Not That Easy -- Unless You Have Your One

by drakkhammer

Not That Easy is set in a universe where Dwarves are frequently asexual. On their 45th birthday, the sign for their One appears on their body. If siblings are One, they are normally asexual and so become bonded without worry of incest. But what if…two brother bear one another's mark and they are not asexual but instead, desire one another very much?

Fili woke first and looked over at Kili, who was sprawled out taking up most of the bed, forcing his older brother to curl up in what was left. Fili gently picked up Kili's arm and put it back on his side of the bed. He was trying not to disturb his brother but it quickly became apparent that he could have dropped a boulder next to the bed without waking Kili.

He turned on his side, smiling as Kili continued to snore softly. Last night had been amazing and, truth be told, a bit terrifying. They were quite literally entering uncharted waters. Siblings who were bonded were always asexual. Always. There were no rules for siblings who desired one another. But then, why would there be rules for something that did not exist?

Fili rose up onto his elbow and looked at Kili. The younger Dwarf had kicked the covers down to his waist on one side and completely off the other so that his left leg was bare. Only his privates and his right leg were hidden from Fili's view. He was different from other Dwarves both in his slender physique and his bubbling personality. These differences had been problematic for Kili at times but they made Fili love him all the more.

He looked at his brother and the more he looked, the more he wanted to look. It was as if his eyes were hungry, starving for the sight and the feel of the one person he should not desire at all. Fili swallowed hard. He should not desire anyone. He'd felt like a freak for years and it saddened him that Kili had as well.

He started to reach out to touch Kili, restraining himself at the last moment. Let him sleep. There was a small smile at the corner of Kili's mouth from a dream that was undoubtedly sweeter than their reality. Fili put his hand back down and contented himself with being close. He heaved a sigh and lay back down next to his One.

Other Dwarves saw Kili as skinny and mildly funny looking. If Kili had at least been able to grow a proper beard it might have helped stem the rumors that he was part Elf. As it was, his height combined with everything else kept the rumors simmering, something that infuriated Fili and embarrassed Thorin. Dis shrugged them off with her typical phlegmatic attitude. "Dwarrowdams have nothing better to do. It's better they pick on an Heir than some poor miner's pebble."

Their lack of respect for his brother nearly drove Fili wild. From the time Kili had been born, he had been Fili's. Dis had laughed that Fili would have breastfed him if he could. She wasn't totally wrong. Fili took complete charge, or as complete as his parents would allow. Kili was his and Fili took the responsibility for caring for first a baby and then a toddler very seriously.

Other mothers might worry about their Dwarflings getting into something that they shouldn't or coming to harm in some way while their mam's back was turned, but not Dis. Fili was there with Kili for his first crawling expedition that headed him toward the burning hearth, where his way was quickly blocked by a firm older brother. And when his angry tears turned to puppy-eyed pleading there was no wavering on Fili's part. Even though Kili's tears broke his heart, his vow to protect his brother never wavered. He was there for Kili's first wobbling step, his first tooth, and the accompanying sleepless nights when he could calm Kili better than Mum or Dad. It was Fili who soothed the scrapes and bumps of Kili's childhood and to whom Kili turned first when something went wrong.

Unlike Fili, Kili was headstrong and reckless, often leaping into a situation without having first thought it through. Dis joked with her husband and brothers that it was a good thing that she had Fili first because she didn't think she would have the energy for a second child if she'd had to chase Kili all day without Fili around to help.

It was Fili who had taught his younger brother to ride his first pony, picking him up and drying his tears when he lost his balance and took a tumble. It was Fili who was with him when Kili found an orphaned kitten in the barn, so new that its eyes weren't even open. Of course, Kili insisted on bringing it home to care for. Mum and Dad did not want an animal in their halls but their sons stood firm – Kili with pleas and tears and Fili with reason and persuasion…and a few tears of his own. Dad had relented first and then Mam, who could be as stubborn as her eldest son. But the kitten was wee and helpless, and they couldn't, in good conscious, leave it to it die. The boys were charged with her care and bound by an oath to keep her out of mischief. They did their job well and the tiny kitten had grown into a beautiful cat who had quietly made a place for herself in everyone's heart.

