My Date with Rumil

Last month, I won a fic challenge (Peacemaker or I'll never marry - I don't know which one - for those who read me) and the prize was a date with Rumil or Orophin -my choice.

I could not decide - they are both so lovely, so one of my muses- SnapeBaby - flipped a coin and I called it.

Rumil won.

Due to Real Life issues, my date - which was supposed to be last Friday, was put off to this Friday. Rumil was most understanding and I decided to give him my undivided attention for the entire weekend.

Our scene opens...


Date with Rumil: 1/5 Getting Ready

SnapeBaby was chuckling madly.

"HalMuse is sooo pissed. I do not know why!" He exclaimed, looking at my reflection in the mirror. He stood over my shoulder, an almost smile on his face.

A defiant gleam in his eye.

"You never spend this much time, gussying up for me..." SnapeBaby glared at the grousing Elf through the mirror. "...for us." Hal-Muse mumbled hotly.

"You never give me a chance to get ‘gussied up'. " I retorted. "In tub, ub, out of the tub, in the bed, swinging in the longboats, helping me write..." my words trailed. ‘Guys, this is the first REAL date I've been on in... oh... a couple of years." My voice was wistful. "I am so looking forward to this." I did not see the exchange of looks over my head. I was too busy looking at myself in the mirror, pulling at my top. "SnapeBaby, are you sure about this outfit? It looks so... so..."

"Daring, Zee! You look beautiful!"

"Oh, Puh-leeze!" HalMuse jumped off the bed and came to stand at my other shoulder. "Where is the rest of this outfit?" He flicked disdainfully at the sparkly stuff SnapeBaby had dusted on me.

"Over on the bed." SnapeBaby gestured to a glittering slash of silver.

"That is not enough!" HalMuse picked up the shimmering, gossamer scrap, giving it a good shake. He slung it at the Dark Wizard before sighing heavily. "Zee, I picked something out..."

"Yes, you did. And it was every bit as bad as this!" I pointed at the Jessica McClintock Original, hanging on the hook.

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with it?"

I propped my hands on my ample hips. "Well, for starters, it is a WINTER outfit. It is flannel and with the high, fussy collar, the long sleeves, and the tea length skirt, I would be covered from head to toe!"

"I still do not see the problem with that!" HalMuse puffed angrily. "It is a damn sight better than what you are wearing this moment!"

I had to reluctantly agree.

SnapeBaby had put me in a black, strapless bodysuit - he called it a catsuit, that clung like second skin. Ah! The power and glory of lycra! My hair was coiffed with perfect waves. I snatched the sheer tunic from HalMuse's grasp, shoving my arms into the sleeves. It was diaphanous, did not conceal anything. HalMuse spun me around, his hands searching... searching...

"There are no buttons on this!" he growled. "How is she supposed to keep it closed?"

"She isn't!" SnapeBaby purred. "Step back, you addle-pated Elf!" The Wizard's mood shifted suddenly and he spun me to him.

I was starting to get rather dizzy.

"Let me look... ah, yes! You ARE missing something!" A long finger tapped impatiently on pursed lips. "Ah, I know just the thing..."

"More clothes?" HalMuse sounded hopeful.

"No, not ‘more clothes', you Neithadol!" SnapeBaby was reveling in his hard-won Elven words. Pretty soon, he could possibly be hexing people in Sindarian, Iluvatar help us all! "She needs... accessories!" With the wave of his wand, a wide, jet-encrusted stomacher, wrapped itself around my waist, squeezing it tightly. "Lift your hair..." A matching, jet and onyx choker, with a sprinkle of diamonds was placed around my throat. The stark darkness set off my fair hue of skin. SnapeBaby held out his hand, silver sparkling in the palm. "You like ear cuffs so much, I had these designed for you..."

I gently picked up the... cuffs were not were not the right word.

"Mallorn leaves?"

"Yes. Despite popular belief, I CAN give a little, when necessary." He helped me don the exquisitely made ear jewelry; the leaves wrapped delicately around my ear lobes and rim. Quickly, he whipped out two beautiful diamond hair barrettes, pinning my abundant hair behind my ears to show them off.

"SnapeBaby, these are lovely. I don't know what to say."

"Just enjoy yourself and have a good time."

"Hey, SnapeBaby!" HalMuse was getting more and more disgruntled by the second. "When did you become..." HalMuse's wrist suddenly went limp, as the grouchy Elf waggled his eyebrows seductively.

SnapeBaby coiled up within himself, tightly tucking his hands in the crook of his elbows. "I am not... that!"

"Are you sure? I have seen so many stories pairing you with Harry and Draco and Luuuuuuuuuuucius. I have even seen you paired with Dumbledore and Hagrid!"

"Oh. Is that so?" SnapeBaby's voice was low, evilly smooth, rich chocolate- whipped velvet. "You do not have room to talk. I have seen you paired with everyone, Elf-slut that you are. I have even seen you paired with Gimli, Gandalf... even Hobbits and Treebeard!"

HalMuse lunged at the Wizard with that and it was everything I could do to keep them from tearing each other apart.

Oh, I needed this date so horribly!

"Look! I can still send you off separately, if I must!" HalMuse lifted an elegant eyebrow.

