One could say that the Prancing Pony wasn't exactly a place someone like Tauriel frequented often.
Glancing around, she tried to keep her face neutral as she took in the leather-clad, bearded men that were growing increasingly rowdier at the bar. The Prancing Pony was more of a tavern than a bar. Although it was a Friday night and quite crowded, most of the patrons appeared to know each other (or they were at least friendly to each other) and the décor was a mixture of old beer signs, mismatched tables, and a bar so worn it was difficult to tell it had once been painted red. The dim lighting and cheap drinks were enough to keep her happy, but she still wondered why her friend had picked this place. Their waitress was a squat round woman with a mussed up apron and wild red curls who had simply given them a get real look when Sigrid tried to order something 'fruity.' Not that it mattered – Tauriel was so annoyed with her home life she would have agreed to have cocktails behind a dumpster if that was what it took.
Anything to get out of that house.
When Sigrid had called her and said that she wanted to go out for drinks that night, she'd readily agreed. I need to move out and get a place of my own, she thought wistfully. Sadly, she wouldn't be able to afford much on the income from her summer job at the bookshop. If she wanted to move out, it would require the help of her father. That wasn't happening.
He prefers to keep me close so that he can monitor and dictate every move I make, she thought sourly. The ink was barely dry on her college diploma and already her father was pressuring her to buckle down and plan her future. Wasn't that the speech every new college grad longed to have from their parents?
She sighed as the waitress brought them their drinks. Setting them down on the table with a firm clunk, the woman furrowed her brows at them but didn't say anything. Instead, she bustled away, her round bottom narrowly missing someone at the next table as she wound her way back behind the bar.
"This place sure is….interesting," Tauriel offered, taking a sip of her cocktail. The vodka's familiar bite was welcomed on her tongue as she took another long drink. While getting drunk wasn't the answer to any of her problems, it certainly seemed like a good idea. Maybe she was feeling sorry for herself after fighting with her father. She was barely twenty three; shouldn't she be exploring the world and all of its options at her age? She felt like she was ready to do the complete opposite of buckling down and planning. Her entire life had been prearranged and dictated down to what shoes she'd worn. Tauriel was ready for an adventure; for something unexpected.
For now, at least, she'd have to accept the biker bar her friend had dragged her to as an adventure. At least it wasn't uptight and stuffy like all the places they normally went.
Sigrid's drink must have been a bit on the strong side as well; she winced slightly.
"Do you think it would be out of place for me to ask for a lime twist for this?" she asked, choking down another sip.
Tauriel offered her a meek smile. "Not sure this is the place that keeps limes in stock," she said softly, stirring her own drink.
Sigrid chewed her bottom lip while she glanced at the door. "I'm sorry for dragging you here."
She keeps looking at the door, Tauriel realized. Was she expecting to actually know someone in this place?
"Why?" Tauriel shrugged. "I didn't really want to go to the country club and risk running into anyone we know. Not really in the mood for that."
"Oh Tor," Sigrid said, reaching across the table to grab her hand, "Is it your dad again? Is he going to make you quit your job in the bookshop?"
"I think so. The latest is that he wants me to go law school. Law school. Me. Can you think of anything I would possibly hate more? He says that I always have my nose buried in a book anyway, so it shouldn't matter if I'm reading some fantasy novel or a law book. He thinks Legolas can help me," she sighed.
Sigrid gave her a knowing look. Legolas was a family friend who was five years older than Tauriel was and was also someone she'd had a massive crush on most of her life. Now that she was older, she could look back and realize he'd strung her along for fun (or in her case, torment) for years. When she'd gone off to college and started dating other people just because she could, he'd thrown a massive fit. Too little, too late. You snooze, you loose, Legolas, she thought to herself with a smirk. Looking at him now as an adult with four years of college and some dating experience under her belt, she wondered what she'd seen in him. When she thought of all the years she'd pined after him as a teen she wanted to be sick. Her girlish crush felt like it was eons ago and embarrassed her more than anything.
"Legolas is a little boy who simply wants you because you're the toy he cannot have," Sigrid said smartly, fiddling with her straw. "You can't let him play with you the way he does."
Tauriel chuckled to herself. The bar erupted into loud cheers behind them as a group of rowdy looking men dropped shot glasses into their mugs of brown ale and chugged them. She turned back to Sigrid and shrugged.
