Work Text:
“Hurry, Dad!”
Glûg grinned when the library came into view, impatience getting the better of him as Adar pulled into a parking spot near the entrance.
“Finally!”
His siblings let out shrieks of annoyance as he crawled over them to exit the vehicle, but he paid them no mind. He had been begging his father to take them to the library for weeks, and now that Adar had finally delivered on that promise, the young boy didn’t want to wait a minute longer.
“Glûg…” His father warned gently. “Walk. Don’t run.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad…” He settled for a brisk power walk instead of a full sprint.
Adar circled around to the passenger side and began to usher Glûg’s many siblings out of the van with a weary smile. “Everybody inside. We’ve only got about an hour to spare, so don’t take too long to find the books you’d like to take home.”
Glûg propped the door to the library open, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He already knew what book he wanted.
“Thank you for holding the door, Glûg,” Adar murmured, brow furrowed as he attempted to herd the gaggle of children into the building.
Glûg smiled at his father’s praise. Once everyone had crossed over the threshold, he followed suit, shutting the door behind him.
“Lurka, the graphic novels are over there,” Adar told Glûg’s older brother, pointing to some nearby shelves. He let out an exasperated sigh as two siblings resumed some squabble from the car ride. “Grugzûk, no hitting your sister!”
Glûg sidled up to his father, waiting until the chaos ebbed. “Dad…”
“What?” His father’s reply came out as an irritated huff, but he quickly regained his composure when he turned to face his son. “Yes, what is it, Glûg?”
“Will you help me find a book?” He looked down at his feet, nervous to request his father’s assistance. “I couldn’t find it the last time we were here.”
Adar’s expression softened, and he stooped down to look Glûg in the eyes. “Of course, I’ll help you. What’s the title of the boo–”
A harsh ring emanated from Adar’s pocket, and Glûg’s heart sank as he watched his father retrieve the cell phone from his jacket. Work always seemed to take priority over family lately.
“I’m sorry, buddy. I have to take this call.”
“But you promised you’d help me,” Glûg protested, lips forming a pout.
There was a brief glimpse of guilt on Adar’s face, but he continued to lift the phone up to his ear. “I’m sure the librarians can help you. Why don’t you go ask one of them about your book?”
Glûg felt a stab of panic. The prospect of speaking to a strange adult was terrifying. “Which one should I ask?”
“I don’t know…” His father glanced across the lobby, impatience palpable. After a moment, he pointed out a male librarian piling books onto a rolling cart. “How about the pretty one over there? I’m sure he’ll know exactly where you can find your book.”
Pretty… Glûg immediately latched onto this word, surprised to hear his father take notice of another man’s beauty. He took a moment to assess the librarian for himself before agreeing.
“Yes, he seems nice. I’ll go ask him, Dad.”
His father gave him a distracted thumbs up, already muttering to someone on the phone. Once Adar had wandered off, Glûg turned to study the librarian with renewed interest.
The slender man was engrossed in his task, pausing to push a curl of brown hair out of his face. After a moment, he seemed to sense that he was being watched, and he offered a friendly smile as his kind gray eyes landed on Glûg.
His father’s passing remark replayed in the young boy’s head, and in an instant, a plan began to unfold. Maybe the pretty librarian can help Adar too…
***
“Excuse me…”
Elrond glanced up from the pile of books he was sorting to find a scrawny child peering up at him. “Yes, how can I help you?”
The small boy shuffled his feet as he worked up the nerve to speak. “Um…can you help me find a book please? I couldn’t find it the last time we were here, and my dad said I should ask a librarian to help me.”
Elrond’s heart ached when those timid eyes met his, and he set his work aside. “Of course! What book are you looking for?”
The boy fidgeted for a moment before he managed a reply. “ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ?”
“By C.S. Lewis,” Elrond supplied the author’s name with a soft smile. “Excellent choice. It’s one of my favorites.”
The child’s face lit up with a grin, several gaps revealing recent visits from the tooth fairy. “Really?”
“Absolutely.” Elrond circled around the cart of books to approach the boy. “I used to read the series religiously when I was little.”
He walked to a nearby computer, gesturing for the boy to follow. “Let me just make sure we have a copy on hand. It could be that someone else had it checked out the last time you were here.”
The child watched dutifully while Elrond’s fingers clacked away on the keyboard. His shy demeanor was already lessening as he grew more comfortable with the librarian, and there was an eager glint in his eye when Elrond looked up from the digital catalogue.
“You’re in luck,” he said. “We appear to have one last copy available, and I know just where to find it. Come with me.”
The boy hesitated as Elrond offered him an outstretched hand.
“What’s your name?” the librarian inquired.
“Glûg,” the child answered.
“That’s a lovely name,” he replied. “Mine is Elrond.”
Glûg studied him for a moment. The child seemed to be assessing the librarian’s character with a strange intensity, but the awkward tension was broken as he placed his hand in Elrond’s.
“Alright, Glûg,” Elrond said with a smile. “Let’s go find your book.”
