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If Kili has to listen to Sigrid giggle one more time he is going to lose his fucking mind. It is bad enough that they are all supposed to be studying but now he is not only stuck in a small room off the library with a group of people he doesn’t particularly know and/or particularly like flirting but now some of them are giggling every two minutes.
The levels of his medication are about to be exceeded when Tauriel interrupts Sigrid to announce that their time in the room is limited and she, for one, would really like to get some studying done.
Kili watches the lanky haired blond glare at Tauriel and knows that this is going to end badly. He starts to collect his things as quietly as possible so as to not draw any attention to himself when the blond guy who is the cause of all the said giggling speaks up.
“I agree, we really should get to work.”
It’s really hard but somehow Kili manages to keep his laughter contained as Sigrid takes the glare she had aimed at Tauriel and aims it at the blond guy. She actually looks betrayed, as if she truly believed that his signing up for a study group had the sole purpose of flirting with her in a small room full of other people.
Girls are just so stupid. Well, most girls. Okay, just some girls. Sigrid. Sigrid is stupid. God, Kili is thankful that he is gay.
They get back to studying and Kili is surprised to find that he actually learns at least one thing. As they all head out to their own lives, he slows his pace to wait for Tauriel thinking he might as well walk home with his roommate.
Tauriel is taking her sweet time talking to some tall, blond guy who looks like he could use a few home-cooked meals. He hopes she doesn’t invite the guy to the diner. Kili has had about all the flirting he can take today.
Sigrid is the last to come out of the study room, slamming the door behind her and stomping past the blond she had been so desperately flirting with earlier. She storms past Kili muttering something about “rude” and “waste of time” and Kili can’t help but smile. He doesn’t really like Sigrid after she had proclaimed to all her friends that she and Kili were dating back in their first year. She had refused to leave him alone until Kili had worn a t-shirt with the words “I am gay and NOT dating Sigrid!” printed across the front and the back. She hasn’t spoken to him since. Not that he minds. At all. Nope.
Kili smiles.
His smile dies though as he turns back around to see the blond guy watching Sigrid’s back with a confused look on his face like he has no idea why she is so upset. Before he can do anything, he is being pulled towards the exit by Tauriel.
“We’re going to the diner.” Tauriel announces cheerfully. Kili is immediately suspicious of her tone.
“Great.”
“Don’t be rude, Kili,” she snaps, “Legolas and Fili are new. Be welcoming.”
“Welcoming,” he replies, “Sure, that’s what you’re doing.”
She side-eyes him the whole way to the diner. She also keeps her death grip on his arm like she thinks he will make a run for it if she lets go.
He might actually.
****
At the diner Kili finds himself on one side of a booth with the confused, giggle causing blond as Tauriel is quick to claim the other side with the guy who needs a good meal.
Okay, so Kili is bad with names. He can admit that. He can also admit that he is in for a tortuous meal of listening to Tauriel flirt. Great.
Kili spends most of the meal barely listening to Tauriel “be welcoming.” She manages to pull an occasional answer out of him but for the most part he is quiet as he tries to ignore the blond sitting next to him. The booths are small which means they bump into each other as they eat. The worst is that their thighs touch each time one of them moves which causes Kili to blush which causes him no end of embarrassment and convinces him that the universe is out to get him.
It turns out that Legolas and Fili are brothers who transferred here after their parents finalized their long and terrible divorce. They both wanted a fresh start away from all the drama their small hometown was immersed in as life-long friends and old haunts were divided among the newly divorced couple.
Kili listens and is sort of impressed as Tauriel pulls information from the brothers like she is up for an award based on the most information gathered. She has a gift. She has used it on Kili many times and he knows to be wary. Legolas and Fili however, seem eager to share their life stories and other tid-bits of personal information to their new friend.
Legolas and Tauriel have a lot of the same classes and interests. To Kili’s absolute horror and amusement, Tauriel actually squeals when Legolas admits to loving archery.
