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greenleaf4stuff · 7 days ago

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Changes (Impressions From The Lindon Shatterdome #3)

(my other TROP fanfics) (Pacific Rim AU tag on my blog)

Silverscars (Adar/Celebrimbor), Pacific Rim!AU, Rated E (smut). After their tryst in the lab, Adar and Celebrimbor still haven't found the time to talk about their relationship. With the tension between them still simmering, both find themselves by the shore at night, where Celebrimbor decides to join Adar in the waves. The two dive together, and Celebrimbor shows he trusts Adar – and Adar that he can be trusted. After the inventor shows signs of freezing, the two warm each other up in the Shatterdome as they shower. Aaand end up doing more than just showering together. With their relationship rapidly changing, they also finally get to talk.

Slight warnings: One character is described voluntarily holding his breath for prolonged periods of time while diving, and the same character also ends up being quite cold and showing medium to strong signs of it. Nothing bad happens, but it becomes an important point during the chapter. There is also some mild allusions to medical experimentation in regards to Adar’s hybrid status towards the end of this chapter. Please take care of yourself if these are sensitivie topics for you! Also the full tag list can be found on AO3.

Welp. My ambition got the best of me and convinced me that I should try and write another little something for Spice Week 2025. That this 'little something' would end up being over 10k words total should have been expected, but alas, I never learn. I just cannot seem to write short fics to save my life, esp under time constraints. Have another quickly-written and equally-quickly edited Spice monster. <3 Thank you @rivendellwatch for hosting this event, it has been absolutely amazing. And thank you again to @illegalcerebral for the initial idea of this AU. I hope you lovely people enjoy! <3

Celebrimbor supposed it made sense, that he had arrived where ended up being; down by the darkened shore, gazing out onto the water.

He’d spent much of the day trying – rather unsuccessfully – to work on the new Jaeger tech, sometimes with Adar, sometimes without. He’d have liked to say that one proved to be easier than the other, but in truth, neither option turned out to be a relief; whenever Adar was there, Celebrimbor found his attention drifting towards the hybrid, and whenever he wasn’t, the inventor found himself wondering where the other was, and what he might be doing.

Or, thinking about what they’d done together in the lab, barely a few nights prior.

It should have been frustrating, the way all his thoughts revolved around the Moriondo now. They still hadn’t found the time to talk about what had happened, having been unable to stop kissing and fumbling until they’d been too tired to continue, and then been woken up to another crisis meeting the morning after.

With everything that was going on around them, they hadn’t found an opportunity to talk in private since then. Instead, they had ended up being caught in this weird limbo of awkwardly dancing around each other, while there was clearly more brewing beneath the surface – for both of them.

It only added onto the things that were already stressing the inventor, the most prevalent being the fact that so many people depended on him and his skills. A pressure he’d lived with for a long time now, but in those days since his latest almost-abduction, it felt crushing to the point of nearly suffocating him.

Perhaps Sauron’s near-successful attempt to sabotage them had left him more shaken than Celebrimbor had wanted to admit to himself, after all.

It was a messy tangle of emotions, difficult to pick apart, but the inventor knew that his growing, at times still complicated feelings for Adar were not wholly to blame for his own failures to produce the breakthrough they all so desperately needed.

Eventually, he had thrown down his work, and hurried out of the lab before he took the closest piece of unfathomably expensive, doubtlessly irreplacable equipment, and threw it into the nearest wall. Striding down the empty corridors, he’d felt as if everything were closing in on him, leading him to push himself through the nearest exit to get some much-needed fresh air.

Only then did he truly realize just how late it was – cold electric lights, dark waters and a star-lit sky greeted him, as well as a chilly wind that made him regret having forgone to put on a jacket. In his unsettled state of mind, he decided to double down on his decision instead of going back to grab one, and closed the door of the side entrance before he made his way down and towards the shore.

The nightguards didn’t even blink as he passed by them; everyone in the Shatterdome knew him either by face or name, and despite the ever-present danger, he’d had enough spats with personell that they’d let him do as he pleased rather than trying to argue with him.

And, well. It was likely Ereinion’s influence might also have something to do with that.

With a huff, the inventor took a few twists and turns, hoping to lose any guard who might yet feel compelled to follow him, and finally managed to leave the premises and arrive at the darkened edge of the ocean.

Like many of the people who worked at the Shatterdome, he too had begun to hear the call of the sea, in a manner of speaking – the waters held their own sense of wonder, despite the deadly dangers that emerged from it, and served to calm him whenever he felt unmoored, frustrated, or defeated.

He’d just arrived at his usual spot and begun to search for the small boulder he usually sat on to think, when he looked out onto the water and saw something unusual – near the shoreline, in the water, there was a shape. Glowing faint blue, it moved in elegant lines beneath the surface. Too fast to be a sea creature from earth, and far too small to be a proper Kaiju.

Intrigued, and without even sparing a single thought for his own safety, the inventor frowned and walked closer towards the water’s edge, eyes peeled on the lights that danced about the ocean. Whatever – or whoever – it was, the being moved in strong, large laps beneath the waves, and did not need to emerge to get air for several long moments.

Eventually, though, it broke the surface, its’ body’s bioluminescence casting its own features in gentle, otherworldly light.

Strong upper body, broad shoulders, blue scales and pale skin, dark hair-

Adar. It was Adar.

Even with back turned towards Celebrimbor, his silhouette was unmistakable. The inventor felt a rush at unexpectedly seeing the other in this place, even as he asked himself how and when the other had gotten here. It seemed likely that Adar, like Celebrimbor, had snuck himself out of the Shatterdome unannounced and unsanctioned.

And like the inventor, he’d seemingly managed to avoid being followed. Which was certainly a feat, with how closely they guarded him and how dangerous some people in the Shatterdome still considered the hybrid to potentially be.

As Celebrimbor studied the other, it seemed the Moriondo had felt his gaze – or his presence – and turned around, his eyes finding the inventor without much hardship. He seemed to freeze for a moment, the two staring at each other across the distance, before he dove under the water again and quickly neared the shore.

After no more than a few seconds, he broke the surface, and then stepped out of the water with sure, even strides. It was always a marvel, to see that he moved with equally precise, controlled movements both in- and outside the water, showing that he was for all intents and purposes a hybrid perfectly suited for both environments.

With a small thrill, the scientist noticed that Adar was completely nude. He was still getting used to that, the casual way the other showed his body – something the Moriondo had hinted to be more common among the uruk than the humans.

Adar eventually came to stand in front of him, dripping water as he beheld Celebrimbor with an even look. The inventor swallowed; the way the other looked, full body on display, was proving to be quite distracting.

With the way the other’s eyes briefly lingered on his lips, it seemed he wasn’t the only one having this problem. Unfortunately, that didn’t help with his own predicament in the least.

The hybrid soon sought out his eyes again. "You really should not be here," Adar said, but there was no inflection to his voice. As if he were merely stating a fact. "It has only been a few days since you were attacked – in the safety of the Shatterdome, no less. You being out here is...dangerous."

And finally, there was a hint of emotion in his voice. Faint, but Celebrimbor could hear his concern clear as day. He swallowed, and took care to keep his own voice even as he replied, "I could say the same for you. Gil-Galad is not going to be happy if he finds out you left the premises unsupervised and without permission."

