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Fíli was an only child. His father had passed away when he had been three years old and his mother had never met another Dwarf she wanted to share her life with. Fíli did not mind being an only child, though. It was very common among Dwarves, since so few babies were born even in the best circumstances. And their living conditions were far from ideal. Their exile from Erebor meant their lives were harsh and even those with the highest stature had to work hard to scrape together a living. That included his uncle Thorin.

Due to Fíli being fatherless, his mother had needed to work just as hard as everybody else, which meant Fíli was often seen trailing behind her, his uncle Thorin or Dwalin, Thorin’s friend (who had become Fíli’s surrogate uncle throughout the years). Fíli looked up to his uncle, he always had. He tried to impress him and make him proud. Even more so when he learned of Thorin’s royal status.

Fíli was still young when he was told he was to be Thorin’s heir. It was an honor but still an empty title since there was no Kingdom to rule. Regardless, Fíli took his role seriously and studied hard under Thorin, Dwalin and Balin. He was taught diplomacy, tactics, culture, language and fighting skills. The last was mostly taught by Thorin and Dwalin, while the rest was more Balin’s forte. Fíli trained hard and fought well. He was an extremely capable fighter and diplomat by the time he came of age, skills that served him well when the time came for Fíli to travel with his uncle to nearby settlements.

It was during one of their travels that Fíli received a gift from his uncle. Fíli did not own many trinkets that served a purpose beyond practicality. He owned several dozen knives and swords, supplies to clean and sharpen said weapons and a few grooming supplies. The only trinkets he owned with any sentimental value were the few beads in his hair, gifted by his mother and uncle over the years. So when his uncle presented him with an intricately carved hairclip he was speechless. He must have made a strange face, since his uncle graced him with one of his rare smiles.

“To keep you safe.” Thorin told him as Fíli traced the runes embedded in the metal. He noticed it was slightly warm to the touch and looked at his uncle questioningly.

“It has been enchanted by a wizard. If you are ever in any danger, I will know and will come to your aid.” Thorin explained.

“How will you know?”

“There is a matching bead.” Thorin said as he moved his own hair to the side, showing Fíli the bead that was fastened in his hair right behind his ear. “If you are ever threatened, the bead will emit warmth.”

Fíli was touched at such a thoughtful and undoubtedly expensive gift. Thorin must have traded a truly beautiful blade for such a precious item. He thanked him profusely.

“Will you put it in my hair?” Fíli requested. Thorin nodded and went to sit behind him. Fíli was unsure if he imagined the glowing sensation throughout his whole body when Thorin clicked it in place, but it was gone before he could question it.

“Thank you, uncle.”

--

The hairclip sparked Fíli’s natural curiosity, a trait he had inherited from his mother. After he had first showed Dwalin the hairclip, they had quickly agreed to test whether the clip worked and if Thorin could truly feel it when Fíli was in danger. They set out for a nearby forest in which an Orc-pack was known to reside. They found a few scouts and killed them quickly. However, Thorin did not come running or even asked if they were okay when they returned to the settlement.

“Maybe it’s because I wasn’t in mortal danger? I mean, a few Orcs are hardly a problem for us.” Fíli reasoned. Dwalin looked thoughtful but agreed with a nod.

However, in the months thereafter they fought more battles, and in some cases Fíli only escaped serious harm by sheer luck, but his uncle was still none the wiser. Dwalin became annoyed and suspected it was not working at all.

“I thought we would have a strategic, covert way to call for reinforcements with this, but Thorin doesn’t even know when you’re fighting. It’s completely useless.”

Fíli silently agreed, but did not dare to mention it to his uncle. Dwalin had no such reservations and marched right up to Thorin when they returned to camp one evening.

“Fíli’s hairclip is broken.” Dwalin stated gruffly. Thorin immediately looked worried.

“You encountered Elves on the road?!” Thorin said in slight panic.

“… Elves? No, no Elves. But we did face Orcs and Wargs and you did not send any reinforcements! I thought you would know when Fíli was in grave danger?”

For some reason Thorin relaxed at that. “You can handle Orcs and Wargs, the danger was clearly not serious enough or I would have known.” Thorin dismissed them.

Dwalin spluttered and tried to counter that ‘yes, they had been in serious danger’ and ‘why would you assume Elves were involved?’ but Thorin waved his question away and sent them to eat and wash up.

Dwalin grumbled all the way to the river and Fíli laughed at some of his more colorful descriptions of Thorin. Still, Thorin had responded strangely, but Fíli could not figure out why.

--

Fíli had learned not to rely on his hairclip in the years thereafter. He’d had a few close calls and Thorin was never in the know. He suspected Thorin had been deceived by the wizard and the hairclip did not actually work. He never told Thorin though. It was the thought that counted and he was honored that Thorin had bestowed him with such a fine gift. He was also secretly happy that his uncle was none the wiser about his more dangerous adventures.

