AN: Written for the Winter Fandom Raffle Exchange on GatheringFiki. Prompt #159. X is on Y's lock screen: "You weren't supposed to see that."
Pairing: Fili/Kili
Set on You
There was a series of loud whistles, and the players on the field down below dispersed while the crowd cheered and waited for the next play to begin. He watched the game from the stands with half interest, the book in his lap catching his attention for the most part. It was Ori that wanted to be there, Ori who had practically dragged Kíli through the crowd of people to what he deemed the best seats, all so he could cheer on the Erebor High football team like the school spirit fanatic he was. Kíli wasn't there at all because he'd been harbouring an unhealthy crush on one of the team's star players. His eyes most certainly weren't following number fourteen around the field longingly, wondering what it'd be like if those muscular arms were wrapped around him in a loving embrace, those hands tangled in his hair instead of clasped around the football like a vice.
Ugh.
Kíli sighed, giving up on his book entirely. He closed the cover and nibbled at his lip as the quarterback and captain of the team repositioned and passed the ball down the field. He didn't pause to watch, already running to a new position as long wavy hair escaped from beneath the back of his helmet. He exuded power, more than most high school athletes. There was no denying his talent, even if you weren't a fan of the sport. And well…he was pretty easy on the eyes too.
Fíli Durin was Kíli's type after all. Blond, blue eyed, smart, athletic, and above all, one of the nicest people Kíli had ever met. He'd spoken with him on one or two occasions. Okay only once. And maybe it was for a group project. And maybe he hadn't actually spoken to him directly but rather listened to others in the group do so. But it was close enough! It counted. Kíli was even pretty sure they'd shared a friendly smile or glance here and there. It totally wasn't all in his head. Besides, he could tell what kind of guy Fíli was just from observation. He'd never seen Fíli get mad, not even when the football team was losing a game. He kept his cool, talked others down from those kinds of places. Kíli had even seen him put a stop to bullying in the hallways between classes. Fíli always kept that same inviting grin on his face, and you couldn't help but get drawn in by his dimples and silky smooth voice.
Ori yanked on Kíli's arm enthusiastically as the play moved further down the field, and even Kíli felt his heart rate spike as he watched Fíli running towards the end zone, ball tucked into his arm. He held his breath, clenching his fingers around the book in his lap as time ticked down and Fíli moved in what felt like slow motion. The whistle blew, but Erebor high scored a touchdown just in time, securing yet another win. The crowd cheered, nearly everyone on their feet as Fíli took his helmet off and threw it to the side, the other players tackling him to the ground.
Kíli couldn't help but smile as he watched them celebrate, and without thinking he pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a few photos, zooming in on one person in particular. Fíli's hair flew about his neck wildly, his grin broad and encompassing his entire face. He was sweaty sure, but the sheen across his skin somehow only added to his appeal, and Kíli couldn't help but snap a few more close ups of his profile. He stared at the best of the photos for a moment, wishing he was on the receiving end of such a joyous expression. He could have drowned in those eyes. Without really thinking about it Kíli set the photo as his lock screen, unable to keep his lips from rising slightly at the sight.
He sighed wistfully and lowered his arm, looking back out at the field. He watched the players for a bit as they meandered around the field still basking in their win. His eyes trailed after Fíli for a few moments, and Kíli nibbled nervously on his lip as he fiddled with his phone in his lap. It was probably a bit creepy to use a photo like that, but tons of people had candid photos as their wallpapers and lock screens right?
It wasn't like anyone else would ever see it.
The library was always pretty quiet in third period, and Kíli thankfully had a spare in the afternoon. He liked using the free time to get caught up on homework, or even just to read amongst the privacy of the shelves. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of students in the hallways. He sat cross-legged on the heavily trodden carpet, his phone and pencil case on the ground beside him as he scribbled down some notes from the large book atop his leg. He occasionally glanced to the side when Ori texted him random complaints throughout his accounting class, but other than that he remained focused on his work. He was chewing on the end of his pencil lightly, eyes skimming the pages below for important information, when another student turned down the aisle and nearly tripped over his knees.
"S-sorry," Kíli blurted as his gaze lifted to meet startled blue irises, and slowly but surely a flush appeared on his cheeks when he recognized the signature bomber jacket and scraggly blond hair. Kíli tugged his book to his chest, breathing in quickly when Fíli grinned down at him lopsidedly as he steadied his footing.
"Woah! Didn't see you there," Fíli said casually before he leaned back against the shelves opposite Kíli. His eyes dropped slightly, glancing to Kíli's now outstretched legs before settling on the book clutched between his arms.