“Have you signed up for the team yet?”
“Yes and I am really excited for practice next week!”
There is another squeal from Tauriel and Kili grimaces. He turns to try and catch the waitresses eye so he can order cake. The diner’s chocolate cake is a good remedy for squealing as he’s discovered since rooming with his best friend.
He doesn’t catch the waitresses eye but he does catch Fili’s. The guy is smirking at him.
Kili cannot interpret the smirk without chocolate cake. He’s had to endure too much today between the incident in the chemistry lab that is never to be mentioned, the flirting and giggling in the study group, and now the squealing during dinner and his brain is literally shutting down. It could be an “oh-my-god-she-squealed” smirk or a “oh-my-god-my-brother-is-a-dork” smirk or even a smirk that has something to do with himself. He has no idea and cannot be bothered to wonder too much without chocolate cake.
Kili gets his cake (it is not important that Fili smirked the waitress over to their table) and managed to get home without a lecture from his roommate. It helped that she was totally preoccupied with talking about Legolas non-stop and all Kili had to do was walk beside her and nod his head once in a while. He heads to bed feeling pretty good overall.
****
Kili stumbles into his favorite coffee shop only to collide with Ori who has stopped directly in front of him.
“Careful, Kili, damn!” Ori exclaims while giving Kili a Look as he adjusts the bag on his scrawny shoulder.
“Sorry.” Kili huffs in return. Damn but the line is really long today. They really need to hire more help or he is going to be forced to find a new favorite place to get his coffee. His caffeine habit just can’t handle delays like this.
Glancing around the shop hoping to find an empty table to send Ori to guard, his gaze meets a certain blond’s gaze that sends involuntary shivers down Kili’s spine. He hasn’t seen Fili since the diner two nights ago but here he is in Kili’s favorite coffee shop. Kili finds himself trapped, lost in Fili’s blue eyes for a moment until he notices Fili’s mouth curving into that infuriating smirk again.
What the hell!
“Never mind, Ori,” Kili grabs Ori’s arm and physically hauls him towards the exit, “I don’t want coffee anymore.”
Kili spends the time it takes to get to the next closest decent coffee shop (“Because I want coffee, Kili!”) half listening to his friend berate his craziness and half remembering the blue of Fili’s eyes.
****
“So, Fili,” Tauriel says, shuffling through her notes as they sit in the library.
“What about him?” Kili says, feigning an inordinate amount of fascination with strategically organizing his collection of highlighters in front of his notebook.
“You like him,” Tauriel says, straight to the point and keen to embarrass him as always.
“Eh, he seems okay, I guess, a little cocky though,” Kili says, half-playing around. He’s succumbed to the knowledge that she always knows what’s going on with him, so he occupies himself with turning the pages of his math book like he is looking for the right page.
“Are you going to ask him out?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you like him, idiot,” she says.
“Do not,” he mumbles, scrunching his nose.
“You want to kiss him, just admit it.” She is so smug. Kili doesn’t dare glare or give her a Look though – he knows better.
“If you mean that I want to punch that damn stupid smirk off his face,” Kili replies, “then you would be right.” He tries to be nonchalant in his tone but knows she isn’t fooled. She knows him too well.
“You keep telling yourself that.”
“I will, thanks.”
She just hums content to wait him out as always. She is truly evil.
After a minute, he explodes, right on schedule. “I don’t like him! He’s probably not even gay anyway, Tauriel.”
“You are both idiots. No, scratch that, it’s just you. Fili’s fine.”
“Hey!"
She kicks his shin under the table and smiles. “Trust me, Kili, you like him and he likes you.”
Before he can reply she starts using that tone of voice that tells him he is about to hear something that he has no interest in hearing but he is going to have to listen to anyway. “You need to move on already. You can’t stop dating because of what happened and Fili seems like a great guy.”
Kili snorts. “Yeah, and you thought Bard was a great guy too so I think I’ll make my own decisions about my dating life.”
