Moonlit Waters - A First Night in Arda
To my beloved Fin, a very happy birthday you wonderful man, I hope that you enjoy this, I love you so very much.
This is the start of a brand new set of adventures for them.
This is the start of a brand new set of adventures for them.
The lands of Arda greeted them not with thunder or revelation, but with silence, an ancient, reverent hush beneath the trees.
The stars overhead shimmered brighter than any sky they had ever walked beneath, arranged in constellations older than memory, older than song.
Onorfin stepped into the silver-lit clearing first, his breath catching in his throat.
“Valar…” he whispered, gaze lifting in wonder. “I can feel them watching.”
“Let them watch,” DP murmured, stepping up behind him. “Maybe they’ll learn something.”
From somewhere above, Percy shrilled, “I swear I will drown myself in this decorative puddle if you two start flirting already.”
But they weren’t listening, not really. Not anymore.
Because beneath the starlight, half-veiled by willow branches and drifting mist, lay a hidden pool.
Moonlight shattered across its surface like crushed glass.
Fireflies drifted lazily around the water’s edge, as if pulled there by instinct.
Onorfin stared at it, chest rising and falling too quickly.
“We should set up camp,” he managed.
His voice betrayed him, soft, unsteady.
DP stepped closer, the heat of him brushing Onorfin’s back.
“Funny,” DP murmured, “because your feet haven’t moved.”
Onorfin swallowed. “That’s because I’m… appreciating the scenery.”
DP’s breath ghosted over his ear. “Which scenery?”
Onorfin turned sharply, too sharply, and found himself inches from DP’s lips. Too close. Far too close for rational thoughts to exist.
“Y-you’re insufferable,” Onorfin whispered.
“And you’re terrible at lying,” DP countered, his voice smooth as river-stone.
Their breath mingled in the narrow space between them.
Percy groaned loudly. “By all means, continue edging each other emotionally. I’ll just be here having a crisis.”
DP didn’t look away from Onorfin.
“Do you want to stay in this moment,” he murmured, “or should I take a step closer?”
Onorfin’s voice barely existed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
DP stepped closer.
Their foreheads touched first, accidental but devastating.
Then Onorfin’s hands found DP’s coat, gripping the lapels hard enough to crease the leather.
The kiss, when it came, wasn’t gentle.
It was sharp.
Hungry.
The kind of kiss that felt like falling into something they had already been tumbling toward for days.
Onorfin inhaled sharply as DP’s mouth teased his lower lip, his hand slipping up to cradle the Elf’s jaw.
DP kissed like a man who’d wanted this for far too long and had finally decided to stop pretending otherwise.
Onorfin kissed back like he was starving.
“Enough,” DP murmured against his lips.
But he didn’t pull away.
Not even an inch.
“Not nearly,” Onorfin breathed, and kissed him again, deeper this time, pulling DP closer until there was no space left between them.
The moonlight brightened, as though the very stars leaned closer.
When they finally broke apart, Onorfin was flushed, pupils wide, chest heaving.
DP looked wrecked in the best way, lips swollen, composure gone, heartbeat visible in his throat.
“I.. we should... that is... perhaps... the pool...”
Onorfin’s words tangled hopelessly as DP’s fingers traced the line of his collarbone.
DP’s smile was slow, devastating. “Are you inviting me for a moonlit swim, glitter-boy?”
Onorfin opened his mouth to deny it.
He failed miserably.
“…yes.”
DP’s coat hit the moss.
Then Onorfin’s cloak.
Percy shrieked, “OH FOR THE LOVE OF EÄ, AT LEAST GO BEHIND A BUSH!”
But DP was already stepping into the water, hand extended toward Onorfin, not demanding, but offering.
Onorfin hesitated only long enough to breathe.
Then he stepped forward, took DP’s hand, and the world went molten.
The water embraced them, warm from starlight, glowing faintly as if touched by some ancient blessing.
DP’s hands found Onorfin’s waist beneath the surface, pulling him close.
Onorfin gasped, and DP swallowed the sound in a kiss that burned hotter than any campfire.
Their bodies met, slick with water, moving in a slow, inevitable descent into something deeper than desire.
Onorfin’s fingers dug into DP’s shoulders, his breath shuddering as DP nipped along the curve of his throat.
“Valar…” Onorfin whispered, voice breaking entirely.
DP kissed the hollow of his throat. “Let’s give them something worth remembering.”
The fireflies scattered.
The mist rose.
