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“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Curufin, raising cool grey eyes to Maedhros’ and smiling with infuriating calm.

Maedhros took a deep breath, and asked, evenly, “Look, if there’s something we should know – ”

“I’ve got a guess.” They turned, and Caranthir waved from the doorway. “Hey, Curvo, on a scale from 1 to 10, how likely is it that our brother is fucking his old coach?”

Chapter End Notes

2. I know, Nahar is a horse. But it would be really weird for Oromë to coach college rugby with a huge, fuck-off horse at his side all the time. Besides, I needed a name for his dog, since Celegorm got Huan. And there was a name, ready and waiting!

3. Oh, so yes, I made Beleg and Celeborn kind of cousins. I mean, it’s an AU, I can do whatever I want, right? It’s not totally outside the realm of possibility that they might be kinda sorta related by marriage.

4. UPDATE: If you want the background story to Caranthir's rec league past...here's 400-odd words of that little nugget.

The future's bright and alarming

Chapter Summary

The seven sons of Fëanor are actually kind of impressive when they work together.

Celegorm clenched his fists and scowled at his father. “Look, I showed up, didn’t I? Why are you obsessing over this?”

“Because you are not telling me the whole truth. What could be so important that it would drag you away from the one night we request your presence?”

“I was there at the beginning, I only left a little before the rest of you. Calm the fuck down.”

Fëanor’s eyes flashed. “Don’t talk to me like that. This goes well beyond your behavior that night. You are demonstrating, once again, that you cannot be trusted to follow through on commitments – ”

“Commitments? Fuck, I’m plenty committed, you don’t know the half of it!”

“So tell me. Why do you insist on evasion?”

“Because it’s none of your goddamn business, that’s why.”

“This sort of response, Turko, tells me all I need to know. You are not growing up, you are not accepting responsibility, you are – ”

“I’m twenty three years old. Aren’t I out of your hands yet? You did your due diligence, I don’t need you anymore. Why do you even care?”

“I’m your father,” said Fëanor, exasperated. “I’m going to be in your life, whether you like it or not. I care because you’re my son, and I– ”

“Excuse me?”

They both whirled around. Curufin was standing in the doorway, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“What is it, Curufinwë?” asked Fëanor, tightly. “We’re in the middle of something.”

“I know,” said Curufin, and he twisted his fingers together in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture. Celegorm narrowed his eyes at him, suspicious. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you were…discussing. I know you were upset with Tyelko for leaving that night. But dad, it wasn’t his fault.”

“What?” Fëanor frowned.

“What?” Celegorm mouthed, behind his back.

“It was mine.” Curufin clasped his hands behind him and looked contrite.

“Yours?”

“Curvo,” Celegorm began, but Curufin shot him a brief, threatening look, and Celegorm shut his mouth.

“How was it your fault?” asked Fëanor, quietly.

“I…I asked him to go pick up some liquor for me.”

“What?” Fëanor drew his eyebrows together. “I didn’t even know you drank, Curvo, what were you – ”

“I don’t drink,” said Curufin, quickly. “Not really. But…it’s been a bit tough making friends on campus, especially since I don’t live in the dorms…and there are these kids in one of my classes I want to hang out with. They actually invited me to a party, finally, and I wanted…I wanted to bring something. I don’t know how this kind of thing works, but maybe, if they thought I was…cool enough…” He broke off, blushing.

Fëanor sighed. “Curufinwë…”

“I know it’s silly,” said Curufin, “and I know I shouldn’t care – I didn’t even end up going to that party. I guess, even after all that…I got scared.” He stared at the floor, looking so small and vulnerable that even though he knew it was all an act – it was an act, had to be – Celegorm felt his heart contract painfully.

“I’m sorry,” Curufin whispered. “I’m sorry I asked Tyelko to do it, and I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. I was embarrassed.”

-

On the landing, Maedhros turned to Maglor, who had his phone out and was typing busily.

“What’s the word?”

“Pityo answered. He says he can make up some reason that he and Telvo need to be picked up early. He even volunteered to fake a sprained ankle, but I told him that wasn’t necessary.”

“He should mention that he’s in some part of town dad doesn’t trust,” said Caranthir, lounging against the wall. “The old warehouse district, maybe. That'll get him moving fast.”

“Oooh, good call,” said Maglor, bending over his phone.

“Maybe he shouldn’t actually go to the warehouse district,” Maedhros began, but Caranthir interrupted him.

“C’mon, Nelyo, after all that work convincing Curvo to take the heat, you’re going to wimp out now? We’ve got to have a reason for dad to leave, now the focus has been deflected and before he can ask too many questions.”

