#either kili or fili is fine

[just-a-little-cellist]

Hey! I just discovered your account and I absolutely love your writing-I feel like you characterise everyone perfectly! I saw your requests were open so I was wondering if I could make one? Could you write either Fili or Kili (or both, separately, if you���re feeling up for it but don’t feel like you need to) being protective over the reader? Like maybe someone is being mean to them or they are being followed or something along those lines (maybe with she/her pronouns but they/them is also fine!). You can choose the format-I’m not picky about whether you do head canons or a one shot or anything else. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like writing this and lemme know if I’ve requested anything off limits! Have a wonderful day/night-imma just binge read a bunch of your posts👌

(aw thank you so much! I'm so glad you like my stuff :D I'm gonna do headcanons for this one so I hope you enjoy! I'm also in my Fili brainrot era so thank you for an excuse to indulge it)

(Kili x fem!reader, Fili x fem!reader - mentions of violence)

Kili:

Kili is a little impulsive in the way he protects you. Like if there's someone bothering you he will absolutely cause a scene.

If there is someone being mean to you and he overhears it, he'll wrap his arms around your waist from behind and asks them if there's a problem.

(He gets possessive in moments like these.)

It's not surprising how fast people get scared off by a scowling prince. As soon as he arrives there are lots of bowed heads and mumbled apologies before whoever was bothering you scampers away.

And if there's a man harassing you? Don't even bother trying to hold Kili back, it's pointless.

Any indication that you're being followed, sexually harassed or anything remotely threatening, he's already drawn his sword and marched towards them with fury on his face.

This is more for the threat than with intention to kill, but he will not hesitate to knock out whoever was scaring you.

As soon as they're gone, he immediately reverts back into the sweet, goofy dwarf you're used to. He triple checks that you're alright, that you're not hurt, and then will spoil you with affection for the rest of the day.

Fili:

Fili is much more toned back than his younger brother, but that doesn't mean he cares any less. He's just very conscious about escalating anything in case you get hurt.

When someone is being mean to you, while he does flash a quick glare in their direction, he will generally ignore them. He sidles up to you and presses his forehead to yours in greeting, with his hand on the small of your back, and makes sure to shower you with compliments as he guides you away from them.

And obviously being heir to the throne nobody would even think about saying anything to you again now that they know you're a couple.

If you're being harassed, Fili is angry but will not move to physical violence unless he's provoked.

He will subconsciously put himself between you and your harasser, with a hand on one of the many blades he keeps on his person. He doesn't draw it, but makes it obvious that he is armed.

He tells the person to leave, his voice dangerously quiet. Somehow it's scarier than if he was yelling.

Much like Kili, once he's checked that you're unharmed he spoils you for the rest of the day. He isn't usually massive on PDA - he enjoys it but has an image to uphold - but he will indulge you as much as you want after this event.

[viablemess]

I have a lot of feelings about the Durin Family, Fili in Particular

---Howdy folks it is that time of year again where i go absolutely feral for Fili Durin. He is underappreciated and tumblr has addressed that but i feel an URGE to add to the discourse so here I am. This post is not done, fyi. I will add more to it later.

It's 10pm/22:00. I just got home from class. I'm waiting for my ramen water to boil. There is a fireplace and some holiday lights. Let's have a (fireside)chat.

First of all, the constant tying of Fili and Kili together?? Like I get it. Merry and Pippin parallels. I love parallels (looking at you, George), but come on. Chill, just a tad. I know Tolkein didn't give you much to go by, but he didn't even write tauriel into the books or Bolg and yall ran with that anyways. Use your creative brains, pls, I'm actually begging you.

ANYWAYS. Have them develop separately even if only a little. Kili is the younger one, literally viewed younger bc he has the smallest itty bitty beard. He is not the heir, he is the spare, and could have some deep rooted personal insecurities about that as a result. He may feel that he deeply has to prove himself to Thorin bc he does not have a set role in the future like Fili does. Kili gets his romance with Tauriel, which--khgf;ushfw;e uneneccary, but I can appreciate the attempt to broaden the target market and appeal to a romance audience even if the previews did not hint at that happening at all so it would not have been a marketable trait per say but I digress. Again with the parallels of forbidden romance, poor Legolas still does not get any, we know, he was not even in the books really either, let's move on.

Kili is babied by the company, needs to prove himself, his mother made him promise to return to him so he is still deeply in the "coming of age" side of things (a lot of the company is, but that's a topic for another word vomit fireside chat). He begins to realize that he might like elves which goes against his family and he was already the spare, might as well go all in and fall in love with an elf. Fine. I can deal with that. But let's see more of Kili messing up, more so than just the trolls. Let's see him make silly goofy mistakes more. The company always tries to keep him out of the line of fire by making him an archer (heh) and keeping him off the front lines. They do everything to protect him, bc Dis is a terrifying woman, ansd if she made Kili promise to return to her, dammit, the company will return him to her if it is the last thing they do. Kili likely spends less time with Thorin and Dwalin than his brother, so here he is, questioning his own self worth and if he belongs in the party and his own abilities while coming of age and sticking out from his family even more, so why not rebel a little? why not be an archer which is not as glorified, why not consider shaving to meet cross cultural beauty standards, why not date the elf (dammit, I'm convincing myself for Tauriel's presence and I hate that). He's trying his best and messing up along the way, and is INNOCENT. Completely. He is aware of his ancestry and what happened, but he and Bilbo are the two being narrated to when telling of the Durin family history, and as a result, the differences in dwarven / hobbit culture could be explored further. Thorin has a little kiddo to watch out for, and maybe is softer around, because even Thorin knows Kili is young, maybe even too young to be here but if they didn't let him come he would have snuck after them, so we get to see a more forgiving, family-man Thorin who we do not see anywhere else (and yes we get that at the end of the movie but I'm getting to my critique of the (I almost called it a keldabe wrong fandom) forehead touch with a name I cannot recall later).

Onto his brother. Fili is the heir, okay. So, that means that he is likely raised very differently from Kili. Whereas Kili may have had some time to play and be a kid (as much as they could in the Blue Mountains as refugees, anyways), Fili likely was given no such privilege. He followed Thorin around like a lost puppy, watching his every move and trying to imitate it, because he knew he would have to do Thorin's job someday. Even if Thorin did get married / have a kid / etc there would likely still be a window where Fili was in charge before Thorin's kid came of age, and as the years went on, the chances of that happening diminished, and so Fili threw himself more and more into his crown-prince-studies. Maybe a little obsessively, just like his uncle, who had practically stepped into the role as father. Because Fili thought he had to be Thorin. Thorin, meanwhile, saw the King that Fili could be, and that King was so much better than him. Fili grew up humble as a result of them all being refugees, something Thorin did not have to learn until much later and even then he never fully got it. Fili was kind, because he saw the suffering of his people, and understood how large of a difference a small act could make. Fili also had the teachings of Thorin drilled into him, because Thorin's problem was that whenever he saw Fili, he also saw Frerin. Frerin was Thorin's younger brother, just as blond as Fili, and (I'm assuming) played a roll in Fili's name (both starting with F). Frerin died at the Battle of Azanulbizar, and Thorin remembers that battle, he remembers losing his little brother. He can understand the fear that Fili feels whenever the company encounters a fight because he has felt the same in the worst of ways. But, because Thorin understands, he pushes Fili to be better than him. Even if that pushing is too much, too hard, too fast, too young--Thorin knows that Fili can be better than him, and Thorin does not want Fili to suffer as he has suffered, so he does everything in his power to prepare Fili for what is to come, and because Thorin loves him, that is all he does. He pours that love out as motivation and pushes Fili to do more, do everything, and do it better than he did. Fili, being young, does not realize this. He just sees it as Thorin preparing him to be king, and quite brutally at that, but Thorin is the closest thing he has to a father, Fili is not going to question it, not for anything, except for his little brother. And that just hurts Thorin, because he knows that, had he had the chance, he would have died to save Frerin at Azanulbizar. He knows Fili would do the same for Kili, but they are both so, so young. Thorin fears he could lose them both in one go, if he is not careful. So he is harsh, he scares them, he is forceful, because they do not have time for care and coddling, that won't keep them safe.

Whereas the company sees Kili as carefree and fun, Fili is cold, like his uncle. He is stone, and observant, and polite. He has to be Thorin, AND everything that Thorin is not. It is an impossible task, but he has to try. That is what is expected of him, not just by his mother and uncle, but by the entire people that is behind him, waiting for him to ascend to be king. He does not get a choice. The only one who can pull him out of that rut is his brother, with whom he actually feels like he can be what he is -- barely older than a kid.

Im gonna let that sink in for a second. They're CHILDREN.

anyways.

So, Kili gets his romance plot. It's cute and it parallels. And I've established that Kili must prove himself, and Fili will bend over backwards to make Thorin happy, which likely also extends to Dis, his mother.

I imagine Dis gave Kili the river rock to come back home, and she told Fili "be safe, don't be stupid, etc etc" but HIGHLIGHTED "take care of your brother", and Thorin does the same in the movies.

So, when Kili galavants up the bridge to open the gate after the party does a little slip and slide down the river, Fili naturally goes with. He sees that Kili is about to get shot. And Fili, who knows above all else he has to be king and he has to take care of Kili, just does the normal heroric thing and jumps in front, and he gets shot.

He is chastized for it, for being stupid, but overall they both are thanked for getting them out of the mess, and there is no time to waste because the company has to leave, and Fili (like what Kili did albeit maybe with more conviction) will not let others help him, or show weakness. So Fili continues on, poisoned, and Kili has the guilt of knowing his brother took an arrow meant for him. Fili must suffer the consequences of being a hero, and Kili must suffer the consequences of being the youngest, and feeling guilty for not taking responsibility for his own actions.

This all boils over to a fight where Kili tells Fili that "I made the choice to go up there, I didn't ask you to intervene!" because dammit Kili wants to be treated like an adult and FIli just took that away from him, again.

Fili, naturally, retorts, "I just did what I had to, because you know what? mom didn't tell me to come home--all she told me, all everyone ever tells me--is to take care of you! So I don't matter, not to this family, not in the same way you do. You're a son. I'm a prince."

Which, ouch. Slap in the face to Kili, and maybe the company overhears. Kili feels slighted, but also maybe is starting to understand, he can be a kid, Fili cannot. And Fili, meanwhile, is about to break from the weight of expectations that feels heavier than the lonely mountain ever could.

So, Kili stays with Fili when they get to Bard's, because it is what Fili would have done for him. Thorin is pissed, but lets it go, because Kili isn't Fili, and ouch, again.

I imagine Bofur helps quite a bit, he has a kind soul and listens better than most, and while Fili is delirious with fever Bofur talks him through it. Kili gets to be more coherent with Tauriel, and we get to see if their relationship actually holds up outside of a "she saved my life I love her" style of interaction which bleh is cliche as all get out.

and PLEASE when the dwarves do get out of Bard's house, they get to actually help Bard deal with the dragon. I read a fic a long time ago (if I find it I'll link it and the author below) where Fili had to be Bard's arrow anchor instead of Bard's son and I just chef's kiss. The dwarves who are left get to help the humans, and they feel more sympathy for them. Maybe they witness more death, and so when the dwarves do turn their backs on the humans later, Fili, Kili, Bofur, Bifur & crew are like "wait wtf they have suffered enough" unlike their future indifference we see in the movie.

and THEN all the dwarves arrive at the mountain, and Fili and Kili actually get welcomed home like the family they ARE, but it's stunted, because something is wrong with Thorin. He is glad to see Kili and Fili, but barely spares them a glance. They've heard the rumors and stories, of gold sickness. They begin to wonder, and we get to see them talk (probably with Bilbo) about the concept in secret where everyone is looking for the arkenstone. We get to see Kili with his hero worship refuse to believe Thorin would fall under a gold thrall. We get to see Fili, who is afraid of becoming like Thorin, too scared to enter the treasury unless immensly pressured to do so, and even then someone is always with him, because he worries. He still holds the ruby Thorin threw at him, and he keeps it in his pocket. He holds it so tight the edges cut his palm, and the pain seems to distract him from the wealth that surrounds him. I always wondered if Thorin gave Fili that ruby because he was the heir, or the only dwarf with so much gold about their person, with his hair. It was what Thorin saw first, not because it was his nephew, but because he looked like the very thing that already clawed Thorin down into his own demise.

AND NOW the war starts. and this needs to be another post bc ffs I'm losing my shit this is much too long.

[mlmxreader]

Protective | Fili x gn!reader

『••✎••』

↳ ❝ Fili

21 “I adore you, you know”

61 “You hurt even a hair on his head and I will kill you!” ❞

: ̗̀➛ you know that Fili doesn't need your protection, but he has it regardless.

: ̗̀➛ mild violence, alcohol consumption

•───────────────★•♛•★──────────────•

You cursed the name of whoever suggested it. Music blaring as the band in the corner played on their small stage; people dancing everywhere, spilling their drinks and bumping into one another.

You rolled your eyes, scoffing as you nursed your pint, keeping a watchful eye on two dwarves in particular to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble.

It wasn't that you didn't trust them, as you knew that both were smart and more than capable of holding their own; but you also knew that they could tell the wrong joke to the wrong person, and get their teeth knocked from their mouths.

As nice as it was to see them enjoy their time, you knew that Fili and Kili needed to be watched.

The eldest, Fili had a lot of pressure on his shoulders; his uncle Thorin expected so much of him, and although Thorin never meant to, he often put too much pressure on Fili.

You had no doubts that Thorin cared, especially not after he had pulled you aside one day to explain that your courtship with Fili had his blessing - despite the fact that you never wanted or needed it, and had no intention of asking, either.

Thorin was quiet when he had put his hand on your shoulder, his voice low and secretive when he asked that you would always look after his nephew.

You never forgot about it, and as you watched Fili and Kili get their next round of pints at the bar, you couldn't help but to smile. They were relaxed and happy, laughing and joking; but while Kili came back to the table with both drinks, Fili disappeared.

"Where's he gone?" You asked, furrowing your brows.

Kili shrugged, pointing to the door. "Outside. Needed to relieve himself."

You nodded curtly, getting up. "Keep an eye on mine, yeah?"

Kili didn't question it, shifting to sit at the side of the round table as he sighed and took a long swig of his pint.

You rushed outside, waiting by the door for ten minutes, but when you saw neither hide nor hair of Fili, you knew that something was wrong; prowling around the corner, you saw him at the back of the pub, with a rather angry looking man squaring up to him.

You furrowed your brows, but when the man went to take a swing at Fili, you immediately jumped in, grabbing his fist as you pushed him back.

"You hurt even a hair on his head and I will kill you!" You growled out, staring the man down.

He seemed to get the message, scoffing and shaking his head as he slunk away, grumbling under his breath.

You turned to Fili, taking his hand in yours gently and examining him for any wounds; he had a few grass stains on him, but you didn't see any cuts or bruises, thankfully. Especially not around his hands and neck.

Fili grinned, grabbing your hands gently and reassuring you that he was just fine; it was just a little scrap over a man not liking dwarves in the pub, that was all. You rolled your eyes, but you couldn't be angry with him. It wasn't his fault, after all.

But, fuck, you had been so worried that he might have gotten hurt that you couldn't help it; grabbing him by the front of his shirt and kissing him harshly.

Fili grinned as he pulled you close to his body, his beard tickling and scratching at your skin as his golden hair gently brushed against your face where it fell out of place.

It made you laugh a little into the kiss, your grip on his shirt getting a bit tighter you let the relief seep into your bones.

You pulled away, gently raking a hand through his thick hair in hopes that the loose strands would go back into place.

"I adore you, you know," he breathed out, leaning into your touch and letting his hands run down to your waist, keeping you as close as possible. "I really do."

Your gaze dropped to his lips for a moment as you let your arms rest on his shoulders. "You sure you're alright?"

Fili nodded, daring to steal a quick kiss. "I'm fine, I promise... you saved me. Like always."

"If you're referring to that business with the elves, I don't know what you're talking about," you laughed, rubbing the tip of your nose against his.

He rolled his eyes at the comment, putting his arm around your middle as he hummed softly. "Have you told Kili yet?"

You shook your head. "Not at all. You?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "I wrote to my uncle. He's going to bring the rings to you."

You nodded, leaning into him. "So we're all set for your proposal?"

Fili nodded curtly. "We're all set. We just have to tell my brother."

"Well, we could," you hummed, smirking as you looked at him with raised brows. "Or, we could see how long it takes him to notice."

"Only until the wedding," he agreed. "Deal?"

"Deal," you kissed him just to seal it. "I'm glad I met you, Fili."

[asgardianhobbit98]

Four for Valentine: Week 4 "Sugar"

Fandom: The Hobbit

Pairing: Fili / female OC (Kalâtha)

Important Tags: Fluff, romance, start of a relationship, Dwarven Culture HC

Summary: Put on cooking duty by Thorin, Fili and Kalâtha have a heart to heart about why Fili has been acting so distracted lately. The reason? Dwarves only love once.

Words: 2163

Written for my "Four for Valentine" event 🩷

Tag list: @fizzyxcustard @middleearthpixie @glassgulls @evenstaredits @knittastically @heilith @lathalea @way-too-addicted-to-fandoms @nowandthane

if you want to be removed or added to my tag list, please let me know 🩷

Dwarves only loved once.

That thought kept distracting Fili during a quest that was sure to become historically known to his kin. And it was embarrassing.

Fili should be focusing on the quest at hand. He should be focusing on keeping his brother protected. And he should be focusing on showing Thorin how far he’d come; that his uncle could be proud to call him crown prince soon. Yet… here he was. Doing the opposite of focusing.

Such an important quest… and all he could think about was her.

Whether the others were aware of what was distracting Fili, he wasn’t sure of. Either way, his uncle had suddenly begun to task him and Kalâtha to do chores together when camping for the night, leaving Kili to work with Ori. Which was odd because his uncle never separated the two brothers. Especially considering the deal Thorin had made with Dis to make sure both her sons stayed close to keep an eye on each other.

So perhaps at least his uncle knew?

It had begun as a childhood crush. Which then stuck with him into his teenage years. He’d thought it would be nothing more but that. But… then in his young adult years Fili felt the crush only grow stronger and grasp onto his heart.  

Even when Kalâtha left the Blue Mountains to pursue a path of self discovery, Fili had not felt his feelings dissipate in the slightest. No matter the week long flings he’d had with others, Kalâtha was always the one on his mind in the late hours of the nights, even when not alone in his own bed.

And now…?

Now as they had picked her up from her new life among the humans in Bree (of all forsaken places) and found her just the same, just with a tad more confidence, Fili felt his feelings… blossom. As if he had just fallen down from the cliff he had been hanging from all this time, down into a vast ocean of warmth and uncertainty with the waves of both these feelings crashing into him painfully, anxiously, lovingly… lustfully.

And he was stuck. Because…

Dwarves only loved once.

Did Kalâtha feel the same? Did she look at him differently? Did she even view him this way?

If she didn’t…

“Fili?”

“Huh?” he blurted out a little louder than he should have.

“Are you even listening to me?” she asked, with little malice in her voice. Instead, she was smiling, close to laughing at him… He would be fine if she laughed at him. She could be cruel and vicious to him too if she wanted. It didn’t matter… He was far gone in his love for her and any attention was like a high to him. But she could never be cruel. She was too good for that. Luckily. Because he truly would have let himself be tossed around by her if she so desired.

“Fili?” 

She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. He’d gotten lost in her again.

Now, though, she looked worried. “What is up with you? You’ve been acting strange this entire journey. Are you ill?”

Fili shook his head, his braided moustache hitting the sides of his cheeks with the urgency of his gesture. “No, not ill.”

“Then what?”

The two of them were sitting crouched in front of the campfire, waiting for Bofur to get it started. Their task was to cook dinner. Which… Fili had to admit wasn’t his strongest side. Kalâtha ended up doing most of the work.

“What indeed,” Bofur teased with a little look to Fili.

Okay, so the entire company did know what was up with Fili.

Somehow that didn’t comfort Fili in the slightest. It only gave him more anxiety because how could he show his uncle he could lead a people some day when he dropped his daggers or tripped over nothing whenever Kalâtha glanced his way?

“Uh… Well, I’m not quite confident in my cooking abilities,” Fili lied.

Kalâtha giggled. That gorgeous divine giggle that she had. She flipped her beard braids to the side a bit in a cocky gesture at which Fili smirked: “Don’t worry, I know how to make an amazing stew.”

“Good,” Fili responded. “I’d expect nothing less from you.” That had meant to come out as praise because he truthfully thought everything she did was amazing, and perhaps it had because Kalâtha hadn’t originally reacted... But in his stupid state, Fili panicked: “Oh uh… Not because you’re a woman. I simply meant-“

“Fili,” Kalâtha interrupted with a laugh. “You’ve not changed a bit, have you?”

“No… I suppose I haven’t.”

He glared at Bofur as he snickered at the exchange. Great… Another moment where he’d made a fool of himself.

…

During the duration of their chore, Fili did mainly some chopping… and the rest was staring. At Kalâtha.

She was busy, determined to teach Fili the recipe of her stew. But she wasn’t aware of the fact that the only details Fili was taking in were the details of her face, her beard, her hair, her ears, her nose…

He was closer to her now than he was usually when he found himself able to freely watch her. So he saw all these new little details that he adored. Like how she wrinkled her nose a bit when opening the lid of the pot and steam touched her face. Or how her lips moved when she said his name. How sometimes she bit her lower lip when focusing on a task like stirring the stew. Or perhaps it was mild anxiety that made her do so as she was a perfectionist. She was most certainly worrying about this not tasting the way it should, even if that only meant there being a little bit too much or too little salt.

“Fili?”

He blinked out of the stare, quickly pretending that he had, indeed, been listening.

“More salt.”

Fili reached back, not wanting to stop watching her, and grabbed the bag he thought to be salt, handing it to her. Trusting him, she didn’t double check the contents of the bag and simply put the required amount of salt into the stew.

