#I honest to god could use a hug from thorin though

[raisedinerebor]

I See Fire

Paring: N/a

Song: I see fire - Ed Sheeran

Warnings: I know a lot of us are going through the fires going through Oregon, California and Washington right know and it’s probably the last thing you want to read about right now. So im just letting you all know that this is what this story is about.

An: Speaking of which, this is one long vent of a story. I’m in one of those states currenlty on fire. And i’ve been nothing but an anxitey filled mess for the last week. This is just my way of trying to calm down. I’m considering myself lucky. The fires haven’t quite reached where im at. They���re insanly close though and every so often keep on getting pushed back. But it’s driving me insane. I seriously cannot see the mountain right across where I live. It’s compleatly shrouded in smoke. I’m safe. My family is safe. And i’m thankfull for that. 

I hope all of you stay as safe as you possibly can.

Tags: @fizzyxcustard​

Ash fell from the sky like snow. Blanketing the world around us in a sea of grey. Smoke filtered through trees and hung high in the air. Smothering us with each aching breathe. It’s all we could smell anymore. Smoke. It clung to us like a promise made to be broken. 

The only thing we could see as well. It obscured towering mountains and once green trees. It made the sky cry red. Like some sick joke. As if we already weren’t in a living hell. It filled our lungs with ash and laughed when we choked.

Our days were filled with fear and trepidation. The promise of fire just around the corner. Our livelyhoods hung in a delicate balance. Any moment we could be forced away from our homes with whatever we could carry. With nothing more than memories of past lives.

We could only hope and pray that we wouldn’t end up like everyone else.

That our last memories of home won’t be that of dancing flames swallowing our houses. Of our lives.

.

.

.

My body shook as I jolted awake. My hands trembling as I place them over my pounding heart. I breathe in deeply. Cool mountain air filling my lungs. I almost cried then.  It wasn’t that long ago that I was there. Home. In a world of never ending smoke.

None of the Company knew that. All they knew was I was just some kid that was tagging along. I don’t know what magic brought me but I know I will make it send me back. As long as my family is stil there I will not stop fighting. Each day has been filled with anxiety and worry. I’m scared for them. It’s not fair that i’m safe here. Well. Relativly safe. As much as I can be with the impending doom of Orcs and other beasts that make thier home in this world.

I sit up and draw my blanket tightly over my shoulders. Wiping away a few tears that slipped past as I breathe in deeply once more. The only thing I have been thankful for since coming here. Fresh air. Free from smoke and ash.

“Y/n?” I glance up as Bilbo sits in front of me. I take the cup he offeres to me. It’s some type of tea. Sweet on my tongue with a minty aftertaste.

“Ya?” I take another drink.

“Are you okay, my dear?” He tilts his head to the side. Blonde curls fall softly and catch in the early morning light. I smile. Or at least try to.

“I’m fine Bilbo. Just thinking.” He reaches out with a hankerchief. Softly, as if though he were scared to hurt me, he brushed away tears I hadn’t known had fallen. He shakes his head.

“Something tells me that it’s quite the opposite.” He sits to the side of me and pats my knee. “You can talk to me. The others are sleeping and whatever you say will stay between us. That much I can promise.” He takes a drink of his own tea. “Me an you are quite the outsiders here and I think we should stick together. Don’t you think?”

I clear my throat and take a drink.  “I don’t think you want to hear about my troubles and woes, Mr. Baggins. And the last thing I wish to do is burden others with my troubles.” He shakes his head.

“Quite the opposite. Know. Please, tell me. Maybe I can help.” I jump as a few of the dwarves around us stir. Thorin going as far as to turn and pull his blanket further over his head.  He had the last of the night watch and probably wasn’t too keen on being woken anytime soon.

“My homes burning.” Bilbo looks at me. Eyes blown so wide I caught hint’s of green in his hazel eyes. “Before I came here. To this place. The states around me are on fire. And the one I live in.” I hug myself.

“And i’m one of he lucky ones. We are only on what they call, level one evacuation. We not so close that we can see flames but. Fuck. It’s so close that ash is raining from the sky.” I swallow thickly. “All around us is nothing but smoke and ash. People wondering where they’ll go if and when their homes burn. We’ve already backed up things we will need if we have to leave but.” My eyes burn as I blink away tears. 

“I’m scared Mr. Baggins. I’m so fucking scared that i’ll lose everything I have ever known. I’ve grown up in the same house my entire life. All those memories. All my family. I’m scared for them. Even if it’s not all that close to us yet. It’s all I worry about. All I could smell or taste is smoke and ash. It’s etched itself into every article of clothing and I can’t seem to wash it from my hair.” I wipe away the tears falling. “It’s so terrifying to watch the whole world bath itself in red. And i’m so scared. It’s not fair that i’m here and my family is still there.”

