A Mixed Platter for the Solstice by Himring  

Away-from-Home Pie

Gil-galad (Ereinion) and Cirdan, just after Fingon sent his son to the Havens for safety. Cirdan is trying to make the boy welcome, but the circumstances are weighing on both.

(Fingon has not died yet, though.)

Cirdan watched Ereinion dig his fork into the fish pie. There was a lot of effort being made, but little of the pie was making its way into Ereinion.
After a while, Cirdan said: ‘It is all right to say if you don’t like the taste of haddock, you know. We can find something else for you to eat.’
Ereinion laid his fork carefully aside.
‘It’s not that. I like the taste of haddock fine. It’s just…’
Absence filled the room, palpable and unspoken.
‘I do also like the ball, I really do,’ added Ereinion, too politely. ‘And everything else.’

Chapter End Notes

This was based on Dawn's extended prompt set for "Fatherless Pie", which played on the literal sense of "Fatherless". The gift of the ball, which ended up not being played with, is from a prompt taken from "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin. Gil-galad was mentioned by another  of the prompts.