THE RASCAL
Overall rating: orange (see rating explanation)
Category: slash (two male Elves in love)
Pairing: Erestor/Glorfindel, Erestor/Orophin
Status: complete
Warnings: feisty!Erestor
Beta: The lovely Miss Enismirdal
Summary: It was not easy for Erestor and Glorfindel to find each other. But staying together proves to be quite a task as well!
Author's notes: the promised sequel to "Thieving Magpie". Do not let the pairings fool you - as in my other alternative universe, Erestor is a one-Elf-Elf. Well - mostly.
CHAPTER 5/8
In which some count their wounds and others their blessings.
"Just what were you trying to prove there?" Erestor asked. He applied the healing balm not too gently on Glorfindel's bruises, which made the warrior bite the cushion a couple of times.
"Orophin provoked me," came the muffled reply. Erestor snorted and slapped another dollop of balm on Glorfindel's shoulder.
"You sound like an Elfling. 'Nana, little 'Phin hit me first, so I had to kick him with my little booties!' This is ridiculous. And you are not making my work any easier."
"Work? Batting your lashes at that imbecile is work?" Glorfindel turned around, looking at Erestor with outrage.
"Indeed, it is," the advisor answered. Seeing that Glorfindel was not willing to keep still for further treatment, he screwed the lid back on the little pot and put it aside. Glorfindel's mood did not improve at all when Erestor removed his hands, and he continued to rant.
"You are not working. You are flirting! Do you really think I did not notice? You have no idea what you are getting yourself into! Orophin does not have his reputation for his skills at flower picking!"
Erestor shook his head.
"Fin, I do not care if Orophin is a masterful flower-picker or if he picks his nose in a so-far unheard-of manner. Celeborn wants the mithril, Orophin has every intention on taking it, and I have every intention of crossing their plans. Unusual circumstances demand for unusual actions."
Glorfindel frowned, and Erestor had to smile. He played with a strand of Glorfindel's hair and inclined his head.
"I thank you for your warnings, but they are not needed. And I have to admit that I find your jealousy very charming."
Glorfindel jerked back.
"I am not jealous! I have no reason to be - after all, this was never..."
"This was never what, Fin?" Erestor asked, and narrowed his eyes.
"This was never you and me being, well, you know... you can do what you want, after all we are not... and we have never agreed to..."
Erestor felt the urge rise to stick his fingers in his ears and sing "la la la", for this conversation had been held many times before, and it did not improve with repetition. He probably would have to live with the fact that Glorfindel would never admit that Erestor meant something to him.
A scary thought crossed Erestor's mind. What if Glorfindel was not just an uptight old stiff, and Erestor actually really did not mean anything to him?
"... and it was my understanding that..."
Maybe he was just a nice distraction for Glorfindel? After all, nobody seriously enjoyed being lonely...
"... so I thought we had an agreement there..."
Maybe it was true and he was really too young to truly understand the nature of one like Glorfindel?
"... so what do you say, Erestor?"
Maybe he had got lost in some childish dreams, and if that was the case, then it was high time to wake up. Erestor stood up from the bed and cracked his knuckles.
"I say that it is time for my dinner with Orophin," he said, slipped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Dinner? With Orophin? But - but I thought you wanted to dine with me tonight..." Glorfindel stammered.
Erestor turned around.
"Yes, indeed. But then he sent me an invitation, and after your little speech I do not feel the need to watch your sourly face across the table all night."
Glorfindel looked crestfallen, and if Erestor had not been so hurt, he might have felt pity for him.
"But I thought you and me would... I thought you would... you know... stay with me tonight...?"
Erestor opened the door.
"You and me, as you so correctly pointed out, 'are not and will not'. At least not with each other. I wish you a pleasant evening in the company of mother thumb and her four daughters."
With that, he rushed out, leaving a rather uncomfortable looking Glorfindel behind.
* * *
"I hope you enjoyed the meal," Orophin said, and dabbed his lips with a napkin.
"It was delicious," Erestor replied. The view he graced Orophin with and the sly smile indicated that he was probably talking not only about the grilled chicken, but about his host as well.
Orophin leant back in his chair and stretched his lean body.
"This was a clever trick, by the way," he said casually, and reached for the wine.
"Trick?" Erestor asked, arching an eyebrow.
"This afternoon. The mirrors. I appreciate the way you helped Glorfindel to keep his face. It shows that you know loyalty, and that's a good quality if not overdone."
Erestor felt caught, and a little bit angry with himself as well for not being more careful.
Orophin laughed.
"Now, now, do not pull such a sourly face, my friend. You are without a doubt a very skilled thief and a talented advisor. But there is still a lot for you to learn. And this is lesson one: never underestimate your enemies."
Orophin took a swig of the wine, then put the glass down. The hazel eyes sparkled with mirth, and Erestor swallowed hard.
"I have never considered you to be an enemy," he said after a moment of contemplation. "An opponent - yes. Have I been wrong in my assumption? Do I need to watch my back and hire a tester?"
Orophin grinned.
"Ah no, there is no need for that. At least not if things will develop the way I plan them to." He dipped a finger in the wine and circled the rim of the chalice. A high-pitched, piercing sound could be heard, and Erestor winced.
"Will you share your plans with me, or have you invited me for the sole purpose of rupturing my eardrums?" he asked.
Orophin stopped immediately.
"Now that would be a waste," he replied, and licked the wine off his finger. Erestor followed each of his movements with growing fascination.
"I have asked you to share dinner with me for two reasons: I want to convince you firstly, to follow me to Lothlórien, and secondly, to spend the night with me. One of many, I hope. I think we would both profit greatly from such an arrangement."