***
By the time they had retrieved Glûg’s desired book and returned to the front desk, Elrond could hardly believe this was the same skittish child who had first approached him. Glûg chattered on and on about his favorite novels as Elrond helped him fill out an application for a library card, and it warmed the librarian’s heart to see the awkward boy come out of his shell.
“I’m gonna read the whole series,” Glûg announced, clutching the copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to his chest. “Then we can talk about it whenever I come to visit.”
“I’d like that,” Elrond chuckled. “But I’m afraid I need you to hand over the book for just a moment if you’d like to check it out.”
Glûg surrendered the novel with a sheepish grin. Elrond quickly scanned the barcode and returned it to the boy’s keeping.
“Alright,” he said, glancing at the paperwork one more time. “Now we just need a parent’s signature on this last page, and then I can issue you your very own library card.”
Glûg’s eyes widened in awe. “Really?”
A gruff voice interrupted before Elrond could answer. “I’m so sorry if he’s bothering you.”
A large hand landed on Glûg’s shoulder, and Elrond looked up to see a tall, imposing man with a beleaguered expression. Blue eyes glanced down at the child before ascending to meet Elrond’s gaze, and the librarian felt a pang in his chest, struck by sudden desire. There was something captivating about this man, his angular features enhanced by a sinister scar along the side of his face.
Elrond realized he was gawking and words began to pour out as he tried to diffuse the awkward tension. “No bother at all. Always happy to help an eager young reader.”
The man stared at Elrond in silence for a few moments before Glûg tugged on his sleeve.
“Dad, Mr. Elrond said I can get my very own library card, but he needs you to sign something.”
Elrond was surprised to discover the intimidating man before him was Glûg’s father, but there was an unmistakable tenderness in those penetrating eyes as he listened to his child.
“Of course,” the man muttered, voice strangely soft yet coarse. He looked back at Elrond. “Where do you need my signature?”
Elrond slid the application across the counter and handed him a pen, blushing when they brushed fingers in the exchange. “Just at the bottom of the page. Here.”
The man scribbled a hasty signature and pushed the paper back toward the librarian. Elrond retrieved a new library card from the drawer and scanned it, then passed it over to Glûg.
“Now you just need to sign your name on the back of it, and you’ll be an official card carrying library patron.”
Glûg snatched up the pen and scrawled a string of crudely shaped letters on the signature line. Once this task was complete, he held the card aloft with a grin. “My own library card! Can I go show Lurka?”
His father reached out to tousle his hair, returning the grin. “Of course.”
Elrond chuckled fondly as the boy scurried off to show his sibling his new card. After a moment, his gaze was drawn back to the father, and he realized with a jolt of heat that the man was watching him intently.
“Again,” the father said. “I apologize if my son was bothering you. He can get quite…chatty when he’s excited.”
An amused smile flashed across Elrond’s face. “I assure you that Glûg is not a bother at all. I’m lucky that it's my job to help sweet kids like him.”
The stoic man’s expression shifted at this praise, sharp features softening into an unexpected smile. “Kids can be overwhelming, and I appreciate you taking the time to help him. He’s been talking about that book for weeks.”
Elrond glanced across the lobby where Glûg and a gaggle of other children had gathered. Their chaotic shouts bounced off the marble floors, a sudden quarrel breaking out between them.
“Yes,” the librarian agreed. “I can see you and your wife have quite the handful at home.”
The man gave a flustered laugh. “Oh, I don’t have a wife. It’s just me…”
Elrond’s eyes widened in surprise. “You have to manage all those kids on your own? You must be exhausted!”
The father leaned against the desk with a conspiratorial tone. “Constantly…let’s just say I have no trouble falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow at night.”
The image of this man in bed did strange things to Elrond. He envisioned that long dark hair strewn across a pillow but quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. He should not be fantasizing about a library patron, and he should not be so relieved to learn that said patron did not have a wife.
“Well, if you ever need a break from the chaos,” he said, tentatively tucking an errant curl behind one ear. The man’s eyes tracked the movement. “You’re always welcome to bring them to the library.”
This offer was met with a long, smoldering silence, and those blue eyes raked down Elrond’s body before the man spoke.
“Always good to know where I’m welcome,” he rasped. “I’m Adar by the way.”
Elrond gaped as the man extended a hand toward him, but he managed to recover from the effects of that low voice long enough to press his palm into the father’s grasp.
“I’m Elrond. A pleasure to meet you.”
Adar’s smile was dangerously charming as he shook the librarian’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine.”
Elrond felt his cheeks heat from the man’s sultry tone, and he withdrew from the handshake just as Glûg popped back up beside his father.
“Dad, we have to go.” The boy yanked on his father’s sleeve.
“In a minute,” Adar protested. “I’m talking to Elrond.”
Glûg rolled his eyes. “I know you think he’s pretty, but you can talk to him later. We’re gonna be late to the recital.”
