Chapter 21 - EPILOGUE

A YEAR LATER

Mila sprinkled some flour on the work table at her home, humming to herself as she took a portion of dough and started kneading it with her clean hands.

A pair of strong yet gentle arms snaked on her waist. She relished the feeling of his warm, hard body pressed flush against her back, always in a way that never failed to make her feel safe and comforted. She tilted her head, meeting her husband's lips for a chaste, loving kiss. His shimmering blue eyes soft, lips smiling at her delicately, a gesture that was mirrored on her own. When she felt his fingers intertwined in hers, she broke their long kiss with a chuckle.

"Why do you always do this when my hands are covered in flour?" she giggled.

Glorfindel chuckled lowly, opted to kiss her cheek and jaw as he crossed her arms around her stomach, his hold on her tightened. He inhaled the scent of her skin; soft, creamy lavender, mixed with the warmth of bread being baked in the oven filling in the air inside their tiny house.

The perfect blend of her scent and her baking in his nostrils, and her body in his arms–Glorfindel realized–this was home.

"I missed you, my little wildflower," he cooed, his azure blue eyes glittered with love and adoration as he gazed into her eyes. "What? Can't I hug my wife after coming home from a long day?" teased Glorfindel, stealing another kiss from her neck, making her giggle again.

"Hm, long day, huh?" snickered Mila, "Those woods you chopped outside must've been giving you such a hard time."

A deep, throaty sound reverberated in his chest as he chuckled good naturedly. "Indeed."

The two of them exchanged another playful look, then their lips locked again in a kiss tainted with longing and affection. It was rather silly; him coming back inside the house almost every hour, checking on her, spoiling her rotten with his affection. Mila would never complain, and in fact, taking advantage of every second of it.

"Help me make this bread," murmured Mila lowly, "After that... By the fire tonight..." she whispered to his ear, earning herself and an attractive smirk from her destructively beautiful husband.

Mila captured Glorfindel's mouth again, her tongue teased his lips, making him hum in pleasure and contentment. His voice low and seductive as he voiced his response. "Hmm... Why not just now, huh?" he teased, making her chuckle, "How'd you like this table?"

"Stop it," Mila blushed red, admonishing him half heartedly with her bright yet coy smile, elbowing him on his stomach, "It will ruin this batch of bread. Come on, help me first," she purred between her breathy chuckle.

He gave her a cheeky smile, her heart soared at seeing this side of Glorfindel, more and more everyday. He kissed her cheek noisily. "I'll wash my hands first."

His warmth left her, but Mila didn't mind because the thrum of his happiness that she felt down their marriage bond still continued to spread across her chest like a warm blanket in a cold day, enveloping her. She went back to kneading the dough on the table, smiling to herself.

Bringing Glorfindel to this tiny home last year, away from everyone else in the seclusion of Imladris forest was the best decision she had ever made.

After that night when she held him all night, when he had shown her his monster, as Glorfindel put it, she knew he still had a long way to recovery. It still felt surreal that her husband had went through such a life altering trauma, all because of her.

That day, the time turning point, she had remained oblivious, happy even, while he had gained two months experience of the future and the sorrow that it entailed. So much sorrow and suffering that eventually forced open the pandora box hidden deep within his mind and heart, one that would make a lesser elf fade a long time ago.

Even after that night when he had taken her in ways he never did before, when he had realized that he was not living in his own personal limbo but in a new reality, Glorfindel was still unable to function. Then, he was but a mere shadow from the mighty warrior he used to be. She recalled his sleepless nights and her gentle encouragement for him to sleep, only for him to be awakened with tremble and cold sweat on his forehead. Through their bond, Mila clearly saw the images that had haunted him: her dead body in his arms, shrunken, skin papery. That, or the way the silmaril burned his flesh and consumed him.

Waking up everyday, with every sunrise, Glorfindel was akin to an empty vessel, except for his need to constantly be with her, to hold her, though he had refused to touch and be intimate with her after his meltdown. She had feared then that being present with him alone won't be enough, that he would soon succumb to his grief to fade right before her eyes if she didn't do something.

So she took the liberty moving them to their unfinished house near the border and sent home all the carpenters and craftsmen working on it. She figured that being a captain or drowning himself in violence won't do a thing to help him but to remind him of his grief, so she gave him something else to occupy his mind to. She gave him a project.