I look up, afraid that he’ll leave me where I am now. Open an vunerable and very much a scared little kid. But, instead, he pulls me in close. 

“We’ll get you back my dear. No matter what it takes. Gandalf has a plan. I know he does. And when it’s all done an over with just know, no matter what, you’ll have a home with me. That’s the only consolation I can give you now my dear. I hope that it will be enough.” I sniffle and nod my head. It’s not. Not really. But i’m not going to tell im that. I won’t be fine until i’m home again. But it does help. Even if its just a bit.

He pulls away all to soon.

“I have to get breakfast going my dear. You just rest a little longer. Okay?” I nod my head as he turns to leave. Only to jump a mile high as I catch Thorin sitting upright and staring right at me. Blue eyes pericing into my very soul. How much of that did he hear?

Shit.

I get up and make a beline to the tree line. The blanket falling from my shoulders and landing in a heap behind me. I walk along the small deer trail Gloin found the other day. It leads to a rather small stream but its enough to help wash away any signs that I had been crying.

The cold water stings as I splash it against my face. Sitting back on my heels I use the edge of my shirt to dry my face off. I grab a few pebbles and toss them into the water. I could hear The Company coming to life. FIli and Kili’s joivel shouts the loudest of them all. I don’t want to go back to camp. Not quite yet at any rate.

I stand up and grab a few smooth-ish looking rocks. They only skip across the water a couple of times. I try a few more times before deciding to give up. I jump back as a rock skips all the way to the other side. Leaving small ripples on its path.

“You have to flick your wrist a little more, Lass.” It’s Thorin. Damn. I kick at the pebbled shore before turning to look back to the other side of the stream and to the mountains towering above us.

“What’s going on? Are we leaving early today?” It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done that. Thorin desprate to cover more ground before the next downpour.

“No. Not today. I’ve decided we need a much needed rest.” He takes a few steps closer to me and places his hand on my shoulder. Fingers brushing away a few strands of hair resting there. “And me an you have much to discuss. Come.” I swallow thickly as he guide me towards an old fallen log. His hand never leaving my shoulder even as we sit. 

I fiddle with the rings on my fingers. Anxiety filling me as silence surrounds us. Thorin takes my hand into his and brushes his thumb along my knuckles. My hands were shaking. He clears his throat and looks up and off into the distance.

“I heard you speaking with Master Baggins.” He looks at me. Blue eyes distant and soft. If I had know any better I would have said he look upset. Sorrowful even. He brings my hand up and presses a chaste kiss to it.  “Lass, if I had known I would have moved us non-stop to Rivendale. Even as much as I do not wish to go there, im sadden to admit they would be able to help you far more than I could. They could get you home more quickly. For if magic is what brought you hear, surley they have the means to get you back the same way.” Once again i’m brought to tears.

“No one should have to watch their world succumb to flames. Much less at such a slow and steady pace.” He bows his head and gips the key around his neck with his free hand. “I have seen what fire can do. I know the feeling of heat licking at your skin and ash in your lungs. And have seen the charred remains it leave behind.”

I don’t think before I move. My arms seem to wrap around him of their own free will. My face burrying into the crook of his neck as sobs shake my body.

“I know of that fear you speak of, Y/n. And I mourn the fact that you have to live through that. I swear to Malhal that we’ll get you back home as quickly as possible. Your nightmares don’t need to be bathed in red.” He pulls back and rests his forhead on mine. One hand on the side of my face and the other rests at my hip. Callosed fingers tracing circles onto exposed skin.

“We will get you home.”

[celeste-clearwater-06]

Hi! Could I please request headcanons with the Durins, Bofur, Dwalin, Legolas, Elrond and anyone you'd like to add (or take out, sorry if that's too many characters) with a reader that tics? Like sometimes, random sounds slip out of them and they repeat them periodically for like a minute or so? Or sometimes hand movements or little gestures? I feel kinda embarassed of mine, so it would really help me. Thank you (also I read the nail polish headcanons and I loved them, you're amazing!)!

Absolutely!! And don't ever feel embarrassed! You are amazing, beautiful and perfect just the way you are!! Hope this meets up to your expectations! I'm not very familiar with tics and such, (I did a bit of research) so let me know how I did with the writing!

Tics (Thorin's Company x reader)

Thorin

At first, our king under the mountain doesn't know what to think

Surely he didn't hear you squeak...