He is starts packing up his stuff and ignoring Tauriel’s continued attempts to talk to him when he catches sight of the object of their conversation on the other side of the library. Fili is talking to one of the library assistants, who is gesticulating wildly and whisper-yelling at the blond. Their eyes meet and Kili is absolutely horrified at the blush that explodes on his cheeks and probably spreads down his neck. He zips his bag closed and slings it over his shoulder but before he can stand up Tauriel’s voice stops him.
“Oh, you so like him, Kili!” She is giggling – actually giggling – at him and pointing out his blush. Kili decides right then that she is nothing but a filthy traitor and gives her his best glare.
“I do not!” He hisses at her over her stupid giggling. “I’m pretty sure there are rules about giggling in the library.” He stands up to leave but Fili is there, right in front of him and of course he freezes. Tauriel invites him to sit at their table with entirely too much amusement in her voice and Fili tilts his head to the side slightly as he accepts, his blue eyes on Kili the entire time. Kili watches as the blond sets his bag on the table and pulls his lips into yet another smirk as his eyes dance at Kili.
Kili actually growls a little bit as he says, “We are so not friends anymore, Tauriel.” to his evil roommate and storms out of the library earning his own whisper-yell from the library assistant on his way out.
****
It is Thursday which means that tomorrow is Friday which means movie and junk food night for Kili. He happily heads into the local horror known as the grocery store to re-stock his supply of sweets and other assorted dietary nightmares.
Perusing the aisles, Kili gets that weird feeling that he is being watched but whenever he looks around he doesn’t see anyone looking at him. The feeling stays with him the entire time he is filling his basket (should have got a cart!) and standing in line to checkout. As he lazily watches his favorite foods travel the conveyor belt towards the bagging area he notices who is in the line next to him.
Fili is reading a magazine while waiting for his turn. Kili barely hears his own cashier as he wonders how fast he can bag his stuff and run to his apartment. It’s not that far, if he can get out of the store first he thinks he can make it. Somehow he manages to pay the cashier and bag his stuff (only dropping every other item) before accidentally meeting Fili’s blue eyes.
Fili smirks at him.
Kili pulls his eyebrows together as he huffs and turns away to stomp out of the store and down the street. He furiously refuses to think about the annoying blond’s damn smirks as he glares his way home.
****
It’s Friday night and Kili is more than ready for movie and junk food night. Tauriel is going to be out late so he can watch a horror movie without her complaining and clinging to him like something is going to jump out of the television to attack her. He is on the couch, burritoed in his favorite Star Wars fleece blanket, horror movie in the DVD player ready to go, and more junk food than he should be able to consume in a week spread out in front of him on the coffee table when the front door opens.
The universe hates him.
“Kili!” she yells, “I brought dinner and company!”
He can see over the back of the couch just enough to make out one red head and two blonds moving into the apartment. Kili holds a groan in only because he is sure she has super hearing and will tell him off for being rude later. By the look she gives him when she comes into the living room though, she already thinks he is being rude.
Kili burrows a little farther down into his blanket to hide.
Soon enough there is pizza spread out over the coffee table (his junk food has been pushed to one corner) and the other couch is taken over by Tauriel and Legolas. Kili notices that they sit very close together as they eat and have their own quiet conversation.
Something nudges Kili’s foot and he peeks over his blanket to see Fili smirking down at him.
Kili just rolls his eyes and bends his knees so Fili can sit down on his couch.
“Nice blanket.” Fili comments and starts eating.
Kili makes no reply. He turns the volume up a bit and grabs his Oreos. He buries his arm and the cookies in the blanket to make it clear that he will not be sharing.
Tauriel and Legolas disappear after they eat and Kili does not even want to think about where they went or what they are doing. He can’t help but wonder why Fili is here though. Fili doesn’t move to the other couch once it is vacated but stays annoying close to Kili’s feet which is distracting to say the least. Not to mention that Kili keeps expecting to see him smirking at any moment which keeps him from being able to truly relax.