The Moriondo scowled. "I was assured that I am not a prisoner anymore, and I do not work for him. So why would I listen to his demands?" he argued.

"It’s not about imprisoning you. It’s about keeping the peace, and keeping us all safe," the inventor replied, both wanting to correct the other and smooth things over. He had a feeling neither quite worked. At Adar’s answering look, he sighed and pinched his brow. "But, considering where we are having this conversation, this is pretty pointless to argue about, isn’t it?"

He looked at the other through his lashes, and found himself grateful when the other dropped the topic with a nod, and both a visible uncrossing of his arms and loosening of his shoulders. It caused Celebrimbor to feel a weight drop off his own.

Slower, extending the words like an olive branch, he added, "I do appreciate the concern though. Sincerely," and then he looked around, hugging his arms to himself, before he managed to face the hybrid again. "It’s just- I felt as if the walls were closing in on me, back there. I really needed to get out."

The other was darting his eyes back and forth between his own, and then slowly nodded. "I get the feeling. Being inside for so long is rather unusual for me as well. Hence why I came here." He motioned over his shoulder with his chin.

Celebrimbor nodded, and couldn’t help but think how similar the two of them were. "For a swim?"

"Yes. It feels constricting, wearing clothes and being on land all the time," and as if to make his point, the other began to flex his arm muscles, lifting and rolling his shoulders. It was likely he hadn’t meant to use the gesture to show off, but Celebrimbor was nonetheless affected as his mouth dropped slightly open, and he sucked in a breath watching the other man’s muscles move, the lights on his body shift.

By the way Adar stilled, his reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Again they stood, holding each other’s eyes. The tension between them was thick, and it felt especially so now, after they hadn’t managed to find the time to speak about what had happened between them, like they had originally intended.

It was Adar, who lifted a slow, gentle hand, and took Celebrimbor’s own in it. The inventor let it happen, and offered no resistance when the Moriondo gently tugged him forward. Differently than expected, however, the other did not remain where he was, but also stepped backwards – leading Celebrimbor closer to the shore.

"You can stay, if you would like. I will keep an eye out." Adar offered. His tone was guarded, but warm. The inventor had no doubt that he could have said anything in response, and the Moriondo would have accepted his answer.

Celebrimbor didn’t even think, but tightened his hold on Adar’s hand and replied, "I’d- I’d like that," before he paused, everything in him arguing that this was a very short-sighted idea, before he said, "In fact, I think I would like to come and join you. If that’s okay."

The other stopped, and turned fully back to Celebrimbor again, eyebrows slightly raised before he tilted his head. His look was questioning – almost uncertain. "Are you sure?" he asked, and as if to make his point, stroked his thumb over the inventor’s wrist. The other was always cool to the touch, but with the wind chill and the water temperatures at night, the lower temperature of his skin was especially pronounced. "I do not want you to freeze, or get sick."

It was the concern, the certainty that he was safe with the Moriondo, that made Celebrimbor nod and step closer, even as he began to peel out of his own clothes, sweater first. "I am. It should be fine, as long as it’s not too long, right?" he argued, seeking Adar’s eyes. "I just- I’d rather be in there with you, than alone here on the edge of the water."

His words must have conveyed something Celebrimbor wasn’t fully aware of, because the other softened, and didn’t try to argue as the inventor undressed further. He only went and showed the other man where he’d left his own, small pile of clothes, so they could put theirs next to each other, and then helped Celebrimbor walk down to the shore, by putting a hand on his waist to steady him.

Despite seeing the inventor fully undressed for the first time, his eyes only lingered briefly, his focus instead laying on making sure the taller man wouldn’t stumble.

"I find myself glad not to be alone, either," he finally admitted, just before they reached the edge of the water. As Celebrimbor looked at him in surprise, Adar continued. "And that it is you who will keep me company."

His words were touching, and did nothing to dissipate the tension between the two of them. If anything, the inventor felt that magnetic pull again, the same he’d felt in the lab. But like back then, he wasn’t sure how to breach the distance yet.

His thoughts came to a momentary stand-still as he reached the water, and realized with a gasp that it was indeed as cold as Adar’s skin had indicated. The other man’s gaze was questioning, as if ready to coax Celebrimbor back. Who chose to grit his teeth, and made another determined step into the cool, dark ocean waters, Adar stabilizing him and providing them with faint light.

It should have been scary – terrifying, even – to step into the dark. And yet, with Adar’s hand on his hip, his breath in his ear, Celebrimbor felt nothing but safe.

They had to stop two more times, as the inventor briefly fought his own body and its urge to remain outside the cold liquid, but eventually, they got in far enough that his feet lost their connection with the ground, and they both floated in the gentle waves.

A small, warm rush went through Celebrimbor’s body when Adar immediately drifted close, putting both his hands on the inventor’s body to anchor him and make sure they wouldn’t lose contact, thereby grounding and reassuring him at once. It brought their faces closer together as well, their eyes finding each other, Adar’s blue ones illuminated by his own glowing membranes.

The inventor was once again struck by how alien Adar looked – and how beautiful.

This time, it was Celebrimbor who moved forward, and then carefully pressed his lips to the Moriondo’s. Who quickly lifted a hand to the inventor’s cheek, then the back of his head, to further pull him in. Their kiss deepened before long, as they slung their arms around each other’s shoulders, upper bodies soon pressed fully together.

Seawater on their lips. Warmth meeting cool. It was just like in the lab – and yet, nothing like it at all, with no clothes between them and them floating in the waves.

Celebrimbor sighed into the kiss and tilted his head into the next movement of their lips, bringing the two of them together at a better angle. It made Adar groan, and his hands tighten on Celebrimbor’s body, before he wrapped an arm around the other man’s hip and brought him in close, skin against skin, shoulders to upper thighs.

There was no chance for the inventor to properly harden in these conditions, but he moaned as he felt Adar’s body respond in interest to his own proximity.

Eventually, they broke apart again, both of them breathless as they kept their faces together. Neither of them spoke at first; Celebrimbor wasn’t even sure what he could say. It was clear they both wanted each other, and from their previous words, they both also wanted more than just the physical, but what did they each want?

What did Adar want?

And, was the ocean water during nighttime really the best place to talk about these things, while they were nakedly pressed together and unable to keep their hands to each other?

Before he could think on it further, or even attempt to put his thoughts into words, Adar spoke up, "I would like to show you something, if you ar willing to trust me."

Celebrimbor breathed out, loud and slow, and asked, "What do you mean?"

The other tilted his head, and looked below them, where Celebrimbor could barely see the ground in the dark. Only the moonlight, the still, clear water, and Adar’s bioluminescence helped in that regard. "I wish to take you on a dive with me. Not deep, or long."

The inventor blinked, staring at Adar once more before he beheld the waters; he wasn’t sure what the other could show him in these conditions; maybe the other had improved eyesight and forgotten that he did not? And yet, Celebrimbor found himself curious, as he always did when Adar was concerned. Diving with a Moriondo was a unique opportunity, no matter what unspoken feelings lay between them.

He bit his lip, but when he finally nodded, it was with certainty. "Alright," he said, once again looking beneath where they floated. "I trust you. Show me."