Half of the house that they called their own now was built by the strength and the skill of his hands. Even this working table at the kitchen–she had designed it, and he had been the one building it from scratch. To her relief, with time, his old self began to return, just as the warmth of his body.

Getting him to get over his irrational fear of hurting her was another challenge altogether. Brooding Glorfindel, she could handle. Uninterested Glorfindel? It drove her crazy.

It took her months, to the point that she had to cry and beg for his touch that he would eventually step forward and lower his inhibition. Even then, he had not been relaxed, restraining himself, never allowing himself to enjoy himself like he used to do. Glorfindel had turned into a straight up vanilla elf–until she decided to wear that skimpy, black lace night dress she had bought with Erussiel months earlier.

To her absolute mirth, he had shed all his fear ever since, and Mila couldn't help but being overjoyed by it, everyday since.

"I billed you something ridiculous again this time."

A smirk made its way to Glorfindel's handsome face. "If I don't like the dress, I will punish you."

"And if you like it?"

"I will still punish you, then I will let you punish me," he said with a dark, seductive look in his eyes.

Mila squealed to herself, face burned hot with excitement at the memory of their conversation last night. Someone cleared their throat, and Mila went quiet instantly, face hot, having Glorfindel watched her with amusement as he wiped his wet hands with a towel.

"What is it?" he said with a boyish grin, and Mila's heart fluttered seeing how happy he was now. How carefree.

"Nothing. Here, take this dough. Follow my lead," she muttered quickly, not wanting Glorfindel to see what's in her mind, lest he also see the dress she had ordered from Erussiel's trusted seamstress.

"Alright. Keep your secrets." He still watched her with squinted, amused eyes as he followed her and dipped his fingers at the flour and sprinkled it on his dough and the worktop.

They worked side by side, him learning his wife's every movement. Soon, Mila's mind was back to the task at hand. She instructed Glorfindel how to knead the dough patiently, step by step.

"Fold one end to the center like this... Then another..." she instructed while Glorfindel attempted her skillful movement on his own lump of dough, "Punch, fold...Then slap it across the table..."

Mila's laugh rang in the air when he slapped the dough with too much force than necessary, causing his dough to break. Glorfindel had the audacity to look somewhat embarrassed; knowing that he was good at many things, except being in the kitchen.

The golden one felt himself blushing, feeling like a giant troll with ten thumbs while he unintentionally torture the dough. His brow furrowed, lost as he tried to put together the dough.

"You absolutely destroyed that poor dough," snickered Mila.

"Not helping," he grumbled, causing that bell of her laugh rang in his ears again. Glorfindel hid his smile.

"Here."

Mila got in front of him, taking his spot. Her small delicate hands were on his bigger ones, leading them as she showed him the correct way to do it. His heart fluttered at seeing and feeling the stark difference of their hands. She was small, delicate and graceful with her art, while he was big, stiff and awkward with it.

Domestic life had never crossed his mind for millenias. He was never good at it, too brute to delve into such simple way of living, until Mila had stepped into his life. Having her hands on his as she kneaded the dough, the elf soon got distracted from the task at hand.

"Relax your hands," Mila instructed, "Then fold, like this."

He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her signature sweet aroma, his heart almost break with how divine she smelled to him. How perfect she felt against his frame. He thought her body fitted his like a glove. He studied her face, the way her full lips pursed in focus, taunting him even when she didn't mean to. He burned the memory of the delicate, beautiful outline of her face in his mind.

Without thinking, ignoring her serious instructions, he pulled his hands in hers to cup her cheek and kissed her, halting her speech. His heart soared when he felt her returned his searing kiss almost immediately.

Glorfindel's kiss took her breath away. When she pulled away to look at him, she found him smiling in amusement at her. Throwing him a grin, she turned her focus back to the dough in her hand, pretending that his kiss didn't distract her a bit from their current task.

Mila caught the reflection of them both on the metallic surface of one of the pan lying on top of the table. The image of her in his arms tugged at her heartstrings. They both looked so different from each other, like night and day, realized Mila. While Glorfindel was towering behind her, fair skinned with straight glowing golden hair with an angelic visage, Mila stood only to his chest, her dark hair was raven, slightly wavy, and her caramel skin contrasting his.