“There. And then, you let it simmer for a few minutes before tasting, so the spices have time to melt into the vegetables and meat.” Kalâtha turned her head to Fili, catching his eye. Or, rather, his stare.

A smile spread over her lips.

He smiled back.

“Did you listen to a single thing I just said?”

Fili eagerly nodded his head. “We have to let it simmer for a bit.”

“And before that?” she tasked him with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh… Basilica makes a good replacement for oregano?”

He hadn’t gotten it right. That was obvious. Because Kalâtha stared at him in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head. “Okay so… are we going to talk about it?”

“What?” Fili asked panicked.

“About what’s up with you? Come on, Fili. You’re my closest friend. At least, you were before I left. You can still talk to me.” She reached out, surprisingly hesitant for the confident woman that she was, and grasped his hand in hers. “Fili?”

“I.. uh…” he stuttered out, the nerve endings in his fingers exploding under her touch and sending shockwaves of literal alarm to his brain, shortcutting everything, it seemed. “Uh…”

And then she looked… sad. Grieved by his seeming hesitance to talk to her.

And all of a sudden any panic, any hesitance, disappeared in an instance because underneath all that fluster and the nerves was the core of his love for her, which burned brighter than any nervousness he might have: and that core was made up of his love language, which was protection.

From everything.

Even little moments of hurt feelings.

And this was one of those.

He squeezed her fingers tightly and stopped stuttering as he reassured her with a determined look: “You’re right. I have been acting strange. A fool, some might say. But that is not because I view you any different. Or… It is, but it is in no way a negative view.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

The bustle of the Dwarves around them doing their assigned chores meant a strange bubble of privacy was created. Only the two of them were listening to each other, others too busy. And it felt more intimate than any other private moment they’d shared before when it was just the two of them in one room.

It helped give Fili the boost of confidence he needed.

“I mean I think you’re… amazing. I have thought so since the first time your parents brought you over during that dinner… Dis and your mother were speaking the entire night, and you were so shy. I didn’t know how to approach you.”

“Kili ended up talking my ear off,” Kalâtha reminisced, smiling wonderfully at what Fili was saying. She seemed a little hesitant… no, nervous? But her confidence, her calmness, was infectious. Despite what Fili was about to admit to her, he felt secure and safe with her. As if no matter what her answer was, he was in good hands. “Then he brought you over and you talked my ear off.”

“That’s – Well, yes, I suppose I did.” She giggled. He smiled. “I didn’t know why I was so nervous approaching you then. Only years later did I realise you made me nervous. But not in a bad way. A good way.”

Kalâtha grew quiet now, watching Fili intently. Or was that… hopeful?

“And then those sort of…”

“Butterflies?” she clarified, as if knowing.

Now Fili grew hopeful too. “Yes…” he breathed out. “Yes, just like butterflies. They stayed. Throughout my entire youth. I thought maybe… it was just…”

“A crush. But then it didn’t go away,” Kalâtha finished for him. As he watched her, dumbfounded by her means to finish his thoughts, she smiled sweetly at him. “My dear, did you think you were the only one?”

“I did, actually.” Fili’s honest response made her the dumbfounded one. “I thought there was no way you could feel this way for me. Especially not since I’ve been acting a fool this entire journey.”

Kalâtha giggled. Then she chuckled and slowly her chuckles turned into a snorting laughter. “Oh,” she managed to get out, “is that why…?”

“Yes.” Fili blushed, his brows furrowing into a pleading look upon which Kalâtha calmed herself down and squeezed their still intertwined fingers to reassure him. “I never thought…”

“Dwarves only love once,” Kalâtha repeated the words Fili had been worrying about this entire time. “I was scared that I’d lost my chance at love to someone who could never even think about liking me back. So I never mentioned it.”

“I… That’s exactly why I never did!”

Then the two shared a bout of laughter together, inching closer to each other in a gesture that was… new but welcome.

But before any more words could be said, or before any other loving gestures could be made – Bofur appeared again.

“How’s food coming along?”

Letting go of each other’s hands, Fili watched as Kalâtha opened the lid of the pot once more and showed the food to Bofur.

He sniffed the aromas happily, either completely unaware of what he had just interrupted, or finding some amusement in interrupting it… Either way, he looked very pleased with himself.

And he also had an extra bag of coins at his side.

“Smells heavenly. A little sweet too, what’s in it?” Bofur asked.

“Sweet?” Kalâtha asked in confusion. “No, it shouldn’t be sweet.” She grabbed a spoon to fill it up with some of the sauce, tasting it…

She pulled a face of surprise, then slight disgust.

She looked around at the spices they’d used, frantically searching for the culprit of whatever had made her stew taste strange enough for her to pull a face Fili hadn’t seen before.

Then she slowly lifted the salt bag. Her eyes shifted to Fili. Bofur glanced between the two of them. “What’s wrong?”

Fili wondered the same thing, raising an eyebrow at Kalâtha.

“Fili… You gave me sugar, not salt.” She looked amused. After their conversation, it was obvious why he’d been distracted enough not to notice this mistake. At least he wasn’t getting reprimanded.

“Well, I’m glad it amuses some of ya. Bombur’s not gonna be quite so happy,” Bofur pointed out.

Kalâtha sighed. “It’s alright. I can fix it. Just tell everyone it’s gonna take a few extra minutes before we eat.”

Bofur left with this message, and somewhere from camp Kalâtha and Fili could hear a distinct ‘aww…’ from Bombur at the disappointment of having to wait longer.

But Kalâtha and Fili didn’t mind in the slightest. Now actually capable of focusing, Fili sat with his arm around her waist, offering her the right ingredients whilst relishing in the feeling of her leaning against him…

comments and reblogs are highly appreciated if you enjoyed this 🩷

[harrypoppinss]

Ahoy!! I saw that your requests are open so if it's possible I would love to have one with Fili!!

With the promp ‘I’ll trade you a kiss for a hug.’

In which they are just friends at first ;)

Thansk so much!! I love your stuff

- Jack

Of course!!! I love the idea of that prompt, especially a friends to lovers type situation!! Also I just got back after a long break, so feel free to send in requests!

⚠️I didn’t proof read this, I apologize for any misspellings⚠️

————

I’ll trade you a kiss for a hug

Fili Durin x gn!reader

Warnings: fluff, angst if you squint, some cursing

————

You had been recruited to Thorins company because of you skills that you obtained in the course of your life, of course, Thorin was reluctant to let you tag along because neither him nor any of the other dwarves knew who you were, and what that set of skills was. But after some explanation from Gandalf, along with a few encouraging words from the old wizard; he agreed.

Thats how you ended up here, leaning back against a fallen log as you skimmed through an old book that Gandalf had kindly allowed you to borrow. A few feet away the company was gathered around a growing fire placed upon a pile of sticks and logs. It had been about 5 months since the say you joined, and to say you didn’t expect to be hunted down by an angry orc was an understatement.

Because of this, it has made the journey much more dangerous and fear inducing, but it also got your adrenaline pumping. When you first set off, you were more reserved from the company of dwarves, but very quickly one in particular approached you and struck up a conversation. That Dwarf was named Fili Durin, the nephew of Thorin Oakenshield and heir to the throne under the mountain of Erebor.

Fili was a kind and funny dwarf. He quickly wedged his way into your heart in more ways than one. But unbeknownst to you, you had done the same to him. It was very rare that a dwarf fell in love with someone of another species, but they always believed in true love or finding your ‘one’ so he was just fine with it. He was not one to shy away from flirting either, especially because he wanted to enjoy everything he could before he was eventually betrothed to another dwarf from a high kingdom.

From the fire that was glowing in the wake of dusk, Fili had his eyes on you every couple seconds. Kili, obviously had noticed this and gave him brother a nudge with his elbow, encouraging him to go over to you. Even after becoming one of your best friends (and your crush) he was still nervous to talk to you sometimes, and he truthfully believed it was because he loved you. So to stop his brother from jabbing elbow into his side, he slapped Kilis’ arm before glancing at you once more as he stood up.

Thorin noticed this, but didn’t question his eldest nephew at the moment. Fili cleared his throat as he walked up to you, making your eyes pull away from the words infront of you as you glanced up at him from your sitting position. “Yes Fili?” You asked, folding the corner of the page as you closed the book and laid it on the ground beneath you.

“Walk with me?” He asked you, before he outstretched his hand for you, a gesture he always did when you were sitting or laying down. It wasn’t unusual for you two to go on small walks around the makeshift campsite that you were inhabiting that night. So you nodded, placing your hand in his as he helped you up, allowing you to brush your legs off as he waited patiently.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” You said as he grinned softly, the corners of his mouth moving made his braided mustache dance softly as the two of you started walking out of camp. Back at the fire, Thorin was watching. He knew that look in Filis’ eyes, and if you were his one then be would support the two of you.

“So.. why did you ask me to walk with you this time?” You asked as the camp faded in the background as the two of you walked along a creek side that was surrounded by breathtaking trees, as the setting sun gleamed through the leaves and branches. Fili didn’t answer right away, he just glanced at you. After a moment of silence he slowed down, before turning his head to look at you.

“I’ve been.. meaning to do something that I should have done long ago,” he said. Your eyebrows knitted together in confusion as you also slowed, giving him your undivided attention. “Yes?” You asked. Fili was nervous, it was practically radiating off him at the moment. “Please don’t take me for a fool,” he said, before he began the confession that he rehearsed over a million times in his head.

“I am not sure if your feelings are aligned with mine. I.. am very fond of you” he said, his eyes darting everywhere but your gaze as you proceeded what he said. Slowly, a grin formed on your lips as you reached out, taking his hand in yours. His eyes practically shot to yours as he waited anxiously for your response. “You could never be a fool for that, because believe it or not, I’m also very fond of you.”

“Thank fuck,” he muttered under his breath as his hand returned the grip on yours as his lips matched the grin on your lips. “What now?” You asked, your voice softer than before. “I’ll trade you a kiss for a hug.” Fili retorted, making a small blush dust your cheeks as you rolled your eyes before your hands gripped onto his coat that he was wearing as you tugged him towards yourself, your lips meeting eachothers as he smiled into the kiss. His hands came up to cup your face as he felt his heart fluttering. His thumbs caressed your cheekbones as he pulled away reluctantly from the kiss, resting his forehead against yours as his eyes poured into yours.

“How about another kiss for a hug?” You said, making another grin stretch across his lips as he immediately closed the gap between the two of you.

—————

I had sooo much fun writing this!! I hope I got it right! Thank you again so much for the request❤️

[i-am-still-bb]

FiKi Week by @gatheringfiki - Day 2 - 06.23.24

“Love doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints; it takes and it takes and we keep loving anyway.” 

NEW AU - Outlander (1940s) AU

“So what will you do today?” 

“Probably just read, and take whatever tea and treats that Mrs. Baird offers. And I might go out for a walk to look for that henge that Thorin mentioned last night.” Kili sat in the upholstered armchair in the corner of their room. His feet were tucked beneath him and he was curled forward around his book. It always reminded Fili of when they first met. Kili had been sitting in such a position, shoes off, and bare toes wedged between the seat cushion and the arm of the chair. Fine if it was your own chair, but decidedly not fine when said chair was in the University library. Fili had been instructed to inform this wayward patron that he needed to collect his things and leave and not to plan on returning unless he was going to remain fully clothed. 

“Stone circle,” Fili corrected absently. He was doing up the buttons on his white shirt. 

“What?”

“It’s a stone circle, not a henge. A henge is a circular earthen wall or ditch. A henge can have a stone circle, but you can have either without the other. Stonehenge has both.”

There was a spark of sarcasm in Kili’s reply, “Interesting.” He was decidedly more interested in how the circles were used and decorated than how they were constructed. 

“It is,” Fili responded earnestly. 

“I’ll go looking for a stone circle then.”

“Just don’t get lost. I can join you if you care to wait.”

Kili snorted.

“You’re right,” Fili acknowledged. “But do ask for directions, please? You’re as bad as Thorin.”

“I am not.”

“You both got lost on a street that had no intersecting streets. More than once.”

“I promise I’ll ask for directions.” Kili turned back to his book. 

“Good.”

“I’ll see you later,” Kili said, not looking up from his book. “Don’t stay out too late looking at old and moldy papers.”

“I won’t,” Fili straightened his tie. “Don’t forget to eat something,” he teased. 

Kili hummed and turned his face up for the quick kiss that he knew was coming without tearing his eyes off the page of his book. 

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

—

“Kili!” Fili shouted into the rain. His voice was echoed by DI Fundinson and the handful of constables that he had been able to gather for a search party on such short notice.

Mrs. Baird had not seen Kili since he had gone out shortly after midday. When the hour had gotten late and the rain had gone from a gentle mist to a pounding deluge she had assumed that he had been with Fili at the Manor House. It had not been until Fili returned, dripping and cursing and willing to murder for a cup of hot tea, that anyone had realized that Kili was missing and had been for hours.

The locals knew the location of the stone circle that Kili had gone in search of. And one of the constables had quickly spotted the bicycle that Kili had borrowed leaned up against a tree near the main road out of town. 

“Kili!”

Fili’s hair dripped in his eyes. His torch lit a small circle that was tightly enclosed by fat drops of rain. 

“KILI!”

Mud sucked at his shoes. Heather and low hanging branches pulled at his clothes which were soaked all the way through. 

He shouldn’t have let Kili go alone. He should have put personal projects and genealogy aside to indulge Kili’s interests.

Fili did enjoy seeing the old stones, looking at and trying to puzzle out what animals or figures  had been carved into the stones. Carvings that were interspersed with far newer scratchings of dates and initials that simultaneously amused and annoyed them both. But the stones did not hold his interest as long as they held Kili’s. Kili had notebooks filled with the painstakingly copied designs. His letters during the war frequently had at least one doodle in the margins, sometimes that doodle would take up an entire page or more as Kili worked through visual problems. Fili saw them so often that he even began to draw them when his mind drifted during some interminable meeting or another. 

Fili could not see far in the rain. He did see other lights bobbing in the distance appearing and disappearing around trees, other searchers, or a low hill. It was dark in a way that Fili had hated for many years. The dark that seemed to suck and absorb any light that someone dared to put forth. He preferred to stay under the streetlights of Inverness, London, or any other city. But now that darkness made the search even harder.

Kili. 

His voice was raw with shouting when a hand gripped his shoulder.

“They’re calling it a night, lad.”

“Did they find him?” Fili looked over Thorin’s shoulder where he could see the lights gathering together.

Thorin shook his head, flicking rain from the brim of his hat. “Dwalin said that he will have men out here with the first light. With as dark as it is we would only be feet away from him and we wouldn’t see him.”

But he’d hear us. Fili did not say that. Because if Kili could not hear them that opened the door to a whole host of possibilities that Fili did not even want to consider. “I should stay. Keep look—”

“You should go home,” DI Fundinson gruffly interrupted. “You’ll be no use to anybody if you are dead on your feet.”

Fili started to protest.

“Stay at the Manor House,” Thorin said. “It is closer.”

—

The next day brought sun.

But no sight of Kili.

They did find his old jacket with the frayed cuffs that he refused to replace inside of  the stone circle.

—

After a week of no new information DI Fundinson had trained dog handlers brought in from Edinburgh.

—

“I have more in my other account, but I’d have to go down to Oxford to access it.”

“That is a handsome sum,” DI Fundinson said. “I wouldn’t offer too much otherwise you’ll start to attract all kinds of malarkey. As it is, most of the calls won’t lead us anywhere.”

Fili roughly ran his hands through his hair and paced the study in the Manor House. He was aware of how he looked. He hadn’t properly slept in over two weeks. He could barely eat. He was wearing his belt a notch tighter than when he and Kili had arrived what seemed like an age ago.”

“I would give everything I have to find him.”

“Dwalin’s right,” Thorin said. 

“We can always increase the amount in the future. It’s harder to decrease the amount.”

“Why would I want to decrease the reward?” Fili snapped.

Dwalin and Thorin shared a look, but said nothing. 

—

“They’re saying that if I don’t take up my post with the new term then they’re going to find a replacement!” Fili shook the letter on the University letterhead.

Thorin looked up from his book. He closed it on his thumb. “It has been two terms…”

“But we haven’t found Kili yet.” Fili dropped into an open armchair. Most of the flat surfaces in the study were covered with books, papers, and other detritus of academic life. He scowled and stared out the windows at the snow capped hills and the low clouds that threatened more.

“There’s nothing to do but wait now.”

“I still look!”

“Those hills have been scoured. You can wait for news just as well at Oxford as you can here.”

“I don’t know…”

“I’ll keep you up to date. I’ll send along any news no matter how small. You need to start living again. Refill yourself a bit rather than just pouring yourself into this search. I know you love him, but you can’t just stay like this forever.”

Fili’s voice was small when he spoke, “I don’t know how much more I have to give.”

Thorin does not push him to explain.

—

Fili leaves in the end.

He moves into the small flat above the bakery that they had picked out together. It was a short walk for the college where Fili would be teaching and only a handful of steps from a grocer and a pub, and a bit further along there was the library and the green.

Kili had been excited to begin exploring the town; absorbing inspiration for his work from the architecture.

—

Fili did not jump up when the phone rang.

He would have leapt to his feet when he first arrived here. But he’s well settled into his faculty apartments at this point having been teaching for several terms already. The snow doesn’t stick around for long here. But even those dustings have ceased now that  spring has started to creep in. The apartment is less cold and drafty than it was a few weeks back.

But he sat down heavily when he heard the words that came down the line.

“We found him. He’s here.”

“Is he…?”

“He’s alive.”

—

Fili was on the next train north. 

He thought that this was the end. He thought he had given all he would have to give.

But it was just the beginning. 

Fili would give and  he would continue to give until he was no longer breathing.

--

Everything @silvermoon-scrolls @metztlilua @I-am-pinkie

Fili/Kili @dubhlachen

[gatheringfiki]

The following ficlet was written by @miaulady​ based on this photoset.

Fili/Kili, Rating TBC.

You might also be able to read this story on AO3.

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a comment either in replies or on AO3. :)

Merry Christmas, Wherever and Whenever

—

Kili manoeuvred the bags carefully around so he wouldn’t drop them by opening the door of the apartment building.

He hated grocery shopping and even more so if he had to buy a lot. Taking more than one trip was just not in his ability. But with the snowstorm coming in fast he had to stock up on food and supplies. He had not thought he would be here over Christmas at all, so he had not bought anything that would go bad while he was at home.

Then this morning he had gotten the alert that all flights and trains were cancelled and that everyone should remain inside.

Instead of having a lazy day and packing his things in the evening in a hurry, he had to write a list of things he would need in the next week so he and Lady wouldn’t starve to death or run out of toilet paper.

He walked up the stairs, reached the last ones and his heart gave up when he slipped.

Snow turned to water and water was slippery on the stone stairs. Normally he was careful in walking up the stairs but he had forgotten this time around.

Instead of giving the floor a holiday kiss and losing his bags to it as he was expecting, he was caught.

“Wow, sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Kili was pulled up and looked at his saviour, who had come out of nowhere. Blonde hair, grey eyes and a trimmed beard. His mother would compare the guy to an angel maybe and in this case, Kili would for once not argue.

“No, no,” he laughed trying not to show how he was still shocked and only getting more nervous. “I wasn’t looking either. It is fine.”

He placed his bag down, grabbed his key out of his jacket and opened the door of the apartment.

“Do you want to come inside for a cup of coffee as a thank you for saving me?” he asked and turned around.

An empty floor greeted him. Frowning he looked down the stairs and then to the firmly closed door of the apartment opposite of him.

Where had the guy gone?

His apartment was on the top floor, the one opposite belonged to a guy (he only ever saw from afar) who he knew for a fact had left last week (lucky him) and there was no sign of the stranger.

He walked into his apartment and started unpacking.

Now that he was thinking about it, it was weird that the guy had even been there.

Or was he a friend of his neighbour and just hadn’t known that he was out of the city already? But still, wouldn’t you message a friend first before showing up at their doorstep? And where had been his jacket? He was dressed as if it was spring or a cooler summer day.

He locked his door twice, just to feel a bit better and felt stupid for doing so.

“I am crazy,” he mumbled and when he looked at Lady all he got was an unimpressed look. “Yeah, yeah, no new information, I know.”

——–

Fili stared at the closed door where he had just seen a guy open it and asked him to come in for a cup.

A cup of what?

He would never know.

“Shit,” he sighed and turned around, opening the door to his apartment.

He hadn’t jumped uncontrollably like that for years. What had caused it? He had to figure that out and solve it before it would get worse. Spending a whole week in the year 1544 had made an impression on him he did not want to repeat.

He grabbed his phone and texted Gimli that he could not go out like they had planned because something had come up.

It wasn’t lying per se but it was awfully close to it.

The question was to what time had he jumped? The guy had been wearing winter clothes, so he knew the season at least. And it couldn’t have been more than a few years with how everything had looked in the apartment building.

He went into his bedroom and went through his closet. It should still be there, his old diary concealed as a grey school notebook.

He found a pen on his very unorganised table and started to write down the time he had left his apartment, the time when he jumped back and was glad to see that it was the same amount of time had passed. One time he had jumped, been there for five minutes and when he jumped back an hour had passed.

What else?

It had been some time since he needed to document his jumps.

Had he eaten something this morning that triggered his ability?

He had tea and bread with marmalade. Not really a danger.

Maybe it had been the reluctance to meet Gimli’s new boyfriend.

Not that he wasn’t happy for Gimli, he was. His friend had chewed his ear off about Legolas for almost a whole year by now. With how annoying Legolas is, how arrogant and snobby and whatnot. And then it had changed from complaining to Gimli gushing about Legolas’ talent and character. How funny he was, how good of an archer, how they had pulled a prank on Boromir and they only got away with it because Legolas swore up and down that he had been with Gimli the whole time and surely He, Legolas, was above such childish things.

But couples always made Fili feel like he was missing out. He would never get there.