The other nodded in turn, and directed Celebrimbor to hold onto his shoulders with both hands, while he wrapped an arm fully around the inventor’s hip, grip secure. His membranes had turned from cool, almost turquoise blue to a darker, slightly purple shade as he spoke, "If anything is the matter, squeeze my shoulders. Or you can pinch me…" he seemed to think on where, but came up short.

Celebrimbor quirked his lips, and lifted one of his hands to gently pinch the tip of Adar’s nose with two fingers. The other blinked at him at the unexpected motion, causing the inventor to chuckle. The Moriondo shook his head, but did so with a small grin of his own. "I suppose it is a rather good place. It will certainly draw my attention." He allowed.

The small moment seemed to help put them at ease; the following silence between them was more comfortable, as Adar tilted backwards and swam them out a bit further from the shore, effortlessly pulling Celebrimbor along. It was a strange feeling, how the other could move him about the water as if he weighed nothing at all.

They soon arrived at a spot that seemingly was familiar to Adar, who stopped and righted them. "We will need to sink for a moment, and then I will begin to move us both. Should be less than a minute, but will go back up at any point if you want to. Alright?"

Celebrimbor, who had some training in diving due to the Shatterdome’s proximity to the ocean, nodded and replied, "A minute should be more than doable. But I’ll let you know if I need anything," he promised. He took a breath and tightened his hands on Adar’s shoulders, then continued. "I’m ready."

The hybrid nodded, and slowly moved in once more – placing a quick kiss on Celebrimbor’s lips, who blinked back at the other. Adar’s look was one of reverence when he whispered, "I appreciate you trusting me. You will not regret it."

The inventor swallowed, the intimate tone of voice affecting him even as he struggled to take a deep breath and relax. The other was slow, and gentle, incredibly attuned to Celebrimbor’s speed. When they exchanged nods and allowed their bodies to fully slip beneath the surface of the ocean, both of them were ready for it.

The way the water closed over Celebrimbor’s head, and the resulting chill from all sides, was still a shock to the inventor’s system, however. He briefly jerked and shuddered, causing Adar to squeeze him in question. But the inventor gently shook his own head against the other’s when the hybrid made to bring them back up to the surface, needing only a moment to catch himself before he managed to untense his muscles again.

It felt strange, to sink like this. As Celebrimbor opened his eyes and looked about, he was surprised at how well he could see – not far, but far enough to see Adar and the glow of his membranes. He was reminded of a siren yet again, though Adar had proven to be anything but.

The Moriondo soon squeezed him again, his expression questioning, as if asking whether the inventor was okay. Who was quick to answer with a nod and an encouraging smile; now that his body had adjusted to the temperatures, and wasn’t yet so cold it truly affected him, he could appreciate the unique experience – the weightlessness, the closeness to Adar, the strange sights.

The other was once again slow to move them, but before long, he twisted and turned, taking Celebrimbor along, and then used his modified body to ease them through the waters. Even with Celebrimbor’s additional weight to carry, the Moriondo was as elegant as he usually managed to be, and swam the same long, figure-eight lines he had favored when Celebrimbor first spotted him earlier.

Guessing that the other had something in mind for them, the inventor fully relaxed in Adar’s grasp and let the other guide both of them, focusing fully on the slide of the cool water, the Moriondo’s body whenever it brushed more fully against his own.

Eventually, the hybrid stopped his movements once more and let them sink a little further. He cupped Celebrimbor’s cheek, brushing his floating hair back from his face to search his eyes – checking if he needed to go back to the surface, the inventor supposed –, before he turned to the surrounding area. From what little Celebrimbor could glance, they were close a particularly rocky part of the shore, large boulders and stones, overgrown with sea plants he could not quite make out.

Adar reached out the hand that had been at Celebrimbor’s cheek, and extended his arm towards the rock formation in a sweeping motion. Even as he followed the other’s movements, the inventor could tell that something around them was beginning to change.

Like tiny stars appearing in the dark night sky, small lights began to glow along the rock surrounding them. Specks of blue, and purple, and green, faint at first but quickly growing brighter, small dots becoming the lengths of leaves, tendrils, shapes.

Before long, like an oil spill, the lights began to spread across the various surfaces of the boulders, covering them in beautiful, vibrant lights that served to illuminate the area. They even spread to the ground, a few metres beneath them, and ended with tiny, plankton-like particles dancing about them beginning to glow a soft, white color as well.

If Celebrimbor hadn’t already been holding his breath, he’d have surely forgotten to breathe at that point. Wide-eyed and awed by the unique sight, he turned this way and that, hoping to take in all there was to see. He remained captivated for several long moments, with his mind soon racing over what this all could mean and entail.

Clearly, the growths had reacted in some way to Adar’s proximity – pheromones, perhaps? Another kind of hivemind? Whatever the case, this connection meant these plants had to originate from the world of the Precursors, and had likely been brought here by the Kaiju. Maybe they had grown from a fallen one and spread? Which posed the question just how prevalent this phenomenon was, if it could happen this closely to a Shatterdome-

He was mid-thought when Adar cupped his cheek again, and turned him back towards the Moriondo’s body. Celebrimbor had been so focused on everything around them that he had almost forgotten where they were, or what they had been doing, and gasped-

Luckily for him, the hybrid had moved their faces together, and closed his own mouth over the inventor’s before he could suck in any sea water by accident.

Instead, a gush of air was pressed between his lips, and the hand from his cheek took one of his own to bring it to the side of Adar’s neck – where his gills were located, flaring in the water.

With a small jolt, the inventor realized what was happening:

Adar was sharing his air with Celebrimbor.

He hadn’t even known that this was something the other was capable of doing, filtering the oxygen from the water and giving it to someone who needed lungs to breathe. The inventor spared a brief thought to consider that this, too, was a rather interesting feature of Adar’s hybrid body.

And then, he thought of nothing at all, as his eyes slipped shut and he pulled himself in closer, aided by the Moriondo’s hands on his body. The touch of their lips turned from sharing air to sharing a kiss instead. The thrum of desire, always humming beneath the surface of their skin, easily sprang back to life due to their closeness, and neither of them found a single reason to resist it.

Celebrimbor soon shifted one hand from Adar’s shoulder to the back of his head, angling it to deepen their kiss, and shuddered when the other brought their lower bodies together; it was clear that the Moriondo was already half-hard, wholly unaffected by the temperatures, and he seemed rather intent on letting Celebrimbor know.

There was the feeling of a current about them, with the inventor realizing that Adar was moving them once again, pushing them both backwards until Celebrimbor could feel his back come into contact with something hard and unyielding, covered by a layer of softer material. As he opened his eyes and glanced about, he saw that Adar had backed them against the overgrown boulders, the soft lights of the glowing plants all around them now.

The Moriondo half-laid, half-pinned Celebrimbor to a flat surface, and moved his own body on top of him. Going by the strain in his thighs, he had hooked them to the stone to keep them both anchored, with the inventor caught between Adar and the boulders.

The other soon shifted back, drawing in air from the water and then pressing it into Celebrimbor’s lungs once more, before they resumed kissing. The inventor was wholly focused on the shift of receiving oxygen and holding his breath, as well as the feeling of Adar’s body against his – too much so to be of much help, but it seemed the hybrid was more than happy to take the lead.

