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Chapter Text

Galadriel stared blankly at the Word Doc in front of her. She had some measly notes, but writing something truly compelling was leaving her with more pressure than confidence. She had been hired fresh out of grad school to New York Daily News. It wasn’t the Times which was everyone’s end goal, but they trusted her with investigative reporting right off the bat. She knew she would wait years to get the same opportunity at the Times. And she had no interest in being a political analyst. She tended to avoid politics when she could. 

She cared more about the people. Politics showed you what the leaders who were all in a constant struggle for power cared about, not the lives of the people they were meant to lead. That being said, she kept more of her anarchist opinions to herself. No sense losing her job when she was there to make a difference. While she was headstrong, she was smart enough to keep some things to herself. 

She slammed her laptop shut and tucked it into her tote bag. Throwing her wallet and phone in as well, she grabbed her keys and headed out of her apartment. She locked up then walked the three floors down to the lobby of her building. The lack of architectural integrity in these old buildings was astounding. It looked like fake marble threw up everywhere. Why were there Roman columns in buildings from the 1900s? Journalism does not pay well, but it could be worse. 

Seeing some of the conditions her fellow New Yorkers were dwelling in pissed her off. Hundreds of people were hospitalized each year from the overabundance of black mold or rat infestations or gas leaks or lack of heat in apartments that are bleeding them dry. So many people told her there was no point. One slumlord would fall and another would take his place. Too bad Galadriel was never one to back down from a fight. Her professors had called her arrogant, but a smile had always been on their lips. 

She walked down the cool Lower East Side streets, her hands in her trouser pockets. She really should’ve grabbed a coat. She jogged the rest of the way to her favorite bar. The Lower East Side was known for its bars because drinks were cheap. They were nasty, but they were cheap. College kids would come down here to get trashed when they were bored of their own neighborhoods. 

This bar was nothing like the dive bars and clubs that littered the Lower East Side mostly because it was more of a pub. Gal still got looks when she brought in work, but she was mostly left alone. She walked up to the bartender and ordered an old fashioned. She looked around and saw her usual booth in the back empty and immediately headed for it. This drink would last her all night. 

She had just begun typing when a voice broke her train of thought, “A laptop in a bar on a Saturday night. Now I’ve seen it all.” 

Galadriel tried to ignore him, but when she continued to feel his presence, she looked up to see a man leaning on the booth, a beer in hand. He was giving her a curious grin. She shifted a bit uncomfortably at the weight of his gaze. 

“I have a deadline,” She replied. 

“College?” 

“My job,” She replied with finality, making it clear that she did not want a conversation. Well, maybe it wasn’t very clear because now he was sitting down across from her. He didn’t say anything else so she continued to flip between her notes and the blank Word Doc. It was practically laughing at her. She kept glancing up over her screen to see him nursing his beer. 

Finally she pushed her laptop to the side with a roll of her eyes, “What do you want, dude?” 

“I’m just trying to figure out your deal,” He took a swig of his beer and then put it down, pushing it between his two hands. 

Galadriel picked up her drink and took a really good look at him. Two could play at this game. She raised a brow, “I told you my deal. I’m working on a deadline. I’m a journalist. It’s pressing I get this pitch done.” 

“And let me guess, you have nothing,” Galadriel opened her mouth in shock then closed it as he victoriously took a swig of his beer. 

Now it was Galadriel playing with her drink, “Writer's block is perfectly normal.” 

“Yes, many people have performance issues. Can’t say that’s ever happened to me though,” He smirked and a blush flitted over her cheeks even as she scoffed. She would blame it on the heating in the pub. 

“I know some girls come in here looking all aloof to try to pick up guys and while I don’t judge them, that’s not my intention here. I really am just trying to get my work done. My apartment is just leaving little to be desired.” 

“You just need inspiration. An adventure.”

“What? No. Are you even listening to me?” 

“Of course I am. I’ll be right back, finish your drink!” The man got up and jogged over to the bar. Galadriel watched him shaking her head and against her better judgment, she downed her drink. She shut her laptop and laid her head in defeat on top of it. 

“Wake up!” Her adversary said cheerily, nudging her arm with a shot glass. 

“I told you, I’m not in college.” 

“Okay, Miss Not in College - are you going to get inspired or not?” 

She looked over to the bartender who gave a nod of approval before raising her glass, staring this rather abrasive man down before clinking hers with his, tapping it on the table, and slamming it down. The whiskey burned, but she had just downed an old fashioned so it was barely any different. She put her laptop away before she would forget about it. 

If Galadriel was warm before, she was truly sweltering now. She leaned over the table, “So what exactly is your plan next?” 

“I was thinking we get out of here.”

Galadriel giggled at this. Actually giggled. She was fucked. 

“I meant go to a different bar, you freak,” He responded, getting out of the booth and reaching his hand out for her. Despite her embarrassment, she took it and followed him back out into the street. 

They went to a bar a few blocks down. It was clear they were getting wasted and Galadriel was somehow okay with this. She just prayed she didn’t lose her laptop. God knows she couldn’t afford a replacement. They exchanged few words of substance at the next bar, and after that Galadriel was already feeling herself enough to sign them both up for karaoke, at which point she had to learn his name. 

She giggled when “Gal & Hal” were called up to do their duet which she had chosen ‘Please Please Please’ by Sabrina Carpenter. So what if it wasn’t a duet? They would make it one! They were in a major fit of laughter when they sang “don’t embarrass me, motherfucker,” in unison.

Galadriel batted her eyelashes up at him at the final “please”, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She smiled out at the collective applause from the crowd, placing the mic back onto the stand. She grabbed her tote and hopped off the stage. 

“Where are you going?” Halbrand asked, making Galadriel stop in her tracks. She assumed he was right behind her. 

“I wanna dance!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands up and then motioning him to follow her with her finger. 

Charli might’ve declared Brat Summer over, but the clubs did not get the same memo. In the club lights it was as if any reservations had melted away. She was a different girl here. A girl not worried about deadlines. A girl focused entirely on herself and what was best for her and if that guy wanted to be a factor, well she would welcome him. 

Her back was pressed up against his chest as she swung her lips back and forth, his fingers trailing on her hips. She leaned back and his lips caught hers. She thought they had been moving rather slowly, definitely not by her standards, but he was certainly being much more patient than most guys would be. She knew the challenge was most of the appeal, but she liked to think he was enjoying her company like she was enjoying his. 

They broke away from the crowd and found themselves back outside to get air, “Do you wanna go back in there?” He asked as Galadriel crossed her arms over her chest to maintain heat.

“No, I’m getting tired. Ready to head home I think.” 

“Oh,” He nodded, “I could walk you home.” 

Galadriel nodded, “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

She leaned on his arm the whole walk back to her apartment. The liquor and exhaustion was finally starting to set in once the club lights were off. He did more of his fair share helping her walk up the stairs and getting her to bed. She remembered him shutting the door and locking it, but then it went black. 

She woke up the next morning with the worst headache. She glanced over at her desk, her laptop charging and tote slung over the chair. At her bedside table was a glass of water, a bottle of aspirin, and a little note:

If you need any additional inspiration ~ Halbrand.

His phone number was underneath the note. She smiled. And then groaned as the headache came rushing back. 

Chapter Text

Galadriel somehow met her Monday morning deadline. She sat at her desk, tapping a pen against the table. Her friend and cubicle mate, Elrond rolled his chair over to her. 

“I can’t believe he went for it,” He said, leaning back in his chair. 

Galadriel turned around, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Despite her sarcastic tone, there was a grin on her lips. 

“Oh, you know exactly how he is. Besides, last time we spoke you barely had any words on the page.” 

Galadriel shrugged, “I guess I got inspired.” 

“Do I sense a blush in your cheeks, friend?”

Her hands immediately went up to feel her cheeks, causing Elrond to burst out laughing. She threw her pen at his head and he just almost ducked in time. The two were left in a fit of giggles before their senior editor, Celebrimbor, walked over to them, his hands placed gently on their cubicle. 

The two tried to keep a straight face, “Don’t you two have work to be doing? If you want to play games, go out into the field.” 

“Sorry sir,” Elrond responded, sliding his chair back over to his desk. Galadriel nodded and picked up her pen as he walked away. She resisted the urge to mumble something under her breath, but that man had the most sensitive ears. He could pick up almost anything in the office. 

Galadriel wrote out her statement of purpose as well as the plan of attack for her piece. Everyone knew how terrible affordable housing was in the city. It was always seen as this necessary evil. The rich would complain that the buildings would drive down property value and increase crime. Of course it was mostly bullshit. They were just looking for a place to live. But this talk put everyone on edge. Not to mention these housing units were in terrible condition. People would say they paid for what they got, but they were really bad. If people had half the idea of what it was like, they would stop spreading these vile lies about the people who had the misfortune of living there. 

A lot of affordable housing buildings were run by the city and state governments, however, there were more and more popping up around the city that were owned by a private company - Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC. The price point was higher than the government run units, but not everyone qualified for government housing and even if they did, it could often take months if not years to get placed in a home. 

Every few months, more tenements were being removed from the government’s hands and into this allusive Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC. The government was beginning to give up on the people who needed their help the most. Hence Galadriel’s poor faith in her ruling body. As she kept seeing the company more and more, she kept waiting for someone like the Times to run a report on them. Or anyone. But no one did. It was radio silence. No one would uncover them and it was beginning to look odd. The people of New York were extremely skeptical. So how was this major corporation able to slip under the radar of so many?

Galadriel had her theories. Someone in their ranks clearly had political ties and was paying off major publications and news networks. And lucky for Galadriel, The Daily News was not one of them. 

The phone rang a few times before he picked up, “Hello?”

“Halbrand? It’s Galadriel.” 

“Galadriel, what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked and she sensed a smirk on his lips. 

“I wanted to thank you for Saturday night…and apologize. I guess I hadn’t drank that much since…well since I can remember,” She laughed, shutting the door to her apartment behind her. 

“You just get home?” He asked as she set her keys down on the counter. 

“Yep,” She set her bag down on her desk chair and collapsed onto her bed, “Have you eaten yet?” 

“Are you asking me out?” There was definitely a smirk in his voice. 

Galadriel ran a hand over her face, smiling to herself like an idiot, “Maybe.” 

“I’ll come to you, I’m just wrapping up some things on my end. I’ll be down there in an hour. Sound good?” 

“Yeah, sounds great. See you soon!” She internally winced at the extra pep in her speech but he chuckled before hanging up. 

Galadriel spent that hour getting ready. She changed out of her business casual pantsuit into a brown long sleeved sweater dress. She adorned herself with silver jewelry and braided her hair in a crown around her head. She never wore much makeup, but she tapped on a bit of eye and lip gloss and finished everything off with a spritz of woody floral perfume. 

She was reading an article on her phone that Elrond had sent her about the rise of surveillance under the current mayor when she heard a knock on the door. She clicked off her phone and walked over to the door quickly but slowed down before she got there so it didn’t look like she had just sprinted to the door (even if she basically had). She opened the door, smiling up at him. He was dressed in a green, what looked like cashmere, sweater and black trousers with a black peacoat layering over it. 

“Wow, you look great,” He said as she stepped aside to let him in. 

“So do you,” She responded and meant it. She would spend a lot of the night checking him out and she wasn’t even sorry. 

He wrapped her in a hug, his hands gripping her waist. When they pulled apart, Galadriel’s cheeks were flushed, “Let me just get my coat and we’ll be ready.” 

“I was thinking we could have Italian. Is that okay with you?” He asked as she slid on her coat and grabbed her purse. 

“Italian sounds great, there’s this great spot just around the corner-”

“I actually had a place in mind. It’ll be worth the trek, I promise.” 

“As long as it’s not on the West Side, we’re good.” 

He gave a nod and they walked out of the apartment. After Galadriel locked up, they locked arms and walked to the subway station. They had to wait a few minutes for the Brooklyn bound F train, but luckily they were able to find a car with two empty seats. It was after the work rush hour, but still pretty busy. I mean, it was NYC, it was never truly dead. 

“I never really get over to Williamsburg as much as I should,” Galadriel commented, looking at the blinking light over the upcoming stop. 

“It’s a nice neighborhood. Kind of hipster, but that’s a lot of Brooklyn in general.” 

“Now it is. Wasn’t always this way. Still, I guess I can enjoy craft breweries and coffee shops every once in a while.” 

“At least the Italian is still authentic.” Galadriel nodded and then took a long look at him, “What?” 

“It occurs to me that I know just about nothing about you.” 

“Is this what inspired you to ask me out? The excitement at unfolding a mystery?”

“I am a journalist. Investigating is kind of my nature,” She replied. The subway announced their stop causing a temporary break in their conversation as they exited the train. 

When they got out onto the street, Halbrand took her hand, entwining their fingers, “What do you want to know?” 

“Where are you from originally? You’re not from New York, but I can’t exactly place your accent.”

“St. Louis,” He replied, “And to answer your follow up question I moved here when my godfather passed away.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. How long ago did he pass?” She asked, making sure her investigative need to press was toned down in favor of empathy. 

“A little over a year ago. He pretty much raised me, but I decided to stay in St. Louis when he moved here a while ago. Guess I should’ve stayed with him after all.” 

There was a sadness in his eyes that made Galadriel squeeze his hand and offer him another hug. He graciously accepted it and offered her thanks when they broke apart. He straightened himself up and gestured to the restaurant they were in front of, “We’re here.” 

“This place looks fancy,” She looked at him curiously, “What do you do for work?” 

He laughed, shaking his head, “Let’s go,” He led the two of them into La Nonna. They didn’t have to wait too long which she supposed was due to him slipping the host what appeared to be a $50 bill. Who was this guy? 

Halbrand did all the right things — he held the door, he pulled her chair out for her, he was attentive all night. But Galadriel still couldn’t understand what exactly struck him to want to go out with a girl like her. He was rich. It was obvious. He might be humbly from St. Louis, but she had a stirring suspicion he was in a luxury apartment looking over Central Park West. 

“How did your pitch go?” He asked as they sipped on a $87 bottle of red wine — one of the cheapest on the menu. 

“Hm?” She asked, clearly caught off guard, “I told you about my pitch?”

“Yes, on Saturday. That’s why you were so uppity about your deadline until I tempted you to let loose.” 

“Deadlines are important, but I got it done, obviously. A bit hard with the hangover, but we press on.” 

“You had quite a bit to drink,” He nodded. 

“Sorry,” She gazed down as a caesar salad was put in front of her, “If I ruined your night.” 

“Galadriel, that was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. Longer than I can even remember.” 

She smiled at this, but it was weak, “I just figured you expected us to…y’know.” 

“I never expect that although I would always welcome it. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and cared for. Thought it would’ve been weird if I stayed.” 

“I wouldn’t have minded,” She responded quickly, their eyes meeting. He cocked a brow, “Although I’m sure you have a lovely penthouse somewhere to get back to.” 

He laughed, “Not quite.” They began to eat their salads in between further small talk. 

“You’re such a mystery. You don’t like to share personal information, do you?” 

“You like that about me. I’m mysterious.”

“You’re a challenge, that’s for sure,” She replied, leaning back in her seat, her salad finished, drinking her wine. 

“I have a strong suspicion you’ll get to know me quite well,” He smirked, finishing his glass of wine and refilling it. He topped off Galadriel’s glass as well.

“Is that so? Do tell me more.” 

“You’re so preoccupied with talking. There’s so much I’d rather show you,” He responded in a seductive tone.  

Galadriel blushed at this, unable to formulate a coherent thought at the implication. Luckily, the silence was broken up by their entrees arriving. She ceased pressing Halbrand for the remainder of the meal. When they finished, he paid with an AMEX platinum card - of course she could investigate without asking questions. Observance was a key skill she knew she needed to possess in this business. 

