Your footsteps echo hollowly as you wander the hallways and corridors of Erebor. Due to the fact that you were part of one of the first caravans to come to the mountain after receiving the news that Smaug was dead, there are very few dwarves in Erebor considering its size. Numbering less than a hundred, you have all come to bring the mountain kingdom back to life. After years of lying dormant as the sleeping chambers of a malicious fire drake, many things have fallen into disrepair. Most of the larger halls where Smaug dwelled are crushed and smashed from the dragon's fits of rage. Other places where he could not reach are in a better state, such as the living quarters, but are still covered in thick coats of dust and cobwebs. The musty, reptilian smell of dragon is still heavily layered over everything, though, almost seeming to have seeped into the rock during Smaug's decades of inhabitance. It's strong enough that every so often you look over your shoulder, half expecting to see the massive beast. Fili and Kili have told you tales about him that are so fantastic that you wonder if you can actually believe them.
At the thought of the brothers, you can't help the smile that creeps across your face. As the daughter of a high-class merchant, you've been friends with the princes since childhood. You grew up together, and love them both dearly, but it's Fili who holds a special place in your heart.
Being the elder of the two, Fili has grown up with the weight of being next in line for the throne on his shoulders. As a result, he is much more serious than his brother, almost withdrawn at times. Kili has always been good for a laugh, but when you need a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, you've always gone to Fili.
It was the same now. Appealing as climbing through the mountains of golden trinkets that Smaug had used for a bed might sound any other day, today you just want to sit and talk. There's a pressing matter that's been growing every day, and even if it didn't involve Fili, as it does, you still would've gone in search of him. So you leave Kili with Gimli and several other young dwarves, going in search of Fili.
The mountain is bigger than you'd ever imagined, and you're having a difficult time finding him. On a hunch, you turn down the arched hall that will lead you to the library, shifting the torch you carry to your left hand to push open the enormous wooden doors.
They creak ominously, so you open them no wider than you have to, slipping through the gap into the cavernous room. The royal library is filled with row upon row of shelves, each laden with dusty old tomes. It's rather eerie, and you shiver slightly, subconsciously lightening your steps and making your breathing shallower.
Your gaze catches on a flicker of light several rows down, and you move towards it. Your hand drifts to the tiny dagger concealed in the folds of your dress, for even though it's highly unlikely to be some unsavory character, it never hurt to play it safe.
Your case of nerves eases when you step around the last shelf to find a small reading nook, with a table and chairs, as well as some ancient lanterns and torch holders. One is occupied, and its light illuminates Fili, who's sitting in one of the chairs with an elbow resting on one of the arms, and his head in his hand.
"Fili?" His name comes out as a whisper, not intentionally, but more because the dark stillness of the library seems to command it, despite the fact that you're the only two in the room.
He rises halfway to his feet, reaching for the sword beside him before he focuses on you. Breathing out a sigh, he smiles - rather tightly, you think - and settles back into his chair. "Oh, it's you."
"Yes, it's me," you say rather dryly, lifting an eyebrow as you move closer, slipping your torch into the holder next to his. "Why, were you expecting someone else?"
He shakes his head, the beads at the ends of his multiple braids clacking together dully. "No, I just wasn't expecting you. I thought you were with Kili."
"I was. Now I'm not." You pause and ask, "Do you want me to leave?"
"No! No, you're fine. Please, stay." As you begin to tug a chair closer to sit next to him, he stops you. "Don't do that. Here." He pats his lap, and you eye him dubiously, making him crack a slight smile. "The chairs are all dusty, and I don't want you dirtying your dress."
Well, you can't argue with that, so you abandon the chair to settle in his lap. "Ever the gentleman, aren't you?" You tease, turning sideways to rest your head comfortably against his shoulder.
His arms come around you in a loose sort of embrace as he chuckles. "For you, always."
"Such a charmer." You tug lightly at the end of one of his new braids gained from the part he played in reclaiming Erebor. "I can't believe that you got the mountain back." Realizing how that might sound, you hastily amend yourself. "Not that I didn't believe in you, it's just that after more than a hundred and fifty years, our generation was a part of it."
"It is incredible," Fili agrees, but his voice is missing its lighthearted tone.
"What's wrong?" After knowing him for years, you two can read each other like open books. And now, even after months of separation, you can tell that something has upset him. So when he starts to shake his head, you stop him immediately. "Don't tell me it's nothing."
He almost laughs. "You know me too well."
