#Silverscars

[greenleaf4stuff]

A Quiet Morning In Eregion

Adar/Celebrimbor, One-Shot, Fluff. Cuddles, some kissing. Celebrimbor and Adar spend the morning in bed, and with how warm and comfortable Adar is, Celebrimbor is loathe to let him leave it.

(my other TROP fanfics)

Written for TROP Fluff Week. I ended up combining two prompts for April 3rd, namely 1 "You’re so warm…" and 4 "Stay a little longer…". Wrote this in one go and only gave it one quick edit, so apologies for any mistakes and typos that I might have overlooked. A big Thank You to @rivendellwatch for organizing and hosting this lovely event, it was fun to write something short and sweet while following a prompt (or two, in this case)!

For the longest time, Celebrimbor had considered himself an early riser. It was just the most practical way to start the day, in his opinion – getting up before everyone else meant that he would get to enjoy the morning quiet at his leisure, either with a cup of tea or just as it was.

He oftentimes stood by a window, stepped onto a balcony or even walked the streets of Eregion by himself, to take in the beauty of his city and the greenery that grew everywhere without yet having to mind any of his usual, daily responsibilities.

It also allowed him to start working as soon as possible, and he found he often did his best work before noon, whether it was sketching or the actual smithing itself.

This perception, that rising early was the perferable course of action compared to staying in bed until the late morning, had recently changed, however.

The elf found himself smiling as he burrowed deeper into the soft bed. And the chest of the one he was sharing said bed with.

Adar was warm like a furnace – or, well, a forge. Which Celebrimbor supposed was fitting, considering his forge and the uruk were the two things in all of Middle-earth he preferred to be around the most.

He was also comfortable to lay on, or next to, or against, or even under; despite his build, the other always instinctively found ways to drape himself across the slightly leaner elf that ensured Celebrimbor would not be pressed too harshly into the bed or against the uruk, so that even using him as a blanket was a very nice experience for Celebrimbor.

At the moment, the elf and him were laying on their sides, with Celebrimbor having moved himself down on the mattress to press his head into Adar’s chest, the top of his own head tucked under the uruk’s chin. Who had his arms around the elf’s shoulders and a hand at the back of his head while Celebrimbor had his own arms slung around the other’s middle.

It was a nice place to be, and one the smith found himself incredibly reluctant to move from. He was content, he felt safe, there was no urgent matter he had to attend to. He could feel Adar’s heartbeat through the fabric of his dark night-shirt, could smell the scent of his skin and his hair, heard every even, slow inhale and exhale of breath.

Surrounded and cradled, the elf smiled brightly and just took in the quiet moment. He’d usually gotten up early in the past, to have some peace and quiet, to clear his head for the day ahead and maybe get some inspiration from what he might see or think of.

But he was quite certain that he would get a similar amount of inspiration from being close to the one he cared for, who not only positively influenced him in his work but in mood, and outlook, and so many other things. The other grounded him more than any walk in his city could, just by his mere presence in Celebrimbor’s life.

And, truth be told, it was just nice to soak in Adar’s warmth, and getting to enjoy being close to the other.

The moment held on for a long time; long enough for the sun to rise a bit higher above the horizon, for the rays of its light to shift, until they must have reached the uruk’s face, who groaned lowly in his sleep and turned his head into the pillow he had rested on.

The elf found himself hoping the other might be afforded the chance to go back to sleep, though he also had no objections to the other waking up if it meant they got to continue holding each other some more.

Though, when the uruk groaned once again and then began to slowly shift his limbs away from Celebrimbor, the smith knew the other actually had no intentions to enjoy the quiet after waking up, but was instead planning on getting out of bed.

Usually, Adar was the one who would snort and reach out a strong arm to gently drag Celebrimbor back into bed whenever the other wanted to get up and start his day. The uruk had long endured many hardships and been deprived of many small joys, either by necessity or circumstance, and as a result was quite bold and unashamed to act on what he wanted – that was, being close to Celebrimbor, and being a little selfish for once.

The smith had zero complaints about accomodating him in that regard. One might even say he took joy in encouraging the other to act on his wishes, and gladly let himself be kept from his less urgent duties to remain in bed with the other to cuddle, or talk, or watch the sunrise together, slung around Adar’s back or with the uruk holding Celebrimbor from behind.

Today, however, it was Adar getting up first, and the elf felt giddy as he saw the chance to do things the other way around for a change. He hid his grin in the covers as he let Adar sit up and stretch, then bend down and brush back Celebrimbor’s curls to kiss his temple, thumb stroking the smith’s hair.

"I am afraid we have to get out of bed," the other said, his voice a quiet rumble that made Celebrimbor shiver. Adar had a very nice voice, in his opinion. The elf peaked his eyes open and looked up at the other with what he hoped to be a pitiful look.

The uruk looked radiant in the morning light, sitting with one knee propped up, the other leg on the bed and ankles crossed, leant over so strands of his dark hair fell over his shoulders. His expression was openly fond, and he wore a tiny grin at Celebrimbor’s obvious disappointment. He began to card gentle fingers through the elf’s locks, from his temple to the back of his head, as he tilted his own to watch the smith.

This time, Celebrimbor shivered harder – he was a bit ticklish around his ears, he’d found.

Or, rather, Adar had.

The uruk’s grin turned into a soft smile at the reaction.

"I suppose you are right," the elf admitted, though he thought the exact opposite. He shuffled a bit and turned his face up at the other, hoping that his expression would not give his little plan away.

"Hm," Adar hummed, and bent down again, this time pecking Celebrimbor on the lips. Their kiss was slow to the point of being languid; another indulgence that the elf gladly participated in. He felt as if he were kissing sunshine itself with how warm and soft he felt, touching his mouth to Adar’s. "I will bring over your clothes for you. That way you can remain in bed a bit longer."

Celebrimbor felt affection spread through his body and smiled brightly as a result. He freed a hand from the cocoon of his blankets, cupped the back of Adar’s head to guide him close once more, and give him another kiss. "That is very kind of you. Thank you, Adar."