Maedhros looked like he was struggling with some notion of older brotherly responsibility, but he yielded. “Fine.”

“Pityo’s going to call…now,” said Maglor, staring intently at his screen.

The three of them held still, listening. Down the hall, a cell phone rang.

-

Fëanor was about to ask another question when his phone rang. “Hang on – It’s Pityafinwë, I should take this.” He answered the phone, as Celegorm shot a questioning look at Curufin. Curufin nodded almost imperceptibly.

“I’m sorry, the connection’s not good. What did you s – You’re where? Pityo. I’ve told you not to – Is your brother with you?” Fëanor let out a breath and grabbed his jacket from the back on the chair. “I’m on my way. Stay away from the railroad tracks.” He hung up, looking distracted. “I’m sorry to leave so abruptly, but your little brother – I don’t know how it’s possible, but those two keep us just as occupied as the five of you ever did. Look, Turko, we’re not done here, but I’m sorry for coming down on you like I did. It speaks to your character that you were unwilling to reveal a secret your brother entrusted to you, even though your attitude – and buying alcohol for your underage – well, topics for another day. Curufinwë, we should talk as well.” He squeezed Celegorm’s shoulder briefly before laying a light hand on the back of Curufin’s neck. “Thank you for speaking up.” He smiled briefly, and as usual, it transformed him.

“Take care of each other,” he said, like he always did, and left.

“We do,” murmured Curufin, and closed the door behind him.

-

Celegorm let out a long breath and slumped against his desk. “Well, fuck me. That was unexpected.”

Curufin crossed his arms and fixed him with a stern look. “Why are you so bad at lying?”

“It’s not my fault I’m naturally honest.” Celegorm tossed his head and grinned manically.

“Nonsense. You don’t tell the truth, either. You just bluster and get defensive and say nasty things. How does that do you any good?”

“It was none of his business what I was doing.”

“Who cares? You only make him more suspicious when you refuse to answer.”

“I did answer – ”

“Telling him to go fuck himself isn’t an answer.”

“So why are you on my side all of a sudden? Why didn’t you tell him the truth?”

Curufin gritted his teeth. “I’ve told you before, T – Tyelko, that I actually care about your happiness. If he knew about your...relationship, he’d try and end it. For sure he’d try and get Oromë fired, and there’d be an inquiry, and our name in the papers again, and you’d get dragged through all of it. Yes, I know you don’t care about your reputation, but what about his? And father would definitely try to keep you from seeing that – Oromë, ever again. And then I know you’d do something really stupid. So for now, I’m on your side. Actually, I’ve always been on your side, even if you don’t believe it.”

Someone rapped on the door as Celegorm opened his mouth to speak, looking touched despite himself.

“Oh, and by the way,” said Curufin, as their brothers filed into the room, “Moryo’s basically figured it all out.”

“Is it true?” asked Maedhros, without preamble. “Are you having an affair with Oromë?”

“Ah, shit,” said Celegorm.

“Shit, nothing,” said Caranthir. “We just saved your ass.”

“Yes,” said Maglor. “The least you can do is fill us in.”

“You don’t have to worry,” said Maedhros, though he looked concerned. “We won’t tell your secret.”

Curufin rolled his eyes. “You speak for all of us now, Nelyo?”

“He's kept my secrets, I can keep his,” said Maedhros, still looking at Celegorm. “The rest of you can decide for yourselves. But I do have a few questions.”

“Of course you do.” Celegorm sighed and propped his chin on his hand. “If you want to know intimate details – ”

“I don’t. I want to know when it began, how it began, and I want to know who else knows.”

“Uh, the first part of that is kind of a long story. But Irissë knows. ‘course. And…” Celegorm thought. “Well, his wife knows, I guess.”

Maedhros looked horrified, while Caranthir and Maglor leaned forward, agog. “His wife?”

“Is this, like, a three-way scenario?”

“Wait, are you the mistress, Tyelko?”

“All right,” said Maedhros. “Perhaps it’s best if you just start at the beginning, hm?”

-

“Okay,” said Curufin, some time later, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Let’s establish what we’ve covered so far.”

Celegorm groaned, sprawled in his desk chair. “This isn’t a fucking board meeting, Curvo, why - ”

“Firstly,” said Curufin, ignoring him, “Nelyo would like it acknowledged that he’s uncomfortable with the fact that Coach Aldaron took advantage of you while you were still in school.”

Maedhros nodded. He was sitting on the floor, long legs drawn up before him as he leaned against the wall.