Elrond’s blush was revitalized by this passing remark, and he was surprised to see Adar just as flustered by his son’s words. He shot Elrond an embarrassed look as Glûg began to pull him toward the door.
“I–uh…Sorry, I have to go, but it was nice meeting you.”
Elrond smirked, amused by the sight of the small child manhandling his large father. “Nice to meet you as well, Adar.”
There was a flash of some strange emotion in Adar’s eyes as Elrond spoke his name, and his gaze dropped to the librarian’s lips momentarily.
“See you soon, Glûg,” Elrond called out to the young boy, trying to regain some semblance of professionalism. “I look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. ”
Glûg shot him a toothy grin. “We’ll be back to see you again very soon. I promise!”
And with that cheerful vow, the single dad and his swarm of offspring spilled through the door, leaving a staggering silence in their wake. Elrond let out a satisfied sigh once he was alone, but one thought still lingered as he turned his attention back to sorting books.
He thinks I’m pretty…
***
Adar hung up the phone with a weary sigh. Hours of conference calls were starting to take a toll, and he just wanted a single moment of peace.
He stifled a growl of irritation when he heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?”
The door to his home office creaked open, and Glûg poked his head into the room, anxious but hopeful.
“Dad…”
Adar ran a hand down his face, schooling his tired expression into a gentle smile. “Yes, Glûg?”
Glûg shuffled toward the desk. “Can we go to the library again?”
He raised an eyebrow. “We were just there a few days ago.”
“I know,” the boy murmured, words rushing out as he fidgeted with the novel in his hand. “But I already finished my book…and I need to get the next one in the series and–”
“Whoa, slow down,” Adar interrupted, overwhelmed by his son’s rambling.
Glûg continued at a slightly less frantic pace. “And I promised Elrond we’d be back so I can talk to him about the first book.”
The mention of Elrond triggered a flood of dangerous emotions. The librarian’s beauty had caught Adar’s attention from the moment he laid eyes on the younger man, and his attraction had only increased when he observed Elrond’s interactions with Glûg. He had never seen his son warm to another adult so quickly, and he could tell even now that the librarian’s kindness had allowed the quiet boy an outlet Adar could not provide.
“And you wanted to talk to Elrond again too…didn’t you?” Glûg asked, clutching his book against his chest.
The question caught Adar off guard. “Of course, he seems like a very nice man.”
There was an optimistic glint in Glûg’s eyes. “And very pretty too?”
Adar’s brow furrowed, uncertain where this line of interrogation was headed. “Glûg…please don’t tell the librarian that your dad thinks he’s pretty. Okay?”
“Okay…” Glûg was unrelenting. “But you do think he’s pretty, right?”
Adar rolled his eyes. “If I agree to take you to the library tomorrow, will you drop this topic and let me get back to work?”
His son began to pout, but his expression morphed into a triumphant smile. “Really? Tomorrow?”
Adar chuckled. “Yes, really.”
Glûg darted around the desk to give him a quick hug. “Thanks, Dad!”
“You’re welcome.” Adar returned the hug, ruffling his son’s hair before gently guiding him toward the door. “Now let me finish this up, and I’ll be down to make dinner in an hour.”
Glûg was already out the door and down the hall before his father even finished the sentence, and Adar sank back into his chair with an affectionate chuckle.
Clearly his son was fixated on the librarian for some strange reason, but Adar could hardly blame him.
The memory of Elrond’s face arose in his mind–that delicate jawline and those pronounced cheekbones…the tempting shade of pink that had colored the young man’s cheeks when their hands had touched.
Adar wondered if the librarian’s rosy lips were as soft as his kind gray eyes. He imagined stealing a kiss in some secluded corner of the library, hidden from prying eyes by shelves of books. What sweet sounds would spill from that slender throat when Adar tugged on those tempting curls?
A child’s distant shout disrupted this sordid fantasy, the sound instantly sobering. Adar shifted in his seat, cock hard against his thigh. He awkwardly readjusted himself and tried to focus on work, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the pretty librarian and the pretty noises he might make.
The prospect of seeing Elrond tomorrow was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Adar knew it was foolish to lust after a man who was likely half his age, but he couldn’t help thinking that perhaps the librarian was interested in him as well. The man’s subtle reactions had certainly hinted that Adar had some kind of effect on him. After a moment of fleeting optimism, his mind refuted this hope, and Adar forced himself to focus on his work once again.
Don’t fool yourself. Elrond wasn’t flirting with you. He was just being kind. That’s all.
***
“What do you mean it’s not the first book in the series?” The look of confusion on Glûg’s face was adorable.
“There’s actually a prequel about the creation of Narnia,” Elrond explained. “ The Magician’s Nephew. Would you like to read it?”
The boy latched onto the librarian’s arm. “Of course I would! Let’s go find it before someone else checks it out first.”
Elrond chuckled, letting Glûg drag him toward the children’s section with an amused smile. The child had been peppering him with questions about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the better part of an hour, and while the literary interrogation was overwhelming, Elrond couldn’t help finding Glûg’s inquisitive nature endearing. Hunger for knowledge was a trait they shared.