The other was visibly more reluctant to draw back this time. Perhaps he was already overthinking his own decision. Celebrimbor would gladly to tip the scales even further – but not quite yet.

The uruk beheld him for a long moment, as if torn, before he blinked and sat up fully. "Of course," he replied.

He’d moved to get closer to the edge of the bed and turned around, feet planted on the ground, when Celebrimbor pushed down the covers and sleepily threw himself across the bed. He was a bit more ungainly than he’d have been fully awake, and likely less coordinated too, but he still accomplished his goal.

With his head pressed between Adar’s shoulder blades and his arms wrapped securely across the uruk’s chest and middle, he hummed in satisfaction and then drew his own legs beneath himself, before he used all his strength and gently, but insistently, pulled Adar back towards the middle of the bed.

"On second thought," the elf spoke, half-muffled into the other’s night-shirt, as if he’d ever truly had the intention to let the other leave in the first place, "Not so fast. I think I’d prefer keeping you here a while longer."

Adar, for his part, only resisted Celebrimbor’s attempt for the briefest of moments, likely in surprise, before he readily let himself be pulled back and arranged to Celebrimbor’s liking without question or remark.

A silent permission, which the elf used to tip Adar into laying down again, then press the uruk’s back to his own chest and draw his own covers over the both of them. His arms snuck themselves around Adar’s middle and sought out the other’s hands to link their fingers, and his legs wound themselves around the uruk’s.

This time, it was Adar’s head which got tucked under Celebrimbor’s chin as the elf nuzzled into the uruk’s hair with a content sigh.

He grinned and could practically hear Adar’s raised eyebrow as the other drily remarked, "I take it there is no way to convince you to leave this bed after all? Or to let me leave it?"

"No, I am afraid not," Celebrimbor replied with a quiet chuckle, and while not sounding the least bit apologetic.

The uruk sighed deeply. "What a shame. But I suppose if that is the case, I might just accept the circumstances as they are…" His own smile could be felt when he raised their linked hands up to his mouth and kissed Celebrimbor’s fingers. "Though I must admit, I do not find them very hard to bear at all. In fact, I find myself enjoying them."

Celebrimbor tightened his hold in response and drew the uruk even closer. "Good. I feel very similarly," he said. He lifted his head and placed a kiss behind Adar’s ear. The other twitched, instead of giving a full-body shiver like the smith, but the reason for the reaction was the same.

This, Celebrimbor had found out.

"Let me just hold you a few more moments. You are so wonderfully warm, and it feels very good, getting to have you so close to me like this."

The uruk pushed himself back into Celebrimbor’s chest and tightened his own fingers around the elf’s, who in turn buried his own toes into the fabric of Adar’s sleeping pants. "It also feels very nice to be held by you," a short pause. "Let us just hope we do not fall asleep again. Your servants and my children will have our heads if we do."

The elf nodded, gently, and then relaxed back into the bedsheets. "I am sure one of us will manage to stay awake and alert enough, even if the other doesn’t. We’ll be fine."

This turned out to be incorrect, though neither of the two of them would realize this until much, much later in the morning, when the servants and Adar’s lieutenants would come and look where they were.

For the time being, however, they held each other and were slowly, but surely, falling back into sleep. Warm and safe – and, although unspoken, deeply loved.

[gauntletgirlie]

Reparations: A Silverscars One Shot

Picture provided by @greenleaf4stuff.

I’ve written my first completed fanfiction piece! It’s a silverscars one shot, inspired by a conversation I had with the wonderful @greenleaf4stuff (see this post).

Now on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63361555

Pairings: Adar x Celebrimbor.

Other characters: Gil-galad, Elrond and Galadriel.

Setting: AU Rings of Power in which Sauron does not kill Celebrimbor.

Warnings: Mention of blood and injuries. Mildly spicy with allusions to smut, nothing explicit. Gauntlet kink (shocking, I know).

Premise: Adar has rescued Celebrimbor from Sauron and is in the process of negotiating a truce with the elves. However, Lord Celebrimbor is proving most distracting.

Word count: 2100

Snippet following, the full piece is under the cut. I hope you enjoy!

Adar growled in frustration. The armour was coming off he decided, figuratively and literally. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

He was stood too close. Adar could feel the air beside him move with even the slightest shift in Lord Celebrimbor’s stance. He refused to look at the elf beside him, staring resolutely at the High King instead as he addressed the room. 

Gil-galad had called this meeting to discuss the terms of truce between elf and uruk, and so it was that Adar found himself in the ruins of Eregion’s forges with the elven leaders: Gil-galad, Galadriel, Elrond, and Celebrimbor. It was hastily done, but terms needed to be set, at least until a more formal arrangement could be made. The siege had been called off the moment Nenya had cleared Adar’s mind of the influence of Sauron, and Sauron himself had fled once he had seen he was outnumbered and outmanoeuvred. 

Adar was trying his hardest to focus on what the High King was saying, but whilst his eyes remained fixed upon Gil-galad’s face, every other sense was drawn to Celebrimbor. He could hear the soft susurration of the elf’s gown as he repositioned slightly and could smell the blood that oozed from his bandaged hand. Adar could even feel the exhaustion that emanated from him. 

The elf lord should be resting, not forced to stand here and discuss politics. Then again, Adar mused, Elrond and Gil-galad were sporting their own wounds, weariness also yoking their shoulders. Perhaps they should all have sought respite before attempting to negotiate treaties. He himself felt energised, the power of Nenya had stripped away much to reveal more of his old self and he was impatient to get back to being the father his children deserved once more. 

Celebrimbor kept sneaking surreptitious glances at him, Adar could see in his peripheral vision. The Lord of Eregion had been most gracious with him, not least because Adar had rescued him from the clutches of Sauron. He owed Adar his life, but Adar owed him reparations for a besieged and destroyed city. A fact Gil-galad was not letting him forget. 

In fact, Adar was pretty certain it was that very topic the High King was so emphatically enumerating right now, if only Adar could stop listening to Celebrimbor’s unsteady breaths next to him. No, it had become too much, he could take it no longer, the Lord of Eregion needed a break and he needed to not be stood so close.