Halbrand led them outside, his hand in the small of Galadriel’s back. Instead of heading to the train, he ordered an Uber Black. Galadriel leaned her head on his shoulder, hands in her coat pockets. Once he was done with his phone, he slid it back into his coat pocket, “Five minutes.” 

“Okay,” Galadriel nodded, “You know, a regular Uber would’ve been fine I—” 

Her words were cut off by grabbing her face with his hands and pulling her toward him. She raised herself on her tiptoes to kiss him back with fervor, her hands leaving her pockets to grip his forearms. They were in the middle of a dirty sidewalk in Williamsburg, and yet the only thing that seemed to matter was each other’s lips. They clung to one another like a lifeline. Galadriel remembered the seductive tone he’d used at dinner as one of his hands left her cheek to tuck into her waist. A car honk caused them to pull away. Halbrand looked irritated, Galadriel looked dazed. It was the best kiss of her life. 

“What!” He yelled to the driver. 

“I think that’s our Uber,” Galadriel said, finally finding the strength to speak. 

“Oh,” He chuckled, taking his phone out and checking the license plate. It was, in fact, their Uber. He opened the car door for her, making sure she got in okay before shutting it and heading to the other side. 

If she were in her right mind, Galadriel would be wondering how he did not have the worst Uber rating known to man. His hand gripped her thigh and kept sliding higher. Her chest was heaving up and down and Halbrand was not even trying to hide the fact that he was looking. She bit her lip to suppress any sound from escaping, staring forward. 

He would have none of that, of course. He used his free hand to turn her chin to look at him. At the same moment, his hand made it to her inner thigh. She gasped, wanting so desperately to let out a wild moan. She pushes her thighs together, his hand now smashed in between and grips his wrist. He lets out a soft chuckle as his other hand grips the hair at the back of her neck and pulls. She lets out a soft gasp despite her best efforts, her eyes nervously flicking toward the Uber driver who just turns up the music. Okay, so he can tell what’s going on here, he’s just choosing to ignore it. Got it. 

“Beautiful,” He whispers as Galadriel squirms beneath him. He presses a soft kiss to her ear, “I can’t wait till I get to hear you properly.” 

She would give anything to be able to crawl into his lap and have her way with him right now. She is about to say fuck it and unbuckle her seatbelt when the car slows to a stop. Halbrand immediately pulls his hand away, “Looks like we’re here.” 

Galadriel is left dazed, not unbuckling her seatbelt until Halbrand is already out of the car. She slides out after him, gazing up at her apartment building. They can’t get there fast enough. 

Chapter Text

Galadriel thought she would never get the door unlocked as she nervously fumbled with her keys. It didn’t help that Halbrand was pressed up behind her, his hands gripping her hips. They finally made it through the door and when it was shut behind him, she was pressed up against it. He threw his coat over the couch as she let hers fall unceremoniously to the floor. 

He pulled off his sweater - yes definitely cashmere - and tossed it in the direction of his coat. Galadriel slid her thumbs through his belt loops and tugged him closer to her. She ran her finger tips through the sparse hair of his chest, biting her lip as she took him all in. She finally met his eyes. He was smirking down at her. 

“Are you just going to look at me?” She challenged. 

“You are a bossy little one,” He chuckled as she huffed, pulling her against him and pressing his lips to hers. A gasp escaped her lips and his tongue darted into her mouth, taking advantage of the situation. Their tongues slid together in delicious sin. One of his hands buried itself in her hair, slowly undoing her braid, the other pawing at her breast through her dress. 

He yanked her hair, causing her to expose her neck to him, his desired effect. Halbrand placed sloppy kisses down her jaw, down the side of her neck, stopping right behind her earlobe. He bit the skin there which caused a yelp from Galadriel’s lips, but was soon soothed by his tongue on the sensitive skin. He pulled away, watching the effect he had on her taking full form. 

“Take me to your bedroom,” He ordered. Galadriel, unable to respond in her lustful daze, responded with a nod. She took his hand and turned around, dragging him behind her.

If she was actively using her brain, she would be embarrassed at the sight of her room and the size of her apartment in general. But, the logical side of her brain had gone to bed for the evening, just like she was about to.

She sat down on the side of the bed rather awkwardly as Halbrand stood by the door. Was he changing his mind? Did he realize that he was making a mistake being with someone so common as her? Her mind was running wild and she rubbed her legs together, the heat of his gaze making her both uncomfortable and yet, even more aroused.

“What do you want, Galadriel?” He asked rather softly, a strange shift in his tone. 

“Well, I thought we were going to—”

“Going to what?”

Galadriel blushed, “You know…” 

“There’s no need to be bashful,” He chuckled, slowly undoing his belt, “Do you want me to fuck you?” 

A rush went right to her core at the words, and she responded with a nod, despite the heat in her cheeks. 

“I need you to use your words, Galadriel,” He had his belt in one hand and approached her. 

She pushed her thighs together, “Fuck me,” He chuckled again as she sat up on her knees on the bed, her head meeting just below his chest as she gazed up at him. 

“Do you like being told what to do?” 

“Yes,” She responded instinctually, her fingers tracing along his abdomen. 

“Good girl,” He smirked, “Take your dress off.” Galadriel did as she was told, leaving herself in her white satin bra and panties set, “Now put your hands behind your back.” 

Halbrand looped his belt around her wrists, binding them behind her, “Does that feel alright?” He whispered, suddenly gentle again. She nodded, “If this gets to be too much, just tell me.” 

“I can take it,” She replied, tired of all the teasing and anticipation. She was ready for this ache between her legs to be quenched. 

He grinned then kissed her deeply, his tongue once more diving deep in her throat. His hand unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side, his lips moving way too slowly down her body. He nipped and sucked his way down to her breasts, blowing gently on one nipple and pinching the other between his fingertips with the other. Galadriel squirmed, moaning and pulling against her restraints. She couldn’t rub her thighs together enough, her body craving the friction. 

“Halbrand,” She whined.

“Yes, love?” 

“Please,” She pleaded.

“Please what? What do you want so bad?” 

“I need you inside me.” 

“Not yet,” He responded, causing Galadriel to let out a groan of frustration, “Or we could stop altogether.” 

“No.”

“Then be patient,” He raised a brow, waiting for her to cooperate. 

“I’ll be good,” She promised. 

He had her right where he wanted her. His hands groped her flat stomach and down to grip her ass underneath her panties. Her bare breasts pressed up against his chest as he brought his lips back to hers. He kissed her painfully slowly for a few moments before his hands traveled to the front of her panties. She let out a soft moan of anticipation and then in one sudden movement his fingers were rubbing through her folds. 

Their lips broke apart as she rolled her hips against his fingers, desperate for even more. Anticipating her needs and past the time for torture, he slid one finger deep inside of her. 

He groaned, “You’re so fucking wet for me.” 

“More,” She demanded.

He gripped her chin and pulled her face up to his, “Don’t forget your place,” She gave him a wicked grin in response and he knew he was done for. He would think about that constantly. He shoved another two fingers into her, causing her to gasp, “Be careful what you wish for.” 

She took a minute to adjust before continuing to ride his fingers, “Fuck, that’s so good.” 

“You like fucking my fingers?” 

“Mhm,” She hummed. 

“You wear this armor of bashfulness, but you’re secretly just another dirty little whore who will do as she’s told.” 

Galadriel was on the edge and his words caused her muscles to squeeze around his fingers as her body was overwhelmed by her orgasm. He kept his fingers inside as she rode out the aftershocks, sliding them out when she had jolted for the last time. He stuck his fingers against her lips and instructed her to suck. Galadriel went to protest, but the minute she did, he shoved his fingers in her mouth. She felt it was easier doing what she was told and she loved the praise he gave her in return.

He pulled his fingers away and Galadriel fell back on her knees. He unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, kicking them off to the side. Galadriel could see the outline of his cock straining against his black boxers. 

“Sit up and suck my cock,” He ordered. Galadriel blushed at the idea, never having done so before. At her hesitation, he pulled her back against him, “What’s the matter? Feeling bashful again?” 

“I-I’ve never done that before,” She responded. 

“Well, I’ll do most of the work just as long as you can take it. You did say you could, remember?” 

“Yes.”

“Good,” He responded, breaking away and pulling his boxers down in one quick motion, stepping out of them. His cock sprung free, brushing up against her stomach. She sat back on her knees, allowing all hesitation to go out the window. He gripped her head and guided her to him. She wrapped her lips around the tip, sucking gently. 

He allowed her to explore his length with her lips and tongue. She had just gotten into a rhythm, her head bobbing back and forth when he took control again. When she was at the tip he plunged himself down her throat making her gag against him. He let out a groan and repeated the motion. His thrusts continued to hit the back of her throat until he released her, watching her gasp for air. He only gave her a quick break before continuing to punish her throat. Galadriel worried she would have a hard time speaking tomorrow, “Fuck, Galadriel. You’ve got such a pretty little throat.” 

She hummed in agreement against him and he pulled away, finding himself getting too close. She gasped for air and instinctively went to wipe her face with her hands, straining against the belt. 

“Turn around,” He demanded. 

Galadriel laid back and rolled onto her stomach. Before she could sit up on her knees, Halbrand grabbed her hips and dragged them up in the air. He sank deep into her and she let out a gasp that transformed into a moan. He set a punishing rhythm with his thrusts and at first she just lay there taking it, trying desperately to adjust. Finally, she found herself meeting each thrust with her hips. 

“You take it so well,” He groaned, his nails digging into her hips. 

“Harder,” She found herself uttering and somehow he obliged. He sunk himself so deep into her, one hand leaving her hips to take a fist full of her hair and yank her up. When she was pressed against his chest he wrapped his hand tightly around her neck. She watched his face as he used her and when he let go of the pressure on her neck, she pressed her lips against his, hungrily searching for more. 

She was so close again, but this time he pulled out of her suddenly and she collapsed back onto the bed. She felt his hands on her back and thought he was just readjusting himself when her hands slid free. She stretched out her wrists, pulling her hands to her sides as she looked at Halbrand over her shoulder. 

“Done with me?” She joked, but there was a touch of insecurity in her voice. 

“No, sweet girl,” He said, cupping her face, “I want you to ride me.” 

Galadriel grinned at this, her bashfulness now completely left behind. She sat up on her knees, waiting for Halbrand to lay back against the headboard. As she swung her legs over his thighs she pushed her hair out of her face, “Are you sure you’re okay giving up this much control?” 

“How do you know I’m giving up control?” He mused, his cock twitching as her entrance hovered over it. She gripped it and sat down, taking him to the hilt and groaned. Luckily she didn’t need too much time to adjust and began a slow pace. He groaned, placing his hands on her hips, holding himself back from guiding her. He wanted her to have her way even just for a moment. 

Galadriel soon picked up the pace and soon enough her thrusts against him were erratic. He began meeting her thrusts and soon enough he was thrusting into her as hard as she could take it. She let out a loud moan, screaming his name as she came for the second time. She would not be able to look her neighbors in the eye for the foreseeable future. Still, Halbrand did not let up and though it felt too much, he held her firmly to him until she was building up again. 

“Fuck, I’m gonna come again,” She gasped, his hand grasping her breast. 

“Come on my cock, baby,” He cooed. That was her undoing. She came for the third time, the twitching of her walls finally making him spill inside of her. He groaned as she gasped at the sensation, riding her own aftershocks before sliding off of him and lying to his side. 

They both took a few moments to catch their breath. Galadriel felt the trickle of come down her thigh and giggled quietly to herself. 

He turned to look at her, a grin on his lips, “What?”

“Your come is on my leg,” She continued laughing.

“And what’s so funny about that?” 

“Nothing I just…feel like laughing.”

“Post sex haze,” He mused, pulling her against him and burying his face in her hair. 

“We’re gonna need to get cleaned up,” She stated, but made no effort to move.

“Later, I’m perfectly happy right here,” He pressed a kiss to her temple, and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

When they finally unwinded, Galadriel took her time in the shower, making sure to really wash everything. She left the bathroom in a set of black satin pajamas. Halbrand was sitting in bed in his underwear, flipping through his phone. 

“Ah, there you are,” He smiled.

“Sorry I took so long,” She said, sitting on the other side of the bed. 

“Not at all,” He replied, “I’m going to go wash up. I wanted to let you know that I have to leave early…if  you wanted me to stay of course.” 

Galadriel found herself blushing again, “I’d love you to.” 

“Good,” He replied, pressing a quick kiss to her lips on his way to the bathroom. 

Galadriel touched her fingers to her lips and smiled to herself. She just had the best sex of her life and he was staying over? He was truly a keeper. 

Chapter Text

Galadriel woke up to an empty space next to her as was promised, but she was disappointed nonetheless. She had no idea early would mean well before the sun rose. 

She got ready for work, adorning a black turtleneck and beige slacks, her hair braided back. When she made it into the office, Celebrimbor was lurking around her desk. 

“Ah, just the woman I’d like to see,” He smiled, his cup of coffee in his hand making him way too chipper for the early morning. 

“Everything alright?” She asked apprehensively, carefully walking around him and placing her bag on her desk. She pulled out her laptop and plugged it into the docking station, waiting for it to power up her monitors. 

“Perfect. The Editor in Chief was so impressed by your speech that he would like to see you in his office.” 

Galadriel blushed. Even though this was a huge honor, it still felt like being sent to the principal’s office. This was Gil-Galad, nicknamed by Galadriel and Elrond as ‘The High King’. He rarely came down from his office on the floor above theirs and few had been seen coming from his. 

“Should I bring my laptop?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Celebrimbor chuckled, “Follow me.” 

She shut her laptop again (security purposes) and followed Celebrimbor up the steps to the next floor. All of the executive offices were up here. She wasn’t even interviewed up here and had only met Gil-Galad once. It was a very brief introduction. 

Celebrimbor knocked on the door to Gil-Galad’s office and then opened it, “Galadriel, as requested.” 

“Thank you, that will be all,” He responded, straightening up in his chair. Galadriel stepped inside, the door closing behind her, “Please sit,” He continued.

Galadriel obliged, “It’s an honor to be here, sir.” 

“Please, let’s skip the formalities Miss Noldor,” He replied and Galadriel nodded, stiffening at his brash tone, “I was very impressed that you are looking to investigate such a prominent business in the city. I do have some concerns, however. Are you sure you’re up for this? We could always give this to a more experienced journalist.” 

“I am, sir. I know I haven’t been here for that long, but I know when something’s not right and I intend to do something about it.” 

“With that spirit it’s surprising you didn’t get into law or even politics.” 

“I have no energy to deal with the corruption of either fields, sir,” She responded. 

Gil-Galad leaned back in his chair, fidgeting with a pen between his fingers, “And you understand this could be dangerous? Companies with that power tend to have a certain…influence. We’re just a paper, we won’t be able to protect you.” 

“Respectfully, I don’t need protection. I’m a woman who lives in the Lower East Side.” 

“I can see that,” He grins, “Well, I expect you have a lot of research to do. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. I’m available to you, anytime you need.” 

Galadriel took this as her cue to stand up and prepare to exit, “Thank you, sir. I hope my work continues to impress you.” 

“Oh, something tells me it will,” He nodded and she walked out the door. On her walk back down to her desk, her heart was racing. Had that really just happened? The High King was putting his faith in me. She could squeal, but that would certainly ruin her professional reputation she was trying so hard to build. 

When she got back to her desk, she powered up her laptop and could barely get her password in before Elrond was sliding up to her desk in his chair, “So what did the High King want? Are you fired?” He spoke in a whisper. 

“No, I'm not fired. Don’t be silly. He just wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into.” 

He raised a brow as she turned to look at him, “And do you?” 

“Of course not, Elrond. I’m a junior journalist,” She grinned, “But you know I’m never going to let that stop me.”

