Title: "Cuddle Up"
Status: complete
Fandom: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Bilbo/Fíli/Kíli
Disclaimer: The Hobbit J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating: K
Genre: pre-slash, fluff
Warnings: none
Summary: This kind of pigtail pulling is a bit too literal for Kíli's taste (which is a lie, btw).
Cuddle Up
Kíli wrapped himself more tightly around the body held in his arms. Warmth radiated from it, welcome in the chill of night, and a smell of spicy herbs and flowers.
Fine hairs tickled his nose, buried in soft honey curls as it was. He huffed a noise of protest and tried to shift away, to the far edge of the bedroll, in a subconscious effort to stay asleep.
"Ow!"
Kíli bolted upright with a hiss, only to be jerked back by the firm grip the culprit had on his hair. He froze, rubbing his smarting scalp, and forced one bleary eye open.
The camp's fire had burned down to embers, the last sparks carried towards the starry sky in a lazy swirl, stirred up by the cutting breeze. All around it lay the huddled shapes of the company, bundled up in blankets and snoring loudly.
Only Dwalin was awake, bald head and axes gleaming in the moonlight, sitting on a nearby rock, alert but not alarmed.
Assured that there was no danger, Kíli took a closer look. A flicker of the dying light revealed a sight that made him leer:
Bilbo was clutching a strand of Kíli's dark hair, holding it tightly in his fist where he slept, tucked close for warmth, and boneless. The other hand played tirelessly with the bead in Fíli's beard, bringing to mind a dwarfling sitting in its mother's lap.
Surely the Hobbit would have been mortified, had he had any notion of what he was doing, or aware of the implications within Dwarven society. It was quite the intimate thing, and not lightly done.
"Hush," Fíli murmured, eyes never opening, to forestall any notion of mischief that might cross his brother's mind. "Let him sleep."
He did not mind the sensation, the slight tugging and twisting. Fíli had become used to it, after the initial shock and amusement, as this was not the first night that they had settled down to shelter their burglar. By now, he found it... soothing.
"I was not going to wake him," Kíli protested and plopped back down, making pine needles rustle.
This arrangement, the three of them curled up together, felt strangely right, as if a missing puzzle piece had been gently nudged into place.
Kíli gave his brother a searching look, resting his chin carefully on Bilbo's shoulder, absently noting that his wine-red waistcoat had lost the last of its brass buttons. They should do something about that, put their skills to good use...
"Yes," Fíli whispered. "Me too."
"Told you we would meet our One soon," Kíli said, trying not to sound too smug.
Fíli smiled as he heard a mighty yawn, and tilted his head to press a quick kiss on Bilbo's fingertips. "So you did."
They fell asleep, listening to each others breaths, with a new kind of hope engraved into their hearts.
The End
R&R