Home At Last

Family Tea and Gossip

"Exactly. Have you met my husband, Celeborn?" She handed Glorfindel over, accepting the cup of tea, made to perfection, not speaking until Glorfindel was completely distracted.
"Thank you, Thel. How are you holding up?" She whispered to him. He sighed, taking a deep look into his tea. It was a special blend Glorfindel had made not even a month ago, before all of this occurred.
"I... am uncertain. I worry about what happened. He was perfectly normal not even two weeks ago. I couldn't even bring myself to look through his memories, as jumbled as they are, Artanis. It's all there and I couldn't be strong enough to do something that he wouldn't hesitate to do for me." Erestor whispered back, voice wavering just a bit. Galadriel placed her hand on top of his empty hand.
"You have not failed him. Not then and especially not now. Should you be fluent in a language even I don't know? Thel, you are judging yourself far harsher than anyone else I know. Stop punishing yourself. Even now, you are the one he trusts most. Your actions have quite the impact on our little Flower, do they not?" She sighed, seeing the doubt in his eyes. She really was trying to ignore the ease dropping from Elrond as Celebrían spoke to her daughter and the twins and Lindir were helping Celeborn distract the baby Balrog Slayer to give them a moment. She sighed, seeing the humor in Erestor's eyes. He knew that Elrond and Celebrían had overheard the conversation earlier. He gave a flicker of his eyes as a sign to include Elrond. She almost laughed as she stated, slightly louder:
"Elrond, if you're going to ease drop just sit on the floor near us."
Elrond immediately sat down, his daughter drifting over to sit on his lap almost as swiftly. She fell asleep not a moment later. A few moments of peace before a high pitched squeal came from Glorfindel, who managed to run and hide under Erestor's chair. Erestor melted at the sight, scooping the slightly scared elfling into his arms. Glorfindel immediately calmed down, catching his breath. Erestor made Glorfindel drink a few sips before Glorfindel quite literally fell asleep on top of him.
"You are so quick to spoil him, Thel." Galadriel stated, a quirk of his lips was the only answer.
"Why does she call you Thel?" Elladan inquired.
"Because we are cousins and she has called me that since she was little. Isn't that right, Arty?" Erestor said the last word far too sweetly to be sincere.
"Arty?" Celeborn wheezed, trying not to laugh.
"I don't know when the last time you called me that, Spicket." Galadriel shot back, ignoring her husband.
"Better than Arty the mouth of the potty!" Erestor looked particularly smug at that one, as if he had already won their lovely nickname game.
"You take that back right now, you glorified plumber!"
"You would love that, wouldn't you? Well, Dunker, it was better than anything you've done!"
"Oh really? Because I remember that you were the one that needed to be taught how to swim!"
"Because you almost managed to wipe out the entirety of the lineage of Finwë, Ingwë, and Olwë in one fell swoop! Even Mr. Doom and Lord Darkness the Gloom didn't succeed as you almost did!" Erestor was almost crying while laughing. Galadriel was in the same boat as him, thankfully not on fire this time. The rest of the room was watching, somehow impressed, confused, or understanding.
"Well, I wasn't the one Lord Darkness of the Gloom (Morgoth) managed to trick into watching a window shatter onto my future husband's head!" Galadriel just managed to get out before they were giggling like elflings.
"Um... what?" Elrohir asked once the two calmed down enough.
"Which part, Elrohir? The almost extinction of the family? Melkor breaking a window while trying to hit Glorfindel with a ball as hard as possible? Or being related?" Erestor offered, not looking at all like he had been barely able to breathe from laughing so hard.
"All of that. Also, how is Glorfindel still asleep?" Arwen asked, woken up from the loud noises.