Title & Chapter Number: Misfits 11/30
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: Middle Earth
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own these settings or characters, and am making no profit from the writing and sharing of this story.
Warnings: Haldir's in it. Need I say more? /snicker
Betas: Circe
Cast: Haldir/Melpomaen
Timeline: TA AU
Spoilers: None
Summary: Haldir and Rumil talk; Haldir, Orophin, and Melpomaen do construction work.
Notes: Thanks to Kinzey, Stardust, Peony, Jess, Renn Wench, Gabby, Pira, Larien, Hawk, Alex, Larian, LK, Kylie, Mirasaui, and Hydden for comments, feedback, and support.
Special thanks to Kylie for certain relationship ideas that are beginning to take shape in this chapter.
Haldir gazed down through the kitchen window, watching Orophin and Melpomaen as they worked out the design of Peony's house. It had been decided that the house should be built offset from their talan so that Orophin would be able to see it from above, and, of course, Orophin had assumed that Haldir wanted to set to work on it immediately. Melpomaen had been amenable to this, and, with much counterfeit good humor, Haldir had commenced making plans and delegating duties.
"I thought you were helping," Rumil said, coming to join Haldir by the window. Haldir raised his chin, bestowing a superior look upon his brother that left Rumil completely unfazed.
"I am helping. I'm getting them drinks, and when I've done that I will supervise their work."
"I bet you never thought you'd spend your leave supervising the construction of a dog house." Rumil grinned broadly. "I think I like Melpomaen. He's a good influence on you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Haldir's tone was frosty, but Rumil only shook his head in mock despair.
"Oh, Haldir. If I explained it to you, it just wouldn't be the same." He turned his gaze back to Orophin and Melpomaen, his grin turning to one of amusement. "Are you sure he'll be alright down there amidst the hammers and nails?"
"He's not incompetent," Haldir said stiffly. Actually, he'd been surprised himself at Melpomaen's familiarity with hand tools. He knew he shouldn't have been; it wasn't as if the elf had been born in a library, but it had still caught him off guard. Between he and Orophin, neither help nor supervision was really required. A small line appeared between his brows as he returned his gaze to the pair chatting and laughing below.
"I never said he was," Rumil continued, oblivious to the uneasy expression that had crossed his oldest brother's face. "He just didn't strike me as the sort who'd have much experience with manual labor. What does his family do?"
"I don't know," Haldir answered a trifle defensively. "It's never come up."
"Mmm," Rumil said noncommittally. "Well, he likes animals, though."
"That's fairly obvious." Haldir's shoulders slumped. "Did Orophin tell you how and where he got that thing?"
"Found it just inside the border. Alone. Probably abandoned and wandering."
"I can understand why. Whatever it is, it's not a hunting dog or a guard dog. I've noticed that humans only seem to value animals if they are useful in some way." There was more than a hint of contempt in his voice, and Rumil cast him an amused glance.
"And, of course, you are more enlightened. You have opened your arms in the spirit of love and compassion to this poor, homeless creature."
Haldir's lips tightened. "Why couldn't he have found a cat? Something small that's able to climb, doesn't require training, and that would probably wander off of its own accord eventually?"
"Because the Valar have a strange sense of humor. Are you planning on taking that down before it's completely lost its chill?" Rumil gestured toward the canteens Haldir was holding.
"I should have told Orophin to get his own damned water."
"Careful now." Rumil offered him a nauseatingly saccharine smile. "Must be on your best behavior for Melpomaen, now mustn't you?"
Haldir snarled in reply, and Rumil darted from the kitchen before his brother's temper could get the better of him.
~*~*~*~
It felt good to be working with his hands again, and Melpomaen was pleased to find that, though long disused, the skills he had learned on his family's small farm had not been forgotten. The work he had done then had been of a more practical nature than the building of a doghouse, but the frivolity of his endeavor did not diminish his pleasure in it. Neither did the steady ache in his arms, back and shoulders. Haldir's ministrations had done a great deal toward easing those previous pains, but Melpomaen knew that, thanks to Peony's arrival and Orophin's enthusiasm, the next morning would probably be worse than this one had been. Even that knowledge left him unfazed; another thing he remembered from his elfling days was that not all pain was bad pain. Sometimes all it meant was that one had worked hard.
Orophin had originally wanted to build a miniature replica of an elven house, but Melpomaen had talked him out of it, explaining that Peony's main interest would be in having a place to shelter from the wind and rain, or the cold in winter. Remembering Haldir's comment on her feet, they'd settled on a large box design with a sloping roof. It would dwarf Peony when it was finished, but Melpomaen was confident that she'd grow into it. Haldir had said she would, after all.
"I think I'll paint it red," Orophin happily chattered. "If I'd thought about it I'd have realized that windows don't make much sense for something like this, but I'd still like to make it more attractive."
Melpomaen nodded amiably, and continued to pound in nails. He'd found that the occasional nod was all that was required to make conversation with Orophin, and that was something of a relief. He was far more accustomed to talking to his betters than with his equals, and his night out with Arwen had admirably demonstrated his lack of social skills. Orophin, however, was not in the least put out by his reticence. He rambled unconcernedly on topics ranging from his last tour of duty on the northern fences to stories both Haldir and Rumil probably would have preferred him to have kept to himself.
Haldir had gone to get them drinks, for which Melpomaen was quite grateful. It was a hot day, even in the shade of the sheltering mellyrn, and he was not as comfortable removing his shirt as Orophin seemed to be. Orophin had cast his aside at the outset, and it was doubtful that he would ever wear it again. Almost before it had hit the ground, Peony had grabbed it and begun running in enthusiastic circles about them with the garment clenched in her jaws. She'd managed to trip over it twice and, though this only seemed to amuse Orophin, Melpomaen was sure that in the end all that would be left would be some vaguely green and gray rags and tatters. Haldir had watched in grim silence, and after Peony's second fall he'd decided that drinks were in order.