“If I may be so bold, your majesty.” Adar interrupted Gil-galad and was rewarded by a look of surprised indignation. “Lord Celebrimbor clearly requires rest, his injuries are many and talk such as this requires minds unclouded by pain and fatigue. I think he may not be the only one who would benefit from a chance to heal somewhat.”

Adar looked at Elrond, then Galadriel, before settling back on the High King. Gil-galad gave him a calculating look, his deep brown eyes boring into his own pale blue ones, no doubt attempting to determine if there was an ulterior motive behind his words. He might suspect Adar of seeking to stall negotiations, which was entirely untrue. Adar wished to get back to Mordor with his children as soon as possible, he just needed a reason to lessen the proximity between Celebrimbor and himself and this was the politest way he could think of achieving it. 

It was Galadriel that broke the tense silence that had fallen after Adar’s words. 

“I agree with Adar.” His name did not fit comfortably in her mouth still, it haltingly dropped from her tongue. “Lord Celebrimbor has suffered greatly and both yourself and Elrond have also sustained injuries-“

“Thanks to this orc and his children.” Cut in Elrond, though Adar noticed that his voice was more tired than it was harsh. 

“Uruk”.

Adar nearly broke his rule of not looking at Celebrimbor, for he and the elf had spoken the word in unison. He felt a smile creep unbidden to his lips and bit down on the inside of his cheek to prevent it spreading. He could do nothing to prevent the warmth that was simultaneously spreading in his chest, however. 

“I have already apologised on behalf of myself and my children.” Adar addressed Elrond. “I wish for no more flames and no more darkness. I wish to heal the rift between elf and uruk. Sauron poisons my mind no longer, as he no longer poisons Lady Galadriel’s or Lord Celebrimbor’s.”

At the reminder that not one, but two of their own had succumbed to Sauron’s deceit, Elrond and Gil-galad both appeared uncomfortable and, dare he say it, abashed. Gil-galad exchanged a glance with his commander before sighing and straightening himself. 

“We shall break until the morrow then. But we meet back here an hour after first light.” The High King’s tone brooked no argument as he fixed Adar with a hard stare. 

Adar inclined his head in assenting acknowledgment. With one last look at those gathered, Galadriel took Elrond’s arm and the two made their way out of the huge oak doors of the forge without another word. Gil-galad looked at Celebrimbor expectantly, but the smith made no move to leave. The High King raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment, instead bestowing Adar with a final appraising contemplation before following his companions out. 

“Lord Celebrimbor.” Adar acknowledged the other in farewell but as he was about to leave, Celebrimbor spoke. 

“I wanted to thank you again, for saving my life.” Celebrimbor’s voice was brimming with sincerity. 

“You have already thanked me. There is no need to continue to do so.“ Adar spoke kindly, not wishing to insult the other, but in truth Celebrimbor’s indebtedness made him feel discomfited. He was a great elf lord of noble lineage, an artist of the highest degree, a mind of genius and compassion; to see him reduced to such vulnerability was grievous to witness.  

“Still, I mean it. You were my knight in rusting armour.” Celebrimbor laughed softly at his own joke then placed a hand on Adar’s own, which was resting on the edge of the table they had all been gathered around. Adar stared at the contact. 

“Can you not even look at me?” Exasperation laced with pleading in the smith’s voice. 

Adar found he could not reply, his mind was whirling, and just as words were beginning to form, he felt Celebrimbor remove his hand and Adar’s heart sank, even as his mind relaxed. He was already on shaky ground with the elves, especially their High King. He could not afford to get entangled with one such as the Lord of Eregion. Better to not even entertain such thoughts as a warm, gentle hand placed upon his own threatened to give. 

To his astonishment, Adar felt that same warm hand cup his scarred cheek and gently but firmly turn his head so he was forced to look sideways at the elf beside him. Celebrimbor was already facing him and the space between them was so diminutive it would only take one of them to lean forwards to eradicate it entirely. 

Adar kept his face impassive, but he knew his eyes would betray him. He was not one to break eye contact, but he feared that Celebrimbor would see the hopeful longing he had no right to possess harboured in his gaze. He was about to look away when he saw a change in the other’s eyes; where there had been uncertainty now there was resolve. 

“Oh for goodness’s sake.” Celebrimbor whispered before sliding his hand down to the top of Adar’s breastplate and tugging him so that his mouth was brought to press firmly against the elf’s before he could even think to react. 

Celebrimbor’s lips were surprisingly soft and moved tentatively, despite his sudden determination. Adar was frozen in place, his hands involuntarily rising up in shock with his shoulders tensed up. Celebrimbor broke away to meet Adar with questioning expectancy. His fingers still gripped the top of his breastplate, refusing to relinquish their grip. 

Adar was now faced with a choice. Risk incurring the disdainful wrath of Gil-galad, Elrond, and probably Galadriel by giving in to his desires or risk offending and losing forever the elf before him whom he could no longer deny he respected, admired, and wanted so very badly. 

Adar smiled. There was no choice. He slid round so they faced one another properly, tilting his head forward so their noses almost touched. He heard Celebrimbor’s breath catch at the sudden movement. 

“Are you certain this is what you want?” He asked in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the other’s.

“Yes.” Celebrimbor spoke without hesitation. 

Adar moved immediately, that one word releasing the fire within him he had been so desperately trying to keep from consuming him. He grasped Celebrimbor round the waist with his gauntlet and drew him in, sealing the gap between them as he kissed the elf with an urgency that earned him a gasp of delighted surprise. His other hand brushed up the velvety fabric of the elf lord’s tunic to rest in the hollow of his back. 

Celebrimbor matched him in pace, their lips moving together in a dance of fervidity, but Adar was leaning in hard so that the smith was forced to wrap his arms about the uruk’s neck, uninjured hand entangling in his hair. In one swift motion, Adar grabbed the elf’s hips in both hands and hoisted him up to place him on the edge of the table next to them. He could kiss Celebrimbor more vigorously now and press their bodies closer without fear of either of them losing their footing. He cursed his breastplate, for what had been instrumental in bringing them together moments ago was now preventing him from feeling the other’s well-muscled form against his own. 