"I don't let him bother me anymore. I think he just likes to try to get a rise out of me like he could when I was younger. Now that he's in law school he thinks he's this wiser-than-thou lawyer who likes to tell me 'what I ought to do', she said, mimicking his haughty tone he tended to use when he was trying to impress someone. She made a face, making Sigrid giggle. "Not interested."
"Thank you for coming with me," Sigrid said, offering her a timid smile. "What did you tell your dad?"
"That I'm an adult and he doesn't need to know my every move," she laughed. "That got me a dirty look."
"Oooh, a Thanduil icy glare," Sigrid pretended to shiver. "Goodness known we've seen our share of those over the years."
"That we have. Anyway, he threw a fit because I wouldn't tell him. But here we are," she said, motioning around them. "He seems to think the world will come crashing down if there isn't an itinerary. We're just two friends, having a few drinks. Hardly a crime," she said, swirling the ice in the bottom of her glass with her straw.
Sigrid exhaled shakily, nodding. "You're right. I mean, surely our fathers wouldn't mind us coming to one of the seediest bars in town-"
"I'll stop you right there," Tauriel said, holding up her hand. "This bar is technically outside of city limits – both Mirkwood and Dale," she explained, trying her best not to laugh. Sigrid snorted and almost missed her straw while trying to take a drink. "And who would know us here? That's the beauty of picking a bar that's slightly…seedy and questionable in character. No one here knows who our fathers are. Well done, Sig."
Sigrid sobered slightly, pulling out her purse. "I hope you're right. You'd best hope Legolas doesn't hear of this. He'd never let you hear the end of being in the Prancing Pony! Can you imagine it?"
I almost hope he does, she thought to herself. That would set him off to know she'd gone to a bar like this in the spur of the moment. It was so unlike her! However, hers was the type of life that had always been planned for her.
And she was determined to change that. Flagging the waitress down, she motioned for two more drinks.
Tauriel and Sigrid had grown to be best friends over the years. Both of their fathers were in government; Tauriel's father, Governor Thranduil, had introduced the two of them at a boring political dinner when they were in high school. Sigrid was the daughter of the mayor of the city of Dale and was no stranger to having her life and actions dictated to her either. Both had grown up in households where they were always in the public eye and expected to behave like ladies. Tauriel couldn't count the number of times she'd heard her father say, "What will the public think, Tauriel?" She'd gone most of her life expected to do the right thing, say the right thing, dress conservatively, attend the snobby college her father had attended, and of course choose a career he approved of.
Well, she'd had enough. She was ready to branch out on her own and do something rash and reckless. They'd fought the day before. And the day before that. And that afternoon. Having recently graduated college, her father was pressuring her to get a job in local government or consider law schools in the area. The idea of attending school or working in politics like he did made her feel like she had a noose around her neck. Each time he brought up what he thought she should be doing, it felt like the noose was slowly getting tighter.
She didn't want to think about that now though. When Sigrid had called her and begged her to go out for cocktails, she'd been more than ready. However, the bar her friend had chosen was nothing like the places they usually went.
At all.
"Enough about what we should or shouldn't be doing," she said, happily accepting the vodka soda from the waitress. She clinked her glass with Sigrid's and gave her nervous friend a wink. "You want to tell me the real reason you picked this bar now?"
Sigrid shifted in her seat, anxiously fiddling with her long, golden curls. Normally she wore her honeyed tresses in a smart-looking ponytail, but tonight she had it down and curled and the humidity made it frame her tan skin with wavy wisps. Tauriel noticed her best friend had also opted for a classy looking albeit slightly lower tank top than normal and had put a few touches of makeup on. None of that was in typical Sigrid fashion.
"I….remember a few days ago when said I got a flat tire?"
Tauriel nodded. "Didn't you?" she laughed, "Please tell me you faked a flat tire to get out of something boring with your father!"
Sigrid shrugged. "I…no," she said softly, her cheeks turning pink in the dimly lit bar. "I did get a flat. And…"
Tauriel was on the edge of her seat. "Well? Then what? I'm not normally this involved in stories of flat tires, but you've got me thinking there is some major twist here Sig, now out with it."
Sigrid blushed deeper. "A guy stopped. A biker, actually."
Tauriel felt her eyes widen. "Well…are you alright? I mean clearly you are, but….a biker? He didn't say or do anything….bad, did he?"
Her mind was suddenly filled with images of a tall, wide, sweaty biker cornering her dearest friend beside her Volvo, leering at her suggestively over his dark sunglasses. Her nose wrinkled in response. "Sig…"
"No, no…I'm quite fine," she laughed shyly. She tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear and nervously swirled her drink with her straw. "He was…very kind. And….wonderful," she said.