He was confident as he moved in between Celebrimbor’s legs, easily parting them until they were spread around his own hips, bringing their lower bodies against each other and causing Celebrimbor to shudder and clutch at Adar’s shoulders at the pleasurable feeling.

Slowly getting the hang of the cycle, the interplay between getting air and kissing, the inventor soon began to move his own hands over the other’s body, feeling out his cheeks, neck, collarbones and shoulders, before he shifted them over his back. He delighted in how the textures under his fingertips changed, scales to skin to scars and back again, at times intercut with the glowing membranes.

With a delighted thrill, he found Adar jerking against him as he slid his fingers along the ones on his sides and back, causing him to smile into the kiss and take care to trace them deliberately. He hitched his own knees higher and tucked them to Adar’s sides, creating a steady pressure on the Moriondo’s hips and the glowing lines located there, which made the hybrid groan into Celebrimbor’s lips as he pressed their bodies closer together, rolling his hips down and into the inventor’s pelvis.

Things were turning heady, and fuzzy, as they moved together, with Adar rhythmically pressing down his hips and using his strength to keep Celebrimbor fully pinned in place, who in turn managed no more than some small jerks of his lower body, but held onto the other with his hands and knees, to pull him more against himself with his own strength instead.

Their lengths slid together deliciously, the water providing an easy glide, the closeness of their bodies the friction they needed. It felt like sparks were travelling through Celebrimbor’s body, starting from his middle and spreading out to his fingertips and toes.

Whenever he had a moment of time to open his eyes, and watch as Adar took in mouthfuls of water to breathe, the sight was downright magical – something he never thought he’d say about anything in relation to the Kaiju, but, well. Adar managed to overcome all of his prior preconceptions in that regard, it seemed.

The inventor reached up and stroked the hybrid’s dark hair back, a futile attempt, but it looked lovely, seeing the other’s face haloed by the dark strands, with the Moriondo reacting to the touch by shifting his eyes down to Celebrimbor’s face. The lights, the deep waters, it all added a dreamlike quality to this moment, which made the inventor smile and draw the other back in.

But, no matter how much he wanted to get hard and find out what coming underwater, with Adar, might be like, the inventor just couldn’t quite get there. Whether it was the – still – somewhat limited amount of air, his constantly shifting focus, the difficulty at getting proper leverage, or the cold of the water; it was just too much stacked against them, despite just how strongly Celebrimbor wanted the other.

The Moriondo was quite determined, Celebrimbor would give him that – he tried different angles, deeper kisses, brought his hand down to grip Celebrimbor’s hip to bring them together, and finally snuck his hand between them to take the inventor’s length in hand, but even that could not get him up to full hardness.

Eventually, the other leaned back, brushing both their hair back and cupping Celebrimbor’s cheek, his look both questioning and unsure.

The inventor cursed inwardly, that he hadn’t taken up sign language or some other means to communicate in such circumstances. He desperately wanted to reassure the other that he was willing and wanting and would like nothing more than to reach completion just like this, but that it just wouldn’t work – not for lack of effort or enthusiasm, however.

He was just about ready to draw individual letters into Adar’s arm, to let him know he would help Adar come and that they could take care of Celebrimbor’s wants later, truly, when the hybrid stopped and glanced at the inventor’s arms, he drew one up and between them as he leant even further back.

Goosebumps had broken out on Celebrimbor’s skin, and not just faint ones either – he could feel Adar slide his fingertips across the skin, and see just how pebbled it was. He also registered how much his own body’s temperature had dropped when Adar’s hands felt almost warm against his arms.

It seemed that the other had realized the same thing, because his face changed from confusion to open worry, and he soon untangled them both from the stone and each other, and then determinedly gripped beneath Celebrimbor’s armpits; using his feet to gain leverage, he pushed them both up and towards the surface, even as the inventor tried to reassure him, to tell him to slow down.

It took only a few seconds till their heads broke out of the water. The inventor found himself surprised at how loudly he sucked in the fresh air – and how breathlessly he sounded, panting as he took in big gulps, only now realizing that he’d needed more of it than even Adar had been able to provide.

He tried not to, fully aware that him winding himself about the other to stay afloat could pull them both back underwater, but he did find himself having to hold onto Adar as he took in more air. The other was quick to act, drawing Celebrimbor closer and wrapping in the inventor’s arms over his own shoulders, before he tightened his own arms around the inventor’s hips to steady him.

With his chin on Adar’s shoulder, his cheek pressed to the other’s neck, the inventor breathed hard and long for several moments, until the worst of it all had passed.

Or, so he thought. Because when he could finally take in normal, even breaths again, and leant back to tell Adar as much, his lips had begun to tremble. And when he tried to speak, his teeth chattered too much for him to do so.

He hadn’t seen Adar so openly concerned before, even after the attempted kidnapping; the other’s eyes were darting frantically between Celebrimbor’s as he reached a hand up to cup his cheek, his remaining arm tightening around his hip like a vice.

"We are going back to the shore," the other decided, voice strained with worry. "And then we will go back to the Shatterdome at once. No discussions."

Celebrimbor wasn’t precisely known for being one to follow orders, and especially not without question. But in this very instance, he simply nodded his head – the movement jerky with just how badly he was beginning to shake from the cold – and let himself pulled along without further argument.

Adar tilted them so he swam backwards, Celebrimbor tucked against him so the inventor wouldn’t have to move by himself. Even as the discomfort of the cold and the near-itching feeling of unfulfilled lust crept in, Celebrimbor could only think that it was a bummer that they couldn’t have continued. Which he feared said more about him and his current state of mind than he’d like to admit.

He was only glad he had no one to share his mind in a Drift with. He certainly wouldn’t discuss any of this with his therapist.

Adar hadn’t been lying when he’d said that they would go back to the Shatterdome without preamble – it seemed he was set on doing so rather quickly, as well. Celebrimbor almost feared the other might pick him up and carry him, bridal-style, across the shore to speed things up, but to the hybrid’s credit, he did let Celebrimbor walk on his own when the inventor threw a weak look of defiance at him at the attempt.

That didn’t stop him from being rather insistent with how he dragged the inventor along, however. And he certainly couldn’t be dissuaded from helping Celebrimbor dress, either, siting the other down on a small boulder and brusquely putting his clothes on him, starting with a shirt, sweater, then the pants and shoes.

As the Moriondo reached to put on his own set of clothing, he grabbed his black sweater, glanced at the shivering inventor, and wrestled that garment over a sputtering Celebrimbor’s head and arms, too.

"I don’t like how cold you feel to the touch, especially compared to me," he said, when Celebrimbor half-heartedly tried to wave him off. "I apologize. I should have noticed sooner."

"D-d-don’t do that," Celebrimbor replied, through chattering teeth, and threw the other a stern glance. Though he feared his dripping hair and full-body shivering was very much undermining his attempts to make the other listen to him, he persisted. "W-we both were a-a little...p-p-preoccupied. I s-s-should have been mo-more responsib-ble, t-too. I-it’s not y-your fault."

The other sighed, and once he’d managed to wrangle his own sweater fully over Celebrimbor’s upper body, he knelt in front of the inventor and began to rub his arms. His gaze slid across the man’s trembling form, looking unsettled but not quite so panicked anymore, and eventually settled back on Celebrimbor’s eyes with an incredulous, but soft look.