Adar growled in frustration. The armour was coming off he decided, figuratively and literally. Celebrimbor attempted to help him undo the buckles but he only had the one hand to work with, the other being too maimed to use so intricately. Adar’s desperation for closeness saw he was freed quickly, however, and the two embraced in a zealous collision. 

Celebrimbor was drawing him down so that Adar had to brace his gauntlet-clad hand against the table. The elf brought his legs up to wrap around Adar’s waist, ankles crossed at his back, his robe slipping up his calves to tease a glimpse of his thighs. The sight incensed Adar, he wanted to trail kisses up those thighs from knee to pelvis, meeting with what was housed in the middle. 

Celebrimbor had brushed Adar’s hair aside and was trailing light nips and sucks along his neck to end behind his ear. Adar’s gauntlet scraped against the wood of the table, gouging deep lines into the surface and his legs threatened to buckle when Celebrimbor began softly biting his ear, teasing his way from lobe to tip, but the smith merely tightened those supple legs against him to keep him steady. Adar slid his bare hand to grip the top of Celebrimbor’s thigh, feeling the smooth muscle tighten under his touch. The elf moaned in response causing the uruk to stop and pull back.

“Am I hurting you?” Concern flooded him, he had gotten lost in his lust, forgetting the elf lord was already battle-worn and fatigued. “We can stop here, we need not go any further. You do need to rest.”

Celebrimbor looked deep into his eyes with a longing that scorched Adar’s soul. By Eru, if he did not possess the most handsome face Adar had ever had pleasure to witness.

“Stop now and you will truly hurt me. As for resting, we have all night.” His brow quirked up suggestively. 

“As my Lord wishes.” Adar smirked. “But I will ensure you get the rest you require. Your High King will have my head if not.”

Celebrimbor laughed at that before pulling Adar to him again so their bodies were flush once more. The elf lord’s toned chest crushed into his own and the arms made strong through years of smithing now enclosing him in tight embrace were a reward Adar did not deserve. Celebrimbor was truly a master of his craft, for Adar was certain he would forge him anew before the night was done. 

“Promise me… promise me I may rest in your arms and I feel as though my wounds will all be healed.” Celebrimbor murmured breathlessly in his ear. 

In answer, Adar caught his mouth in a tender kiss and the two let their eager bodies carry on the conversation for the rest of the night. 

[lodessa]

So after reading this lovely Celebrimbor/Adar arranged political marriage AU post, I have not been able to stop thinking about the potential of this ship.

In my initial reblog I added the tags:

#imagining adar being like: celebrimbor loves and makes things of beauty#clearly me and my children must be an affort to his eyes#and celebrimbor being eternally curious and so instead he's sort of fascinated#because they were forged really#just as much as any ring

And then I went to go capslock at @hunter-gatherer-stuff (who is the best and encourages all my brain's wild rabbit holes) about how Celebrimbor (being the huge nerd that he is) would be driven to understand how the Uruks were designed and function. He not be able to help the urge to study Adar.

And they, insightful as always, really struck on the idea that Celebrimbor finds beauty everywhere, that he can't help finding something to love in everyone he encounters. He is almost doomed to fall hard and fast over and over again and used to being valued as a tool to a certain extent but not really cherished the same way he cherishes. (We see Sauron exploit the hell out of that. )

But what is truly making me UNWELL was the next idea that I had:

What if Celebrimbor used Kintsugi on Adar? What if, instead of like Nenya seeking to undo what Morgoth did and return the person he was before he was Adar, which Adar rejected . . . Celebrimbor bound back together Adar's fractured form and face with precious metal : accentuating the places where he's been shattered in a way that honors those cracks instead of erasing them, making him whole without trying to undo what was done but instead of building. Making and finding beauty, art, and strength out of of where and how he was broken, building something more rather than seeing it as an obstacle to ignore or overcome.

[cestpasfaux24601]

"Hearts may fail yet still, light endures"

[thephoenixandthecrocodile]

I just had this vision of Celebrimbor working in his forge in Mordor surrounded by little Uruklings who scream FIRE every time he puts something into the flames or pulls something out.

[plotdesigner]

in my scar colored heart, color will always exist ch 6

Rating: Mature

Warnings: canon-typical aftermath of battle, aftermath of torture, discussion of Silmarillion-era violence

Summary:

Adar finds an unlikely ally in Eragion after his children turn on him in a bout of unexpected battle madness. Surely this time, the elf he’s brought home really will help him defeat Sauron instead of using his mercy as an opportunity to kill dozens of orcs AGAIN. Surely this time he can truly defeat Sauron and keep the Uruk safe, right?

Celebrimbor manages to survive being tortured by Sauron. Now he just has to survive teaming up with the army that invaded his city, the heartbreak of his lover and his smiths turning on him, and the psychic damage that comes from being the son of an infamous kingdom-killer working with someone called Lord Father. (Or: Sauron’s exes unionize, rebound together, and try and get custody of the kids. Canon divergence after ROP s2e6. Let’s get out of Ost-in-Edhil with a lower body count!)

Chapter 6: While Adar makes preparations for the Uruk army's retreat, Celebrimbor gets a proper welcome to being in an orc war camp. It turns out it's easy to make friends when the last elf to be hosted was Galadriel 'double digit body count' Sun-haired.

Featuring: elf generational trauma, the realization young adults are dumbasses everywhere, learning Uruk nudity taboos about two chapters two late for it to matter, funerary practices, and where do orcs go when they die? (and so, so much wiki diving. mr jolkein rolkein rolkein tolkein make your battles easier to spell challenge)

read on ao3

(cover art by greenleaf4stuff!!! )

[lazyneonrabbitt]

SilverScars Kintsugi

So This post by @lodessa made something in my brain go brr and now there's art.

Bonus under the cut: sketches.