They were able to track down a copy of The Magician’s Nephew in a few minutes, and Elrond wasn’t entirely sure his presence had been necessary but was content to accompany the child on his mission. Glûg was happily chattering away, book in hand, as they made their way back to the front desk when he suddenly stopped, staring at a sign on one of the nearby shelves.
“Romance?”
Elrond glanced at the section in question. “That’s one of the genres of books we offer.”
Glûg’s brow furrowed. “What’s a genre?”
The librarian pondered how best to describe the term for a child. “Like the type of story the book tells. For example, the Narnia books are part of the fantasy genre because there are magical elements to the story…or a book about a detective solving a murder would be part of the mystery genre.”
The child considered this for a moment. “What kind of books are part of the romance genre?”
Elrond tried to explain without delving into the more adult aspects of the category. “Those would be books about love stories. Falling in love, kissing, happily ever afters…that kind of stuff.”
Glûg gave an understanding nod before resuming his journey back to the front desk. Elrond thought the topic had come to a natural conclusion, but the boy lobbed another question as they walked side by side.
“Have you ever fallen in love, Elrond?”
The librarian was caught off guard by the inquiry. He was used to kids asking intrusive questions, but he was more surprised by the truth of his own answer. “I…have not.”
Glûg wasn’t deterred by this response. “So…do you have a boyfriend?”
“Oh, I…uh…” Elrond stammered. “No, I do not.”
There was a strange glint in the boy’s eye at this confession, but he astonished Elrond further with his next statement.
“My dad doesn’t have a boyfriend either. I wish he wasn’t so lonely…”
The child’s concern for his father was sweet, but Elrond had a feeling Adar wouldn’t want Glûg to divulge this information.
Glûg continued, oblivious to the librarian’s discomfort. “His last boyfriend was a real jerk. I wish my dad would get a new boyfriend who is nice…like you.”
Elrond’s face tinted pink, flustered by the boy’s unintentional suggestion. “Um…well…your father is a very handsome man. I’m sure he’ll have no trouble getting a nice boyfriend when he’s ready to date again.”
The grin on Glûg’s face was effervescent. “You really think so?”
Elrond was desperate to redirect the conversation to a less dangerous subject. “Are there any other books you need to check out? Didn’t you have a report for school?”
The boy gave a studious nod, immediately distracted from his previous line of inquiry. “Oh yeah, I need to find a book about my favorite animal.”
The librarian let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Let’s take a look in the catalogue to see what we have. What’s your favorite animal?”
Glûg gave him an incredulous look. “The cheetah, of course!”
Elrond chuckled, ushering the boy over to a computer. “Of course…the cheetah. I should have known.”
He quickly typed “cheetah” into the search bar and stepped aside to allow Glûg to peruse the options that came up. He felt a sudden shiver down his spine while the boy was peering at the screen, and when he glanced across the lobby, he spotted Adar leaning against a shelf, watching them.
There was a tenderness in the father’s eyes as he observed the librarian interacting with his son, but when he met Elrond’s gaze, that soft emotion sharpened into something darker. It took Elrond a moment to identify the predatory look for what it was. Hunger .
Heat curled low in his gut, his body reacting to Adar’s attention instinctively. The knowledge that the father was indeed single and apparently had a history of dating men only heightened the strange energy simmering between them, and in a moment of sordid clarity, Elrond realized that he wanted other man desperately.
He felt his gaze slide down the older man’s body, compelled by dangerous curiosity. Adar wore a black button down shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscled forearms, and suddenly all Elrond could think about was those large hands wrapping around various parts of his body. His wrists…his throat…his…
He shook off these visions before they could escalate further, chastising himself for his own weakness. He forced his gaze to shift back over to the computer, but the lewd images kept replaying in his head.
Get it together, Peredhel. Lusting over a library patron is unprofessional. The only things you should be checking out are books…
***
Adar ushered his children into the library and was confronted by a sea of pink and red. The lobby was strewn with paper hearts and flowers, a colorful display fitting for a Valentine’s Day celebration.
“Glûg, what did I say about running?” he chided.
His son let out an exasperated huff but slowed to a walk. “Sorry, Dad…”
“I know you’re excited, but you need to be careful.”
Another beleaguered sigh. “Yes, Dad…”
“I see they have a station over there where you can make your own Valentine’s card,” he said, pointing toward the children’s section. “Why don’t you take your sister and help her make one?”
Glûg groaned. “Do I have to?”
His father raised an eyebrow. “Glûg…”
The boy relented with a sigh. “Ugh, fine.” He grabbed his sister by the hand. “Come on, Pushdug.”
Half amused and half exhausted, Adar watched the siblings tug each other across the lobby. Despite their squabbling, he knew Glûg couldn’t resist helping his sister with a craft (even if he ran the risk of getting glitter all over him…which was very likely since Pushdug was obsessed with anything sparkly these days).
The rest of his children had already wandered off to explore the other activities offered, and the single father took a deep breath, savoring the rare moment of solitude.