To be honest, he thought you were doing it to annoy him, since your first interaction, you might have gotten off on the wrong foot 😅

And it wasn't the easiest to explain to Thorin, knowing he can be a tad thick-headed sometimes

It took a while to help him comprehend and had never seen it in your light

He understands now though, and has the most patience you have ever seen

He's never been more understanding to one person, even with his stubborn and sometimes grumpy demeanor

Thorin knows you can't help it, which is why he's instantly overprotective of you

If anyone dares make one comment, he's on their case like CRAZY

"Y/N can not help it, gilthock!"

"If you improperly console with her/him/them again, you'll face the wrath of my kin."

When the company was being chased down by Beorn, your tics were triggered and the great skin-changer could hear you from inside, clawing at the door with fury

You felt terrible, not able to contain the short exclamations and noises slipping from your mouth

But Thorin sent an icy glare to anyone who tried to hush you or tell you to keep it down

He's constantly reminding you that it's not your fault, and has become like a fatherly figure to you... Or perhaps, something more 😉

Fili and Kili

Unsurprisingly, both are also very confused little princes

Fili seems to have a bit more understanding of the seriousness of the situation, or at least maturity

(He is next in line to be king after all)

It took a while for them to adjust, since they'd never met anyone with tics before

One night, as you all sat down by the fire, the company grew a bit rowdy, which became stressful for our poor Y/N

Your tics were triggered easily by then with short yelps, and lines of curses that even made bofur blush

Ofc, you couldn't control it, but since the company had little idea of what was going on

the two brothers were quick to rush to your aid, rubbing a hand on your back as you let out a frustrated groan

"What's wrong with her, Oin?"

"I'm not sure. Is it a curse?"

"Probably dark magic!" Dori gasped

You just shook your head and managed to explain your predicament through tics that annoyed the absolute shit out of you

and embarrassed you as well >:(

After that, the princes were stuck to you like flies to honey

They would always ride their ponies by yours, offer to carry your bags, spend all day cheering you up

And more often than not, you would become less stressed and the thought of your tics would float away in the wind 😌✨

Hell, they even stood up to their own uncle after he continued to press some stressful questions about your unfortunate condition

Even if Fili and Kili are both very aware of the randomness of your outbursts, they still treat you as a normal part of the company

They'd hate for you to feel "out-of-place" as Kili put it, in their traveling party

You are so important to them both, and they'd never let you get hurt

Bofur

Meet Mr. Comedic relief

Whenever Bofur had first met you, he giggled at your little tics

Of course, he'd never meant to make you feel bad, he just thought they were absolutely adorable

Sometimes he playfully teased you about it, and that certainly didn't make you feel better

One night, he had gotten the others in the company to join him in his seemingly harmless jesting,

You just forced out laughter, hoping to convince them that you too, thought it hilarious

But after everyone had fallen asleep by the dying fire, your quiet sobs and tics were what stirred bofur

He came over and asked what was wrong, apparent worry shining in his deep brown eyes

So, reluctantly, you explained why you had little outbursts

Bofur felt awful

"Oh...oh. Oh I'm so sorry lass/laddie/leddie! I never meant any harm!"

He wrapped his huge arms around you in a big bear hug

Bofur never wanted to make anyone feel bad about themselves, especially you (his favorite member of the company 🥺)

"It's okay Bo. It's not your fault that they happen."

It takes a while for you to convince him he's not at fault, and once you do, he's never reluctant to approach you and spark up a silly conversation 😊

He has THE BEST stories

Is very good at keeping your thoughts away from your tics and cheering you up during stressful or upsetting situations

You call him "Bofur-Bear" 🥺

And he adores you so much

He doesn't really know how to react when you have ongoing outbursts, that go on for a minute or two

So he makes really corny jokes and stupidly hilarious innuendos that extract giggles from you while your having an episode

He will never let you go 🥴👉👈

Dwalin

(This Gif is so GOD DAMN FUNNY 💀)

Dwalin is, in some ways, like Thorin

Except 10x more grumpy 🙄

That's okay though, because we still love him 🥰

SUPER confused

At first, he was kinda rude :/

Said it was "disturbing to his duties"

tHAT HURT-

But one night, in the quiet of Rivendell, after everyone else had fallen asleep, you walked around the kingdom to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the elvish land

Dwalin had followed you, and when he called your name, you jumped in surprise, and it sparked a string of swearing

His eyes widened in shock in first, and then some incredible happened

He smiled :)

Just a tiny little grin, that was hardly noticeable under his thick mustache, but a smile nonetheless

"I didn't know ya' could use yer mouth like that."