How in the world such two opposite kind of people ended up being together like this? So different, yet felt so right. Her musings soon forgotten, for she noticed the way her face was smudged with flour from the way he held her just now. Meanwhile, Glorfindel laughed quietly behind her back.

No wonder he looked so mischievous just now, that little–

Mila dipped her hand on the flour bag, pretending to want to sprinkle her dough with more of it, before suddenly turning to him, raising her hand to give his face the same smudge he gave her.

His warrior instinct helped him dodge Mila's playful attack with ease. Glorfindel let out a carefree laugh of amusement at her adorable flour-smudged face. Like a little stubborn kitten, Mila jumped in order to put her flour covered hand on him the same way that he did her, but to no avail.

Glorfindel gave her the smug, taunting smile, making Mila grumble, cursing her short height inwardly. Annoyed that she couldn't get to him, Mila grabbed a handful of flour and opted to throw it to his direction.

Ha! Try dodging powder, sweetie.

Mila burst out laughing, satisfied when she saw Glorfindel's jeweled blue eyes blinked in surprise. His face, his collar and the front of his blond hair covered with flour. Now it was her turn to be smug.

She watched with a belly laughter as the elf wiped his eyelids and lips from the white powder, looking at her with his feigned annoyance.

"You're not playing fairly, my wife," he said with a warning tone, an evil smirk crept up his face.

Uh oh.

Mila bolted and fled the kitchen, bursting in laughter as she felt Glorfindel running after her. She made him circle around the furniture in their tiny living room, her eyes glinting with mirth as she slipped away from him and ran back to the direction of the kitchen.

"AHHH!!!!"

A firm set of hands caught her by her wrist, locking her, and Mila let out a girlish squeal when she felt his flour covered hands all over her face and her hair, exacting his revenge in ways worse than she did him. Glorfindel laughed at her feeble attempt to escape him.

"See, little one? That is what you get for messing with me–"

Not one to back down easily from a challenging situation, Mila reached for the flour bag again. Knowing what she was aiming to do, Glorfindel released her and took cover, this time successfully evading the powder she threw towards his direction.

Standing back up, Glorfindel eyed her warily, noting how she had her sticky little hand back into the bag of flour. "So this is what's it's going to be then?" he said arrogantly in a challenge, having found himself another bag of flour for his ammunition.

They didn't know what got into them.

Soon, a flour war broke out inside their tiny house. Both unrelenting, both laughing in mirth between their breaths, both were covered in white layer of powder as they played their game.

Glorfindel ended up chasing her again, cornering her on one side of her working table before taking captive of both her arms, placing them behind her back as he grinned at her triumphantly. Exhausted, Mila called for a truce. Their eyes danced with playfulness to each other when they both busied themselves wiping at their faces with clean cloth.

"You missed a spot."

Glorfindel lifted his hand to wipe a spot on the side of her head, before the amusement in his eyes dialed down quickly, replaced with a look of pure happiness. Without a word, the elf leaned down to gave her a long, searing kiss, one that ignited heat in both their stomach.

The flour war soon forgotten as they deepened their kiss; their powdered arms suddenly were all over each other's body. Their kiss, their touch turned heated, laced with hunger and need with every passing second.

Glorfindel suddenly lifted her by her waist, sitting her on top of the table. Suddenly she got reminded of their first time together, and Mila was more than eager to repeat the experience when she felt his lips under her ear, causing her to moan softly.

Mila tugged at his black tunic. Glorfindel took the hint and broke their kiss to quickly slip it up over his head and tossed the fabric carelessly, revealing his perfectly sculpted chest and stomach. With a renewed vigor, the elf impatiently returned into her arms, kissing her more heatedly.

He was in the middle of riding her dress up, his mind clouded with his want, aching for her, yet he froze in place upon detecting something with his nose.

Glorfindel clenched his jaw, reining himself in check as he closed his eyes momentarily. "Something's burning," he said in a low, thick voice, one that would be mistaken by his enemy, even his comrades as anger. But to Mila, it was desire that was slipping from his lips.

It took her a while to recognize the meaning behind Glorfindel's quiet words. Mila's eyes widened in alarm.

"My bread!!" she exclaimed, quickly jumping off of the table and ran for the oven.

***

Mila's head lolled back in exhaustion the minute she felt Glorfindel released the last of himself inside her. The golden warrior cradled her to him, his arm supporting her back as he buried his face on the nape of her neck.