Not only was he an absolute nerd who studied history, but he also preferred a calm evening at home over going out. Not really the best way to get to know new people. And that was not touching on his time problem. He had to jump at least once a day and he could not fully control it. Who would want a partner that was going to vanish to be in the 16th century for a while and the next day be gone to witness yet another century and maybe talk with people long dead? And it wasn’t like he could just tell people he would date about this to warn them.

He had never met anyone like him and wasn’t going to risk being prodded and experimented on by scientists (He did understand the fascination they would hold, hell his diary full entries showed that Fili was studying himself).

He groaned and looked at the entry. It was short and probably just a dumb accident. Nothing to read into or worry about.

He probably hadn’t jumped enough in the last week with the exams. That was just it. No reason to start freaking out.

Maybe he could risk going out. He jumped now and should be fine again.

Grabbing his phone he left the apartment, the door closing with an unintended bang.

——-

He should have known better.

When did anything go in a good way for him?

He should have stayed home, safe and dry and warm, where jumping would not matter as long as he remained in a five-year radius.

But no, he had to be optimistic and undo his cancelling of the plans with Gimli. He met the said boyfriend, who had an amazingly dry humour and was very silly for someone who claimed to be elegant incarnate. And on his way back home, he jumped.

The worst part was that he jumped right into a blizzard.

It was snowing wildly and Fili managed to get into the building without being blown away, hit on the head or breaking a bone. Which he called a win.

But now he was drenched, cold and had no idea in what year he was.

A storm like this, surely he would remember a snowstorm like this in the last years?

Shivering he walked up the stairs, praying that the apartment was his and he wasn’t about to break into someone’s home.

———

Kili didn’t know why he opened the door, it had been just an urge like opening the fridge to see what there was to eat even though you weren’t hungry right now.

“You!” he pointed accusingly at the stranger standing right on the floor.

“Oh. Uhm. Hello. Again?”

“What- Where did you- Why are you wet?” Kili went through several stages of emotions he couldn’t place and settled on the confusion about the state the other one was in.

“Pretty sure you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Okay, but your friend,” he gestured at the door of his neighbour. “isn’t home. He left last week, I think?”

“Friend? Oh. Oh, yeah. I kind of forgot that.”

Kili looked at the weird stranger. He looked like Lady after a bath. Disgruntled, betrayed and in need of a warm blanket to cuddle.

“Come on in. You can shower, I will lend you some dry clothes and then we can see what to do next.”

“I don’t want to impose-”

“There is no way you are going out there,” Kili crossed his arms. “Not again. That is dangerous and stupid.”As if to prove him right the other sneezed and groaned.

“If you insist. I am Fili, by the way.”

“I am Kili. Now, get inside.”

Fili entered and Kili closed the door behind him firmly.

Clearly, Fili had problems. What exactly those were Kili could only guess. But he could help out with a hot shower, dry clothes and a hot chocolate. Many things could be fixed with those things.

“Bathroom is second door on the right. Just put your clothes in the washing machine and I will place dry ones in front of the door,” he was already walking into his bedroom-

“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

“Mhmh,” Kili hummed and went through his closet.

Socks, underwear, jogging pants, a shirt and a cosy sweater. That should do it.

He put the clothes down right in front of the bathroom door and walked into the kitchen.

He could hear the water running while he pulled out everything he needed to make hot chocolate. The guy must have had a bad day, so Kili decided to not take the powder but melt the chocolate easter bunny he still had not eaten.

“Goodbye, easter bunny,” he broke the head off and let it fall into the milk. “Your time has come.”

The rest followed quickly and Kili watched the pot carefully. Last time he hadn’t paid attention and the milk had boiled over. The clean-up had been awful.

This focus explained why he did not hear Fili entering the kitchen behind him.

“What is the name of your cat?”

Kili turned around and saw Fili holding Lady in his arms. The girl was purring up a storm and rubbing herself extensively against him.

“Lady,” he turned back around and stirred in the milk, that was threatening to escape the pot.

“Very fitting,” Fili stepped next to him. “I never got a pet, couldn’t really risk it.”

“Oh,” Kili looked at him. He always found it sad when people wanted pets but couldn’t get them for one reason or another. “Allergies?”

“No, but I am not always home every day. Wouldn’t want someone to go without food just because I am not showing up.”

“Oh yeah. Finding sitters is hard.”

“I know this question is weird but, uh, what date do we have?”

“Serious?” Kili stared at his guest. “Christmas. How do you not know that?”

“Oh, I just, don’t do well with … dates, I guess?”“You guess?”

“Listen, it is the best I can come up with.”

“Well, you are stuck with me this year for Christmas then,” Kili pulled the pot off the stove and checked one last time for any remaining bits and pieces of the easter bunny. “There is no way anyone is going anywhere with this storm,” he nodded at the white window.

“Right. Year 2022, Storm Angelica,” whispered Fili.

“You don’t know the date but you know the name of the storm? Are you a weather guy, or what?” Kili laughed and pulled out two cups, both Christmas-themed and white in base colour.

Fili sneezed again and Lady jumped out of his arms.

“Noooo,” he whined. “I didn’t mean to!”

Kili laughed at poured the hot chocolate.

“She probably will hide somewhere and see if you are going to kill her or not. The last time I was sick and sneezed, the affronted stare I got was just- You thought I shot her,” he handed Fili one of the cups and led him to the living room, stirring him to the couch and dropping the blue blanket his mother had made him over him. “Warm up, icicle. I will just grab something.”

Kili went to what he called the season closet. Decorations for any and almost every occasion that could happen in his life were in there.

Pumpkins, plastic flowers, balloons, skeletons, you name it,  it was in there. Right now he just wanted a very specific box. Of course, he had decorated his apartment accordingly to winter but Christmas was a different topic to cover. He hadn’t thought he would pull it out the first Christmas away from home but this was happening now.

When he returned with the box Fili was still there and hadn’t vanished into thin air like the first time.

He had curled up under the blanket and even covered his wet hair with it.

“Lady hates me,” he sighed and pointed at the rest of the blankets, folded correctly on the bookshelf. Lady had wiggled in between them and was now staring at Fili, ready to run in case he dared to attack her with a sneeze again.

“She will come back around again,” Kili shrugged and placed the box on the coffee table. “Want to help me detangle my fairy lights and other decorations as well as put them up?”

If he was at home he would help his uncle with decorating the tree right now. This way he could have some sort of a normal Christmas.

“Sure, I don’t mind being put to use. What do you have?”

———-

Fili had a problem.

Several problems to be exact.

Currently, his fingers were trying to detangle several little Christmas balls from each other and he could swear he was making it worse. So that was one problem. The second problem was that two hours had already passed and Fili had no idea how to prepare for the jump back into his present. At least he would not have to worry about being seen twice at the same place. In 2022 he had spent Christmas at home with his dad, he had just skipped the last week of university and borrowed a ton of notes from Arwen. A wise decision because Storm Angelica had hit a week later, cancelling all transit in and out of the city.

That way he had least didn’t have to explain to Kili why they were two Filis.

But he would jump back soon enough and there was no explanation of why he would vanish right under the very nice blanket around him and pop up in this apartment next summer out of nowhere.

Also, this had not been his idea to meet the new neighbour.

Well, “New” was a bit stretched. Kili had moved in during the summer while Fili was back with his dad and with university starting there had been no opportunity to introduce himself. Now in hindsight that was lucky. How would he explain to Kili that he was back in town when there was no transportation running? But still. And then after Christmas things had picked up and Fili had just, kind of, maybe, forgotten it.

And no they were decorating Kili’s home as if they were not total strangers but friends for years. He looked over at him.

Kili was hanging the reindeer fairy lights around the coffee table, fastening them with tape and struggling to keep some of the reindeer from flying upside down. One was giving Kili a serious fightback.

“Let’s just name that one Rudolf,” Fili smiled. “Special reindeer extraordinary.”

“Little fucker is what he is,” Kili grumbled and turned it around again. “What is so hard in staying up, huh? Head up, feet to the ground. That is not hard to understand!”

Fili laughed and finally got one of the balls out of the prisons of knots. “Aha, liberated one.”

“Twenty more to go,” Kili grinned at him.

“Why do you even have so many? And your storage way is just gruesome.”

“Hey, I like Christmas. And I just,” he paused for a second. “Borrowed some when I left home, just in case and no one is missing them either.”

“Yeah, and I know why,” Fili tried to pry open one of the knots and had suddenly five balls free but still in a knot of their own. “This is a nightmare. I bet they were left out every Christmas year because detangling them takes a whole day.”

“You have been working on them for five minutes,” Kili rolled his eyes. “You will be done sooner than later.”

“Whatever makes you feel better about this mess.”

Fili looked over to the bookshelf and smiled. Lady was napping between the folded blankets. He nodded at Fili and then at Lady.

Kili cooed and pulled out his phone, snapping a picture.

“Give me your number, I can send the picture to you then.”

Fili looked at Kili and grimaced.

“Don’t have it with me,” he lied. “And I can’t remember my number.”

Good thing his phone was on silent.

“You really don’t have it with numbers. First, no idea what date, now your phone.”

“Oh, shut up.”

They returned to the decorating but Fili could feel the tension that hadn’t been there before.

He had to jump back. He could feel the tingle he normally got. Time was running out and his jumping ability seemed to have returned to normal.

But he wanted to stay for just a bit longer. Just a few more minutes of Christmas with Kili.

———–

Kili had to stop this. He had to stop crushing on people so fast. And with Fili, it was just so easy. Too easy. But god why was the guy so adorable?? No one had the right to be this fun to be around, to look that good and be that cute.

Lady had woken up and out of the goodness of her heart forgiven Fili so she could curl up right next to his leg and get the occasional pet.

Almost all the decorations were up, only one fairy light was missing and Fili was currently detangling it. Kili took a photo as sneakily as he could. Just to have a memory of this.

“I will come back,” Fili suddenly said out of nowhere.

“What?”

“I will come back,” he repeated.

“You would leave and break Ladies little heart?” Kili smiled. “Of course you will come back.”

“I meant,” Fili looked up at him with a very serious face. “I will come back and explain it to you,” his eyes fell back to the tangled fairy lights. “Just don’t start thinking you are insane, okay? Not until summer.”

“Why would I think I am insane?” Kili scooted closer, so close he was now sitting at Fili’s feet. “And why summer?”

Fili looked down at him and then back at the fairy lights, frowning at them as if they were the reason for all the bad things in this world.

“I won’t make it back to you until summer, I think. And I- I don’t want to ruin this moment. So I will explain. I will explain why I showed up at the top of the stairs and went away right after. Why I came back and why I will leave.”

“Leave?” Kili grabbed Fili’s hands, stopping him from continuing the detangling process. “You can’t leave!” Well, that had come out stronger than expected. “I mean, the storm. It will go on for three days. You are staying. Here, with me and Lady. Warm, cosy, with hot cocoa. Right? I mean, where would you go?”

Why was he feeling so anxious all of a sudden? Fili wouldn’t leave right now. There was no way.

Fili looked at him, opened his mouth and then he was gone.

Kili blinked at the blue blanket falling into itself, Lady lifted her head confuse because her back support was gone.

“His eyes aren’t grey, they are blue,” was all he could say in the empty apartment.

Five minutes of silence went by while Kili was going through several stages of disbelief and a slight mental breakdown that he went insane. Mustard Gas, maybe?

He finally noticed that he had proof Fili had been there. That he had not made him up.

First, the wet clothes Fili had worn were still in the washing machine.

Second, “The bastard took my fairy light with him!”

————–

Fili carefully moved Lady away from the door with his foot (the affronted look he got left him feeling guilty) and left Kili’s apartment.

When he had jumped back to the present Kili had not been home and waiting for him felt wrong, invasive even.

He closed the door and went to his own apartment. Happy that he had remebered to put his key and phone in the pants.

He placed the still partly tangled fairy lights on his kitchen table and then changed into cooler clothes. The crass temperature and weather change would mess him up for a few days with a cold and a ground feeling of being in the wrong season. He hated that part.

Now he just had to wait until Kili would return home, give him like half an hour of space and then walk over to have a long talk and explanation of what happened. He was already dreading it.

Half an hour later he could hear keys jingling and a door closing. Alright, now was the time from worrying to having full on anxiety and then calm down before going over. He could do this. He had to, he owed Kili that much.

—————

When Kili opened the door he was facing Fili all of a sudden.

A smiling Fili, holding the detangled fairy lights, in the middel of summer and saying “Merry Christmas, Kili.”

Kili grinned and pulled him inside, “I will make hot cocoa.”

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

“I left you alone for two minutes…” seems like a very Bilbo-esque thing to say.

Sorry I didn't get to this in time for March Madness! But I hope this was worth the wait.

Characters: Pre-Bagginshield, Bilbo & Fili & Kili

Words: 1184

Bilbo had gotten used to being paired with Fili and Kili for nightly chores at this point. He privately called them Thorin’s ‘problem children’ because he felt their leader was resigned to Fili and Kili messing up and if he threw Bilbo into the mix it’s not like it could get any worse. Bilbo resolved himself to try to improve their standing in Thorin’s eyes, especially after the troll incident. It was unfortunate that his forced cohorts did not see it that way.

“I left you alone for two minutes.” He complained.

“Okay, but Uncle Bilbo, look at how cool this is!” 

Bilbo rolled his eyes at the moniker before following after Kili as he tried to explain the contraption that Fili was struggling to tie off to the tree.

“You see, Thorin thinks that we’ll come back with a rabbit…maybe a quail if we're lucky. But look! We put some bait right here. It lures them to this spot over here. When there’s enough weight on it, the platform settles into the ground and that’s what releases the basket to fall on top of them!”

“And what are you going to do when you have fifteen to twenty live critters in your basket trap?” Bilbo raised an eyebrow.

“Are you familiar with the phrase ‘shooting fish in a barrel’?” Fili questioned with a grunt as he completed his task. 

“Well, yes but I don’t think that’s supposed to be taken literal…you know what? This is one of your least crazy ideas. Well done, lads.”

Both boys immediately beamed, reminding Bilbo of just how young they actually were. 

“Just wait til Uncle Thorin sees our bounty.” Kili grinned. “For once not to be subjected to his disapproving frown: I thought I taught you boys better than this.”

Bilbo tried. He really tried not to laugh, but Kili’s attempt to mimic Thorin’s deep timber along with his trademark scowl had him in giggles which only seemed to encourage the both of them.

“No, no! That’s not Thorin. It’s more like: How can I ever trust you to be princes of Erebor if you can’t brood as impressively as me?”

Kili and Bilbo were leaning against each other to hold themselves up as Fili looked off into the distance using his fingers to push his hair back like it was fluttering in the nonexistent wind. 

“Wait, wait, wait. I’ve got it!” Bilbo declared, short of breath and trying to school his features. “Master Burglar, perhaps if you had any beard to speak of and your ears weren’t so pointy, you wouldn’t be quite so much of a burden to me.”

Fili and Kili were dead silent, their pallor going stark white in a hurry as their gaze was settled elsewhere. Bilbo frowned.

“What? It was just as good as either of yours. Was it the beard comment? Was that why you didn’t find it funny because you both…well, it’s not to say you don’t have fine beards of your own but…”

“I thought it was funny.”

Bilbo froze, ice shooting straight down his spine as heat rushed to his head making him feel faint. Oh dear. Well, that explains what the boys were looking at now. Very slowly he turned around to see Thorin, of course it was Thorin, standing across the way with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face, but his eyes screaming aggravation as he slowly made his way towards them.

“In fact,” Thorin continued making the three of them wince. “I think it’s hilarious that I leave you the most menial tasks, and even then you somehow find a way to screw it up. Watch the ponies, and you find three mountain trolls. Dig a latrine, and you somehow get Master Baggins stuck in a watery hole.”

“Well, it was more like a natural forming well.” Fili tried to defend.

“SHARZA!” Thorin shouted in return. When none of them looked ready to argue again, he continued. “And now you’ve constructed this monstrosity when all you had to do was…”

“No! Wait! THORIN NOT TH-” Kili tried to warn, but it was too late.

Thorin stepped on the boys’ platform, his weight more than enough to release the basket. They all watched in horror as Thorin looked up, right as the basket fell, and crumpled the dwarf into the ground. No one moved as Thorin lay on the ground, unmoving, halfway under the basket.

“What…did you do to it?” Bilbo asked softly.

“W-We…” Kili squeaked before clearing his throat. “We didn’t want our quarry to escape in the time it took for the basket to fall.”

“So we…weighed it down with rocks.” Fili finished sheepishly.

“Sweet Yavanna.” Bilbo gasped. “You killed him.”

There was half a beat of silence before they ran over to the dwarf, shouting his name, and pulling the basket away from his motionless body. Bilbo cradled his head as he lightly slapped Thorin's cheeks.

“Thorin, it’s time to wake-up. Thorin, are you still with us?”

A groan sounded below them, and Fili, Kili, and Bilbo collectively released a sigh even if Thorin had yet to open his eyes.

“Thank Mahal. I thought we were going to have to crown Fili as king already.” Kili teased. “Erebor would fall before we would even get in it.”

“Oh please. You inheriting the throne is literally Balin’s worst nightmare!” Fili shouted.

Bilbo rolled his eyes and tuned the brothers out at that point as Thorin slowly began to open his dazed blue eyes, a hand going straight to his forehead.

“Thorin? Are you okay?” Bilbo questioned.

The dwarf’s gaze snapped to Bilbo before softening into something that had Bilbo’s breath catching in his throat. That quickly changed into Bilbo nearly choking as Thorin’s hand moved to trace Bilbo’s pointy ear.

“I like them.” Thorin murmured, causing Bilbo’s face to turn into a blazing inferno. 

The hobbit quickly cast an irritated glance back at the boys. “Now look at what you did! He’s completely lost his mind.”

“That’s just uninhibited Thorin.” Fili scoffed.

“Why do you think we call you Uncle Bilbo?” Kili smirked.

WHAT?

“Earlier.” Thorin groaned, closing his eyes momentarily in pain. “You made mention to your ears. I’m just saying I like them. And your beardless chin is not that off-putting either.”

“Uh…thank you.” Bilbo admitted softly. “You also…I like your…right, well, let’s get you back to camp in any case. Just to make sure you’re alright.”

With Fili and Kili’s help, Bilbo was able to hoist Thorin back to his feet, his arm lay across Bilbo’s shoulders as he helped the staggering dwarf listening to him praise the curls on Bilbo’s feet, the roundness of his stomach, and the gold in his hair. Bilbo took all the compliments with burning ears and a secret smile. He knew Thorin would be back to normal soon, but he was going to hold his words tightly in his heart, whether spoken earnestly or not. And then he was going to remind Thorin that it was his nephews, not Bilbo who knocked him out in the first place and deserve his ire.

[akingofcarvenstone]

How do you or would you headcannon Bilbo and Thorin accidentally proposing or getting engaged and how would they proceed when they find out or the other accepts the proposal?

I'm so sorry for not noticing this ask sooner, but thank you! I rarely check this blog since I mostly stay on my main blog. And tbh it's been sooo long since I've been invested the fandom, so I'm not sure this answer will be the best thing I've come up with. I'm gonna need a refresher on Hobbit/LotR lore after this 😅

Well, to me, an accidental bagginshield proposal would occur one of two ways:

1) let's say that in dwarven culture (headcanon), giving your intended a great gift like a family heirloom or something personalized, would be a form of proposal.

Thorin giving Bilbo the mithril mail could have been his proposal, and while the other dwarves and Gandalf understand the meaning, Bilbo doesn't and no one tells him bc to everyone it just seems obvious. Everyone starts treating him with the same regard that they do with Thorin, their leader, and Bilbo notices the change in demeanor and asks either Bofur, Balin, or even Gandalf about it and they're like "Mr. Baggins, didn't you know? Thorin proposed to you, you are his consort! Congrats on being the only one to get through his rock solid heart!" And then he says something like, "I'm sorry, what?! What do you mean I'm his consort?!" "Don't you remember, when Thorin gave you the mithril vest? In our culture, giving a fine gift like that to your intended is a proposal! And you accepted his gift, so you sealed the deal." And Bilbo tries to tell them that he didn't know, that this is a mistake. But when he's asked whether he would like to return the gift and end the proposal, he can't do it, he doesn't want to, so he just goes on with the knowledge that he's the King's consort. Thorin would be so pleased that now he can be touchy feely with Bilbo, and it wouldn't really be much of a change from what they were like before, but now everyone knows and accepts. (And if you want the angst feelings, the scene at the end where he tells Balin what he feels about Thorin after he dies hits harder.)

2) if Bilbo proposes: like I said, I need a refresher on the lore so if there's a canon explanation for a Hobbit form of proposal or anything, just excuse me and let's pretend.

So, hobbits really love food and simple living and comforts, right? But that's not really possible when they're on a long journey, so Bilbo has to make do with what he has. Maybe they're short on their food supplies one day, and Bilbo has some food from back home that he packed and it's wrapped in a nice package, and he was saving it for himself, but offers it to Thorin and Co. And we all know Hobbits love to eat, and they eat a lot, so a few rolls of bread is like a snack to them, whereas for others it's a full meal, so the dwarves think he has a feast and is enough to feed them all for the night. Bilbo unintentionally proposed to Thorin by giving him a gift of a homemade 'meal' in a nice package, as is the custom (headcanon), and for a moment Bilbo forgets about it and just feels good for providing his friends with some food. Later that night, Gandalf reminds him, teasing him, about his proposal and Bilbo blushes and coughs nervously, saying he didn't mean to, but luckily, neither Thorin nor the other dwarves know about it so he thinks he's safe. But, Kili and Fili, sneaky little guys, were eavesdropping on their 'private' conversation and rush to let Thorin and everyone know about the meaning of Bilbo's gesture. Thorin scolds them for being nosy and that they probably heard wrong anyway, but the next day Thorin asks Gandalf and he confirms. Thorin says nothing but now that he knows, he allows himself to get physically and emotionally closer to Bilbo and from there, they kinda just live as a couple and no one questions it, they're happy for them!