"Alright. Considering you’d be at a disadvantage trying to argue with me at the moment, I will not," he gently shushed Celebrimbor’s pitiful attempt at a reply, and continued, "I am still sorry about this."

"F-for what it’s w-worth," the inventor replied, and reached out both palms to cup Adar’s face in them, smiling at the hybrid, "I-I rather l-liked it. A-all of it. T-thank y-you."

The hybrid’s resulting grin was lopsided, and held a hint of guilt, but true to his word, he did not argue further. "I liked it too," he shared. As another shiver wracked Celebrimbor’s body, he rose and quickly moved to get dressed himself, movements fast and precise, before he came back and hauled Celebrimbor up by his arms – still careful not to be too rough, but not allowing the other to remain seated, either. "Come on. We need to get you warmed up, and fast."

As they turned and began to walk back to the Shatterdome, Celebrimbor got an idea. "S-shower," he said, and at Adar’s questioning hum and raised eyebrow, he elaborated. "I-I want a s-shower. The w-warm water should be faster t-than anything else."

"Good point. The shared ones should be empty by this hour, I think," the Moriondo pondered, resolutely dragging them among the rocky path back to the premises.

When Celebrimbor stopped him, he seemed ready to pull them along, until he noticed the small, shaky smirk on the inventor’s lips. "I- I think I can offer a b-better alternative."

Despite the circumstances, he rather delighted in Adar’s resulting, curious look.

"Being a scientist in the Shatterdome’s employ seems to come with a lot of benefits," the Moriondo drily remarked, as they had finally managed to sneak back onto the premises, into the Shatterdome proper, and back to Celebrimbor’s quarters. As if by some miracle, they did all of that without being discovered. "Private showers. Do the pilots know you enjoy such luxuries?"

"S-some yes, but I guess most do not, n-no," Celebrimbor replied. He wasn’t quite shaking so strongly anymore, though his teeth were still chattering, loud enough it would have been comical if Adar wasn’t still looking so concerned. "G-Galadriel does. S-she uses mine sometimes."

"Why doesn’t that surprise me," Adar mumbled, shaking his head, but did not elaborate any further. Standing in the tiny bathroom – made even tinier by being occupied by two fully-grown people –, he once more sought out Celebrimbor’s eyes. "You still want that shower?"

The inventor jerkily nodded, and did not protest when Adar urged his arms up and began to take off his clothes once more. He could tell that his own fingers did not have enough strength to be as quick or effective as the other was, and so let him undress him.

To his surprise – and joy – the other then began to take off his clothes as well. "I will join you. If only to make sure you are taking the change of temperature well – and don’t slip on the tile. There has been enough danger to your wellbeing already."

"I-I’m glad," Celebrimbor replied, simply. He wasn’t even talking from a point of lust; the earlier feeling of feeling caged in the Shatterdome, of being unmoored, still hadn’t fully dissipated. Letting go of the other was a prospect that did not seem pleasant in the least – in fact, it made him reach out to grasp the Moriondo’s upper arm, grip certain, to drive his point home. "I-I still don’t w-want to be alone."

The other stopped, and looked at him, before he slowly nodded and wrapped an arm around Celebrimbor’s waist. He helped the other over to the shower, turned on the water and checked the temperature for several moments, before he finally allowed the inventor to step over the threshold and under the spray. All while keeping a secure hold on him.

The water wasn’t turned to hot, but only warm – and Celebrimbor was glad for it, because even that small rise in temperature was enough to feel like the shower was turned to its hottest setting to his chilled skin.

He gasped, and was glad when Adar soon stepped into the shower and blocked part of the stream with his own body, just enough that it felt bearable to him.

"S-seems I was w-worse off than I t-thought," he admitted, rather reluctantly, and looked down at Adar through wet hair and eyelashes, gaze almost contrite. He knew neither of them was at fault, not truly, but was still just as sorry for being in this state as he knew Adar to be, about not having noticed his shivering sooner.

"As you told me earlier – we both had our focus elsewhere. I think if you don’t want me to feel guilty about this, you should not do so either," Adar argued, but his tone was gentle. He used his hands to bring small amounts of the water to Celebrmbor’s skin, slowly easing it back to warmth again while drawing the inventor under the spray bit by bit.

"W-what a pair we make, h-huh?" Celebrimbor remarked with a small smile and a hiccuping laugh.

The other looked at him for a brief moment, before he too huffed a small laugh and shook his head again. "Indeed," he allowed.

"B-but a pair we are," the inventor continued, his tone questioning, asking something they should have discussed several nights ago, in a lab and fully clothed, spend drying on their bodies, lips kiss-bruised. "Aren’t we?"

He knew this was a bad time to dive in that particular topic; they were both exhausted, Adar was still not fully flaccid again and Celebrimbor hadn’t yet stopped shivering, but he couldn’t help himself. The want between them seemed ever-present, whenever they touched, or looked at each other, or simply shared the same space. There was no way to deny it, especially with what had now almost happened between them for a second time.

Might yet happen a second time between them, with how strongly Celebrimbor’s own desire still burned in his gut, despite the circumstances. Adar’s body, so close to his own, made his eyes rove and his thoughts wander, made him stretch out his hands to slide them up the other’s sides – back over his membranes, knowing it would make the other draw in a breath they way it did.

And beyond that, beyond that constant need, was something else – a part that responded with feelings of warmth and fondness to the obvious care the other showed, that collected each piece of information the other shared and kept it like a treasure. That wanted to ask about the scars, his body, his past, and to help heal the same hurts that Adar knew how to help heal in him, after what had happened; with Sauron, the loss of Celebrimbor’s family, the constant, ever-present danger.

This was so much more than just the wish for some release and a warm – well, cool – body to enjoy for a few nights. It certainly was for Celebrimbor, undoutedly so, and he would wager it was the same for Adar as well. But neither of them knew that for certain yet, and it was beginning to eat Celebrimbor alive.

With a blink, he realized that this had been what had kept him so antsy, before he had practically ran out of his lab and to the beach. This was what had changed.

Adar’s eyes found his own, open and questioning, as the other tried to work out what Celebrimbor was hinting at. It was remarkable to witness, how quickly the other managed to grasp at his meaning – and then gently pulled the inventor’s face down to press a soft, long, chaste kiss to his lips. Once they parted, the Moriondo stared at him with a wonder and fondness that were wholly unmistakable.

"I would say we are, yes," the other replied, easy as breathing, but his words were utterly serious. "We really ought to talk about that though, don’t we?"

The inventor nodded, and readily went when the other pulled him down again and brought their foreheads together. "I’d like that," he admitted. "I wish we’d had the time, the morning after."

"Me too," the hybrid breathed, his words quiet, barely audible over the warm stream of water. Only then did Celebrimbor notice that he was only mildly shivering now. His teeth didn’t chatter anymore, but his lips still trembled from time to time. Adar closed his eyes as he rubbed their noses together. "Damn this war, and all it has wrought. You deserve much better than this."

"So do you," Celebrimbor argued, gently but without leaving room for argument. When Adar opened his eyes again, the inventor smiled and kissed him in turn. "I- I know this isn’t an ideal time. But- this fighting has taken so much from both of us already. I’d like to know where we stand – so we can carve out whatever happiness these times allow. Because…you make me...very happy."

