#findrahil

"A camping trip?" Edrahil asks incredulously, folding his hands behind his back as he follows Finrod out of his office and down towards the main hall.

A dreamy expression has fallen over his face, and his shining eyes are soft with it. "Yes. Just us, tonight. Nargothrond will not fall without me for a night. It'll be just like in Valinor."

"I wouldn't know," Edrahil mutters, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice. As much as Edrahil adores his king, he finds that sometimes - particularly when Finrod is in such a mood as he is now - he has a tendency to forget that not everyone knows exactly what happens in his head.

Finrod hums, likely not having properly heard him, and continues wandering down the hallways, completely wrapped up in his own mind.

Edrahil supposes he's going camping tonight.

+

He's not wrong, he thinks morosely to himself, trailing behind Finrod still.

Finrod seems to know where he is going so Edrahil is not completely put out by this situation but it is still not ideal to be trekking through a field at silly O'clock at night with nothing but a blanket, a cushion and a small tin of food.

"Here we are!" Finrod says, stopping abruptly. "My special stargazing spot!"

This patch of grass looks just the same as every other patch of grass but Edrahil makes no comment and dutifully lays out the things he has brought.

"Right, let me just..." Finrod begins looking through his pack and pulls out a small contraption of copper and glass. "Sit down, Ra, I'll be there in a minute."

Edrahil tentatively perches on the edge of the cushions and watches as Finrod fiddles about with thing in his hands.

"Curvo made it," Finrod says, a little distractedly. "It magnifies the sky so you can see the stars and planets closer. You can almost see Tilion on his ship if he's in the right part of the sky." His brow furrows. "Hmm, what do I need to...ah, right, there!"

He holds the thing up triumphantly before plopping down beside Edrahil. He leans right into Edrahil's space and Edrahil can feel his breath failing to come out properly as he can smell the candle wax and tree light that hangs about his king like a cloak.

"Have a go!" Finrod offers, pushing the magnifiers into Edrahil's numb fingers.

Edrahil opens his mouth - to thank him, Edrahil thinks - but no words come out and he shuts it again quickly lest he come off as gormless.

"Put the small ends to your eyes and then look up. Try finding the Remmirath, they're quite easy to identify."

Edrahil feels the air leave his lungs in a faint gasp. The stars are always beautiful just standing in the woods (and also a reminder of a time before they were at war) but through the lenses their light and beauty are unrivalled.

"Stunning, aren't they?" Finrod sounds utterly reverent and Edrahil puts down the magnifiers.

His companion is looking up at the sky, a wistfulness to his very being, and the light of the trees comes off his skin like there are glowworms crawling under his clothes.

Except, to Edrahil, it is not just the light of Valinor. It's Finrod's light, for it can only be Finrod's adoration of life and his boundless curiosity and the hundred other things that make him shine like that.

You have always outshone the stars to me, Edrahil thinks but he feels his mouth move at the same time and Finrod looks round at him, his skin darkening and his eyes wide in surprise.

"Pardon?"

You're beauty is beyond anything else this side of the sundering sea, he thinks but says instead, "You're very bright, because of the treelight."

"Ah, right." The confusion fades back into Finrod's smile. "Now, have another look. I can help you find Luinil with these..."

As Finrod goes back to chattering about the stars, Edrahil glances over and wonders if he imagined the momentary flicker of disappointment on Finrod's face before that smile returned.