“Much like ‘a position of authority’,” said Celegorm, loudly. “That is a phrase I am so fucking sick of. I have never been taken advantage of in my life.”

Curufin rolled his eyes but didn’t press the matter. “Next, we acknowledge that Makalaurë is – how did you put it? – ‘ambivalent but intrigued’ by the fact that Oromë is technically married.”

Maglor, who was perched on the windowsill, also nodded.

“You need to get that look off your face,” Celegorm muttered. “It makes me worried.”

“What look?”

“That look that says: ‘This would make a great topic for an aria’ or some such bullshit. I’m serious, Káno – you immortalize my love life in song and I will – ”

“An aria?” Maglor raised his eyebrows. “Not at all the medium for it. I mean, possibly an extended opera, though that’s hardly my forte. I’d be more comfortable with an epic poem, but what would really be ideal is – well, I know this very talented playwright – ”

“Death,” said Celegorm loudly. “Death is what awaits you if you take that road, Makalaurë. Off limits.”

“Understood,” said Maglor hastily.

“And Moryo would like, of course,” Curufin went on, now looking a little bored, “to register both his amusement, his amazement that you kept it secret this long, and also to state that, quote, ‘your boyfriend is frighteningly enormous, how does that even work’.”

Celegorm kicked at Caranthir, who was yawning, slumped against Maedhros’ legs. “You’re too young to know. But damn, is it worth it.”

“I’d like to register that Tyelko’s being gross again,” said Caranthir, and dropped his head back on Maedhros’ knees.

“It is so noted,” said Curufin, and sighed, running his hand through his hair. “And you already know my feelings on the matter, Tyelko, so I will not belabor those points. What matters now is that we know; you know we know; and we can help keep this from our parents. Because we’re all much smarter than you are.”

Celegorm grinned, and held his arms out. “You guys make me feel so warm and fuzzy.”

“You know my rule about hugs,” said Curufin, dodging him. “Pull it together.”

“Yo, can I lay down one ground rule?” said Celegorm, as he settled for hugging Maglor instead, nearly pulling him off the windowsill. “You have got to stop stalking Oromë and being weird to him. Like, enough already.”

“I wouldn’t have done it if you’d just be honest from the beginning,” said Caranthir, as Maglor extricated himself from Celegorm’s embrace, rather disheveled. “But yeah, sure. The poor guy already has to put up with you, he doesn’t need to suffer the rest of us.”

“Right,” said Celegorm, and stared meaningfully at Curufin. “Right, Curvo?”

“Fine, I won’t interrupt any more of your little trysts at his house,” said Curufin disinterestedly. “Unless I think it necessary,” he added, almost too quietly to hear, as Celegorm clapped him on the back and Huan let out a joyous bark.

It’s so obscure

Chapter Summary

In which Maedhros ponders the future, with Fingon’s help. And Maglor is a pain in the ass, but not as much of a pain in the ass as his brothers can be.

Chapter Notes

0. I settled on these chapter topics thanks to the results of the experiment posted here.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fingon woke in the middle of the night to find Maedhros gone. He rolled over, reaching instinctively for Maedhros and finding only a cold spot in the bed. He opened his eyes, confused. Sliding out of bed, and shivering a little as his bare feet hit the floor, he slipped through the doorway and glanced down the hall. A line of closed doors to Maedhros’ brothers’ rooms, and the bathroom, open and empty. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants to pull on, he quietly made his way downstairs.

Maedhros was standing in the dark in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and staring blankly into space, an untouched glass of water next to him.

“You’re up late.”

Maedhros jumped and looked up. “Finno?”

Fingon padded into the kitchen and looked at him quizzically. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” said Maedhros, dropping his eyes. “I was just having trouble sleeping.”

Fingon settled in next to him. “For any particular reason?”

“No.”

“You’ve been…a little off lately. I mean, you’re always pretty quiet, but you seem – ” Fingon hesitated. “Is something going on?”

“No.”

Fingon looked disbelieving. “Babe, it’s me. You can tell me anything.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Maedhros didn’t look at him.

Fingon sighed. “I’m not going to pressure you to talk or anything, but I’m just saying, the last time you acted like this you broke up with me, so you can understand if I’m a little cautious…”

Maedhros forced a smile. “It’s nothing like that, Fin, I promise.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around more,” said Fingon quietly. “I want to see you more frequently than from midnight to 7am, I promise, I just–”

“No, I understand.”

Fingon hummed and leaned his elbows on the counter next to him. They stayed in silence for a while in the dark kitchen, before Fingon spoke again. “But this is something more than generalized insomnia and existential angst, isn’t it?”