It felt like so much went unsaid as he spoke, and yet, as if he was laying himself bare before the other, even more so than being naked in a shower together had already done. "And I’d like to – I want us to have something together. Not just sex, or a fight for survival. But something more, that may last until after this war is over. Which we will win, eventually. I’d like to see that through with you by my side."

The other’s eyes were wide, and for all that Adar was usually difficult to read, his hope and yearning was so utterly blatant in that moment it felt like its own presence in the small bathroom. His next breath came out as a shudder, and he crowded close before he took Celebrimbor’s mouth once more, actions before words, the touch of their lips soon turning deep with a longing, a desperation, that conveyed how the other felt.

"I want that too," he shared, words slightly rushed as they broke apart again. "I want- you have no idea how much I want you. Not just the physical, but I want to work with you. To wake up with you, to your people and mine living in harmony, with no enemy to terrify us or disturb our peace. I want to see how you spend a normal day, idling about, eating breakfast, enjoying yourself – to spend time together, just the two of us. No fighting, no deliberating, no planning, no nothing. Just us."

They were both equally deep in this already, Celebrimbor realized with a start at the Moriondo’s words. This was much, much more than mere sexual attraction, or a crush, a flimsy word that couldn’t hope to convey what he felt.

This was- he didn’t dare to put it into words yet. But he could see the shape of what they wanted, what they could become, and he knew Adar could see it too. Knew what words they would tell each other, if they let this grow into what they both envisioned for themselves – and each other.

"Just us," Celebrimbor repeated, and they both smiled as they crashed their lips together again, relief and hope and yearning in equal measures, hands burying in each other’s hair, fingers grasping to pull the other closer, with the inventor soon backing Adar against the wall so there could not be a hair’s breadth between them. So nothing could keep them separate.

It took them some moments of frantic pushing, but eventually, they slowed down again. Their lips moved together in long, deep kisses, and their palms slid up and down each other’s bodies, movements almost languid, hands travelling over arms and sides and shoulders, up each other’s necks to their jaws, then back again, neither of them able to settle.

When they broke apart, both of them were gasping, the sound loud in the mostly quiet, tiled bathroom. Only the water continued to make noise as their eyes found each other again, both of them soon smiling. Celebrimbor, for his part, felt giddy – his words had not been an exaggeration, Adar did truly make him happy. And realizing that they might indeed have a chance to define themselves on their own terms, that they might manage to wrest some joy from these trying times, made his chest feel full to bursting.

The other was more subdued, as he always was, which made the smile on his lips that much more precious. The hybrid held Celebrimbor’s gaze as he slightly raised his eyebrows and asked, tone half-mirthful, half-serious, "You think we can win this war?"

The question made Celebrimbor snort, and lean to kiss Adar’s forehead, before he brought it against his own again. He answered similarly, with a smile and heartfelt words. "I know we can win this war. You said it yourself – we must. There is no option to fail," he quirked up his lips. "So we won’t."

The other’s eyebrows briefly rose higher, before he huffed and gave Celebrimbor a wry grin. "If that is the case, then I’d say let us try and be that something more you mentioned. And see where it takes us."

Celebrimbor nodded. "Yes, let us do that. I’d like to have those mornings together you mentioned as well," he replied, and added with hint of mirth, "I’m just as eager to see a normal, unhurried morning for the two of us as you are. It’s been so long that I don’t even remember what one looks like for me."

Thankfully, they both had the same sense of humor, and equally chuckled at Celebrimbor’s words, before they fluidly fell into yet another press of lips in the aftermath.

By then, Celebrimbor had warmed up enough that he wasn’t at all shivering anymore, and could feel the way Adar also felt less cool to the touch. Between the physical closeness and the fact that he had recovered, the inventor soon felt his body gain an interest in the proceedings again, lust curling in his belly and his cock beginning to harden – this time, more successfully than it had been in the ocean water.

Adar, too, easily reacted to what they were doing; it barely took him any time to firm against Celebrimbor’s leg while they kissed and pressed close, and when the inventor slightly shifted to bring their lower bodies into alignment, there was an audible gasp as their wet skin slid against each other.

Where the inventor’s body had previously been too occupied with getting enough air, or warming up again, it now seemed determined to finally get what it hadn’t been able to achieve earlier, and more than made up for the lost time.

It was as if something had been ignited, a fire in Celebrimbor’s veins that made him tilt Adar’s head back and dive deep with his tongue, curling it around the Moriondo’s before he sucked on it with a groan, his hands shifting from sliding over the other’s body to grasping at it, a firm hand squeezing his hip, sliding up to his chest to do the same with his pec, then back down and to his leg.

Adar, similarly, grasped at Celebrimbor’s upper arm and shuddered, groaned, used his hand to tilt the inventor’s head to the side to get a bette angle. When Celebrimbor made to slide his hand back and towards the hybrid’s behind, the Moriondo began to lift his leg, foot sliding up Celebrimbor’s calf as he hitched his knee up to the inventor’s hip.

For a moment, the other stopped, as if only just realizing what he had been doing. But before he could lower his leg again, Celebrimbor shifted, and grabbed at the back of Adar’s upper thigh, right over the bend of his knee – drawing back from their kiss, he stared down at the Moriondo as he slowly, gently, moved the other’s knee up and hooked it over and across his own hip with a pleased shudder of his own, the new position bringing their cocks right against one another.

The hybrid looked almost a little uncertain at first, for reasons Celebrimbor could not yet determine, but when their lengths slid together, he sucked in a breath, and moved the lower half of his raised leg to tug the inventor in closer, while reaching up and drawing the other back into their kiss.

When he used their new position to roll his own hips up and into Celebrimbor’s immediately after, the inventor moaned, and tightened his hold on the hybrid’s leg before he also began to thrust forward. Both of them made noises of pleasure as their hardened flesh rubbed together, the slide perfect, the friction just enough due to the uneven flow of water.

He had no idea how he managed, but Celebrimbor eventually managed to get a hand between the two of them to grasp both their lengths, and moaned alongside Adar at the touch, the heat, the resulting tightness. Soon, one of Adar’s joined his own, the Moriondo’s broader palm helping to close the hold and making it even firmer. The hybrid’s other arm wound itself over Celebrimbor’s shoulders and held on, with Adar downright ensnaring him and keeping him in place with his own body – not unlike how he’d done beneath ocean waters.

Not that the inventor was complaining about that. The opposite, in fact. He couldn’t stop groaning into the press of their lips, which had begun to turn messy as they rolled their hips against each other in tandem with the press and slide of their palms, Adar setting a hard, slow rhythm for them that eventually began to take up some more speed, a sweet torture that steadily wound them tighter and tighter.

They had to break their kiss several times to draw in air, but also because Adar had to curse and gasp, and Celebrimbor had to let out long moans whenever the other managed a particularly good stroke that made his toes curl into the tiles and his hips snap forward all the harder.

Adar looked good like this, back pressed against the wall, leaning back to look up at Celebrimbor with his mouth open, pleasure-drunk and eyes half-lidded. His membranes were glowing brighter again, and pulsed at a much higher frequency, giving credence to the inventor’s theory of them being synchronized with the Moriondo’s heartbeat.

