Once A Thief
Summary: Nori knew that he was in love with him. He had known for a long time. He had thought about it before... taking the youngest prince and keeping him as his own, but he knew, if he went through with it, that he could never let him go...
Chapter 8
Nori watched until his breathing had stopped completely. He turned and limped his way over to the small dwarf who was still rolling on the floor screaming. He lifted him up by one hand and shook him violently.
"Get off of here." He demanded, "And tell your boss to cut his fucking losses."
The thief shoved him through the bedroom door and he ran sloppily through the living area and dove through the busted window and disappeared into the halls. Nori watched, and as the impending danger faded, the pain started to rise in him. The room started to spin. He reached over to steady himself on the chair, but misjudged the distance, and collapsed onto the floor.
"Nori!" Kili ran to him, ditching the knife. He dropped to his knees, and helped the thief turn to his back. The prince moved his hand from his thigh and saw the wound was deep, and still bleeding, but once treated, it shouldn't be fatal. "Bofur, help me!" The toymaker rushed over, after covering the late assailant with a sheet.
Nori felt himself giving into the exhaustion and pain. He lifted the hand that was grasping his leg and touched Kili's face. The prince didn't stop him, and actually brushed his cheek in response. "I'm sorry..." Nori said, watching his beautiful brown eyes fade from view, praying this wasn't the last time he'd see them. "I love you..."
...
When the thief came to, he was lying on his bed. He tried to sit up quickly, but a hand grasped his shoulder, and a deep pain went through his leg. His eyes shot to his left to see Bofur sitting there in one of the chairs that had been moved from the front room. "Whoa, slow down." He said quietly.
"Where's... Kili?" He was sinking back into his bed, waiting for Bofur to tell him he'd left, and that it was all over.
"I'm right here."
Nori's eyes shot to the foot of the bed, and there he was, looking down at him with sincere concern. Nori couldn't believe it. He had every opportunity. In fact, the bedroom door stood wide open. He looked past the toymaker to where he had taken down the thug, but his body was missing. The thief didn't have the will to question it. He let his head fall and closed his eyes.
"How do you feel?" Bofur asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Like shit..." He answered quietly.
Bofur looked over at the prince, who took a deep breath, and walked over to stand behind the toymaker. "Nori..." He said sympathetically, "I'm... going home."
"Yeah..." Nori took a deep breath, and looked toward the wall. "I figured."
Kili started fidgeting a bit, and then looked to Bofur. "Can you excuse us for a second?" His voice sounded a bit like a certain king that Nori couldn't stand to think about.
Bofur hesitated a bit, but finally, without looking to Nori, stood and walked out, pulling the door to, but making sure to leave it slightly open. Kili took a deep breath, and Nori could tell he was nervous. He braced himself on his hands, and pulled himself to a sitting position, with much difficulty to not move his leg, which may be a bit more maimed than he thought. The prince sat down in the chair, and crossed his arms.
"Nori... I don't really know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything." The thief felt angry, but also sad and defeated. Heartbroken.
Kili stared at the floor. "I ... forgive you." He suddenly looked up, and the way his eyes were a distinct mixture of hurt and comfort made Nori's heart stop, and he took a visible breath. The young prince took a similar one, and couldn't break the gaze. "I ... have to go back."
Nori sat up with much difficulty, and a bit of help from Kili. The thief had enough life left in him yet. "You won't even consider it?"
"You know the answer to that."
"You know I love you."
"I know."
"Does that mean nothing?"
"What do you want me to say?" Kili was doing his best to hold in his emotion. "I... love Thorin."
Nori rolled his eyes, and scoffed.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but it's true. Other thing you seem to ignore is that Bofur cares for you. Loves you, I'd say. You've hurt him."
"I've hurt a lot of people." The thief let his eyes fall to the floor. He could feel his heart shattering. Literally feel it. He actually shifted in a way that he knew would cause pain to shoot through his leg. It hurt less, and brought him back in time to hear Kili speak again.
"I'm not going to say that I feel nothing for you, because that would be a lie." The prince smiled apologetically, "But Thorin is my One. I want to be with him. That's what will make me happy, Nori."
"And if he hurts you?"
"You're just a capable."
Another crack to his heart. "You're right. Go."
Kili stood, and took another deep breath. He felt a sadness in his heart, but the relief and longing for Thorin were stronger. Still, he hesitated. "Nori..."
The theif looked up.
"I'm sorry." The young prince leaned in, and pressed a small, sad kiss to Nori's cheek. As soon as his lips met skin, however, a shattering bang came from the other room, causing him to jump and whip around toward the slightly open door.
Bofur's voice rose up in shock: "Thorin?!"
"Thorin?" Kili rushed for the door, but before he got there, it flew open, and a frantic Thorin stood, out of breath.
As soon as his eyes fell on the prince, he lunged forward, capturing in an embrace that was nothing like an uncle. Nori turned his head toward the wall. It hurt to watch it. Kili melted so completely, Thorin lifted him off his feet, and pressed a deep kiss to his lips. They lingered for just a moment, obviously too short for Kili, who practically begged for his attention back, when those crystal eyes fell on Nori. The king pushed Kili away, and before the prince could protest, he gripped the thief by both of his shoulders, and slung him out of the bed, and almost all the way across the room.