Adar supposed the library wasn’t the most romantic location to celebrate this particular holiday, but it wasn’t like he had better plans. He hadn’t gone on a date in years, not since his horrible break up. His life was busy enough with a swarm of children to raise.
After years of self-imposed celibacy, he could safely say he didn’t need physical intimacy to feel fulfilled. In fact, he barely even thought about sex anymore…or at least he hadn’t until recently.
As if Adar had conjured the librarian with these thoughts, Elrond swept into the lobby, arms overflowing with pastel colored hearts. Adar realized his feet were already moving him toward the other man, his body acting before his brain could protest.
Elrond paused in an archway, brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, he bent down to drop the decorations in his arms onto the floor, and Adar felt a spike of desire as he took in the sight of the younger man’s pert rear on momentary display.
No one’s ass should look that good in wool trousers…
Elrond stood upright, slender neck craned as he studied the archway. His eyes snagged on Adar in his periphery, and the older man was met with a stunning smile. “Adar…it’s good to see you.”
Adar felt Elrond’s presence like a magnet drawing him in, unable to resist the pull between them. “Elrond…”
There was something different about the normally fastidious librarian today. His brown curls were a tousled mess, and his white shirt was slightly rumpled. Adar’s gaze drifted down to Elrond’s chest, a hint of pale flesh on display. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and a glimpse of his collarbone was visible. Adar wanted nothing more than to lick the divet above that delicate clavicle.
His voice came out a croak as he finally managed to finish his greeting. “It’s a pleasure to see you again too.”
Adar hadn’t intended for this phrase to sound so provocative, but he could never keep his shit together around the beautiful librarian. Elrond’s ears tinged pink at his words, adorably flustered.
“The library looks great,” Adar said, trying desperately to dispel the awkward tension. “It’s like an army of cherubs vandalized the place overnight.”
He felt a surge of triumph when Elrond let out a laugh.
“If only…I’m afraid the only cherub around here is yours truly.”
Adar glanced at the avalanche of paper hearts cascading down a nearby wall. “You managed to get all this done by yourself?”
“Well, almost done,” Elrond told him. He gestured to the pile of decorations at his feet. “I still have one last garland to hang, but someone ran off with my step stool.”
Adar assessed the archway before them. “Let me help. I think I can reach up there without any assistance.”
The librarian’s smile was more radiant than starlight. “Really? You’d be doing me a huge favor.”
Adar bent down to collect the garland. “I definitely owe you a favor for all your help with Glûg, so feel free to boss me around for the rest of the afternoon if you’d like.”
“Boss you around?” Elrond chuckled, handing Adar a strip of tape as he began to drape the string of paper hearts across the archway. “You strike as the kind of man who is more accustomed to giving orders than receiving them.”
Adar looked down from the garland, surprised by the librarian’s close proximity. He could smell the faint scent of some floral cologne, sweet with a hint of honey.
“Perhaps…” he murmured, voice husky with want. “But I’d be willing to make an exception for my favorite librarian.”
His boldness was rewarded with another rosy blush on Elrond’s face, and suddenly Adar wished his hands weren’t already occupied with what seemed like miles of paper hearts.
“Unless you prefer taking orders…rather than giving them?”
The librarian’s lips parted, a soft inhalation catching in his throat. “I can’t say I’ve had much experience with either, but I’m a very fast learner.”
Adar’s gaze dropped to Elrond’s mouth, a forgotten hunger clawing its way to the surface. “I’ll bet you are…”
Another librarian breezed past, and the spell between them was broken. Adar watched Elrond take a step back, expression closed off.
“I just meant…” Elrond handed him another piece of tape, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know what I meant.”
Adar didn’t call him out on this lie. They both knew perfectly well what the librarian had meant, but Adar wasn’t going to force the issue.
Grugzûk came running up, out of breath and cheeks flushed. “Dad!”
Adar continued to tack the garland to the archway with a sigh. “Yes, Grugzûk, what is it?”
“Lurka stole my candy!”
He sculpted his frown into a patient smile. “It looks like there are plenty of Valentine’s treats still available. Just grab another one, and I’ll talk to your brother about this later.”
The boy grunted in frustration but obediently stomped in the direction of the treats without arguing.
“I swear those boys will fight about anything…” Adar sighed.
“It must be hard,” Elrond murmured. “Raising them all by yourself.”
Adar was caught off guard by his gentle tone. “It is… Sometimes it feels like I’ll never figure out this fatherhood thing. Even after all these years, I still have no idea what I’m doing.”
“That’s not true,” the younger man assured him. “You’re an amazing dad, and those kids are lucky to have you.”
Adar looked down into those soft gray eyes, a warmth unfurling in his chest. “Well, if you have any advice on how I can bond with my bookworm of a son, I’d love to hear it. Glûg absolutely adores you.”
Elrond smiled at the mention of the avid young reader. “I doubt there’s any advice I can offer as someone who isn’t a parent myself. Besides, Glûg already thinks the world of you.”
