Saying Goodbye

Orophin was miserable.  Rumil was pissed off.  Legolas wasn’t getting any action.

Orophin was miserable because Haldir was moving out.  Rumil was pissed off because Haldir hadn’t told them he was planning to move out.  Legolas wasn’t getting any action because Orophin was miserable.  So he went home.

“Why, Rumil?  Wasn’t he happy here?  I thought he enjoyed living with us.”  Orophin sniffled, tears threatening to fall.  He had taken Haldir’s announcement badly.  Rumil hadn’t stopped scowling since Haldir had gone to bed.  He looked up when Orophin spoke and said, “I don’t know!  You’d think he would have mentioned it sooner.  Would he even have told us if I hadn’t discovered his empty room?  We might have got up in the morning to find him gone.  Bastard.”  Rumil was very angry.  He paced around the living room, punctuating his sentences with wild gesticulating.  “It’s all that bloody wizard’s fault.  Haldir would never had considered doing something like this if he hadn’t met him.  Or had been dumped by him.”  Orophin said nothing.  Rumil continued.  “Y’know, I’ve a good mind to go in there,” he motioned towards Haldir’s bedroom.  “And drag him out of bed just so I can ask him what it is he thinks he is doing.  In fact, I just might.”  Rumil made to leave the room until he felt Orophin’s hand on his arm.  Orophin didn’t restrain him, in fact that touch was gentle enough to almost not be there, but it was enough to stop Rumil in his tracks.  Rumil turned to his brother and saw the tears spilling down his cheek. 

“I’m upset too, Rumil but there’s no point in fighting with him.  He’s made up his mind.”  Rumil nodded and pulled his brother into a tight hug.  He rubbed Orophin’s back as Orophin sobbed against his shoulder.  “You’re right, there’s no point in fighting with him, it’ll only make him more determined to do this.  But he needn’t think I’m going to be helping him move.  He’s on his own in this.  If that’s the way he wants it, that’s the way he’ll have it.” 

The following morning, Rumil and Orophin stayed in their bedroom while Haldir packed up his last few belongings and moved out of the flat they had shared for so many years.  He knocked on the door to their room and called out his goodbyes, but neither answered him.  It was only as they heard Haldir close the front door, lock it then drop his keys through the letter box that they emerged.  Neither had slept and both were still emotional.  They walked through to the living room and sank down onto the sofa.

“What’s this?”  Orophin saw it first.  A photograph.  Sitting beside the photograph was two sets of keys.  Orophin looked at the picture.  It was of a thatched cottage with ivy climbing the walls.  There were rose bushes underneath the windows.  He picked it up and turned it over.  An address was on the back and written underneath was a note from Haldir.  Orophin read it out.

“Rumil and Orophin.  I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier, I was afraid of your reactions.  I am doing this for me, not because I don’t love you anymore.  I hope you’ll come to understand why.  You are both welcome in my new home anytime.  I love both of you and hope that you can forgive me.  Love, Haldir”

Rumil looked over at the picture then picked up the keys.  “He’s even given us personalised keyrings, look.”  Orophin took his keys and put them in his pocket.  “It does look like a nice place.”  Rumil commented, taking the photograph from his brother.  Orophin nodded and added, “We should go and visit him.  Take him a present or something.  Besides, I’ll miss Flora.  I want to see her again.”  Rumil chuckled. 

Over breakfast, the two Elves sat lost in their own thoughts.  Rumil broke the silence.  “What have you got planned for today?”  “I thought I might start packing up my stuff, actually.”  Orophin grinned.  “Packing?  Hah-hah.  Are you thinking of moving too?”  Rumil almost choked on his tea when Orophin nodded.  “What?  Where are you going to go?”  Orophin pushed back his chair and stood.  “I’m moving into Haldir’s old room, of course.”  As soon as he had said it, he saw Rumil’s expression change.  “Dearest brother, as I am now the eldest Elf in the flat that room is – by rights – mine.”  Rumil edged towards the door.

“Aaah, but I got in their first.  I bagsied it.”  Orophin matched Rumil’s movements.

“Bagsies don’t count in this case.  It’s the right of the eldest.”  Rumil had reached the doorway.

“There is no such right.  I said it first, therefore it’s mine.”  Orophin laid his hand on Rumil’s chest, applying a small amount of pressure.

“There’s just one thing you’re forgetting, Orophin…”

“What’s that?”

“This!”  Rumil shoved Orophin as hard as he could and sprinted off in the direction of the bedroom formerly known as Haldir’s.  Orophin recovered straight away and chased off after him, almost catching him as they turned the corner.  Rumil had the advantage however and made it into the room, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it.

“Hah!  What are you going to do now, brother?”  He called out, shouting to make himself heard over Orophin’s colourful curses.  He sniggered, congratulating himself on making such a clever move.

Orophin banged on the door and swore loudly.  Then he stopped.  “What’s up, Orophin?  You know when you’re beat?”  An evil smirk developed when he heard Rumil’s smug taunt.  “Aaah Rumil, you’re right.  You win, dearest brother.  You can have this room.  I’ll just go back to mine and sulk for a while.  Then I might watch a DVD, or go on the internet.  Actually, I think I’ll push the two beds together, that’ll give me much more room tonight.”  He allowed himself a little chuckle as he heard Rumil’s response.  “You do whatever you want to do, Orophin.  I’ll be here in my huge bedroom with my huge bed.  I have no more need of your tiny, little room.”  Orophin had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.  He calmed himself and replied to Rumil, “So you shan’t be visiting me in my tiny, little room?  You won’t mind if I lock the door, then?”  “You have no need for a lock, I promise I won’t disturb you.  Have fun!”  Orophin walked down the hall to his own room, hearing Rumil’s hooting laughter.

Wearing his most self-satisfied smile, Rumil looked around at his new bedroom.  It certainly was a big room.  Bright and airy too.  This was a nice bedroom.  Except…all that was currently in it was a large bed (without sheets), a pair of curtains and a few dust bunnies.  That was it.  No TV, no DVDs, no Playstation, no computer in fact nothing at all for Rumil to play with or watch.  “That’s okay, I’ll just go…”  Realisation dawned.  Rumil took another look around the room.

“Oh bugger!”

The end