However, his most dangerous adventure to date would start soon. Thorin had started to assemble a Company of Dwarves to retake Erebor. One evening, he took Fíli aside to ask if he’d join them.

“It would be an honor.” Fíli replied formally.

Thorin smiled at him and touched the hairclip in Fíli’s hair.

“Make sure you never take this out. I need to know you are safe.” Thorin stated.

Fíli was tempted to confess he didn’t think it worked. But one look at Thorin’s face made the words die in his throat. He agreed to keep it in at all times. He knew he made the right decision when he saw Thorin’s relieved expression.

They set out soon after. During the first part of their journey, Fíli travelled together with Dwalin. He suspected Thorin had given Dwalin the task to guard him. His suspicions were confirmed when Dwalin stuck close even after they had left the Shire to head East. He was not really bothered, though. He liked Dwalin and chuckled at his rude remarks and harsh jokes.

Their encounter with Trolls was once again proof that the hairclip was basically useless. Thorin did not seem to pay attention to the bead behind his ear at all, even when Fíli had been trapped in a dirty sack and about to be cooked or eaten alive. It was therefore a surprise that Thorin’s behavior regarding the bead in his hair changed completely when they entered Rivendell.

Fíli did not notice the change in Thorin’s behavior immediately. He was far too overwhelmed by the sight, sounds and smells of Rivendell. And by the sight of one Elf in particular. He stood out - Fíli assumed he was male because of his slightly broader jawline compared to some others who looked more feminine - because of his clothes and striking features. The Elf wore some sort of hunting tunic, completely different from the other Elves who wore flowing robes of light colors, and was slightly dirty as if he had been crawling through the forest. His hair was dark and fell just over his shoulders. His eyes were… looking straight at him. Fíli quickly looked away, mortified that he had been caught looking.

He focused back onto his uncle and found he had completely missed the exchange between the Elf Lord (was his name Eldor?) and his kin, but was happy to learn that they had been offered food and a bath. The communal bath area was amazing compared to the quick wash-ups he had gotten used to on the road and he was happy to indulge in the luxury.  

The dark-haired Elf returned to Fíli’s thoughts when he saw him again at dinner. He was not dining with them, but was one of the spectators who came to witness their new Dwarven guests. He and some of his kind were drinking wine and relaxing near the edge of the dining area. Fíli still couldn’t make out the color of his eyes, but he did notice the Elf had changed clothes. The breeches and tunic he had worn that afternoon were much more flattering on him compared to the flowing green robes he was now wearing, Fíli noticed.

Fíli was suddenly aware of his own observations. He had never took notice of anybody’s clothing. Why did this Elf catch his attention so thoroughly? He had seen Elves before, and there were many other Elves here in Rivendell as well. Why did none of them appeal to him? He did notice that the Elf seemed more radiant than the others, but he could not fathom why that was the case.

He caught himself still checking out the Elf and quickly checked if he had been spotted. He had. The Elf was looking at him again and winked when he realized Fíli had noticed. The Elf slowly let his eyes roam down, clearly appraising him, and licked his lips once he’d caught Fíli’s eyes again. Fíli did not want to show his embarrassment, so he returned to his dinner without acknowledging the Elf’s clear invitation.

Of course Dwalin had spotted Fíli’s blush and turned to see who had had interacted with. Fíli resolutely stared at his plate and did not respond to Dwalin clearing his throat or whispering his name. Until Dwalin kicked him in the shin.

“What?!” Fíli whispered harshly, temper flaring.

“You have an admirer.” Dwalin said with a sly smile. Fíli inadvertently looked over and the Elf was indeed still looking at him. Fíli looked at Dwalin and shrugged. What was he supposed to do about it.

Over the course of their dinner and subsequent desert and drinks, the Elf did not stop looking at him. Fíli did not really know how he felt about it. He’d had some attention from others before -Dwarrowdams and the odd Dwarf - and had tumbled with some of them, but he now felt completely out of his depth. For one, he was in the company of mostly older Dwarves including his uncle, which was completely embarrassing. Second, he was not even sure he was interested. (Although he could not deny that the Elf had caught his attention and he was definitely attracted). And third, and definitely not least, it was an Elf who showed his interest. Fíli had never really thought about relations outside his own race. He had grown up on stories of the evilness of Elves and wasn’t sure if he wanted to interact with them at all.

Unfortunately, the Elf left him no choice. His staring was so noticeable that Fíli was elbowed in the side by more than one member of the Company and heard more variations of ‘you seem to have a stalker’ than he could count. Bilbo’s addition of ‘I would say admirer, not stalker’ did not help either.