Sigrid took a long draw from her drink and Tauriel felt like her eyes were going to come out of her skull. Sigrid had met a biker on the side of the road and identified him as…wonderful? Something wasn't right.
"I'd driven too far on the flat, you see…and…and the axel was bent. He tried to fix it on the side of the road but he couldn't, so he called a tow and…" she trailed off dreamily. "And it happened to be his uncle's shop. They fixed it straight away and he wouldn't take my money. He…he asked me to dinner instead. He said that could be my payment."
"That what was? A date? That was what he wanted instead of money?!"
She blushed again, shaking her head. "No. He said he wanted someone as beautiful as me to give someone like him a chance. And I agreed. We went to dinner and then…we went back to my apartment."
Tauriel sat back in her chair, completely shocked. She had known Sigrid over half her life and her best friend had never done anything so reckless! Sigrid was the dependable one; the girl who was always available to babysit her younger siblings, who always showed up on time, who got straight A's, never drank too much, and especially didn't sleep with men she'd just met. No, her best friend was a girl who did as she was told and as her father expected of her.
So she wasn't all that prepared for the wave of envy that washed over her. "You took the biker back to your apartment?"
"Mmmhmm…" came the dreamy reply. "He was so…he's just….I can't even….it was amazing," she gushed quietly. Glancing over, she saw the panic in Tauriel's eyes. "Oh, don't worry Tauriel! I see the look on your face and I know what you're thinking, that he took advantage of me after my breakup with that guy from school. No, it wasn't like that. I….I really asked him to come back and he didn't even push me to do anything. I wanted to; I needed to," she sighed. "I can't explain it."
"Clearly," Tauriel sighed. Glancing sideways at her friend, she licked her lips and tried not to appear too eager.
"I sound crazy when I say it," she said, covering her eyes with her hand. A little laugh seemed to bubble out of her chest as she pulled her hand away and gave Tauriel a sheepish look. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
Tauriel paused, shaking her head slowly. "A little, but…honestly I'm a bit jealous. That's not like you to do something like that, Sig."
"I think in a way…that's why I did it. I wanted to do something unexpected, and…and unplanned for once. Our whole lives our fathers have kept a keen eye on us, Tor. They've dictated every step, every minute of every day…now that I'm out on my own in my own apartment finally I just…I had to do something for myself. And when I met Fili-"
"Fili?" Tauriel interjected. "What kind of name-"
"-It's a family name," Sigrid said quickly. "Something just clicked. I saw him and I just took a chance. The chemistry between us was just so…."
Tauriel sat back in her seat again and tried to process everything her friend had just told her. She still felt slightly envious that Sigrid had gone and done something she'd secretly always wanted to do. While she still lived at home (she'd only graduated from college last month, after all) Sigrid had ventured out and gotten her own apartment a few months before, even though her father had protested against it. When she'd signed the lease and paid the first three month's rent with her own money though, Bard had little argument. Her younger siblings, Tilda and Bane, were finally old enough not to need their older sister constantly hovering over them, so he'd been powerless to fight it.
"So you asked a biker back to your apartment to ravish you. How was it?"
Sigrid laughed nervously again, seeming to have to search for her words. "It was… everything I never knew I always wanted," she admitted slowly, twisting her straw. "I told him…everything. He's so kind and he listens and he was just so easy to open up to. I told him how my ex was. How we only ever did it missionary, with the lights off," she smirked. "Let's just say I learned an awful lot about sex that night. And how it should be. How it really really should be. And the next day he asked if it was just a onetime thing or…or if he could see me again."
Tauriel caught herself leaning forward with wide eyes. "And?"
"And maybe that's why we're here tonight. I told him I'd meet him here at nine and I thought maybe I'd come early for a little liquid courage," she said, stirring her drink.
"You mean he's coming here? To meet you?" Tauriel was half horrified, half intrigued to meet her best friend's one night stand. Well, he obviously isn't a one night stand if he's coming here, she figured.
Sigrid looked at her and opened her mouth to answer, but instead her eyes drifted upwards just past Tauriel's shoulder. She gaped slightly before a shy smile graced her lips and the answer was forgotten. "There he is."
Looking over her shoulder towards the front of the bar, Tauriel squinted in the dim light to see who Sigrid was looking at. She didn't have to look hard. "O-oh," she gasped.