"Etruscan, neat. You working on that ancient civ assignment too?" Fíli asked, but all Kíli could do was nod soundlessly, the blush now fighting to take over his entire body.
"Thought I'd try and get a head start on something for once. Last semester was so stressful at the end 'cause I put everything off," Fíli muttered, and he rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly.
"S-same," Kíli stuttered, though it was a lie. Kíli always kept on top of his projects. Fíli tilted his head to the side and gave Kíli a strange look, his eyebrow rising in surprise.
"Really? You always seem to be so organized. I bet you're just saying that to make me feel better," Fíli teased, and then he grinned and winked before turning away to search through the shelves. Kíli's cheeks reddened further, and he ducked his head and tried to will his heart rate to slow. Kíli couldn't help but peer up from beneath his eyelashes to watch as Fíli read the titles on several book spines. He eyed Fíli up and down, taking in his thick thighs and the way his bomber jacket rose up as he reached for some of the higher shelves. He had to cover his mouth to hold in a whimper when he caught a glimpse of tanned skin and a hint of a boxer brief waistband. It took several minutes for Kíli to relax enough to return to his research, and even still his hand shook slightly as he scribbled down sloppy notes.
The body thumping to the ground beside him pulled Kíli from his work again, and he stared at Fíli with wide eyes as he set down a pile of books and eased into a comfortable position at Kíli's side.
"Mind if I sit here?" Fíli asked and all Kíli could manage was a slight shake of his head. It was met with yet another friendly grin, and Kíli nibbled at his lip aggressively this time and gave up on trying to keep his skin from flushing. At that point it was a permanent fixture on his face. Before long they were both immersed in research, their bags stacked together and shoes kicked off to the side. There were plenty of side glances, and shared smiles, hidden giggles, and a foot nudge or two, and Kíli couldn't help but smile broadly as he stared down at the notes in his lap. It was a perfect way to spend his afternoon. Even if it was at school, working on an assignment. There was a soft vibration at his side, and Kíli looked up briefly at the noise, instinctively searching for his cell, but when Fíli reached out instead Kíli's gaze returned to the pages he was flipping through without second thought.
It was the sudden intake of air that caught his attention, and Kíli raised his gaze again, wondering what was wrong. He searched Fíli's stunned expression for a moment, but frowned when blue eyes shifted to the side to catch on him. And that's when Kíli noticed his cell case, in Fíli's hand. There was no mistaking the cute little birds along the backside of his phone. He'd custom ordered that! He froze, suddenly recalling just what photo Fíli was likely looking at on his lock screen at that very moment. He let out a strangled noise before reaching out and whisking his phone away, face void of colour.
"You weren't supposed to see that," Kíli hissed, clutching his phone to his chest in horror. His books were splayed out around him, and he'd made a mess of his research, papers strewn about around his knees, but he hardly noticed, still focused on Fíli's shocked expression.
"I…sorry I…thought it was mine," Fíli muttered, looking Kíli up and down quickly. "Was that…," Fíli trailed off, and Kíli waited with bated breath for him to finish the question. "Was that me?"
Kíli's face crumpled, and he furrowed his eyebrows, finally looking down toward the carpet below. He could feel his eyes burning, and the last thing he wanted to do was cry out of shame, but his eyes started watering regardless. He couldn't manage to form any words. He couldn't even bear to look Fíli in the eyes. He'd never been so embarrassed before.
"Hey, don't cry," Fíli spoke softly, and Kíli squeezed his eyes shut when he heard the sound of shuffling on the carpet. "Look," Fíli said, much closer this time, and when Kíli opened his eyes he saw Fíli's phone slide into his vision. Kíli stared at the screen through blurred vision. He rubbed at his eyes, blinking away the remaining tears and gaped when he recognized the image on the lock screen. It was a photo of another photo. One that had been hanging on the wall in the art department for a few months the year prior. Tauriel had taken it for one of her portrait assignments, and the subject…was Kíli.
"That's…," Kíli began, his eyes clearing up as he gaped at the screen in wonder. Had Fíli been walking around with that as his lock screen for over a year now? Kíli blinked rapidly before finally lifting his chin to meet Fíli's gaze. They stared at each other for a moment, and Kíli couldn't help but smile tentatively when he noticed the slight flush visible on Fíli's face, but instead of smiling back, Fíli's jaw tensed, his eyebrows lowering seriously.
"Will you go to prom with me?" he asked suddenly, and Kíli felt his mouth slacken.