Fili looked down at Jet, who was curled up asleep in one of the few places on the bed that Kili had not claimed. She was proof that nothing was absolute if you were loved. No other Dwarf they knew of had a cat indoors. But because they loved Jet and she loved them back, the rules were bent and then forgotten. She was part of the family, and Fili had even seen Dwalin (who had protested the loudest) slip her a bit of chicken during a meal.

At length, Kili stirred and opened his eyes and sleepily smiled up at Fili. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just long enough to appreciate lying next to you."

"You were watching me. I could feel you. I was afraid to open my eyes for fear it was just a dream."

Fili smiled and cupped Kili's face, stroking the nearly beardless cheek with his thumb. "It is no dream. You are mine for real now and I am yours."

"So last night actually happened?" Whiskey-gold eyes were shadowed with questions and not a little worry.

Fili could feel a blush creeping up his neck into his cheeks. It made him chuckle and he nodded. "It did. We broke every rule, little brother. What are we going to do about that?"

Kili smiled and reached up to pull Fili close. "I think we need to break the rules some more…if you do, that is."

"Oh I do," Fili replied with a wicked smile. "I most certainly do."

The smile was cockier than Fili actually felt, but there was no turning back. Not now, not after what had happened between them the night before. Fili pushed his worries about rule breaking and not being a proper Dwarf from his mind. There would be far too much time to think about it later. Right now, Kili was close and he was all that mattered.

Fili leaned over to kiss his brother and this time it wasn't clumsy and rushed. When you weren't shaking with nerves, it was a lot easier to angle a kiss. And it was even better when neither of them had to fear a chipped tooth or two.

Kili was the one to pull back first. His breath was coming in heaving gasps and he felt that he would combust if he didn't ease up. He sucked in a deep breath, noting that Fili took advantage of the pause to do the same, smiling up at his brother.

He put his hand on Kili's bicep, feeling the play of muscles as he slid it down to the back of his brother's hand, where he entwined their fingers.

"Mine." His voice was soft but to Kili, it echoed from the stones of their chamber.

"Yours," he replied. Kili turned his hand and knotted their fingers. "And you are mine."

Kili's eyes were dark, his usual lightness of manner replaced by steel. "You are my One and no one will ever come between us."

"Not and live."

Fili's eyes flashed hotly for an instant and then cooled as he reached out to trace Kili's mark with his forefinger. "You bear my mark and I bear yours."

Kili leaned into the touch of Fili's fingers. "I was so afraid I wouldn't get it. I would have died if I wasn't your One."

His brother chuckled. "Stop worrying, it happened and it's real. We are One now and forever."

Kili turned and felt his leg make contact with Jet. Before he could stop, he'd scooped her off the bed onto the fur blanket that had fallen to the floor. He froze and Fili looked at him questioningly.

"I just kicked the cat."

Kili rose up enough so that he could look around. Jet had moved across the room to lie on a heap of discarded clothes – Fili's he noted ruefully. When she saw Kili looking at her, she pointedly turned her head away.

"She's not speaking to me."

"I wouldn't either if you kicked me out of bed. You'll have to make it up to her, or she won't forgive you."

A little smile twitched the corner of Kili's mouth. "Yeah, she's a lot like you."

Fili threw his head back and laughed. "Give her some of your sausages at breakfast."

Kili gave him the puppy eyes but Fili he shook his head. "You kicked her, you have to share with her. It's only fair."

His brother reared up and pressed Fili back onto the bed. "You know what else is not fair? You got to look at me this morning and now it's my turn. I've never gotten to really look at you. I'm tired of stealing glances when I think no one is looking."

Fili blinked up at Kili and felt himself blush. His brother had seen him nude a thousand times over the years but he was right – the looks had always been discrete, stolen glances filled with guilt and remorse. Fili had grown used to his own body over the years and never thought it was anything special. Kili was determined to disabuse him of that notion.

The night before had been clouded with nerves and a nameless fear that neither of them could shake. The world had not ended as they reached their completion with one another. The only change was that they felt even closer and more certain that Mahal had not made a mistake. They were born to be together and the only thing that they were doing was claiming their birthright.