“I think you’d be a great dad.” Adar let out a sigh of relief as he pinned the end of the garland to the wall. He paused to stretch his aching arms, and he caught the librarian watching out of the corner of his eye. “You really have a way with kids.”
“Lurka, give that back!”
Grugzûk came barreling back through the archway, knocking into Elrond as he chased his brother. The librarian stumbled forward with a gasp, and Adar instinctively reached out to catch him, wrapping his arms around the other man and pulling him against his chest.
“Sorry,” Adar said, adrenaline surging through his body. Elrond felt impossibly fragile against him, and he could feel the younger man’s pulse racing. “Are you alright?”
The sharp blade of desire cut deep as the librarian’s gaze lifted to meet his own. Kind eyes looked up through tousled curls, pupils expanding. Seeing Elrond like this was far too tempting, his disheveled state eliciting thoughts of the bedroom. The librarian would look absolutely delectable in Adar’s bed. He longed to watch Elrond fall apart beneath him…to see what a mess he could make of this pristine man.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Elrond’s words came out in a breathless pant, voice soft and rough at the same time. The librarian’s eyes dropped to Adar’s mouth and lingered there.
Adar’s arms tightened around the younger man as a pink tongue swept across those rosy lips. The urge to kiss the librarian senseless was overwhelming, but Adar forced himself to resist the lure.
Elrond deserved a better man than Adar could ever be. He shouldn’t waste his youth and beauty on a scarred and broken man with too many kids and too much baggage.
Adar slowly relinquished his grasp on the librarian, and he watched Elrond’s gray eyes go cloudy with disappointment. “I should probably go wrangle my kids before they start hurling books at each other.”
Elrond ran a hand through his hair, curls somehow more unruly despite this. A mask of professionalism fell into place when he took a step back from Adar’s embrace.
“Thank you…for helping me with the decorations,” he said quietly. “You should go enjoy the celebration with your family. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
Adar cursed his own cowardice as he watched Elrond’s retreat. Another Valentine’s Day spent alone. Another sleepless night plagued with dreams of a pretty librarian with smiling lips begging to be kissed.
***
“And then Elrond told me there are actually movies based on the books…three of them!”
Glûg couldn’t remember the last time he got to sit in the front seat of the van. The ride to school was short, but he was brimming with excitement, determined to enjoy every moment of his coveted position.
“Mm hm…” His father was barely listening to him, focused on the road ahead. “That’s nice.”
Glûg continued talking, undeterred. “Elrond’s so nice. Don’t you think so?”
Adar gave a nod as they turned a corner. “Yes, he’s a very nice man.”
“He looked very pretty at the Valentine’s Day party yesterday.”
This statement seemed to alert his father, and he glanced at Glûg suspiciously. “I suppose…”
The boy let out a sigh. Grown ups were impossible sometimes. “When are you going to ask Elrond out on a date?”
Adar’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Why would I do that?”
Glûg shot him a disappointed look. “Because you like him.”
His father didn’t deny this claim, but he kept his expression neutral. “Well, first of all, it’s inappropriate to ask someone out when they’re at work, and second of all…Elrond probably isn’t interested in going on a date with your boring, old dad.”
Glûg sat up straight, outraged by this self-deprecating reply. “You’re not boring and old!”
Adar chuckled. “That’s nice of you to say, buddy, but still…”
“I’m pretty sure Elrond likes you too,” Glûg continued. “He said you were handsome one time, and he’s always staring at you when he thinks I’m not looking.”
His father was strangely silent, an intrigued expression on his face as they pulled into the school parking lot.
“Alright,” Adar announced. “Everybody out. I’ll be back to pick you up this afternoon.”
Glûg frowned at his father’s evasiveness, but he dutifully unbuckled his seatbelt and started to slide out of the passenger seat. In his haste, his backpack fell to the ground, and a book tumbled out the front pocket.
“Dad, wait!” Glûg cried, snatching the copy of Prince Caspian from the pavement.
“What is it?” his father sighed.
“I forgot to return my book when we were at the library yesterday, and it’s due today!”
Adar’s face softened at his son’s panicked tone. “We can drop it in the return box on our way home later.”
Glûg shook his head. “We don’t have time. I have soccer practice after school, and the library will be closed before it’s done.”
He held the book out to his father, eyes wide and glistening. “Can you return it for me, Dad?”
Adar sighed. “An overdue book isn’t the end of the world, son.”
“I promised I would return it by today,” Glûg insisted. “What if another kid is waiting to read it? Please, Dad? Elrond will be disappointed in me if I turn it in late.”
Adar studied him for a moment, baffled by his son’s inconsolable state. Finally, he relented and took the book out of Glûg’s outstretched hand. “Fine, I’ll drop it off on my way to work. Okay?”
Glûg’s look of despair morphed into a triumphant grin. “Really?”
His father gestured toward the school impatiently. “Yeah yeah…hurry up and get inside or you’ll be tardy for school. Or are you only concerned about lateness when it comes to library books?”
