Hill and Water Under Sky by StarSpray  

homecoming

this ficlet is an alternate POV of the end of chapter 62 of A Hundred Miles Through the Desert.

There were several places, these days, that Daeron might call home. Taur-en-Gellam was one of course, and Imloth Ningloron another. Even Tirion felt something like home, sometimes. After so many long centuries of wandering, though, it was hard to truly think of any one place as home anymore. No matter how long he stayed in one place he felt perpetually like a guest. He couldn’t rid himself of the habit of keeping a bag mostly packed and ready to leave given five minutes’ notice.

Even surrounded by Maglor’s family in Tirion, with his brothers all coming and going from Curufin’s house talking of the babies and trying to distract themselves and each other from Maglor’s glaring absence, even knowing that he was as welcome there was Maglor himself, Daeron felt out of place and homesick in a way he had not when visiting Tirion in a very long time. Anxiety formed a tight knot in his chest, and he couldn’t stop fidgeting. Maedhros sat so very still and calm by the window, and Daeron had no idea how he did it.

Then, as evening fell, Pídhres kicked up a fuss, and Daeron found himself halfway to the front door even before Celegorm confirmed that it really was Maglor coming down the street. He ran out barefoot into the cobblestones, splashing through the rain puddles—and when Maglor caught him in his arms, wide-eyed with surprise laid over overwhelming exhaustion, he was finally, finally home.