You grumbled and turned back to the balcony, trying to rid yourself of his company

Regardless, he took heavy steps next to you, and slapped a thick hand against your back, as a friendly gesture

"Why are being so nice to me all of a sudden?" You asked incredulously

Dwalin sighed, but before he could answer, you yelled and slapped your hands against the marble railing

"I hadn't meant ta upset ya' that much."

You just shook your head, and proceeded to describe to him what was really going on

After that, Dwalin was silent, but gave a quick nod

He still needed time to really let the information seep through his thick head

You thought you had scared him off at first, but as your journey continued on, Dwalin actually grew closer than before

Whenever an enemy was nearby, he would look for you first, and place you behind h, out of harms way

Extra dinner? Dwalin made sure you were the first to get second portions, despite your humble protests

He gets teased by the rest of the company, and though he'll never openly admit it, he's grown very fond of you 🥴

He's not really the best at picking up on your social cues, like if he's being way overprotective

Though he tries his best, he also won't can't treat you like a regular person, more like someone who's physically injured

"Come on, Y/N let me carry ya'"

"Dwalin, seriously, I'm fine, I know how to walk-"

*picks you up anyways*

Overall, very sweet, just a bit excessive sometimes 😅❤

I just decided to stick with these few characters if you don't mind, since I have a lot of other requests to fill out, but I hope these are okay!! Thank you for your request, and I hope these were accurate enough 😅🥰

You're amazing, beautiful and never feel ashamed or embarrassed for something you can't control!! Stay strong!! ❤

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Boys and sticks - Chapter 27

Fandom : Hobbit (College AU)

Characters: @linasofia x Thorin, @laurfilijames x Fíli, me x Ori

Words: 1,6k

Warnings: just silliness, alcohol, probably crude language

Previous parts

“Sweet Lord in heaven,” Tova cried out and proceeded to trample out the flames licking at her part-time-lover and full-time obsession’s shoes. It seemed that he had kicked the grill, toppled flaming coals onto his own feet, and just stood there for a – literally – hot second.

“Seems like Thorin was burning for you and you put it out,” Lo joked, but her eyes flew to Fíli who just shook his head, smiling.

“I am fine,” Thorin declared with an embarrassed clearing of his throat.

“I’m glad, now that we’re apparently ‘friends’, I’d hate for you to go up in flames,” I added with a small wheeze, earning me a half-hug from the big brute. Thorin was like a huge cat somehow, sharp-clawed and elegant, but also weirdly cuddly.

I really needed to stop thinking of him as a furry creature, lest Tova read my mind and bash my head in, but the messy bun hanging sloppily off his head and the dark hair covering his strong forearms did not exactly help.

“Jia, would you like to bring Ori a beer? As he has been so gracious to come running to you with a glass of juice?” Thorin proposed, muttering how his friend had made no attempt at putting out the flames licking at his own feet neither by pouring juice on them nor by stomping them out.

I swallowed the annoyed reply saying that if Ori had wanted a beer, he would have gotten one, and picked up two cans before moving over to where he seemed to be sketching a tree very much like any other tree in this forest.

“Hey,” I said lamely.

“Hi, oh, is that for me? How kind of you!” He looked up with the expression of a deer in headlights, literal fear in his eyes, and took the can of beer awkwardly from me, turning it in his slender fingers for a moment before opening it.

“What are you sketching?” I asked, leaning over his shoulder, and looking at the – unsurprisingly excellent – drawing of the path and the trees that seemed a little darker and more menacing than they really appeared to me in the golden light of a sunny day.

“Thorin has almost been immolated,” I babbled on, taking a deep gulp of my own beer to steady my nerves.

“Oh really? I didn’t notice…How are you feeling?” He closed the notebook and set it aside on the bench next to him. The others were grouped around the grill like cavemen, and we were alone at the small table for the moment. “Do you want to sit down?”

Gallant as ever, he scooted over and patted the spot next to him. With a sigh, I sunk down on the hard wood, out of words and ideas how to start a conversation with him.

“I would be so happy if we did not have to call an ambulance this time,” Balin said gently and nudged Thorin who repeated that he was fine and that it had been a stupid accident. Tova rolled her eyes, she would have to check that later.

“I brought a salad,” Lo smiled, waving at her little icebox and – as there was not much anyone could do at the moment – the men returned to the bench, effectively cutting short my own attempts at talking to Ori about what had transpired at the brook.

There was something weirdly touching about the scene unfurling, them horsing around at the small table, and us trying to get all the side-dishes ready and presentable. “Wifey-material right there,” I joked, but the hard stares from the other two women made me relapse into silence. Sneakily, I took a picture with my phone camera though because this was a memory I needed to keep just in case meetings like these would never happen again. It was precious beyond diamonds and pearls to me; this was living, breathing, soulful beauty and I had never known how much I had yearned for it before seeing it unfold before my very eyes.