He ran a hand through his hair, “You are stubborn as hell, that’s for sure.” 

“You deserve a smack for that,” Galadriel challenged. 

“And then I’d sue you for workplace harassment,” He chided. 

“You’d be better off getting me for assault.” 

“You think I wouldn’t put up a fight?” He grinned, causing her to laugh. 

“Such an honorable gentleman.” 

“You know me so well,” Elrond slid back to his desk, “Now stop distracting me, Galadriel. I’m trying to get some work done!” 

She rolled her eyes, but laughed as she pulled up Word, ready to make a game plan. 

She did as much research as the internet would allow, but she always found the tangible approach much more effective. She at least had a start — Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC was registered a decade ago, but only started buying up property within the past two years. Their founder, CEO, and entire executive board remained a mystery. This company was tighter than Fort Knox. 

She could, however, go to one of the properties and try to find out some of this information for herself. She slammed her laptop shut, grabbed her press pass, and waved goodbye to Elrond, promising to take him out to drinks soon. 

Galadriel had made it to one of the properties in the Lower East Side, quaintly named “Riverwalk Heights”. Of course the photos on the website promised something completely different. Galadriel held up the pristine image on her phone and compared it to the decrepit welcome sign in front of her. The wood appeared to be rotting. Charming. 

She walked into the lobby, if you could call it that. There was no doorman which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — Galadriel didn’t have a doorman either, virtual or otherwise. But the state of decay followed from the outside in. She could smell the mold. She reached into her bag and pulled out a face covering, quickly putting it on. Who knows what she would catch here? 

A dark haired woman and teenage boy came down the stairwell, the woman clearly in a hurry, but the boy with an air of nonchalance. 

“Theo! Hurry up!” She said, “And take your bloody Airpods out!” 

“Sorry, mum,” He replied, taking them out and putting them back in their case. 

“Excuse me,” Galadriel spoke up, realizing she was just awkwardly standing there, “Do you have a minute?” 

“Who are you?” The boy asked and the woman shot him a glare. 

“Galadriel, I’m a journalist from The Daily News.” 

“Hadn’t realized we’d done anything newsworthy,” She said, an exasperated look on her face, then continued, “Now’s really not the best time, I’m afraid.”

“It’ll be two minutes. I just want to talk about the state of the property.” 

“It’s shit,” The boy said flatly. 

“Language, Theo!” She turned to Galadriel again, “Sorry about him. We really do have to go, but take my number and we can set up a time to chat.” 

Galadriel reluctantly agreed to this, not wanting to pester the woman, but unfortunately that was part of this investigative reporting. She had a feeling she would have to lock this woman down sometime or another. 

She was inspecting the property, pulling out her phone to take photos of rot and in perfect timing, a rat scurried past her foot. Galadriel jumped back, dropping her phone in the process. 

“Damn it,” She mumbled, leaning down to pick it up. 

“You seem a little shocked to see a rat here,” A man’s voice came from behind her. She straightened up and turned around to see a mixed race man around her age standing with his hands crossed over his chest. 

“Just caught me off guard is all,” She replied. 

“You get used to it. First time here?”

Galadriel nodded, “I’m researching.” 

“Who would want to research in a place like this?”

“I’m a journalist. I’m investigating the parent company of this complex: Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC. Are you familiar?”

The man shrugged, “Not very well. No one is.” 

“Can we go somewhere and talk? I’d love to get your perspective.”

“Sure, I was just checking my mail,” The man went to his mailbox and fought with the key for a moment before getting it unlocked. He pulled out his mail and smiled, “I’m Arondir by the way.”

Galadriel followed Arondir up the stairs – there was an elevator, but it was always broken. Management apparently claimed they were going to send someone to fix it, but that had been a multi-year promise according to Arondir. He lived on the fourth floor so not as bad as some had it, but less than ideal. When they arrived into his unit, Galadriel noticed it was quite bare. 

“Not one for decorating?” She asked. 

“I spend a lot of time away from home.”

She nodded, “Mind if I record today’s interview?” 

“Of course,” He replied. Galadriel got the voice recording app set up on her phone and pressed record. 

“Please state your name and occupation for the record,” She said, folding her hands in front of her on the table.

“My name’s Arondir Silvan and I’m a social worker,” He said, leaning forward. 

“Just think of this as a casual interview. I’m here to learn from you. You’re not under oath, but I do expect you to share the truth in any way you can,” When he nodded in agreement, she continued, “How long have you lived at Riverwalk Heights?”

“Two years. I moved in just after I graduated from Grad School.”

“How would you describe Riverwalk Heights?”

“At first I was just thankful for a place to live. It wasn’t government housing, but the rent wasn’t much more, but over time I started to realize why. Most of the units are infested with rats and roaches, the elevator has never worked, the front door never locks, there’s mold everywhere. God knows what I’ve been breathing in. Several of my fellow residents have been taken to the hospital for it.”

“Would you care to share the names of the residents who have been to the hospital? I’d like to talk to them.”

“I’d be happy to introduce you,” He smiled. 

“I’d appreciate that. Now, with these conditions, surely you’ve reached out to your management company about this.”

“They are not easy to track down. We have an online portal, but there is no contact information. We can submit requests, but no one ever hears back. My friend Bronwyn found an email for the complex, but it bounced. It’s like the company doesn’t exist.” 

“According to the paperwork I have, Riverwalk Heights was purchased by Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC in November 2022. Before that it was a unit of government housing.”

“Explains the state of things,” He replied. 

“Many are probably going to ask, ‘why stay’? You have a job, you must be able to find some place better.”

“If I leave, what happens to everyone else? I may be a social worker by profession, but I sincerely care about my neighbors and look out for them. I help bring in groceries and accompany them when they have no one.”

“You really are a knight to these people. I’m sure they’re lucky to have you,” Arondir nodded and Galadriel saved the recording, “Do you mind if I take a look at your lease to see if I notice anything?”

While Arondir went rummaging through his paperwork in the next room, Galadriel snooped around the living room and kitchen. It was bare, but she noticed cracks in the floorboards and walls with chipped paint. She took pictures where she could. When Arondir returned, she was sitting back at the table. He handed her the lease and she flipped through. There was a very peculiar signature accompanying the management’s name in black ink. 

“Do you mind if I scan a copy of this? I’d like to have it for my research, but I’d also like a lawyer to get their hands on this.”

“Sure, anything I can do to help,” He replied. 

Galadriel scanned the documents and slipped her phone in her pocket when she was finished, “It was wonderful to meet you Arondir. Take my number and give my regards to Bronwyn. You can let her know we spoke, but I’d still love to hear from her if she has a chance.”

“I will make sure to let her know. Take care.”

Galadriel smiled, “You too.”

She walked down the stairs, fluorescents ringing, and was happy to get out of the building and back into the fresh air. Well, fresher than the mold infested building, but this was still the city. She removed her mask and slipped it into her pocket. 

She studied the signature again and was able to make it out very slowly. The first letter was definitely an M and it ended with a th. It appeared to have an r somewhere in the middle. Were those o’s?

Morgoth

Why did that name sound so familiar? She pulled up a browser and typed ‘Morgoth’ into the search bar and clicked on the first headline she saw. 

‘Controversial City Councilman Dead at 65’

She browsed the article from 2023, reading about this truly awful man. Controversial was saying it lightly, but she knew the harsh reality of having to use words like ‘allegedly’. The man was part of many lawsuits from racial discrimination to assault. He was a real piece of work and was glad a man like this was dead. But one question remained. If he was the CEO of Southlands Holdings & Properties LLC - who replaced him? 

“Are you lost?” A man broke her from her trail of thought. 

He was clearly drunk and not worth her time, “I was just leaving.”

“A pretty young thing like you could get hurt here,” He replied before hiccuping. Yep, clearly drunk. 

“I can handle myself, thank you,” Galadriel replied and walked off quickly, not wanting to engage further. 

Her phone buzzed, but she didn’t bother looking at it until she was sitting on the Northbound train back to her apartment. It was late and she wouldn’t be expected to go back to the office. When she finally looked at her phone, she had a few missed texts, but the most recent was from Halbrand. 

Halbrand : Feel bad I had to skip out so early this morning. I’d love to see you again soon. 

Galadriel: I missed seeing you when I woke up. 

Galadriel immediately regretted hitting send considering how desperate it made her look, but she was surprised to get a quick response. 

Halbrand: I would’ve stayed if I could. Work has been a nightmare. I hope it’s been better for you. 

Galadriel: Can’t say it’s been great. I just got threatened by a drunk man. 

Halbrand: Send me the address and I’ll have him dealt with. 

Galadriel: Lol. Riverwalk Heights in the Lower East Side. 

Galadriel stared at the three little dots so hard that she almost missed her stop. She jumped up and rushed off the train. When she got outside she read his latest text. 

Halbrand: What were you doing at that slum? 

Galadriel: How do you know it?

Halbrand: I just looked it up. Looks awful. 

Galadriel found his text odd and off putting, but she shrugged it off as she walked the short distance to her apartment. 

Galadriel: Yeah, I’m gonna have to wash off the stench. 

Halbrand: When can I see you?

Galadriel blushed. Maybe she wasn’t the only desperate one. 

Galadriel: I definitely need time to recover after last night. But you can take me out tomorrow. 

Halbrand: Deal.

Chapter Text

Galadriel rested her head on Halbrand’s chest, silently listening to his rapid heartbeat slow down. They had been at it again as had become a regular routine for them for the past few weeks. Sometimes they would go out, but most of the time they would spend in Galadriel’s bed. 

“What’s your family like?” Galadriel asked when the silence finally weighed too heavy on her. 

Halbrand took a long time to reply. Galadriel thought he wouldn’t when he finally spoke up, “I don’t have any family. My parents died a long time ago.”

Galadriel leaned up to gaze at him, “So it’s just you?” 

“Is that so bad?” He asked.

“Just seems lonely,” Galadriel said, brushing the hair out of his eyes. There was a deep sadness in them that she longed to heal. 

He nodded, “What about you?” 

“My parents live in Washington. I don’t get to see them much. I have three older brothers. They were very protective when I was young, but realized how independent I was and knew nothing they did could prevent me from getting what I wanted,” She laughed at this.

“Thank God for that,” Halbrand smirked, running his fingers through her hair, “I don’t know if I could fend off three brothers.” 

“But it’d be worth it, no?” Galadriel asked, giving him a grin. 

“Of course,” He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her chastely, but Galadriel wanted more. She shifted onto her side and pressed a deeper kiss to his lips, running her tongue devilishly slowly into his mouth. He gripped her face in one of his strong hands and slid the other down between her thighs. 

Galadriel pulled away from the kiss to catch her breath, but it quickly turned to moans as he slipped two fingers inside her. His thumb brushed over her sensitive clit and she shivered against him. He rolled on top of her, peppering kisses down her body as his fingers continued to thrust inside of her. 

She was so lost in herself she didn’t stop to think about how their conversation revealed nothing about himself. Halbrand was pulling a condom from the nightstand when Galadriel pulled his hand away. She whined at the loss of contact, but realized she must stand her ground. 

“Wait,” She said. 

He raised a brow, sitting back on his knees. Okay, this would be a lot more distracting than she expected if he was going to look at her naked like that, she thought. 

“You didn’t really answer the question.”

“What?” 

“About your family. You evaded the question,” She said. 

He had an incredulous look on his face, “You don’t want to talk about this right now.” 

“If not now, when?” 

“Preferably when I’m not about to fuck you,” He growled out, opening the condom wrapper. 

“Hal, I’m serious,” She replied, pressing her legs together. She was fighting really hard, but god damn did she want to just shut up right now. Her body ached with the anticipation of that familiar feeling of him inside her. 

“We don’t talk about these things, Galadriel. That’s not what this is.” He spat. 

The initial hurt that hit her subsided quickly and transitioned into rage, “Only because you refuse to tell me anything about yourself!” 

“You know what I think?” He challenged, climbing over her, “I don’t think you actually care about the answer. I think you just want to say you’ve solved another puzzle.” 

“That’s not true,” She replied, digging her nails into his chest. He was so close his cock brushed against her thigh and she stifled a moan. Halbrand laughed at this. 

“Tell you what. You be a good girl and I’ll tell you what you want to know,” He grinned down at her. 

She went to talk back, but he captured her lips in his, kissing her roughly. She scratched his chest hard, drawing blood and grinned at her handywork. He caught her hands and pushed them to either side of her head, pulling away, “That’s not being a good girl.” 

Galadriel glared back at him, “Oops. Shut up and fuck me.”

He smirked, rolling the condom on and lining himself against her entrance. She moaned, her hips rubbing her wetness all over him. He took her in an instant. Damn him, she thought. He had such power over her and who was she to resist?

He set an aggressive rhythm, her headboard smashing against the wall with each thrust. Her back arched off the mattress into him as her head pressed harder into the pillow. The feeling of him slipping out of her caused her to raise her head up with a whine. 

“Remember that next time you talk back to me,” He grunted and raised one of her legs over his shoulder before plowing back into her. 

She gasped when he reentered her, “Fuck, don’t stop.”

He groaned at her comment and pressed a kiss to the inside of her ankle, his hand grazing up her thigh until his thumb was pressed against her clit, creating friction with each thrust, “Come for me.”

Galadriel felt the pressure inside her rising and the truly overstimulating sensation washed over her. She could hardly take it as he continued to thrust into her at this angle, but with him she knew it was far from over. She grasped his hand and held it against her chest. A softness washed over his face as he gazed down at her. He lowered her leg and slowed down his thrusts until he pulled out of her with a groan. 

She rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand and he smiled down at her, “I’m sorry,” He sighed and grasped her face in his hands, “These things are hard to talk about.” 

“I could help you,” Galadriel said, “You don’t have to shut me out. I could be more than just someone you fuck. Don’t get me wrong, this is nice, but…” She couldn’t complete that thought. Not while he looked at her so sincerely. 

“But what, Galadriel?” He asked softly, gently stroking her cheeks. 

“I want more. I want to know you,” Galadriel said, turning her head to gauge his reaction. 

“Oh love,” He smiled and she thought ‘Oh god, here comes the rejection’, but he continued, “You are already so much more. I think about you way more than I should,” He chuckled, “My every waking thought is spent on this little journalist who lives in the Lower East Side.” 

Galadriel beamed, “Just waking thoughts? Surely you dream about me too.”

He chuckled and rolled to his side, facing her, “Ask your questions.”

“What was it like growing up in St. Louis?” 

He ran his fingers against her forearm as he spoke, “I enjoyed it the best I could. My father was a lawyer which meant lots of country clubs, but I wasn’t really interested in that. I loved to do anything that meant getting my hands dirty. Golf and tennis really aren’t that. My father never understood why I was always running around outside. He called me unruly and said I was just like my mother. I hoped I was. She was beautiful and I could tell by her face that she was kind.”

“You never met her?”

He shook his head, “Only had a few pictures of her. My parents were never married. They never even loved one another. When she died, my father stayed far away to avoid the ‘scandal’.” 

Galadriel ran her fingers through Halbrand’s hair and gently massaged his scalp, “That must’ve been tough. I understand why you left St. Louis.”

“I’m a lawyer…I know you were wondering,” He clarified, “Like my father.” 

“You’re nothing like your father,” Galadriel assured him. 

“How do you know? You said it yourself - you hardly know me.”

“I know you’re not cruel. I can tell by the look in your eyes when you talk about your mother,” She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “And I know what it is to grieve,” She leaned over to her nightstand and picked up her locket. She opened it and showed him the picture inside, “My brother Finrod died. He was hiking with his friends and the cliff gave out,” Galadriel tried to hold back the tears, “No one would tell me where he was when I asked. They didn’t want me to find out.” 

Halbrand gently rubbed her back, “How old were you?”