The way that Kili looked at him made Fili's breath catch in his throat. He couldn't put words to how his brother made him feel. There were so many things he wanted to say. He felt as if the stopper had been removed and his feelings didn't have to be a secret any longer.

Kili twisted and captured Fili's hand. "I love you so much, Fili." Kili's voice was rough with emotion. "I've loved you all of my life and I will love you long after we have returned to the stone."

Fili swallowed hard. After keeping his emotions in check for so many years he felt overwhelmed. His voice caught in his throat as he whispered, "I love you, my One.

"I loved you before you were born. I loved you when I lay against Mum's belly and felt you kicking. And when she put you in my arms I knew we would be together forever."

Kili's head dropped, a grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "And I followed you around so close you tripped over me. Mam used to tell me not to but I couldn't help it. I never wanted to let you out of my sight."

Fili reached up to ruffle Kili's hair, mussing it worse that it already was. His beautiful, annoying little brother who couldn't even let him pee in private. What would he do without him?

Kili's gaze intensified. "I thought you were the handsomest Dwarf that was ever born. When I was little I thought that you must be the gold of Erebor Uncle Thorin talked about."

A blush crept up Fili's neck, coloring his cheeks. "Hardly. I'm not gold."

"But you are just as precious."

Kili thought that he had never looked more handsome. He smiled at Fili, eyes darkened with desire. Fili's pulse skyrocketed and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he was forever lost. Kili was his reason for breathing. His beautiful, sleek, dark, raven whose touch set him aflame.

Kili reached out skimming his palm over the thick muscles on Fili's chest, marveling at how hard they were underneath the curl of his chest hair. Just knowing that he was the only one who would ever see Fili like this made his throat tighten and his heart beat faster. Fili was his and no one else's.

He bent and kissed Fili's shoulder blade, nipping gently and then licking to soothe the skin. Fili's murmur of appreciation made him smile. Kili teased with the barest scraping of his nails. The hair yielded to his touch and sprang right back. It was in curls unlike his own straight chest hair and it fascinated him. He pressed the curls down, enjoying the texture and resistance. He loved being able to explore the body he'd only been able to admire from afar before.

It was a handsome body. Fili was thick with muscle, stocky and yet graceful. Some Dwarves, like Dwalin, were all power and brute force. Fili had chosen twin swords as his weapon and had developed the athleticism needed to feint, thrust, and be gone before he could be struck. Still, he bore marks both of a warrior and a weaponsmith.

The forge was unforgiving; with no quarter given even if the smith was an Heir of Durin. Kili slid his fingers tenderly over the ridged scars on Fili's forearms left by molten steel. They were ridged, gleaming white against golden skin. Kili slid his thumb over them, pausing to explore the largest where Fili, as a new apprentice, had fumbled a heated blade and it had shown him why it demanded respect.

But the long thin scar on Fili's left bicep was the most troubling. It was the one Kili had given him in a sparring match long ago when Kili had lost his temper and had come at his brother with real intent to wound. Fili was so surprised by Kili's sudden anger and ferocity that he only partially deflected the blade and it had bitten deep into his arm.

Fortunately for them both, it was a training blade deliberately left dull but not dull enough. Dwalin had been on them in an instant to stay the flow of blood and to deliver a backhand cuff to Kili that sent him spinning backward to the ground, his vision a jangle of black and lighting flashes.

Fili was next to him before his vision cleared, swatting Dwalin away and threatening to kill him if he ever laid a hand on Kili again. He was more concerned with his little brother than he was with the gaping wound. Dwalin had taken the rebuke with a bit of a smile because it was obvious even before the mark that Kili and Fili were One.

Kili stroked the scar with his thumb and then laid a gentle kiss on it. "Does it still hurt, brother?"

Fili smiled and leaned up to kiss his brother tenderly. "No, it didn't even hurt very bad when it happened. I always thought of it as your mark, so that even if you didn't wear my mark, I would still be wearing yours."

"Really?" Kili's face showed the hope that he had always born. "You don't hold it against me?"

"Really," Fili reassured him. "I was teasing you and you lost your temper. I was older and should have known better. It was my fault more than yours. I cherish it and have for a very long time."