They stayed like that for a long time, just as they would always end up doing every other night. The only sound could be heard was only their quick breathing and the soft cracking of the fireplace as they succumbed into the afterglow of their passionate love making, in each other's warm embrace, skin to skin.

In the midst of the remaining cloud of high he rode after joining with her again, a small, sarcastic voice whispered in his head.

Enjoy it while it last. While she's still young, because after her, there will be nothing left to console you. You will never know happiness again. You will be left alone again for eternity.

Glorfindel shuddered as the cold thoughts slivered down his spine.

He tried. He really tried to be happy. He tried to go back the way he used to be with her, when he was filled with nothing but confidence at having her by his side. Unafraid of the future. But even now with her in his arms, his sick mind even had the audacity to compare their position to that night when she died in his arms. How he had also buried his face like that in her neck as she looked up emptily into the sky.

The image reopened a wound that was still healing inside him. He gritted his teeth; fighting himself and lost.

Glorfindel gave in to the urge to look at her face, making sure he was not back at the worst night of his life. Making sure she had not left him high and dry again.

Her soft, gorgeous honeyed skin still had a wet glow to it after their vigorous love making on the fur carpet on their living room. Her eyelids were closed, lips slightly parted as she breathed.

She breathed.

When she opened her eyes, Glorfindel flashed her a smirk. "Good?"

He waited for her witty remarks, but it never came. Instead, Mila straightened herself and got off of him. Her luscious body taunted him as she lay on the thick fur, resting her head on one of the pillows they had gathered on the floor. Then her hand was outstretched to him invitingly.

"Come here," she bid him softly into her arms.

He did.

He crawled above her, resting the side of his head on her chest, eyes fluttered close the moment he felt her arms around his back and her fingers massaging his scalp. Glorfindel didn't know how Mila always managed to know what he was thinking when others don't. How she managed to know what he felt even when he shield her from his mind.

He felt her planting a kiss on top of his head, making him smile. She knew just what to do to comfort him.

"You're my solace," he said quietly as he brushed the skin on her shoulders with his thumb in slow, circular motion.

Glorfindel knew that this fragile mortal woman was now his only remaining lifeline. His sole purpose to live.

Pathetic, spat the voice inside his head, mocking him. Glorfindel didn't argue with it. He was indeed, pathetic.

"I'm never leaving you. I'm here," said Mila, tipping his chin up to look at her. "I'm not going anywhere."

You can't promise me that.

Glorfindel nodded, giving her a grateful smile. Mila's lips turned down, eyes forlorn as she gazed at him. She knew he didn't believe her.

Glorfindel felt guilty for once again ruining their mood with his dark thoughts. He adjusted himself to lay beside her. With an arm stretched, he pulled her to his chest pulled a warm blanket and draped it over their naked bodies, letting a peaceful silence filled the atmosphere.

Mila sighed into his neck comfortably, before humming A Whole New World tune. Because laying there on the carpet, she thought, was only fitting.

"Sing it to me," Glorfindel said with his lover voice, letting his finger brushed on her cheek. "You never sing to me before. You should. I know you sing well."

"I can show you the world," she began singing with a bashful smile, "Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, Glorfindel, now when did you last let your heart decide?"

A chuckle escaped his throat when he heard his name in the lyric. Mila gave him a cheeky grin, continuing her song.

"I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder, over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride," she sang the last part suggestively, comically running her hands over the length of his bare chest and stomach, grounding her hips playfully to him.

He soon caught the meaning behind the lyric, noticing the fact that she indeed had taken him by wonder over this fur carpet by the fireplace just minutes before. That realization got a genuine laugh out of him. He continued listening to her beautiful voice, letting her chase away all his fear until what was left was only happiness.

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us "No", or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Glorfindel was enchanted by her. He captured her lips, tasting her delicious mouth. When they broke from the kiss, he had an absolutely devious looking expression on his handsome face.

"Show me this whole new world," he whispered, tempting her, "What was it? Over, sideways, and under on a magic carpet ride?"

Mila got out from his embrace. Never taking her eyes off of his angelic visage, she moved herself to straddle his hips, smirking down at him. "I'll take you there," she purred, grounding her hips, stealing his breath away. Leaning down to his chest, she pecked his lips and spoke in her sultry voice, "Over, then sideways, then under..."

A promise.