It's been so long, but this is bringing back my bagginshield feels from back in the day 🥰

If anyone wants to write a fic or draw something inspired by this, you're welcome to do so, just let me know!

[runesandramblings]

"To the Ends of the Earth"

Word Count: TBD / ongoing

Content Warnings: none, follows the events from The Hobbit so there will be the expected violence from the movies

Pairings: KilixOC

Themes: crossover Marvel x Tolkien, romance, fanfic, canon-ish events

Summary:

In the wake of The Blip, the multi-verse has expanded knowledge of the universe in ways no one thought possible. For the first time, journeying between realms and realities is a tangible possibility.

Ex-SHIELD agent and Avenger, Lilith Lenore, is hiding from her past, shunning the life she once led. But when an offer from a wizard of another world is extended, she cannot refuse.

Chapter 9: A Fallen Prince

Dusk had begun to fall as we reached the top of yet another jagged peak. As we wound around the trail that worked up to a plateau overlooking a cliff, Thorin lifted his hand from the front of the pack, gesturing for us to come to a halt. 

“We camp here.” He said loudly, dismounting from his pony.

The others began to dismount as well and I followed suit, jumping from the back of my pony and landing with ease on the soft grass. I stroked Rosie’s nose and offered her a small carrot I’d gotten from Bombur earlier in the afternoon. 

“Good girl.” I said quietly. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” 

My eyes landed on Bilbo a few feet away. He jumped down from the back of his own pony and sneezed in the same motion, nearly causing him to lose his footing in the process. He pulled the scrap of Bofur’s shirt he’d been given as a handkerchief from his jacket and wiped his nose with it. Though my bet with Kili and Fili suggested otherwise, I’d been shocked when Bilbo had actually shown up. Of course I’d been hopeful he would find it within himself to tag along, but part of me was still surprised he’d decided to join.

“Are you doing alright?” I called over to him.

He nodded unconvincingly as he looked at the shirt scrap in his hand. Despite his reassurances to us all that he was fine, I could tell he was very much out of his element. 

“This will be the farthest I’ve ever been from the Shire, you know.” He said instead, not answering my question as to his well-being.

I didn’t press it. 

“This is the farthest I’ve been from home as well.” I reciprocated. “This world is still very strange to me. I know how it is to feel so out of place.” 

He seemed surprised. 

“Well, yes. But you, you’re built for this.” He gestured to me, then to himself. “I’m. Well. Look at me.” 

I offered a sympathetic smile as I stepped closer to him, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Bilbo. I think you have more to offer than you know.” 

Bilbo returned a grateful smile. Aside from Gandalf and myself, the dwarves had not made much of an effort to speak to him. I didn’t think it was a lack of manners or care; it seemed they did not know what to say. I wondered as to the relations of dwarves and hobbits. It seemed that many groups in Middle Earth kept to themselves. Hobbits were certainly wary of outsiders, and from Thorin’s coldness to me initially it seemed dwarves were as well. Perhaps it was lack of experience over unkindness. Before either of us had the chance to speak again, Thorin approached with orders for the evening preparations. 

“Lilith, take Fili and go find some wood for the fire. Kili, secure the ponies.” He stopped, looking down at the hobbit between us. “Bilbo…go help with dinner.” He finished uncertainly.

I nodded and Bilbo and I exchanged goodbyes as he scurried away. I pivoted around on my heel, looking through the crowd of dwarves to find the brother I was to work with. 

Fili stood with Kili a few yards away. I was too far to hear the words being exchanged, but they appeared to be speaking intently about something. Kili was gesturing, pointing backward in my direction and then to Fili. Fili grinned, he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Whatever was being said, it appeared that Kili was not as amused as his brother was. He scowled, and his gesturing became more frantic. As I drew closer I saw Fili nod, seeming to relent to whatever it was his brother was saying. He drew two small axes from somewhere in his coat and handed them both to Kili. Finally a grin broke across his face. I heard him utter something I could not make out as he turned around and jogged over to meet me halfway. 

“Let’s go, Lil.” He said as I approached. He walked past me and gestured for me to follow him. 

“I thought you were with the ponies?” I asked, still standing in place. I looked between him and Fili in confusion, as Fili had already begun to gather the ponies together. 

He stopped and turned back to face me. 

“We traded. Come on.” He said again, turning to leave once more. 

“Why?” I called after him, still unmoving. 

He didn’t answer, and only gestured again for me to follow him. 

I stared after him curiously for a moment before deciding not to pursue it. I followed him back down the winding trail we’d just come up on horseback. We only walked a few yards down and around the bend in the path before he ducked off into the forest. He slowed momentarily to allow me to catch up, and once I’d drawn even with him we walked beside each other in silence. 

We’d spent most of the day chatting, sometimes with Fili as well, but mostly just us two. I’d thoroughly enjoyed our conversations, but the quiet was a nice reprieve after a long day. He’d spoken of his family, of his mother back home. He told me his father had died fighting alongside Thorin after the dragon had taken Erebor. He told me what he remembered about his father, the little that he could. How he always smelled of leather and pipe tobacco, how his earliest memories involved him carving small wooden swords for he and Fili to play with. He spoke of his mothers resilience, how she soldiered on a single mother after their fathers death. How strong she was for her two young boys, despite the painful loss of her husband. He told me how Thorin had stepped into the role of father for them immediately and had come to live with his sister after the war. He’d raised Kili and Fili as his sons, even going as far as naming Fili his heir since he’d never had children of his own. I could tell he was curious about my family as well, but I’d managed to divert him back to speaking about his anytime he’d prompted me to speak of mine. He seemed to take the hint and didn’t pry; I knew it would have to come up eventually, but I wasn’t ready for that conversation quite yet. 

“I think this is a good spot.” He said finally as we came to a stop in a small clearing. Small clusters of sapling trees surrounded us, large enough to keep a fire going but small enough we could cut them down with ease. He handed me one of the two miniature axes with a smile and we went to work on opposite sides of the grove.

We continued to work in a comfortable silence, the only noises coming from the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees above us and the alternating sounds of our axes echoing  across the empty forest. Our paces kept time with each other as we worked, I heard the swings of his ax land with a thud in between each swing of my own. 

After I’d created a pile I was satisfied with, I stood and stretched my aching back. As I took a long sip from my water I felt my eyes involuntarily drift to Kili, still working. His back was turned as he worked, and he didn’t appear to notice I’d paused. He’d taken off his outer leather tunic and cloak, revealing a dark blue fabric shirt underneath. The sweat he’d worked up from the day's travel caused the light fabric to cling to his body. Though he and Fili both appeared to be more slim than the other dwarves, I was surprised to see the broadness of his arms and shoulders that had been hidden beneath the outer layers. He’d pulled his hair partially up in a leather band while he worked, exposing the upper parts of his back and shoulders. With each swing of his ax the muscles flexed and contracted, and I found myself staring for much longer than I’d intended.  

“Are you finished over there?” Kili called over his shoulder. 

I quickly turned back to the pile I’d collected, hoping he had not noticed my gaze lingering on him.

“Uh, yeah.” I stuttered out, quickly slipping Fili’s borrowed ax into my belt. “I think I’ve got enough. We should probably head back before dark.” 

I bent over and used a section of rope from my pack to secure the logs in a bundle. Before I had the chance to lift them onto my back, I heard Kili approach from across the clearing.

“So about you not being entirely human…” He started.

I turned around to face him and found him gesturing to the pile of logs I’d collected. I looked between my bundle and his own; I’d collected twice what he had in the same amount of time. 

I hesitated. I had fully intended to keep my past as well as any personal information to myself throughout this experience. However, I hadn’t anticipated making a friend so quickly. There was only so much I’d be able to do to deflect his questions, and I decided it would not hurt to explain. For the first time in years, I found myself opening up and allowing someone into the smallest portion of my past. 

“I was a spy for another country in my world.” I started. “I got caught by the enemy and they offered me a choice. I could either be in prison for the rest of my life, or work for them. I chose to work for them.”

He nodded.

“But…they didn’t just want me to work for them. They had started to experiment with what they called super soldiers. They created a…” I paused, searching for a way to explain the serum. “I guess you could call it a potion.” 

“It was magic?”

“Not exactly. Magic doesn’t exist in my world like it does here. Not in the same way. They were able to develop this, they called it a serum, that would give a person more…heightened skills.” 

“Such as?” He prompted. 

“There were different versions, so the outcome varied. My friends, they got a stronger version. The one I was given was a little less potent. But it still makes me better than an average person.” 

“In what ways?” 

“I’m stronger. Not crazy strong, I couldn’t lift a boulder or anything. But I’m stronger than an average man. I’m faster. I can see and hear things that most people can’t. I heal quickly, if I’m injured. With that, I also age much more slowly. I’ll likely live much longer than a normal human. And there are smaller effects too. I feel like it made me more agile. I swear it made me smarter, made it easier to think and react quickly. What are you grinning at?” 

As I spoke a cheeky grin had begun to spread across his face, to the point he appeared to almost be laughing. I felt a frown furrow my brow. I wasn’t sure what could have possibly been funny out of what I’d just told him. 

“So you think you’re stronger than me then?” He asked. 

I stared at him blankly. Of all the things I’d just told him, of course that was the part he’d picked out. Men. 

“I don’t think it, I know it.” I said flatly. “You wouldn’t stand a chance.” I gave him a smug smirk in return as I bent over and lifted the bundle of logs with ease. I tossed it over my shoulder onto my back before grabbing his bundle as well to prove the point of my strength. I stepped around him and began walking back in the direction we’d come from. 

“We’ll have to put that to the test someday soon, my lady.” I heard him call from behind me. 

**

After dinner and exchanging stories around the fire for a few hours, most of the company had slowly begun to disperse and settle in for the night. I could not be certain of the time, but it was well past sunset. A still quiet had settled over the makeshift campground, interrupted only by the random sounds of snoring dwarves and crickets chirping from the forest. Aside from myself sat up talking with Kili and Fili, Balin and Gandalf appeared to be the only other two awake at this hour. They were the farthest from the sleeping mass of bodies huddled around the fire; they sat near the treeline towards the cliff, speaking quietly and smoking their pipes. I was surprised I’d not yet drifted off myself. After dinner Kili had told Fili of my abilities, and it had quickly led to a conversation about each of our strengths and proficiencies, as well as even more questions about my world.

“You’ve never used a sword?” Fili asked incredulously. “You, who threw a dagger at my uncle for looking at you funny?”

“First of all, he did more than look at me funny.” I said defensively. “The weapons in my world are just …different.” 

“How?” Kili asked, leaning forward. I could smell the sweet scent of the tobacco from the pipe he smoked lingering on his breath as he scooted closer to me.

“Swords just aren’t used anymore. They’re considered a little outdated for us.” I grinned. “We’ve evolved.” 

I’d picked up on the stubborn pride of dwarves pretty quickly, and I couldn’t resist teasing the brothers a bit. As if on cue both sat up a little straighter at my challenge, looking between each other in disbelief before looking back at me.

“Well my apologies, miss.” Kili huffed, taking the bait. “ I’m sorry our weapons are not good enough for you.” 

It was almost too easy. 

“Well, maybe you can show me a thing or two.��� I offered. “If you aren’t afraid of being beaten by a lady.” 

“It would be my honor.” He grinned in return, putting his hand over his heart. “To best you at something.”

“Ah, better leave that to me, brother.” Fili interjected, throwing a smug smile at his younger sibling. “It’s my area of expertise, after all.” From what I’d been told by them that evening, Fili was the better swordsman, while Kili was the better archer. 

Kili opened his mouth to respond as a piercing, shrill shriek rang out from the canyon below. I jolted, immediately reaching to feel the hilt of the blade on my thigh. It was unlike any sound I’d ever heard, and I felt my stomach clench as a second, equally shrill rebuttal echoed immediately after. There was something animalistic, but also unnatural to it. Even in comparison to the strange aliens I’d faced on Earth, something about it sent a shiver down my spine.

Bilbo had also perked up from where he stood sneaking an apple to his pony. We made eye contact and he stood frozen in place, looking from me to the brothers I sat between in search of an answer. 

“What the hell was that?” I whispered, instinctively leaning in closer to Kili. We were already sitting fairly close together, and I found myself unintentionally pressed completely against his side. He didn’t seem to mind the contact as he leaned in even closer, bringing his face a mere inches away from mine.

“Orcs.” He said quietly. 

“Orcs??” I heard Bilbo whisper harshly. He quickly tiptoed through the mass of sleeping bodies, coming to stand closer to the safety of where the three of us sat. He looked around uncertainly, as if he expected the spoken of creatures to appear at any moment.

Neither of the brothers seemed phased. 

“Throatcutters. There’ll be dozens of them out there.” Fili said simply. He gave Bilbo a knowing look as he puffed a plume of smoke from his pipe. “The lone-lands are crawling with them.”

“They strike in the wee small hours when everyone’s asleep.” Kili continued quietly, looking from myself to Bilbo. “Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood.” He finished with a whisper. 

I felt my eyes widen. Before I could open my mouth to ask any follow up questions, I saw him look back at Fili. He grinned and both exchanged a low, throaty laugh. I grimaced when I realized they had been toying with Bilbo and I. 

“Oh, so funny.” I muttered, elbowing both of them harshly in the ribs. 

“You think that’s funny?” 

Thorin’s voice boomed from behind us, startling everyone who was still awake.  “You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?” He rounded the corner and stood looming over us, glowering down at myself and his nephews. 

I felt my cheeks flush. The last thing I’d wanted to do was lead Thorin to believe I didn’t take this mission seriously. 

“We didn’t mean anything by it.” Kili mumbled awkwardly, averting his eyes to the ground. Fili and I kept our gazes directed downward as well, avoiding Thorin’s angry glare. 

“No, you didn’t. You know nothing of the world.” He barked. He glowered at the three of us before turning on his heel and storming towards the cliff’s edge. 

I could feel Kili’s embarrassment as the awkward silence lingered. I hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently resting my hand on his knee, hopefully in what he would take as a gesture of comfort. He looked over at me and smiled half heartedly as he placed his hand gently on top of mine in a silent gesture of gratitude. 

“Don’t mind him, laddie.” Balin’s voice cut through the silence as he approached. “Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs.” 

Balin told us of how Thorin and the dwarves of Erebor had faced down an army of orcs decades before in an attempt to reclaim another dwarven kingdom. As he explained Thorin’s loss of both his father and grandfather that day, I realized from the story Kili had told me earlier that it must have been the same battle they lost their own father in. Balin spoke of Thorin’s courage, his leadership. How he’d rallied the dwarves to victory that day, in spite of the insurmountable loss. How he’d faced down an orc named Azog alone, earning the name Oakenshield he went by now. 

As Balin’s story ended I watched Thorin as he came walking back toward us. The hardness of his exterior, the way he carried himself... I realized I’d misjudged him as cold and uncaring. In reality, he was far from that. I better understood the pain behind his eyes, his hesitance to trust outsiders. He had been through hell; they all had. I felt a surge of pride for my role in the company. I was happy to be a part of it, and hopefully I’d be able to help them reclaim a small bit of what had been lost.

Thorin disappeared back around the edge of the rocky wall we’d leaned against and Fili stood awkwardly, gesturing in the direction he’d gone. 

“I better go smooth things over.” He mumbled.

As he darted off in search of Thorin I became aware of the feeling of a heavy hand on top of mine. I looked down and realized that Kili still had his hand over mine, which was still resting on his knee. He seemed to notice it at the same time I did. He removed it quickly and cleared his throat. 

“I still have a few hours on watch. You should get some sleep.” He said, his gaze focused intently on his lap. 

I nodded as I began to unfurl the bedroll I’d been given. I didn’t want to stray too far from the group, and the nook we’d settled into felt safe and warm. 

“Are you sleeping here?” He asked.

I had just begun to slink down in between the blankets. I paused as I looked up at him. His expression was unreadable. Perhaps he’d wanted some space. I quickly realized I might have overstepped in assuming he’d not mind me sleeping between him and Fili.

“I was going to. But I can move if-”

“No.” He said quickly. “No, it’s alright.”

As I laid down and pulled the blankets up as high as I could around my shoulders, I heard him mumble something I was sure he didn’t realize I could hear as I drifted off to sleep.

“I’ll keep you safe from the orcs, my lady.”

Entire story so far here! I appreciate the positive feedback I've received so far, thank you for reading! :)

[cutie4560]

Ch 4: Troll Trouble

Bilbo crept into the campsite like a mouse scrounging for crumbs. Around a fire sat three behemoth trolls cooking their evening meal. The biggest of the three carried in Myrtle and Minty. He placed them into a makeshift pen with Bungo and Daisy. Another troll, wearing a dirty leathery apron, stirred some green substance in the cauldron. "Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it doesn't look like mutton again tomorrow Will."

"Quit yer' griping Bert. These ain't sheep. These are West Nags!" William snapped back at his ungrateful companion.

"Oh, I don't like horses. I never `ave. Not enough fat on them." The youngest whined picking his toenails.

"Better than the leathery old farmer, Tom. All skin and bone, he was. I'm still picking bits of him out of me teeth." Bert said, pulling a piece of shirt from his mouth. Tom accidentally released a vicious sneeze into the pot. Bert looked at the green boogie floating around as if it was a break in culinary history."Oh, that's lovely, that is; a floater."

"That might just improve the flavor!" Will laughed as he sharpened his carving knife. Coming from the back, Bilbo snuck over to the pen.

"Ah! There's more where that came from." Tom said in joy from the compliment.

As he went to suck back more snot, Bert grabbed hold of his nose. "Oh no you don't. Sit down."

In the bushes, Kili stayed low and hidden to keep an eye on Bilbo. If the hobbit were to be seen he would be there for the rescue. However, the halfing was holding his own and remained unnoticed while trying to untie the four captured ponies. Kili couldn’t decide whether this was stupid or brave. Either way, it was impressive. A hand suddenly grabbed onto his shoulder, spooking the prince. Armed, Kili turned around and hauled himself towards the source. He hooked an arm around the figure and pulled them down to the ground, pinning them in place. Kili pressed his sword against the stranger's clavicle. His defense still remained heighted after he identified the stranger in question. "What are you doing here?"

"Out for a lovely walk through the forest. Wanted to get some fresh air, enjoying the fireflies in the moonlight." Shail answered sarcastically before shoving him off. "I came looking for that hobbit."

"How'd you find out?...You followed us, that's it. I knew we couldn’t trust you.” He aggressively accused through a whisper.

Shail rolled her eyes, becoming bugged by his stupidity. "Kili, you and your brother were watching the ponies, right?” She asked. Kili gave a nod yes. “Do you see your brother here?” Kili stuttered before answering. Shail groaned and covered her face. Dragging her hand down in frustration, she continued to explain. “Fili came charging into camp rambling about trolls. The others took a straight path, but I was clever. Snuck right around" she whispered tapping the side of her temple. Before Kili could make another comment, Shail walked past him to investigate the troll commotion. She crouched down and silently prowled. Kili sneered, she wasn’t going to take his role as “hobbit watcher” without a fight. He was doing a fine job without her pair of eyes. Kili kneeled beside her and watched. He tried to assure Shail there was no immediate danger, but he was shushed instantly. They saw Bilbo slowly move towards a troll who sat in the middle. His method of untying must not have worked, but the watchers had no clue what his new plan was. "He's gonna be seen, let's get out there." Shail started to stand, but was stopped.

"Wait, you can't go running out there. We have to wait for the others. For Durin’s sake, you're like a feral fox." Kili hissed, holding her back by the forearm. Shail gritted her teeth to show how feral she could be. She then pulled her arm from Kili’s grip and huffed in irritation, but stayed put as ordered. Her patience was running thin and action needed to be taken. They watched as Bilbo successfully moved behind the middle-seated troll. It seemed the halfling was aiming to steal a contoured make-shift knife hanging from the troll’s belt of rope. He would use the monster’s knife and cut the ponies free. Kili nodded and decided Mr. Boggins was not only brave but clever too. Bilbo was about to grab the tool, but was suddenly hoisted into the air. The troll had reached around for a handkerchief and grabbed the halfling as well. Before he could comprehend what had happened, the hobbit’s body became covered in the troll’s snot. Kili groaned in disgust then gasped at his unexpected volume. With eyes wide open, him and Shail both quickly covered his mouth and laid down in panic with their backs to the trolls.

"Argh! Blimey! Bert! Look what's come out of me 'ooter! It's got arms and legs and everything." Tom said, holding Bilbo in his hand. The other trolls gather around, asking what it was. "I don't know, but I don't like the way it wriggles around!" He shook Bilbo off the napkin onto the ground.

Will stopped Bilbo by pointing his knife to the smaller creature’s chest. "What are you then? An oversized squirrel?"

"I'm a burglar- uhh, Hobbit." Bilbo quickly said.

"A Burgla Hobbit?"

"Can we cook `em?" Will asked.

"We can try!" Tom said, grabbing at Bilbo.

Bilbo dodged it only to be cornered by Bert,"He wouldn't make more than a mouthful, not when he's skinned and boned!"

"Perhaps there's more Burglar Hobbits around these parts. Might be enough for a pie." Will said, pointing his knife at the frightened hobbit.

"Grab him!"

"It's too quick!" Tom said as Bilbo ran around trying to dodge them. Bert accidentally hit Tom with his ladle while trying to get the hobbit. Bilbo was caught by his leg and held upside down. "Come here, you little... Gotcha! Are there any more of you little fellas `iding where you shouldn't?" Will asked.

"Nope." Bilbo answered out of breath.

"He's lying." Tom said.

"No I'm not!"

"Hold his toes over the fire. Make him squeal!"

The threat was enough to push Kili over the edge. This was the immediate danger he feared. Without thinking, he stood and ran out of the bushes striking Tom in the calf. Standing up, Shail waited before charging in. Using Kili as a sacrifice could determine how much danger they were actually in. Maybe his lack of wits would be of some use. Kili held up his sword. "Drop him!"

"You what?" Will asked, looking down at the dwarf.

