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BROTHERS

Fili was angry. Kili rather didn't like it when this happened.

He would stop talking, stop laughing. Every look to Kili would be a thinly veiled glare. His movements were stiff. It was like he was trying to hide the fact hat he was angry, and failing.

Of course, Kili had to admit, this anger was perhaps justified. It had likely seemed a stupid thing, letting the taunts of those dwarves get to him. But honestly, who goes about insulting the dead father of someone? That was too low of a blow. Despite his aching jaw, eye, and ribs, and Fili still being annoyed, Kili would have started that fight all over again.

He sent a glance up at Fili. Still annoyed.

"Fee?"

"Yes?" The dwarf replied sharply, swinging his harsh gaze down on to the younger one.

Suddenly, Kili's sense of justice in his own actions collapsed, and he ducked away from his brother's glare. "Nothing."

Fili only grunted in response to that, keeping up his long strides down the road. Kili had no choice but to jog a few steps to keep up.

He really didn't see why Fili was so angry. Kili had actually been winning the fight when his brother arrived! He should be proud! But no. Of course not. Fili had to tear him, by his collar, away from those boys, to leave them snickering at his back as he was marched off by his brother. That was even worse than possibly losing the fight! He would never outlive this.

"I was fighting for Da, you know."

Fili sent him an incredulous look. "What?"

"They were insulting Da!" Kili bit out, forcing himself not to avoid his brother's gaze as he stopped stubbornly in the middle of the road. "I had to fight back."

Fili faltered for a second, watching him, before he shook his head, continuing to walk. "Come on, Kee."

"No."

Fili stopped abruptly, glancing back at his still stationary brother. "What?"

"I'm not 'coming on,'" Kili shot back, gritting his bloodied hands into fists. "You shouldn't have dragged me away like that. They were saying nasty things about my Da and there's no way I'm going to stand by and let them do that, dammit!" the curse slipped, a bit unnaturally out of his lips, but Kili felt a bloom of pride in his chest. Cursing to make a point. He was already more grown up than Fili.

Fili tensed, and opened his mouth to speak, but after a moment, he let it fall closed again, sighing. "Mum'd swat you if she heard you cursing like that."

With that, he turned, about to continue down the road. Kili stopped him though, planting his feet hard in the dirt, practically shouting at his brother's back. "You are such a coward! This is my Da and his honor I'm talking about! The fact that you'd let his name be laughed at and-and joked with, it's sick!" Finally, Fili stopped, so Kili pressed on. "Maybe I was fighting in the streets, but at least I'm not just going to roll over on bloody everything-"

"Shut up!" Fili suddenly roared, turning on his heel to face his brother, near spitting with fury. "You didn't know Da, Kee! You don't remember him!" Kili tried to protest, but Fili continued. "Stop pretending like your some mighty warrior, defending his honor. You're a dirty brat brawling on the streets 'cause some daft village boys managed to get a rise out of you! Da would be ashamed!"

"No!" Kili shot back, though his brother's words were starting to weaken his argument. "I was fighting for him!"

"You were fighting for yourself," Fili growled in return. "You always do." Kili wilted further at that, but Fili continued. "Da would hate to see you right now. Some squalling, insolent, irresponsible dwarfling who can't hold his temper for three minutes!"

"I'm not a dwarfling," Kili protested weakly, after a moment, having nothing else to argue back with.

"Yes," Fili said, the fire all of the sudden draining out of him. "You are."

The silence hung heavily for a moment, before Fili turned with a sigh, continuing down the road.

Shame burned hot behind Kili's eyes, and the pain from his numerous bruises and scrapes returned with a vengeance. Maybe Fili was right. He always was. He was always the better dwarf. So big, and grown up, while Kili was left in the dust, to be the stupid, scrawny little brother.

What had he been thinking, saying Da would be proud of him? He should have been the bigger dwarf. He should have ignored their calls and jibes. He should have been more like Fili.

As the weight of this settled on Kili's shoulders, there was little he could do to stop the tears now, from squeezing hot and sharp out of his eyelids. As they fell down his face, they stung at the scrapes adorning his cheeks, and a vicious throb was starting up from behind his right eye, which would likely be turning black and blue soon.

"Come on."

Kili jerked a bit at the rough voice, and squinted through tears to see his brother kneeling on the road before him, offering his back. Kili shook his head. He wouldn't be carried. He would stay right where he was until he starved to death. Fili and mum didn't need him. They'd probably be better without such a failure like him.

Fili let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on up, Kee. We've got to get home."

"No," Kili mumbled out, clenching his teeth hard against a sob.

Fili finally turned, placing a gentle hand atop Kili's ratty hair. "I'm sorry for shouting, aye?"

"Not going home!" Kili protested.

"Fine," Fili huffed, standing up. "Have it that way."

A whimper squeezed out of Kili's throat as his brother marched on down the road, getting far too far away far too quickly for Kili's taste. In a moment, he was running after him. "Fili!"

Without looking back, Fili knelt down again. Soon Kili had latched himself onto the warm strength of his brother, locking his arms around his neck, burying his face into the collar of his shirt. Fili stood up, hooking his arms through Kili's legs, and they were off, trodding down the road in silence.

As a sob caught in Kili's throat, he clenched his arms all the tighter around Fili's neck, trying to muffle his crying. Fili let out a strangled cough. "Kili, you're choking-"

"I love you, Fee."

It seemed that Fili heard his mumble as he relaxed a bit, hitching Kili a bit higher on his back. "Love you too, Kee."

Durin Bros ftw, forever and always.

Anyway, here we are at the start of a new thing! I swear this what, week and a half? of not posting anything has just about killed me. I'm sucha addict. But a happy one. If you have any ideas or requests, feel free to leave a review or PM me! I'm always looking for inspiration.

If you haven't read my other story, Noticeable Differences, and plan to continue reading this collection, I recommend you go read that other story now. A lotta things will make a lot more sense. So review, I suppose, and see you all next Friday!

NEXT CHAPTER:

Six Times They Might've Met

Kili and Gwen have been alive for quite a while...What if they had met before the events of "Noticeable Differences"?

Romance/Friendship - Words: 3,750 - [Kili, Gwen], Fili