I had come to understand that they had some weird notions of inferiority, but I had – honest to God – never seen such adorable, dorky, sublimely chaotic idiots as those shoving each other off the narrow wooden bench.

“It’s a surprise Thranduil has not popped out from one of the bushes yet,” Dwalin grumbled as I set down a bowl with the badly cut bread – Kíli seemed to have been more focused on eavesdropping than on cutting straight – in front of them.

Should I tell them? They had revealed so much about themselves, I felt like I owed them that much honesty.

“We’ve grown up together,” I admitted. His father and mine had been in the same circles and so, I had known that asshole for many a year. Not that I cared particularly for him, but when I had arrived at university, it had been nice to know at least one other person.

“Oh, so you’re…fancy? Like Fíli’s girlfriend?” Kíli grinned – out of the mouths of babes and such – not noticing how all the others seemed to tense up upon hearing this unexpected revelation followed by his question, heavy with meaning.

“I am not in the least fancy, look, I’m drinking beer out of the can like everybody else,” I replied, ignoring the comment about my protégée being the ‘girlfriend’ of his brother.

“Maybe, he’s in love with you?” Thorin looked at me with deep, unfathomable eyes; he seemed cautious now and I could guess that he had been deprived of many things in the past by other people and their greed.

“NOBODY is in love with me,” I snarled, a little more vehemently than strictly necessary I admit, much to the annoyance of Tova.

Blank stares from the men. “Are you serious?” Kíli sounded as if he suddenly questioned my sanity.

“I am dead serious, dude, nobody, I repeat not a single soul in this world, is in love with me,” I growled irritably.

“Oh, dude, you are in a for a surprise,” the young man laughed heartily until he was just pushed off the bench, backwards, by his brother.

“Never mind him,” Fíli smiled amiably, but the same merriment glimmered in his own eyes. Fine, I thought, if you all think you know more than me, turning away to check my phone and find a missed call by my parents and a reminder that I needed to find a partner for English Lit. Ah yes, all in good time.

Thorin returned to the grill, finally putting the meat on, and staring at it intently as if that would prevent it from burning to a crisp. With a wink in my direction, Tova followed him, wrapping her arms around his waist invitingly and sinking into a mellow kiss as soon as he turned around to ease his own arm around her shoulders.

She had agreed on dating him, so it was easy for her to just prompt a kiss, but as said interaction stretched on and on, I started to wonder if they were engaged in some dark ritual during which their souls were swapped or something of that nature.

“Tova, let the man keep his face, you cannot be that fucking hungry!” I cried after a moment, but she merely pushed up a little closer before releasing Thorin with a – I had to admit – very satisfying ‘plop’-sound.

This was echoed by more cans of beer being opened and poured into dry throats which – in my humble opinion – was not the best of ideas, especially because – thanks to Tova – the patties were now burned on one side and raw on the other.

Soon, the champagne was opened as well, and lunch seemed to become a liquid affair rather quickly. Was it even lunch anymore? Early dinner? Tea?

“I think that is quite enough,” Balin muttered, but didn’t have the heart to actually stop them.

“I am terribly single,” Dwalin lamented, “even more than Ori, can you imagine?” And with that, he crushed the can in his bare hand and moved on to the next one before remembering that he had to go to work after this.

Tipsy Thorin was a terrible cook.

I was too hungry and depressed to really mind, but the food was not good. Tova seemed to have lost most of her tastebuds in her tongue-wrestling with the aforementioned, lamentable cook and was now strutting around wearing an invisible crown because she had completed Lo’s idiotic challenge. The men would – probably – have eaten the patties raw if it hadn’t been for our illustrious company and Lo? Who the hell knew what was going on in that woman’s mind?

Let’s put it like that, half-raw meat oozing into her mouth seemed to be something she was quite inured to.

“That was utterly disgusting, Thorin,” Fíli roared, wiping his mouth, and patting his stomach.

“Next time, you do it yourself, asshole,” Thorin muttered but was quickly mollified by Tova’s tender attention as she hugged him tight and told him that it wasn’t all that bad. Clearly, she was lying, but what was a little white lie when it came to love?

“So, Tova rides a motorbike…Any hidden talents?” Kíli then asked Lo who informed him that she was an excellent rider, of horses, that was, which made Fíli almost choke on his champagne.

“You?” he turned to me and I shook my head – feigning regret – cagey about the things I did in my free time.

