when you conceived or something else equally stupid," Elladan shot back, ever the studious one he never felt right about not finding a reasonable reason behind everything of importance. Everything had to have an explanation, or something similar to it.

Erestor rubbed his stomach. "Well, we won't know for sure until this little one comes out. Until then I am perfectly happy to live in suspense for a while longer."

Elladan looked about to say something, but a slight nudge from his father silenced him. The twins fell back to nibbling on their scones, while Elrond inquired if Erestor needed anything. The elf tended to have more of an appetite in the pre-dawn hours. But Erestor declined, relaxing back into his chair while listening to the ongoing chatter of the peredhil.

In time, the elves finished their morning meal. Each discussed their plans for the day while helping out with the dishes. Elrond turned to Erestor to take his as well, only to find the darkhaired elf in a light doze.

"Erestor?" he asked, softly as to not startle the elf.

Erestor blinked through the haze as he perked up, his eyes meeting those of Elrond where he stood hovering by his side, a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, my apologies. I must have dozed off."

Elrond smiled warmly, understanding filling his face. "That is alright, my friend. Perhaps Elrohir could accompany you back to your rooms? Glorfindel has a day off, if I remember correctly?"

"Yes," Erestor confirmed, "though we were supposed to relax outside today. Eru knows when I have last seen the sun."

Elrond, ever the negotiator, said, "I am sure he won't mind spending a few more hours in bed. In fact, he has been complaining of the lack of it for weeks."

It drew a soft laugh from the elf, and Elrond grinned with triumph as he saw the dancing eyes. He helped Erestor out of the chair, gravity being Erestor's greatest enemy at the moment, before he called his son to them.

Elrohir gladly escorted the elf back, his jolly mood making the long walk all the more bearable for Erestor. His ankles and lower back ached from the strain of moving. Once more he wondered how much more in pain he would be in another month or two, since his body was already working against him at ten months.

The peredhel bid him farewell with a promise to check in on him by suppertime, leaving Erestor to sneak into the rooms as quietly as an elephant could manage, discarding his slippers and slowly rolling himself onto the mattress.

The dip of the mattress must have been larger than he thought, for the golden haired elf turned sleepily, his arm coming out to wrap around Erestor's middle. "Mmm.. Erestor.."

"Go back to sleep," Erestor whispered, shifting in the bed to find a comfortable position.

Glorfindel cuddled closer, still not quite awake, but his body was automatically attracted to the new warmth in the bed. Erestor sighed, trying to discretely push the golden head off of his shoulder. The other elf would not have it, of course, and used his arm to pull Erestor even closer.

Rolling his eyes tiredly, Erestor untangled Glorfindel's arm, setting it aside with a huff. "Glorfindel," he said dangerously low, "too warm!"

But his husband had already drifted off into deep sleep again, one leg and one arm stuck to Erestor, holding him in place. Long tendrils of spun gold tickled Erestor's nose as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Dark eyes slowly drifting as exhaustion took hold of him. His tired mind repeated the same thought over and over:

"Two months. Just two, looong months."

#End

Peredhel/Peredhil – half-elf/half-elves