I walked back home in a state of shock, putting one foot in front of the other while my brain kept rerunning the last few moments over and over. I'd been a little worried when my father hadn't come to breakfast. Letting myself in his front door, I didn't call out in case he was asleep. Well, he was sleeping all right but it was the fact that he was sleeping with someone that had me so upset.

Lorrin was curled around him like a clinging vine and from what I could see; they were both naked under the green sheet. Papa was snoring but Lorrin didn't make a sound. He appeared to be the silent sleeper that Legolas was. His black hair flowed out like a cloud over my father's chest and Papa's fingers were tangled in it as if he'd been combing through it the way that I loved to comb through my bonded's hair.

"Beloved, what's wrong?" Legolas' voice awoke me from the stupor I was in. I realized that I'd entered the front room without any memory of getting there. He was rocking Pharin while Glimmer nursed at his breast. "Is there something wrong with Papa?"

Shaking my head, I sat down heavily on the settee. "He's sleeping."

"Oh dear, Lorrin must be back."

I looked at him with open-mouthed shock. "What?"

"Gimli," he smiled tenderly at me. "Papa has been struggling with something for almost a week now. It started the night we gave the children their first swimming lesson. I'm afraid that your family is susceptible to Elves."

I gazed at him, remembering when I first acknowledged that I loved him. I'd been shocked and scared but I'd known if there was even a chance then I was willing to take it. Could it be that way for my father? What if I had to give up my shining bonded because it just wasn't done in Middle-earth for Dwarves to love Elves? Give up the other half of my soul?

"Durin's Beard, we certainly are and thank the Lady!" Springing up, I stopped his rocking and kissed him hard. Our tongues surged together and I savored his taste all the way down to my toes. Pharin started giggling and I felt her baby hands tugging at my shirt while Glimmer let go of his nipple to join in with his giggles. Letting his sweet lips go, I picked our daughter up and held her close.

"I just hope he doesn't decide to give me a brother or sister." I said dryly and listened to my bonded's delighted laughter.

"Gimli, I do love you." He smiled at me. "We can give them our support and understanding. It will not be easy for Papa to have his life turned upside down. We've already done that once to him. But we love them both so we are going to help them as much as they will let us."

He always looked so princely when he spoke that way that I had the urge to bow to him and say 'yes, my lord'. I just didn't tell him that. Instead I handed Pharin back and kissed all three goodbye for the day. I had a sudden need to hew stone. Balik and I headed for the caves where our blue-green marble was in abundance and proceeded to mine enough for fifteen fireplaces, twenty-six countertops and thirty-two benches.

I was sore and aching by the time I finally returned home. Nanala and Pfister were just leaving with the twins and I gave the babies a kiss before heading back to the bathroom. Somehow Legolas had known exactly what I needed and the water was steaming hot. He appeared behind me and swiftly whisked my clothes away before easing me into the tub. The water bubbled when I sat down just like it did in the mineral springs and I looked up in surprise.

"One of the recipes in the Varyan texts talked of the benefits of powdered salts and I had Rhea make some up for us." He smiled and slid in behind me, pulling me back against him. I relaxed all over when he held me tight and kissed my ear. "We will soak for fifteen minutes then I will wash you from head to toe. Then I'm going to put you to bed and feed you myself, every single bite."

I tingled all over and it wasn't the salt. We'd not had much chance lately for pampering each other and it looked like it was my turn. My muscles relaxed in the heated water and when he began to wash me they felt like limp noodles. My mind shut down completely and the only thing I could think was how very much I loved the strong hands massaging me into bliss.

"Beloved, do you have the strength to leave the tub?" Legolas whispered in my ear and I opened my eyes, wondering if I'd fallen asleep.

"Maybe a hand up?" I asked sheepishly and he laughed out loud before pulling me upright and into his arms. He kissed me tenderly and I returned it with all my heart.

When the world tilted on me, it was nice to know that he'd be there to hold me up. I let him dry me off and when he led me to bed, I let him tuck me in with another kiss and an admonishment to stay there until he could bring in our supper. I rested against the cushions he'd piled at the head of the bed and closed my eyes for a moment.