The other tilted his head to the side, wet hair falling away to reveal the tempting line of his neck, and Celebrimbor moved down to mouth at the membrane there, close to his gills, causing Adar to moan and rise up on the ball of his foot on the next roll of his hips, while Celebrimbor quickly shifted his grasp on the Moriondo’s leg, reaching underneath to hike it over his forearm and bring them together even more tightly.

"Oh yes-," Adar breathed and further tightened his hand on the next stroke. "That’s good, that’s- I need-" He bit his lip and moaned instead of continuing, before he turned his head into the side of Celebrimbor’s face and began to graze his teeth over the inventor’s ear and the delicate skin behind it.

"Tell me, what do you-," Celebrimbor tried to ask, and trembled with Adar’s next stroke, feeling himself approach his climax. He rolled his pelvis into the hybrid’s harder than he’d previously done, more urgent in his movement, smacking Adar’s hips against the tiles. "Fuck, I’m close, what do you need-?"

The other’s breath hitched as Celebrimbor cursed, but he did not comment, instead bringing their faces together for another, deep kiss. "Let me look at you," he asked. Celebrimbor nodded, movement near frantic, and stared down at Adar, panting through his open mouth, as they moved together, hands and hips alike.

The tightness, the friction, the closeness to the Moriondo, the way the other was visibly nearing his own finish line, all of it wound him impossibly tight and high.

"Adar," he moaned, causing the hybrid’s leg to tighten around him, "So beautiful, look at you- can’t wait to see you come, want to see-"

"Celebrimbor-," the other tried to answer, eyelids fluttering as he sped up their hands, his palm on the inventor’s shoulder bruising in its strength, "Tyelpe-"

"Come for me, Adar, please, plea-"

"Tye-"

They both couldn’t finish as they reached their peak at nearly the exact same time, Adar tumbling over the edge just a moment before Celebrimbor followed him, both gasping loudly and tightening their limbs around each other, the inventor pressing Adar tightly against the wall as they shuddered and spilled between their bodies.

And yet, Celebrimbor never broke his line of sight with Adar, even though his eyelids threatened to betray him – he fought to keep his eyes open, and saw the Moriondo successfully struggle to do the same, both of their gazes locked together as they stared into each other’s eyes, sky-blue meeting warm brown, pleasure-hazy and enraptured.

For a brief moment, Celebrimbor managed to ask himself if this was what a Drift with the other would feel like, and then he could think of nothing at all.

The flow of the water, and their attempts to slow down their breathing, were the only sounds in the small bathroom, afterwards, as the two clung to each other like they might drown if they let go. As far as Celebrimbor was concerned, it certainly felt that way.

Distantly, he noticed how Adar’s body had turned warm due to water and their close proximity, which made the inventor seek the other out as if on instinct. Likewise, the hybrid eagerly tilted his head back, both their noses and lips touching without them being able to do more than pant against each other’s mouths for the moment, but it was enough.

Despite the exhaustion, Celebrimbor found himself reluctant to ease the other’s leg down again, or move at all, and wished he could have kept them both just like this – locked together under the spray of water, in a small bathroom where no one would disturb them.

The world and its troubles very far away, and what peace and happiness he sought, right there in his arms.

A sappy thought, perhaps, but he supposed he was bound to be a bit emotional after coming as hard as he had just done; nevermind the talk they’d had before that.

It was Adar, who finally managed to pry his own fingers out of Celebrimbor’s shoulder and gently cupped his cheek again, brushing their lips together before he asked, "How are you? You okay?"

"I feel like I should be the one asking you that question," the inventor replied with a low chuckle, and finally helped Adar lower his leg, though not before massaging his upper thigh, where he could see faint, finger-shaped, purple bruising bloom. He winced, and looked at the other in apology as he stroked his hip. "But I’m good. Really good. You?"

The other looked as exhausted as Celebrimbor felt, gaze gentle as he stroked the inventor’s cheek. "I’m perfectly alright, do not worry. Though I appreciate the concern," he took stock of the other’s body, thumbed the bruising on Celebrimbor’s shoulder, stroked a broad palm up his stomach, movement soothing. "It looks like you have stopped shivering. Good."

Celebrimbor blinked, just before a laugh tumbled out of his lips and he scratched the side of his jaw. "Well, yes. I think I did so quite a while ago," he motioned downwards, "The cold was actually the reason I couldn’t- back in the ocean. In case that wasn’t obvious."

The Moriondo nodded as he, too, looked between them. Only then did Celebrimbor fully realize just how unique the other’s appearance was, even in that particular area. He mostly looked like an ordinary human, down there. He did not have any body hair, however, and the area around his groin looked a little...off, somehow. Even discounting the membranes – now glowing less intensely, and more sluggishly –, the mix of scales and skin, and the surgical scars Celebrimbor could see.

He was pulled away from his observations by Adar’s words, "I figured, but it’s good to have that confirmed. You...scared me, back there."

The admission felt rather huge, considering all that had happened. The hybrid wasn’t one to put his feelings into words a lot – more so with the inventor than anyone else, but Celebrimbor hadn’t expected such a show of vulnerability. It made him draw the other into a hug, arms wrapped around the hybrid’s shoulders and middle. "I’m sorry about that. Maybe we’ll wait till it’s warmer, to try that again?"

His tone was more hopeful than he’d planned for, causing Adar to snort. "I think I would feel better if we stuck to the shower for a while," he said, but hugged Celebrimbor back readily, one hand cupping the back of his head and scratching his hair, the other across the inventor’s back. The resulting embrace was tight and warm, and when the Moriondo drew back to look at Celebrimbor, the inventor was reluctant to end it. "But, we can keep that in mind. Once we have figured out a way to do such a dive more safely."

The inventor smiled and nodded, still a bit embarrassed at what had happened by the shore. "Fine by me," and then he gave the hybrid another kiss, and grabbed the soap. "I hate to break this up, but even with my status, there will come a point when the hot water runs out. And I’d like to have us both be clean before then, so as not to risk another chance at catching hypothermia."

Thankfully, his joke went over well. They were still a bit slow, due to the dive and their little romp, but they managed to clean themselves up and even wash their hair well before the water turned cold on them. They had both mainly cleaned up themselves, only helping the other with their back, with Adar having seemed far more eager to help Celebrimbor than let the other man help him. The inventor hadn’t argued against it – the hybrid and him had gotten more acquainted, but Adar had kept himself and his body protected for a long time before that, and his past still held many secrets he hadn’t shared with anyone else yet. Celebrimbor understood, and was more than willing to give the other whatever time he needed.

He got to care for the Moriondo in other ways; grabbing them both towels to dry themselves up with, once they had stepped out of the shower, and hanging up their clothes to dry, both sets of which were damp with the ocean water from their bodies.

"I need to get back to my room," Adar argued, when Celebrimbor gently pried his shirt from the other’s hands and hung it over the curtain rod to dry.