“Jia is a really good singer, as we’ve all witnessed. Why don’t you sing us a song?” Tova the wicked, Tova the devious, Tova the endlessly cruel purred. Unfortunately, they were all too tiddly to care for my discomfort and started demanding a song.

The first and only song that came to mind was – alas – ‘Waking up slow’ by Gabrielle Aplin. Fuck…

[iamthechocobabe]

We All Have Battle Scars

THE SECRET HAS BEEN DISCOVERED. WHAT SHALL BE DONE. 

AU Based On: We Intertwined

We All Have Battle Scars

~Chapter 6~

SFW

Word Count: 2,605

The four all stood around awkwardly as Alaea had gone behind a rock to lose all of the contents in her stomach. She was apparently inexperienced enough to not know that you shouldn't eat a huge meal before a large battle because she'd been back there for a good five minutes. Prompto tried to go help her by holding back her hair, (a habit he had gotten used to whenever Gladio got drunk) but she refused to let anyone see her throw up more than once.

Finally, there was a silence and Alaea started to come out from behind the rock, her eyes bleary and red; she didn't make it two steps before she got a look in her eye and ran back behind the boulder to continue to throw up. 

How much did this girl have to eat?

Finally, she left the boulder, a few tears running down her eyes from crying a little, but Prompto figured it was due to the vomiting and not actual sadness. Gladio handed her a bottle of water and she took it, swigging the water in her mouth before going behind the boulder and spitting the water out. 

"Have a huge breakfast, you said," Alaea grumbled. "It'll be fine, you said, you need a good meal, you said. Fucking waffles..." 

"Mmm..." Prompto was pretty hungry since he didn't have a chance to eat breakfast. "Waffles..." 

"Oh, Gods, shut up," Alaea held her hand over her mouth like she was gonna throw up again but seemed to hold it down. "We should head back, my dad's probably worried sick about me," 

"Yeah, whose fault is that, I wonder..." Noctis mumbled. 

"Hey, I saved your asses!"

"And we saved yours," Ignis said. "So I suppose we're even," 

Alaea paused for a second before nodding. "Fair enough, I guess," 

They began heading back to the Outpost, with Noctis and Ignis taking the lead, Gladio and Prompto in the middle and Alaea tagging along behind them. Noticing she was behind, Prompto glanced at her and waited for her to catch up before walking on. 

The action made Alaea glance at Prompto like she was surprised, like someone had never done that for her before and Prompto couldn't help but wonder how many people in her life have actually been nice to her. Were people so shallow that they refused to look past something so simple as a burn scar? 

"Hey..." Alaea spoke loudly to show she was talking to all of them, though she looked like she wanted to hide behind her hair like she had the previous night. 

When Alaea got everyone's attention, she fiddled with her ponytail, but Prompto was able to hear her mumbling softly. "I just wanted to say...thanks. For helping me, I mean," 

Prompto couldn't help but smile and the words were out of his mouth before he realized he sounded like a cocky little prick. "Speak a little louder, I don't think the caterpillars heard you," 

Prompto was worried that Alaea would take offense to his ridiculously stupid comment, but it seems Prompto had nothing to worry about. 

Because she just smiled. 

This time, at him.

It wasn't that long of a trek back to the Outpost, mostly filled with Prompto doing his best to make Alaea smile. Stupid jokes filled awkward silence  while the other three walked in front thinking 'what the hell is with these two?' Alaea decided to let Prompto in on all of the blonde jokes she knew and pretty soon, they were both wheezing with laughter. 

"I think I know every blonde joke there is," Alaea was informing Prompto as the Outpost came into view. 

Prompto grumbled and fiddled with his bright blonde locks. "Why do people always make fun of blondes?" 

"Because they're easy to hate," 

Prompto glanced at Alaea with a feigned look of hurt look on his face. "Do you hate me?" 

Alaea wasn't fazed by Prompto's hurt look and simply responded in kind, somehow knowing he was just kidding. "Not as much as other blondes," 

"Ow, my pride..." 

Before long, the sound of Chocobos filled the air as the Chocobos were now back out in full force, enjoying their first time out in the sun in over a month. Prompto wanted to run and coo at the Chocobos, but fought the temptation when he saw Wiz heading right for Alaea and he did not look happy. 

Wiz stopped in front of Alaea and looked like he didn't know what to say, so he looked at the four people who had gone to help her. "She went after the daemon?" 

When all four nodded, Wiz looked at Alaea, his face dark and angry but also filled with worry. "Alaea, I have never, in my life as your father, been more tempted to backhand you across the face-you thank the Gods that I'm not that kind of parent," 

Alaea paused and nodded-she knew her dad was right. It had been stupid of her to go out there on her own and if the four hadn't intervened when they did, she probably would have gotten herself killed. 