Fíli did not really have the courage to do anything about it until halfway his third cup of wine (he had to admit, the elves knew how to brew). By that point, the Elf had been abandoned by his kin and was sitting by himself on a small bench. Fíli’s courage faltered as he approached the bench when he noticed how close he would have to sit to the Elf. He did intend to sit down for this conversation, if only to stop himself from swaying due to his drinking.

“Will you stop staring?” Fíli mumbled as he sat down. “It’s annoying.” He added. He had wanted his words to sound more angry, but the annoyance fled once he looked into the Elf’s eyes. They were dark. So very dark. Framed by strong eyebrows which made his gaze infinitely more intense.

The Elf seemed to have been waiting for Fíli to initiate contact, since he responded to Fíli with barely restrained enthusiasm.

“Your blonde hair, it’s… unusual for your kind, is it not?” He completely ignored Fíli’s statement.

“… Yes.” Fíli answered, surprised by the question.

“If I were older and more versed in poetry I would have compared it to the flowers aptly named Cloth of Gold, or liken it to the finest golden silk. Unfortunately, my skills lie elsewhere and I am only able to compliment you by telling you your hair looks absolutely stunningly beautiful.”

Fíli was beet red by that point and he fervently hoped that none of their Company were paying any attention to them. He quickly took a sip of his wine while he contemplated how to respond – did he want to compliment him on his eyes? – when the Elf made an outrageous request.

“Can I touch your hair?”

Fíli nearly choked on his wine. The Elf tapped his hand on Fíli’s shoulder to help him recover, but retracted it quickly when Dwalin ran up to them while Fíli still coughed and spluttered.

 “Did the Elf poison you?” Dwalin shouted. “If you poisoned him Elf, you will be intimately acquainted with my axe.” He threatened. The Elf showed his hands and quickly denied his involvement.

“He didn’t do anything” Fíli rasped between coughs. “I took a big sip and it didn’t agree with me.”

Dwalin looked skeptical, but let it go when Fíli gave him a sharp glare. He mumbled something about traitorous Elves, but returned to his seat.

A tense silence fell over Fíli and the Elf as conversations in the dining area resumed.

“So I’m guessing that my request was a bit forward?” the Elf asked cautiously, but still with a small smile on his lips.

Fíli nodded, wiping his forehead and willing his blush to disappear.

“Hair can only be touched by family or spouse.” Fíli explained. That wasn’t strictly true, as one could give permission to anybody. It was mostly about consent, but the Elf did not need to know that.

“Since I am not family, I will aim for spouse then.” The Elf said nonchalantly, but with a glint in his eyes. Fíli knew he would have choked again if he’d had wine in his mouth at that moment. Fortunately, his quick wit had returned and he was able to respond this time.

“That would be a lot of trouble just to touch my hair. Are you sure that’s worth it?”

“Definitely.” The Elf said, all traces of joking gone. Fíli stared at the Elf’s eyes again and found himself lost in them. He was joking, right?

“So can I know the name of my future husband?” the Elf asked, the teasing tone returning. Fíli snapped out of it and answered, ignoring the husband comment completely. Silly Elf.

“Fíli, son of Dís. At your service.” He had completely forgotten his manners ever since he had laid his eyes on the Elf, but quickly rectified it by given a formal greeting, complete with a nod of his head.

The Elf laughed freely and .. quite loud, turning multiple heads. Fíli cast a quick look in Thorin’s direction and saw his uncle was paying very close attention to him and the Elf. He noted that Thorin was absentmindedly clasping the bead in his hair. Fíli had not seen his uncle pay any attention to it before. Curious.

The Elf was still chuckling when Fíli asked him what was funny. He would normally be annoyed if somebody laughed at him, but for some reason he did not really mind it when the Elf did it. Perhaps because his laugh was so becoming.

“My name is Cílian, but most call me Kíli. I was laughing because of our matching names, it seems we were fated to meet.” Fíli smiled. He did not really believe in fate, but he had to acknowledge he had never felt such a strong pull towards anybody before.

--

Fíli and Kíli had ended up talking for hours the night before. Fíli had also consumed more wine than he had thought possible and was currently feeling the result as he woke up with a dry mouth and throbbing skull. He was alone though. He had half-expected his drunk self to take the Elf to bed. He wasn’t sure if his bed was empty for lack of trying or for being rejected. He did not really want to find out.

When he finally extracted himself from his bed, his first priority was water, then food. He went to the dining hall and found most members of the Company already present. Some made remarks about his new friend, but most seemed to have indulged just as much as he had last night and were nursing hangovers themselves. Except Bilbo, who was especially chipper that morning.

Fíli sat down between Thorin and Balin and did not plan to actively join any conversation until he’d drank half a pitcher of water and eaten a plate full of eggs. He did listen though and found out what Thorin and Balin had been up to the night before.