"If you want to get back, I won’t stop you," the inventor said, voice deliberately light even though he felt an ache in his chest at the thought of letting the other go, "But I’d rather hoped you would like to stay. My bed’s not very big, but I think we both can fit. I’ll lend you sleeping pants and a shirt if you’d like. We both know my clothes fit you, so-"

He was rambling. He tended to do that, when he was nervous, it seemed. Adar had certainly managed to glean as much, because he stepped into Celebrimbor’s field of view and held his eyes until the inventor fell silent once more. Slowly, deliberately, he said, "I’d like nothing more than to stay. But- we still haven’t fully talked about us. And if I stayed…," he looked off to the side, making Celebrimbor’s heart drop, before his eyes found their way back. The look in them was careful. "Someone could come in and see us. Would you want that? For others to know?"

It was a loaded question, and one that made Celebrimbor exhale sharply, before he fully turned to the hybrid again. It was Adar’s turn to look guarded, shoulders tense and jaw set, though he tried to hide it.

The inventor bit his lip and thought the other’s words over for a moment, before he came to a conclusion. Turning his eyes back to Adar, he let his expression turn soft. "First of all, let’s put on some clothes for this. And get comfortable. Please?" he asked, and thankfully, Adar only took a few seconds to nod in agreement – his body slowly untensing before Celebrimbor’s very eyes.

The Moriondo gladly took a pair of sleeping pants and a long-sleeved, wide shirt from Celebrimbor, and then readily let himself be taken by the hands and guided over to the inventor’s bed. Celebrimbor crawled in first, leaning against the wall, and gently pulled the other after himself. While a little hesitant at first, Adar followed him easily enough.

Celebrimbor smiled, and drew up the covers around them as he pulled Adar into his arms. They both came to lie on their sides, arms around each other, noses almost touching, legs soon entwining.

The inventor took a moment to find his words, mouth moving without sound as his eyes darted about, before he settled them on Adar again. The other was patiently waiting for him to speak, already seeming more relaxed again, and Celebrimbor was reminded of all the futures that lay in this bed with him, which would now include the Moriondo – if he let him.

Slowly, he began. "I- I do not care if they find us together, truly. If you want us to tell the others, we can do that first thing tomorrow. The only reason I would hesitate is not because of you, but because I know what it might entail. Questions, stern talks from Gil-Galad and perhaps even an investigation, skepticism, doubts, about whether the two of us can work together like this. And, especially, whether or not I am taking advantage."

The other stared at him as if Celebrimbor had growna second head, gaze incredulous, eyebrows raised. Eventually, he settled on a flat, "You couldn’t take advantage of me if you tried."

The inventor grinned and nodded, despite the seriousness of the situation. "I agree. You’re more stubborn than a mule – nobody could make you do anything you don’t want to do, nor would I want to even try," he said, and had to hold up a hand when Adar made to argue during the accussation of stubbornness. "I’m meaning that as a good thing. But, we are working together, and you were our prisoner for a short time. The Shatterdome is required to ensure all people here are safe – including you."

Adar still looked as if he couldn’t quite believe Celebrimbor’s words, eyebrows shifting from their elevated position into a frown as he said, "I- I thought it would be the other way around. That they might accuse me of tempting you away, to betray your own people."

"Oh, that too, yes," the inventor admitted. "Our relationship would be...highly unconventional, no matter from what perspective. It might make our work harder, instead of easier. Which is the only reason why I’d want to keep it secret," he moved closer towards Adar, and took the Moriondo’s hands in his, linking their fingers. His voice was quiet when he said, "That is why I want you to decide. I want you to feel comfortable, and to be safe. I will ensure that to be the case, no matter what decision you make. And no matter what happens between the two of us. I promise."

Adar’s eyes were wide as they darted between Celebrimbor’s own, searching for the truth of his words, before his expression became impossibly soft. The hybrid moved in, and brushed his lips over the inventor’s, rubbing their noses together, before he settled in. "You are giving me a lot of power, like this."

"You deserve to have it," Celebrimbor insisted. His voice remained quiet as his thumbs caressed the scars on Adar’s hand. "And I trust you."

The other nodded, slow and deliberate. "In that case, I think we should keep this just between the two of us, for the time being. Figure all this out for ourselves first, and hopefully win the war, before we share this with the others. Would that be alright?"

The inventor nodded with a small smile, and squeezed Adar’s hands with his own, "It’s perfectly alright, yes. Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Adar replied, and wrapped one of his arms around Celebrimbor’s hip, pulling him closer. "Though, doesn’t this mean that I should leave? To make sure nobody sees us come morning?"

"Oh that," Celebrimbor replied, lip quirked up at one corner. He turned his face half into the pillow, and then looked at Adar from beneath his lashes, look almost coy. "Don’t worry about it. I sleep in my lab so often that nobody will even consider coming here to search for me. We’ll be fine."

The resulting look on Adar’s face was priceless – out of all the times Celebrimbor had managed to turn him speechless that day, this was the instance that made him laugh the loudest. The other eventually blinked and shook his head, before gently shoving the inventor onto his back and moving in, soon swinging one leg over his upper thighs and placing his head on Celebrimbor’s chest.

It looked like he’d made up his mind about staying. The inventor felt a wide, elated smile spread across his face as he wound an arm over Adar’s shoulders, and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"I suppose that’s an advantage then," the Moriondo said, but his tone was decidedly unimpressed – if still slightly mirthful. "In that case, I will gladly stay the night."

There was a small pause, and then. "We are going to change that, though – the fact that you are sleeping in the lab so often. I do not like how tired you look when you do. Your work would be much more efficient, if you got more rest," Adar raised his head to look Celebrimbor in the eye, expression stern. "And it would ease my mind as well."

Celebrimbor couldn’t help the – undoubtedly sappy – look on his face in response, or the way his chest constricted at the other’s words. He supposed any relationship required a small amount of sacrifice, but if working late was to be his, he could live with that. Gladly so.

He raised his hand to cup Adar’s face and brushed his thumb over the other’s cheek, smile turning fond, before he drew the other in for a chaste, but grateful kiss. When he parted their lips again, Celebrimbor replied, "I don’t think that will be an issue. If I know I will find you in my quarters by the end of each day, I will return to them. Every day, and every night."

The Moriondo’s resulting smile, and the we he moved himself onto his elbows to lean up to kiss Celebrimbor, made it all worth it – the sentiment that the inventor intended to uphold, the fact that he would be giving up late-night work, the cramped bed and shower they would now share, the fact that they both would have to keep some secrets now.

Small sacrifices, if the result of it was getting to hold Adar each day, to spend time with him, to wake up with him. They might not yet be able to have these normal, unhurried mornings Adar wanted for them, but – it was a start.

It was a beautiful thought, and one that followed Celebrimbor as the two of them settled in together and drifted off to sleep, fingers linked.

#please don’t ask how long (short) it took me to write this. I love and hate my brain sometimes.#my brain is fried. My head aches. My fingers hurt. My heart is happy.#once again this ran away from me completely. I wanted like 5k words at most – now look at this! *gestures wildly* How! What! Why?!#I wrote the underwater sequences to Androcell’s Seahorse Dreams. Which is actually more fitting than one might expect.#Plus it's a very beautiful song.#I love those two chaotic dorks. They are so soft with each other and care so much even though they have no idea what they are doing.#spice week #spice week 2025 #Pacific Rim AU #Impressions From the Lindon Shatterdome #my fanfic #my trop fanfic #adar #adar trop #adar the rings of power #celebrimbor #adar x celebrimbor #silverscars #trop #the rings of power #mine #fanfic #queue

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