"M-me?" Kíli spluttered, and he sat down on his heels, hands sweating where they still gripped his phone. Surely he was dreaming. Surely the captain of the football team hadn't asked him that. He pinched the skin on the back of his hand and winced at the pain. If it wasn't a dream...was it a joke? No. Fíli wasn't the sort to play with someone's emotions like that. He was sure of it. Hundreds of mixed expressions flitted across his face to match his unfocused thoughts, and he was sure he looked more than a little confused as he tried to figure out why anyone would ask him to the prom. Least of all Fíli Durin.
"Ah…that is…I mean…Did I wait too long? You already have a date don't you? Of course you do," Fíli prattled, his gaze shifting to the side as he slouched slightly against the shelves. The sheer disappointment in that body language surprised Kíli so much that he nearly toppled forwards.
"Yes!" Kíli shouted, and a quick warning hush from the librarian had him wincing as he remembered where they were.
"Oh man, I…," Fíli began dejectedly, clearly misunderstanding.
"I mean no!" Kíli hissed, much quieter than before. At that Fíli looked up again, his eyes narrowing into near slits.
"Huh?"
"N-no I don't have a date already. And yes I…yes I'd like to go with you," Kíli answered.
"Yeah?" Fíli breathed, his expression lightening immediately. He pulled himself up, straightened his back and tried to play it cool, looking around them with a barely held back expression of glee. It was heart-warming and Kíli felt his heart clench at the sight. "Great, that's…that's great!" Fíli breathed.
Kíli giggled at him, and grinned shyly, dropping his gaze again to his hands. He was at a loss for words, they both were, and Kíli knew his research was a write off at that point. He fiddled with his shirt, glancing up at Fíli from beneath his eyelashes, and his breathing sped up when Fíli moved closer. A hand lifted to cradle Kíli's cheek, and then warm breath brushed across his skin quickly followed by the press of lips upon his cheek. It was quick, no more than a second or two, but enough to leave his body tingling all over. Kíli's breath hitched, and Fíli pulled away, eyeing him with an intense expression. It was so perfectly sweet, something Kíli had imagined hundreds of times. He never thought it might happen for real.
Kíli had but a moment to think before he hurried forward and pushed up against Fíli's body, both of them falling into the bookshelf with a clatter. He pressed his lips to Fíli's more aggressively than he meant to, but it was too late to change it now, so he pressed on, running his tongue across the smooth skin and pushing inside when Fíli's mouth opened with a surprised gasp. Several books fell from the shelves, and had the librarian been closer he was sure they both would have found their way to detention. It would have been worth it for the strangled moan he dragged up from Fíli's throat. When Kíli pulled away, they were both flushed and panting. Fíli's back was slumped against the shelves, his jacket askew, expression flustered. He looked windblown, like he'd been running on the field for hours.
"S-sorry," Kíli muttered bashfully. He couldn't believe he'd done that! Just kissed Fíli out of the blue like that. It was so unlike him. He was a wallflower. The sort to hide away, to keep to himself. He'd never kissed anyone before, let alone like that.
"I'm not," Fíli claimed, a wicked grin lighting up his features as he touched his fingers to his lips in wonder. It was just what Kíli needed to hear, and he grinned in return as the tension left his body. The bell chose that moment to ring, and both Kíli and Fíli jolted in surprise.
"I should…," Kíli muttered.
"I'll just…," Fíli spoke at the same time. The two smiled again and laughed, hurrying to gather up their school supplies and chosen books. As they stood they shared another lingering glance, before Fíli backed away with a tiny wave. "See you in class," he breathed, though the smoldering gaze was broken when he tripped over a stack of books. Kíli laughed, covering his mouth to hide his impish smile, and Fíli brushed off his clothing sheepishly with a nervous chuckle. Kíli watched him until he made his way to the door, and even then Fíli struggled with the handle, his eyes never leaving Kíli's form.
Later Fíli would find Kíli at his locker and stumble over his words again, suddenly realising he'd forgotten to ask for his number. They'd exchange them amidst giggles and smiles, and Fíli would stare at Kíli in a way that no other ever had. They'd fall into the lockers with kisses and flailing limbs, drawing the attention of students passing by, but paying them little mind. It would take all of Fíli's willpower to pull away, clutching one last time to Kíli's fingers before he escaped to football practise. And if in said practise Fíli fumbled the ball more times than usual, it certainly wasn't because Kíli stood in the stands, taunting him further by running his tongue over silky smooth lips.