"I said, drop him." Kili repeated. The expression of anger warned the troll that he wouldn't repeat himself a third time. Will, with a maniacal smirk, tossed Bilbo at Kili. It knocked them both to the ground. Thorin and the Company then emerged from the brushes charging into battle. Thrown off guard, the trolls struggled to defend themselves. They yelped and screeched while being prodded, sliced, and chopped.

Shail went charging, but stumbled back as Dwalin gripped onto her tunic. "I told you to stay back at camp!"

"Let me be! I can fight…WATCH!" She yelled, pulling away. The “Tom” troll was unsteady, so Shail seized the opportunity. As the monster tried to regain his balance, the she-dwarf got a good grip on her mace, let out a battle cry, and took a big swing. Surprisingly it missed by a few inches.

The momentum of the swing caused Shail to stumble back, nearly taking out Dwalin instead. Frustrated at already having to save the hobbit, the muscular dwarf pressed forward. “Take out the trolls, Not me! Watch out!” Dwalin shoved her opposite of himself as the troll’s foot came barging down between them. He watched as Shail fell into the dim-minded beast’s hand. Nabbed up by the waist, her legs flailed around. She grunted and punched at the massive fingers, trying to break from their grip. The troll looked at Shail closely, but far enough to miss getting an eye full of fist.

"Oi, he’s a girl! Never ate a girl dwarf before." Tom said, licking his lips.

"And yer not going to!" She yelled, punching the hand with no effect. Kili and Fili ran from behind Tom, swinging their swords in unison. They cut the back of the troll's knee causing Tom to wail out in pain and release Shail.

Fili tossed his sword to Kili and swiftly caught Shail in his arms. He couldn’t help himself and gave her a cheeky smirk. Her body was held securely by his strong arms, a feeling of support she had not experienced before. His callicky fingers gently dug into the sides of her shoulder and thigh as he re-gripped his hold. “I’ve got you…” the older prince assured. Fili’s golden hair and lightly scarred skin were highlighted from the troll’s campfire. The metal charms in his braids shined from the warm light. In contrast, Shail’s raven hair was messily framing her face. Her eyes were brightened not only against the dark locks, but by the blush which swept over her cheeks as well.

"Put me down, I had that under control” Shail grumbled, pushing out of his hold. Getting her footing, Shail moved the hair from her face and picked up her mace. Charging back into the fight. Fili grabbed his sword back from Kili, his attention back on the fight.

As the dwarves fought, Bilbo took the opportunity to grab Tom's knife and cut the horse’s ropes. Will’s attention drew to the hobbit. The large troll trampled over like a gorilla and took the small being as a hostage.

Seeing their burglar held in the air, the dwarves halted their strikes. "Bilbo!" Kili yelled. Thorin stopped his nephew from advancing, afraid it would endanger the hobbit’s life.

"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off." Will demanded pulling at Bilbo’s arms. Thorin stared down the troll and quickly assessed before making a rash decision. How replaceable was this burglar? Was the halfling worth all of this trouble? The king was contractually obligated to look out for his well being to some extent. Thorin looked at the hobbit and saw his eyes were full of fear. The king made his choice, planting his sword in the ground in surrender. The others followed their leader and dropped their weapons too.

Holding Bilbo hostage still, the entire company was ordered to disrobe their top layers. Bert didn’t want any more shirt stuck in his teeth. Several of the dwarves would comply while others hesitated. Oin looked around extremely confused as everyone began to strip. He had left his hearing trumpet at the campsite so both hands could wield a shovel. The medic did a double take once his brother informed him about their instructions. There was no way he heard Gloin correctly.

Everyone took their time removing their layers, each one trying to come up with their own escape plan. Bilbo kept his eyes averted out of respect. It was difficult to ignore the movement below as he was still held above them all. After accidentally catching a glimpse of a shirtless dwarf king, the hobbit fixated his stare at the trees ahead and nowhere else.

Shail removed her belt tossing it aside then began to untie her corset. She contemplated just retrieving her mace and having a frenzy. Before she did something stupid, Dwalin threw a sack at her with no words. Immediately, he held up another sack in front of her for cover. While holding the sack, Dwalin slowly examined it to ‘find the opening’ and did not dare to check if the she-dwarf was finished. It wasn’t right for her to be exposed, wildlander or no. Shail quickly undressed standing in her undergarments. No words were exchanged between the two, but the purpose was understood by both. Shail muttered a ‘thank you’ once she was in the sack, covered up to her neck. Dwalin was going to step into a bag, but a troll hand pushed him to the spit’s skewer. He was tied to the giant skew along with Bofur, Bifur, Dori, Nori, and Ori. The six dwarves yelled in panic as they were lifted into the air, placed unto the spit, and began to rotate. The rest of the company were tied up in their sacks and pushed aside into a pile. Satisfied with the dwarves' compliance, Will scooped Bilbo into a bag, tied it up, and tossed him into the mound of squirming bags.

"Don't bother cooking them. Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly." Tom suggested impatiently.

"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." Burt said, throwing some seasoning on the turning spit. A few of the rotating dwarves coughed by the sudden spices in their faces.

"Ooh, that does sound quite nice." Tom agreed.

"Never mind the seasoning; we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, so let's get a move on. I don't fancy being turned to stone." Will warned. While the others were occupied trying to escape their holds, Bilbo listened to the troll’s warning. Hearing what Tom said, the hobbit knew exactly how to stall them until day break. "Wait! You are making a terrible mistake."

"You can't reason with them, they're half wits!" Dori said as he turned on the spit.

"Half wits? What does that make us?" Bofur asked as he passed by.

"Uh, I meant with the, uh, with, uh, with the seasoning." Bilbo stuttered, hopping up off the ground.

"What about the seasoning?" Bert asked skeptically.

"Well have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up." The hobbit said. Small grunts and scoffs from the dwarves were made at the insult.

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" Will asked.

"Shut up, and let the, uh, flurgaburburra hobbit talk." Burt said, genuinely interested.

"Uh, th-the secret to cooking dwarf is, um " Bilbo stuttered trying to figure what to say. Burt pushed for an answer, making the hobbit even more flustered. "Ye-yes, I'm telling you, the secret is toooo skin them first!" Bilbo finally answered while nodding his head and smiling. The suggestion caused an uproar from the company.

"Tom, get me the fileting knife." Burt said, gesturing with his hand for it.

"I won't forget that. I won't forget that!" Dwalin threatened. He pointed at the halfling as he spun.

"What a load of rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scuff them, I say, boots and all." Will said.

"He's right! Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf! Nice and crunchy." Tom said, picking Bombur up and holding him over his open mouth.

"Not not that one! H-he's infected!" Bilbo said. Tom looked at the hobbit in confusion. "Yeah, he's got worms in his … tubes." Tom quickly dropped Bombur back into the pile of Dwarves in disgust. Shail felt the air leave her body as the large ginger dwarf landed on her. "I-in fact they all have! They're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't."

"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili yelled as the rest of the dwarves rambled on about how they were clean. Bilbo rolled his eyes, those damned dwarves were screwing with his plan. Thorin, catching onto Bilbo's trick, kicked his nephew in the back to silence him. The dwarven king raised his brows at the surrounding dwarves, signaling them to agree with the charade. The simple-minded dwarves understood and went along with it. Kili changed his tone completely and declared "Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!" Everyone joined in.

"We're riddled." Nori said.

"Yes, I'm riddled." Ori said after his brother.

"Yes, we are. Badly!" Dori added.

"So be it. Then we’ll eat the girl." Burt said, lifting Bombur up and throwing him aside to get to Shail.

"No you can't. I mean...along with parasites, who knows what else she’s got. Fleas, ticks, other contagious deadly insects crawling around in the rat nest she calls hair. And she’s a lass! She’s got the most tubes of us all, more room for… hosting." Bilbo reasoned. Red in the face and short of breath Shail was unable to yell at the halfling.

"What would you have us do, then, let 'em all go?" Bert asked Bilbo

"Well..." Bilbo shrugged, hoping the trolls would choose that option.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools!"

"Ferret?" Bilbo asked, offended at the comment.

"Fools?" Burt questioned.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf declared. He appeared on top of a large rock above the clearing just in time. Striking the rock with his staff, the wizard split it in half. Sunlight poured into the clearing. Soon, the rays touched the trolls' skin and began turning them into stone. Letting out final screams of pain, the monsters transformed into stone trolls. All of the dwarves cheered out in joy.

"Oh, get your foot out of my back!" Dwalin said in pain.

Gandlaf un-tied Bilbo then tousled his hair hello, relieved his hobbit had not only survived but used his wits to do so. The halfling began to help the sacked dwarves while the wizard freed the others from the spit. Bilbo looked up to the morning sky when tending to the knots, considering each member was indecent under the bags. Each member thanked him once freed, then began to dress.

An awkward silence grew when he had difficulty untying Thorin’s strings. Who knew a troll's giant fingers could make such an intricate knot. Bilbo contemplated making the comment out loud, but decided his full focus should be on the task at hand. The hobbit’s eyes traveled from the sky to the ground then to the tree line when fumbling the tie. His brow furrowed in concentration and annoyance. Thorin’s glare remained down on the hobbit’s hands. Both could only withstand so many throat clearings, exhales, sniffs, and lip smacks before saying something. They were growing agitated.

“Could you untie me faster Master Baggins?” Thorin asked impatiently through a sigh, standing over the hobbit.

“I do apologize, it’s a bit tighter than the others.” Bilbo struggled with the knot. He prayed it would just loosen already.

Thorin groaned and muttered a curse in Khuzdul. The two began to lowly speak over each other in frustration. “I don’t know why you’re looking everywhere else but in fro-“

“Out of respect for your indecent state, I thought-“

“Well, that isn’t working. Just hurry up an-“

“I’m trying-“

“What?”

“‘I’m trying’?” Bilbo sternly repeated, giving Thorin a look of challenge. He was a king, but a rude one at that. The hobbit would not stand for such blatant disrespect. Thorin straightened his posture and raised his brows a bit in surprise.

“Here, try this.” Fili suggested, holding a dagger handle out between the two. The sudden offer disrupted their stare down.

Bilbo took the weapon from Fili’s hand without hesitation. He nodded to the prince and kept his eyes down to the knot, not only to avoid cutting anyone but out of embarrassment for snapping at their leader too. The hobbit, slightly flustered, began to stumble his words “Thank you. Yes, this will suffice. Alright. All done. Excellent. Here you are, thank you again.” Bilbo gave a small bow to Fili then stiffly walked away, rubbing his hands in desperation to find something to do.

Both dwarves looked at the small being walking away. Fili joked “He’s a foolish one, he is”.

Thorin, not joking, agreed “A fool indeed”.

Nori was admiring a burgundy shirt, rubbing the quality fabric with his thumbs, and even held it to his torso to check the size. “That’s mine.” Gloin growled, standing behind the company’s thief. Alarmed by the tone, Nori turned around and held the garment behind his back. His face formed a sheepish smile while Gloin’s held a sneer.

“Oh, it is?...Oh, it is! My sincerest apologies. I‘ve got one just like it, but it seems I failed to realize the big difference in size.” Nori insisted as he took a few steps back. He then held out his arm, holding the clothing out as a peace offering. Gloin snatched it then stomped away, unaware that his shirt’s breast pockets were now empty. Nori smirked, placed his newly obtained coins in his own pockets, then left to check on his younger brother.

Bofur helped his brother dress Bifur, but took a small break as he saw the thief approaching. “Getting into trouble, are we?” He asked with a cheeky grin, hearing Gloin still grumbling about the ‘untrustworthy bastard’.

Nori simply answered “I don’t know what you’re talking about” as he passed by. Bofur shook his head then counted with Bombur to 3, pulling their cousin’s trousers up together.

Once Dwalin was down from the spit, made his way to Shail. The wildlander was trying to gnaw her way out of the bag with no success. Picking through the pile of clothes, Dwalin found his attire. Seeing Shail’s tunic he gathered her clothing too. “Stop that.” Dwalin said, scooping her up over his shoulder. She kicked and grunted in protest, uncertain what he was up to. Ripping the rope off her sack, the large dwarf flung her over some bushes then threw over the clothing. Dwalin quickly dressed, he turned his back to the shrubbery to give the lass some privacy. He remained on stand by as the others finished up, ready to head out. “Are you re-” Dwalin started to ask, peering over his shoulder. As she was slipping on her under shirt, Dwalin caught a glance of dwarven tattoos on her left shoulder. From what he could see the ink looked like a family tree. The name furthest to the left had a scar through it. Nervous of being caught, Dwalin looked away with a cough. "Ready?" He asked.

"I'm comin." She answered, emerging from the shrubs. Shail tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. "Let's get goin." She said, but was stopped. Dwalin grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

"I told you to stay back, why didn't you listen? You nearly got yourself killed." He asked in a hushed tone.

"Excuse me? I've been living on my own for ages, I know how to handle a fight. So I don't need you ta act all fatherly." She hissed back and pulled away from his light hold, poking at his chest.

"How do you expect to defend yourself when you can’t hold your weapon properly? This wasn't fighting off a wild animal, lass. You're gonna be facing bigger enemies."

"I don't need you, nor anyone else, to protect me. That weapon was forged by me, so I know how to handle it." She stated, grabbing her mace off from the ground. Shail began to walk away from the conversation, but turned back to add "You only know me for, what, a day now? Why are you acting like I matter to you?"

"Did you forge those tattoos?” Dwalin asked. Shail was too stunned to speak, but maintained a face of anger. Dwalin continued “Telling by that scar, you've already lost a fight to something bigger…or was that scar put there on purpose?" Dwalin whispered. Shail’s scowl dropped to an expression of unease. "I know where you really came from, who your kin is…" The nervous look of her lips traveled to her eyes, a slight quivering of her pupils. Dwalin softened his harsh glare and promised "I won't say a word." He gave a pat to her shoulder then went off to join Thorin and the others.

A hundred questions began to flood Shail’s head instantly. How did he know or even find out? Would he really keep his promise? No. He’s just waiting for the opportunity to use it to his advantage. Would anyone really believe that she could be who he says she is? Why did she even care? Watching as the dwarves scattered to round up the ponies, Shail kept her eyes on Dwalin. He, along with Thorin, Nori, Bofur, Gloin, and the wizard, traveled down into a troll cave. She kept a far enough distance to spy, but saved her nostrils from the rancid smells seeping from the hole.

[branching-paths]

Of Battle Cries

I'm back baby!!! Sorry for the long wait, this one is a doozy, but y'all already know the gist! Have fun!!!

Kili's POV

Three days since we emerged from the Goblin tunnels, with barely anything to eat. Right now, we were camping in a hidden gully, and everyone was getting worried. Myrin and Bilbo had gone missing, and there was no sign of them. Right now, Balin was up top, keeping watch for Goblins, Wargs, Orcs, and anything that could kill us. None of us were seriously hurt, just a few bruises, maybe a cut, but we all were fine. Gandalf was leaning up against a tree, glaring at Thorin. Thorin had his head held in his hands, grumbling to himself, every now and then shaking his head. Then Gandalf stood up and shook his staff at Thorin.

"Why did you lose my hobbit," Gandalf snarled. Thorin stood up and glared back.

"Why did you bring him, he's been useless since he left the shire," He growled back. Gandalf took a step towards Thorin.

"I do not bring useless things, and he hasn't been useless! He saved you from the trolls, and might I remind you that he helped Myrin take care of you and Oin while we were staying in Bree?" Thorin growled and lowered his gaze. I glanced at Fili, who glanced at me and shrugged.

"What do you suggest we do then," Thorin growled.

"Return to the tunnels and look for your missing companions," Gandalf shouted like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and in a way it was.

"What about leaving nobody behind," I shouted. Thorin flinched and looked at me, a pained expression in his eyes.

"It's suicide going back in there," Dwalin growled back. "As much as I don't agree with the idea, we must venture on without Myrin or the hobbit."

"Why don't you agree, you hate them both," Fili snarled at Dwalin. Dwalin stood up and pointed at Fili.

"I don't hate them, I just don't trust them," He corrected. "There is a difference!"

"You wouldn't strike up a conversation with them, and I don't trust either one bit," Dori growled. As everyone started to yell, I had enough.

"STOP YELLING," I shouted. "This won't solve anything! Petty issues aside, preferences and dislikes aside, should we go back and find Myrin and Bilbo?"

"While you all are deciding, they could be getting mauled," Gandalf reminded.

"For all we know, they could be dead already," Bofur added. "Why risk our hides if they're already dead?"

"Because they deserve more," I shouted. "Think about it, you are running for your life, being chased by goblins and Durin knows what else down there, you're all alone, and you die. Wouldn't you want someone to find you and give you a proper burial?" As the company thought, the gully grew silent. "Bilbo did sign the contract, and it states that we would take care of his funeral if it happens," I added.

"I would hope that I won't need to have one," Bilbo said behind me. Oh, how he startled me. If he hadn't dodged, I would have run him through, and I didn't need a wizard against me! Everyone crowded around Bilbo, slapping his back and giving him brotherly hugs. Balin came down, absolutely puzzled at how the hobbit had gotten past him, but Bilbo wouldn't give him any answers. Thorin stayed back, he wasn't a hugger or anything of that sort.

"How did you get out of there," Dori asked. "There were guards and we heard Wargs on the way out!" Bilbo smirked and slid something into his pocket. Gandalf sniffed and leaned forward.

"What does it matter," THe wizard said. "He's back!" Thorin looked up and growled at the wizard.

"Something that does matter," Thorin snarled. He turned to Bilbo and his gaze softened from anger to confusion. "Why did you come back? Last I remember, you were going back to Rivendell." Bilbo shuffled his feet and looked around, a thoughtful look plastered on his face.

"Well, Thorin you are right, I miss my books, armchair, and not having to worry about whether or not I'll live another day, and because of that, I have been rather useless," Bilbo said. "I would like to go home, but then, I realized that you all don't have a home. Or maybe you have one, but it's just a house, not a home. That got me thinking, and I have decided to do anything within reason to help you get your home back." Bilbo's eyes landed on Thorin and pain crossed his face for a split second, I barely caught it.

"Did you see Myrin down there," I asked. Bilbo looked at me and opened his mouth. Then a howl split the air.

"Crap, how did they follow me," Bilbo shouted, looking behind him.

"This way, quickly," Gandalf shouted, running down, farther into the gully. I ran ahead of everyone, only to stop as I came to a large hill, covered with rocks. Fili ran into me, just about knocking me over the edge. Someone else ran into us, and then Bombur tumbled into us. The entire company tumbled down the rocky slopes, then it turned into an avalanche of little pebbles. We came to a stop at the bottom, my lower half was under the rocks, and I was almost certain that I had a few in my trousers and boots. Gandalf, who was the only one besides Bombur who had everything above ground, looked back up the slope and chuckled.

"I believe that will stump them for a while," He chuckled. Thorin pulled his foot out of the rubble and helped Fili out. When everyone was out of the rubble, we continued to run away from the Goblin tunnels, and away from the mountains. I looked over at Bilbo and felt my mouth open up.

"Stop, stop, The hobbit's injured," I shouted, pulling Bilbo to a stop.

"What," Gandalf, Thorin, and Bilbo shouted. I pointed to his shirt, which was covered in blood. Oin lifted the hobbit's shirt and grunted.

"It's not my blood," Bilbo shouted, pulling his shirt back down. He had been frowning two seconds ago, but now he was panicked.

"What hobbit," Oin asked.

"It's Myrin's-"

"Climb the trees," Balin shouted. Wargs burst into the clearing I stopped the company in. Everyone scrambled to the trees, swords and other various weapons drawn. Those who weren't climbing were fighting off the Wargs. Gandalf climbed the tree at the far end of the clearing, disappearing into the boughs. Dori reached down and pulled up the hobbit, who had his sword stuck in a Warg. Bilbo and sword came up as the rest of the Wargs sprinted into the clearing. They snapped at the lowest branches, tearing them off the trees and shaking them, the company, horribly. The Wargs circled the trees and sat under them so we couldn't escape. It was at times like these that I wished that I had my bow still. However, Gandalf came up with the next best thing, flaming pinecones of all different colors. He handed one to me and Fili, we snatched more off the tree, lit them up, and threw them at the Wargs. When it hit their pelt, it stuck and I felt a little sorry for the creatures as they went tearing back into the woods, howling. Then the Wargs got smart and started to dodge the pinecones. They hit the ground and started to burn the layers of pine needles and other things that lay on forest floors. Then Wargs with Orc riders came into the clearing. The Orcs were as fouler than the others that attacked us, not only in smell. They rode towards our trees staring into the boughs.

"Fifteen bird in five firtrees," One shouted. His voice sent chills down my back. Not only was he off-key, his voice sounded like knives on a chalkboard.

"Their feathers were fanned in a firey breeze," Another yelled, sing-songing too. "But, funny little birds, they had no wings! Oh, what shall we do with the funny little things? Roast 'em alive, or stew them in a pot; fry them, boil them, and eat them hot?" More Orcs had joined the first two by this point and were laughing at us.

"Fly away little birdies, while you still can," One shouted, his voice worse than the first.

"Go away, you naughty boys," Gandalf yelled. I couldn't help but be shocked! How could Gandalf not be afraid?! "Little boys who play with fire get punished," Gandalf added. The Orcs, as much as I wished they had, didn't mind Gandalf and continued to sing.

"Burn, burn tree and fern! Shrivel and scorch! A fizzling torch to light the night for our delight, Yo HEY!" At this point, I was quaking in my boots, they frightened me so!

"Bake and toast 'em, fry and roast 'em! Till beards blaze and eyes glaze, till hair smells and skin cracks, fat melts, and bones black, in cinders, lie beneath the sky! So the dwarves shall die and light the night for our delight! Ya hey, Ya harri hey, Ya HEY!" As their song finished, I was beyond terrified. Over twenty Orcs were around the trees, or just emerging from the tree line. One just coming into my view, however, looked just like an Orc that older children would describe to scare the younger dwarflings. Thorin lowered the branch in front of him and stared at the Orc. The Orc raised his head and sniffed the air. He turned to the rider next to him and said something in Orcish. They both smiled, sending chills down my back. Thorin lowered his head and growled at the two Orcs, shaking his head.