“Sixteen. He was twenty-three. Younger than I am now,” She dabbed the tears away, “I love my family, but I understand how it’s hard to talk about them.”

Halbrand nodded, “What was he like?”

“Finrod was very adventurous, always up for a new adventure, traveling around in his jeep. He also led the pack by being fiercely protective of me. He was the oldest so Angrod and Aegnor just followed along with what he said. They say it’s wrong to choose a favorite sibling, but I know I was his and he was mine.”

“Who cares if it’s wrong? It’s the truth. Sometimes that’s better than wrong or right.” 

Galadriel placed the locket back on the nightstand and flopped onto her back, “We need to go out and brighten our spirits. This was dark.” 

“You were the one who wanted to talk about families,” Halbrand teased, but there was no menace in his voice. He sat up, “I supposed we should get cleaned up then if you want to go out.” 

Galadriel got out of bed, stumbling a bit. They had been at it off and on for hours. She checked her phone seeing that it was 8pm. He had gotten there at 5 and they had gone straight to bed. He smirked at her stumbling, “Are you sure you can walk?”

“And to think I was going to invite you to the shower,” She gave him a scowl that turned into a grin when he got out of bed. Throwing her over his shoulder, they headed to the bathroom to shower. 

Galadriel did not expect to find herself in the same booth where she met Halbrand weeks ago. They were on the same side of the booth this time, the dingy bar lighting making it hard to see each other. She laid her head on his shoulder as he sipped his beer. 

“This what you had in mind?” He asked her. 

“Not really. I mean, we met here which is a nice touch, but you’re a lawyer…we could go anywhere.”

“Are you saying you only want me for my money?” 

Galadriel sipped her vodka soda, “That’s not the only reason.”

Halbrand chuckled at this, “Good. I like it here, it’s humbling.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were just another rich prick.”

“Who's to say I’m not?” 

“Because you’re with me,” Galadriel said way too confidently. She felt a pang in her chest after the words had come out, but there was no taking it back. Instead, she continued to sip her drink. 

“Galadriel, there are things about me…things I’m not proud of.”

Galadriel leaned up and squinted at him, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting so she could truly see him, “I don’t care. That’s not who you are inside.”

“Galadriel,” He continued seriously. 

She cut him off, “No. Whatever it is, put it behind you. Moving forward is the only way to keep living.”

He cupped her face in his hands, rubbing his thumb against her cheek, “What did I do to deserve you?”

She kissed him and pulled away, resting her forehead against his, “You got pretty lucky. But I’d like to see more than the inside of my apartment and dingy Lower East Side bars with you.”

“You will, I promise,” He pressed another kiss to her lips and rested his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

She wanted to believe his promises, but until he delivered, she would remain unsure, but she wouldn’t continue to press. They already did enough fighting earlier. She deserved happiness and she would fight like hell to get it. But why was she left feeling so unfulfilled? 

“Galadriel?” Halbrand asked, snapping her out of her head. She hummed in response, “I asked if you wanted to go get something to eat.” 

“Oh yeah, sure.” 

“Great, I’ll go close us out,” Halbrand replied, slipping out of the booth and going up to the bar. 

Galadriel watched him go. Happy. She was happy. Wasn’t she?

Chapter Text

“It’s been so long since we’ve done this,” Elrond said, taking a sip of his latte. He and Galadriel were walking the Chelsea High Line on a cool Saturday afternoon in March, “I was beginning to think you didn’t like me anymore.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Galadriel bumped him with her shoulder. 

“It’s this allusive boyfriend you claim to have. How do I know he’s even real? It’s not like I’ve ever seen him.” 

“He’s very private, Elrond. And to be quite frank, you’re a lot to deal with.” 

Elrond scoffed and put his hand against his chest dramatically, “Me? A lot? You wound me so.” 

“Case in point,” She sips her coffee, “I really just want things to go well so I’m trying to be patient with him.” 

“But you’re worried you’re going to scare him off, yeah I know,” Elrond replied, brushing his hand through his locks. 

“I feel like every time I ask a question, he feels like I’m interrogating him, but I’m just getting to know him and sometimes he’ll seem like he’s about to open up and then he just changes his mind.”

“To be fair, Galadriel, you have a knack of questioning in an attempt to get to the bottom of things. It’s what makes you a good reporter. Not saying you’re not an empathetic person, but you can sometimes struggle with tact.” 

Galadriel took a moment to sit with Elrond’s words. She could easily be offended by what he said, but she knew that he was coming from a good place and besides, he was right. She had been known as blunt and headstrong her entire life. 

He continued, “But, lawyers don’t exactly thrive on privacy. If you have questions there may be other ways to get answers.” 

Galadriel raised a brow, “You’re suggesting I snoop.”

“I’m not not suggesting it,” He shrugged, “Take it as you will. I just think if this man is avoiding your questions, you can use your masterful investigative skills to good use.” 

“I have to use them for my piece. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a normal conversation, y’know?” Galadriel pushed her hair behind her ear, taking another large sip of her coffee. 

Elrond chuckled, “I see that ‘bruise’ on your neck. You two aren’t having conversations.” 

Galadriel’s cheeks turned bright red, “Don’t be crass!” 

Elrond continued laughing, “Oh Galadriel, don’t be bashful. I’m happy for you, truly. If you don’t want to pry - don’t. I will support your rights and your wrongs. Plus sometimes it’s just fun to see your friends engage in messy behavior.” 

“And what about your love life? When will we move on from me?” 

“A gentleman never kisses and tells,” Elrond smirked, tossing his empty coffee cup into the garbage. Galadriel observed the children playing in the stream and sighed, “Please don’t tell me you have baby fever now.” 

“I can’t help it, it’s a normal biological response to ovulation.” 

“Please be careful. I don’t want any golden haired babies running around anytime soon.” 

Galadriel laughed and shook her head, promising her dear friend that she wouldn’t do anything that reckless. They continued walking for a bit before heading down to brunch at the Chelsea Market below. They chatted about everything and she came to find out that Elrond was desperate to start his own office space romance with their editor. Galadriel didn’t know what he saw in Celebrimbor, but Elrond sure had a lot to say that would certainly warrant a call from HR. 

Throughout their time at brunch, Galadriel got a few texts, but mostly ignored them as she wanted to be attentive to her dear friend. One came through that peaked her attention, however. 

Bronwyn: Upcoming City Council Meeting with public forum on March 12th. Planning to bring up management then. Thought you might want to come for your story.

Galadriel stared at her phone. She had been hitting a roadblock with her investigation.  She had learned all about Morgoth and his atrocities, but there was no publicly named CEO that followed him up. The company was not publicly traded and the head of the company was clearly smart enough to keep their identity a secret. While some part of  Galadriel thought maybe the new person wasn’t as bad, maybe it was residual from Morgoth’s reign, she told herself that there had been no effort to fix things. Also, why hide? 

Galadriel: I’ll be there. Good luck. 

She glanced briefly at her other texts. She had one from Halbrand. 

Hal: Thinking about you, sweet girl. How about a little trip next weekend? 

Galadriel was intrigued.

Galadriel: Our first weekend getaway? Where to? 

Halbrand: My family has a house in the Hudson Valley. Thought it would be nice to get away from the city and unwind. Plus I’d love to cook for you.

Galadriel: It’s a date. 

Galadriel sat at the back of the city council chambers. Despite having her own opinions, she didn’t want to be seen as biased in the eyes of the council. She had her notepad and pen ready. When they called the open forum, she shifted forward in her seat. Bronwyn was accompanied by Theo and Arondir. She stood, Arondir squeezing her hand, and approached the podium. 

She adjusted the microphone and then spoke clearly, showing almost no nerves, “I’m here to discuss the condition of the apartment building Riverwalk Heights,” She paused for the city council members. When they said nothing, she continued, “The state of the complex is unacceptable and the property management does nothing to help improve our quality of life, in fact, it actively makes it worse. I know for a fact that they are breaking housing laws set in place by our lawmakers.” 

“Is this government housing?” One council member asked. She was a light skinned woman with dark hair and piercing eyes.   

“No, but —” 

“Then what do you expect us to do?” A second council member asked. He was older, his hair graying. 

“I know my rights as a tenant and this company is breaking them,” Bronwyn was getting quite worked up. Galadriel sighed, knowing the council was going to eat her alive. 

“Then I suggest you bring this to civil court,” The man replied dismissively. 

Arondir jumped up, joining Bronwyn at the mic, “This company was owned by your own esteemed former councilman, Morgoth Bauglir.” 

The council went silent and a few members spoke indistinctly with each other. The first member spoke up, “Mr. Bauglir is no longer a member of this council. If you are referring to his private dealings, we’re afraid we cannot help you. Please bring this to civil court. Next, please.” 

Galadriel watched Arondir take a defeated Bronwyn back to her seat. They sat through the rest of the meeting and then quickly exited. Galadriel followed, “I am sorry you did not get what you hoped for. I promise we will bring this to light.” 

“I can barely stand to stay there longer, but I have nowhere to go. It’s my home,” Arondir wrapped an arm around Bronwyn’s shoulder and held her close, “What kind of example would I set for Theo if I didn’t fight?” 

Galadriel nodded, taking a mental note to jot down that quote, “Please get home safe. Take care of each other.” 

Arondir took mother and son out of the building. Galadriel took a seat, waiting for the council members to come out of the room. There was one she wanted to speak with in particular and she spotted her as the last one out. 

“Councilwoman Miriel,” Galadriel started, “May I have a few words?” 

“On or off the record?” She replied, stopping right in front of her. 

“That’s up to you, I’m just trying to put some pieces together if you’ll indulge me.”

“That depends on the subject of course, but I have a few moments.”

“It’s regarding former Councilman Bauglir.” 

Miriel scoffed, “I assumed. It’s rare that we see any press at our council meetings and then all of a sudden we have citizens bringing up the dealings of a disgraced and deceased councilmember. I don’t know much beyond what was already exposed to the press years ago.”

“So you knew he had his own private holdings company?” 

“Look Miss,” She paused, looking for Galadriel’s press badge.

“Noldor,” She offered.

“Yes, Miss Noldor. There are very corrupt members of politics especially in New York. Many people turn a cheek because we don’t know who is involved. We did not know specifically that Mr. Bauglir was bribing higher government officials, but he was a very powerful man. That much power usually leads to corruption, unfortunately.” 

“Would the council not push for a dissolvement of the company?” 

“Miss Noldor, we’re a city council. Even in a city as influential as New York, we do not have that kind of power. Mr. Bauglir was removed from the council and then his health took a turn for the worse. When he passed, no one really looked toward the company again. I’d love to help, but these sort of things are best handled in a civil court like we suggested. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a prior engagement,” Miriel walked past Galadriel. 

“Thank you for your time, councilwoman!” Galadriel called out after her. She gathered her notes and then headed back toward home. 

Chapter Text

Galadriel’s piece was coming together slowly but surely. The council meeting had proven to be fruitful. She was a bit worried it seemed biased, but the state of the units was undeniable. It wasn’t just Riverwalk Heights. There were several others all owned by the same company and all in various states of decrepitude. She would send over her first draft Monday morning. The inability to find the CEO bothered her. She was able to find a contact of their airtight legal department, but he declined to comment. 

She shut her laptop for the day and continued to pack for her weekend trip upstate. Halbrand was picking her up at her apartment, still hesitant for her to come to his. She was at least glad that he was finally opening up to her a bit. They hadn’t seen each other all week due to the business of their work schedules, but she was dying to see him. Her heart leapt at the idea of him holding her in his arms again. She was falling for him despite her brain telling her it was too early. 

The heart wants what it wants. 

She could not remember feeling like this for a very long time. Not since her ex from college. He moved away and the long distance was too hard for them to bear. She distanced herself from men for this reason. She couldn’t stand the feeling of heartbreak all over again. Maybe this time would be different. 

She finished packing, trying to snap herself out of her suddenly somber mood. Her phone started buzzing not thirty seconds after she was finished packing. She answered the call, “Hey.” 

“Hi love,” Halbrand spoke over the phone, “I’m downstairs.” 

“Okay, I’ll be right down,” she hung up, hooking her purse over her shoulder and rolling her suitcase through the apartment. She locked the door behind her and headed downstairs. 

She was easily able to spot Halbrand’s car. It was a black Lexus Sports Coupe - also known as the nicest car in the neighborhood. He opened the car door and Galadriel felt the butterflies swirling in her stomach. His hair held soft curls, a bit shorter than before. He wore a plain green tee (which was certainly still designer) over black trousers and loafers. He exuded both wealth and confidence which Galadriel was not ashamed to be turned on by. In comparison, she wore a light blue cropped top over dark blue jeans. It was cool but not too cold so her exposed skin was not prickling with goosebumps. 

Halbrand greeted her with a warm smile. Galadriel gave him a quick kiss before he took her bag and put it in the trunk. He walked her to her side of the car, opening the door for her and shutting it after. 

“You look lovely,” Halbrand said when he got into the driver’s seat. His eyes drink her in and Galadriel finds herself getting warmer and warmer. He places his hand in hers, “Now give me a proper kiss.” 

Galadriel did not hesitate to lean over the console and press her lips to his. She pulled away after a few moments, tracing her tongue along her bottom lip and biting it gently, “You sure you don’t want to head upstairs before we hit the road? We have a long drive ahead of us.” 

“I’m sure we can find plenty of ways to pass the time,” He replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

The couple laughed as Halbrand pulled onto the road and continued to hold hands over the console as he pulled onto the highway. 

“Did you have a good week?” He asked, glancing between her and the road. 

“It was alright. Work was stressful, but I’m ready to turn in my first draft on Monday.” 

“That’s amazing, sweetheart. When do you think it’ll be published?” He asked. 

“Probably within the next few weeks. There’s something I’m stuck on though. I did my best stating the case of the buildings and personal interviews, but I just can’t seem to get a statement from the other side. I don’t want to sound too biased but it’s kind of hard not to when they decline to comment.” 

“Maybe they just need a little push,” He replied, his eyes trained forward on the highway ahead. 

Galadriel turned to him, “Is that a threat, Hal?”

He smirked, “It can be whatever you want it to be.” 

Galadriel tried to bite back a smile, shaking her head, “You know you can be quite scary sometimes.” 

“When you’re in my position, you find that it’s a necessity.” 

“Whatever you say, counselor,” Galadriel grinned as Halbrand let go of her hand and placed it on her thigh. Galadriel countered by burying her fingers in his soft curls. She was glad to see he learned a hair care routine. She was hoping it was for her benefit. He leaned into her touch and hummed softly, eyes still trained on the road even as his hand now gripped her inner thigh. 

He groaned, “Why did you wear jeans? Always so complicated with you.” 

“Nothing wrong with wearing jeans,” Galadriel stubbornly protested. 

“There is when I want to finger your tight little pussy,” He said way too casually it actually made Galadriel gasp. 

“You have to drive!”

“I’m an excellent multitasker.”

Galadriel was feeling bashful, “What if someone sees?” 

“Are you saying you don’t want me to?” He removed his hand and brushed her hair behind her ear, glancing over at her, “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” 

“I do, I guess I’m just nervous.”

“With me? You know I’ll take care of you.” 

“I know, baby,” She replied. She glanced at the GPS indicating they still had two and a half hours left on the road. They didn’t say anything more and Halbrand removed his hand to the wheel. 

Galadriel pulled her phone out of her pocket, mindlessly scrolling through the apps, “Can I put on some music?” 

“Sure,” Halbrand replied. She cast her phone to the car and put her classic rock playlist on shuffle. People made fun of her for being an old soul and maybe she truly was one. Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” came through the speakers and Galadriel hummed along, looking out at the trees through the windshield. 

She turned to Halbrand as Freddie Mercury sang about his bandmate’s wife. Her fingers danced down his forearm and over his hand until they dropped down into his lap. Her fingers brushed painfully slowly back and forth. He glanced over at her, “Don’t tease me.” 