“Thanks, Dad! You’re the best.” Glûg collected his backpack from the ground, slamming the car door shut with one last exclamation. “Say hi to Elrond for me!”
***
Elrond wondered why the heaviest books always seemed to go on the highest shelves. He held the hefty tome in one hand, the other clutching the railing of the library ladder. He slowly ascended until he could reach the desired shelf, his fingers stretching to push the large book into its proper place.
“There.” He started down the ladder, but the satisfied smile evaporated when his foot missed a rung, stomach dropping at his sudden descent.
To his shock and relief, his fall was prevented by a pair of strong hands wrapping around his slender waist. “Careful!”
“Thanks,” he gasped. He turned to face his savior once his feet were safely on the ground and was immediately mortified. “Adar?”
“Are you alright?”
The older man’s eyes were soft with concern, and Elrond couldn’t help noticing the hands still encircling his waist.
“I swear I’m not normally this clumsy.” The librarian hated how easily this man could fluster him.
Adar let out a low chuckle. The sultry vibration seemed to permeate Elrond’s body, pooling in some dark, unseen place. “Have you been falling into the arms of every library patron or just mine?”
Elrond’s breath hitched. “Just yours…but I’ll try not to make a habit of it.”
He could feel Adar’s grip tighten ever so slightly.
“I wouldn’t mind it if you did…”
Elrond felt a twinge of panic. He needed to regain some sense of control before he made a fool of himself again. The sting of yesterday’s rejection was still fresh. He had thought Adar might kiss him, but instead the other man had fled.
Adar finally seemed to realize he was still holding the librarian by the waist, and after a moment, his fingers reluctantly withdrew.
“I’m not used to seeing you here on your own,” Elrond observed, glancing over the single father’s shoulder in search of his usual horde of children.
“Uh…yes,” Adar said. “I just dropped the gremlins off at school.”
“Of course,” Elrond replied. He turned toward his cart of books, half-heartedly running his fingers along the spines. “Then what brings you to the library on this fine morning?”
It seemed to take Adar a moment to remember, and he fumbled in his jacket pocket, finally retrieving a paperback book.
“Glûg forgot to return this book yesterday, and he demanded I bring it back so it wouldn’t be overdue.”
Elrond gave a soft smile, amused by the boy’s rule-abiding nature. “If he’s worried about a fine, we stopped charging for overdue books years ago.
The father shrugged. “I think it’s more about the principle of returning it on time. Glûg was quite insistent.”
“I see…” Elrond paused his perusal of books, casting his gaze toward the older man with renewed scrutiny.
Adar was dressed in all black, his meticulous suit contrasted by the wild look in his eyes. How could one man look so put together and lost at the same time? Elrond got the impression that Adar’s self-restraint would unravel if he just pulled one tiny thread.
“You know…” He leaned back against the bookshelf, hands behind his back and chin tilted up toward the older man’s face. “You could have put that book in the return dropbox. You didn’t need to bring it to me directly.”
Adar’s hungry gaze seemed to devour the librarian’s languid form, slowly ascending until their eyes met. The corner of his mouth curled up toward his scar in a knowing smirk. “I could have.”
A moment of silence followed this confession, and the energy between them shifted. Elrond felt as if they were both poised on the edge of a precipice, waiting for the other to act first.
“Perhaps…” Adar murmured, voice raspy with longing. “Perhaps I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.”
Elrond felt his tongue sweep across his lower lip, and the movement drew the other man’s gaze. The silence that followed felt hot and heavy.
“Is that what you want to do right now, Adar ?” Elrond inquired. “You want to talk ?”
Adar let out a growl, lunging forward to capture Elrond’s mouth with his own. The librarian was confronted by those strong hands once more, eager fingers wrapping around his hip bones and sliding up to his ribcage.
Elrond had been kissed only a few times in his life, but those clumsy experiences paled in comparison to this. The kiss was hardly graceful, but the frantic clash of lips lit a roaring fire within him. All he wanted was to consume and be consumed.
A ragged moan rumbled in Adar’s throat when Elrond’s teeth caught on his lip, and his hips shifted forward, pinning the younger man against the shelves.
“You’re right. I don’t want to talk,” he rasped. “I can barely even think when you’re around…much less form a coherent sentence.”
Elrond keened as one of Adar’s hands wrapped around the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. “Is that why you’re always glaring at me from a distance?”
“You’re so fucking pretty,” Adar panted into the shell of his ear. “Couldn’t stop looking at you…couldn’t stop imagining you like this…”
Elrond trembled as the older man peppered his jawline with kisses. He finally managed to slip his own hands out from behind his back, fingers hooking into the belt loops at Adar’s waist. He eagerly pulled the other man tight against him, desperate for more friction…for more of whatever Adar wanted to offer him.
“Adar…”
“Fuck, I love hearing you moan my name,” the older man purred. “Want to hear you scream it for me someday soon…”
The mention of this inevitable future sent a shiver of anticipation down Elrond’s spine. “It took you this long to work up the nerve to kiss me, and you’re already assuming I’ll let you take me to bed?”