Glorfindel returned her teasing with a seductive smirk, placing both his hands behind his head as he looked up at her. That glorious view of him would probably enough to impregnate the whole female population in the world. His lover voice was dripping with honey, melting deliciously in her ears.

"I'm yours for the taking."

***

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Glorfindel thought that he was at his happiest with Mila at his side, that nothing else in the world could ever top that.

He couldn't be more wrong.

A high pitched cry entered his ears; both breaking and mending his heart altogether. When Elrohir gently place the crying newborn in his arms, and he saw the blue in their eyes that matched exactly his, he was almost toppled over with the fierceness of how he fell in love with the baby.

"Congratulations. It's a girl," grinned Lord Elrond.

Glorfindel looked with a great amount of disbelief and joy at the small bundle in his arm. He was rendered speechless by the surreality of this blessed day. One moment he was fearing for Mila's life, ready to sacrifice the baby in her womb if it comes to that, but now, seeing this beautiful creature in his arms... So small. So fragile. So pure...

He wanted nothing but to protect her. He'd give the world to protect her.

Glorfindel glanced up to Mila. Her brows were sweaty with her toil, but her face radiated so much joy and happiness that mirrored his when she looked at him and the tiny baby in his arm.

She has your eyes, sweetie, Mila spoke through their soul bond.

She has your hair, little one.

And she has a mix of the color of our skin.

Chuckling at their inner exchange, Glorfindel approached Mila by her bed and sat next to her. He relinquished the baby to Mila's arms, knowing that the child needed her mother now more than ever. The couple looked at the beautiful baby adoringly, observing her lovingly. Counting her tiny fingers... Her tiny little toes.

"Oh my gosh!" Mila gushed, tearing up, "Her ears! Her ears! It's pointy, like her ada," his wife cooed, smiling at him lovingly.

Glorfindel chuckled happily, his heart full.

He was a father now.

He placed his arm on Mila's shoulder, pulling her close to his chest and placed a kiss on her forehead before joining her, gushing at their gorgeous little daughter. The golden one realized then, that he now had two reasons to live. Two reasons to love. And Mila, his sweet sweet Mila, had made him the happiest, the luckiest elf in the whole wide world.

His happiness was trampled so violently.

Mila let out sudden cry of pain, tears suddenly streamed down her face.

"Mila!" he exclaimed in alarm.

"The baby. Take the baby," ordered Lord Elrond to him in an urgent tone.

Glorfindel's eyes burned at seeing Mila's head falling back to the headboard; her lips parted as she gasped desperately for air. He felt Elrohir beside him, pulling him away from his wife with his hand still holding their daughter.

No. No. Mila. I need more time, Mila. Not now, he thought in distress.

Glorfindel watched from the side as Elrond and Elrohir examined her. His shoulders trembled at seeing the excruciating pain on Mila's visage. She was clutching at the bedsheets on her sides.

Doom befell him, and Glorfindel would have been broken to pieces, if it wasn't for the tiny baby he held in his arms. His tears streamed down his cheek as he watched Mila writhing in pain. The sight tormented him, knowing that he was helpless once again to help her.

Unlike the elves, humans' pregnancy was much harder and trying. Giving birth was even more so. He knew she had it rough, but seeing her smile just before, he thought she made it. He thought she was out of the harms' way.

"Could it be... No. No way."

Glorfindel watched the bewilderment in Elrohir and Elrond's eyes. Then to Glorfindel's bafflement, Elrohir was staring at him, with eyes as wide as saucer, but a scheming smirk oddly plastered on his facial expression.

"We have another one coming."

Another one?

"What?! WHAT?!" Mila screamed at Elrohir in the midst of the excruciating pain in her abdomen, then groaned again, in panic this time. "GET MY BABY OUT!!!"

Glorfindel was at loss when he saw Elrohir crouched down at the foot of the bed, staring in anticipation between Mila' legs with an annoying, determined grin on his face. An irrational part of him made Glorfindel clenched his jaw. If Elrohir wasn't a healer, and that they were on a different circumstances, Glorfindel would have had his head right then and there.

"Let's do this again, Mila, one more time. You can do it," Elrohir said with determination in his voice.

"Remember your breathing," Elrond added, his tone level, trying to calm Mila, "On my count."

Count?

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three... Push!!"

Twins. Glorfindel realized in bewilderment having put together everything in his jumbled mind. That was why Elrohir had that grin on his face. Two of these, he looked at their baby in his arms with a mixture of shock, wonder and love. Two children.