“There is no use in arguing. You heard what Lord Elrond said. We need the right moon to read the map, and that will happen in three weeks’ time. We have no choice but to stay here and wait.” Balin reasoned. There was no annoyance in his voice, but Fíli had known him long enough to realize this discussion must have been going on for a while.

“There is no reason to wait.” Thorin declared stubbornly. “There are others who can read it, I am sure. We do not need to wait for some Elf. Three weeks is way too long.” His response was met with a deep sign from Balin.

“Gandalf confirmed it.” Balin explained. “Elrond is the only one he knows who can and, more importantly, is willing to read and translate it for us. We have no enemies here and it would be good for everybody to regain some strength before the next part of the journey. We have a long way to go.”

“Which is why we should continue as soon as possible. Gandalf must be lying.” Thorin whispered urgently. “He is an Elf-lover, you know this. He is up to something. The longer we stay in enemy territory, the longer they have to enchant us.” Fíli saw his uncle’s eyes rest on him briefly when he said the last part. Was that directed at him?

He did not get a chance to ask what his uncle meant with enchanting as he was tapped on the shoulder at that exact moment. It was Kíli, holding an ornate goblet with some kind of liquid inside it. Mahal, please don’t let it be alcohol, Fíli thought.

“Good morning.” Kíli said with a heart-melting smile directed at Fíli. At least, Fíli thought it was heart-melting as his heart did a weird skip-step when he saw it. Judging by Thorin’s expression, he must have interpreted it as a frontal-attack-with-an-axe-type of smile.

“I have brought you something to make you feel better. I know our wine can have an.. averse effect the day after.” He wasn’t wrong.

“Thank you.” Fíli said with a small inclination of his head. He reached for the goblet, but only touched it briefly before it was snatched away by Thorin.

“You will not drink this, Fíli.” His uncle stated decidedly. The conversations around them died down as their companions looked at Thorin to see what had their future King so riled up.

“Why not?” Fíli asked, more surprised than angry at his uncle’s behavior.

“It is clearly poison.”

“Why would I poison him?” Kíli asked before Fíli could respond to his uncle’s ridiculous accusation.

“Because you did so yesterday as well. I saw you pouring wine into Fíli’s cup multiple times. And every time you did, Fíli stayed even longer at your side. No Dwarf in their right mind would willingly spend so much time with an Elf.”

Fíli was shocked. His uncle basically said he was either crazy or poisoned in front of their entire Company. The silence following Thorin’s offending statement was long and uncomfortable. The look on Kíli's face could only be described as incredulous.

It was Balin who broke the silence. “Would it be acceptable if Oin examined the contents? Then we can be sure … “ Balin looked at Kíli. “Oh, my name is Kíli”. His name raised a few eyebrows, but nobody commented. “Then we can be sure Kíli has no ill intentions.” Balin continued.

“I.. Yes, yes that would be acceptable.” Thorin conceded. The goblet was handed down the table to where Oin sat. Oin poured a small amount into his own cup and proceeded to sniff and taste it. He asked Kíli a few questions and within a few uncomfortable minutes, in which Fíli did not look at either his uncle or Kíli, the liquid was declared safe.

Balin handed the goblet back to Fíli, and he really did not imagine the aborted movement of Thorin’s arm who clearly wanted to throw it to the other side of the room. Fíli looked at Kíli, who nodded eagerly, and took a sip. The effect was instantaneous. His slight nausea and headache disappeared and the sunlight did not hurt his eyes anymore.

“Wow, that’s amazing. Thank you!” Fíli exclaimed. Kíli’s answering smile lit up the room. Kíli opened his mouth to say something,  but was interrupted.

“Cílian.” Another Elf approached. “You are needed at the training grounds.”

Fíli noticed Kíli’s brief and annoyed glance at the other Elf. “Excuse me.” Kíli said politely to the Dwarves surrounding Fíli. “I will see you later.” He said to Fíli and winked slightly. Fíli nodded and could not keep the smile of his face. Kíli walked off and purposely bumped his shoulder into the other Elf, who stumbled slightly. They exchanged some heated words which Fíli did not catch, after which the other Elf excused himself as well.

Fíli decidedly did not stare at Kíli’s backside as the Elf walked off. He just wanted to see in which direction the training  grounds were. He needed to keep up his training after all, especially as they would be spending the next three weeks here. He was suddenly excited at the prospect and could not keep the smile off his face.

He briefly glanced around the table and was met with multiple grinning faces. Especially Dwalin had a strange knowing look which Fíli did not care for in the slightest.

“Fíli, a word.” Thorin said as he rose from his seat. Fíli nodded and followed his uncle to a deserted hallway. They sat down on an ornate bench. He noticed Thorin’s hand touching the bead in his hair for the second time. Thorin normally did not fidget, ever. Strange. His uncle had never been one for small-talk, so it was no surprise he immediately got to the point.