“Who says I’m teasing?” Galadriel asked, sitting up on her knees in her seat. She slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, her hand tucking underneath the waistband of his underwear. He was staring ahead even as she freed his cock from his trousers and began to slowly stroke it. 

“I thought you were worried about someone seeing,” He choked out through gritted teeth.

Galadriel shrugged, “Maybe I’m just bored,” She continued stroking him with one hand, her other sliding underneath the waistband of her own jeans. She moaned when her fingers brushed over her clit. When he finally met her gaze he groaned, removing his right hand from the wheel and squeezing her breast through her crop top. Galadriel ran her fingers along her slit and put her fingers in Halbrand’s mouth to suck off which he did so willingly. 

He let her fingers go with a pop, “Fuck, Galadriel. You’re gonna make me crash.”

“This was your idea,” Galadriel said. She pushed the seatbelt behind her, leaning over the console, “You can always pull over, but I think you like this because it’s dangerous.” 

“Is that so?” 

Galadriel responded by kissing the tip of his cock. Her stomach was awkwardly pressed against the console but she didn’t care at the feeling of his cock pulsing in her mouth. She took him deep in her throat, bobbing her head up and down. Halbrand continued to groan, finding it hard to focus on the road. He buried one of his hands in her hair, guiding her up and down. 

“Do you like sucking on daddy’s cock?” He asked, his grip on Galadriel becoming more forceful. Galadriel hummed against him in agreement, “Such a good little whore. You’re gonna swallow it all for me?” 

Galadriel looked up at him and gave him a nod. She brought her hand to the base to stroke at the same time as she picked up intensity. Halbrand let out a groan and spilled his come down Galadriel’s throat. She pulled away, swallowing it down before licking off any residual come from his cock. She sat back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Halbrand tucked himself back into his trousers. 

Galadriel checked the navigation again and noticed that they still had an hour and a half to go. She sighed in frustration, “That didn’t pass as much time as I’d hoped.” 

Halbrand cocked a brow, looking over at her, “You blew me just to pass the time?” 

Galadriel shrugged, “Just one reason.”

“And what’s another?” 

“Oh, I just wanted to show my…appreciation.” 

“I personally can’t wait to show you my appreciation when we get to the house,” He smirked. 

“Is that right, daddy?” 

“I thought you might like that,” He smirked when Galadriel nodded with a blush, “I know you so well, Galadriel. Don’t forget that.” 

“I won’t,” She replied, “I’m going to rest my eyes till we get there.” 

“Rest up baby, you’re gonna need it.” 

Galadriel opened her eyes as Halbrand pulled into the driveway of a large two story house overlooking the Hudson Valley. The home was made of dark brown brick with vines growing along the sides. 

“Hi baby, how’d you sleep?” Halbrand asked as Galadriel wiped her eyes. 

“Good!” She stretched, “Thankful to get out of the car.”

“Tell me about it,” He replied, parking the car and turning it off, “Well, welcome to my home. Spent many summers here with my godfather.” 

“It’s lovely. I can’t wait to see the inside. It’s a shame we didn’t come during fall for apple picking.” 

“We can always come back,” He said, getting out of the car and heading over to Galadriel’s side to help her out. 

She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed up at him, “That’s the first time you’ve brought up our future.” 

“Is it?” He raised a brow and kissed her gently, “Sometimes I forget what I say outloud and what’s just in my head,” He chuckled, giving her a light squeeze. He went to the trunk and grabbed both sets of luggage. Galadriel went up to the front porch, waiting for Halbrand. 

Halbrand walked up behind her, setting the bags down and taking a key from his trouser pocket. He made sure to lock the car behind him before unlocking the front door to the house. He opened the door and allowed Galadriel to walk in first. The house was a bit more quaint than she would’ve expected, but New York homes weren’t always that large. Just owning property was enough to show signs of wealth. Off to the left there was a small den with a large leather chair and bookshelves as well as a desk, to the right was the kitchen, and in front of her was the living room furnished with a large leather sofa, more shelves, and a TV. Between the living room and the kitchen was the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. There was a half bath tucked under the stairs. All of the colors were dark with pops of green that seemed to match Halbrand’s eyes. 

“What do you think?” Halbrand asked, staring at Galadriel intently for approval. 

“Could use a bit more light, but it’s beautiful,” She replied, wrapping her arms around his waist once more. She looked up at him. He was gazing down at her intently. 

“You’ll be the light,” He replied. He gave her a soft kiss, “Let me show you upstairs.” 

He took her hand and walked up the stairs, her trailing. There were three bedrooms, one master and two guests. There were two bathrooms - one attached to the master as was standard. All of the bedrooms were equipped with the same dark wood furniture, the Master with olive green sheets and what Galadriel thought looked like the fluffiest pillows she’d ever seen. 

Halbrand squeezed her hand, letting go of it, “When my godfather passed away, he left everything to me. He had no proper family. It was his consolation prize for having me clean up his messes.” 

Galadriel slipped off her shoes and sat down on the edge of the bed, “Seems like a decent consolation prize.” 

Halbrand grinned at her, “Seeing you in my bed is like a dream come true.” 

“Be careful, I may never leave.”

“Don’t tempt me,” He replied, kicking off his own loafers and sitting down next to her, “Now I believe I owe you something,” He replied pressing his lips to her neck, “But I just can’t put my finger on it,” His hand slid to cup her over her jeans. She let out a breathy moan, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him to hers. 

He gently turned her and leaned her back against the pillows. She could confirm they were the fluffiest she had ever felt. He left her top on, kissing her midriff that was showing while he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He tugged them down, Galadriel lifting her hips slightly to help him. Her panties came off slowly next and Galadriel whimpered as he looked up at her from between her thighs. He maintained eye contact as his tongue ran up her slit and against her clit. Galadriel tried to watch him, but buried her head in the pillow, “Yes, right there.” 

At her words of encouragement, he picked up the pace of his tongue circling her clit. He slipped one finger, then two inside her. Galadriel felt the pressure building inside her, her thighs squeezing against his head to keep him buried in her pussy. She buried her fingers in his hair and even with the lack of air he did not let up. The sight of him between her thighs was enough to send her over the edge. She released her thighs allowing him to break for air. She grinned at the sight of her wetness all over his lips and chin. 

He slipped his fingers out from inside of her and pulled off his shirt. He leaned over her, kissing her deeply. Galadriel’s hands traveled down to his trousers, slipping into his pocket and grabbing the condom he had there, “Just one?” She asked cheekily. 

“Don’t worry baby, daddy’s got plenty more.” 

She set the condom aside, her nails trailing up and down his muscular back. She kissed him slowly, her tongue lazily running against his. Her pussy ached with desire as he removed his trousers and his boxers quickly.

“Hal?” Galadriel asked. 

“Yes?” He asked, condom wrapper already between his teeth. 

“Make love to me,” She spoke softly. 

Halbrand gazed at her, a softness in his eyes. He leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss, but there was no urgency in it. She truly felt like they could stay here forever, binding herself to this feeling. When they finally broke away, he lifted the shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. He unclasped her bra and slid it off slowly, allowing it to join her shirt on the floor. Every movement he made was slow and with intention, including the kisses he peppered down her body.

He rolled the condom on and when he lined up at her entrance, he waited for her nod of approval before entering her slowly. He held her close, maintaining eye contact as he set a slow pace, not allowing either of them to push each other out of control. 

Galadriel’s hands cupped his face as they gazed at each other, eyes baring into each other’s souls in an incredibly intimate scene. What she would give to just bottle this moment in time. She was his and for even just this moment, he was hers. 

“Hal, I’m close,” She let out between soft moans. 

“Come for me, love,” He encouraged her, not increasing the pace, but changing the angle slightly which caused her to cry out in pleasure. 

“I…” She paused, but then continued as his eyes continued to bore into hers, “I love you.” 

“Oh, Galadriel,” He responded, “I love you too.” 

This set her over the edge, Halbrand guiding her through it and slowing his thrusts as she came down. He slipped out of her and disposed of the condom. He immediately joined her back in bed, holding her to his chest. 

“Do you really mean it?” She asked. 

“Of course I do,” he responded, hands brushing her hair out of her face.

“I just, sometimes people say things and I feel like I just blurted it out.”

“Well, do you mean it?” 

“Of course,” She replied, her fingertips grazing his forearm, “I am happy you finally let me in.” 

“I’m happy that you’re here,” He replied and then sighed, “I wish we could stay here forever.”

“I understand the feeling,” She replied, “If only we could bottle this moment up.” 

“Quit our lives in the city, retire here full time.”

“What would we do all day?”

“Make love,” Halbrand responded, causing the two to grin madly. 

Galadriel rolled her eyes, “Very practical.”

“When did I say this was a practical idea? You’re too practical. You need to think with your heart.”

Galadriel gazed up at him, “Believe me, I do that with you.” 

He smiled down at her, “Glad to get you out of your comfort zone then.” 

Galadriel nodded, “What about cooking? You promised to cook for me.” 

“Okay, bossy. Why don’t you wash up and meet me in the kitchen when you get out of the shower?”

Galadriel nodded even though she immediately missed his presence against her when she sat up. She watched Halbrand for a moment as he got dressed in his tee and boxers, not bothering to put on his trousers. 

“Why are you staring at me?” He asked, raising a brow. 

Galadriel stood up and walked over to him. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a deep kiss. 

Halbrand grabbed her hips, pulling away from her lips, “You better get in that shower before I throw you back down on the bed.” 

“Tempting, but I think I need some sustenance before we go at it again,” Galadriel sighed, “Bring my case up?” 

“Already ahead of you, dear,” He said in a semi mocking tone. 

“Thanks, honey!” Galadriel said, making her way to the bathroom and shutting the door.

She was in love. She had let herself fall. And she felt the most unequivocal joy. 

Chapter Text

Galadriel took her time in the shower, relishing in the glorious water pressure. When she got out, she found her suitcase waiting for her by the bathroom door. She toweled herself off and changed into a beige cotton set that hung on her loosely. She applied her face cream and smiled at herself in the mirror. 

Classical music fluttered up from downstairs as she turned off the hair dryer, content to leave her hair down. She applied lip balm and made her way downstairs. The first thing she noticed was the fluttering of light into the living room. It appeared that Halbrand had taken her comment about the darkness to heart and opened the blinds. She gazed out of a window that overlooked the street and basked in the sunlight, listening to the birds chirp outside. 

When she had her fix of the sun’s rays, she wandered into the den, looking at the many books that lined the shelves. They were mostly philosophy, history, and economics — nothing that would interest her. Is this really what Halbrand liked to read? This was his godfather’s house, but he spent a lot of time here growing up. There has to be some reflection of him, right? 

She thought back to Elrond’s words: ‘I just think if this man is avoiding your questions, you can use your masterful investigative skills to good use.” 

She ran her fingers along the binds of the books, seeing if she could find anything interesting. There seemed to be a variety of everything ranging on those subjects and a lot of books on law. Her fingers paused as a particular book caught her eye: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. A book on housing discrimination? That seems a bit odd for light reading, but considering the other options, not incredibly surprising. 

She made her way over to the desk, but it was relatively empty except for a few blank notebooks and printing supplies. There were some drawers, but even snooping, that seemed like an overstep. She turned around and made her way out of the den almost running right into Halbrand. She jumped back, putting her hand to her chest to try to calm down her racing heart, “Jesus, you scared me.” 

“I came to find you,” His eyes flicked behind her, “What are you doing in here?” 

“I was just…” She trailed off, “God, I’m sorry. I was snooping.” 

His intensity broke and he smiled down at her, twirling a strand of her hair, “Let’s put away our investigative journalism for the weekend, please?” Galadriel nodded, “Thank you. Dinner is almost ready. I was hoping we could have a glass of wine on the deck.” 

Galadriel took a glance back at the den as Halbrand led her into the kitchen. The kitchen was gorgeous with mahogany cabinets and beautiful black marble countertops with an island in the middle. She leaned against the island opposite of her man as he uncorked a bottle of red wine. He poured two glasses, handing the first to Galadriel. 

“Find any nice reading material?” He asked her. 

“Hardly. Even as a journalist, I find reading nonfiction to be a tiresome activity,” She responded, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a sip. The rich flavor burst onto her tongue. 

“Unfortunately most of my day is spent looking at legal documents, so nonfiction feels like a reprieve,” He responded, taking her hand and leading her onto the porch.

“I’ll have to open your eyes to much more interesting activities then,” She replied. 

“You already have, Galadriel,” He replied as they took seats on the rocking chairs next to one another. He gazed at her, “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

“It’s gorgeous, Halbrand,” She said, unsure whether to look out towards the valley or back at her lover. She flicked her eyes back to him to catch him still watching her, “I could get used to this.” 

“Me too.” 

The weekend went ahead as Galadriel had expected. They spent as much time together as possible. They made love rather than their former animalistic fucking they were used to at the beginning. It was a nice change and made Galadriel’s heart ache in a pleasant way. 

She just couldn’t help but notice that Halbrand didn’t seem to let her out of his sight except to go to the bathroom. Ever since that first day, he had clung to her. They were in love, she should find it endearing that her man can’t stand to be without her. 

They lay in bed on Sunday morning, Galadriel on her side and Halbrand pressed up against her. She tapped his hand on her waist and sat up, “Where are you going?” He asked, his voice was gruff, clearly having just woken up. 

“I’m going to get some water,” She responded, going to stand, but Halbrand pulled her back down, sitting up instead. 

“I’ll get it for you.”

“I can get my own glass of water, thank you,” Galadriel pushed his hand away, but he continued to hold her firmly, “Halbrand, let go of me.” When he refused, she turned to him, “What is wrong with you?”

“I just don’t want you to go,” He tried to play it off as clingy, but there was a possessiveness within his voice. 

“I will be back within two minutes, seriously,” She spoke firmly, getting very irritated with this possessive behavior. 

He finally let go, “Fine. Two minutes.”

Galadriel rolled her eyes, “Yes, sir. I’ll make sure not to go a second over time.”

Halbrand looked irritated too, but Galadriel knew he had no right to be. She got out of bed and scurried downstairs. She walked to the kitchen and went to fill up her glass, but she saw the den out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes flickered to the stairs and then back to the den. Fuck it. 

She quickly went into the den and started going through the desk drawers, unsure what exactly she was looking for. There was something in here that Halbrand did not want her to see. Why did he not trust her to go downstairs alone? Well, maybe he knew she would snoop, but really, what’s so wrong with that unless you have something to hide? After all, he should have known what he was getting into with her. 

She opened a drawer and quickly went through some papers, often legal documents that were complete jargon to her, but when she finally found what she was looking for, her stomach dropped. 

It was a photo of a young Halbrand, clear as day and beside him was Morgoth Bauglir. She gasped, quickly shutting the drawer and putting the photograph in her pajama pocket. She walked briskly to the kitchen and filled up her glass of water before returning upstairs. She took a deep breath, taking a sip of her water to ground herself. She could act normal. Nothing happened. She just went to get a glass of water. 

When she walked into the room, Halbrand smiled up at her, “There you are.” Galadriel had tried her best to maintain a neutral face, but neutral was not how you looked at the man you loved. Halbrand’s smile faltered, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Galadriel responded too quickly, placing her glass of water on the side table. 

His eyes bore into hers, “You’re lying to me.”

“I’m still irritated that you don’t trust me, okay?” She said, trying to throw him off. 

He sighed, “I’m trying, Galadriel, but it’s hard with what I’ve seen and been through.”

“Like what?” 

He was stunned, “What?”

“What have you been through that you never talk about?” She urged him to confess. 

“I’ve told you stuff with my family.”