"It cannot be," He mumbled quietly. Azog said something more, and the Wargs launched at the base of the tree Bilbo and the Ri's were in. The tree started to fall over, it knocked into my tree and the company was forced to jump from tree to tree until we all were in the last tree. Wargs started to dig at its roots, and the tree lurched backward, over the edge of the cliff I hadn't noticed before. The tree was balanced on the edge of the cliff, almost horizontal, and we all were hanging from the boughs that didn't break when the tree landed. Thorin was on the trunk, the least dazed of us. He looked up at Azog, who was almost smiling back. It was a sight that I could never forget... Azog reached behind with his good hand and grabbed something that was on his saddle. The Pale Orc raised it high and glared at Thorin as a sack cut in half fell off whatever the orc was holding. I felt my eyes bug.

"MYRIN," Fili shouted. That's what Azog was holding, and I wanted to rip him a new one! Saying one thing, and doing another are two different things, I found out then. Terror and shock kept me frozen to my branch, where my feet were dangling over nothingness. Thorin looked back at Fili and I, determination crossed his face. He got to his feet and drew Orcrist. Azog smiled again and leaned forward on his Warg saddle, egging Thorin on. Thorin brought up his armguard and raced down the trunk. As he did so, Azog threw Myrin to the ground, she rolled near the cliff and stopped. I glanced back towards Thorin, fear pricked my heart again as I saw Azog bash Thorin's face with his four-bladed mace.

"THORIN," I yelled as he fell to the ground. I swung up onto my branch, only to have it snap under my weight. Fili grabbed my arm and heaved me up to the branch that was supporting him. We both turned back to the cliff, where Thorin was getting chewed on by the White Warg like a piece of meat. He yelled out and brought his sword down onto the Warg's muzzle. It yelped and threw him across the clearing. Thorin bounced on the rock and rolled to a stop, dazed. Azog pulled his jaw in and growled something to the other Orc. That Orc snarled/smiled and slid off the Warg, sword drawn. It crept over to Thorin and put his sword at his neck. He raised it up and Bilbo tumbled into the Orc, stabbed it a few times, and stood between Thorin and Azog. Thorin's head jerked as he slipped into unconsciousness. Azog growled and rode his Warg towards Thorin, but Bilbo wouldn't have any of it. He swung his sword a few times, and that was enough to make Azog hesitate. Fili and I took that chance to get up off the branch and attack the Orcs. Dwalin, Gloin, and Balin were with us in attacking. We slashed and hacked at the Wargs and Orcs, and then something grabbed my shoulders and lifted me into the air. I looked up and saw Lakita. Then she dropped me and I yelled. I landed on the back of a giant eagle, Fili landed seconds later. The eagle circled the blazing clearing for a while as others picked up the rest of the company. Lakita scooped up Myrin and flew away, the eagles seeming to fly another way. We flew away from the clearing, and Azog's howl of furry pierced the night.

"Thorin," Fili shouted a while later. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and we could barely see our uncle. He was in bad shape, and if it wasn't for the eagle's hold on him, well..... I'm not going to think about it. A few minutes later, we came to a bear-shaped rock and that's what the eagle set Thorin down on. Gandalf was next and he raced to Thorin. Fili and mine eagle landed and we scrambled off, racing over to Thorin. He took a shuddering breath and his eyes flung open.

"The half-ling," He mumbled. Gandalf sighed and leaned on his staff, getting up.

"It's alright, Bilbo is here, he's quite safe," He mumbled back. Thorin started to get up, so Dwalin and I helped him to his feet. He shoved us off rather rudely. Thorin glared at Bilbo, who was noticing the anger on Thorin's face.

"You," Thorin growled at the hobbit. "What were you doing, you nearly got killed!" Thorin took a few steps forward, still glaring at Bilbo. "Did I not say you would be a burden," He asked. "That you would not survive in the wild?! That you had no place among us?!" If Thorin kicked Bilbo off the rock, I would never forgive him! Thorin's gaze softened and he walked towards Bilbo. "I have never been so wrong in my life," He said, embracing the startled hobbit. I was beyond startled, and so was Fili. Thorin never hugged, unless you get lost for a few days..... Fili leaned on my shoulder and sighed.

"I thought he was going to kill him," Fili mumbled. I leaned over.

"So did I," I agreed. Thorin let go of the hobbit and looked him square in the face.

"I am sorry that I doubted you," Thorin said. Bilbo held up his hand and looked around as if the rock we stood on would give him words.

"No, I would have doubted me too," Bilbo said. "I'm not a hero or a warrior..." Bilbo looked up at Gandalf. "I'm not even a burglar." Everyone chuckled. The eagles screeched and returned to the west, back towards the mountains. Thorin looked beyond the hobbit and the smile on his face disappeared. Bilbo noticed and turned around.

"Is that what I think it is," He asked. Thorin didn't answer, he just walked beyond Bilbo, an even brighter smile starting to show on his face. I wondered what he was looking at, so I walked towards him, then I spotted it.

"Erebor," Gandalf said. Bilbo looked back at him, surprised. "The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth."

"Our home," Thorin added quietly. I looked at Fili and smiled, looping an arm around his shoulders. A bird twittered past and Oin pointed it out.

"A raven, the birds are returning to the Mountain," He shouted, holding up his flattened trumpet. Gandalf looked at the bird and shook his head slightly.

"That my dear Oin, is a thrush," Gandalf corrected. Thorin heard it twitter and the smile brightened. I could almost see the gears in his head working.

"But we'll take it as a sign, a good omen," He said softly. Bilbo and he shared a look and the hobbit nodded.

"I do believe that the worst is behind us," Bilbo said. I found myself nodding, agreeing to the hobbit's words.

"We can't stay up here all day," Thorin said loudly, turning around. He took a step forward and winced, but he continued. Dwalin stepped up and supported Thorin until we got to the stairs. Then Thorin leaned on the rock and made his way down.

About an hour later, we were almost down to the ground. Thorin was getting worse, now he was panting with every other step, but he wouldn't accept help from anyone. The injuries that I could see were numerous. He had a nasty cut above his left eye, his nose had another, his arm was held against his ribs, where I was sure a few were broken, and he was limping on his right foot. But he walked with a certain air around him that said he was on a mission, and nothing would stop it. That and the smile had brightened tenfold, I think he was doing great, despite his panting and limping. We came around the last corner and Thorin stopped. I could barely see him around the corner. Everyone else hesitated, then ran forward. Screeching came and I sprinted around the corner. Lakita was backed up against a spire of rock, wings raised offensively and trilling angrily. I ran towards her head and started to pet it. She lowered her wings and trilled at me as Fili went to the saddle and checked on Myrin, who somehow got on Lakita's back.

"Shhhh," I told Lakita as I rubbed her head. "Anything Fili," I asked, peeking around the griffon's head. Lakita trilled again as Fili pried off his glove and licked his finger. "Fee..." He looked back at me, tears in his eyes. Tears welled in my own and I raced to the saddle where Myrin was laid across. "No, she's alright, you just didn't check hard enough," I screamed as I reached for her. Fili grabbed my arms and held them at my sides. "NO, SHE ISN'T DEAD," I screamed. Fili held me tighter as I struggled against him. Tears fell off my face, she couldn't be dead! Fili lowered to the ground and turned me around, I buried my face into his shoulder, still sobbing. Then I remembered something. I turned towards Bilbo and looked him in the eye.

"Why is Myrin's blood on your shirt," I snarled at him. Bilbo looked up from staring at his feet and looked me in the eye.

"We ran into each other," Bilbo said. Anger started to boil.

"And you two didn't stay together," Dwalin asked. Bilbo nodded with a gulp. "Why would you two of stayed separate, there's strength in numbers!"

"She was leading away some Wargs," Bilbo said. "If I had known that she was going to get killed, or that she was injured, I would have gone with!"

"You sent her to her doom," I snarled at him. Bilbo looked at me, shocked. "She was injured and you knew it, yet you still let her go!"

"Kili, hold your tongue," Gloin shouted.

"NO! This hobbit has betrayed Myrin, and I refuse to travel any longer with him!"

"Kee, Bilbo didn't betray anyone," Fili said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He just said he didn't know...." I stared at him, was he really doing this?! "You've had a stressful day, probably need some sleep-"

"I'm just fine," I shouted, wrenching my shoulder out of his grip. Before anyone could say anything, I ran into the woods to clear my head.

A few hours later, I was in a different clearing, and I was hearing sobbing, but it wasn't my own. Curious, and needing something to get my mind off of Myrin, I got up and crept towards the sobbing. I stopped just out of sight of a form hunched over, leaning up on a tree. I couldn't see his face, but I knew who the owner of Orcrist was.

"Kili," Bilbo called, stumbling into the clearing. Thorin's head shot up and looked at the hobbit. I backed farther into the bushes. "Oh, Thorin..... Sorry, but have you seen Kili?"

"No," Thorin croaked. He cleared his throat and looked up at the hobbit again. "I haven't seen him, did he run off or something?" Bilbo walked towards Thorin, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, he thinks I killed Myrin." Oh, right...... I kind of forgot about that........... Note to self, when Bilbo is alone, apologize to him. Apologizing in front of a crowd is very embarrassing.

"What," Thorin shouted.

"Myrin and I met each other in the tunnels, and she was injured at the time with Wargs on her tail. She told me to take one path, while she took another, and to not look back no matter what I heard. Her left shoulder touched my chest, and some blood got on-"

"That hair-brained idiot," Thorin mumbled. Bilbo stopped explaining and looked Thorin square in the eye.

"You talking about Myrin, me, or Kili?"

"Myrin," Thorin growled. He mumbled something quietly, I didn't hear what he said exactly. A tense and awkward silence followed.

"Did she have any family," Bilbo asked.

"No, just friends she thought family," Thorin said wistfully.

"What were you doing out here," Bilbo asked.

"Thinking, mourning, regretting, hurting-"

"Myrin's going to come back and kill you," Bilbo shouted. Thorin jumped. I must say that I did too, I hadn't heard that much reprimanding in the hobbit's voice. "You're injured, and here you are sitting in the dirt, getting mushroom spores and other things into those wounds! Back to camp, this second!" Bilbo was up and wagging a finger at Thorin. "Besides, when Fili and I went to search for that dim-wit, they were preparing Myrin's body. It would be an insult to miss her funeral."

"Now she's going to come back and kill you," Thorin chuckled. "Nobody can get away with calling Kili a dim-wit." Thorin looked around and frowned. He stumbled to his feet and stumbled back to camp.

"I know you're there Kili," Bilbo said, looking right at me. I stood up and walked out of the bushes.

"Bilbo, look I'm sorry about-" Bilbo held up his hand.

"Apology accepted Kili," Bilbo said.

We all were at the camp, crowded around a rock bed that everyone had made to rest Myrin's body on.

"I don't know about Dwarven traditions, but in the Shire, when a lady dies, those who knew her best would say something," Bilbo had said when Nori suggested that we just put her in the river, a true traveler's burial. Normally, we would put the dwarf in the ground, and then bury the coffin with molten gold. Seeing as we were short on gold, and shovels, we went with the Shire tradition. All eyes went to Thorin, he knew her best, even better than Fili and I, even though she had raised us. I turned my gaze to Thorin, tears welling in my eyes and blurring my vision.

"She deserved more than this," Thorin started. His face was still covered in blood, and you could see that he had been crying, thanks to the little clear spots running down his face. "Myrin deserved more than to be murdered by an Orc... She deserved more than to have her family killed... Myrin has been my friend since she was very small, and couldn't ask for a better friend, confident, or a warrior...... Fate has never been kind to her, not even in death. I had hoped she would have died in some lucky dwarrow's embrace, surrounded by her friends and family... At least now she will be...." Thorin nodded and Dori moved to pick her up, but Dwalin held up his hand.

"Might I say something," He asked. Thorin nodded again. "Like you said, you couldn't ask for a better confidence. There are so many things that I regret saying to her, and many more things I wanted to thank her for. Up until a few years ago, I wouldn't even think about her without getting a snarl, BALROG, I couldn't even talk to her without insulting her in some way or another. I know it's too late to get her apology, but I hope she can still hear me." Dwalin turned to Myrin's ashen face and folded his arms. "Myrin Flamebird, I am sorry for everything, for doubting you, but mostly for creating most of the chaos that affected you in Ered Luin."

[mlmxreader]

Something That Used to be Unsaid | Kili x gn!reader

『••✎••』

↳ ❝ Kili

34 “I love you, I really do”

55 “You’ll always be my first choice” ( this sweetness is insecure asf and it show)

64 “You could’ve gotten yourself killed! You idiot!” ❞

: ̗̀➛ There's always been something between you and Kili, although neither of you ever really thought to talk about it.

: ̗̀➛ swearing, mild injury

•───────────────★•♛•★──────────────•

Years ago, you and Kili had been sweethearts; so close together that you were practically joined at the hip, constantly together no matter the weather. Any storm, the two of you could toughen it out as long as he had your hand to hold and you had his head on your chest.

Nothing was ever really said, but it never needed to be; you were always together, you never fell apart, even when you got older. You were a natural choice for Thorin's company; strong and intelligent, steady and sturdy. He trusted you, and it helped that Kili insisted on you going as well, even Fili backed him up.

Thorin trusted you, as you had shown yourself to be nothing but reliable and capable - above all else, he needed loyalty and competency. You fit the bill perfectly for it.

Kili would give you his arrows when he wasn't using his bow, as he knew that you refused to fight with anything else; a hunter, you were used to the sprawling woodlands.

When you were younger, Kili always knew where to find you. Halfway up a tree, whistling away and eating wild berries. But those days were over. The trees you once loved were now dead, turned to ash and left to rot and decay with the years.

Lifeless.

The fires had torn through them, even killing the smaller saplings that should have lived for hundreds of years; their bodies were left where they fell. Forgotten and neglected. Bits of limbs crumpled and left on the floor out of reach.

Bushes once full of berries and bursting with life were now left as piles of thick corpses; piled up on top of one another. Nothing was alive in the woodlands that you once loved. The woodlands you once called home.

No spiders sat on their webs between the leaves. No flies buzzed near the rotten and out of season berries. No deer stalked through the tall green grass, making the blades dance in their careful wake. No wolves prowled the nighttime forest floors, their howls a soothing lullaby.

No squirrels scurried up trees to store their winter forages. No bears scratched their large backs on the tree trunks. Nothing was alive anymore. Everything that once called those woodlands home had either perished in the fires, or had been forced to move. In a way, you were lucky.

Thorin and his company took you in immediately, you didn't have to burn with your home; even though there were some nights where you wished you did. At least you still had the company of Kili, though.

At least he was keen to keep you around. You stayed with them, even when everyone was split up.

You stayed with them, and when you arrived at Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole, you stayed outside; confused, Kili told Fili to give you a moment, and he sat on the small seat outside, his hand on your thigh.

"What is it?" He asked.

You shrugged, clearing your throat as you pulled out your pipe and lit it. Puffing on the tobacco. "What happens when we claim your home?"

Kili hummed. "You'll come live with us."

He said it as if it was the single most obvious thing in the world. As if he was telling you that the sky was blue or that the most common berries in the woods were blackberries.

He said it as if you were almost foolish for asking in the first place, but you just sighed as you shook your head.

"I don't think I will," you told him. "You know as well as I do, the mountain isn't my home."

"But it's mine," he said. "And it's not my home if you're not there, too."

You rolled your eyes, shoving him playfully as you scoffed. "Whatever."

But everything was fine after that. You and Kili seemed to go back to your usual way of being.

So close that you practically sat on top of one another when at tables and when stopping to make camp; when he tried to scare Bilbo with tales of orcs, you reminded him of what his uncle had been through a split second before Thorin also laid into him.

It all seemed to be going fine, until you and Kili were sent to scrounge and forage for some berries for the company; neither of you thought anything of it, really.

Sure, there were enough rations to go around, and between you and Kili and Fili, there were plenty of opportunities for hunting with success. But that's where the issue was.

Armed with his bow and arrow, Kili positioned himself at the top of a tree whilst you focused on the actual task. Easily picking the ripe berries and stuffing them into the small bag Thorin had given you.

You didn't even notice Kili had disappeared until you heard a twig snap, followed by the howls of a dozen curses; you didn't get to him in time, watching with a cringing wince as he crashed to the ground.

Landing right on his back. You were at his side immediately, patting his face until he grumbled and looked up at you.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Kili sighed.

"Good," you huffed. "You could've gotten yourself killed! You idiot! What the fuck were you thinking?"

He grinned as he reached up to touch your face, his calloused fingertips so deft and gentle as he hummed. "My hero."

"Oh, fuck off," you scowled, checking his back for bruises and bumps when he managed to sit upright. You noticed him shiver at the cold feeling of your hands. "What?"

"You're cold," he whispered.

"Yeah, because the air's cold," you mumbled, not expecting him to quickly pin you beneath him. You laughed as you rolled your eyes. "Kili! Get off!"

He grinned as he pressed his bodyweight on top of you, his hands grabbing yours as he let you lace your fingers with his. "I love you, I really do."

You paused, gawking and glaring at him as you opened and closed your mouth for a moment; your stare was blank as you tried to process it.

He had never said something like that before, neither of you had. It never needed to be said before, but the way that he looked at you, the softness in his eyes as he gently took your hands in his, allowing his gaze to drop to your lips.

You knew that he meant it more than anything. You knew that he would always be there. You didn't even think about it, leaning up and kissing him so gently; he smiled, letting go of one of your hands so that he could cup your jaw.

"Y'know," you said softly upon pulling away. "You'll always be my first choice."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you nodded. "Always."

You looked over when you heard Fili's voice, taking Kili's hands in your own and pulling him up with you, your arm coming to rest around his waist as you hummed and smiled at him.

"Come on," you said softly. "We'll talk more later."

"Alright," he agreed, falling into step beside you as his arm rested across your shoulders. "But I'll hold you to it."

[queeniesrose]

All Daily Life posts will be SFW!

Master Post | AU Information

Modern Fili: Daily Life

FIli is a general contractor and a brick/block mason. He renovates houses and commercial buildings.

He is apart of the company, Durín's Folk, with Thorin and Kili.

Fili's style is a mix of biker and dark academia.

Fili has many tattoos. He two full sleeves on his arm, chest and back filled. His tattoos are either fine line, geometric or realism. When he isn't working or doing other things, he is getting more tattoos.

He drives a Harley Davidson Low Rider ST and a Dodge Charger.

Fili lives in a spacious loft. It has a very industrial look to it.

Along one wall, he has an aquarium. He has exoctic fish in his tanks and he also has some reptiles.

[enchantingkryptoniteheart-blog]

~The Best Of Intentions ~

Chapter 14

Mistlynn*

After making a few rounds walking through the Hall of Kings, she had managed to escape the festivities and flee to her room. She knew Sindri wasn't pleased with her leaving the festivities early either, or that Dis was probably trying to ascertain her whereabouts as well. Just what she needed; her two closest girlfriends irate with her.

She had never been good at making friends, she had been too caught up in her studies as child. Her mother wanted her well read and fluent in Khuzdul, Westron and Silvian. Her mother had also been one of the few Earth Chanters still left in their kingdom, and she had been adamant that she would pass down this gift that had been bestowed to the women in their family. Her mother had told her that her voice was an exceptional blessing from her ancestors; but after her mother's death her father had forbidden it, another thing he found too painful, too much of a reminder of his beloved late wife. All those years of study and discipline she often thought were for nothing.

By the time she was an adult, her people saw her as the princess, the incarnation of her mother, just like her father. She was granted no other identity. Thus, her drive to become a warrior of her own merit and blood. It was all she had that was of her own. Her drive is what allowed her and Argos to survive in that harsh environment of their youth. It was the very sinew of her and Argos relationship, something they both strove to be the best at.

And now, she found herself in danger of losing herself again, lost amongst layers of fine fabrics and decorum. It made her blood run cold, up to this point in time she hadn't spared one thought about Argos. Amid everything, her new life she had forgotten who she was truly, and why she was still among the living. If it wasn't for Argos, she wouldn't even be here, celebrating her engagement to Thorin, experiencing what it was to find her 'One'.

Argos had been cheated out of that. She found herself wishing Argos could have seen this place, that he could of run away with her instead of assisting her in the Proving; far away from that accursed frost drake that stole his life from him.

She hastily tore the dress from her body, as if it had been the thing suffocating her. She felt the all too familiar clutches of panic closing in around her chest whenever she allowed herself to think of Argos. A feral snarl ripped from her throat as her hands tore at the pins holding up her hair. It cascaded down her back in tangled curls, just as wild as her heart beating in her chest.

In a flurry, she put on her leather leggings, tunic and tightly cinched her corset up. She put up her entangled mess of curls up into a high ponytail then looked up in her vanity mirror to see that the mascara was running down her cheeks. She didn't even realize silent tears had been streaming down her face. She glared at herself in the mirror, wiping her cheeks with sleeve, not caring that it smeared dark under her eyes. In anger she shoved her boots on, ignoring Luna who was whining at her side.

Thorin, Dis, Fili, Kili and the rest of the company had become her family and closest friends. She even had a relationship with Dwalin, and that was not an easy thing to accomplish. So much had changed, so quickly, in such a short amount of time. So, when she saw Fili and Kili that morning bickering amongst themselves, she felt the abrupt stab in her gut. It was the precursor that set her off before their engagement party. She fought with her hands, not her words. Arming herself to the teeth with Fili's extra daggers had giving her a shallow comfort before Dis had unknowingly stripped her bare. All that was left were her ghosts and insecurities. Argo's face flashed in her mind; of the last time she saw him alive. The guilt rose so quickly it was becoming overpowering. How can she move on so freely as if he never existed?

She needed to get these emotions out, it was simmering under her skin like boiling water. Propriety be damned. She would deal with Dis and Thorin's disappointment later.