“Fíli, I do not want you talking to the Elf. They are dangerous. We are not safe in their company.” Dangerous? Fíli knew of Thorin’s hatred for Elves, he had been raised on stories of Thranduil the traitor, but he did not think the Elves in Rivendell would cause such a reaction from his uncle regarding his safety. 

“I think we are perfectly safe here.” Fíli contradicted. It was not often that he spoke against his uncle, but Thorin’s statement was strange enough to warrant his response, he decided. “I have not felt unsafe since we stepped into the valley.”

“You know of the stories of the Wood Elves! They have left our people to die and starve. You would befriend them? Those traitors?!” Thorin whispered urgently. He was clearly afraid to be overheard.

“But these Elves are no Wood Elves, right?” Fíli reasoned. “They are different, less wild.” His mind immediately summoned the image of the first time he saw Kíli, dirty and wild. He swallowed thickly and willed the image away. Of course, his mind only provided him with more details.

Luckily, Thorin begrudgingly agreed with his words.

“Please be careful.” Thorin requested quietly. Fíli saw the genuine worry in his uncle’s eyes.

“I will be.” Fíli promised. He left to explore the valley and found himself at the training grounds within the hour.

--

“Your eyes are as blue as the sea.” Kíli said by way of greeting as he sat down next to Fíli in their usual spot by the water. They had been meeting up right after breakfast for the past few days. Fíli gathered that comparing his eyes to the sea must be a compliment. He vaguely remembered Balin’s lesson on the connection between the Elves and the sea. He would have been more flattered if he’d compared them to… 

“Or sapphires, I can’t quite decide”. Sapphires.

Kíli presented him with another flower. Fíli had received about a dozen over the last week. He was not sure what to do with them. They wilted. They smelled strange. He could not keep them as they were so delicate they were only meant to be displayed for short periods of time. And then he had to throw them away. It was bizarre. He was still flattered though.

“Thank you. Is this another rose? Or carnivore?” Fíli enquired, foregoing any response to the sapphire compliment.  

Kíli laughed, causing Fíli’s heart to do another strange dance. It had been doing that very often lately. He had half a mind to see Oin about it.

“No, not another rose. And I gave you a carnation the first time. But this is a ranunculus.” Kíli said it as if it was supposed to mean something to Fíli. It did not.

Fíli thanked him. His fingers brushed Kíli’s as he took the flower from him. It sent a spark through him and he immediately withdrew his fingers. He’d had to repress some more physical urges when he was around Kíli lately, and he did not want to tempt himself out in the open, where anybody could walk past.

“Fíli!” That was his uncle. He looked in the direction of the path and sure enough his uncle came walking towards them. He looked like he’d been running. Where did he have to be in a rush? Fíli quickly hid the flower behind his back. Thorin did not need to see he was receiving gifts from an Elf.

“We’re having a meeting and I want you there.” Fíli nodded slowly. He was pretty sure he had no obligations today beside sparring with Dwalin, but Thorin was known for last-minute decisions so he thought nothing of it.

He agreed with Kíli to meet up later and followed the direction in which Thorin had left after he had relayed his message. He decided on a quick detour to his room to drop off the flower. He did not know the meaning of receiving flowers, but did not need anybody else finding out either. It was private.

“Nice flower.” Dwalin. It was always Dwalin.

“Thanks.” Fíli murmured, continuing to walk in the direction of his room. Dwalin fell in step beside him.

“Did you pick it yourself?” Dwalin asked with a grin. Dwalin knew he had not. Fíli grunted in response.

“Or did your Elf give it to you?” Fíli turned his head to Dwalin sharply. My Elf? Dwalin guffawed loudly at Fíli’s expression.

“I’m not sure about Elven customs, but I do not think Elves give flowers lightly.”

Fíli had come to that conclusion as well, although why Kíli did give him flowers was still a mystery to him.

“Thorin disapproves.” Dwalin stated in a more serious tone.

“I gathered.” Fíli replied, thinking back on all the annoyed glanced Thorin had thrown at himself and Kíli over the past days.

“I don’t.” Fíli looked up at the older warrior again.

“You don’t?” Fíli asked incredulously. Dwalin shook his head as he kept looking ahead.

“You are well overdue for some teenage rebellion. Mahal knows you’ve been too straight laced to be healthy.” Fíli felt mildly offended. He had done some rebellious stuff. Not much, but still.

“Don’t mind Thorin. He is too serious. You need a bit of fun.” Dwalin concluded.

Fíli acknowledged Dwalin’s words with a nod. Dwalin left him when they arrived at Fíli’s temporary guest room. He went inside and sat on his bed, adding the flower to the vase on the nightstand. The vase had mysteriously appeared after he had received the first flower.