And behind a curtain of willow leaves, under the oldest sky in Arda…
…the water rippled,
the night sighed,
and the scene faded softly, reverently..
..into darkness.
The lands of Arda greeted them not with thunder or revelation, but with silence, an ancient, reverent hush beneath the trees.
The stars overhead shimmered brighter than any sky they had ever walked beneath, arranged in constellations older than memory, older than song.
Onorfin stepped into the silver-lit clearing first, his breath catching in his throat.
“Valar…” he whispered, gaze lifting in wonder. “I can feel them watching.”
“Let them watch,” DP murmured, stepping up behind him. “Maybe they’ll learn something.”
From somewhere above, Percy shrilled, “I swear I will drown myself in this decorative puddle if you two start flirting already.”
But they weren’t listening, not really. Not anymore.
Because beneath the starlight, half-veiled by willow branches and drifting mist, lay a hidden pool.
Moonlight shattered across its surface like crushed glass.
Fireflies drifted lazily around the water’s edge, as if pulled there by instinct.
Onorfin stared at it, chest rising and falling too quickly.
“We should set up camp,” he managed.
His voice betrayed him, soft, unsteady.
DP stepped closer, the heat of him brushing Onorfin’s back.
“Funny,” DP murmured, “because your feet haven’t moved.”
Onorfin swallowed. “That’s because I’m… appreciating the scenery.”
DP’s breath ghosted over his ear. “Which scenery?”
Onorfin turned sharply, too sharply, and found himself inches from DP’s lips. Too close. Far too close for rational thoughts to exist.
“Y-you’re insufferable,” Onorfin whispered.
“And you’re terrible at lying,” DP countered, his voice smooth as river-stone.
Their breath mingled in the narrow space between them.
Percy groaned loudly. “By all means, continue edging each other emotionally. I’ll just be here having a crisis.”
DP didn’t look away from Onorfin.
“Do you want to stay in this moment,” he murmured, “or should I take a step closer?”
Onorfin’s voice barely existed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
DP stepped closer.
Their foreheads touched first, accidental but devastating.
Then Onorfin’s hands found DP’s coat, gripping the lapels hard enough to crease the leather.
The kiss, when it came, wasn’t gentle.
It was sharp.
Hungry.
The kind of kiss that felt like falling into something they had already been tumbling toward for days.
Onorfin inhaled sharply as DP’s mouth teased his lower lip, his hand slipping up to cradle the Elf’s jaw.
DP kissed like a man who’d wanted this for far too long and had finally decided to stop pretending otherwise.
Onorfin kissed back like he was starving.
“Enough,” DP murmured against his lips.
But he didn’t pull away.
Not even an inch.
“Not nearly,” Onorfin breathed, and kissed him again, deeper this time, pulling DP closer until there was no space left between them.
The moonlight brightened, as though the very stars leaned closer.
When they finally broke apart, Onorfin was flushed, pupils wide, chest heaving.
DP looked wrecked in the best way, lips swollen, composure gone, heartbeat visible in his throat.
“I.. we should... that is... perhaps... the pool...”
Onorfin’s words tangled hopelessly as DP’s fingers traced the line of his collarbone.
DP’s smile was slow, devastating. “Are you inviting me for a moonlit swim, glitter-boy?”
Onorfin opened his mouth to deny it.
He failed miserably.
“…yes.”
DP’s coat hit the moss.
Then Onorfin’s cloak.
Percy shrieked, “OH FOR THE LOVE OF EÄ, AT LEAST GO BEHIND A BUSH!”
But DP was already stepping into the water, hand extended toward Onorfin, not demanding, but offering.
Onorfin hesitated only long enough to breathe.
Then he stepped forward, took DP’s hand, and the world went molten.
The water embraced them, warm from starlight, glowing faintly as if touched by some ancient blessing.
DP’s hands found Onorfin’s waist beneath the surface, pulling him close.
Onorfin gasped, and DP swallowed the sound in a kiss that burned hotter than any campfire.
Their bodies met, slick with water, moving in a slow, inevitable descent into something deeper than desire.
Onorfin’s fingers dug into DP’s shoulders, his breath shuddering as DP nipped along the curve of his throat.
“Valar…” Onorfin whispered, voice breaking entirely.
DP kissed the hollow of his throat. “Let’s give them something worth remembering.”
The fireflies scattered.
The mist rose.
And behind a curtain of willow leaves, under the oldest sky in Arda…
…the water rippled,
the night sighed,
and the scene faded softly, reverently..
..into darkness.
