STICKY LOVE AND CARING
He knew he had to be careful, for he did not want his brother to wake up and catch him red-handed. As quietly as he could, Kíli sneaked behind Fíli's door, waited for a while to make sure he was asleep and entered the room. Kíli watched the blond dwarf's peaceful face, completely clueless what his brother was about to do. Struggling to hold back his snickers, Kíli took the little bag he had with him and put his hand inside it. Carefully he brushed the inside of the bag on the sleeping one's face. Fíli's beard was about five inches long and usually braided in one simple plait, but it was opened for the night and Kíli was careful to cover every inch. When he was satisfied with his work, he fled.
Kíli's plan was to be there when his brother woke up (he really wanted to see his reaction), but what he forgot to count in, was that Fíli was usually the one of them who was the first one to get up. So awaken by the voice of his brother shouting his name, he had no idea what was going on. Soon enough Fíli's angry face appeared on his doorway and stormed in.
"What. Is. This?" Fíli's voice was shaking from anger.
Kíli studied a moment what Fíli was pointing out for him. When the realization took over him, it took all his willpower to not burst out laughing.
"Looks like… glue, don't you think? From the smell I'd say it's made of reindeer's horns", he said with his best poker face.
"Do you find this funny? You glued my beard!" Fíli was clearly furious, but Kíli didn't regret his doings, he actually did find it extremely funny.
"O, I would never do that", he answered innocently.
"Who else would it be? Those reindeers you mentioned?" Kíli was about to answer that it was a possibility, though not a very high one, but Fíli wasn't done yet. "You know, you are so immature and childish! How in Durin's name do you come up with these lousy antics of yours? And why on earth are you doing them on me? Find someone else to torture! I'm so done with this! Just leave me alone, Kíli!"
With that, one very angry dwarf left the room, leaving another laughing one in his bed. Kíli wasn't worried of his brother's words; he had heard them many times before. His prank had been a success. Now all he had to do was wait and watch out for the revenge, because it was coming, it always did, even if Fíli had no proof it had been him.
Kíli decided he would spend the day outside; he wasn't really in the mood of doing any sort of work or practice. And he most definitely did not want to be around his brother right now, it would take some time for him to calm down and until that it wasn't safe being near him, Kíli knew this from experience. So after a quick breakfast he took his bow and flew out of their quarters and out of the halls of the Blue Mountains before his mother or uncle could give him any errands.
Although he was a dwarf, Kíli enjoyed walking in the woods. He liked the feeling of the grass against his bare feet, the fruity smells that floated into his nose and the rippling sound of streams. It was so different from the rocky mountains where they lived, how could he not be thrilled about it? After all, he was one curious dwarf, always yearning for something new.
When the sun was setting down, Kíli finally headed back home. He had spent the whole day just walking around, hunting little animals when he got hungry and taking a nap when he felt like it. It had been quite enjoyable day, though he had no intent to spend the next day the same way, he never did.
A shock awaited him when he got back. Thorin and his mother were sitting at the table and talking about something in a serious tone. Now, he didn't put much concern to it at first, but soon he noticed that something – or rather, someone – was missing. He was sure Fíli had forgiven him already and he wanted to discuss about some shenanigans he had come up with (even though Fíli had accused Kíli using his jokes on him, it wasn't really all true; they did do lots of pranks on other dwarves too and usually together). So when Kíli couldn't find his brother, he was forced to ask his whereabouts from his two relatives who he kinda had been avoiding the whole day.
"Mum, where's Fíli?" He crossed his fingers so that he wouldn't be scolded for fleeing out as the first thing in the morning.
The one who answered was Thorin. "He left not long ago." The question could probably be read from the young dwarf's face for his uncle continued, "He was trying to get that glue off of his beard for the entire day, but in the end he had to give up. He was tramping around pissed like any dwarf who has have to cut off most of his beard, so I-", but Kíli didn't give time for Thorin to finish his sentence.
Immediately after hearing Fíli had had to cut off his beard, Kíli had rushed out of the door. He had gone too far this time, way too far. Beards were important things to dwarves, sacred almost, and because of him, his brother had to… This was all his fault, Fíli had meant what he said, this time for real. He had left, left away from his brother, to get rid of him.
Thoughts ran through his head as he rushed from the mountain towards the path he knew his brother had to take to leave this place. Through the bushes of willow and thistle he ran, not caring about the scratches he got, through woods and white-waters, wetting his shoes, stumbling on the rocks, falling down just to get up again and continue his running. Finally Kíli made the last jump over a moat and landed on the road he hoped to find his brother from. And there he was, just ten yards away from him riding on a pony. He yelled his brother's name as hard as he could to wake his attention as he continued to run towards him.
Fíli could have sworn he heard someone calling his name. He stopped the pony and turned around to see if there was anyone else on the road besides him, and there really was. Even in the nightfall, Fíli could recognize his brother's running feature. Frowning he got off of his pony just when Kíli reached him and gave him the biggest bear hug in a long time. Fíli patted his brother's back in reflex, absolutely clueless about what was going on in the younger one's head. Until he started to babble.
"I am so sorry Fíli, I didn't mean it to go like this, I went too far. I will behave, I promise, I'll grow up. I'll stop doing all those stupid things, just please don't go, don't leave."
Now Fíli understood, his brother thought he had left home because he was so angry with him. In that case, Fíli would have some fun. He slowly broke from the hug and watched Kíli darkly, giving him time to study his prank's results: his now fairly short beard.