Sometime during the delivery, Erussiel had come and offer to take the baby from his arms so he could come to Mila's side. Mila clutched at his hand so hard as she let out another heart wrenching scream.

Glorfindel felt like fainting. He barely survived watching her risk her life delivering one baby. He didn't know how he managed to keep his sanity about him for the second time in a day. If it were not for his instinct to comfort her during her toil and suffering, Glorfindel knew he would have been rendered unconscious by now.

He held Mila close, whispering sweet nothings and words of encouragement as she cried in pain after pain. With one last, big push and a long cry from her, Glorfindel watched breathlessly as Elrohir pulled another newborn baby into his healing hands.

It was quiet.

Mila began to sob helplessly when she watched Elrohir and Elrond do absolutely everything to wake the baby. Their little child wasn't breathing. Glorfindel felt a lump in his throat when he saw how blue the skin of the baby had turned with every second that passed. He watched, powerless as Elrond maneuvered the delicate baby, holding it upside down by her tiny ankles and gently hit her bum in order to get her to breathe.

A loud piercing baby cries pierced the air, cutting through the layer of grief that had previously began to fester in their hearts, chasing the darkness away with another feeling.

Immense relief. Happiness. Joy.

Elrohir beamed at both Glorfindel and Mila as he placed the crying baby in her arms. Then Erussiel, who placed the first baby back into Glorfindel's. They watched the two babies in their arms; two split image of perfection.

The happiness in both their faces were enough for Mila to forget the excruciating pain she just endured; or the nine months she did when the babies still reside in her belly. She'd take more pain than that, if it meant she could be this happy.

"Our children," Glorfindel said in astonishment to Mila's ears, beaming ear to ear as he beheld the babies in their arms with soft, heart-warmingly loving gaze. He placed a kiss on Mila's temple, closing his eyes in perfect contentment.

Happy. Fulfilled. Blessed.

Everything that he never thought he would ever have, nor even crossed his mind. Everything he didn't even dare of dreaming–Mila had given it all for him.

"My three girls," he murmured softly, earning a tear of happiness from his lovely wife, "Completes me."

Glorfindel had never looked back ever since.

The two little babies turned into two little toddlers. Two little toddlers turned into two little girls–ones that easily steal people's hearts wherever their little feet carried them.

Glorfindel gave himself into the joy of fatherhood. Domestic life, he mused to himself happily. For eight thousand years the balrog slayer believed that this kind of utopian life was never meant for him. But being here by the river, watching his two little daughters playing with their mother, his little wildflower, and hearing their laughter ringing in the air, only enforced him that this life was meant for him all along, and that he could never be happier.

Variel and Rubin stood next to him, still in their armor while Glorfindel himself, having fully left his captaincy to Elladan in pursuit to his own happiness, was garbed in only simple black tunic, brown pants and leather boots. Despite that, his trusted broad sword was always sheathed by his hip, never not needed, now that he was the guardian and protector of their little family.

His girls.

Glorfindel smiled fondly as his two kids shot him identical toothy grin at him from afar. He placed his right hand on his heart, mouthing I love you to them, knowing that their elven eyes allowed them to see him even from this distance.

"Parenthood suits you," Rubin said, clapping at his back, grinning.

"Though I'm disheartened that you're never going to be patrolling with us anymore, I have to admit that you have never looked so happy," Variel added, smiling brightly to her friend. "We are elated for you, Glorfindel. Truly. You deserve this happiness."

Glorfindel's eyes softened at Variel. "Thank you, Variel. Rubin," he said, clapping both soldiers at their backs.

They continued watching Mila and her kids from a distance. Now the two girls had somehow managed to throw themselves at Mila, making their mother squeal in delight. Their laughter brought a chuckle to Glorfindel as he looked at them.

"She's very well preserved," mused Rubin all of a sudden.

Glorfindel only hummed, not paying much attention to Rubin's musings as he observed the way Mila hugged both their children.

Mila was glowing, he noted happily. His little wildflower was blooming so beautifully, the fairest amongst the flowers in the field, and Glorfindel still asked himself everyday how he got to be so lucky.

"Your wife," Rubin added.

"Fifteen years since you married her," reminisced Variel, "She still look the same now. At this rate, in a couple years people would think that Mila is their older sister rather than their mother."