Erestor shook his head, greatly confused by Orophin's offer, which had been made in a very casual, almost businesslike way.
"Orophin - I cannot decide if I should be flattered or insulted by your offer. Certainly you are aware that I do not - love you?"
"Love?" Orophin laughed. It was a cheerful, heartfelt laughter, which confused Erestor even more.
"My dear Erestor, of course you do not love me! Nor do I love you. Love is a luxury I cannot afford in my position. But I find you amusing and fascinating, not to mention the fact that you are most fair of face. I would enjoy your companionship greatly, and I dare say that you could learn a lot from me."
Erestor stared at Celeborn's advisor open mouthed. Had Glorfindel been right? Was Orophin too big a fish to fry?
"You certainly know that I cannot leave Imladris, Orophin. I serve as an advisor to Lord Elrond as punishment for my thieveries in the past. I cannot leave at leisure."
Orophin rolled his eyes.
"Good grief, Lord Elrond. Why worry about him? Worry about yourself, live your life as it suits you best. You do not owe him anything. Nor do you owe anything to Glorfindel, by the way."
Orophin reached for a scroll that was lying on a side table, and waved it at Erestor.
"This, my friend, is the answer to all your questions and Lord Elrond's prayers. Come here, I will show you what my admittedly very brilliant mind has come up with."
Erestor obeyed, stood up and walked over to Orophin, who had pushed his seat back and patted the table invitingly.
"Sit here, my friend. You are a far more beautiful decoration than the flowers and the candles."
Erestor's mind was racing. He was afraid, realising that Orophin really was a sly old fox who could be dangerous to him, but he was also excited. Intelligence attracted him, and in the warm light of the candles, Orophin seemed to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Glorfindel was nice to look at, all things considered, but Orophin was - enchanting. And Erestor felt that he was under his spell.
Erestor pushed carefully dishes, cutlery and glasses back, and sat on the table. Orophin handed him the scroll.
"Read," he ordered, and Erestor began to unroll the paper. Once he had finished, he frowned.
"You must be joking," he said.
"On the contrary," Orophin replied. "Celeborn wants the Mithril, all of it, and let us be honest: he will get it. If you sign this agreement, Elrond will get 25%, which is far better than nothing. In return, you accompany me to Lothlórien."
Erestor's eyes narrowed to small slits.
"Do you really think you can buy me, Orophin?"
The Lórien Elf shook his head.
"No, and that is not my intention. Once we have left Imladris, you are free to go wherever you wish. I would welcome it if you would stay with me, of course, but the decision is all yours. But consider your options, Erestor: you could learn from the best! You would be in the centre of Arda's power! Imladris is a nice place to stay with nice Elves - but Lothlórien, Erestor, Lothlórien is the heart of Elvendom!"
Erestor looked at Orophin, then he re-read the agreement. Orophin was right, of course. The books and contracts on which Celeborn based his demands were ages old and must have been set up by idiots, but they were still valid. He had only delayed Lord Elrond's defeat; he would not be able to prevent it. Especially not with Celeborn stalking after Feronil, as it would only take the sly old Elf a short time to figure out the nature of the relationship between Elrond and the young Elf.
And then there was Orophin, of course.
"Can I think about it?" Erestor asked.
Orophin smiled. He began to run his hand up Erestor's thigh, slowly, and all the while, he looked at Erestor with a smile that showed he was very confident of his victory. Erestor began to sweat; the evening had taken a most unexpected turn.
"I would rather say: learn about all options before you make a decision," Orophin said, and fumbled with the laces on Erestor's trousers. Erestor, still holding the quill, stared down at him in disbelief. 'I should shove that document down his throat and leave,' he thought, but at the same time, he longed for the touch of those strong yet elegant hands. He could not help but wonder what it would be like to be with Orophin.
"Nice," Orophin commented, and Erestor yelped when he felt the cool hands on his heated skin. Orophin said 'nice' like a farmer would have commented on the size of a carrot and, in a way, this comparison was not that far-fetched.
Orophin's hand closed around Erestor's cock.
"How is the decision process progressing, Erestor?" he asked in the same casual tone, and at the same time, he squeezed slightly.
"How can I think about anything if you do this?" Erestor gasped.
"Do you like it?"
"I find this conversation bizarre, to say the least," Erestor replied.
Orophin grinned.
"Really? I find it very inspiring."
He made short work of Erestor's trousers, and they soon pooled around his ankles. He probably looked very stupid, but this was the least of his concerns now.
More squeezing and pumping, alternated with slow licks of a wicked, wet tongue and the painful torture of breathing on his heated flesh. Indeed, Erestor found it difficult to think.
Orophin enjoyed himself greatly. This was going better than he had hoped, and it was a delight to see Erestor in a state of such passion. To think that Erestor could be his! He truly liked the young Elf, and desired him. But he also saw the political potential of the advisor. Having someone to teach and lead, a loyal confidante by his side, was something he had desired for many years.
"Orophin..." Erestor groaned, and that was about the last thing that could be heard from the usually so vocal advisor for quite a while. Limp and exhausted, he lay on the table, not noticing that he had just flattened the apple cake.
"You look delightful. I hope we can repeat this experience soon, with mutual participation."
Orophin joined Erestor on the table, his body covering Erestor's lithe one. He ran his hands through the dark hair, marvelling at its heaviness, and licked along the ridge of Erestor's ear.
"So... have you come to a decision, my lovely one?" he asked.
Erestor purred and nuzzled Orophin's neck.
"You know me all too well already, Orophin," he said. "Do you have a quill?"
* * *
TBC