"I'm sorry, dad...I know it was stupid and I can justify it by saying I had the Outpost's interests at heart, but I think you and I both know I was just being stubborn and stupid," Alaea looked at her dad with a small smile. "I think I have officially figured out though that I am not cut out for bounty hunting so you don't have to worry about me wanting to be a bounty hunter anymore..." 

"Well, thank the Gods, there's hope for you yet," Wiz said and took off his cap to scratch his head. His eyes filled with tears and he pulled Alaea into a huge bear hug, squeezing her so hard that Alaea heard some bones pop. "Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again, got it?" 

"Deal," 

Wiz let go of his daughter and looked at Prompto, Noctis, Gladiolus and Ignis with a huge smile of gratitude. "You've done this family a huge service-dinner's on me and you get free passes to Chocobo racing," 

"OH, BABY!" Prompto jumped with his fist in the air, brimming with excitement. "Noctis, I'll race you-let's go let's go let's go!" 

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," was Noctis' reply and he headed for the caravan without another word. 

"Oh, come on, Noct!" Prompto pleaded at Noctis' back before glancing at his other two companions. "So..." 

It was as if Ignis and Gladiolus couldn't get away fast enough. 

"You guys are a bunch of jerks!" Prompto folded his arms, pouting so intensely that it made Alaea laugh. 

Wiz glanced at the two and got a huge twinkle in his eye, a look that Alaea recognized, like when her dad would try to make his Chocobos try a new trick. "Why don't you race Alaea? I'm sure she'll be more than happy to race you," 

"Dad, I'd cream him," Alaea couldn't help but boast at her prowess for Chocobo racing, as everyone in a 25 mile radius knew Alaea was the best Chocobo racer so far. She'd started when she was six and could count the losses she'd had in her years of Chocobo racing on one hand. 

Prompto gave Alaea a cocky grin. "Is that a challenge I hear?" 

Alaea cocked her eyebrow at Prompto; the boy clearly had no idea what he was in for. "Prompto, I was born and raised around Chocobos-you won't stand a chance," 

Prompto didn't back down. His cocky grin simply grew to a cocky smile as he faced Alaea head on. Alaea hadn't noticed until then that she and Prompto were the same height, his eyes the same level with her own eyes and he stood so close that Alaea could count the freckles on his face. 

"Challenge accepted," 

Prompto started heading for the race track across the road while Alaea hung back with her dad, laughing a little at Prompto's goofiness. It was refreshing to have someone so lively at the Outpost, someone who Alaea could only describe as sunshine. Everytime Prompto smiled or joked with her, Alaea felt like the sun was warming her face and it was nice to see someone so...happy.

Alaea wished she had that same sunshine in her own soul. 

"He's not a bad looking fella," Wiz acknowledged as Alaea began to head after Prompto. 

The comment made Alaea look back at her dad with her trademark raised eyebrow. "Dad, he's blonde," 

"Chocobo's are blonde," Wiz pointed out. 

"Chocobo's don't comment on my face," Alaea mumbled and went over to Prompto who was jumping up and down and waving his arms like crazy out of anticipation.

"Challenge failed," 

Alaea was framed by the sunset, her ponytail now falling out of the ponytail holder as she stood next to her bright purple Chocobo, triumphant in her victory. Five races and Alaea still managed to leave Prompto in her dust, though Prompto wasn't really surprised. The girl had grown up around Chocobos after all, it only made sense that she could be this excellent at Chocobo racing. 

Though, if Prompto was being honest with himself, he would admit that the reason he challenged Alaea to a  race was because he just wanted to see her smile. For some reason, he loved seeing her smile...she had a really cute smile. Her cheeks would swell and she apparently had a dimple on her left cheek that was partially hidden by the scar. He felt like he could live off of her smiles...

Prompto would never admit that, though. 

Partially because it sounded bat-shit insane. 

"Again," Prompto challenged. He was laying down in the middle of the track after being thrown by his Chocobo right before he crossed the finish line. His Chocobo was named Bongo and was the one with bright yellow feathers with a few white feathers dusting around the bird. Bongo was a pretty good Chocobo, but he loved to throw Prompto after a race. 

He coughed from a gust of dirt that Bongo had kicked into the air and glanced up at Alaea's smirky grin. Alaea was apparently a little  competetive and always accepted Prompto's invitation for a rematch. This time, though, she shook her head. 

