"Don't answer the phone, unless it's a relative. Check the caller I.D."

"Okay."

"Don't open the door unless you know who it is."

"Okay."

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge."

"Thank you."

"Don't go in my study, there's confidential stuff in there. Might be some in my bedroom to."

"Shouldn't take your work to bed."

"Oh hush. Any of the bookshelves outside of my study are fair game. The television has Netflix, and, well, a lot of channels."

"Thank you."

Maedhros looked at his little brother, curled on the couch, honestly he shouldn't feel so bad about leaving his fully grown brother home alone, but it had taken Maglor several minutes over breakfast to convince him not to call in sick.

"Take care of yourself. Call me if you need me. Call 911 if there's an emergency. Call mom and dad, they'd love to hear your voice."

"I don't want them to know I've been on the streets."

Maedhros didn't press the point, but made a mental note to change his brother's mind later. "If you go outside don't wander too far, leave me a note if you do, and be back before dark."

"Too cold."

"Alright." Maedhros pressed a kiss to his brother's forehead and left him, still feeling oddly guilty for leaving.

Once he was sitting in his car he pressed the second person on his speed dial.

"This had better be important," Celegorm grumbled when he answered. "It's too fucking early."

"It's after seven."

"A.M."

"Yes, well, it is important. What's the nearest homeless shelter to my house?"

"You call me at seven fucking a.m. to ask something you could have googled?"

"Don't you dare hang up."

"Fine. About six miles. Why?"

"For a case," he lied.

When he got home that evening, Maglor bad still on the same spot on the couch.

XXXXXXXX

After a week, Maedhros didn't know what to do with his brother. He sat silently on the couch, not doing anything, not watching the television, listening to the radio, or reading. He hardly ate, and had paled when Maedhros offered to find out if their mother had any of his old instruments.

It was rather like having a pillow that occasionally talked back. It was not like having a little brother.

Maedhros sat across from his brother, rested his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands, and leaned forward to stare at his brother. After a moment, Maglor's eyes flicked to his brother's.

"Is there anything you need to talk about?"

The minstrel tilted his head. "Have I overstayed my welcome?"

Maedhros couldn't decide if that was a direct answer to his question, or merely a reaction to his presence. "Never."

"Then no."

"Are you certain you don't want me to ask mom about instruments? I'm certain she'd love to send some."

Maglor shivered and shook his head.

"I can bring a stereo in here."

This time he didn't shiver, but he did shake his head.

"Would you like to buy a few movies? I remember your favorites."

"No."

"Can I take you clothes shopping this weekend?"

"I don't want you to buy me things."

"I make more than enough money Kano, don't worry too much, alright?"

"Sure." Maglor still seemed guilty.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day he returned home late. It was apparent Maglor had noticed, he had shifted from his usual spot – back to the door, staring at the wall – to a new one, his chin resting on the back of the couch, staring at the door rather than the wall. "You're late."

"I had a few errands," Maedhros dropped a bag onto the sofa next to his brother. "For you."

Maglor peered into the bag, the contents of which surprised him. A harmonica, a flute, various articles of clothing that seemed oddly familiar, and a stack of his favorite movies. "I asked you not to buy me anything."

"I didn't. Mother sends her love and wants you to call." Maedhros started up the steps to his bedroom when a shirt hit him in the back of the head. He spun indignantly to face his brother.

"You told mom I'm here?" Maglor screeched.

"Yes."

"I told you not to!"

"My house," Maedhros snapped, "my rules." Before Maglor could continue shouting he said, "I didn't say you've been homeless, I just said you were staying with me and wanted some of your old stuff back. She seemed to think you had been living with a cousin or a friend and I didn't see the need to tell her otherwise."

Maglor relaxed. "Thank you. I- I'm sorry I threw that at you."

Maedhros balled the shirt up and threw it back. "Don't worry."

"Can I have your phone number?"

Once again caught off guard, Maedhros looked at his little brother in confusion. "It's in your phone," he said, without really thinking.

"Don't have one."

Maedhros cursed his own stupidity. Of course his brother whose home had burned down and who had lived on the streets wouldn't have his mobile phone anymore. "Next time I'm running late I'll call. My name will show up in the caller I.D."

He spent several minutes that evening writing down his family's home and work numbers for Maglor, who thanked him, took the paper, folded it, and shoved it into his rear pocket.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It wasn't an accident."

Maedhros stopped just shy of the stairs. "Pardon?"

"The house fire."

Maedhros felt a sudden rise of panic. Maglor was supposed to be the sensible one, surely he didn't have a little arsonist under his roof. "You set your house on fire?"

"No!"

Maedhros crossed the room, sat in his chair, and looked at his brother, waiting for an explaition. When none was offered he asked, "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't an accident." Maglor shifted, refusing to meet his elder brother's gaze.

"If you didn't burn it down, how do you know that?"

"He said so."

"Someone burned your house down, with you inside it?"

"Yes." Maglor was still, somehow, calm.

"And you didn't tell us this?"

"He said he'd kill me. The fire wasn't to hurt me, just frighten."

"Someone burned your house down, with you inside it, and you're just now telling me?"

"You won't tell anyone."

"I'm calling the police this instant," Maedhros stood, strode toward the kitchen. Maglor grabbed him as he passed.

"Nelyo, he'll kill me."

"Who?" Maedhros demanded. "Who is this 'he' you keep referring to?"

"Melkor."

At the name of their father's old rival Maedhros stilled. Then he turned back to look at his brother. Maglor's eyes had gone wide with fright, and filled with unshed tears. Slowly he returned to his brother's side, sat next to him, and pulled him against his chest. "Shhhh. You're safe. Shhh. I promise, I'll take care of you."

Maglor relaxed, and began to sob.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Notes-

-Celegorm knows where the homeless shelters are because he gets assigned to community service for 'misbehaving' (both Feanor and the police have assigned this)

-This started out a 'starving artist loses everything' AU, but turned into 'Melkor did it.'

- The man who burned down Maglor's house, was an 'associate' of Melkor whose name is. Glaurung (he has a tendency to wear lots of snakeskin and has a dragon tattoo on his arm)