"Okay. I could volunteer for an Elving. Go pirating, work on the Lorian Pleasure Cruise... I can name Iluvatar knows how many lovely lassies who would vie for my attention. You..." he sneered at SnapeBaby "... on the other hand..."

"I do not need a silly, vapid female to occupy my time!" SnapeBaby hissed. "Unlike you, who must have constant female adulation, I can amuse myself just fine in my dungeon if Zee is not available."

"I did not say I was willing to go, I simply said..." The two were nose to nose.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" I nudged myself between them. "Play nice!" (Cripes! I feel like Rachel Weiss! - Where was Brendon Frasier? Obed whats-his-name? The really hot bald dude in the natty loin cloth? Something Voslo?...) "If I send one off, I send you both! SnapeBaby, I know several lovely ladies who would adore attention from you and bask in your unique brand of... uhm... thoughtfulness!"

"I do not wish their attention." I looked into the intense black eyes.

"What do you wish?"

"I wish for you to enjoy yourself thoroughly and return knowing that no matter how sweet the icing on the cake, there is nothing compared to the two of us!"

Very pretty words coming from this one. Question is, was he talking HalMuse and SnapeBaby two? Or Zee and SnapeBaby two?

Hmmmmm...

"One more thing."

"Yes, SnapeBaby?"

He held in his hand my shoes. Strappy little sandals with a high, high stiletto heel.

"I dunno, Sweetheart. It's been years since I have been in anything higher than a wedged half inch heel." I gingerly slipped them on, using SnapeBaby as a pillar of support.

HalMuse was mimicking me, making faces.

"All the more for you to wear them. You cannot dance in those flip flops you are partial too."

I looked at the clock, 7:00 PM fast approaching.

"Any ground rules you wish to discuss?"

"Ground rules, madam? I think not! Whatever... floats your boat!"

"HalMuse?"

The Elf sat at the foot of our bed, arms crossed angrily, one booted foot bouncing. Indigo orbs blazed in an unstoked fire. "Yes. Do not fall in love. Do not replace us. Do not..." He stopped and glared at the ceiling, the leg bouncing harder and harder. "Please." he gritted, "have a good time. Do not worry about us." And with that, he flung himself from the bed and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

I could hear him stomping down into the Love Dungeon.

Both SnapeBaby and I exhaled a deep sigh.

"He is so upset. Perhaps I should decline and allow the second place winner to go." SnapeBaby drew himself up to full height. His tone was imperious.

"No, you will not! As you said, it has been a long time since you have been on a date. Rumil has spent time planning this outing. And when he discovered it was YOU, well, he added the entire weekend, in order to spend more time with you." He put his arms around me and pulled me into his robes. "I dare say, with the week you had last week, he feels mightily to show you a good time! That one desperately wants to be someone's muse and you, my dear, are an open and loving individual. He will try to charm his way into your heart; he is already in your good graces. However, I know your feelings, as does that silly Elf downstairs. I know where my loyalty lies and hopefully, these three days, will make HalMuse think about what is important."

His lips descended on mine, tenderly, sweetly; the kiss, thorough. If women truly knew what a gentle lover this one was, I woulve sve so many females on my doorstep, it would be like a cat in heat! His head lifted and I saw his nostrils flare.

"Perfume. You need perfume." Quickly, the small bottle of Most Precious was in his hand and he gently dabbed the sweet oil on the column of my throat, behind my ears, along the pulse points of my wrists. A long finger dipped between by breasts, making me giggle. He dropped the bottle in my suitcase.

The doorbell rang. I looked at SnapeBaby, nervousness showing.

"How do I look?"

"Zee. You are beautiful." He leaned over, lips hovering over mine. "Follow your heart." He kissed me again, tongue swirling with mine. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss. He tucked my hand in one elbow and grasped my case with the other, leading me down the stairs.

HalMuse was there, fury still mounting. I allowed Rumil in. His braids were neat, simplicity personified. He wore a cream embroidered tunic with brown leggings and boots.

He wore ear cuffs.

My heart flipped.

HalMuse's eyes narrowed on the intricate ear jewelry his brother had chosen.

"Lirimaer. You are beautiful." He started to take my hand.

Before I could take it, HalMuse grabbed me, pulling me into his rock hard embrace. His kiss was searing; his tongue, pure heat. He cupped my backside and pulled me into him. He took my breath, a- purpose.

"Come home to me!" he whispered. "To us."

I stroked his ear. Why would he be so worried?

Rumil took my hand and led me out the door. I heard the quiet click behind me.

***

For several minutes, the two Muses watched as the Elf led her down the drive, and disappear into the sunset.

"That was a disgusting display of emotion. Totally un- warranted."


"I know my brother. He will try to steal his way into her heart. I do not intend to sit by and wait." HalMuse rubbed his hands toget eye eyes narrowed in scheming.

"Oh, your middle brother will do anything to accomplish that. He bribed me to hex the coin so he would win."

"Yes, I know. And Orophin was very grateful for that little impart of information." HalMuse smiled for the first time since being informed Zee had won the date.

"How grateful would that be?" SnapeBaby didn't like the sound of HalMuse's voice.

"He gave me," HalMuse whipped a rolled piece of parchment from his sleeve, "their itinerary." The Elf's grin was evil. Almost as evil as SnapeBaby's could be.

"When you speak in that tone, I have the impression that you are... up to something."