**Thorin**

In typical dwarven fashion, the celebration was still going strong. He walked through the crowd, his eyes constantly scanning, trying to catch a glimpse of Mistlynn's sparkling peridot eyes or her platinum river of curls. Sindri explained that she had needed to get some air, that she was simply overwhelmed and that she would return promptly. That had been over an hour ago, and now he was fighting to keep his growing concern under a calm mask.

He had Fili, Kili, Nori, Bifur and Dwalin searching for her inconspicuously. He didn't want to encourage any gossip of drama so soon in the engagement of the King and his betrothed. He really detested how his personal life and that of his family was the life blood of all gossip in the dwarven kingdoms.

Bifur came up behind him and gently touched his arm. Thorin spun around quickly to face him. Bifur was skilled at communicating with utmost discretion and was able to inform the concerned king that his fiancé was found in the empty training arena by his nephews and Dwalin, and that they were keeping an eye on her until he was able to get there.

Thorin closed his eyes for a brief moment and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Let Dis know and tell her to tell Dain and Sindri that she has been found. I'll go to her now."

He made a clean exit from the hall and quickened his pace to the training arena. It was alarming how quickly her mood had changed. It was as if a certain panic had set in after her and Dis's exchange only to be fanned by her introduction to Thranduil. He knew she was spirited and accepted that part of her wholeheartedly. But her mood swings were making him anxious; and her reaction to meeting the Elf King was troubling.

He knew she had feared his and his people's reaction about her mixed heritage, but would she know anything about Thranduil and his history with Erebor and his grandfather? Tauriel had taken an immediate liking to her, and not once did it seem they would be prejudiced against her, much like most of Erebor. It had taken a lot of work and pride to be swallowed for them to be on amicable terms and co-exist as neighboring kingdoms. Did she not trust him to keep her safe? His gut twisted at the thought.

He thought they had established a good foundation finally, their start had been rough, but he had thought they were of one mind now. She had not come to him with any concerns as he had asked her to. Sindri had stated that she had been overwhelmed, making the guilt eat further away at him. He had failed her by just assuming all was going well, he should have known better considering all that she was having to learn in such a short time span. He was such fool! His molars ground together in self-loathing as his jaw clenched. He would not be making that mistake again, he would not lose her to his short sightedness.

As he approached the main arena he saw Fili, Kili and Dwalin leaning against the main archway, hiding themselves from the sight of anyone on the grounds. Yells and grunts of anger echoed around him as he approached, his footsteps alerting his kin of his presence. They turned to him, all with concern written on their faces.

"She's been at It for a while already." Fili murmured; his tone laced with worry.

Kili just shook his head. "We didn't want to spook her. Figured you would be the best one to talk to her." He whispered as he looked at his uncle sadly.

"Thank you." He nodded, voice a low grumble as his eyes were transfixed on Mistlynn's lithe figure attacking the practice dummy with a blunted staff. With surprising deftness, she twirled it about her with blinding precision. Blurred circles surrounded her like shields as she weaved the staff in her hands before landing a shattering blow against her cushioned wooden target. A yell filled with rage and exertion escaped through her gritted teeth before she flipped backwards effortlessly, staff still held tightly in her hand before she landed in a precise crouch. Her eyes were closed as she began her complex routine again with the staff.

"I had n idea tha she was more than able of defendin 'erself." Dwalin grunted as he shook his head. "This I wasn' expect'n. I havena seen tha likes of tha afore."

"They didn't have the resources we have for weapons. They saved them for hunting purposes only. They learned hand to hand combat for fighting." Thorin stated, his voice low and distant with distraction as he watched her move about.

"It's incredible. I've never seen a staff used as a weapon like that." Kili was in awe, yet the worry still shown through his eyes.

"Fili, Kili. Return to the party, keep our guests entertained. I appreciate your discretion."

Thorin's voice was deep and firm as he started to shrug off his heavy formal jacket.

"Of course, Irak'nadad." Fili reply was brisk as he inclined his head respectfully. Kili followed suit, albeit more reluctantly than his brother. "Come brother." Fili encouraged, letting Kili see that he was just as concerned as he was, but trusted their Uncle to take of her, as it should rightfully be.

Thorin removed his crown from his head and handed it to Dwalin for safe keeping.

"Make sure no one disturbs us aye?"

Dwalin nodded briskly. "Aye."

Thorin, now only left in his dark blue tunic and embossed black leather vest, stepped up towards the arena edge. He grabbed another staff that was leaning against the wall next to wooden sparring swords and ducked swiftly into the ring.

Mistlynn was so wrapped up in her mediative movements, channeling all her anger, frustrations, and sorrows into a force to be reckoned with. Detecting movement at her peripheral, she launched herself into a defensive strike, only for her staff to be met with firm deflection, the other staff stopping hers unyieldingly. She found herself looking into Thorin's stormy eyes. She blinked, surprise and embarrassment contorting her expression before she stepped back, staff hanging loosely at her side.

"I apologize. I didn't realize it was you." She was breathing heavily, both with exertion and raw emotion.

She found herself trying to get angry at the worry that was shining in his eyes. "What is troubling you M'eudail?" His voice was soothing.

She shook her head. "No Thorin. I don't want to do this right now. I don't want to talk." She seethed, as she clenched her eyes shut, willing the burning tears back down.

He recognized and understood the turmoil that was flowing through her like a torrential tide. He took a deep breath while he rolled his shoulders and neck in preparation. "Very well." Came his reply.

Her bottom lip quivered slightly. She was chasing him away with her childishness, with her incompetence in dealing with this grief she couldn't seem to shake. But she couldn't find the strength within her to fight it back down at that moment. "Thorin, I…"

"Resume your stance." Came a cold command, jarring her in its suddenness. Her eyes flew open, and she looked up. She no longer saw love and tenderness in his eyes. They were now cold and calculating. The mighty Thorin Oakenshield, Battle-scarred Warrior and Conquering King of Erebor stood before her, unforgiving and steadfast in his stance. His big, strong hands held his staff at his side, at the ready. His muscular body was flexed, at the ready for their spar. She was in shock. He was going to spar with her.

"We don't have all night." He growled darkly. "Engage or step down."

She closed her mouth, which had been hanging open slightly in surprise. She nodded stiffly as she took a deep breath and took the proper stance.

They stared each other down for a moment, daring each other silently to take strike first. Her knuckles were turning white as she gripped her staff hard. He was unnerving her, as he stood as still as a statue. Her nose flared as she moved quickly in an aggressive offensive attack. He met her blow for blow, his face indifferent as he deflected her strikes with ease. He didn't seem phased as he deflected her attacks, She was used to her sparring partner to be as equal in their fervor as she. It was unnerving how calm he was, his eyes boring into her as if able to see every move she was planning to make before she even made it.

It was quick, his swift change of technique and she found herself on the defensive against his calculated blows. Her bones were being rattled with each blow. She gritted her teeth in stubborn resolution. She pushed back, hard, and lethal. She was using her small, quick frame to her distinct advantage.

She landed a couple blows, but he brushed them off with relative ease. His calm and clear headedness was the advantage he had over her. It was a bitter realization for her as she found herself on her back, wheezing as the air was knocked out of her lungs.

She had attempted a powerful kick along with a swipe of her staff, but instead he anticipated her move, caught her foot with his hand as he swiped her remaining foot out from underneath her to land hard on her back.

She blinked in surprise as she fought to regain her breath. No one had ever managed to catch and deflect that combo. She had always been too fast for them to catch it until they were seeing stars while lying on their backs.

"Again." His deep voice thundered around her. She fought to keep her face from turning red, as rage and embarrassment flooded throughout her. No, she would not let it show, she had to prove her worth to him. Taking a deep breath, she arched her back and braced herself on the staff she still clutched tightly in her hands. She sprung quickly from her hands and back onto her feet in a defensive crouch, the staff spinning deftly in her hand into position behind her, as if winding herself up for her next attack.

His expression remained passive as he slowly circled her, the intensity of his gaze upon her unfaltering. Frustration rippled through her as she launched herself into another offensive attack. Once again, he deflected and evaded her with ease. It surprised her how fast he was, how graceful he moved around her. The ability he had to hone in on her weak spots was infuriating. As the minutes accumulated, she could already feel the dark bruises forming on her torso, legs, and arms in spots she had left open for him to strike.

Her muscles began to burn with exertion, but her emotions were still running raw and hot. She was starting to get frustrated as her attacks became more inept than usual.

She managed to deflect his staff and distract him momentarily; and she seized her chance to try to disarm him. She didn't realize until she found herself spinning through the air that he had once again anticipated her attack and used her momentum against her. She hit the ground hard, and her staff shot out of her outstretched hand, skidding across the dirt away from her. She coughed as dust billowed up around her, filling her mouth, nose, and eyes with the gritty taste of defeat.

"You are allowing your anger to fuel you." His voice was stern and even. He didn't sound like he even broke a sweat sparring with her. She couldn't help but cringe at the disappointment she imagined laced his words. "It makes you predictable, no matter your strength your enemy will see it and take advantage."

Something between a gasp and a cough escaped through her clenched teeth as she rolled onto her stomach slowly, one arm wrapped protectively around her stomach while her other hand dug into the dirt underneath her shoulder and shakily pushed herself up until she was on her knees. She stared at the dirt in front of her as she breathed heavily, the anger that had been running rampant in her veins finally dosed in the bitterness of her loss, both current and past. His boots came into her view, making her shut her eyes tightly. It had been a while since she had been so thoroughly beaten in a spar. She had forgotten the taste of it, sour and bitter on her tongue, making her swallow thickly.

She had hoped that this would have chased away the pain and guilt eating away at her inside, but the hollowness of this failure only added to it. Argos's face flashed in her head, his expression frozen in fear and pain. A sob caught in her throat as she fought desperately to compose herself. She heard him sigh heavily as he kneeled before her. Not unlike that time in the throne room when he forced her to look at him; he lifted her chin with his hand, his fingers lightly caressing her chin and jaw.

"Talk to me." His tone was gentle but left no room for argument. "I can't help you with your battles if you don't let me in."

Mistlynn hated how her laugh came out shaky. "I just panicked. I feel better now."

"Mistlynn." Her name rolled off his lips in an exasperated sigh. "We've just sparred for the better part of an hour. That was anger, not panic."

Mistlynn pushed herself to her feet, ignoring her protesting muscles. "I'm angry with myself Thorin. I destroy everything I come across!" She spat irately, looking everywhere else but at him as he stood up and tried to maintain eye contact with her. "Where should I start? Which failure should I mention first? I need to apologize to Dis for my disrespect.

A slap in the face would have been better than the heinous attitude I gave her! I've embarrassed you and I have shamed Argos memory! I have dishonored his sacrifice. And the one thing I was supposed to be good at, sparring, fighting, combat? You just wiped the ring with my pathetic arse like a damned trainee! Bloody right I am angry! ." She let out a curse as she felt her lower lip tremble with searing emotion threatening to spill from her eyes.

Since when did she become such an unstable child? She couldn't bring herself to look at him, standing all solid and perfect before her. She was such a disappointment to Argos and the strong warrior that stood before her, who was listening patiently to her crazed ramblings. Mahal, he deserved better than her! She put her hands on her hips as she tilted her head up towards the rock cavern ceiling, fighting to get her rampant emotions under control.

She could feel his body heat as he stood before her, unnervingly silent after her little outburst. "Not to mention, I'm confident that Thranduil has knowledge of my family, and where I really come from. And I lied to him, like an imbecile. So that's just the frosting of the big giant shite cake I've baked for myself."

"Is that all?" Came his unimpressed question. She breathed in sharply. For Aule's sake, she couldn't handle his smart ass at this moment.

"I didn't ask you to follow me here." She growled as she started to take a step back, away from him.

"Mahal woman, I didn't mean it like that." He sighed as he grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her back to him. "Will you quit being so bloody stubborn and look at me?"

She felt his hand cup her face, his touch loving. "I know this is a lot, and that its overwhelming. But the only thing you're losing yourself to is your own thoughts. You are your worst enemy at this very moment." He watched a lone tear escape her eye and trickled down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb gently. "Dis isn't cross with you. She understands more than you think she does. If you can't confide in me, seek her out. She wants to help you."

Mistlynn let out a defeated huff between her trembling lips. "I know she does. I value her more than what words can express."

"Regarding Argos. I highly doubt you have shamed his memory. You are a force to be reckoned with Kurdunuh. You would have been harder to disarm if it wasn't for your emotions blinding you." His voice was low and soothing as he searched her gaze. His brows furrowed in worry as she gasped, and more tears escaped beneath her eyelashes as she clenched her eyes shut.

"I'm not though Thorin." She gasped as her body began to tremble. "I was his big sister, and I couldn't keep him safe, not when it really mattered. He is dead because of me. And I haven't even thought about him this entire time I've been here in Erebor. Not really. How can I move on, and be happy when he is dead? My baby brother dead because I couldn't keep a cool head when it mattered most?"

She felt Thorin step closer to her and place both his hands upon the sides of her face. "Mistlynn, look at me." It was more a plea than command. She shook her head. "I can't. I can't bear to look into your eyes when I tell you the whole truth. It will break me to see the disappointment in your eyes." Her voice shook as if she had been plunged into a lake of ice.

Thorin pulled her into a tight embrace. "Nothing you can say will change how I feel for you. Nothing." His whispered words spoken so lovingly into her hair finally broke the dam and she gave in to the suppressed grief she had been hiding. Her body shook as she gave in to the violent sobs that wracked her. He held her firmly in his arms, supporting her fully as she clung to him. His heart ached as he felt the grief pour out from deep within her. At a loss, he began to rub her back soothingly, occasionally pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he rocked her gently in his embrace. He lost track of time as he held her close, and her sobs lessened and her trembling subsided.

Little did he know, his steady heartbeat grounded her. She sniffed as she nuzzled further into his neck and breathed him in. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so safe in someone's arms. It was now or never.

"I should have scouted the drake before I led them out on the Proving. I never should have blindly trusted the task to someone else." Her voice was quiet, but the ceased movement of his hands let her know that he had heard her.

She swallowed and pressed on. "But I didn't. I trusted Valinn's scout. I thought it was going to be like every other Proving, hunting and harvesting an adolescent drake that had been previously scouted. Except this time, it was one of the biggest, most ferocious Frost Drake's I had ever come across." She shuddered, and Thorin tightened his arms around her in response.

"It was too late to turn back. We had no choice but to fight, otherwise he would've hunted and killed us all. So, it was Argos and I with a couple other seasoned warriors and five inexperienced warriors in training." Thorin felt his stomach drop and tighten in dread. "We soon realized the ropes attached to our grappling arrows had been severed. All of them. We couldn't tie down its wings, or its legs and tail. Most were killed within minutes from its tail and talons. Soon, it was only Argos and I left. With our useless arrows and swords." Her breath shuddered at the painful memory.

"Frost Drakes don't breathe fire. They breathe out a stream of a cold so harsh it will freeze a living being instantly." He felt more tears soak his tunic. "I tried shooting it in the eyes, attempting to blind him. My foot fell through the ice, it was cracking all around us. Argos pushed me out of the way. I didn't fully understand what h-happened until I turned around and s-saw his f-face." She sobbed. "I could see the fear on his face. He was frozen, and s-so blue. His f-fear was j-just there, f-f-frozen on his face. H-his lips were so b-blue, he w-was j-just f-frozen t-there s-staring at m-me."

He closed his eyes; he could feel her pain radiating from her. He couldn't even begin to imagine seeing a loved one frozen like that with their last expression evident on their face; he couldn't think of anything that could soothe the anguish she was feeling. He continued to hold her, rub her back, and listen. Her body shuddered, and her breathing changed, from anguish to a simmering rage.

"That vile worm shattered him, breaking him as if he was nothing more than some old pottery." She seethed. "So, I screamed, and I sliced his one wing with my swords, and I jumped on his neck, and I started to stab him. I stabbed his eyes, his head, his neck. I just kept stabbing until he wasn't moving anymore." Her shaking stopped and she went still in his arms. "I was the only one left. Everyone else was dead but me. I couldn't face my father, he had already lost my mother when she gave birth to Argos, I couldn't face him and tell him that he had died saving me. I couldn't face Valinn and his arrogance. He would say it should have been me. Not Argos. Me."

He now understood why he had recognized the pain he first saw in her eyes and could relate it to his own pain that he battled daily.

It struck him as odd that so much had gone wrong with a tradition that had lasted generations in a nation of people who were proficient with slaying frost drakes, and her brother Valinn sounded like a real piece of work. But now was not the time to state his concern, she wasn't in the right presence of mind to discuss such matters.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, shifting her so that he could move his hand under her chin and make her look up at him. "It was out of your control Mistlynn. You all fought valiantly, and your brother had the most honorable death a warrior could ever hope for, protecting his loved one until his last breath. He would not want you punishing yourself like this."

Mistlynn bit the inside of her cheek, fighting the retort she wanted to throw back at him. She knew he lost his own brother in battle, and she knew deep down he was right. "How do I stop?" she whispered, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Thorin sighed. "I'm probably not the best to ask since I tend to do the same thing. Some days are better than others. But I can say with absolute certainty that I have bought myself more trouble clinging to the past, holding myself responsible for things I couldn't control. I've had to humble myself on many instances when I was finally able to let go and accept that what's done is done. There is no going back, we can only move forward."

She nodded stiffly. "It scares me how quickly you have come to mean everything to me. You, your family, your friends are my world. I only had that with Argos, my father was so distant and lost in his pain and Valinn always saw me as a threat. What I feel for you terrifies me. I can't even begin to put it into words."

Thorin nodded as he absorbed her words. "I can understand how that can be overwhelming. Its why I tried to keep you at a distance for so long. I saw what losing their One did to my father and Dis, to let you in fully into my heart just to lose you in some way, like I have lost everyone else, except it would be worse. I love you more than life itself, it would destroy me."

Mistlynn looked back up at him in surprise, her eyes shining with tears. She couldn't bring herself to say it back, not yet. "I feel like a petulant child, here I am crying about losing my brother, and you have just laid bare everything to me, unafraid."

"I'm old that's why. And growing softer by the day apparently." He deflected, hiding the hurt of her not returning any declaration of love herself. He knew she wasn't ready, that she was still battling with herself, but it didn't make the sting any less. "I've even grown fond of that fleabag that has taken up residence in my kingdom like some lapdog. Despite her ridiculous shedding."

Mistlynn laughed weakly as she wiped the tears from her face. "You're not old! Stop saying that!" She leaned back against him, relaxing as she felt his chuckle vibrate through his chest.

He leaned his head against hers, kissing her forehead gently. "Please let me know when you are needing to talk, about anything M'eudail. I can't help you if I don't know what's bothering you." He felt her nod into his chest.

"I'm not used to having someone to confide in Thorin. But I will try to."

"That's all I ask." He murmured softly as he stared off into the shadows where he knew Dwalin was keeping watch. He wasn't oblivious to the fact they still had a long way to go in establishing their relationship, and she wasn't going to make it easy.

*Mistlynn*

The next morning, she awoke just as the first tendrils of sunlight gave chase to the night. This was the first official day as Erebor's future queen, and her day was not for the faint of heart. She sighed heavily as she rolled onto her back, staring up at the dark canopy of her bed. She had to face Dis first and foremost, as she was to shadow the princess and learn. She felt as if there was a stone in her stomach. She still had to apologize to her friend for her callous words the night prior.

Thorin had assured her that Dis would be generous with her forgiveness and understanding. He had calmed the raging storm in her soul and chased away most of the cold shadows of doubts that had begun to suffocate her newfound happiness. But it was not lost on her how daunting the path was that now lay before her as his fiancé, as his very proudly proclaimed 'One'. And in order to face the vicious backstabbing noble dams of the court that just found out they no longer had a chance to catch the heart of the King, she needed Dis on her side.

A sharp knock interrupted her dreadful musings, announcing Dis's arrival before the door flew open.

"Rise and shine wildling." Dis sauntered in cheerfully, her hair and makeup already done up with simple elegance.

Mistlynn sighed. "Good morning, Dis. I am sorry I disappeared on you last night."

Dis nodded in acknowledgment before she shooed Luna off the foot of the bed, tutting in mock disgust at the hair the wolf left on the blankets. "One would think that creature would be bald with how much fur I find of hers left about." It was obvious Thorin had already talked to her, as he had promised to do first thing.

Mistlynn giggled as she watched Dis lay the dress across the chest on the foot of her bed instead. She silently chastised herself for being so nervous to apologize to Dis. Here she was trying to get her ready herself when she could have just sent in a handmaiden, but she knew that it made her uncomfortable, so she went out of her way to help her. "Dis. I just want to tell you how sorry I am for my wickedness last night. You have done nothing but help and look out for me, you didn't deserve my appalling attitude. I need to find a better way to cope with my nervousness."

Dis stopped fussing with the dress and looked over at Mistlynn, with a small smile on her face. "I know you didn't mean any disrespect. I'd rather you speak your mind with me than anyone else. I don't want your sharp tongue making your transition here harder than it must be. I just want the utmost happiness for you and my brother."

Mistlynn nodded, tucking in her wild curls behind her dainty ears to the best of her ability. "I know Dis. I don't know what I would do without you."

Dis let out a very unladylike snort. "You would still be dancing around your feelings for my brother, rather ungracefully I might add, if it wasn't for me. Not to mention all the ruckus and mayhem you would cause!"

They both laughed at the accuracy of the statement. "I won't even try to deny it. Poor Balin would have kicked me out already!" Mistlynn giggled as she rolled out of bed to give Dis a hug of gratitude. Dis hugged her back with a warmth only a sister could give.

"We have a long day ahead. And I must show you how us Durin women arm ourselves for the onslaught of the great passive aggression of Erebor's court!"

Later that evening…

“Dis, please! Have mercy!"

"We are almost there for the love of Mahal Mist!"

"Mahal surely must not wish for my feet to fall off."

"You're supposed to be a tough warrior! At the rate you're carrying on I'm inclined to think you were exaggerating your prowess."