“It seems odd that you’re so resentful when they seem to have set you up nicely here. I mean, you inherited this house, right? Didn’t buy it yourself? You told me you moved here to take care of things when your godfather passed, but you inherited a lot more than just this house, didn’t you?” Galadriel’s voice wavered, but she held her head high. 

“You have a problem with me inheriting a house?”

“I have no problem with you inheriting a house, I have a problem with who you inherited it from!” She ripped the photo out of her pocket and threw it down in front of him. Galadriel’s jaw clenched, “Who are you?”

He looked at the photo and then back up at her. His face had changed. It was similar to how it looked when he was dominating her in the bedroom, but this time it was not at all exciting. Galadriel desperately wanted to look away, but she held his gaze.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Halbrand said, standing up out of bed. He was just in his boxers which suddenly felt extremely indecent, “You clearly have me all figured out, Galadriel. So please, spell out what you think of me.”

“That man was your godfather. The man I’ve been investigating. Who did all of those horrible things,” She said, her voice wavering. 

He took a step towards her, “Okay? What else?” 

“You’ve been lying to me,” Galadriel’s voice was suddenly very small. 

“I’ve never lied to you, Galadriel. I told you that my godfather and my father were bad men, that’s true. You told me that didn’t make me a bad person. You know me, Galadriel.”

“You knew I was doing a story on your godfather’s former company. Why didn’t you say anything?” Her eyes were pleading for answers, desperate to find the answer she wanted to hear. This all had to be a misunderstanding. It was his godfather’s company, but he had nothing to do with it. Or, he had everything to do with it. The realization dawned on her, “It’s you.”

Halbrand had closed the distance between the two of them. She reached out to slap him, unsure what to do with all of this rage, but he caught her wrist easily. After all of this time, she learned virtually nothing about him, but he learned everything about her. She had just played into his hand, literally. Tears flooded her eyes. 

“Nothing has to change,” He spoke softly to her. 

“You’re what I’ve been working to uncover. People are getting hurt and it’s your fault.”

“Then help me change. Work with me.”

“Are you insane? I’m an investigative journalist!”

“For a paper that no one cares about. Print is dead, Galadriel. You could be so much more. Let me help you become so much more,” He pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist and she shuddered. 

“People will care when your corruption is exposed.”

“You’re not going to expose me,” He stated, confidently. 

“Why not?”

“Because you love me,” He grinned. 

The tears fell freely from Galadriel’s eyes as she tried to break away from him, but he held her in place, “You never loved me, did you?” 

“Galadriel, I worship the ground you walk on. You are the true light in my life. We are meant to be together. Don’t you see that now?”

“I need some air,” Galadriel pulled away and this time Halbrand did not hold her back. She ran down the stairs and onto the patio. She tried to take deep breaths to steady herself, but it felt like she had been stabbed in the chest. She was gasping for air between choking sobs. She collapsed to her knees, eyes blurred with tears. 

Halbrand did not follow her, but she did not feel comfortable going back into the house. She needed to find a way out of here, but he trapped her in the middle of nowhere. She knew he was corrupt, but was he dangerous? Would he hurt her physically? 

After fifteen minutes of sobbing on the patio, she got off the ground and wiped her eyes. She would have to try to leave. Her phone was not on her, it was back in the house. In the bedroom, by her long forgotten glass of water. 

She entered the house, and spotted Halbrand in the kitchen. He didn’t turn around as she snuck by and headed back upstairs. She got into the bedroom, shutting the door and locking it behind her. She had barely unpacked so it was easy to stuff everything back in her suitcase. She grabbed her phone from the side table and dialed the first person she thought to call. 

“Hello?” Elrond asked on the other end of the line. 

She tried not to start sobbing, “I need you to come get me.”

“Is everything okay? Are you hurt?” 

“No, I’m not hurt, but I don’t know. I just need you to come get me. I’m sorry it’s so far. I’m somewhere in the Hudson Valley. I’m sending you my location.”

“Already have it, Galadriel. I’m walking out the door now. Please stay safe. Do you want me to stay on the line with you?”

Galadriel nodded, but realizing he couldn’t see her, she replied, “Yes.”

So Galadriel and Elrond spent the next two hours and twenty-six minutes on the phone. She didn’t share many details as to what happened, and Elrond didn’t press. When Elrond pulled in he noted that there was no car in the driveway anymore. So either Halbrand knew that Elrond was coming and didn’t want to be here or he was attempting to trap her here. Either way, she didn’t want to be here when Halbrand got back. 

She unlocked the door and scurried down the stairs, quickly throwing her bag in Elrond’s coupe and getting into the passenger seat, “Please, drive.” Galadriel was in full panic attack mode, but Elrond followed her lead and quickly pulled out of the driveway and back onto the road. 

Galadriel didn’t relax until they were on the highway. She took Elrond’s hand and squeezed it in appreciation. There were tears in her eyes. He did not say anything, but leaned over and wiped the tears from her eyes. 

“I’m here, Galadriel. You’re safe.”

Chapter Text

Galadriel erased every trace of Halbrand from her life which was admittedly not much. She wished she had a pile of stuff to light on fire, but that drama was usually reserved for films. How do you delete the memories? Was there an Eternal Sunshine situation she could invest in? Instead, she blocked his number and threw away the few things he’d left behind - a toothbrush, deodorant, and cologne. She took one final sniff of the cologne before dropping it into the trash with the rest. She bagged everything up and took it to the trash shoot. 

Galadriel had not been one to wallow. She found the smoothest approach to moving on was to cut ties and push forward. She had already blocked his number and deleted their messages on the way home. She had not received anything from him since their last interaction at the house. 

He would be gone for good if he was not the subject of her piece. She copied the photo and added it to the article. She saved and downloaded the first draft, emailing it to Celebrimbor before shutting her laptop. 

She sighed, looking around her empty apartment. Since when did it feel so small? She tried to watch TV, but couldn’t focus for a second. She thought about going out, but the minute she placed her hand on the door she felt frightened. When would she be able to return to life? She had to admit she had been changed by this whole experience and not for the better. She decided it was time to head to bed. 

After a sleepless night, she arrived at the office Monday morning early, two cups of coffee in hand. She left one on Elrond’s desk as he hadn’t arrived yet. She plugged in her laptop and began proofreading an article that had been assigned to her. 

“Galadriel,” Celebrimbor prompted her to look up. It was clear he had been standing there for a few moments. 

“Yes, sorry. I guess I got lost in my work,” Galadriel gave him a small smile, turning her chair towards him. 

“I just wanted to let you know that I look forward to reading your draft today,” He said with a small smile in return, “Is everything alright? You don’t look like yourself.” 

“Long weekend,” She replied, crossing her feet under her chair, “Unfortunately I didn’t get much sleep.” 

“Well, I hope you feel better,” He replied. He looked up as Elrond scurried in. Elrond dropped his phone and bent down to pick it up, “Good morning Elrond. It appears everyone is a bit disheveled this morning.” 

Elrond blushed, heading to his desk. He dropped down his stuff and rolled over to Galadriel’s desk, his cup of coffee in hand, “You’re an angel, Galadriel. I could kiss you!” 

“Keep your voice down, we don’t want an HR violation,” She replied, “Although I think Celebrimbor narrowly avoided one. He basically said I look like shit.”

Elrond gazed at her face, “You do.” 

“Not helping!” 

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Galadriel shook her head no and Elrond sighed, “I think you should talk to someone about what happened and if it’s not going to be me then maybe it should be a professional.” 

He braces himself for Galadriel to go on the offensive, but to his shock, she nodded, “You’re right, but right now I need to focus on work.” 

“Well I’m here if you need me,” He responded, rolling away.

Galadriel spent the next few hours at her desk before getting up to stretch in the breakroom. She made herself another cup of coffee although it was not very good. Why is office coffee so shit? 

“Ah, there you are,” Galadriel turned to see the office administrator Mirdania, “Celebrimbor is looking for you. He’s requesting you join him in the upstairs conference room.” 

“Is everything alright?” 

“Not sure, I’m just the messenger,” She responded and turned around. Galadriel followed her to the conference room where Mirdania opened the door and then shut it behind Galadriel when she entered. Both Celebrimbor and Gil-Galad were at the table across from the door. 

“Hello,” She said, awkwardly standing by the door. 

“Galadriel, come sit,” Celebrimbor invited. Galadriel did as she was told and he continued, “We called you in here for a few reasons. We are really proud of your first draft first and foremost.” 

“Thank you,” She said, waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

“We received something very interesting,” Gil-Galad interjected, pulling an envelope out of his jacket and sliding it to her. 

“What is this?” She asked, studying the envelope, noticing it was addressed to her. 

“We were hoping you would tell us. We didn’t open it, but it’s odd that a junior journalist would receive something directly to the office,” Gil-Galad continued. 

Galadriel cautiously opened the envelope and she suddenly lost the ability to breathe at the site of the dark green invitation. When the two men stared at her expectantly, she read, “You and a guest are cordially invited to the 10th Annual Philanthropic Gala honoring New York City Housing Improvement on behalf of Southlands Properties & Holdings LLC.” 

There was silence in the room for a bit before Gil-Galad sighed, “I warned you that this was a possibility.”

“We don’t know that this is a bad thing, they could possibly be trying to get good press,” Celebrimbor added, “Unless you’ve received threats or contacts from them before?”

Galadriel hesitated, but then shook her head, “No, I’m sure you’re right. Maybe they just want a chance to clear the air.” 

“Well I will be going with you,” Gil-Galad said.

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” Galadriel said. 

“The head of the company needs to be there to represent us. You are still a junior reporter and I want to make sure you’re not taken advantage of,” He replied.

“Respectfully, I know when I’m being taken advantage of, sir,” She protested, but he gave her a stern look. 

“I will be going with you. You will take their statement. That’s that, Galadriel,” She nodded, looking down at the invitation before passing it to Gil-Galad, “This Friday, how lovely.” 

Galadriel could still feel his voice in her ear. His empty promises, his thinly veiled threats. She should speak up, say she can’t go. You’re not releasing this story. 

“Am I free to go now?” She asked, clearly on edge.

Gil-Galad nodded and she exited, quickly making a b-line for her desk. She packed up her stuff and walked out, ignoring the calls of concern from Elrond. She didn’t care that it was hardly past lunchtime. She needed air. She needed to go home. 

She made her way back downtown on the train, practically running up the stairs in her kitten heels. She paused when she noticed a shopping bag on her front door. She looked around before picking it up and scurrying into her apartment. She found a note inside:

Thought you might need something to wear - H

She dropped the card and pulled out a beautiful gold gown that shined like the rays of the sun. She gasped because it truly was so beautiful, but also Halbrand had been here. He had also been to her office. That envelope had no postage stamp. He was encroaching on her safe spaces. He had laid the trap. It was time to see if she would take the bait. 

Galadriel made her way uptown to Lincoln Center. She had opted for an Uber that evening, not wanting to take the subway in her gown. She felt out of her element and hated the way the gown fit her perfectly. A week ago, she would be thrilled to be seen at such a high profile event. It would seem like her boyfriend was no longer hiding her. But now she had to pretend like they had never met when he was doing everything he could besides coming out and admitting they had a relationship. 

Her hair flowed down her back in loose curls, her makeup soft to highlight all of the gold radiating from her. The Uber pulled up at the front steps of the Lincoln Center. Luckily Gil-Galad had been waiting for her so she didn’t have to enter the building alone. It would be much less likely for Halbrand to corner her. 

“You look stunning,” Gil-Galad said, adorned in a classic, yet elegant tux. 

“Thank you,” She blushed, “It was a gift.” 

“Oh? From who?” 

Her face faltered, unsure why she had blurted that last bit out, “Just a friend.”

“Your friend sounds like a keeper,” He held out his arm to her, “Shall we?”

Galadriel linked her arm through Gil-Galad’s and the pair walked up to the entrance. She went to provide her name, but the host greeted her, “Lady Galadriel, we are happy you could join us this evening. Mairon will be pleased.” 

She furrowed her brow in confusion at the name, but nodded, putting on her best smile as they entered. She grabbed a glass of champagne that was offered to her with her free hand and sipped it anxiously. Her eyes darted from place to place, looking for the source of her anxiety. 

 “Don’t look so on edge,” Gil-Galad spoke softly. 

She couldn’t explain to him that she knew this was a trap. That she had been taken to bed by the CEO of the very company that she was trying to take down. That she opened herself up to him willingly. She couldn’t say that, so she just nodded, trying to take her boss’s advice.  

They made their way through the room together, Galadriel trying to maintain her composure and not chug her champagne. Their eyes turned as a man approached the top of the steps with a microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to our host this evening - Mairon Gorthaur!” 

The man she knew as Halbrand entered down the stairs solo and she hated the relief she felt at him not entering with another woman. He was dressed in an all black double breasted suit, his hair falling in gentle curls to his shoulders. He looked absolutely gorgeous. Everyone clapped except Galadriel who clutched her champagne glass so tightly she was worried it would break. 

He politely took the microphone from the other man, “Thank you all for coming tonight. I understand the legacy my godfather left was less than ideal, but I aim to change the direction of the company for the better bit by bit. We have already made some great strides in our legal team and the money collected here today is set to go towards strengthening our very lively communities city wide.” More applause, “So please, enjoy the champagne and feel free to leave your worries and generous donations at the door,” The crowd laughed, clearly won over by his charm. 

He walked down the remaining steps, Galadriel’s eye constantly on him. Despite her fear, part of her was begging for him to notice her, “He’s coming this way,” Gil-Galad whispered to her, but she already felt his eyes boring into her. 

“Lady Galadriel,” He said, the words nearly melting her like butter, “It is a pleasure to see you again.” 

“You two have met before?” Gil-Galad asked, looking at the two of them curiously. 

Galadriel didn’t know what to say, but the man she knew as Halbrand spoke up, “I’ve been keeping my eye on her. My representatives tell me she has quite the story.” 

“We are quite proud of her, but I must admit we were surprised at your invitation,” Gil-Galad spoke. 

“Why is that?” Mairon asked. 

“We are not sure we can live up to your prestigious standards here,” Galadriel finally spoke in response. 

“You look like you belong here to me,” He replied. His eyes flickered to Gil-Galad, “Will you excuse us?” 

Gil-Galad nodded and excused himself. Mairon put his hand on the small of Galadriel’s back as he led her to the corner to speak, “Mairon? Figures you’d give me a fake name,” She spoke, looking forward instead of at him.

“It isn’t a fake name,” He responded similarly, “It was the name my mother gave me.” 

Galadriel turned to look at him, “Why did you invite me here?” 

“I was hoping you’d reconsider the decision you made,” He said, gazing down at her, “It doesn’t have to be like this. You should be by my side.”

“I’ve not reconsidered,” She responded quickly, “I’ve made my choice and you can’t threaten me to reconsider.” 

“I don’t think you realize how hard your life is going to get,” He spoke softly, fire in his eyes. 

“Then you’ll prove my point,” She said, placing her empty glass on a nearby table.

“Which is?” 

“That you never loved me,” She replied, going to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist. 

“Despite everything that is about to happen, I care for you, Galadriel.” 

He loosened his grip and Galadriel slipped away, heading towards the door. Gil-Galad found her outside, trying to find the stars in the hazy NYC sky. He watched her for a moment before he approached her, “Did he make a statement?” 

“No official statement.” 

“You two were speaking for quite a while. Did he threaten you?” 

Again Galadriel ignored this, “I take my job very seriously. I am thankful you have given me this opportunity and I hope I can count on you when the time is right.” 

Gil-Galad nodded, “You’re leaving?” 

“Monday morning? My story will be posted?” 

“Front page as we discussed,” He replied. 

“Then I will see you on Monday morning,” Galadriel responded. And for one more weekend, she will know peace.