Kili can feel Fili jump a little bit every time something happens in the movie and each time he smirks into his blanket and tries not to laugh. The idea of Fili being scared by the movie is kind of funny since he usually gives off such an infuriating aura of calm, collected, confidence.
When the movie is over Kili fights his way out of his blanket with a huff to change the movie. He doesn’t ask Fili what he wants to watch since he is technically invading Kili’s movie and junk food night.
Kili can’t help but notice another damn smirk on the blonds face as he heads back to the couch. He doesn’t ask about it as he re-wraps himself in his blanket burrito and settles back onto the couch.
“Nice pants.” Fili says quietly and Kili doesn’t need to look – he can hear the smirk!
Kili lifts his head to glare at the blond and when their eyes meet Kili is momentarily stunned when Fili busts out laughing. He is laughing so hard that the couch shakes.
Kili’s glare intensifies.
Fili catches sight of the glare and tries to calm down but is still chortling every so often which makes Kili feel the need to stretch out his legs until his feet push into Fili’s thighs, shoving the laughing blond asshole into the arm of the couch.
“Shut up.” He barks. “Why are you even here? No one else to smirk at tonight?”
Fili finally quiets down to say, “I was invited.”
“Why?”
“To watch movies.”
So simple. So simple and yet Kili is still convinced the universe is after him somehow. Or maybe it’s just his evil red-headed roommate. Now that he thinks about it, she is the more likely candidate to be out to get him.
“Why would Tauriel invite you over and then leave you here?”
Fili finally stops laughing at that and looks at Kili strangely for a moment. Kili does his best to not squirm farther into his burrito under that gaze.
Fili clears his throat and looks away. “She said you invited me.”
“What!?” Kili sits up suddenly but his blanket burrito will not allow him to move so he ends up face down on the floor trapped between the couch and the coffee table. His Oreos being turned into crumbs underneath him.
Fuck my life, Kili thinks. Here he is, trapped in a fucking blanket face down on the floor in front of the most annoying and cocky smirker on the planet who is devil spawn roommate apparently set him up with and he can’t even move. Kili just groans and thumps his forehead on the floor a few times.
“Hey, are you okay.” Kili can just barely hear Fili. He doesn’t answer. He is not sure if he will ever be able to speak in front of the blond again. Hell, he may die of embarrassment before Fili even leaves his apartment at this rate.
The coffee table is moved and Kili is rolled over by a pair of really warm hands. Fili stands over him looking down at his trapped form with amusement.
“I take it you had no idea we were on a date then?” Fili raises a single eyebrow and Kili just shakes his head.
“Well, now you know.” He says as he reaches down and slides his hands under Kili’s shoulders and legs, lifting him up effortlessly. Kili absolutely does not yelp. He does not.
Fili turns and sits down on the couch holding Kili in his lap. Instead of smirking, the blond smiles for real and Kili wishes he had something to bang his head on because dimples. He is still too dazed by recent events to speak when Fili kisses him, quick and chaste.
“I really do like your blanket, you know.” Kili is unable to speak at this point. “And I’ve been reading Marvel comics since I was a kid so I really do like your Avengers pants too.”
Somehow, Kili manages find his voice. “I thought you were making fun of me.”
“I know.” Fili says with a smirk.
“Ugh!” Kili buries is face in Fili’s shoulder. “Enough with the damn smirking already!”
Fili laughs which causes problems for Kili. It does things to him. He tilts his head back to meet Fili’s eyes which are soft and happy. They both smile. Fili helps to free his arms before tilting him back a bit and leaning over to kiss him.
Fili’s lips are warm and soft and Kili is losing his mind just a little bit. He opens his mouth when Fili’s tongue asks for permission, buries his fingers in long, blond hair and gets lost in the warm wet heat of Fili’s mouth.
Neither one hears the front door open.
“Fucking finally!” Legolas yells and Fili and Kili both jump. Tauriel laughs maniacally as she pulls Legolas out the door. Their laughter can be heard for the next several minutes until they exit the building. Fili and Kili just look at each other, shrug, and go back to kissing.