"Just admit defeat, loser deloser," 

"You kids still at it?" Wiz and a few of the other workers had come to lead the Chocobos at the race track into the pens for the night. "I'm gonna have to start charging you now, Prompto," 

"Oh, come on," Prompto whined-clearly the Thorin's were against him for some reason. 

Wiz chuckled and helped Prompto to his feet. "Dinner's ready, as promised. I even gave your friend in the specs a discount on the caravan tonight, dinner obviously included-Chocoburgers with Chocofries and Choco-baby carrots," 

"We sell a lot of Chocobo related food," Alaea said. "In case you didn't notice," 

Prompto dusted the dirt from his clothes and hair while following Alaea and Wiz over to the Outpost. "Never would have guessed-what's a Chocoburger?" 

"A hamburger made with Chocobo meat instead of beef," Alaea explained. 

"That sounds-wait, what???" Prompto stopped with his mouth gaping at Alaea. The thought of such cute and innocent birds being made into hamburgers made him want to cry at the thought. 

Alaea smiled. "I'm kidding-it's a hamburger cut in the shape of a Chocobo. The fries are shaped like Chocobo's too and the baby carrots are shaped like baby Chocobos," 

"That sounds adorable," 

"You should see our Choco-ice cream," 

Noctis, Gladio and Ignis were eating underneath the canapy under the caravan while playing Kings Knight and Prompto was itching to join and attempt to redeam himself at the game. The smell of hamburgers and fries wafted over to them and even from the driveway, it smelled delicious. 

Alaea glanced at Prompto for a second but averted her eyes when he looked back at her. "I heard you're leaving for Lastallum tomorrow," 

Prompto paused before nodding. "We have to meet Gladio's little sister, Iris..." Alaea was avoiding his gaze so he couldn't see how she was taking the news. Still, he felt some weird need to cheer her up. "But we're probably gonna come back before heading to Altissia...Noctis loves him some Chocobos, you know?" 

Alaea laughed a little. "He doesn't strike me as the the type," 

Prompto smiled but felt embarassed when he saw Wiz watching the two of them like a hawk...chaperone hawk. "I assume you're joining us for dinner?" 

"I thought you'd never ask," Wiz said with a smirk. 

Alaea smiled again and Prompto felt that same joy again at seeing her smile-he wasn't sure what it was about this girl that made him feel so strange and bizaare but at this point, he didn't care. Or he didn't mind, take your pick. Seeing her smile was making Prompto's stay at the Outpost all the more enjoyable and all he could think of was how much it would suck when they would have to leave tomorrow. 

Alaea walked in front of Prompto to say hi to the others and was fixing her ponytail in the process. Prompto almost didn't notice it at first, just thought it was an interesting birthmark until he noticed the tiny stem that curved to the left of the ulwaat berry shaped mark. 

Prompto didn't realize he was reaching forward until he felt Alaea's shoulders underneath his gloved hands, making her hold still. The fabric crinkled under his fingers from dried mud, but he didn't care at the moment. 

"What are you doing?" Alaea asked slowly. 

"Hold still," Was Prompto's answer, because he wanted a closer look. He had to be sure. 

He was. 

In the center of her neck, just below her hairline. A mark the size of the tip of a thumb in the shape of an ulwaat berry with it's stem curving to the left. A mirror image. Prompto's mirror image. 

"Daddy says that when I'm big, I'll meet someone with the same mark as me. Then, if I want to, we can fall in love and get married and my soulmate will kill all the bugs in the world for me," 

How could he have not seen it? It all made sense now, why he felt like he'd seen her before, how he felt like he was emotionally connected to her when he barely even knew her. He'd met her, somehow they had met and she had showed him her soulmate mark. He only remembered the mark and what she said, but he knew it was her. 

Alaea shook Prompto's hands off her shoulders and faced him with a slight smile on her face, unsure of what he was doing. "What's wrong with you? Have you never seen a soulmate mark before?" 

Prompto looked at Alaea and he was smiling. After years of dreaming, of wondering, of hoping, he had found her...and in his eyes, she was perfect. Everything he had dreamed of. 

A beautiful smile. 

"Prompt?" Noctis, who was watching the spectacle from the table at the caravan, called out the two. "Don't freak her out with your stalkerish tendencies," 

Prompto opened his mouth to answer him, but no words came out. He just stood there, stupefied, while the others at the Outpost stared uncomfortably at him, waiting to see his reaction. Finally, he found words. 

"I have seen a soulmate mark before," he said, his voice barely above a whisper and was so soft that Alaea almost didn't hear it. 

So to make sure she understood, Prompto turned around and lifted his hair so she could see his soulmate mark as well.