Chapter Text

On Monday morning the front page of The Daily News both in print and online published Galadriel’s article, “The New Epidemic: The Nightmare Inside Low Income Housing”. Did she use charged language? Yes. Was that usually frowned upon? Yes. Did she care? No. 

Soon the puff pieces about the gala were overridden by news of a new slumlord on the rise. Debate over who was worse: Morgoth or Mairon was being hashed out online. Halbrand’s life of mystery was over. She smiled to herself, but knew the torture he was going through now was only a fraction of what he would cause her in the long run. 

“You’ve made quite a stir around here,” Elrond said as Galadriel walked into the office on Monday morning. 

She looked around and pointed at herself, “Who? Me?”

Elrond rolled his eyes and Galadriel started laughing. It felt good to push away the anxiety even for a moment. She wondered how long it would last.

“Front page? Congratulations Galadriel,” Mirdania said, walking past her on her way to Celebrimbor’s office with a cup of coffee. 

“I don’t know how you can ever top this,” Elrond added. 

“I don’t know if I’ll even get the chance,” Galadriel responded with a sigh as she sat down at her desk and rolled her chair over to Elrond, “I’ve fucked up Elrond, majorly,” He frowned and she continued, “I have a feeling Mairon isn’t going to take this very well.”

Elrond furrowed his brow, “I don’t understand. Sure he might deny it, but you have protection here.”

“But I didn’t have protection here,” Galadriel touched her hand to her heart and Elrond nodded in understanding. He took her hand and squeezed it, “How did I get myself into this mess? I should’ve seen this coming.” 

“Hey, no. No one can blame you for falling for someone who was lying to you, Galadriel. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It’s not your fault.” 

“I’ve just been so blind, Elrond,” Tears were welling in her eyes, “He’s already broken my heart and now he’s going to ruin my life. When people find out we were dating, my entire credibility is going to be ruined. They may force the paper to print a retraction. How is that going to look for me? For us?” 

Elrond shushed her as she was starting to get worked up and he desperately didn’t want to draw any attention to them. He spoke in a whisper, “We will cross that bridge when we get there. You were deceived. Manipulation and corruption seem to run in that family.” 

Galadriel nodded again in response and rolled her chair back over to her desk to try to focus on her work, but she was distracted by social media. She continued to search for Mairon and even her own name to continue to monitor the public opinion. Some people were outraged, but a small few clearly were disillusioned by the whole housing crisis. She read several tweets about it. 

‘This isn’t exactly a surprise. Every CEO is corrupt. Down with billionaires!’ 

‘I don’t really know what they expect us to do at this time.’

‘I can’t believe we still have slumlords in 2025. I thought we were better than this.’ 

“Company wide meeting in the conference room,” Mirdania spoke, approaching Galadriel and Elrond’s cubicle. 

The two looked at each other, “An impromptu meeting? Is everything okay?” Elrond asked.

Mirdania smiled, “I think I have said it several times, but I am just the messenger… Well, maybe a little birdie told me that we are celebrating.”

“Celebrating?” Galadriel asked. 

“You’ve gotten the paper so much publicity, Galadriel. I don’t know why you would be surprised,” Mirdania responded. 

Elrond and Galadriel got up and started to head to the conference room. A small smile was on her lips, but she was still uneasy. She had a bad feeling and she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. When Elrond and Galadriel arrived at the conference room, Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor were already standing around as well as most of the other staff. 

“Ah, here’s the lady of the hour!” Celebrimbor smiled, welcoming Galadriel into the room. She could feel her cheeks turning red. She was never one to be the center of attention and even when she was being praised, she hated it. 

“What did I do to deserve this honor, Celebrimbor?” She asked. 

“You are aware of what you did, just maybe not to its full extent,” Gil-Galad spoke and a hush fell over the room. He looked around, “Don’t look so grim, this is a happy occasion. I got everyone together in hopes that we can pick your brain for some other more meaningful pieces to work on.” 

“What?” Galadriel asked, clearly confused that she was not getting fired or publicly humiliated. 

Gil-Galad continued, “Up until now we have focused on trivial topics. You have opened us up to taking the paper in a new direction, one more focused on public interests.”

“Certainly you don’t have other tyrants in mind to take down,” Galadriel said, a slight joke to her tone. 

“Well sure, the paper cannot take down everyone, but we were hoping you would give everyone here an insight into your process. We are very impressed with you, Galadriel,” Celebrimbor spoke up. 

She looked at the room and noticed everyone was looking up at her with anticipation, “Well, I do not believe my process to be any different than any journalist in my position. I’ve always been concerned with injustices within society. We are a more localized paper, so I thought about the injustices that faced our city. It does not take a keen eye to see all of the problems us New Yorkers face.” 

“Isn’t she a transplant?” One of the junior editors whispered to the colleague next to her. 

Galadriel’s eyes narrowed on the individual before she lifted her chin towards Gil-Galad, “Respectfully, sir, I do not believe to put myself above anyone in this room. If they need researching and writing tips, they can reach out to me individually. I do not wish to subject any unwilling ears to an impromptu seminar.” 

Gil-Galad’s eyes followed hers to the individual who had interrupted her and nodded, “Very well. The rest of you may go. Galadriel, please stay.” 

Galadriel waited for the rest of the room to file out before shutting the door and turning towards her editors, “I am glad you are so pleased with my piece. I am happy to have brought the paper positive attention.” 

“For now,” Gil-Galad said, “You gave us reason to believe there would be a counter on Friday. Is there anything you wish to share with us?” 

Galadriel stayed silent for probably far too long. Did they already know? Did they suspect it? 

“Mairon is a deceiver. He is not to be trusted, no matter what he counters with.” 

“You seem to know a lot about him for someone you met one time,” Gil-Galad responded. 

“I have been researching him for a while,” She responded, “But I am certain he will counter. I just hope the paper is not in jeopardy when he does.”

“We believe in you, Galadriel. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have chosen to run this story, front page or otherwise,” Gil-Galad replied. 

“We hope that you feel safe here,” Celebrimbor replied. 

“I do,” Galadriel said. She was not going to admit that this is one of the few places she felt safe in. Halbrand might make stops to the secretary, but he wasn’t going to walk right in. He couldn’t risk that kind of negative publicity. 

“We’re glad to hear it. Please come to us if there is anything we can do for you,” Celebrimbor replied and Gil-Galad nodded. 

“Will do. Thank you both,” Galadriel said, heading out the door and back to her desk. 

“Are you okay?” Elrond asked when Galadriel sat down. 

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“Do you want to blow off the rest of the day and get a drink?” He asked. 

“God, I thought you’d never ask,” Galadriel responded. Elrond laughed and the two immediately started packing up their stuff. Galadriel figured she could get away with it at least for the time being. 

Elrond and Galadriel linked their arms together and walked out of the office together. The girl who had spoken up at the meeting watched them with a grimace on her face as she exited. 

“Let her think whatever she wants, she’s clearly just jealous because you’re the High King’s favorite.” 

Galadriel laughed, pushing the doors open, “I am not sure how long that’s going to last, unfortunately so she may not have to be jealous for long.” 

“I’m sure Mirdania is just dying to replace you as well. She may as well be your carbon copy,” Elrond chuckled. 

“Everyone says that, but I truly can’t see the resemblance. People only say that because we’re both blonde white women.” 

“And most blonde white women look alike. I can hardly tell the difference.” 

“What a great best friend you are,” Galadriel rolled her eyes, tapping her phone to get through the subway turnstiles. 

“Where are we drinking tonight?” He asked.

“Well considering it’s only 2pm, we may have to wait a bit. How about my personal favorite bar - Casa Galadriel?” 

“I can never say no to that. Perfectly kitschy.”

“You are such an asshole,” Galadriel said as they approached the train platform. 

“And yet you love me!” He grinned, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. She made a show of wiping it off and laughed as the train approached. Luckily the car was mostly empty for being the middle of the afternoon on a Monday. There were always the few who did not work the standard 9 to 5’s. She craved to have that freedom and was certain she was going to be joining them today. Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor had certainly surprised her. 

“Galadriel, you’re dissociating again,” Elrond tapped her as the conductor announced the next stop completely muffled over the speaker. 

“Sorry, got a lot on my mind.” 

“Hopefully alcohol will fix that. Or who knows? It could make it a hell of a lot worse. But either way we’re going to have a fun time figuring it out!” 

She shushed him, “People are going to think we’re crazy with you yelling like that.” 

“I think New Yorkers are used to people completely crashing out on a Monday afternoon. This makes you more New Yorker than ever.” 

“Didn’t you hear? I’m not a New Yorker at all.”

“Who cares if you’re a transplant? You’ve been here long enough. You’re more New Yorker than most of us. I mean hell, you’re fighting for New Yorkers and that is a hundred percent badass.” 

“This seems like a speech you would give when you’re already hammered,” Galadriel said, standing up to exit the train. 

Elrond followed her as they walked up the stairs, “So you’re saying I can’t gas you up?”

“You speak like all these cool kids, Elrond. I’m surprised you want to be seen with someone like me.”

“Every cool kid needs their hag girlfriend,” Elrond said, pressing another kiss to her cheek. This time Galadriel did not wipe it off. 

She sighed, “Sometimes I wish I’d fallen for you. It would’ve made everything a hell of a lot easier.” 

He raised a brow and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, “I love you Gal, but you are not my type.”

“Noted,” She said, unlocking the front door and walking up the steps to her apartment. Thankfully there were no mysterious packages at her doorstep today. She unlocked the second door and threw her keys on the counter, stepping aside to let Elrond in.

“Where’s the party?” He asked, searching for her liquor. She pulled out a bottle of tequila from the cabinet above her fridge, “God, tequila? You’re going to kill me.”

“That’s the idea,” Galadriel laughed, pouring two shots of tequila and handing one to him. They clinked their shot glasses and tapped them on the counter, “Here’s to erasing bad memories and creating new ones,” They shot them back. 

Galadriel and Elrond spent the afternoon drinking at her apartment. After an order of Doordash bringing them the greasiest and most delicious taco bowls, they were ready to continue the evening out in the neighborhood. 

“I’m feeling divey,” Galadriel said, going through her closet to find an outfit while Elrond sat on her bed. She came out with an oversized tee and jeans on. 

“No fair, I’m still in my work clothes,” Elrond complained, collapsing back on the bed. 

“That’s how I usually look out at the bars,” Galadriel laughed, “Just unbutton a couple of buttons at the top and mess up your hair. You’ll look fine.” 

“I look like an asshole,” He said from his place on the bed. 

Galadriel came to lay next to him, “It fits with your personality,” She grinned as he smacked her arm, “You deserve it after the shit you put me through today.” 

“You know I’m always here for you, though. It’s just a joke.”

Galadriel curled on her side to look at him, “Of course I know it’s a joke. You’re not actually an asshole, by the way. One day Elrond, I hope to be able to return the favor for all you’ve done for me.”

The two held hands in silence for a moment before Elrond stood up. He helped Galadriel to her feet with a gentle pull, “We still are not nearly sloshed enough to be crying over each other like this. Let’s go.”

Galadriel followed Elrond out of the apartment and down the street to Clockwork Bar, a red dimly lit bar with walls covered in graffiti. This was a place you would definitely go to drown your troubles and Galadriel was planning to do just that tonight. She sat down at a table in the back under one of the TVs playing grungy music videos while Elrond went to the bar to order. She sighed, finally checking her phone for the first time in a few hours. 

Gil-Galad: I hope you’re enjoying your sabbatical.  Please come to my office tomorrow morning. 

Galadriel stared at her phone and sighed. She knew she was going to get in trouble for her little escapade today, but she hated to notice that Elrond was not being brought down with her. Not that she would want to bring him down with her, but still. It seemed slightly unfair. 

Elrond appeared at her table, drinkless, “What happened to our drinks?” 

He was holding out his phone to her, “I think you need to see this.”

She took his phone and looked at the article he had pulled up, ‘Mairon Gothaur speaks out about exposé, reveals he was blinded after relationship with the author’. Her eyes widened as she continued reading the explicit details of their relationship, painting himself as an innocent victim caught in a web of deceit, not the other way around. She felt like she was going to be sick which was only solidified by the final paragraph.

Gothaur states that he is planning to take legal action against Noldor after failure to reconcile privately. She could not be reached for a statement. 

“What the fuck does this mean, can’t be reached for a statement? No one asked me shit. This is outlandish ‘journalism’.”

“Galadriel, he’s going to sue you for defamation.”

“How can he? Everything I said is true,” Galadriel looked at him, panicked, “Elrond, I did what I had to do. I did what was right. Please tell me I did the right thing.”

“I will always believe you did the right thing. I know you. I will be here for you, but sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always doing the safe thing. Did you feel that you had a story you needed to tell?”

“Yes,” Galadriel said without hesitation. 

“Then you did the right thing, but unfortunately it’s not going to be an easy road. Right now, I think it’s best we go home and strategize.” 

“Strategize? What are you, my council?”

“No, but you’re certainly going to need a lawyer.”

Galadriel put her head in her hands for a moment, before letting Elrond lead her out of the bar and back to her apartment. He was right, it was certainly going to be a long road ahead.

Chapter Text

Galadriel’s head spun as the call kept ringing before she heard the sound of connection, “We need to talk.” 

“Galadriel,” His voice came through the speaker and made her shudder, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Let’s cut the charade, Mairon.” 

“Mairon? That’s not who I am to you.”

“You are not Halbrand any longer.”

“I always was with you, Galadriel. I meant it when I said that at the gala.” 

Galadriel took a pause, trying to ignore his words, “You can’t sue me for defamation. Everything that was printed was true.” 

“Ah, yes…that. There may be a way we can work this out.” 

“Yeah?” Galadriel asked, raising an eyebrow, “What’s your price?” 

“Meet with me,” He said, “And we can discuss the details.” 

“And risk my integrity by being seen with you?”

“I wouldn’t worry about your integrity. That went out the window when you fucked me.” 

The coldness in his voice was almost shocking to her even through all that she finally knew about him. She grit her teeth, “I should really have a lawyer present.”

“Good thing one will be there.”

“Other than you,” She rolled her eyes.

He chuckled, “That won’t be necessary, Galadriel. I’ll be civil. And I can hear you rolling your eyes.” 

Galadriel let out a curse. After everything he did truly know her, “Where then?”  

“Bryant Park. Tomorrow at noon.” 

“Fine,” She said. 

“I look forward to seeing you again,” He said and she slammed her finger against her phone screen to end the call. She wanted to throw her phone for good measure, but she could not afford a new phone right now.

She walked into the office and it was like a heavy cloud lay over it. People would talk in hushed voices as she passed, but she held her head high. It would take an idiot not to know what this was about. Everyone would have read that interview. Hell, Mairon had made an appearance on the local news. She walked to her desk and set down her things. She wasn’t there long when Celebrimbor walked up, clearly waiting for her arrival.

“I wouldn’t settle in, Galadriel. Gil-Galad would like to speak to you.” 

She gave a curt nod and followed him up the central stairs which she noticed were very public. Her eyes glanced around at the sea of desks, everyone looking up at her. Some faces were full of pity. She took a deep breath. Before Celebrimbor opened the door to Gil-Galad’s office he turned to Galadriel, “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of the story we published. These stories need to be told, no matter the cost.”

“Thank you,” Galadriel said. Celebrimbor opened the door and she stepped through. He closed it behind her. Gil-Galad was sitting at his desk, hands folded in his lap. He had an almost unreadable expression on his face, but she knew this wasn’t good. 

“Galadriel, sit down,” She did as she was told, “You lied to me,” Galadriel held her head down, “When I asked if you two had met, you lied to me. When I asked if you had any further information to share, you lied to me.” 

“How could I admit this?” Galadriel said, trying to keep her voice unwavering as tears pooled in her eyes. 

“You’ve ruined the integrity of this paper! We will be forced to print a retraction, do you understand? No one will take us seriously after this. After everything I’ve built here!” 