Reassured, Kili kissed the scar again. This time Kili didn't bear Fili's pain and the knowledge that he had wounded and betrayed him. Instead, it was his mark. Kili had placed it there in anger but now it represented love.

Kili teased it's length it with the tip of his tongue. Fili shivered at the feeling and gave a little sigh. "My One. My love. I am so lucky."

"So am I," Kili replied. He wanted to say more, but his words were lost as he pressed another kiss onto the scar and then slid his lips over Fili's shoulder to his chest. Slipping a bit lower, he pressed a kiss onto one pink nipple, feeling it pucker to hardness beneath his lips. He gathered it gently and flicked it with his tongue.

Fili's murmur shifted to a moan. He turned slightly to give his brother better access. This was what they had both craved for so many years. Fili closed his eyes and gave himself over to the feeling the touch of Kili's hands and lips…his brother's love. He knew that he would never get enough of this no matter how many years he lived. He was certain at this moment that he would need it even when he was one with the stone.

Encouraged, Kili explored the other nipple. It had risen in anticipation. Fili sighed with pleasure. Who would have thought that nipples could be a turn-on?

Kili's trailed kisses lower, stopping for a moment to tease Fili's belly button making him chuckle softly, then moved over Fili's hard belly, his kisses trailing fire. His brother's erection rose proudly, scant inches away. It swayed slightly with his breathing, making Kili hold his own in wonder.

It was so like his own and yet so very different. It was…it was beautiful.

He laid his cheek on Fili's belly, listening to his breathing, filling his eyes with the sight of the very thing he'd been denied for so very long. He couldn't have put what he felt into words – it went soul-deep, beyond language. It wasn't just that it was Fili's cock – it was a locked door that had been opened to him. That he could finally step through filled him with so much wonder that he could scarcely breathe.

Kili felt the slightest tremble under his fingers as they went lower and brushed coarser hair. He paused. Fili trembled again, his belly muscles tensing.

Kili rose up onto his elbow and looked up at Fili. His brother's eyes were a smoky blue and Kili could see a thousand questions in them. He had no answers for any of them except one. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

Fili slid his hand along Kili's shoulder and to his chest, pausing to feel his heart beat.

Fili reached up to tangle his fingers in Kili's hair, holding him so that he could look into those luminous eyes.

It was Kili's turn to blush. He leaned down and nuzzled against Fili's cheek. "We are the two luckiest Dwarves in the world."

"We are that, indeed," Fili whispered, turning his head to brush his lips against Kili's.

They parted from the kiss breathless and smiling. Who would have thought that what they had run from for so many years would bring them so much joy? Fili's hand closed on Kili's bicep. No more running. No more pretending. They might have to hide how close they really were during the day but later they were free to be themselves, for the night didn't judge.

Fili turned his head, claiming Kili's lips in another kiss, teasing with both tongue and teeth until Kili was sighing and his body arched against Fili's.

"Please…" Fili's plea was the softest of whispers.

Deepening the kiss, Kili slid his hand down further, following Fili's treasure trail to the more resistant patch of pubic hair. This time he didn't pause.

Fili tensed this time but for a different reason. Smiling to himself, Kili reached down and encircled his brother's cock. It was warm and heavy in his hand, pulsing slightly with Fili's heartbeat.

It felt the same as his and yet so different and erotic that Kili had to break the kiss when he couldn't catch his breath. He tried to replicate the movement and pressure that he liked. Fili's breath stuttered and he let out a long ragged sigh. Encouraged Kili sped up, thrilled with his brother's response.

He was concentrating so hard that Fili's movement caught him unaware. He found himself rolled onto his back, looking up at his brother's smile. Fili's eyes were dark, the iris barely visible. A cascade of golden hair nearly hid his face, his braids tumbling across Kili's face nearly blinding him.

Kili started to make a snarky comment about hair in his face when he felt Fili throw a leg over his and grasp his cock. Kili forgot what he was going to say. He nearly forgot how to breathe. He coughed and sucked in a quick breath that released in a huff as Fili tightened his grip and stroked up, catching Kili's foreskin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Is this good?" Fili voice was a growl as he pressed down onto Kili, strong fingers stroking slowly, toying with the slickness that had gathered at the head. The silky stroke of his foreskin sliding over the tip nearly unmanned him and Kili arched upward, words lost in the back of his throat.