“Go out with me.” Fili pulls back just far enough to ask.
“Hmmm?” Kili is distracted by Fili’s lips still touching his own and the heat of the blonds arms around him.
“Go out with me.” Fili repeats.
“Will you stop smirking at me if I say yes?”
“No,” Fili laughs, shaking Kili who is still in his lap, “definitely not.”
“Ugh!” Kili buries his face in the blonds neck and huffs. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Fine.”
“Wow, try to contain your excitement.”
Kili can hear the smile in Fili’s voice but also a hint of something else. Insecurity? He leans back a bit to meet Fili’s eyes. Which are so very, very blue and seem to sparkle in the low light of the room.
“I’d like to go out with you, Fili.” He says sincerely and is filled with warmth when those eyes light up at his words.
“Yes?” Fili asks as he leans forward so their foreheads touch.
“Yes.”
Fili smiles like the damn sun and Kili is seriously disturbed by the dimples in Fili’s cheeks. Damn it! The smirks were bad enough.
“Good.” Fili kisses him. “How about tomorrow?” Kiss. “I’ll pick you up at seven?” Another kiss.
“Okay.” Kili kisses him this time.
“Okay.” Kiss. “I should go.” Kiss.
Kili doesn’t respond. He is too distracted by Fili’s warm hand on his cheek, warm arm around his waist, and warm breath on his face.
“Tomorrow then.” Fili pulls back and Kili absolutely does not whimper or lean forward to chase those lips. Nope. He cannot explain how they are kissing again but they are. He tightens his fingers in long blond hair when he feels himself lifted and pulls back in alarm. Fili is rising from the couch with a burritoed Kili in his arms.
“I won’t drop you.” Fili murmurs against his lip and turns, placing Kili gently on the couch, kissing him again quickly before standing.
Kili watches as Fili pulls on his shoes and jacket and smiles at the blond shyly as he opens the door, “Goodnight, Kili.” and just before stepping out of the door Fili smirks at him.
Kili’s eyes open wide and he groans loudly before burrowing back down into his blanket. He is pretty sure he can hear Fili’s laughter in the hallway before the blonds footsteps fade away.
*******************
Kili literally runs to open the door as soon as he hears the knock. He doesn’t care if he seems desperate or crazy, he just needs to get away from Tauriel before going postal on everyone in the building. He already has his jacket on so as soon as his eyes land on Fili, he grabs the blonds arm and hauls him down the hall and stairs.
“Where are we going?” Kili has to ask when they exit the building. He quickly lets go of Fili once he realizes he is still holding onto him.
“Hi, Kili.” Fili responds with way too much amusement in his voice. The blond takes his hand and laces their fingers together and leads him down the sidewalk.
“Hi, Fi- Oh!” Kili’s eyes widen and he ducks his head as he remembers how he had manhandled Fili out of the building. “Sorry about – uh, earlier – I mean –“
“Hey, Fili interrupts, squeezing his hand, “it’s okay.”
Kili braves a glance to see Fili smiling softly at him.
“I mean, Legolas actually walked me over to your place so, you know, I get it.”
“Oh my god!” Kili groans, “He was there wasn’t he?” Kili covers his face with his free left hand as he considers all the ways in which Tauriel will never let him forget his exit tonight.
Luckily, the contemplation of future torment is interrupted as Fili pulls him into what he notices is his favorite diner.
“Yep, I’m pretty sure that he and Tauriel are swapping stories of how they have, can and will torment us as we speak.”
Kili agrees as they sit down. It doesn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that Fili is the best thing ever. He’s gorgeous and self-deprecating but not in a ‘fishing for compliments’ kind of way. Fili is fun, down to earth, and easy to talk to. Kili is pretty sure that he is well and truly fucked.