A kiss woke me and I blinked at Legolas, who was smiling at me with a most besotted look. "Dearest, your nap has done you good. Hold this for a moment."

A tray was placed in my lap followed by a baby in the middle of the bed. Glimmer immediately rolled over and tried to crawl up onto the tray. While I was distracted, Pharin got plunked between my legs and then she began practicing her crawling, too. While I defended my supper, Legolas joined us on the bed. Dinner was filled with laughter while first Pharin then Glimmer tasted my meal a finger at a time.

The bed was rather messy when we were done but I felt much better. I loved and was loved to overflowing. How could I not want my father to have the same feelings? If Lorrin was the one who helped heal the loneliness then I should be happy for him. I shouldn't sulk like Glimmer had when I rescued the custard from his grasp but smile and welcome the addition to the family.

And once I'd loved Legolas right into melting, I was going over there and welcoming Lorrin to the family. Glimmer fell asleep in mid-tickle and my love winked at me before scooping our son up and taking him down to the nursery where we'd finally moved their cradle. Pharin was still singing but she was slowing down, too. I rocked her a little with a deep hum that she seemed to enjoy and her eyelids fluttered once, then again and finally she was sound asleep.

Before I could disentangle myself from the bed clothes, Legolas was back. Giving me a stern look, he plucked her from my arms and dropped a kiss on my cheek. He left soft-footed and I immediately had those tingles back from our bath. Suddenly I wasn't quite so tired after all and I made haste to set the tray full of empty dishes onto the bed stand. I couldn't do anything about the sheets but if I was very lucky we were going to mess them up anyway.

Smiling to myself I settled back to see what he had planned.

********
Gloin
********

I awoke for the second time with a start. Listening intently, I couldn't decide what had awakened me but I finally settled back and resumed stroking Lorrin's hair. It was probably just a branch against the roof or something, I decided. I didn't want to have to get up and let the Elf in my arms go. It felt much too good to finally be touching someone again after all the years alone.

"Gloin," his voice was so soft that I almost didn't hear him. He raised his head and looked me in the eye with such a look of joy that it almost brought tears to my eyes. "You are all right with . . . this?" He gestured at our entwined bodies.

"I've been thinking about," I mimicked his gesture, making sure that I touched his bare skin, "this . . . for a while now. I have no experience with this kind of loving so I ask you to be my guide, if that is all right with you?"

His smile grew slowly until I thought it would stretch from ear to ear. "I would be delighted, Gloin."

I looked into those beautiful violet eyes and marveled at them. He was glowing all over and his skin seemed to heat in an instant, going from relaxed to taut in a heartbeat. He slowly lowered his lips to mine and I closed my eyes to keep from watching. Soft, he was so soft that it felt like rose petals brushing against my mouth.

Opening instinctively, I felt his tongue slowly ease between my lips. Sweet, he tasted sweet like winterberries in the fall, I decided. Heat seeped between us everywhere we touched and my senses whirled around me, deluging me with so many impressions I couldn't understand them all. His beautiful hands stroked my shoulders while his lips nibbled at mine. I was doubly glad that I'd cut my beard, for it would have only gotten in the way.

Hard yet soft, the contradictions should have bewildered me since my only knowledge of loving was with Alanna. But this was Lorrin, my friend and his touch lighted fires beneath my skin the likes of which I'd never known. I burned everywhere we touched and when he gently bit my nipple I thought I'd buck him off the bed. His chuckle told me he was moving slowly down my body and I pried my eyes open to watch him in disbelief.

His elegant fingers wrapped around my cock while the ends of his hair teased my inner thighs. Lying between my legs, he blew gently over my crown while my groin tightened. But at the first lick of his tongue, I closed my eyes again. If I watched I was going to explode and with my eyes shut I could concentrate on feeling the amazing sensations that he was introducing me to.

Moist warmth around my crown; callused fingers sliding back my foreskin; a hot breath blown across my quivering flesh; a low humming that raised the hair on the back of my neck; the smell of arousal that surrounded us; the feeling that a sudden storm had arisen and was about to overtake us.