The raising of his voice only made her temper flare, “What I wrote remains true. You can go see for yourself! I did not know who he was when I met him, nor that he would be the subject of my piece. I was deceived!” 

“I respected your intellect, how could you be so blind?” 

“As soon as I found out who he was, I left. I never thought he could be so cruel. He was,” Galadriel took in an uneasy breath, “There was a soft side to him. I saw the light,” She paused, “His entire persona to me was a lie, including his name and his family. He told me he was a lawyer, that was all.” 

“We are printing a retraction and you are terminated as of today.”

“What? No, you can’t,” Her eyes pleaded with him, “You cannot print a retraction. It’s the truth. Whatever happens, please, you’re giving him exactly what he wants. What about the people who live in those properties? Just think–”

She was cut off, “I have thought about this! I’ve spent all night and all morning thinking about this,” He sighed, his eyes now full of pity for her, “I hope for your sake, Galadriel, that this is enough to satiate his need for revenge on you. I’d hate to see you taken to court over this.” 

“You promised to protect me!” She said, standing now, “Clearly he was not the only one who deceived me.” 

“I’ve done all that I can, but you’ve brought shame upon us all. Pack up your things and get out of my sight.” 

He dismissed her with a flick of the wrist. Galadriel was seething, but there wasn’t anything more to say. She opened the door and slammed it behind her, running down the stairs. Clearly everyone had heard their screaming match. Elrond tried to talk to her, but Galadriel was already running out the door. 

The next day, Galadriel walked out the door in a black sundress with her long hair pulled back in a clip and sunglasses covering her face. She looked like she was going to her own funeral. Because she essentially was. 

When she arrived in Bryant Park, he was easy to spot as the only other individual wearing all black. He brushed his hair behind his ears and sipped at a coffee. He smiled when he spotted her and she hated the way it made her heart sputter still. Sometimes the one you hate the most is the one that you loved. She sat down in the chair across from him, their little green metal table feeling exceptionally crowded.

She didn’t know where to begin. There were so many things she wanted to say and yet nothing at all. She wanted to scream at him and hit him and yet part of her, deep down, wanted to forget what had happened and go back to the way things were. She wanted him to kiss her, tell her it was all a dream, a nightmare, and now she was awake. Instead, she stared across at this man, this beast ready to strike. 

“You can take those ridiculous sunglasses off. No one is going to recognize you here. Though I must say, you look gorgeous in all black,” He said. Reluctantly she took off the glasses, revealing to him her red puffy eyes from a night of crying herself to sleep. He gave her an over-exaggerated frown, “Oh Galadriel, I heard the news.”

She gritted her teeth as he pulled out a newspaper and slid it across to her. It was the retraction with a snippet on how disciplinary action had been taken against the writer, “Congratulations. You got what you wanted.”

“I never wanted you to get hurt.” 

“Bullshit!” She raised her voice, but quickly sank into herself when he glared across at her. 

“You can choose not to believe me, but I promise I’m not lying to you. I told you to stop. I tried to show you that I was making the company change for the better. You didn’t listen, so I was forced to save my reputation.”

“By ruining mine. Hal- Mairon , how do you think we could ever come back from that?” 

“Because I know you still love me.” 

“That doesn’t matter,” She rubbed her hands over her eyes, still feeling the burn of so many tears. 

“And I love you,” He said. 

She stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. This caused him to glare at her, “Sorry, this is just the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. What did you think was going to happen today? That you would get me fired with no possibility of ever being hired again just for me to fall back in your arms?” 

His jaw clenched, clearly fed up with her anger. He was clearly used to getting what he wanted. He leaned forward, “You’re right. No one will ever hire you again which is why you need me.”

“I don’t need anything from you,” Galadriel spat, “In fact, I only agreed to this when I had the slim hope I wasn’t going to be fired yesterday. Now that this has happened, do whatever you want. I’ve already lost everything.” 

She picked up her bag and walked away briskly as Mairon called her name from behind her. 

Galadriel let a few weeks pass by, but when her final paycheck ran out and her savings took a dip, she began to worry. She couldn’t sustain this much longer. Elrond offered her a shoulder to cry on and a place to stay if she needed it, but she knew that wasn’t a long term solution. So she did what she had to do. 

“Mom, I need to come home,” She said as soon as the pleasantries were done being exchanged over the phone. 

Mrs. Noldor had agreed, of course, for her only daughter to return home. She knew what had happened due to keeping up with news on her daughter, though thankfully, this was not national news worthy. So a few weeks after she had been fired, she stood in her apartment. She left the furniture behind to sublet until her lease ran out, donating anything personal she wasn’t taking with her. Elrond was over to say goodbye. He assured her that he would assist with the subletter and with whatever else she needed help with. He was mostly successful at holding back the tears, only letting a few fall for his dear friend. 

Galadriel felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to leave the city she loved, but she was chewed up and spat out. She knew this happened to transplants, but she didn’t think she would end up this way. There was nowhere left for her to go except home. She clutched her stomach and sat by the toilet. Elrond stood in the doorway and sighed at the sight. He kneeled beside her, holding back her hair as she let out the contents of her stomach. 

There was a long silence even after she stopped. She got up to wash her hands and he stood up as well, watching her in the mirror, “How long?” He finally asked.

“What?” She asked, washing her hands and swishing some left out mouthwash. 

“How long have you been pregnant?”

“I’m not,” Galadriel looked at Elrond in the mirror before spinning around. Her voice was small, “How did you know?”

“Come on, Galadriel. I know you. You would do anything to fight to stay here even given what has happened. You never wanted to go home unless your back was against the wall.”

“I’d argue my back is against the wall regardless of a pregnancy.”

He took her hand, “You have options, Galadriel. I hope you know that I would do anything for you. Please, you don’t have to do this.”

Galadriel gave him a small smile, “I know you don’t understand this, but I want to do this. This is a chance to do something else with my life. My career didn’t work out, but maybe this is my chance to have a new start.”

“A new start? You will be tied to him forever!”

“Not across the country. He doesn’t know and I don’t intend for him to ever find out.”

He squeezed her hand, “I just think this is a bad idea.”

She caressed his face, “I know you do, Elrond, but this is my life. I am going to make the most of it the best that I can. They will grow up surrounded by my family. Sometimes going home is the answer,” He sighed and nuzzled into her palm, “In another life, we would have been the greatest loves.”

“Why not in this one?” There was a teasing tone to his voice which made the tears now fall from Galadriel’s eyes. 

She dropped her hand as they walked to the door, “You don’t want a disgraced single mother.”

“I’ll take you no matter what. You are my light.”

The two walked out the door. Galadriel looked back, leaving her home and the life she had created, but smiled at the thought of the life she was just beginning.

Chapter Text

~ 7 months later ~

Galadriel felt true love when she laid eyes on her baby daughter. She hummed a soft lullaby as Celebrían cooed in her arms. 

“Mama will always protect you. No one will ever hurt you. I swear on my life,” She whispered and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

Her mother sat beside her hospital bed. Galadriel had a natural birth, having gone into labor eleven hours prior. The exhaustion was starting to hit her. She reluctantly handed Celebrían to her mother and drifted off to sleep. 

She was in and out of sleep for what felt like days. She would wake to feed Celebrían and then doze back off. 

“You have to eat, sweetheart,” Eärwen said, brushing the hair off her forehead, “The doctor is not going to clear you two to come home unless your vitals get better.”

It was a hard birth for Galadriel. Her memory was hazy, but she remembered the nurse talking to her mother about her having lost a lot of blood. She stared at her hand with the IV and blinked away silent tears. She was thankful for her mother being here, but even with that considered, she still felt so alone. The truth was, she missed the man she thought she knew. 

“Bring her to me,” Galadriel said, her eyes moving to the crib where Celebrían was sleeping. 

Eärwen frowned, “You just fed her, Galadriel. She needs to sleep and you need to eat.” 

“I’m not hungry!” She raised her voice, waking up her daughter who started to cry. She sighed and the tears flowed from her own eyes. 

Her mother picked up Celebrían and handed her to her daughter. She looked at Galadriel with pity. Galadriel quickly focused on her daughter before she lashed out at her mother again. She felt cooped up and was tired of people feeling sorry for her. So her life had not turned out the way she planned. She missed the life she knew less than a year ago. She would do anything to go back and change it, but that would mean Celebrían wouldn’t be here. When she thought of this, she just felt guilty and ended up more miserable. 

After a few minutes, she turned to her mother, “I think I’m ready to eat now. And Mom, I think you need some fresh air.”

Galadriel’s mother nodded, going to inform a nurse. She ran her thumb along her daughter’s cheek and smiled down at her. 

“Isn’t this a lovely sight?” 

Galadriel froze at the all too familiar voice, the one that had haunted her dreams for the past eight months. She closed her eyes, praying to God that she was hallucinating. It was the exhaustion. She was fine, she was safe.

When she finally looked up, she felt the panic flood her chest. She clutched her daughter to her, struggling to push herself up in bed. There he was. The man who had brought her so much pain. 

“How did you find me?” She whispered, trying to control her shaking body. 

Mairon stepped into the room, his hands crossed over his chest. His hair was shorter and he had shaved. He looked younger than he had before. She hated how good he looked despite everything. She knew she looked weak and small compared to him. His eyes flicked between Galadriel and the child, “Who do we have here?” 

Galadriel flinched as he approached her bedside, gazing at the baby. He sighed, “Galadriel, I’m not going to hurt you, please relax.” 

Her fear turned to anger. She found the strength within herself to stop shaking, “I don’t want you here. We don’t need you. We’ve been doing just fine without you.”

“You don’t look fine, Galadriel. This must’ve been really hard for you,” He looked around, “I could’ve gotten you better care than this. I know the best doctors in the city.”

“I don’t need your charity,” She spat back. 

He frowned and Galadriel saw the hurt in his eyes, “Do you think that’s what this is?” When Galadriel could not find the words to fight him, he continued, “I still care for you, Galadriel. Not a day has gone by since you left that I haven’t thought of you. When I found out you left, I was beside myself,” He dragged the nearby chair to her bedside. Galadriel’s eyes followed him, “You would be proud of me, Galadriel. We have put new management and maintenance teams in place for all of our properties.”

“Congratulations, you finally did the right thing,” She said sarcastically. 

“You helped me change, Galadriel. I am a better man than I was when you knew me,” He went to take her hand, but she pulled it away suddenly. Celebrian started crying from the sudden movement. 

Mairon shushed her gently, her little face scrunching up as she continued to wail, “May I?”

“You came all the way here to tell me you’ve changed? It’s too late, Mairon. You have already taken everything from me. You will not have her.”

Mairon frowned again, his brow furrowing, “I did not fly all the way out here to take her from you, Galadriel. I have no interest in being a single father. A child needs her mother.” 

“Then what?” 

“Once you two can fly, you are coming back to New York with me.” 

Galadriel scoffed, “Why would we do that?” 

“Because you have no other choice. Are you really going to stay in this city you fought so hard to get away from with your mother who is driving you crazy?” Galadriel went to protest, but Mairon continued, “I know you, Galadriel. I knew you would go back home. When I found out you were pregnant too, I was,” He took a deep breath, “I will not lie to you anymore Galadriel, I was angry. I was angry that you would take my child away from me. It would be one thing if you decided not to keep her, but you left and took her from me.” 

The fear had returned to Galadriel, “How could you have possibly known?”

“I have connections that were able to do the paternity test while you were pregnant. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to bribe people. You should’ve found better doctors.” He smirked, completely unable to help himself. He dropped the expression as tears flooded Galadriel’s eyes, “Please don’t cry like this is a bad thing. You can go back to your friends and we can start over as a family.”

“You don’t want to be a family. You want to control us forever.”

He sighed again, “I want what’s best for the both of you. When you put your pride aside, you’ll realize that you don’t want to be a single mother living in poverty. You want a good life for her. I can provide that for both of you. I know we’ll have some kinks to work out, but you will see in time that this is for the best.” 

Galadriel wanted to keep fighting. The tears flowed down her cheeks. When Mairon reached forward to wipe them off with his thumbs, she let him. When a nurse finally came in with her dinner, she sat up. 

“I need to check your vitals before you go ahead and eat,” He said, “We’ll need to put Miss Celebrian down for a bit.”

Galadriel reluctantly handed Celebrían over to Mairon who finally fell back asleep. He smiled down at her and despite the person she knew him to be, there was love in his eyes. Maybe he was truly capable of it after all. Maybe she could teach him the true way to love after all. 

She winced as the blood pressure monitor squeezed her weak arm tightly, but gave Mairon a small smile when he turned to her. 

“What?” He whispered to her. 

“Maybe,” She whispered back. 

They held each other’s gaze until their moment was broken by the nurse, “Your blood pressure is still too low. Hopefully eating will help. We’ll test again in a few hours,” He gave her a nod then looked over at Mairon, “Is this dad?” 

Mairon waited for Galadriel’s response. She continued to gaze at him before answering softly, “Yes.”

“Well I’ll give you two some time to catch up , but please eat while I’m gone,” The nurse left the room, shutting the door behind them. 

Mairon walked over to the bassinet and placed Celebrian down gently to avoid her waking up. He watched her for a while before returning to Galadriel’s side, “I think putting her down was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”

Galadriel let out a quiet laugh, “Tell me about it. I hardly remember what life was like without her.” 

“Celebrían is a very beautiful name fit for such beauty,” He said.

“Thank you,” Galadriel responded. She hated how much satisfaction she felt at his approval. She was finding comfort in his presence again, “I’m afraid she almost killed me, so it’s a good thing you came. She deserves to have at least one parent.”

“Don’t talk like that,” He adjusted the tray of food and helped Galadriel sit further upright, “I promise I’ll treat you to the best food of your life after this. You just have to get through this.” 

Mairon sat patiently by Galadriel’s side as she reluctantly ate for the first time in a few days. Her head was swimming with too many thoughts, but the only one that mattered was that she wanted to be strong for her baby. She would get through this. 

Eärwen knocked gently then entered the hospital room. When she saw her daughter eating she let out a sigh of relief, “Thank the Heavens, you’re finally eating,” She paused when she saw the man to her daughter’s side turn towards her, “Oh, I didn’t realize you had company.”

“Mom, this is Mairon,” She responded. 

She gritted her teeth, “I figured as much.”

He stood up to take her hand, but when she didn’t oblige, Galadriel spoke up for him, “He’s here to make amends.” 

Eärwen scoffed at this, looking past him. He crossed his arms over his chest, a small smile on his lips, “I see where she gets her passion.”

“Galadriel, be serious,” She said, trying to control the volume of her voice, “I know you’re tired and desperate but–”

Anger flashed in Galadriel’s eyes as she cut her mother off, “Mom, go home. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Galadriel, please just listen to me,” She begged.

“No, you listen to me. Don’t you ever talk to us like that again. He is her father. It’s time to face reality. I’m tired of running from it. I will call you in the morning.” 

Eärwen took her belongings that were sitting for her and took one final glance at her daughter, “I hope you are not blinded by your choice,” She stormed out of the room, but still made sure to shut the door gently for the sake of her granddaughter. 

Galadriel pulled at a dinner roll on her tray, staring at the door, “I am a bit surprised you stood up for me.” 

“She’s not used to the disappointment,” She turned to look at Mairon, “She paints me in too perfect a light. You never did that.”

He scratched the side of his head, “Maybe I should have been better about that.” 

“You know I will never forgive you for what you’ve done,” She said. 

“We’ll see about that.” 

“I will do what’s best for Celebrían, even if it kills me inside.” 

“Whatever you say sweetheart,” He said, that sickening smile making her stomach flip, but she chose to say nothing, her eyes focused on Celebrían. She would do whatever was best for her no matter the cost.