There was a flash in Adar’s eyes, his desire stoked by Elrond’s snarky reply. “I should have known you’d be a brat…it’s always the quiet ones that have the sharpest tongues.”
Before Elrond could protest, the fingers in his hair constricted, a gasp spilling from his lips as Adar tugged on his hair. The older man chuckled at his reaction, and when he pulled on the librarian’s curls once more, Adar swallowed the strangled sound that followed, tongue slipping past Elrond’s lips to plunder his panting mouth.
A book tumbled to the floor as Elrond shifted against Adar, the heavy thud underpinned by his muffled whimpers. He could feel the older man’s hard length against his, and despite the layers of clothing between them, he could tell Adar was well endowed.
“Perhaps you could show me how to put my sharp tongue to better use,” he teased, breaking the kiss to gasp for air.
Adar let out a guttural moan, and the sound made Elrond’s cock throb. The older man’s mouth descended to the librarian’s throat, his moan turning into a frustrated growl. “Damn this turtleneck…I need to get at your skin.”
Elrond gave a breathless laugh as Adar tugged the cashmere aside. “If I had known you were going to surprise me like this, I would have dressed for the occasion.”
Another whimper escaped his lips as teeth scraped along his throat. He bit down on his own lip to stifle the sound, suddenly fearful they might be overheard.
“I think you mean undressed for the occasion,” Adar murmured into his flesh.
Elrond gasped as he bit down hard enough to bruise,the pain was fleeting but exhilarating. He realized Adar’s mark would be hidden beneath his sweater for the rest of the day, and the thought was far too arousing.
“The book you’re looking for should be somewhere back here…” The voice of a fellow librarian echoed from another aisle that was far too close for comfort.
“Someone’s coming,” Elrond whispered.
Adar went still against him, hesitating just a moment before placing one last kiss beneath the corner of Elrond’s jaw. His chest was heaving when he withdrew from their embrace, suit rumpled and pupils blown wide.
Elrond knew he must look equally undone if not more so. His pulse was racing, and his cock ached against his thigh.
Adar reached out to gently touch his face, thumb caressing the librarian’s beestung lips. “I’ve gone about this all wrong…”
Elrond felt a flash of anxiety, fearful that the other man was already regretting their kiss.
“I should have asked you out on a proper date instead of pouncing on you at your place of work.”
He let out a relieved chuckle. “I must confess I’ve fantasized about kissing you in this exact spot, but my employer would probably frown upon this sort of conduct.”
Adar’s laugh was somehow gentle and arousing at the same time. “Probably…”
“You still could you know…” Elrond said. “Even if it’s not in the proper order.”
The other man’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Still could what?”
The librarian smiled, amused by his oblivious response. “Ask me out on a proper date.”
Adar shook his head, embarrassed by his continued failure. “Elrond, will you let me take you out for dinner sometime?”
There was a mischievous glint in Elrond’s gray eyes. “That depends…”
It was Adar’s turn to experience a brief moment of panic. “On what?”
“On how soon you can find a babysitter capable of handling your army of…spirited children?”
The single father let out another gravelly laugh. “I have a friend with military combat experience who owes me a favor, so…”
Elrond leaned forward, lips brushing Adar’s ear. “In that case, I’m free tomorrow night.”
“Perfect,” Adar murmured. “Put your number in my phone, and I’ll text you details once I confirm with my unsuspecting babysitter.”
Elrond smiled as the other man slid a phone into his hands, and he giddily added his contact information before returning the device to its owner. “Do you think your friend might be available to watch the kids overnight?”
Adar’s eyes darkened at this loaded question, his mouth hovering near Elrond’s own when he answered. “God, I certainly hope so.”
This time Elrond closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Adar’s in a tender kiss. The older man melted against him, and when he eventually withdrew, his gaze was clouded by an emotion softer than mere lust.
“I should go,” he murmured reluctantly. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Elrond replied, feeling lightheaded in the wake of their kiss. He already knew he would be hopelessly distracted for the rest of the day and likely tomorrow as well. The memory of Adar’s lips against his mouth and neck already haunted him.
Adar started to depart, a dazed grin on his face as he cast longing glances in Elrond’s direction. The librarian stifled a laugh when the other man bumped into one of his coworkers, muttering a flustered apology before finally vanishing from view.
Elrond ran a hand through his hair, suspecting his curls were a tangled mess in the wake of Adar’s touch. He turned back to his cart of books in an attempt to resume his work, and when his foot met an unexpected obstacle on the floor, he looked down to see a copy of Prince Caspian on the hardwood. He bent down to collect the novel, and without thinking, he opened up the cover to glance inside.
A laugh bubbled up in the librarian’s throat when he saw the date listed on the check out slip. Glûg had certainly overstated the urgency of his father’s errand, but his secret would be safe with Elrond.
The book wasn’t due to be returned for another week.