Fili slid the rest of the way onto him and positioned himself between Kili's legs. Leaning forward, Fili pressed their bellies together, trapping Kili's erection against his own. They were of a length and lay pressed against one another for a long moment before Fili began to move.

Skin slid against silken skin, heat against heat. Fili pressed down. Kili thrust upward, both seeking what they had too long been denied.

Leaning down, he claimed Kili's lips in a kiss that grew deeper as the heat between them rose.

Kili's hips thrust up, seeking more friction and finding it as his brother pressed down, rocking his hips with delicious slowness. Fili supported himself on one elbow, leaving his other hand free for caresses. He trailed his fingers up Kili's arm and then over his chest and up, sliding his fingers under Kili's head, pulling him deeper into a kiss that was all teeth and tongues and passion.

Together they rocked, strong bodies held with powerful arms. Their kisses burned with a fire that threatened to consume them. Fili pressed down and Kili arched up to meet his thrusts. Legs wove together and hands caught in tangled hair. Neither of them could think…they could only feel.

Nearly as one they reached their completion, Fili throwing his head back with a growl as he pumped hotly over the head of Kili's cock. Kili followed him almost instantly, crying out his brother's name as he emptied himself in spurts, each one of which drew another cry from him.

They clung together, shaking both from the exertion and the feelings that threatened to overwhelm them. They had both thought that they could not grow closer than they were last night.

They were wrong.

As the aftershocks faded, they were reluctant to part. This was all either of them could have wished for. It was dream, fantasy, and reality all woven into one. The silence was broken only by their whispers of love and the soft sound of their kisses.

When they could finally bear to be parted, the stickiness between them was both a source of wonder and amusement. Fili rolled over and trailed a finger through it, marveling at the texture and scent. It was a blend of both of them, proof of their union.

Kili, always the bold one, surprised his brother by tasting it and then pulling a face that made them both laugh.

"You're an idiot," Fili said with a happy grin.

"I want you inside me too," Kili said. "Is that bad?"

"Of course not," Fili replied as he took a taste. He made the same face as Kili. "We taste a little gross."

"Yeah, we do." He lowered his eyes and smirked. "But I'm willing to experiment."

Fili sat up and ruffled Kili's hair. "Hold that thought, little brother. We are already late for breakfast and I, for one, do not wish to answer questions this morning."

Kili heaved a dramatic sigh. "Nor do I. But I am in no great hurry to leave our bed and return to the world where we are merely friends."

Fili dipped a cloth in the water pitcher and scrubbed at his belly, wincing at the temperature of the water. "We're going to need to take a lot more baths if we keep this up."

"Together," Kili responded instantly, his eyes lighting with mischief.

Fili eyed the size of his brother. "I'm not sure that will work. I have no desire to be kneed in the balls by you."

"We'll get a bigger tub." From the expression on Kili's face, Fili could see that he was already making plans.

He pulled his brother into his arms and held him tight, drinking in the feel and scent of him. It was insanity but he felt as if he'd received the greatest gift in the world.

Kili squirmed and slouched trying to bring their groins together. Fili released him with a chuckle. "Don't do that, we're already late. Now wash up, straighten that haystack you call hair and get dressed."

Kili pouted. "You're sounding like my big brother again."

"I will always be your big brother," Fili soothed. "Just as I will always be your One." He handed Kili the pitcher and the cloth.

Kili was still pouting slightly as he watched Fili sit on the bed to pull on first his smalls and then his britches. "I hate to see you get dressed."

Fili paused as he was sliding his shirt over his head. He tugged and his head popped out. "Well, just think about how much fun it will be to take all of this off tonight."

Kili's snappy reply was cut short by his gasp as he slapped the wet cloth against his belly.

"By the way, the water's pretty cold." Fili grabbed the boot that Kili chucked at him, tossed it back, and ducked out the door.

Breakfast was waiting and then work at the forge, weapon training in the late afternoon, followed by the evening meal and then they would be alone once more.

Fili grinned as he thundered down the steps. Life was good and was about to get better.