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Tauriel wrapped her worn scarf tighter around her neck. In all her years, she had never experienced a winter that was so bitterly cold as this. And yet, as much as the wind nipped at the apples of her cheeks, there was no snow to show for it. Her joints ached as she made her way down the dirt path, yearning for the warmth of home. The journey into the cold had not been in vain, as she had acquired the ingredients necessary for her lover's favorite stew. Kíli had been feeling under the weather, and the gray skies had done nothing to lift her spirits. If nothing else, Tauriel was a lover girl who would do anything for her other half, even brave the cold to walk to the market.
Tendrils of smoke rose from the chimney of their cottage, and Tauriel could not help but feel relief at the sight. As she entered through the door, she heard her lover's hoarse voice call out from the bedroom.
"My dove, is that you?"
Even after the decades together, Kíli's nickname for Tauriel still made her stomach flip. She smiled to herself and set the paper bag on the counter.
"I'm home, darling. I got some ingredients for dinner." She heard Kíli groan as she rose from their bed. "Would you like to guess what I'm making?"
The sound of shuffling slippers filled their small cottage, and Tauriel turned around to find Kíli standing there, wrapped in their marriage quilt and hair askew as though she had just woken up from a nap.
"Hm… Should I prepare myself for the house to reek of roasted garlic?" Her nose wrinkled in mock distaste, but her eyes twinkled. Kíli's favorite soup was a creamy roasted garlic soup. It may be potent, but it would surely clear out whatever cold had been lingering in her respiratory system.
Tauriel smiled fondly at her wife and walked around the kitchen island to plant a kiss on her lips. She pulled away to admire her. Even after all these years, and with all the changes they had gone through together, Kíli still looked just as beautiful as the day they met. Of course, Kíli's hair had faded to silver, and wrinkles lined her once smooth face, but she never failed to take Tauriel's breath away. "Yes indeed. I am hoping it will bring us both health in this dreadful winter."
Kíli smiled up at Tauriel, brown eyes filled with adoration. "You take such good care of me, my dove."
"It's what you deserve." Tauriel couldn't resist another kiss to her beloved's forehead before returning to the stove. "What did you do while I was out, Kíli?"
Kíli meandered into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Tauriel's waist and watching her cook over her shoulder. "Mmh, not much. I've nearly finished your new scarf, though. There are just a few rows left."
Despite herself, Tauriel felt a shiver run up her spine at the close contact. Nearly forty years of marriage wasn't enough to dull the spark that she and Kíli had. "I'm excited to use it, darling. Lord knows there's more than enough winter left for me to enjoy it to the fullest."
Kíli grinned against her neck and pressed a gentle kiss to her skin before releasing Tauriel. "I best be out of your way. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can have some of that soup."
Tauriel waved Kíli off and turned back to her groceries, wanting nothing more than to provide for her beloved.