[queenmeriadoc]

For Celebrimbor Week you are allowed to participate with any ship you want, some examples are

Silverscars (Adar x Celebrimbor)

Heraldsmith (Elrond x Celebrimbor)

Silverlight (Galadriel x Celebrimbor)

Silvergifting (Annatar/Sauron x Celebrimbor)

I will make sure to reblog it all to @the-southlands Can't wait to see what you create <3

[eowyn7023]

Trading Clothes by Eowyn7023

Summary:

It is the morning after concluding the peace treaty between Elves and Uruks, outside of Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor pulls Adar's tunic on, instead of his own robes, by mistake in the dawn's faint light. He decides to complete the outfit, and goes, dressed as Adar, to address the Uruks in camp.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64288219

@rivendellwatch

[wowstrawberrycow]

Subby Buddy Meal

But who's the Kitten Nugget dipping sauce?

And fries???? ����

[greenleaf4stuff]

In Convenience - Chapter 5, part 3

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage to marriage of love AU, post story snippet 5, part 3. Celebrimbor and Gil-Galad continue to welcome the guests. The smith is delighted to see his neighbors from Khazad-Dum again. When Adar ends up joining the group, an unexpected item helps to avoid hightened tensions - and showcases the affection between the two spouses.

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience" and "In Convenience")

This was just very lovely and cute to write, the interactions between these characters were unexpectedly fun and sweet, to the point it almost wrote itself. Also, the 'item' hinted at above is something I had wanted to write about for quite some time now. :) Enjoy! <3

Once Oropher and Thranduil had concluded their conversation with Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor, more and more guests began to arrive and came to greet the latter two. Delegations of elves, men and even dwarves had followed the invitiation, most of them either curious or skeptical. What united them almost unanimously, however, were their open relief and delight at the defeat of Sauron.

It also seemed that once they saw Celebrimbor’s obvious happiness, and how his city showed all the signs of prospering in the aftermath of Sauron’s brief reign of terror, they were becoming somewhat convinced that the marriage, too, was worth celebrating.

One of the more openly questioning groups happened to be a delegation of neighbors and friends that Celebrimbor was particularly delighted to see.

"Prince Durin, Princess Dísa, Narvi! Welcome to Ost-In-Edhil," the elf greeted them with open joy, and was quite elated when the the latter came over and readily took Celebrimbor’s hands in his own to squeeze them. The elf returned the pressure with a wide smile. Even with his magnificent beard, it was clear Narvi was returning it with an equally bright one.

Before the elf knew it, the other had dragged him down and pulled Celebrimbor into a powerful, heartfelt hug. It made the Lord of Eregion realize how long the two of them hadn’t seen each other, and under what circumstances. He returned the embrace readily as a result.

"It is so good to see you," he said, and felt his frame shake as Narvi patted his back. He didn’t mind it in the least. "I had feared for you and your people, after Durin told me about the dwarven rings."

"Hmpf. As you can see, I am alive and well," Narvi replied. "Though your concern honors you."

He drew back and held onto Celebrimbor’s shoulders as he studied him. His gaze quickly turned approving. "You look very well, my friend. I, too, had feared the worst when news reached to us that Sauron had taken hold of Eregion," a long pause. "And that you’d been wed to an orc-"

"Uruk," Celebrimbor gently corrected, unable to help himself. It had become second nature to him, the way it was for Adar. One might claim the two of them had already begun to rub off on each other, which...likely wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

Narvi paused, but did not try to rebuke Celebrimbor. "Uruk, then. Still. A political marriage while they were right at the gates of your city, you can’t fault a dwarf for worryin’."

"If I could fault you for anything, Narvi, I have yet to discover it," the elven smith replied, and chuckled at Narvi’s fond eyeroll. "Your concern is much appreciated. Thankfully, it is unnecessary – I am indeed quite well. Splendid, even. More so, I imagine, once the hustle and bustle of today has passed."

The other gave him an understanding look and nodded, but then seemed to remember something and released Celebrimbor to step back. As he half-turned, Prince Durin and his wife Dísa came into view.

"We will continue to speak more, my friend, later on," the dwarf promised, before he bowed lightly and stepped back to let his prince come closer. Celebrimbor caught Durin and Gil-Galad throwing each other meaningful glances that the smith couldn’t hope to parse, and so he simply shrugged inwardly and fully turned his attention to the dwarven royalty in front of him.

"Prince Durin," Celebrimbor greeted, then turned to the dwarf’s wife. "Princess Dísa. It is good to see you. You, Dísa, look lovely as always."

And indeed, the princess had either changed before stepping in front of Celebrimbor and Gil-Galad, or she had been dressed quite elaborately for her journey. Her dress was beautifully made, shining like rare metals from the depth of the Misty Mountains, adorned with gemstones and jewels, gold dust in her hair, on her eyes, cheeks, and fingers. She shone preciously, even more so as she smiled at him, and he told her as much.

She chuckled and tried to wave him off. "Oh, quit it with the compliments, you’ll turn your husband jealous. Or mine," she joked, then came close and also gave him a hug while laughing warmly. "Narvi’s right, you look much better than we dared to hope for!"

Celebrimbor flustered, a little, but also laughed and returned her hug, mindful not to accidentally undo Dísa’s beautifully done hair; he could only guess how much time and how many people it must have taken to make it look like a piece of art, because it did.

When she drew back, she studied his chest and then her eyes widened excitedly. "That is the Sirannon, and the end of the embroidery there, isn’t it? And the Doors of Durin," her eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "What a wonderful choice for your garment."

Celebrimbor’s smile was a little proud, perhaps, and certainly wide enough to almost split his face in two. "I’d hoped you and your people might approve. We are neighbors, after all – good ones, or so I should hope. I wish to pick up and continue the collaboration between our people, and honor it to the best of my abilities, as soon as possible."

"Don’t you worry about that, elf," Prince Durin replied from the side, and Celebrimbor straightened to incline his head in respect at the redhead. The other returned the gesture, both to the Lord of Eregion and the High King of the Elves. "Now that the lyin’, deceivin’, good-for-nothin’ Lord of Falsehoods is gone, we will be quick to restore our previous trust, I am sure. If only because Elrond would surely subject me to his blasted doe eyes if we didn’t."

