The next time Ori called Kili, the brunette insisted upon having a proper 'dinner date' with the librarian, claiming it was necessary for him to make up for their coffee date. Apparently, due to his profession, and how he most often met people dressed as a woman, he'd experienced one too many times where the person he'd been seeing hadn't realized he was a male until either a rather inopportune moment (Ori had cringed at the thought) or when they'd randomly popped by his apartment and he was dressed in his pajamas. He said it was simply easier now to sort through those he wanted to spend his time with and those he didn't by exposing them to both sides of his life quickly, and often painfully. If they met him while he was dressed like a woman, he'd show up the next time they met dressed as sloppily as he'd let himself leave the house, and if they'd met him as a man, he'd wear one of his favorite dresses and do his hair. Ori had to agree that it was a rather good way to figure out who was worth Kili's time or not, but he'd also pointed out that sort of behavior could be dangerous, depending on the person he was showing up to meet.
"I usually drag my brother along, just in case for those sort of situations," Kili had said, "When I'm not sure how the other person will take it, or if I wouldn't be able to physically overpower them myself."
Ori had countered, rather petulantly, that that must have meant Kili thought he could easily take the librarian, despite having tackled a much larger man to the ground the night they'd met.
"Well, yes," Kili had laughed, causing Ori to grumble irately, "But I also had a good feeling about you."
The librarian had preened a little at the compliment, and their coffee date had gone smoothly from there, with barely a hint of a hiccup, aside from Ori accidentally knocking another cup of tea over.
Thus, Ori found himself standing in front of his bathroom mirror, staring at the violet button down shirt and black tie he was wearing while chewing on his lip and wondering if it was too much. Kili had told him to dress nicely, but had he meant 'dress nicely', as in semi-formal, or 'dress nicely', as in a nice looking t-shirt and jeans.
In the end he finally realized he was running short on time, and had little to no time to change, regardless of what Kili had meant, so he kept the simply violet button down, black tie, and dress slacks. He quickly dragged a comb through his hair, before heading out the door, snagging a black dress jacket, just in case.
It wasn't until he was half way to Kili's apartment building that he came to the realization that Kili had probably expected him to drive them to whichever restaurant the brunette had made reservations at. He'd never told Kili that he didn't own a car, and everywhere he ever went was well within reasonable walking distance, including the dancer's building. He cursed quietly at himself, hoping Kili wouldn't mind catching a cab.
He finally shuffled up to the buzzer at the front door to Kili's building, letting out a puff of air, before dialing the dancer's apartment number.
"Hello?" an unfamiliar voice growled out of the speaker, causing the red head to startle slightly and double check the number he'd punched in.
"Uh, hi? Hello, yes, uh, is this Kili Durinson's apartment? Number 32?" he asked hesitantly, unsure if he'd perhaps hit the wrong number and disturbed someone.
"Yeah. May I ask who's buzzing?" the voice replied, sounding only a little less growley.
"It's Ori. Ah, Ori Rison," the red head supplied, fiddling somewhat anxiously with his jacket.
"Oh, yeah, okay," the voice sighed, the buzzer for the door suddenly sounding.
Ori quickly snatched the door and pulled it open, sucking in a quick deep breath, before he headed up to Kili's apartment. It was just his luck that the brunette would have a roommate who would more than likely pester him with questions, assuming the worst of him. He'd manage, though. As lng as no one tried to knife him (a worry that only surfaced after a rather worrisome run in with one of his brother's friends), he would be fine.
"So you're the mouse," were the first words that greeted Ori once Kili's apartment door had been opened. A blonde man stood in the doorway, taking up enough space that there was no way for Ori to squeeze around him without it being unnecessarily awkward.
"I'm sorry, mouse?" Ori questioned, earning a smirk from the blonde.
"Nevermind him," Kili's voice floated over the two men in the doorway, causing the blonde to heave a sigh, and Ori to smile, "Fili, move out of the door. You're acting like a tool."
"Sorry," the blonde-Fili-grumbled, shuffling out of the way and wandering off into the apartment, "Wouldn't want to keep the cat and mouse apart."
"What does he mean, 'cat and mouse'?" Ori asked, shutting the door once he was inside, and pausing with no small amount of awe at seeing Kili.
The brunette was wearing a rather flattering blue dress, perfectly snug around his waist, but with enough flow and ruffle around the top, coupled with Kili's trademark corset underneath, to give the illusion of breasts. His hair was pulled up into a messy bun, with a blue flower carefully secured in the side.
"He just likes to make up names for the people I see," Kili said with a shrug, wrapping a thick shawl around his shoulders and slipping on a pair of high heels that matched his dress. Not that he really needed to be any taller than Ori. "From my description of you as the shy type, and a librarian, he decided you were a mouse."
"Oh," the red head muttered, scrunching his nose slightly, before shaking his head a bit and offering the other a smile. "Well, regardless. Ready to go?"
"Mhmmm," Kili hummed, grabbing a purse from a table near the door, turning to Fili who had reappeared in the front hallway as Kili had been getting his shoes on. "Don't stay up, okay?" he directed to Fili, "I don't know when we'll be getting back."
"Just text if you're not going to be back at all," the blonde said, giving Kili a pointed look, getting only a laugh in return. "See you later." He leaned in and placed a quick peck to Kili's cheek, earning a light smack from the brunette, but a smile all the same.
"Bye," Kili hummed, waltzing out the door once Ori had pulled it open, the red head following as they exited the building.
"So, Fili is-?" Ori asked, pulling his jacket on as they began to walk down the street, figuring if Kili was as dressed up as he was, they were more than likely going somewhere fancy.
"My brother," Kili offered, flashing Ori a smirk. "Why, were you worried I was polygamous for a second there?"
"No," Ori snorted, waving a hand quickly, before pausing and biting his tongue a little, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, for certain people, I just…I was curious."
Kili laughed, flicking the librarian lightly in the ear. "You try way too hard to be PC, my friend. You're allowed to be curious. Don't worry so much," he said, looping his arm with Ori so they could walk down the street arm in arm.
The two walked silently for a moment, before Ori spoke. "Does this mean I should introduce you to my brothers now?"
"One step at a time," Kili said quickly, grinning as he gave Ori's hand a light pat, "No need to rush into family diners. Wouldn't want to spoil everything by having your family disapprove of me."
"I doubt they'd disapprove of you," Ori stated, his mind wandering momentarily to how many time Nori had been in and out of jail in the last few years. "I really do."
They continued to walk for a while longer in comfortable silence, the only sound being that of the light traffic on the road, and Kili's high heels on the pavement, before Ori piped up again.
"By the way. Were you expecting me to drive? Because I don't have a car."
Kili nearly doubled over in laughter at Ori's quick and bashful apologies when they realized they'd have to call a cab and wait for at least twenty minutes, which prompted Kili to call the restaurant and let them know they'd be a little late.
"Honestly! You are too cute," Kili wheezed through his laughter, moving to sit on the edge of a sidewalk planter, grinning up at Ori.
"It hadn't crossed my mind until too late," the red head grumped, settling himself next to Kili.
"It's still cute," Kili hummed, tugging lightly on Ori's tie until the librarian turned his head towards the brunette, and being rewarded with a soft kiss.