His tongue fluttered just under my crown while his fingers very gently rolled my balls between them. It was much too soon but it had been so long since I'd had relief except from my own hand that I couldn't help myself. His weight on my legs was the only thing holding me to the bed. Trying to thrust up into the hot haven of his mouth, I spent myself with a moan they probably heard back in the Blue Mountains.

Shivering, I pulsed into Lorrin's mouth until I was completely limp. His touches were soft and soothing now, rather than the hard and arousing strokes that had destroyed my control. "Lorrin."

He seemed to understand that his name was all I could manage at the moment because he was sliding up my body with his lips and hands, gentling my shivers and reminding me that this was something very new to me. When we were face to face again, he had tears in his eyes. I gathered my strength and pulled him closer, seeing his pain and scattering healing kisses across his face.

Rolling us over onto our sides, I pulled back far enough to see his eyes. "Thank you, Lorrin. Did it bring back bad old memories for you?"

He blinked hard a couple of times and nodded jerkily. "Memories certainly, not necessarily bad, Gloin. It has been two millennia since I touched another with love."

It was my turn to blink. Two millennia? "I am willing to listen if you would like to share those memories."

His eyes gazed into mine for a long moment before he nodded briefly. "I . . . am the last of the Varyan in Middle-earth. The others moved on but one had to be left behind to guard the Gate. I volunteered."

"Everyone? They just left you here?" I was suddenly incensed at their callousness.

"I said yes when they asked." A faint smile returned and his fingers caressed my lips. "My . . . bonded was killed in combat with . . . I have no words to describe the force that killed him. It used magic like a sword and killed ten of us before our circle entrapped it beneath a layer of magics strong enough to contain it."

"Not destroyed, just contained?" I asked.

"Destroying came next. We took council of the Istari and devised a plan to disperse it to the elements. We had to release it though in order to get rid of it. Waiting had only made it stronger, the battle was hard fought and more of us died that day then had died in millennia. But it was finally destroyed. The wizards studied the remains and came to some frightening conclusions."

He paused, lost in his memories and I cuddled him closer. "Conclusions about the . . . force, you called it. What did it look like?"

"It was some kind of shift-changer. There were only bits and pieces left at the end. But enough to determine that it was not from Middle-earth." He paused when I gasped. "There is more to the world than just here, Gloin. In fact, there are many places that can be reached from here."

I thought about that and realized something that had been bothering me. "When the Varyans left, they didn't go to the Havens, did they?"

"No, they didn't. The Havens are only one place to which the Elves retreat when the world grows too much. My people journeyed elsewhere."

"Leaving you behind . . . why?" I was confused and didn't mind admitting it.

"They were weary and tired of fighting so we constructed a gate of energy so to speak through which they journeyed. Someone had to stay behind to close the gate and I volunteered." He sighed.

I scattered kisses over his sad face. "It's selfish but I'm glad you did. I would have missed being your friend and Legolas might have died giving birth."

He stilled, his eyes meeting mine. "I was tired, so very tired that I slept for a thousand years in the sacred center." At my confused look, he smiled. "The crystal cave where we harvested the healing crystals. But once awakened, I found the world much changed. Angmar and his demons had come into the valley, practicing their dark magic. I watched and waited, seeing them fall to Sauron finally. Once they were gone I reinforced the four guardians and settled in to wait again."

I had no words for how appalling I found that sad tale. "Again, I am glad that you stayed behind although I wish it hadn't been so long before we came."

"But you did come, Gloin, bringing your love and laughter back into my world. Are you sure you want to so complicate your life with a scarred old Elf like me?"

"Yes," I was sure about one thing and that was his place in my life. "We'll take it slow and create some new memories to fill up those empty spaces in both our lives."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. "Beloved Gloin, how very glad I am that your sons decided to come here. To finally be able to feel again is such a precious gift you've given me."

I smiled and kissed him gently, taking the initiative for the first time in our loving. I had a lot to learn but I was going to enjoy every minute of it. And just maybe we'd erase some of those bad memories he still carried within him. The next few years were going to be very interesting.

******************
The end for now