He was audibly joking, and smirked as he said his words, but also couldn’t help and curse Sauron in khuzdul afterwards. While Gil-Galad seemed quite content not to know what the dwarven prince was saying, Celebrimbor wasn’t afforded such a mercy, and he wheezed in his attempt not to laugh at Durin’s language.

"Sorry. I tend to forget Narvi taught you," Durin replied, though there was very little sheepishness to his words. He threw a sidelong glance at Dísa. "And this one, too. Elrond tells me you know how to curse in khuzdul now?"

Remembering his outburst at Adar’s camp – the one he hoped Elrond had not translated and retold to Gil-Galad in full –, the elf scratched the back of his neck and looked to the side for a moment, visibly caught, before he turned back to the dwarves. "I assure you, it wasn’t your lovely wife who taught me these words," Celebrimbor looked at Dísa, who smirked at him, emboldening him to add, "Or, rather. Not all of them."

They shared some laughter among each other. "I couldn’t have known you’d actually use any of it," Dísa defended, though her husband looked more approving than anything.

She stepped forward to touch Celebrimbor’s arm then, and her gaze grew unexpectedly soft. He was quick to pay attention as a result. "So, Celebrimbor. I know this is a feast to celebrate the peace, but there is another matter as well," her eyes seemed to bore into his, despite her light tone and easy smile. "How is the marriage? Are you as content as the occasion makes it seem?"

There were a few hidden questions, tucked safely into the corners of what she had asked – whether he was happy, if he was safe, if this was truly what he wanted or if he was merely doing his duty to the elven people.

It warmed his heart to witness her concern, even diplomatically voiced as it was. As he glanced at Durin, the prince wore a frown, much more plainly displaying his doubts than his wife did. Gil-Galad, notably, had been quietly observing the situation, sipping on some tea and holding himself back.

Perhaps, the interaction between him and Durin concerning that large stone table was still at the forefront of his mind. The thought brought a bit of mirth to the smith; Elrond had taken much delight in gossiping to Celebrimbor about the real nature of the dispute after the fact.

He gently put his hand onto Dísa’s shoulder, and let his own expression turn soft with open affection he thought of Adar, and how he felt whenever he was with his husband.

"I assure you, Lady Dísa, I couldn’t be happier with my lot. The circumstances of my marriage and subsequent partnership with Adar might have been unusual. But the victory achieved, we all achieved together. And both our feelings for one another are genuine. It’s not merely a political match – we have grown quite fond of each other."

He grinned and winked at his last words. Dísa’s bright laughter in response broke whatever tension had fallen over them.

"Now then, that does sound very promising indeed," she replied, and patted his arm. "You should come visit us. Maybe we’ll have more time to speak then. I’d certainly like to hear all about what happened to you. Must have been quite the experience, from what Elrond told us already."

"Oh, you have no idea," Celebrimbor replied. "I will make sure to visit you again soon, once all of this," he indicated Eregion at large, "has been taken care of. Speaking of which, how have things been in Khazad-Dum? Have they- improved?"

His question was asked haltingly, and the elf couldn’t help but fiddle with the braided ring on his finger as he brought it forth. He wanted to hear news from the dwarven kingdom, but he also feared what his friends might tell him; about the corrupted rings and their effects, especially. The fact that Narvi, Durin and Dísa had been so elated to see him was already more than he deserved, in his opinion.

Dísa kept her smile, but it visibly became a little strained as she grew more serious, and turned towards her husband, who readily stepped closer and regarded Celebrimbor. Instead of appearing angry or dismayed, his expression was wry more than anything else.

"Yeah, well. About that," he seemed a bit sheepish, causing Celebrimbor to blink in confusion. "Let’s just say I might have temporarily lost my place as heir apparent when I took a fist to my father’s face, knocked him out cold, and threw his ring down the deepest shaft I could find."

He said it with a mix of pride, defiance and embarrassment that gave Celebrimbor almost as much whiplash as the prince’s words had done. He heard Gil-Galad quietly choke on his tea, and needed a moment to fully grasp the other’s meaning.

"You. You punched your own father? King Durin III?" The smith raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Things must have been truly dire for the prince to do so; he might not always see eye-to-eye with his father, from Celebrimbor had witnessed, but deep down Prince Durin held plenty of respect for his king – adored him, frankly, from what Dísa had spilled in conversations between the two of them.

She nodded, gravely, and threw her husband a disapproving glance. "He did. At least he didn’t do it in public but, word got out anyways," the way she looked at Celebrimbor clearly said, 'Can you believe this hotheaded fool?'

The smith was torn between wanting to point out that the rings had indeed been far more dangerous than even Durin could have forseen, and agreeing that perhaps, stealing or wresting the ring from the dwarven king might have been the preferable option.

His eyebrows were raised in worry as he asked, "A-and. How is your father now?" He blanched. "You’ve not been cast out from your people, or your home, surely?"

The prince was quick to wave him off, while Dísa reassured him by rubbing his arm and giving him a firm headshake. A weight slid off Celebrimbor’s shoulders. "Nah, nothin’ like that. He was rightly pissed, declared I wasn’t his heir anymore and gave me the cold shoulder for a bit. But, I think ever since the rings ‘ave been gone, he’s slowly come back to his senses."

He shrugged. "He’s still mad about the punch itself, but I think he can understand where I came from."

Dísa nodded. "We need to give it time. King Durin’s got other things to deal with, for now, anyways," she was obviously reluctant to worry Celebrimbor even further, but then sighed and admitted, "We suspect there might be another...problem. Down in the depths of the mountain. We’re not quite sure what yet, but there have been rather ominous rumblings, and reports of fireshine from down below. We have been halting a lot of our mining, and even prospecting for new veins, as a result."

"That sounds quite foreboding," the elf agreed, feeling troubled by her words. "Don’t get me wrong, I am very glad to hear the rings have been taken care of. But this new potential threat...is there anything I can do to help?"

Durin’s smile was wry, while Dísa’s was bright.