"I don't give a wizard's teeth! I'm taking them off!"

“We are almost to the sitting room. Have some self-respect woman!"

"It's an act of disrespect to keep these infernal shoes on after a day of prattling and kissing a..."

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence! Durin's beard! That filthy mouth of yours is going to start a war one of these days!"

"I certainly hope so! I would love to see how those featherbrained twit's fight!"

"With your hot head and quick tongue? How ever shall you lose?"

The royal sitting room door was opened abruptly before Dis could reach for the door handle. Balin was on the other side, his bushy white eyebrows disappearing into his snowy hairline. "Ladies." He greeted, his amused smirk letting them know that he heard everything.

Dis let out a longsuffering sigh as she walked through the door, Mistlynn following with an exaggerated limp in her step. Balin chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he shut the door.

"I thought it was apparent for you to bring her back unharmed?" Thorin chuckled as he stood up from his seat at the table where a bunch of paperwork was laid out.

"She acts like she's the only dam who has to suffer through wearing appropriate court shoes." Dis sniffed in annoyance as she walked up to the couch nearest to the hearth.

"Why any dam in her right mind would choose to wear these infernal torture devices is beyond me." Mistlynn groaned in relief as she kicked off the offending shoes, immensely enjoying the feel of the plush carpet cushioning her sore feet.

"Are any of us truly in our right mind?" Fili was kicked back in his seat at the table. "Who does letter writing and paperwork after supper and still claim to be sane?"

"Pretty sure we were considered mad after we left Ered Luin to claim Erebor back from a bloodthirsty dragon." Kili chuckled as he attempted to fold a birdlike creature from an extra piece of parchment.

"And here we are, the victors without an inkling of sanity left." Thorin smiled as he took Mistlynns hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently as he gave her a playful look.

Mistlynn giggled. "Being sane is frightfully dull, I would rather us all have fun being insane together."

Dis threw her head back and laughed. "There is no shortage of insanity in this family let me assure you!" She sent a pointed look over her shoulder towards her sons who both had mischievous grins on their faces.

Mistlynn settled next to Dis on the couch so that Thorin could return to his paperwork, eager to have a comforting cup of hot tea she had grown addicted to. She accepted the cup Dis prepared her and savored the spice of cinnamon and clove that warmed her inside and out.

"Now is the perfect time for us to work on how to use a fan." Dis smiled teasingly as she looked at Mistlynn over the brim of her teacup. She chuckled at Mistlynns exaggerated eyeroll.

"I will not argue with you on that." Mistlynn sighed. "I just didn't use one so that I wouldn't make an utter fool of myself in front of the GENTLE LADIES."

Dis couldn't help but snort into her teacup at her friends emphasized drawl, which in turn made her brother, sons and Balin look up from their tedious task in surprise.

'You hush." She couldn't help but chuckle as she fought to regain some semblance of seriousness. "Now it's all about the wrist. Just a nice subtle flick of the wrist like so." She demonstrated with a practiced ease; her beautiful Durin's blue silk fan opened gracefully.

Mistlynn gripped her fan tightly in her hand, determined to get his simple action down. She had been jealous of everyone's fans earlier that day, the late summer heat had been a little taxing on her. Her first attempt was jerky and clumsy, making her growl in frustration.

"You're overthinking it my dear." Dis soothed. "Here, just flick your wrist like this. Don't grip it so tightly."

Mistlynn nodded, her lips pressed in determination. "Flick." She muttered to herself encouragingly as she prepared. She loosened her grip and snapped her wrist with a determined force, not realizing that she snapped her wrist with more force than necessary. With her loosened grip, the fan subsequently went flying from her hand and over her shoulder, smacking Fili in the nose before crashing into the inkwell, sending dark tendrils of ink splattering all over Balin and Thorin. The dwarf king blinked in surprise before he looked down, realizing that ink was now running down the edge of the table and pooling into his lap.

A brief stunned silence followed. Mistlynn slowly looked over her shoulder and took in the carnage of her projectile fan. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Fili gripping his nose in shock as Thorin, with his ink splattered face, held his arms up as he pushed away from the table while looking down at his ink-soaked tunic and pants. Kili had been in the middle of taking a drink of his wine and couldn't help but sputter and choke as he fought the urge to laugh.

She gasped as she jumped up and ran around the couch towards them. "Oh, Fili I am so sorry! I didn't mean…I didn't know…Oh no I ruined your parchment!" Her eyes moved from Fili over to Thorin in horror. She rushed to grab a napkin from the tea tray and rushed back to her fiancé.

"I am so sorry Thorin. Here, let me help." She pleaded, embarrassment making her face flush scarlet. She reached towards him with a shaking hand clutching the napkin tightly.

He quickly grabbed her wrist before she could reach his ink-stained legs. "Its best that I do that." His voice was low as he gave her a pointed look. She looked at his quizzically before it dawned on her where she was about to start rubbing the napkin and her blush became a deeper shade of crimson. "I am so sorry I didn't realize…" She trailed off as she looked past Thorin over to Balin, who was attempting to rub the black ink spots that peppered his white beard.

She wanted to melt into the floor. She couldn't believe her fan wreaked such havoc. "I should go now." She mumbled. What an end to an already epically awkward day.

Kili was losing the fight of controlling his laughter. "Oh Mist, you just made my night!" he wheezed. "Only you could make a fan lethal."

"Lethal is right! You gave me a bloody nose!" Fili snickered, his tone nasally and muffled as he held a napkin to his nose.

"It wasn't on purpose! I was just trying to flick it open!" She protested, still visibly upset as she looked at Dis imploringingly, only to find her friend hunched over with her hands covering her face as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"This is not funny Dis! This is exactly why I didn't use one during our luncheon today!" Her voice shook frustration as laughter erupted around her. "Oh, why are you all laughing this is so embarrassing! I can't even open a stupid fan!"

Thorin's laughter was deep and rumbling as he attempted to scrub his face clean, having given up cleaning his soaked pants. "I can only imagine the carnage of broken pottery and tea-stained gowns you would have left in your wake." His eyes were twinkling in mirth and fondness as he looked upon her flustered face.

She shot him an exasperated look. "I would rather it be Lady Miriam's beaked snoz and lavender gown accosted by my poor fan wielding skills than your paperwork and pants and Fili's poor face!"

The laughter in the room intensified at her petulant remark.

“Beaked snoz?!" Kili wheezed painfully as tear ran down his cheeks. Balin couldn't help the laugh that erupted from his lips as he turned and walked away, fighting to contain his amusement at the accurate description of that particular Dam they all knew too well.

"My poor face?!" Fili teased as he touched his nose gingerly.

"You know full well what I meant Fili! I am so glad you all are getting so much enjoyment out of my complete failure as a lady." Mistlynn sniffed as she folded her arms across her chest defensively. "I don't find this the least bit funny!"

Thorin was still laughing as he managed to pull her into his arms. He placed a chaste, loving kiss on her pursed lips. "Never change M'eudail. I would despair if you did." He whispered against her lips, in turn making her melt in his arms.

[fantasyinallforms]

Okay you HAVE to do “First thing you should know…it was an accident.”

The last prompt of the March Madness Fotfics event! Thank you, @sunnyrosewritesstuff! It's fitting that the last prompt I do for this event is the one I went a little crazy with.

Also, find this and my other work on A03! https://archiveofourown.org/works/46128451/chapters/116124325

bagginshield {G} 3217 words

Title: Happy Accidents; part 1

There were many things you could say about Dis Durin. Chief among them was that she loved her boys with her entire being. She especially loved spoiling them whenever the occasion arrived, and this week there was an occasion. It was Fili and Kili’s 11th birthday, and Dis had a small catalog in front of her filled with places she could take them. The boys sat on either side of her, eagerly throwing their opinions into the mix. 

“Thorin! What do you think of this one?” Dis called to him as he walked inside from his shop. Thorin peered over the table to read what she was pointing at. 

“Plant and sip? Isn't that where you build terrariums and sip on wine? You might be about ten years too early for that one, sis.” 

“They have non-alcoholic parties.” Dis rolled her eyes. “What do you think, boys? You get to build a terrarium for a cactus or succulent.” Yells of excitement flooded the house for the next few moments as Dis got a clear answer to her inquiry. 

“Alright, we’re going next Saturday at 2pm. Thorin, make sure you’re free.” Dis commanded matter of factly. Thorin put down the cup of water he was drinking to cock an eye at his sister. 

“What makes you think I’m going? I have a black thumb. I’m good at building things, not growing them.” 

“It’s not about being good at it! The boys want to spend more time with you. Do it for them” As if on queue Fili and Kili abandoned their excited conversation about cacti and rushed Thorin’s legs. 

“Please, uncle! Please, please, please! It’s really hard to kill a cactus!” The boys refused to stop hopping around his legs until he eventually gave in. 

“Fine! I’ll go!” Thorin shouted, running his hands through his hair in defeat. He glared and rolled his eyes at the pleased self-satisfied smile Dis was now sporting. 

A week later, he was pulling up to a barn-style building with a wooden sign hanging from it called ‘The Sipping Plant. To the right of the building was a long greenhouse. It was a locally owned place, not a chain. That actually made Thorin a little happier. Being a small business owner himself, he understood the struggle. He waited for Dis to arrive, and they all walked in together. The inside had a distinctive boho vibe to it. The front seemed to be a store. There were shelves lined with pots, trinkets, and various plants. As well as some handcrafted wood-based items like birdhouses and pre-made planter kits. An older man wearing overalls and gardening gloves greeted them just inside.

“You must be the Durins! Go ahead and get settled in the back party room, and I’ll direct your guests through as they come in. You’re expecting 14 people total, correct?” The man asked. 

“Yes, 14. Are you the owner?” Dis asked. 

“Me? No, no. I just work here. Name is Hamfast Gamgee, but that's a mouthful, so you can call me Gaffer. Owner is Bilbo, and he’ll be leading the terrarium building” Gaffer led them to the back room. Beds of plants lined walls, and wide tables with matching wooden benches sat in neat rows facing another table on a raised platform at the front of the room. The room had been decked out in balloons and ribbons, and the chalkboard at the front read ‘Happy birthday, Fili and Kili!’ in pretty loopy handwriting. Strung between 2 very tall cacti was a banner that said ‘WELCOME.’

Dis sat them all at the front middle table, and they waited. Soon the room was filled with Fili and Kili’s friends and a few parents. The room was a buzz with voices, and Thorin was wondering how this mystery instructor was going to get everyone to quiet down. Just as he thought that, the lights in the room turned off, then turned back on again. The noise died down as everyone looked toward the door. In walked a short man (thought that was relative to Thorin, who was 6’6ft) with curly honey-brown hair. He wore jeans and a ruffled yellow shirt covered by a green gardening apron with large front pockets. He had a round face, an adorable button nose, and his ears were just slightly pointed. His mouth fell open as he watched the man walk across the room and take his position behind the table.  

He stopped in front of the chalkboard and surveyed the room before addressing everyone in a pleasant tenor voice. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but he could sware the man's eyes lingered on him just a tad longer than the others in the room.

“Welcome! My name is Bilbo. Raise your hand if it’s your first time here.” most of the room raised their hands. “Wonderful, thank you for being here. I know this is in celebration of two very special birthdays. So let's start with making sure our birthday boys stand out!” He approached the table they were sitting at and knelt down. “Looks like I have two queen bees today” He handed them a pair of bee antennas. The boys took them hastily and put them on their heads. 

“But wait! We’re not the queen! Mama would be the queen! Can we be prince bees?” Kili asked excitedly. Bilbo looked at Dis, who seemed a little flustered but gave a small nod. He returned to the table, got another pair of antennas, and handed them over. 

“Prince bees and their mom, the queen bee it is. But what about your Dad?” Thorin paled immediately

“I’m their uncle, not their dad.” Thorin quickly rushed to say. He really wanted this man to know that he was very much not taken. Bilbo nodded and returned to the front. He instructed everyone to get a drink from the coolers in the corners of the room and walked them through the different materials they would be working with. They each chose a pot and two succulents from the plant beds Bilbo pointed to. When they sat back down, Bilbo laid out rocks, a bucket of soil, and some decorations at each table. The rest of what Bilbo said was lost to him. Enchanted, he watched small, nimble hands dirty themselves in the soil and expertly transplant the succulent from the temporary pot it was in into the more permanent one in front of him. How could a person be this cute? 

“Alright, now it’s your turn. I’ll walk around if anyone needs any help.” Bilbo announced. Shit. He hadn't been paying attention to the actual words the man had been saying. He grabbed the little trowel in front of him and layered a big scoop into his pot. Before he could start taking the nursery pot off his succulent, Bilbo picked up his pot and dumped out the soil. 

“It looks like you might have missed a step. Rocks first for drainage, then soil.” Thorin failed to keep the blush off his face as he corrected his mistake. Eventually, they made it to the final decoration stage. They were instructed to decorate their pots and soil however they wanted. The boys seemed to be having a blast decorating theirs with little plastic dinosaurs and spaceships. The artist in Thorin liked this part a lot himself, although he was going for a less busy aesthetic than his nephews. He was deep in concentration when he heard a stool pull up beside him. Sitting on the stool, Bilbo was at eye level with him. From a distance had thought the man had brown or maybe even dark blue eyes, but now that he had a good look at his face, he saw that his eyes were, in fact, a deep shade of green. Deeper than emerald but far more mesmerizing.    

“That looks amazing! Most of my adult clients are usually pretty tipsy by this point in the process. Is that a crow?” Bilbo asked enthusiastically.   

“It’s a Raven. I’ve always really liked ravens.” Thorin replied sheepishly. 

“As you should! They’re smart, beautiful birds and more helpful in a garden than you would think. It's very detailed. I wish I could draw half as well as you.” Bilbo giggled, and Thorin couldn't help but smile at the sound of it. He felt like a kid that got the attention of his crush, and he didn't want to lose it.”           

“I’m good with my hands!.... I mean, it’s my profession using my hands… Building things! I build things. Mostly out of metal but also wood. So you could say I have a lot of practice being creative.” He wanted to bury his head in his hands in embarrassment. Luckily he was rescued from his torment by another table asking for help. 

“You should get his number after this!” Dis hissed in his ear, causing him to jump. Thorin shot her a slightly incredulous look. “I’ve known you my entire life. I can tell when you get heart eyes for someone, and you practically ogled the man on his way into the room.”

“Chances are he’s not even gay!” Thorin hissed back 

“I forgot your gaydar is hopelessly broken. There are two pride flags in this room, Thorin. Which means if he’s not gay, which I would bet money he is, he at least won't take offense to the question.” Thorin looked around the room to find the flags he clearly missed. One was sitting right on the desk in front of him, nestled in a jar of sharpies. The other took him longer to find, and it wasn't until he looked back at Bllbo that he saw the flag pinned clear as day to his apron. Well, it wasn't sure proof, but it definitely boded well.

 It had been a few years since he had tried his hand at the dating pool. He valued his space and his solitude and wasn't willing to give that up for just anyone. One look at Bilbo's, though, and he was considering it. Surely he was being silly. He had met this man an hour ago, but something about him radiated like sunshine through thunderclouds, and it made Thorin want to try.

 The formal part of the party ended, and the room was left to them for cake-cutting and unwrapping gifts. The boys were over the moon with all of it. Thorin was particularly happy with their reactions to the wooden swords he made and painted for them. Soon after the last package was unwrapped, guests started filtering out until, finally, it was just Dis, the boys, and himself. He took the antennas off the boy's heads and whispered to his sister.

“You get the boys home. I’m going to hang back for a moment.” Dis’s face lit up, and she pushed his nephews out of the door, sparing him a wink before she left. He wrestled his nerves and turned back towards the party room. Bilbo was wiping down the chalkboard and humming an unfamiliar tune. In all his nervousness, Thorin's approach set off an unfortunate chain of events. He went to step onto the raised platform and underestimated the ledge causing him to trip. In an attempt to break his fall, he absent-mindedly grabbed the saguaro cactus standing to the side of the chalkboard. This caused him to jump back in a jolt of pain, again, forgetting the ledge. Thorin fell backward off the raised platform and crashed into a table. The table's legs snapped under the weight of the impact, sending it and him to the floor with a bang. 

His head swam for a moment, and there was a light ringing in his ears as the world came back into focus. It was a very pleasant focus as Bilbo's face was now inches from his. 

“Mr. Durin, are you ok! Gaffer, help me get him up, then go grab the first aid kit!” Thorin felt his body get pulled into a sitting position, and finally, he fully regained his senses. 

“First thing you should know…it was an accident. Second thing is that I will definitely make you a new table,” Thorin mumbled, clutching his head. He winced when he realized one of his hands was covered in cactus spines. 

“I’m not worried about the table! Do you need me to call an ambulance?” Bilbo fretted. He was kneeling on the floor in front of Thorin, one hand supporting his back and the other resting on his chest.

“No, no, I’m sturdier than I look. I might need help getting these spines out of my hand, though.” 

“Yes, I can help with that. Here lean on me, and I can help you up.” Bilbo braced himself so that Thorin could lean on him instead of his injured hand. 

“No offense. Are you sure you can help me up? I’m twice your size.” 

“I’m stronger than I look, but to be safe, make sure you lean into your other hand.” It was a little bit of a struggle, but Bilbo was able to help him stand up and get seated on a proper bench. A short time later, Gaffer came running back in with a first aid kit in hand. Bilbo took it and pulled a chair to him so close that their knees interlocked. He held out his hand, motioning for Thorin to hand his over. When he did, Bilbo took it in a firm but gentle grasp. 

“I am so sorry, but this next part will sting a lot, and the pain will likely ache the more spines I take out. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have urgent care do it?” Bilbo met his eyes with a worried expression. Thorin put his hand on Bilbo's knee. 

“No, I’m fine. Like I said, I’m sturdy.” Thorin enjoyed the little blush that crossed Bilbo's face at the casual touch, but he retracted his hand, not wanting to overstep. Bilbo started plucking the spines out in silence. He wasn't wrong; the more spines came out, the worse it hurt. Sensing Thorin’s discomfort, Bilbo tried to strike up a casual conversation. 

“So, what were you on your way to ask me before all of this happened?” Bilbo asked, still concentrating on his hand. 

“I was returning the antennas, and I was going to say thank you. The boys had a lot of fun.” He winced as the last of the spines came out. “Is that all of them?” Thorin asked

“No, I have to get the fine hairs out next, then clean it. This next part won't hurt as bad, but it will feel weird. Bilbo pulled out a little jar of glue and coated Thorin’s hand in it, then placed a few gauze pads over it. “The glue will dry and pull the little spines out. So were you just coming to return the antennas, or did you want to ask me something…else?” Thorin’s head snapped up to look a the bashful smile spreading across Bilbo’s face. 

“Well, I should probably ask for your number. You know, just in case I decide to put my hand through another cactus. You do definitely seem to know what you’re doing.” Thorin tried to flash a cheesy grin, hoping his attempt at being smooth wasn't as horrible as it sounded in his head. To his delight, Bilbo started laughing. 

“I’ve had a lot of practice bandaging accidental cacti wounds. I’ve never had someone break a table, however, so I will get to add that to my list of firsts.” Bilbo looked him right in the eyes with a sweet smile and ripped the glue-soaked gauze off his hand in one clean motion. Thorin wrenched his hand back in a yelp of pain. 

“You said that wasn't going to hurt as much!” Thorin grumbled, rubbing his hand

“I lied, sorry! I needed you to not tense your hand. I’m sure it feels much better now. I just need to clean it with some peroxide, and we’re all done.” Bilbo gingerly wiped his hand down. When he was done, he gave the back of his hand a little pat and got up. Thorin was sad to see him move away. He was also sad to realize that Bilbo had never actually given him his number. Thorin pulled the car keys out of his pocket and scratched behind his head in a nervous gesture. 

“I appreciate the help, and again, I’ll make sure you get another table. I guess I should probably head out.” He started to turn around for the door when Bilbo called him back. 

“Wait! You just crashed into a table; there is no way you should drive home! Y-you could have a concussion or… something. Let me drive your car home, and Gaffer can follow behind us to take me back.” Thorin was not about to question getting to spend a little more time with this cactus-loving gardener. 

“I live about 30 minutes away so as long as you're sure. My truck is a stick shift. Is that going to be an issue?” 

“Not at all! I love driving stick!” Bilbo seemed oblivious to his double entendre, then turned a wonderful shade of scarlet. “I mean, I drive stick all the time! Wait, no I… just give me the keys….” Bilbo swiped the keys from his hand and quickly walked out the door, not making eye contact. Thorin stared after him with a lopsided grin and fond eyes. He had known Bilbo for all of two and a half hours, and he already wanted to kiss the man silly.

The car ride was comfortable. They listened to a few songs off their playlists and then swapped stories about their jobs and hobbies. All too soon, they pulled up to Thorin’s house.

 “Wow! Your house is way nicer than I thought it would be! Not that I thought it would look bad or anything! It just doesn't match up to the aesthetic I thought you would keep.”  Bilbo put the car in park and stepped out. Thorin did the same. He walked around to the side of the car Bilbo was standing on to continue the conversation.  

“That’s because my sister picked the house. Most of what makes me, me is in a workshop around the back. You should see it sometime. I know you do projects of your own I think you’d like it.” Thorin hung the second bid for more time together out in the open, hoping Bilbo would take it. 

“I think I’d like that,” Bilbo replied, blushing. Thorin held his breath as those deep green eyes looked through lases up at him. Bilbo stood comfortably in the shadow of his broad frame and heaven above; he looked like he was meant to fit there. The air hung heavy for a moment before Bilbo rolled up onto his tiptoes and planted a chaste kiss on Thorin’s lips. “I have to go but… you should call me!” He felt him slip something into the breast pocket of his flannel shirt, then turn and walk away. He stared in shock as he watched Bilbo’s pleasant form disappear into a yellow Volkswagen. When he checked his pocket a moment later, it was a business card for The Sipping Plant with a heart drawn around where Bilbo’s number was.