The sun was slowly, but surely, settling, and it was then that Thorin requested that the company sleep in the small clearing with only the trees above them as shelter. The woods were blanketed in darkness, leaving a sincere, gloomy atmosphere that resulted in affecting the dwarfs' mood, as well as Bilbo's.

Dwalin moved off into the canopy of trees in search of wood for a fire, whilst Ori and Balin set about unravelling the food they had brought. There was a lack of food, so they would simply have to make do with what they had left, despite how little. There was no game, or at least none that they had come across. Kili had managed to strike a bird with an arrow, but it was barely big enough to feed one, let alone a large group.

Fili rolled out the thin blanket on a dry patch of grass, glancing up as Kili appeared and did the same, directly beside his own. "Think I was going to leave you sleeping alone?" Kili grinned, placing his bag down as a makeshift pillow. It would have to do. They had always slept with one another as children, curled up closely in the bed together to keep one another warm. Besides, Kili enjoyed the comfort and reassurance of knowing the older dwarf was well, and Fili appreciated being able to keep an eye on his brother. It was his responsibility to look out for him.

Bofur passed and stopped, raising a curious brow at the proximity between both Fili and Kili's belongings. "You two lads are inseparable." He commented with a light chuckle, moving on to set out his own very little possessions.

Kili smiled fondly at his brother. "I'm going to go help Dwalin with the firewood." He explained. Fili nodded his understanding. However, before Kili could disappear, Thorin had come up behind them.

"Dwalin can manage perfectly fine on his own. You two will go look after the ponies whilst we finish setting up camp for the night," he said, giving the two a firm look. "If anything happens, you two are being held responsible. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Uncle." They both answered in unison. Kili sniggered, and Fili had to hold himself back from doing so himself. Thorin would be counting on him to look after Kili too, as he always had. He had to prove that he was wise and trustworthy enough. Thorin nodded his approval at him and waved his hand dismissively. Fili led, followed by the brunet who was currently beaming from his enthusiasm at the idea.

They moved through the darkening trees and brush until they finally came into the clearing with the ponies five minutes later. Fili found a tree to lean against and seated himself on the grass, watching distractedly as Kili found his own mare and began to stroke her as a form of entertainment. They would be here awhile. He went around each, running a hand down their noses and often trailing his fingers through their rough manes when a thought occurred. Kili smirked to himself.

Fili quirked a brow, not failing to notice. "Is something amusing to you, Brother?"

Kili turned to face him, patting the pony's neck. "This one looks like you." It was the fairest of the lot, whereas the others were brown or grey in colour. The pony was closest to white, but more toward beige in colour. As childish as it was, Kili was fairly entertained by the comparison.

"Are you trying to say I look like my own pony?" He asked in disbelief.

Nodding, Kili pulled from the pony and settled himself in front of the older dwarf. His eyes travelled over him with curiosity, the amusement evident in his eyes. "Only the hair." He reached out, his hand closing around a braid. Kili fiddled with it, thoughtful. He loved Fili's hair. It was nothing like his own, not straggly and hard to work with. It was soft and remained how it was put. If there was one thing Kili loved about the blond locks, it was braiding them. He never had the time anymore, not with all the moving constantly.

Spacing the hair out, Kili started to plait it, concentration coming over him. "Do you think they'll bring us dinner?" He asked finally, his stomach growling at the thought of food.

"They shan't forget about us."

Fili rested his palms on the other's hips, leaning in to nose along Kili's jaw to his neck as a slight form of reassurance. "Not here, Fili. We were almost caught last time." The brunet chuckled, meeting Fili's gaze as he pulled back. He had that look in his eyes that meant he wanted something.

The elder dwarf moved a hand up to Kili's burning cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb. "But were we?"

Kili looked down into his lap. "No."

"Exactly," Fili placed his hand under the other's chin, bringing his head up to capture Kili's lips. "Don't worry none, Brother. We're always careful. You trust me, don't you?"

Kili nodded slowly and the blond grinned at the agreement, deepening the kiss. When Kili eventually gave in to his worries and parted his lips in silent invitation, Fili allowed his tongue to slide into the other's mouth and explore. Kili groaned lightly, his fingers curling around his brother's hair and gripping it tightly. Tugging Kili into his lap, Fili rolled his hips up, intending on receiving a bigger reaction from him. A muffled grunt escaped Kili, removing his fingers from Fili's hair to clumsily begin unbuttoning his tunic.

From nearby, there was a faint rustle, causing Kili to stop. Fili frowned disappointedly. "Just the wind." he assured, burying his face into the crook of the other's neck, splaying kisses across the exposed skin.

"Fili?" A voice sounded. Bilbo. When no answer came, he called for Kili.

Hastily removing himself from the blond, Kili stood and brushed himself down. Fili followed, fixing his ruffled clothing and hair. The two quickly went to find the hobbit, whom was observing the ponies. "There you are," he exclaimed, sceptically glancing the two up and down. He had a bowl in each hand for their supper. "Tell me. There were fourteen ponies, were there not? There only appears to be twelve now."

Counting them to find that Bilbo was correct, Fili gave Kili a look between mildly annoyed and worry. "Thorin's going to kill us."