Between Dawn and Dusk

I: Sunshine

by Lily Frost

        Layers of consciousness peeled away like sheets from his head, drifting into piles around him. Elrond cracked open one stormy eye and glared blearily at whomever was pulling them away. The morning sun pried at his eyelids, turning their inside red. He grunted and turned over, burying his face in the pillow. Two small hands with slender fingers and short nails reached into his night robe and squirmed against his sides and tummy, tickling him. He twisted to escape them, tangling his legs in the sheets and rolling frantically until he felt the bed disappear from beneath him and the ground appear below him, rapidly approaching.

        Elrond fell with an ungraceful thunk onto his bedroom floor. A giggle sounded above him.

        “Celebrian...” He growled, untangling himself and struggling towards the top of his bed.

        “Yes, dear?”

        “What time is it?”

        “The sun has just risen! I thought we would try to get out of the house as soon as possible. You promised we would go to the lake this morning and spend some time together.”

        “I had also intended on sleeping some decent amount.”

        “You sleep too much.”

        “I am part human.”

        “Can we go now?”

        “And what about breakfast first?” Elrond started dressing himself.

        “Oh, I have already eaten.”

        “My breakfast.”

        “Ate that too.”

        “Cel!”

        “Just joking.” She stuck out her tongue at him and waited for him to finish brushing his hair. “I will prepare a basket in the kitchen while you eat.”

        “Now, can we go?” She asked, standing over him as he tried to braid his hair, so close that he could smell her – that intoxicating smell of Celebrian... fresh and clean, like clothes dried in the sun, but with something sharp to it, something that made him strain against his pants and just resist ravishing her. Those red, red lips... he gave them a tiny kiss. Her hair brushed against his face, so, so soft. She fiddled with his clothes.

        Elrond gave up trying to get his hair into any semblance of order and resigned to her childish enthusiasm. “Very well then.”

        With a laugh and a skip Celebrian was rushing barefooted down the hall, her husband following behind with her shoes in hand, smiling softly to himself. She was beautiful – energetic, playful, smart, and deceptively strong of spirit. She was like... fire... well, not quite. He could get close to her without being burnt. She was his, but not really. Celebrian was... Celebrian was... sunshine. He decided at last. That was it, she was sunshine, and he had spent far too long sleeping.

fin