Glorfindel's brows furrowed in deep thought at the notion.

The star grants immortality, he remembered Varda said to him at the Hall of Waiting, where his soul passed for a moment out of time after he broke open the silmaril.

Immortality. His intelligent blue eyes perked up to Mila, wide in speculation.

Could it be...

Both Variel and Rubin watched him with a gleam of curiosity in their eyes. Glorfindel averted his gaze, not wanting more people to find out that his wife was a star-bearer for the sake of her safety.

"Aren't you supposed to be back at your posts now?" he muttered flatly, crossing his arms.

"Yes, cap–"

Glorfindel smirked, amused that he still could pull his captain look and make his two friends forget that he was no longer their commander.

Rubin grumbled at him, blushing in embarrassment at his slip up. Variel grinned mockingly at her comrade.

"You need to relax, Rubin," said Glorfindel, laughing lightly. "Thank you both for visiting me and my family. I will heed your advice to keep away from being too close to the eastern border until it's safe. For now..." Glorfindel's eyes fleeted towards Mila.

"Go, mellon nin. Be with your family," Rubin said with a kind smile and a bow of his head, one that was mirrored by Variel. The golden one bowed his head to them in return, smiling at his friends. He watched as the two elves disappeared back into the forest soundlessly, vanishing like ghosts in the middle of the day. Glorfindel could probably locate them with his keen elven eyes, had he was not too absorbed with the serene view of his wife reading to their kids while they sat comfortably on top of the picnic blanket spread across the ground.

The golden one made his way towards them. His daughters ignored him, being too absorbed in their mother's storytelling. Glorfindel quietly sat and lay his head on Mila's lap. He looked up to see Mila's face as she continued to read, only getting a hint of her smile when he continued to gaze at her. Glorfindel closed his eyes, her voice lulling him into a meditation state.

A kiss on his lips brought him back to the present. He opened his striking blue eyes to find her starry dark ones looking down at him.

"Hi," Mila smiled prettily.

Glorfindel offered her his lopsided smile and sat up, leaving the comfort of her pillowy thighs. His keen eyes scanned across the field, watching his children. At some point, the twin girls had skipped off nearby to play with themselves, leaving him alone with his wife. Content with them still being close enough for him to hear and observe them, he took the opportunity of their time alone and pulled Mila to his lap, making her yelp and giggle in surprise.

Grinning at her, he leaned forward to give her a long, affectionate kiss, before settling down to just gaze at her. He caressed her cheek, taking in her appearance. Varda's words tinkling inside his head.

Mila was forty by now, he realized. Both of them had been so absorbed with their lives in Rivendell, sheltered from the outside world that Glorfindel failed to notice that Mila didn't look any different from the time since he had met her. If anything, she still looked like a young woman in her early twenties.

He gently ran his hands down her neck, pleased when he noticed her shivering under his touch. He smiled. His hands stopped just above her heart, feeling her there. Relishing every beat of her heart.

He didn't know what kind of expression his face gave away to her then that Mila suddenly spoke, her excitement earlier deflated, replaced with something else entirely.

"I'm here," she murmured wistfully, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm not going anywhere."

Feeling guilty for making her think that he was relapsing into his dark thoughts, Glorfindel reached through their soul bond, letting her see what was in his mind–his conversation with Variel and Rubin; Varda's words.

To his surprise, Mila didn't react much.

The golden one stared at her, dumbfounded. "You knew?"

"I had my suspicion," Mila replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to give you a false hope over something that had not come to pass. Not with the way you were," she said in quiet voice, noticing her big eyes searching him.

"What about now?" he asked, "Can I afford to hope now?"

Mila locked eyes with him, in awe with the amount of hope in his jeweled blue eyes. Her smile bloomed before his eyes, and he fell apart with immense relief and a new surge of happiness. Glorfindel embraced her tightly in his arms, closing his eyes as he listened to her sweet little chuckles.

Pulling away just enough to behold her beautiful, feminine face, Glorfindel's own smile crept into his face despite the glassy look in his open, honest eyes.

"So you're mine now." He pulled her hips to his, pleased when she let out a sensual sigh at his sudden ministration. His grip on her tightened possessively, making her blush. "This time, forever."

"Forever," Mila promised, her expression loving and delicate as she gazed back at him, cupping his face, "And more."

***