"Thorin! Wait!" Kili jumped in front of Nori, who was, with much difficulty, on his hands and knees, grasping a stashed dagger from under a chair.
The king's eyes flashed, and he had to take a few seconds before speaking: "He's been keeping you here, hasn't he?" Bofur rushed in, catching the king's attention, and he spoke directly to the rattled toymaker. "Hasn't he?"
Kili stepped forward quickly and turned Thorin's face to look at him. "It's over now. Don't hurt him. I want to go home."
"Yes, your majesty..." Kili turned and Thorin looked up to see Nori standing. He was swaying a bit, but he was on his feet. One hand on his injured leg, and the other held the dagger out toward Thorin. "I've kidnapped your prince. Held him here against his will... listened to him plead to be with you.. and I have ignored him."
Thorin swelled, and Kili had to place a hand on his chest to keep him still. "Nori, stop..." The prince pleaded.
"Stop? Why? Far too late for that. No, I'm not hiding it any longer, Kili. I love you..." He looked to Thorin. "I love him. As much as you do. More so, in fact... and I'm going to fight for him."
"No, you're not." Kili took one step toward the thief, putting him directly in between them. Thorin pulled his sword out swiftly as soon as Kili was a safe distance away. The prince threw his hands up, palms toward each of them. "Stop it, both of you." He turned to Nori. "I already told you that I love him. You're going to get yourself killed. You're hurt. You can't fight."
"Then I'll die for you."
"Nori-"
"Kili, move." Thorin's voice was stern, serious.
"No! I'm not a prize to fight for!" Kili was suddenly very frustrated and emotional. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Please..." He walked to Thorin and pushed his sword down. The king allowed it to fall, and sighed. He nodded slowly and put his sword away. He flashed a look to Nori that the thief had seen on enough people to understand that it meant he would be back. The tired king coaxed Kili to walk in front of him, and they headed for the door.
Nori watched and waited. Did he have a plan the whole time? He wasn't sure, but he was calculated. His eyes followed every shift of Thorin's body until the precise moment his larger frame was completely between himself and Kili. The young prince brought his guard down, Nori noticed. Normally Thorin wasn't so quick to turn his back on an enemy, but he had forgotten, written him off as a non-threat, and that was one of many mistakes. It took everything he had to makes his stance, aim, and throw perfect, but it had to be. Kili was close, and he only had one shot. He'd never have such an open target again.
"Thorin!"
With that voice, the thief was harshly reminded of the factor he had forgotten. Bofur. Just as the dagger left his hand, the toymaker rushed forward. Thorin turned. It all happened in half a second, but Nori saw it all in slow motion. Only two rushing strides put Bofur where he needed to be to catch the dagger perfectly in the top of his arm, perhaps an inch away from his chest. Thorin turned just in time to catch him before he hit the ground. It would have connected right in the middle of his back, his spine. The throw had been precise. Perfect.
The king and prince collapsed to their knees around the injured toymaker. Thorin immediately started to work removing the blade, and wrapping up his arm with a handkerchief. The way Bofur cried out when the dagger finally pulled free of his flesh made Nori physically jump. "It's alright." He heard Thorin say, who was once again forgetting Nori, but the thief was in shock. Too much to strike again, though that did not stop the want... or the hatred. The king scooped him up quickly, and Nori could tell it was taking everything he had not to engage him. "We have to get him to Oin. Now." With that, he turned and rushed for the door.
Kili looked to Nori, but stayed only long enough to say. "It would probably be best if you didn't stay here..." Those gorgeous brown eyes fell to the floor, but then he graced the thief with one last tear-filled glance before following quickly after Thorin, leaving the thief alone.
Nori fell to the floor, finding himself on his back with a hot pain in his leg ... and chest.
It was over. He had lost. He would never have Kili again, and Thorin was more than likely going to kill him if he did not find away to disappear. He was certain Dori would offer no help for him this time. Word would travel fast. He had to leave Erebor, or die. He looked down at the makeshift bandages on his left, and saw they were stained badly, and needed mending before he could do anything.
However, he lingered.
He considered for a moment that death might be a better alternative. He certainly felt as though he deserved it for the all the pain that he caused. To Kili, whom he loved, and to Bofur, who never gave the thief anything but compassion. If he were the king... Well, if he were Thorin, he never would have left while their was breath in him. Besides, a life without Kili would be meaningless. Living for cheap thrills and petty jobs. Nothing. If he could just see him one more time. Kiss him. Apologize, and just hear him say again that he had held a place in his heart. He could die happy, and as fulfilled as he could ever hope to be.
Finally, he started crawling his way towards the bed. He pulled out some sheet from underneath it, and slowly started to unwrap his thigh. He reached up and grabbed a full glass of water from the table above him. He was contemplating. He knew now what it was he needed to do. He accepted that this was the last thing he had to accomplish in his life. To feel his lips again would be worth it.
All he needed now was a plan.