Walking towards them was indeed a biker, but he was unlike anything Tauriel would have expected. He wore a simple white t-shirt with a leather cut, low slung dark blue jeans, and black, steel-toed boots. That was about where the biker clichés ended and a gorgeous man began. His hair golden hair was just past his shoulders, hanging in wild looking bleached out waves. His goatee was also a pale blond, but the tips of his moustache were woven into braids Tauriel would have normally laughed at, but this guy made them work. He stood tall and lean, but muscled enough to look like he shouldn't be messed with; until she saw his eyes. His bright, icy blue eyes were twinkling with a friendly glow that made him look anything but menacing.
The table jostled as Sigrid jumped up, rousing Tauriel out of her assessment of the man. He strode confidently over to their table as a few of the people at the bar called out a welcome to him. He gave them friendly half-waves, but didn't take his eyes from Sigrid as he seemed to make a beeline for their table. Reaching out to steady their wobbly table, Tauriel watched in surprise as Sigrid let him simply walk up, cup her cheeks in his large hands, and pull her mouth to his for a sweet but lingering kiss. He pulled away, leaving Sigrid looking slightly breathless and a tad unstable in the knees, but better than before. It was then he noticed Tauriel sitting at the table.
"This must be the girl I've heard so much about. How do you do? Fili," he said warmly, extending his hand. Slowly, she grasped it and was unprepared for the hearty shake he gave it. "My brother will be about soon. Told him I was meeting you here, said he might pop out for a pint or two."
"I'd love to meet your bother," Sigrid gushed. Fili pulled up a chair and flashed them both a smile as the waitress came back. "Can I get either of you a fresh drink?"
"We just got these," Tauriel said, giving him an unsure smile. She was still sizing him up as he sat across the table, already edging closer to Sigrid.
"Whatever's on tap for me," he said to the waitress. Turning back to Sigrid, he grinned. "So how are you?"
"Since we talked on the phone this morning?"
"Maybe."
"I'm fine. I'm glad I get to see you. This is a nice bar," Sigrid said nervously.
Tauriel snorted and tried to not roll her eyes too far back in her head. The Prancing Pony was far from a nice bar. Maybe forty years ago when the paint was fresh and it didn't reek of stale beer and goodness only knows what else, but…well, probably not even then, she thought with a tiny laugh. The waitress brought Fili back his ale and he took a long sip.
"My friends and I come here a lot. Most of these guys are regulars at the shop."
"Shop?" Tauriel asked. "What kind of shop?" her tone skeptical.
Fili turned to her with surprise, as if he'd already forgotten she was sitting there. Smirking, she waited for his answer. She wanted to see what this biker who had charmed his way into her best friend's bed was all about.
"Motorcycle shop. Oakenshield Engines? My uncle is Thorin Oakenshield."
"Ah," she said, "I've heard of it. So what do you do? Mechanic?"
Now it was Fili's turn to smirk. "No, I'm his accountant. I'm a CPA actually. I just do the books. My uncle owns it, my other uncle is in charge of all the bikes, and my little brother is the big-picture, marketing mastermind for the whole operation. I'm just the numbers guy."
He didn't need to explain any further. Tauriel knew exactly what business Fili was talking about. Oakenshield Engines had been a thorn in her father's side for years now. Whether it was their loud motorcycles annoying the people of the town or their penchant for annoying the local cops, Thranduil had heard all of the complaints. There'd always been talk that the motorcycle shop was a front for a different type of business, but nothing had ever been brought to light. She wasn't sure what that other business would even be, but she guessed it was less than legal.
Fili and Sigrid soon forgot she was there, lapsing into a comfortable yet playful banter. Her friend was enjoying the attention, giggling at the jokes he made and blushing every time his hand would brush her arm. Fili talked with his hands while his eyes seemed to sparkle. He had a dimple on one cheek and an infectious laugh, she realized. While he told the story of how they met on the side of the road, Tauriel remained quiet and simply observed him.
"Took me five minutes to get her on the back of my bike," he chuckled, taking a swig of his ale.
"I was afraid! I thought I'd fall off the back!"
"Never," he flirted, grasping her hand. "I wasn't about to leave you on the side of the road alone while we got the tow."
"You mean you didn't want to leave me on the side of the road for another strange biker to pick up."
"That's part of it," he laughed.