He thought about Dwalin’s words. So he had Dwalin’s consent to do.. what? To befriend Kíli? They were already friends. Fíli was attracted to Kíli, he knew that much. He was unsure why, since he had always been attracted to other Dwarves. But Kíli was special. Different. It was almost like the very essence of their beings spoke to each other. Fíli laughed softly, Kíli made him poetic. But they were compatible for some reason. It scared him a little bit. On the other hand, what was life without a little excitement.

--

Their talks grew longer and more frequent. Fíli learned Kíli was young for his kind, just past his majority just like himself. Kíli called himself reckless. Fíli was still unsure about his feelings. But he knew he felt excitement and wanted to learn more about Kíli, know more, know everything about this being sitting next to him. It must have shown in his face, because he was blown away by the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen directed his way.

Thorin disapproved of Fíli spending so much time with his Elf, as did some other members of the Company. But they were not the only ones. Kíli had been hauled off by his own kin on numerous occasions. There was always something he had ‘forgotten’ to do. Today was no different.

“You were supposed to help me with restringing my bow, Kíli. Let’s go”. The sheepish smile Kíli directed at him made his heart skip a beat. Fíli knew he was in trouble when his after lunch walk took him to the shooting range of the training field.

Kíli sat on a bench with another Elf. They seemed to be arguing, but they spotted Fíli before he got close enough to hear anything.

“What are you doing here. Your kind cannot shoot.” The other elf sneered.

“Not often as a main weapon, no, but I’ve learned a little bit from hunting. I’m better with throwing knives though.” Fíli answered truthfully, his eyes straying to Kíli on multiple occasions.  

“You’re bluffing.” The elf said and he grabbed one of the small bows from a rack behind him. Probably a children’s practice bow. “Show me.”

Fíli did, and he was not good, but decent enough. He managed to hit the edge of the target after a few adjustments of his stance and grip. He always needed some time to get used to a new bow.

“Ha, pathetic.” The elf laughed, and proceeded to put four successive arrows dead in the middle of the target.

Fíli’s anger flared up. He produced a few throwing knives from his jacket and cleaved the arrows with them, all landing in the middle of the target as well.

Kíli cheered from the sideline, winking when Fíli looked over.  

From then on they found themselves on the training field almost every afternoon, where Fíli taught Kíli how to throw knives and Kíli taught Fíli how to shoot.

--

It was an afternoon not long after that Fíli was waiting for Kíli at the shooting range. Both Dwalin and Bofur had tagged along for some reason. Fíli was annoyed by their presence but quickly caught himself. Why was he annoyed? He had never had any problem with the company of other Dwarves. What was different now? He did not have to think long. Kíli.

But Kíli was late and Dwalin, Bofur and Fíli were stuck watching the other Elves practice their bows. They were just deciding on a spar of their own when Kíli appeared in the distance. His walk was less fluid, more rigid, as if tense, Fíli noticed. Because for some reason he had memorized how Kíli walked. Mahal, he had it bad.

As Kíli got closer, Fíli noticed he was carrying a strange purple plant. Or part of a plant. It was some sort of stem with a multitude of purple flowers attached to it. Many Elves stopped their practice to look at Kíli, who had come to a standstill in front of Fíli. He knelt down so he could make eye-contact with Fíli, who was still sitting on the bench, and held out the flower.

“This is an orchid.” Kíli explained.

Kíli’s gesture was met by gasps and incredulous stares from the other Elves. But Kíli ignored them. He smiled almost shyly when Fíli accepted the flower with a soft ‘thank you’. It seemed Kíli wanted to say something, but stopped himself when he noticed how many others were present.

“I will see you later.” Kíli said quickly as he stood up and walked off. Fíli stared after him.

“What is wrong with that flower, Fíli. The Elves act like it will cause the end of our existence. Or at least the end of Kíli’s.” Bofur murmured as many Elves still stared at the flower held tightly in Fíli’s hand.

“I have no idea.” Fíli whispered back, his eyes fixed on Kíli’s back as his Elf walked away.

--

Fíli had escaped Bofur’s questions and quickly made his way to his room to put away the orchid. He was nearly at his door when Dwalin cornered him.

“Lad, I’ve done some digging and found an interesting piece of information.” Dwalin said.

Fíli looked at him questioningly. “Information about what?”

“About your Elf. More specifically, about the flowers of your Elf.” Dwalin said as he nodded to the flower in Fíli’s hand. Fíli blushed.

“Well?” Fíli was not sure he wanted to know. Or: he was not sure he wanted Dwalin to know.

“Apparently, flowers mean the same to Elves as gems mean to Dwarves.” Fíli inhaled sharply and searched Dwalin’s eyes to see if he was joking. He was not.

“So he is.. courting me?” Fíli asked.

“It appears so. Flowers have meanings to them, just as gemstones have to us. So he’s probably been telling you that you have a fine ass with those flowers.” Fíli could feel his blush deepening.

“So, will you?” Dwalin asked, a curious look on his face.

“Will I what?”

“Court him.”

That gave Fíli a pause. He had highly suspected Kíli’s interest him as a lover. But courting sounded a lot like a more long-term commitment. Which ended in marriage. Which is exactly what Kíli had said in their very first conversation. He was suddenly overwhelmed.

Dwalin must have noticed because he switched effortlessly to his regular teasing tone.

“I would hide that flower, Fíli. I think it means ‘fuck me’ in flower language, or the Elves would not have responded the way they did.” Dwalin laughed loudly at Fíli’s rude gesture.

--

Fíli did not get a lot of sleep that night. He had retreated to his room immediately after dinner, forgoing his regular meeting with Kíli. He felt a little bad about it, but knew he needed some time to think.

He had not expected Kíli was courting him. He thought it was more like a build-up to a no-commitment lay. He had expected to maybe spend a few hot nights with Kíli and say goodbye when they left for Erebor. He felt a twinge of sadness at that thought. He did not want to leave Kíli behind.

And apparently Kíli did not want to be left behind either. But was courting really the best option? They had only known each other for a little over two weeks. Was that really a good basis to start a courtship?

He started imagining how he would court Kíli. What gemstones he would gift and how he would decorate them. He had a complete list within minutes, including all details and how he would present them. That’s when he knew. He had been subconsciously considering this all this time. There was only one answer to Kíli’s courting. 

--

He found Kíli in a relatively secluded room the next day, just after dinner. He had worked on Kíli’s gift in his room after he had procured the perfect gemstone from Gloin, who apparently carried an entire collection with him all the way to Erebor. Fíli had spent all day engraving the stone to his best ability. It was not perfect, but it would have to do.

“So I heard flowers are courting symbols.” Fíli said nonchalantly as he sat down next to Kíli on yet another decorated bench. There must be hundreds of these things in Rivendell.

“You didn’t know?!” Kíli exclaimed in shock. Had he thought Fíli had turned him down?

“No, of course not. Who courts with flowers. They wilt. They are temporary.” Fíli answered fondly.

“Yes, that’s why you gift them often. To let the recipient know you think of them often.” Oh, that made sense.

“… I had not thought about that.”

“What would be Dwarven customs then? How would you court me? How should I have courted you?” Fíli felt a little bad for Kíli. He had probably put so much thought into the flowers and Fíli had not gifted anything or even acknowledged his efforts. He would rectify that, starting now.

“We court with gems. They all have meaning. And you can keep them with you. They do not spoil.” Fíli looked at him pointedly. Kíli rolled his eyes with a laugh. “They are forever.” Kíli suddenly seemed to be holding his breath.

“So what gem would you give me?” Kíli asked softly. His eyes had darkened slightly.

“I would gift you with many gems. But I would start with one called Tiger’s Eye.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and showed it to Kíli. It was a dark deep golden-brown and Fíli had engraved it with Kíli’s name, as was tradition for the first exchanged gem in courtship. He had asked Gandalf how it was spelled and had ended up engraving it in Kíli’s own language. It had been a bitch to engrave properly (Elven letters were too curly), but it turned out alright. More than alright judging by Kíli’s expression.

“What does it represent?”

“I chose it as it represents your strength, your endurance, your courage. You possess all these traits and it enhances them.” Kíli was completely breathless. “But it is also to protect you, and to guide your vision. That your arrows may always shoot straight.” Fíli noticed that his voice had deepened and Kíli’s focus was directly solely at him. He slipped the gem into Kíli’s waiting hand.

Kíli leaned closer, his intention made clear when his eyes moved to Fíli’s lips. Fíli’s hands trembled slightly in anticipation. He rested his right hand on Kíli’s tunic, right over his heart. He felt the erratic pounding and knew Kíli was just as affected by their proximity as he was. He saw Kíli’s hand reach for his hair but stopped himself before he could reach. Did Fíli want him to touch his hair? Yes, yes he did.

“Will you touch my hair?”

Fíli did not have time to process Kíli’s response. He only saw Kíli’s pupils dilate and felt his hand caress the back of his head, right over the hairclip, when Kíli closed the distance between their mouths and all rational thoughts disappeared from Fíli’s mind. Fíli’s right hand gripped Kíli’s tunic at first, but soon let go and travelled upward to the back of Kíli’s neck to slightly tilt Kíli’s head so he could deepen the kiss. The deep groan Kíli emitted went straight to Fíli’s crotch and he could barely suppress a full-body shudder.

Fíli was just contemplating how to get Kíli back to his bedroom when he was distracted by some commotion in a nearby hallway. He turned his head away to listen more closely.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Fuck if I know. Or care.” Kíli growled. Fíli could not respond before he was bodily lifted off the bench and found himself sitting on Kíli’s lap, his knees on the bench on either side of Kíli’s legs, facing him.

“You can’t just lift me!” Fíli started angrily. “I may be smaller than you but that doesn’t mean.. Oh!” How he got there suddenly didn’t matter anymore when he felt Kíli’s hard dick pressed up against his own. The height difference was nonexistent as well, seeing as he was now eye-to-eye with the Elf.

Kíli raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘you were saying..?’, but Fíli did not dignify that with a response as he captured Kíli’s mouth again, this time feeling more empowered and confident as he started moving his hips in a slow grind against Kíli’s.

Hearing Kíli’s muffled moans was almost as satisfying as feeling Kíli’s hand in his hair. Fíli wondered if he could get away with some fondling when he heard an almighty battle cry.

Thorin?

The door burst open and Kíli immediately released his hands from Fíli.

“You!” Thorin bellowed. Fíli turned slightly, still in Kíli’s lap, and saw his uncle was pointing at Kíli, his face completely red and clearly unreasonably angry. “What are you doing with my nephew, Elf?!”

Both young males were somewhat frozen in place. Fíli turned to Kíli to see what he would say and took in his appearance. Mussed hair, swollen lips and dark eyes. Also with Thorin’s nephew in his lap, and Fíli expected he didn’t look much better than his Elf.

“Er.. nothing?” Kíli answered, throwing a desperate look Fíli’s way.

“Nothing?!” That had clearly been the wrong thing to say. “You mean you are ‘defiling’, ‘violating’, ‘degrading’, ‘debasing,’ and ‘dishonoring’! You listen here, Elf..” But Fíli had heard enough.

“Uncle!” Fíli said loudly while getting up from Kíli’s lap. He never raised his voice but it was effective now: his uncle stopped ranting and insulting Kíli long enough for Fíli to be able to say something.

“He was not ‘dishonoring’ me in the slightest. Do you really think I would be in an Elf’s lap if I did not wish to be there? Do you really think I would not be able to defend myself?”

“But the hairclip. The bead! It glowed so brightly it burned me. You were in danger from him. Even now it glows hot. I want you to get away from him!”

Fíli’d had enough of the stupid bead. It had never worked and now suddenly it glowed. It was clearly faulty.

“It doesn’t even work!” Fíli yelled. “It has never worked!” It was time his uncle knew the truth. “I have been in danger so many times and not once has the bead emitted warmth. I’ve fought Wargs, Orcs, human bandits, and trolls. And never has the hairclip worked.”

“Of course it did not work then. It only lets me know when you are in contact with Elves, the worst creatures that roam Middle Earth!” Thorin yelled back. Fíli was stunned silent, but Dwalin filled it for him.

“I knew it!” the bald warrior exclaimed from the doorway. Fíli looked at him questioningly, still trying to process this new information.

“Every time you’ve been with your Elf the past weeks, Thorin sent me to check on you. He somehow ‘knew’ when you two were spending time together. But now I know how! Whenever an Elf touches you, the bead glows. The closer the touch is to the hairclip, the warmer the bead becomes.”

Fíli looked back at his uncle, who had the decency to look somewhat ashamed at least.

“Is this true?” Fíli asked him.

“Yes. That way I can save you if you are ever in real  trouble.” Thorin answered.

“So it’s a problem if I’m voluntarily touching an Elf but no problem if I’m almost being eaten by trolls or stabbed to death by Orcs?!”

Thorin was silent, but did not back down. He was probably aware how wrong it was to say ‘yes’ to that question. Fíli huffed in anger.

“I need some time. And take that Mahal-forsaken bead off, I don’t need you spying on me.” Fíli couldn’t mask the anger in his voice. He took Kíli’s hand (Thorin winced and Fíli couldn’t help feeling a little satisfied at that) and stalked out the door, his Elf trailing behind him.

“Thorin, I’ll just give it to you straight.” Dwalin started after Fíli had left. “If you think Elves are a bigger threat than Orcs, you need to get your priorities straight regarding danger.” He held up his hand and motioned for Thorin to give him the bead.

--

All Dwarves in the Company, save Fíli, were sitting around in the dining area that evening. They had all heard the story of Fíli, his Elf and the hairclip and were crying with laughter as more and more details were shared. They had placed the bead in a small bowl in the middle of the table, surrounded by some hay (Nori’s idea). Every time the bead glowed hotly, the hay would start to smoke and salacious speculations were made why the bead was glowing so fiercely. Thorin did not look amused, but Dwalin figured he deserved it.