"Nothin’ concrete yet, but we appreciate the offer," the prince said. "My father wants to exercise utmost caution – his words, not mine. We’ll have to see how that works out, for now."

"Of course," Celebrimbor replied, and bowed just a little. "You are not just allies, but neighbors and most importantly, friends. I would be happy to assist you."

"Perhaps me and my people might be of help here," came a voice from the far corner of the hall. Celebrimbor looked up to see Adar come in from the hallway, some of his uruk in tow, though they were careful to keep their distance from the dwarves. Adar inclined this head to Durin and Dísa, before he stepped up to Celebrimbor’s side. The elf held his breath, trying to gauge how the delegation from Khazad-Dum might react.

Adar, however, continued to speak – and looked at the dwarves evenly. "My children are able to navigate the dark with ease. They can also dig tunnels and climb quite well. Maybe they might aid your people in any excursions down into the depths of the mountain; if there should be remnants of something truly evil there, they would be able to sense and help identify it."

There was a heavy pause after he had made his offer; both Durin and Dísa had been visibly more alert since Adar had announced his presence. While Dísa merely looked cautious, but was trying to subtly keep an eye on the other, Durin was openly scowling at him. Adar, for his part, did not give away much through his body or expression, appearing serious but not tense.

Except for the fact that Celebrimbor make out how his husband had pressed his thumb to his wedding ring, judging by how he held his right hand. The elf suspected the uruk was itching to have his broadsword – not because he expected to use it, but because he’d often grasped it in the past when he had needed something to ground himself, from what Celebrimbor had witnessed.

He could see Dísa chance a glance at her husband, raise her eyebrows, and hurry to try and find both a smile and a polite answer to Adar’s words, while Durin opened his mouth to retort and squared his shoulders in a way that did not bode well.

The smith could hear Gil-Galad stepping over, perhaps to intervene, and Celebrimbor too was quick to put a hand onto Adar’s arm in preparation to utter his support of his husband’s idea.

However, neither of them were as fast as Narvi.

"That is a fine piece of work," he remarked, audibly impressed. When the Lord of Eregion and the others looked over, the dwarven smith had his gaze fixed on Adar’s cuirass. Celebrimbor blinked, and saw Dísa and Durin both halt, then take a closer look at the armor as well.

Celebrimbor felt himself preen, just a little, raising to his full height at the praise, for it was likely in part addressed towards him.

As he’d promised the other, back when Adar decided against wearing a traditional robe for the festivities, the elf had taken the uruk to his new forge a few times during the late hours of the evening. His assistants thankfully had been aware enough to busy themselves with projects on the far side of the smithy, while Adar took off his cuirass and allowed the elf to work on it.

They both had decided to leave the blackened color of the metal as it was, but wherever there were rust or holes, the smith had taken to the armor and patched it up. He’d decided to deliberately not try and make the metal he used fit in, but rather gone and done it by the way of the uruk. That was, he let his own additions be visibly new, and different from the rest.

Adar’s armor was now flecked with silvery patches of metal, which from a distance looked like stars in the night sky. The bigger parts, Celebrimbor made to be less shiny, and had decided to adorn with some subtle designs instead.

The rim of Adar’s gorget, for example, was now decorated with a fine line of subtle, beautiful holly leaves and sage blossoms, interwoven amongst each other in muted silver. There had also been a large hole in his chest armor, near the uruk’s stomach, which had been fixed and adorned with a constellation of the night sky over Eregion, an eight-pointed star as its center piece.

It was indeed a rather fine piece of work, if Celebrimbor might say so himself. Such praise from another smith meant a lot to him.

"Thank you, my lord," this was Adar, who had gone so far as to incline his head in gratitude at Narvi. Celebrimbor felt warmth swell in his chest as the uruk continued. "My husband was kind enough to repair parts of my armor as a second wedding present."

And then he turned and looked at Celebrimbor, gaze softening. "The first being the reforged crown of Morgoth – remade as the sword which helped us kill the Deceiver," with those words, he turned back to the dwarves.

While Durin looked quite stunned, Dísa was once again smiling and looking to be more at ease, while Narvi was nodding in obvious approval.

"No need to call me lord – Adar, right?" Narvi said, and bowed slightly. "The name’s Narvi. I’m a smith, much like your Celebrimbor," he smirked.

Celebrimbor could see just the hint of a grin on Adar’s lips as the uruk looked back at the dwarf, and then also bowed just a little. "Adar is correct. My children refer to me as Lord Father of the Uruk, but Adar is the only name and title I require."

He turned and bowed to Durin and Dísa as well. "Forgive my manner of introduction. I could not help but overhear your...plight."

While she still looked just a little apprehensive, Dísa was quick to smile brightly at the acknowledgement by the other, and curtsied in response to his words. "It’s alright. I am Dísa, and this," she proceeded to subtly elbow her husband in the side, who shook himself from his frozen state and begrudgingly bowed a little as well. "Is Durin IV, son of Durin III and Crown Prince of Khazad-Dum. Though the title might be in question, at the current moment at least." The last sentence was said in wry humor.

"It is a pleasure, and an honor, to make your aquaintance," the uruk replied, voice genuine and wholly without any audible caveats, which was a relief. Celebrimbor knew his husband was just as interested in trying to create a lasting peace between uruk and dwarves as Celebrimbor, Gil-Galad and Elrond were, but he also knew Adar would not accept any ill words or insults to be spoken about his children.

It was a fine line to walk, but one they had seemingly managed not to stray from, at least so far.

Durin’s gaze was still assessing, but between Narvi’s open curiosity and Dísa’s attempts at a polite, diplomatic conversation, nevermind Adar’s proposition, he eventually deflated and merely asked, "So, about that offer you made just now. You serious?"

Adar nodded, "Absolutely. My hope is that, between elven records, my children’s skills and your hospitality and equipment, we might find a solution to your problem – and perhaps, a first step towards a future collaboration between our people."

This time, Celebrimbor did not have to hold his breath, as Durin hummed and nodded in reply. Celebrimbor and Dísa threw each other hopeful smiles, and when the smith turned to his High King, he too looked to be slightly optimistic, at least.

