-Disclaimer- Please see Chapter 1.

Rain

"Serge, go away and never come back!"

"But Veronica-"

"I can't forgive you, Serge, not after seeing you with…with Patricia!"

Orophin stifled a chortle.

"I don't love your sister, I love you!"

"I found you in-"

Orophin pressed a button idly with his thumb.

"The walrus must maintain its layer of blubber throughout the harsh winter…"

Click.

"Veronica, I-"

Click. Clickclickclick.

"Les enfants sont…"

Snap.

A blank. Orophin watched the darkened television screen with interest. What an odd contraption. He glanced to his left to see Elrohir staring, ever so amused, at him. Elrohir took a sip of his fizzy drink.

Orophin warily examined his own bubbly glass; one sip had convinced him it was a very unnatural beverage, indeed. His eyes had shot wide open as he felt the miniscule fizzes bubbling in his mouth, and he had swallowed only when Elrohir had sworn on his honor that it was not poison. Of course, Elladan had laughed through it all- so hard that he had wiped away tears from the corners of his dark eyes.

Days of the week held no significance for Orophin, but Elladan and Elrohir were basking in a day of lethargy. He supposed that soon he would understand the meaning of a work week, but he had yet to be enlightened. So he spent the day lounging about idly, walking with his hands folded behind his back around the modest garden Elladan had planted, watching the thing- the television­, exploring the depths of the other thing- the refrigerator. How strange all these things were. Except for the garden; he understood that.

The telephone rang after lunch; the noise jolted Orophin out of his seat on the couch. Elladan explained hastily that it was the telephone, a thing that would let two people in different places have direct discussion. Elrohir picked it up, grinning at Orophin.

"Hello?"

Orophin realized he was listening to one half of a conversation.

"Hi! Fine, we're fine. How're you?"

Elrohir was speaking quickly and fluently, and Orophin was somewhat lost.

"Oh yes, he's here, finally. Want to say hello? No, he's perfectly alright... no, we've done nothing of the kind. Yes, really."

Elrohir held the black-colored telephone toward him and Orophin took it gingerly.

"It's Glorfindel. He wants to say hello." Orophin put the thing under his ear as he had seen Elrohir do and was utterly surprised to hear a voice coming through it. A voice from this inanimate thing!

"How are you, Orophin?" the voice asked.

"I am well, lord Glorfindel, and you?"

"Same as always, I expect," said the voice cheerfully. "The twins tell me you're staying with them for a time?"

"Yes, I am, though I do not know how long I will be here."

"That's fine. How about paying me a visit sometime? It's been several years since last I saw you, I believe."

"It has. That would be lovely, I think."

"Good! I'll be expecting you, then. Telephone me before you arrive...I suppose you can bring those two delinquents with you, as well, if they haven't got work to be doing."

Orophin wondered if he was perhaps a nuisance to have around, so new to everything modern. He decided to say nothing of it, and instead thanked Glorfindel and handed the telephone to Elrohir.

"Mmm-hmm," said Elrohir, rolling his eyes at Elladan and twisting the cord between his long fingers. "Mmm-hmm. Yes. No. I'm not sure, should I ask? Okay. See you. Take care, Glorfindel."

And then he hung the telephone back on the wall; Orophin assumed the conversation with Glorfindel had ended.

"Orophin, when do you want to go?" asked Elrohir, dropping unceremoniously onto the couch.

"I care not…whenever you want to, I suppose." The next words came out in a heavily accented rush: "Am I too much of a hindrance here?"

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged annoyed looks. "No," said Elladan. "It's nice. Having you here, I mean. I'm not alone with this madman," he said, grinning and sticking an index finger into Elrohir's side.

Elrohir grabbed Elladan's finger and pushed it backward to the back of his hand. Elladan's mouth twisted and he jerked it away. "Ow!" he cried, scowling.

"You have both lost your minds," Orophin announced placidly

Elrohir nodded smugly. "A little. But if I'm crazy, Orophin, it's because I live with him."

Elladan rolled his eyes and mouthed something indistinguishable. "Anyway," he said pointedly, "no, you are in no way a bother to have around. Do you feel like you are?"

"You both have lives."

"Well, yes, but you're a part of our lives."

"Yes, but-"

"No 'buts'. We have all the time in the world! Tomorrow we'll go to the park or something…give you the grand tour."

"It'll be fun!" Elrohir interjected.

"New places-"

"New people and things-"

"New smells-"

"Disgusting, Elladan," Elrohir said, laughing. At Orophin's confused look, he explained, "Cities don't always smell nice. Cars smell rather bad, actually, and there are a lot of them."

"How odd," said Orophin, shaking his head. "I don't recall it being this way out here."

"Things change," said Elladan gently. "That's wrong, I suppose: Men change and things stay the same. We stay the same, too, in a lot of ways, though one can't help but adapt a little."

They were on the couch, all three of them. Afternoon sun streamed in through the open window, and the curtains fluttered in the summer breeze. Children played outside, giggling and chasing each other barefoot through the grass. "People are always changing, you've just got to give them a chance before you judge them."

It was warm, the air was heavy; Orophin breathed in the humidity, his mind telling them it would thunder soon. They were quiet for some time, listening and watching and waiting for the downpour.

(tbc)

Thanks for reading!