"I do," you claim without a trace of humility, poking him in the chest as you continue. "So I can tell that it's something related to what I said about out generation reclaiming Erebor."
Fili doesn't reply right away, and you wait a moment to let him collect his thoughts. finally, he begins to speak. "I've always felt the pressure of being next in line for the throne, but now that we actually have the throne, it suddenly feels real. 'King' won't just be a title like it was in Ered Luin, but an actual position of power. And after the battle -" His voice cracks and you rub his arm comfortingly. "We almost lost Thorin and I was almost king, and I don't feel ready."
"But he's fine now, Fili." Maybe fine is stretching it, but Fili needs the assurance. "And if anything did happen to him, I know that Balin would be an excellent advisor for you, just as he is for Thorin."
"I still don't think I'm ready."
"Maybe you're not. But you've got time to prepare, so don't worry yourself so much."
You can feel his lips curve into a smile as he presses them to the top of your head in a light kiss. "I'll try not to."
"Good." You bask in his embrace for a while, before the reason that you came to find him rears its head again. "Remember how you asked me to wait for you, before you left?"
His chin bumps your head slightly as he nods. "Yes. Why?"
Nestling a bit closer to him, you say, "Well, not too long after you left, Runor, son of Ragrim, the merchant, started showing interest in me. My father thought it was a good match, especially since you and Kili . . ." You trail off briefly. Your family had had high hopes of you marrying one of the princes, but when they left with their uncle on the impossible journey for Erebor, your parents had quickly moved their sights to other well-to-do families. "No one thought you were coming back, and my parents wanted me to do well with a husband. Runor was one of the next best choices after you left."
Fili's posture has stiffened noticeably as you teel your tale, and as soon as you go quiet he asks, "So did your father give him permission to court you?"
"He almost did. But I told him about you, and asked for a year, like you said. And even though he didn't expect you to return, he said I could wait. I think that he was hoping that I would lose interest over time, since it didn't seem at all likely that you'd come back." You press a bit closer to him when you say that. You had prayed every night to Mahal, as well as Nienna and Este, begging them to watch over the brothers and keep them safe. And except for Kili's new limp and the horrors of battle that you can see echoed in their eyes when caught off guard, it seems that your prayers were answered.
"I'm glad to hear that at least one dwarf had faith in me." Fili momentarily tightens his arms around you in a grateful half-hug. "Since you're here, I assume your father has sent this Runor fellow off with his tail between his legs."
"Not yet," you say with a slight sigh. "He knows how time can change things, so he's given me till the next full moon to see if you still feel the same." From your current position, you can guess what his reply will be, but you still want to hear him say it.
"Of course I do." He places a finger under your chin to tilt your face up towards his, then pauses. "Do you?"
You look at him flatly. "No, I'm just here cuddling with you to tell you that I don't love you anymore and I'd much rather marry a dwarf who's more interested in my family's connections than me as a person."
Fili chuckles. "Just making sure. Didn't want to get rejected when I do this." And he kisses you, and it's just as magical as the first time. But this time you know it's coming, and it lasts longer. Much, much longer, and you think of the stories you've heard the few other girls your age telling. They talked about kisses that made the world stop, that they claimed made time pause. You used to think them ridiculous, but this kiss is all that and more. Slow and sweet, it makes your toes curl and your heart skip a beat. Your fingers twine in Fili's golden hair, and you whine softly in protest when he pulls away, making him laugh.
"Greedy, aren't you?" He teases, forehead resting against yours. Placing a finger over your lips when you try to kiss him again, his sapphire blue eyes glint with amusement as he says, "Wait till you tell your father. Then I won't feel like I'm making a dishonest woman out of you."
You pout slightly, getting off his lap and reaching for your torch. "Fine. Are you going to come with me, or keep brooding in here?"
Fili rises to his feet with a slight groan. "When you put it that way, I think I'll accompany you." He offers his arm to you, and you grin gleefully as you tuck your hand into the crook of his elbow. "Now, let's go find your father."
And so, walking arm in arm with your prince, you can't help the slight skip of delight in your step, because any girl's storybook ending has just come true for you.
D'aww, and there you have it, folks! The ending is horribly cheesy, but I'm learning to accept the fact that all my fluff fics are going to be that way ;P
So, I had two revelations while writing this. One, half a pint of gelato is an excellent thing to snack on while writing fluff, especially when you wish it was you in the story. And two, I know what the next Fili fic will be. There's a few subtle hints for the observant readers, so see if you can find them and make a guess as to what the fic will be about c:
