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Legolas wasn’t sure what he was still doing in Erebor after the battle was over. Tauriel stayed and he didn’t want to leave her alone so he stayed with her. He knew she stayed for the dwarf and that really didn’t bother him. The dwarf was odd, he had to admit. The two of them never exchanged words but they did exchange the occasional glance, well, more of a glare, not that it mattered and not that Legolas was paying any attention to the way the dwarf was looking at him.
But it seemed that dwarf was old news to Tauriel anyway. Legolas wasn’t blind and he saw the way she looked at the other one, the brother, with something resembling longing. He shuddered at the thought. This whole dwarf business was strange and he was counting the days until he could convince her to leave this madness. His father mentioned something about the north and part of him thought they should go but oddly enough something was keeping him here and it was easier to say it was Tauriel and no other reason.
As Legolas waited for Tauriel to decide she was ready to leave, he wandered the halls of Erebor. The dwarves that stayed in the mountain didn’t give him much more than a second glance which he felt was odd concerning the history between their races but he was honestly glad none of them cared he was around. He felt more like a ghost than anything as he wandered the mostly empty halls.
One day he stumbled upon what was left of the library and he made his way in, trying not to disturb the rubble and fallen columns he found inside. There were layers and layers of dust on the books that Legolas pulled from the shelves. Unsurprisingly, most of the books he looked at fell apart in his hand, old binding and paper crumbling from years of neglect and dragon fire. He did manage to find one book that didn’t disintegrate on contact—Dwarves of the First Age—and he sat and read that, even if he found the content dreadfully boring.
The next day seemed like it would be the same as all the others and he was planning to curl up with his book until Tauriel found him in the halls and pulled him aside. “Legolas, I was hoping you could do me a favor.”
This was odd and definitely unexpected. What could Tauriel need from him? “What do you need?”
Tauriel smiled at him as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She almost seemed nervous. “Fili has been allowed to leave his bed chambers and I wish to speak with him. I was hoping, while I am gone, you could sit with Kili. He is still healing and needs someone to watch over him while the nurses attend to the others.”
Legolas narrowed his eyes in confusion, “Why would you ask this of me? Surely the dwarf does not need to be constantly fussed over. If he did, someone a lot more qualified than I should be in charge of him.”
Tauriel placed her hand on Legolas’s shoulder and Legolas was unsure as to why. “Legolas, my prince, my friend, I told the dwarf that he and I would not work out but I still worry about him. He needs someone to watch over him, a friend, and I’m asking you to do this. For me.” She smiled at him, “Plus, if you say no and he dies then it’s on you. Do you really want that on your conscious?”
So that’s what she was playing at. Legolas pushed her hand off his shoulder and rolled his eyes. “Fine. I will watch over the dwarf but I will not befriend him. I will make sure he does not die but only because you asked.”
There was a glint of something in Tauriel’s eyes that made Legolas feel just a bit uneasy. Then his friend turned away, looking at him over her shoulder, “Come, his rooms are this way.”
Legolas begrudging followed, realizing he should have left for the north while he still had the chance however Tauriel was the closest thing he had to a sibling and he couldn’t deny her anything. He would suck it up and pray to Eru that the dwarf would heal quickly so he could leave.
Tauriel ushered him into the dwarf’s rooms and she pointed to the chair next to the dwarf’s bed. “Sit. The nurses should be around shortly and I’ll find you around dinner time.” And without another word, Tauriel was gone leaving Legolas alone with the sleeping dwarf.
He shook his head, this whole situation was ridiculous. Him watching over an injured dwarf? If his father could see him now he’d laugh his ass off. Legolas tried to shake the thought away as he went back to reading the book. He hated to admit that he actually enjoyed it. In all his years he learned very little of the dwarves and he found himself enjoying the antics of this ancient race.
Legolas wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there when he finally heard the rustling of sheets and the feeling of eyes staring at his head. Legolas looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the dwarf’s large brown eyes staring at him in confusion. His intense gaze made the elf feel uneasy and he couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter in his seat. It was getting to the point he hoped the dwarf would just say something but it started to seem a bit like a competition. Who could crack first?
Legolas cracked first. “Hasn’t anyone told you staring is rude?” He didn’t glance away from his book.
The bedridden dwarf made a noise, irritation perhaps, but didn’t look away. “They have. Doesn’t mean I’ve listened to them though.” He was silent for a bit and then, “You’re not Tauriel.”
Trying his best not to roll his eyes, Legolas responded, “Very perceptive, dwarf. Tauriel went to speak to the other dwarf. Your brother, I believe.”
The dwarf let out a hmm, and then, “Kili.”
“Excuse me?”
“My name. It’s Kili. Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude not to address someone using their name, elf?”
At that, Legolas closed his book and looked at the dwarf—Kili—and stared back at him, “No, actually, my father said that the best way to address a dwarf was not to address them at all.”
Kili didn’t seem to like that one bit and rolled away from him.
Legolas felt his lips twitch, almost becoming a frown. “Legolas. That’s my name.”
“Oh, I know,” the dwarf responded, not turning back to look at him, “what are you doing here, prince Legolas.”
Kili’s words were icy and cold, it sent a shiver down Legolas’s spine but he wouldn’t back down from the dwarf, “I was asked to watch over you. Tauriel said you needed constant surveillance just in case your condition worsened so here I am, watching you.”
Kili didn’t say anything after that and part of Legolas wondered if the dwarf died but as he watched the gentle up and down motion of the dwarf’s shoulders, he realized the dwarf was still very much alive. “I have told Tauriel time and time again that I am fine and do not need to be watched. You do not need to waste your time with me.”
Legolas thought this over for awhile. If what Kili said was true then he did not need to be in here. But then he thought about Tauriel’s pleading, that look in her eye, her insistence that the dwarf might die if he wasn’t being watched, and he decided the dwarf was just trying to get him to go away. Well, he certainly would not do that and, Legolas hated to admit it but, this conversation had been the most interesting thing to happen to him since the battle ended.
“Unfortunately, you’re stuck with me I’m afraid. If you died it would be my fault and I’d rather not face the wrath of your brother, uncle, and Tauriel.”
Kili seemed to laugh at that. Or was a scoff? Either way, it was something, “Yes, it might not be good to have the death of a dwarf prince on your hands.”
“Might not.”
Legolas realized that wasn’t a very good response and wasn’t surprised that Kili didn’t respond back. He was about to go back to reading his book when Kili finally rolled back over and looked at him again. Legolas wondered if that meant he was more interesting to look at than a wall. He also wondered why that thought seemed to make his heart quicken.
“What are you reading?” Kili asked him.
“Um,” suddenly Legolas felt nervous and fiddled with the book in his hand, “Dwarves of the First Age,” he said, trying to keep his voice neutral.
“Sounds boring. Read it to me.”
Legolas was definitely shocked at that response. Kili was just trying to send him away and now he was requesting for him to read to him. Legolas swallowed, “Okay, but I fear it’s as boring as you think it is.”
Kili didn’t say anything and shrugged a little. The elf couldn’t tear his gaze away from the brown eyes that stared at him. It was like he was put in a trance. Once he realized he was staring, he looked down at his book, “The Dwarves of Nagrod were famous for their weapons. These dwarves crafted a necklace for Thingol who requested that a silmaril was to be placed in it. Thus were united the greatest works of the elves and dwarves—”
A loud groan stopped Legolas mid sentence and he looked up at Kili, “Something wrong?”
“Yes, you were right when you said this was boring. Do you have anything else to read?”
“If I had anything else to read I wouldn’t be wasting my time with this.”
The dwarf sighed, “Where did you get that anyway?”
Legolas wondered if he should even say. Would the dwarf prince be upset he’s been wandering the halls and sticking his head in places he knew he shouldn’t?
“The library.”
“There’s a library?”
He nodded his head. Legolas almost asked how he didn’t know that but then he realized Kili has never been to Erebor before. Legolas also realized he has probably seen more of it than the prince of this kingdom has, “There is. It’s not much of a library these days. Almost everything is ruined and this was the first book I found that didn’t fall apart when I touched it.”
There was silence after that and Legolas wondered how intently Kili was thinking over his words.
“I like poetry,” the dwarf finally said, “back in Ered Luin we had a library full of poetry books. I’d sit and read until my Amad pulled me out because I missed dinner again.”
A peaceful smile settled on the dwarf’s face as he shared the memory and Legolas couldn’t stop himself from smiling, too.
“You don’t have any with you?”
That question made Kili’s eyes turn cold, “No. It seems traveling across middle earth and almost dying a few times makes you lose what nonessential things you had with you.”
Legolas dropped his gaze from the dwarf. He didn’t mean any harm but Kili seemed upset and he felt guilty. His kin surely didn’t make the journey any easier for them.
“Glittering pool, I peer out of a wishing well, Dreams sunken, I count the gems thrown in, By the bruises on my skin, If only they bothered to call for me.”
“What?”
“It’s uh, a poem my mother used to tell me when I was little. It’s one of the few that stuck with me.”
“Tell me another you remember.”
Legolas wondered if Kili sounded excited or if he was imagining it, “Okay. Let’s see…” he took a deep breath and started talking again, “Echoes of a life before, Scattered, dance overhead, Bright light we surrender, Guide us home, Over slate waves onward, Towards infinity.”
Kili hummed at that, “You elves have weird poetry.”
Legolas wasn’t sure what to make of that, “Oh? And what is Dwarven poetry like? All about mining and hidden jewels I’d assume.”
That earned Legolas a scoff, “No, actually most of my favorite poems are about love.”
About love? Legolas could hardly wrap his head around it. What did dwarves know about love? Still, he was curious. Maybe the dwarf was messing with him, “What’s your favorite poem then?”
Kili didn’t miss a beat, almost as if he’s been waiting to be asked, “Lie here, under canopy cover, As we count the singing birds, Stay here with me, A moment of your time, Where maybe we can see, Flowers begin to bloom, Beneath our feet.”
That was romantic and almost...sad.
“Do you have someone back home?” Legolas mentally kicked himself after asking that. He momentarily forgot this dwarf and Tauriel were together until she decided she was in love with his brother.
Kili didn’t seem to take offense luckily. He shook his head no, “No. No one back in the Blue Mountains. I thought,” Kili let out a sad laugh, “I thought I found someone here but… It wasn’t love, you know? Now I realize I was just trying to be rebellious.”
Legolas couldn’t help but frown, “Still, I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. There’s nothing to even apologize for.”
Legolas stayed silent for a moment and then, against his better judgment, reached out and grabbed the dwarf’s hand, “For what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed this conversation.”
Kili stared down at their hands and Legolas realized he made a mistake so he drew his hand back. He wanted to open his mouth to say something but a knock at the door prevented that.
“Legolas, it is time for dinner and the nurses want to check on Kili.”
“I’m coming, Tauriel,” Legolas stood and looked down at the dwarf, “Well, it has been...a pleasure talking with you. I wish you a speedy recovery.” Legolas had no intention of ever seeing him again and planned on walking out the door and never looking back however Kili seemed to have different plans.
“Will you come back tomorrow? Maybe you’ll think of more poems to share.”
Legolas turned to look at the dwarf who now propped himself up on his side so he could get a better look at him. It was intense and strange and he wondered if the dwarf was so lonely he’d suffer the company of anything that could talk but deep down he couldn’t help but be excited at the idea of seeing him again.
“Yes I can do that. Perhaps after breakfast.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” Kili said and Legolas was out the door.