Just a little fluffy thing I needed to write because BotFA was far too painful. Sadly I don't own any of the rights to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with Middle Earth. Credit to AlyTheKitten on DeviantArt for the beautiful fanart. Enjoy!
The first thing Kili noticed was white. Everything was white; the sky, the ground, the air. Pure and perfect white. The second thing he noticed was the pain. Or rather, the lack of it. The dwarf distinctly, and unfortunately, remembered the sword piercing through his flesh as well as the searing pain that had come with it. He remembered the sword slicing through his brother's gut, the bright thunderstorm of emotions in his heart, the blur of orcs around him that he hit down in a blind and panicked rage. Yes, he remembered it all, far too clearly. Suddenly he noticed the white beginning to fade, revealing a beautifully clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight. Birdsong like no other he had ever heard before floated to his ears. Shifting his hands underneath him, Kili attempted to pull himself up and in doing so, expected the pain to wash in when he moved. But the pain did not come and he stood in one swift motion. Allowing his eyes to scan the landscape around him he saw trees, grass and, to his left a beached area and dock that led out into an endless, shining sea. The first gentle wave lapped up against the sand and at that precise moment did Kili notice the third thing: Fili. He did not see him but he did not need to. Without a single second left to thought, the dark haired dwarf spun on his heels to see standing before him his brother. His blond hair clasped and braided neatly, his armour gleaming gently in the sunlight with not a single scratch upon it, and his face clean of the mud and blood he had seen the last time he had laid eyes upon him.
"Fili?"
The name was at the same time both a question and a greeting, for Kili truly had no idea what to say. He knew he should have been asking questions such as where they were, what had happened, and what they were going to do. But every time anything entered his mind that was not the fact that his brother was standing before him, seemingly alive and well, he saw the Pale Orc standing upon that tower, his sword running through his brother's body and the life leaving his calm eyes before being dropped to the floor like a rag.
"Kili" the older brother smiled in reply.
The name was also a greeting but it was not a question, it was an answer. The answer. The only answer Kili needed. Refusing to bear it any longer, Kili all but launched himself at his brother, throwing his arms around his shoulders and clutching at the fabric on his back. As though by instinct, Fili's arms were instantly wrapped around the younger's middle, pulling him in as close as he could. Kili buried his face in the other's shoulder. He did not know how they had gotten here, how and if they could leave, or if it was all just some dream he had built desperately in his dying mind. But at that moment, he really didn't care. The scent of Fili's hair, the feel of his strong arms wrapped around him, the true peace he felt in his brother's embrace; not even a Battle of Five Armies could make him leave his brother's arms. However, what could make him lift his head to meet his brother's gaze was the thought of his lips. He had believed he would never be able to taste their sweetness again yet here they both were. As if reading his thoughts- which he often seemed to be able to do anyway- Fili tilted his head down slightly and finally connected their lips. Warmth radiated off Fili's lips, causing Kili to let his whole body melt into his brother's hold, tangling their arms until they were locked together and their lips never once parting. How long they had stayed there holding each other's bodies and tasting each other's lips they did not know, they didn't even know if time passed the way there as it did before or if time even existed there at all. However, what managed to finally part the two brothers from each other's lips was nothing more than a delicate cough that came from behind them. The two dwarves instantly flicked their heads around in the direction of the noise only to blink in complete shock at the sight of an elf standing gracefully a few feet away from them and smiling slightly at them. If this had been any other time (and Thorin was with them) they probably would have launched an attack- of insults, at least- at the elf, but neither of them felt it right to do so at that moment in time, though neither were quite sure why.
"Fili and Kili, I presume?" the elf didn't speak down to them, which was unusual for elves- at least, from a dwarf's point of view- but instead spoke softly as though greeting an old friend.
"Yes?" Fili replied and the elf nodded with a smile.
"Um, may I ask, why are we here? And where even is here?" Kili suddenly asked, much to the surprise of his older brother.