Haldir had not removed his shirt, either, but Melpomaen's memory of his bare torso needed no reminders. As he worked and listened, he studied Orophin's half-bare form curiously. Whereas Haldir's skin was gold touched, Orophin's was gilded as if he spent a great deal of time shirtless under Anor's rays. He did not possess Haldir's breadth or bulk, either. Orophin's musculature was smooth and streamlined; his body could easily have been that of a dancer rather than a warrior. Instead of wearing his hair in neat, functional braids, Orophin had merely tied it back, twisted and pinned it up in deference to the day's heat. He looked relaxed and utterly unselfconscious, and Melpomaen found himself wishing that Haldir could possess that same easeful comfort.
"Still thirsty?" Haldir's voice came from behind and to the right of him; Melpomaen glanced back at him, away from Orophin's form, and smiled. Haldir smiled back, but the expression on his face was narrow, his eyes opaque. It was very close to the expression he had greeted Melpomaen with when they'd first met, and the words of greeting that Melpomaen had been about to speak died on his lips. He took the offered canteen and tipped it back, unmindful of the slightly metallic taste of the tepid water. Orophin easily caught the canteen Haldir tossed at him, thanking him before taking a long draught of his own.
"I was just telling Melpomaen that I'd like to paint Peony's house, and I was thinking just now that it might be fun to put real roof tiles on it as well. What do you think, Haldir?" Orophin asked. Water glistened on his face, and he absently wiped it away. Haldir's smile turned into something closer to a grimace.
"I think that's an excellent idea, Orophin. I'm sure Peony would like that."
Orophin cast him an uncertain glance. "I don't think Peony would care one way or another. I just think it would look nice."
For a moment, Melpomaen thought Haldir would lose his grip on the last shreds of his temper, but when he spoke again it was with the same careful calm that had characterized his speech since emerging from his bedchamber. "This is your first day home, Orophin, and I'm sure you'd like to go visit your friends. Why don't you do that, and Melpomaen and I will finish this up?"
"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"
"I wouldn't mind at all," Haldir said tightly, and Orophin grinned.
"Thanks, Haldir!" Orophin rose to his feet, once again beaming radiantly. "It was really nice to meet you, Melpomaen." Melpomaen barely had a chance to offer his own farewell before Orophin was gone, darting fleet-footed toward the upward spiraling stairs.
"Don't forget your-" Haldir sighed, and cast a loathing glance toward the puppy who had settled down to chew on Orophin's shirt. "Well, I don't expect he'll be needing it again anyway. That's a uniform shirt, Melpomaen." He regarded his companion seriously. "If Rumil has any sense, he won't let Orophin borrow any of his."
"Mmm," Melpomaen responded intelligently.
"I'm beset. Those two are trying to drive me insane, and -that- is the final straw." He shot a dark glance at the puppy that was now lying spraddle-legged on her back. "I want my own place."
"They don't seem that bad," Melpomaen said uncomfortably. "And the puppy… she will grow up, Haldir; she won't always be this way."
"Not that bad." Haldir's lips tightened. "Orophin especially, right?"
Melpomaen had the distinct impression that he and Haldir were carrying on two separate conversations which fit together only by coincidence. Haldir had settled into Orophin's spot on the grass, and had picked up where his brother had left off with an unnecessary degree of concentration. Melpomaen could feel the tension rolling off of him, the barely restrained anger, and something else that was less easy to define. He took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully.
"He's a bit talkative, and, for the life of me, I cannot see how he has made a living as a fighter, but I suppose he is nice enough."
"I trained him myself," Haldir said. There was frost in his tone, and Melpomaen suddenly felt his own impatience rising.
"Is there a problem, Haldir?" he asked shortly. "Besides your inexplicable dislike of a creature that has done you no harm?"
Haldir's eyes darted up to meet Melpomaen's, and for a split second Melpomaen saw confusion and perhaps even panic in their hazel depths.
"No. No problem, Melpomaen." He sat back, perusing the result of their labors. "I'd thought to make the roof hinged to make it easier to clean."
"Alright," Melpomaen answered. Peripherally, he saw Haldir shift uncomfortably, saw silver tresses sway as the older elf cast him a quick, surreptitious glance.
"I'm sorry," Haldir said brusquely.
"For what?" Melpomaen could not quite keep the sharp edge from his tone. Between them silence spun out, and he could not help but wonder if even Haldir knew for what he was apologizing. He wasn't sure if it mattered; clearly it had cost him a great deal to give voice to those two words. Melpomaen didn't think he would have spoken them merely to smooth things over.
"I said I'm sorry," Haldir repeated.
"Accepted, Haldir," Melpomaen said softly, his words barely carrying to where Haldir sat engrossed with the roof of Peony's house.
"Will you stay tonight?" Haldir asked.
It danced on the tip of his tongue to refuse. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to stay, not with Haldir out of temper, not in light of this strange, half- heard conversation in which he had unwittingly participated. Ambiguous apology aside, there was still something bothering Haldir; his refusal to enlighten Melpomaen and his efforts to ignore it did not change the basic issue.
Haldir looked up from his work, eyebrow raised. It should have been a look of amused enquiry, but what Melpomaen saw was Haldir's earlier expression of confusion and fear. Melpomaen heard Arwen's words echoing in his ears, --Be careful of him--, along with his own unthinking declaration of love.
"Of course I'll stay." Was that relief in Haldir's hazel eyes? Melpomaen did not know; he looked uncomfortably away.
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