[gauntletgirlie]

Get to know your Mutuals

Thanks for the tag @perlen-gold, even though I’m just an unhinged follower obsessed with your writing 🙈 I started my own chain so your original post wouldn’t get too long.

What's the origin of your blog's title? My thirst for Adar and the gauntlet kink he inspired.

Favorite Fandoms: I have a lot, but The Silmarillion/The Lord of the Rings/The Rings of Power are my main ones I always fall back on.

OTP(s) + shipname: I’m a self shipper so me + whomever I’m obsessed with (currently Melkor, Adar, and Gil-galad) but also more recently:

Melkor x Mairon (Angbang)

Adar x Celebrimbor (Silverscars)

Favorite color: Orange (also partial to purple and dark green).

Favorite game: Hero Quest (I’m not a console gamer. Though I did enjoy watching my husband play Horizon Zero Dawn).

Song stuck in your head: Dog Days (Are Over) by Florence and The Machine.

Weirdest habit/trait? Oh boy, where to begin… I make random noises, I meep like Beaker to songs, laugh at my own jokes… I’m just a weird person altogether folks.

Hobbies: Writing, visiting places of historical interest, I also used to be an avid reader but then motherhood robbed me of my energy and concentration. I listen to audiobooks more now.

If you work, what's your profession? I write scientific reports and run data tables for an Early Drug Development CRO, which is as fun as it sounds. I’m also a mother. Everything you’ve heard about motherhood is true and also a lie.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be? I would be rich enough not to need to work 🤷🏻‍♀️ or working on a petting farm would be cute.

Something you're good at: Berating myself. Encouraging others/being a cheerleader. Also writing, I hope 🙈

Something you're bad at: Most things, but especially anything requiring mathematics or physical exercise.

Something you excel at: Being a silly goose 😏thirsting over fictional characters 🙈 and raging at injustices. Erm, I think that’s about it. How tragic for me 😂

Something you love: The community I’ve found here on Tumblr 🫶🏼 period dramas, Dracula, and tattoos (I have none of my own… yet).

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: Mormonism, The Wars of the Roses, the people I love.

Something you hate: Injustice, mayonnaise, and corsets improperly portrayed in period drama.

Something you collect: Cuddly toy bats, and more characters to thirst over (I need help).

Something you forget: That motherhood is difficult so to give myself more grace.

What's your love language? I don’t adhere to love languages, but I guess genuine connection over similar interests, banter/in-jokes.

Favorite movie/show: Aaahhh don’t make me choose! It’s always changing.

Favorite food: Galaxy Cookie Crumble, Mini Eggs, Yorkshire puddings, and pizza.

Favorite animal: Bats 🦇

Are you musical? I can hold a tune and I played flute as a kid, otherwise sadly no.

What were you like as a child? Intelligent, saw everything in black and white, more artistic, more outgoing.

Favorite subject at school? History and art.

Least favorite subject? Maths and PE.

What's your best character trait? I like to think I’m kind and understanding.

What's your worst character trait? I can be so incredibly lazy.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? More sleep. Always more sleep.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? Bram Stoker. I’d also love to meet my mum as a young woman, I think we would have had fun.

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!):

Come by @perlen-gold (Angbang)

Of Convenience by @greenleaf4stuff (Silverscars)

Last but not least, show your favorite fanart of your favorite character(s) (please remember to credit/add links!):

Melkor/Morgoth

Adar

Gil-Galad (TROP)

No pressure tags for @greenleaf4stuff, @valar-did-me-wrong, @strifes13, @wowstrawberrycow, @iwanderbecauseimlost, @withallthatisleftofmyheart, @calmlyy-chaotiic, @margauxmara, @varda-starqueen, @saffronstories, @gingeragenda, @gracefallingart, @dwarveslikeshinythings, @whenimaunicorn, @permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88 and anyone else who would like to play! Sorry if I missed anyone.

[thephoenixandthecrocodile]

I guess in my current fanfic Adar, Narvi, and Celebrimbor got married in Montana. 🤣

Montana opening up some incredible possibilities here. imagine the chaos you could cause by filing a fraudulent marriage certificate for two random people who've never met

[thephoenixandthecrocodile]

How the latest chapter of my Celebrimbor x Adar fanfic is going:

Adar: Celebrimbor, I’d love to fuck you senseless but we have some big problems we need to solve first.

Celebrimbor: ok, hear me out: maybe all of our problems will be solved by us sleeping together.

*Adar seriously considers that suggestion*

[plotdesigner]

in my scar colored heart, color will always exist ch 7

Rating: Mature

Warnings: canon-typical aftermath of battle, aftermath of torture, discussion of Silmarillion-era violence

Summary:

Adar finds an unlikely ally in Eragion after his children turn on him in a bout of unexpected battle madness. Surely this time, the elf he’s brought home really will help him defeat Sauron instead of using his mercy as an opportunity to kill dozens of orcs AGAIN. Surely this time he can truly defeat Sauron and keep the Uruk safe, right?

Celebrimbor manages to survive being tortured by Sauron. Now he just has to survive teaming up with the army that invaded his city, the heartbreak of his lover and his smiths turning on him, and the psychic damage that comes from being the son of an infamous kingdom-killer working with someone called Lord Father. (Or: Sauron’s exes unionize, rebound together, and try and get custody of the kids. Canon divergence after ROP s2e6. Let’s get out of Ost-in-Edhil with a lower body count!)

Chapter 7: Glug has questions for his father about why, exactly, the uruk are invading an elven city and risking massive loss of life to kill one single maia. Celebrimbor utilizes his experience navigating father-son disagreements for good. Adar bears the indignity of being loved by his children in public and braces for what comes next in getting the Uruk armies out of Eragion intact.

chapter 1 here

latest chapter here

(cover art by greenleaf4stuff!!! )

@greenleaf4stuff @niennawept @hellofeanor @baddybaddyadardaddy @malkaleh @themalhambird @nocompromise-noregrets @valar-did-me-wrong @wowstrawberrycow @eowyn7023 @thephoenixandthecrocodile @sailon-ishmael