"I believe they call it the Grey Havens" a much deeper voice came from behind them. Instantly, the two dwarves turned around to be greeted in shock by the sight of their uncle standing before them.
"Uncle?" they gasped simultaneously.
"Fili, Kili" Thorin smiled, the happiness of seeing his two nephews again shone in his eyes but so did the sadness of what their presence here meant. The elf looked on with a faint smile and allowed the three to be reunited before stepping forward and speaking again.
"I trust you know why you are here, Thorin Oakenshield" the elf asked the dwarf.
"I may do but could you please explain to these two" Thorin signalled to his nephews who frowned since they felt like they were missing out on something. They were also confused as to why their uncle was being so polite to an elf. The elf smiled slightly before turning his focus to the two younger dwarves.
"As your uncle said, this place is the Grey Havens. It has gone by many others names over the ages but that is the one you are most likely to be familiar with. For elves, this is the blessed land where the wise, just, and fair come when their time is over. But, this is also a version of an afterlife which only the most brave, trusted, and loyal can obtain. Few have ever achieved such deeds to be allowed passage. Originally, your uncle was brought here for one reason and you two were brought here simply by the pure demand of his heart. But I can see now, as I stand here before you, this truly is where you deserve to be"
"So, why are we here?" Kili asked, still confused by the elf's need to talk in indirect riddles.
"I believe Thorin would be the better one to ask that to since this entire matter depended on the true feelings of his heart," the elf said softly, signalling towards Thorin. The two younger dwarves spun around to face their uncle once again and Thorin couldn't fight back the smile that spread itself across his lips at the sight of his two nephews staring at him confused yet still curious, much like they had done when they were both young children.
"The reason I came here wasn't truly because of the demand of my own heart but of someone else's. I was confused at first but then I was informed and given the truth and I know I never valued things to do with the matters of the heart in my life but by just standing here I now, know the true power the heart can have. I was brought here by Bilbo. He is still alive and well, living the life he was always meant to with his books and his garden. He never outwardly said or asked for me to be here but the thing about elves that I seem to have overlooked my whole life is their ability to see into the depths of a person soul. As a 'ring bearer', Bilbo will come here once his peaceful life has come to its end. And his heart, broken though it may be, requested one thing: me. His mind does not even know he will come here once his time is over but his heart has asked that when he does come to these shores that I am here waiting for him. The reason you two are here is, however, down to me. As Bilbo's heart asked for me out of broken love, mine asked for you two out of hopeful reunion. And it seems I was deemed worthy enough to have my wish granted"
"You were always worthy enough son of Thráin, but you have never before asked" the elf smiled at the reunited family lightly before turning and leaving. Fili and Kili stood staring at their uncle for a moment, desperately trying to process what was happening and what they had been told. It was in this moment that Kili noticed the fourth and final thing that surrounded him: love. He heard it in Thorin's words as they swam through his mind, he felt it in his own heart, and he saw it in Fili's eyes as he turned to look at him and found him looking straight back. Then the younger dwarf did something quite unexpected. He leant over to his brother and kissed him. The kiss itself wasn't an unusual thing; it was soft, gentle, and over as soon as it had begun. But it was the situation that surrounded them that shocked all three of the dwarves. Kili didn't usually kiss first yet he had done so twice in the past few minutes, their uncle knew of his nephews' 'bond' but the topic was never openly discussed, and Kili would never, ever intentionally kiss anyone in front of Thorin. The youngest dwarf pulled back from his brother blushing slightly, leaving Fili to blink at him in shock. After a few moments, they both turned to look at Thorin who, to their greatest surprise, wasn't scowling, shocked, or even showing the slightest hint of surprise. Instead, their uncle was smiling at them, fondness glowing in his eyes. Without saying a word, he wrapped one arm around each of them and pulled them close to his chest. Their lives with the living may have ended and they may have left far too much sorrow in their wake but they were together, they were safe, and they were loved. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.