"Yes, you did go too far, way too far. Do you think I can trust you after this? That I can believe you behaving?" Fíli could see how his brother's face turned into an utter shock, he could have sworn he even saw couple of tears forming into his eyes – not that Kíli ever admitted that anything like that happened – and that's when he burst out laughing.
"Do you really seriously think that I would leave because of your stupid antics? I mean, come on Kíli, you know me better than that and I am not that nitpicky."
Fíli watched the impression on Kíli's face change from the surprised to angry ones. Angry from embarrassment, for what you could guess from the shade of his cheeks.
"Thorin sent me to do an errand, that's why I left. I was meaning to come back immediately after I was ready with it", Fíli explained like he was talking to a five-year-old. The reason Thorin sent him, he did not tell, since he didn't feel necessary for Kíli to know that their uncle had gotten fed up with his nephew's grumbling and made up an errand just to get him out of his sight. But it had actually helped; riding in peace with his pony Fíli could finally calm down and realize how childish he had been. A beard would grow back in time and when you thought about it, it was actually quite funny joke.
"And don't worry Kíli; I am more than used to your stupidity", he finished with a lovely smirk.
"Oh yeah, well… I hope your pony throws you from her back! You jerk!" Fíli couldn't but laugh as his brother turned on his heels and started stump his way back home. For what Fíli could guess from his brother's ragged appearance, he'd say Kíli had taken quite a shortcut to get to him. He smiled gently watching after his brother.
Kíli slammed the door behind him when he finally got back home, this time he had used the road. He was boiling with anger, how could his brother do that to him? He had been so worried, scared even, and Fíli had made a joke out of it! Kíli knew he had deserved it and would have deserved a lot more, but he was so embarrassed that he couldn't think straight. The two dwarves that had been waiting Kíli to come back got their own share of his bad mood.
"You could have told me you sent him out!"
Thorin gave a scowl to his nephew before answering. "You could have listened before you stormed out. You need to be more patient Kíli. Have I not taught you that?"
"Yes, uncle", Kíli answered gritting his teeth. He didn't really need a fight with his uncle too, but he couldn't help himself as he asked in mock politeness permission to leave to his room. Fortunately Thorin wasn't either in a mood to argue so he just gave a nod and wished his nephew a goodnight.
Fíli returned on the next afternoon. When Kíli had noticed his brother's approaching figure, he had retired into his room – he was still mad at him. But of course that didn't help, almost immediately after Fíli had gotten inside, he had gone to see his brother.
"What do you want?" Was the first question out of the younger one's mouth.
"That's somewhat harsh, don't you think? And I was so kind to come and inform you I have come back. I thought you might have missed me", Fíli answered lightly to his pouting brother and sat beside him on the bed.
Kíli avoided making an eye contact with the other one. "Like I would miss someone like you."
"O, stop sulking already Kíli. It wasn't really that bad, not when compared on what you did." Fíli touched his beard; it would take some time to get used to it. "We could call it even, eh?"
Kíli knew his brother was right. All those feelings he had felt when he thought his brother had left for good, came back to him. "I… I'm sorry Fíli. I really didn't mean you to have to cut your beard. I never thought it that far." Kíli turned his regretting gaze on the blond dwarf.
"I know", Fíli answered smiling, "and it's okay, it'll grow back. Though I was thinking about keeping it shorter for a while, maybe I could grow some moustache and braid them", he added pondering.
"That would make you look even more foolish than you already do." Even the thought of it made Kíli snicker. A well-aimed hit with a pillow met his face. After couple moments of wrestling around and competing with their powers, the two brothers were lying on the floor panting. They both had wide grins on their faces.
"Don't do it, okay", Fíli said in earnest as he sat up. Kíli watched his brother confuse written on his face as he leaned on his elbows. "Don't change. Don't ever change." The blond one gave an intense look to the dark one, who answered the gaze and nodded. Then they both started laughing at the same time.
Fíli rose from the floor and was about to leave the room when he seemed to remember something. He turned to his brother who was now sitting and kneeled in front of him. He gently took Kíli's face in his hands and kissed him on the top of the head.
"What was that for?" Kíli asked puzzled giving a weird look at his brother after he had released his face.
Fíli gave a thoughtful look before answering: "let's call it a sign of affection. It's nice to know you care."
"Of course I do, you're my brother", Kíli stated the obvious. Fíli just gave a smile to his brother and finally left the room. Kíli was still a bit baffled about his brother's action, but as he touched the spot he had kissed, it all came very clear. He felt something sticky on his hair, something that smelled very familiar. His brother hadn't… he couldn't… but he had. Fíli had spitted resin on his hair.
Kíli quickly stood up and ran after his brother crying: "Fíli! You are so dead! Come back here!"
"It was a payback! You have no right to be angry about it!" Fíli yelled back, speeding up his pace. He wasn't going to let his brother catch him.
"You said we were even!"
"Yeah, well, now we're even!"
Like that they ran through the halls of the Blue Mountains, throwing threats and insults at each other. And when Kíli would finally catch Fíli – eventually he would – they'd have another brawl and the winner would be right and have his justified revenge. But right now they just enjoyed running as fast as they could, not caring about what anyone else was thinking, for they were still young and wanted to live their lives fullest.
A/N: It's finally weekend! Only things I've been able to do at school for two days are rounding a bracelet, cutting the billets for earrings and hammering a little bit another bracelet with anticlasting raising technique. I've been so tired, I almost fall asleep today while doing that second bracelet (I blame my cats, they woke me couple of times last night). So this small break is really needed. And hopefully I can now concentrate on writing the longer stories I have in my mind. I hope this one was enjoyable.