The hours run on as they talk about themselves and Kili finds that Fili listens with interest whenever Kili talks which helps him actually forget to be nervous or anxious as he regales Fili with stories of his and Tauriel’s misadventures in high school and life in general. He finds that Fili is fond of talking with his hands when he gets excited which is oddly endearing and Fili’s sense of humor has him nearly rolling out of their booth at one point.
It isn’t until the waitress brings yet another coffee refill and Fili asks for the check that Kili realizes how quiet the diner is and how dark it is outside.
“Here, let me at least pay half,” Kili says as he digs in his pocket to get out his wallet.
“No way, I asked you out so I get to pay,” Fili replies with one of his damn smirks, Kili huffs and replaces his wallet. He is absolutely not smiling.
As they exit the diner Fili casually takes Kili’s hand in his and says, “How about I walk you home?”
Kili nods shyly. He feels like the biggest sap, getting all excited because Fili is holding his hand. It’s not like this is his first date or anything it’s just that Fili makes him feel all tingly and excited but at the same time so relaxed and comfortable. Except when he smirks, that just bothers Kili to no end. He’s not sure what it is about the blond and his damn smirk that gets him all riled up. He just knows that he feels that way and he really doesn’t want to think about it too much. As great as Fili is, there is no way that this will go anywhere.
“Something tells me you don’t go on dates very often,” Fili says nonchalantly.
“Is it that obvious?” Kili winces.
“Well, not totally.” Kili just snorts. They’ve reached his building now and Fili follows him inside and up the stairs.
“You’re a gorgeous guy Kili. I find it hard to believe you can’t get a date.”
Kili scoffs, “I gave up dating a long time ago it didn’t seem worth it.”
“Why?”
Kili holds off on answering as he unlocks his front door. He jerks his head in invitation and Fili follows him inside. Might as well get this conversation over with now, he thinks before he answers.
“Honestly, guys are assholes.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Fili saying shrugging off his coat and Kili hangs them both on the rack by the door.
“Guys just want me for sex and I want more than that.” Kili spits out bitterly. “You want something to drink?”
Fili doesn’t answer right away and Kili winces a little as he turns towards the kitchen. He’s pretty sure he’s just blown the entire night.
“Hey, look at me Kili,” Fili says gently, Kili hesitantly looks at Fili. “I like you, Kili. I want more with you than just sex. I really do.” Kili looks in Fili’s eyes and all he sees is sincerity and honesty.
“Don’t say things you don’t mean.” Kili blurts out with way too many emotions in his eyes.
“Look, I know we haven’t known each other for very long, and as cheesy as it sounds, I feel a real connection with you. I have since I first saw you in study group.”
“That’s not cheesy, that - that’s actually nice to hear,” Kili says, swaying closer to Fili like he’s hypnotized. Maybe he is. Fili is absolutely gorgeous and he’s smiling softly at Kili and Kili would happily be hypnotized by him for the rest of his life.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Fili says, and leans forward and kisses Kili.
Kili thoughts are lost in a swirl of his hands sweeping over Fili’s chest and shoulders, and Fili cupping his jaw to angle his face to kiss him better, then wrapping around Kili’s waist to pull him closer, and he’s never felt like this, never, burning up in his belly and tingly all the way to his finger tips and it’s totally okay because Fili’s mouth is slick and warm they’re so close together and he doesn’t want to stop, not ever, and the way Fili is biting at his mouth and clenching his hands in Kili’s shirt tells him maybe, maybe, maybe he’s not the only one.
"I'm glad I met you," Fili says, cupping Kili’s face in his strong hands.
“I’m glad I met you too.” Kili knows he is grinning like a loon but he just can’t stop or make himself care. Fili tilts his head down and presses a kiss to his forehead.
“When can I take you out again?” Kili raises his eyes to Fili’s bright blue ones just in time to see his delicious pink lips curl into a smirk and his own eyes go wide.
“Ugggghhh!” Kili groans as he buries his face in Fili’s shoulder and feels his entire body shake with Fili’s joyous laughter.