The bar was starting to get more and more crowded as the time ticked by. Tauriel watched Fili with Sigrid, decently impressed that he seemed like the type of guy Sigrid desperately needed at time like this. Her trusting friend tended to fall for guys that always seemed to need 'fixing', and being more of a mother to her siblings than a sister, Sigrid naturally fell into that role. Something about her kind, forgiving, helpful nature made her a doormat for men. She couldn't tell just how old Fili was, but he seemed to have a good few years on her. Maybe a mature guy will have all of his issues figured out and be normal to her for once, she thought. Letting her eyes drift down, she studied the black leather vest he wore over his white t-shirt. A few patches she didn't understand decorated the right side, but on the left it simply said "Dirty Dozen" with little number 12, and beneath that Fili's name and the words 'Vice President.'
Hmm, she thought. Maybe he was more of a serious biker than he let on. Standing up, she motioned over the noise in the bar to the bathrooms before grabbing her clutch and heading that way. The ladies bathroom was clean enough (she didn't have to hover over the toilet seat) but the graffiti scrawled on the walls was enough to make her blush.
She was about to head back to the table when she stopped. Sigrid and Fili were talking quietly, their heads bent together and private little smiles on their faces. It looked too cute to break up. Heaving a sigh, she wove her way through the crowd of bearded men (more bikers, judging from the leather cuts they were sporting like Fili's) at the bar to finally wedge her way up to an open spot. Her elbow slipped and she accidently dug it into the leather-clad side of the man next to her.
"Oh!" she gasped quietly, her cheeks flaming. The last thing she wanted to do was tick one of them off – she only wanted a beer. The man next to her turned and glanced over his shoulder before doing practically a double take. Turning all the way around, his eyes twinkled and he gave her one of the most charming smiles she'd ever laid eyes on. His dark eyes glittered as he drew them up and down the line of her body, boldly appraising her.
"If you want me to buy you a drink, all ye have to do is ask. No need to throw elbows at me."
Tauriel ducked her head. "Oh…I….I didn't mean to. Sorry, it's just really crowded in here. Just getting a beer," she stammered, unable to meet his gaze.
He laughed quietly, glancing up and down the bar. "Bartender prolly stepped out for a smoke. Allow me," he said, and before she could protest, he'd hoisted himself up on the bar to his knees. A few of the bikers near him howled with laughter, playfully jabbing his thighs and jeering at him, but he didn't back down. Reaching down, he yanked the nearest cooler open and pulled out a frosty bottle before lowering it to the side of the bar and handily popping off the lid with his hand. Turning, he grinned down at her and presented it with a flourish.
"For the lady."
His friends howled with laughter as he climbed down from the bar and back onto his stool. Meeting her eyes, he gave her a smug little smile that demonstrated just how proud of himself he was. Tauriel accepted it with a nod, feeling her face turn slightly red as his friends continued to laugh and hoot at his antics.
"Um…thank you?"
He grinned wider and clinked his mug with her bottle. "Cheers."
Tauriel sipped the beer, her eyes flicking back up to meet his. He's still looking at me, she realized. This man was completely brazen as he watched her lips wrap around the top of the bottle. Not that she minded. The man in question was young – much younger than his heavily bearded cohorts. His hair was dark brown and hung in wild, curled waves almost down to his shoulders. A few pieces of it fell in front of his eyes, which were so dark and glittering with so much humor she almost missed that they were actually hazel. Dark brown stubble covered his defined, masculine jaw. The stubble and the jawline made him look older, but his young, mischievous eyes deceived him, she realized. He grinned back at her with straight white teeth, minus his front two which were charmingly crooked. He didn't seem like he let it hold him back; in fact, it somehow made him more appealing.
"Thank you."
"I'll tell ye you're welcome if ye tell me your name," he flirted shamelessly.
Tauriel glanced back at the table where Fili and Sigrid were still engrossed in deep conversation. They looked like they'd be awhile. What the hell. Might as well chat up this hot guy for a moment while they're wrapped up in each other…
"My name is Tauriel," she said finally, taking another sip of her drink. "And before you ask, no, I don't look like I come here often," she said, giving him another shy smile.
"I wasn't going to say that," he chuckled lightly, although his expressive eyes told another story. "If you only come here once, I'm glad I got to buy…erm, steal you a beer. Name's Kili," he said, reaching for her hand. He shook it playfully and gave her another grin that made her knees go a little weak. The longer she stood there and the longer he spoke to her, the better looking he became.
It wasn't just the ale.
Suddenly, she blinked and broke the trance. Kili?
"Wait…you don't happen to have a brother named Fili, do you?"
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