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In this one we have different moments at the party, some bad news, a sassy Kili, a few bits of sexual tension and, last but not least, Thorin being the ultimate cockblock.

Unfortunately, one being stunned to silence without taking their eyes off the screen of their phone did tend to draw attention. Both men standing beside Arya weren't exceptions to that rule. Kili's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stood there with the device in her hands, not answering.

"Everything okay?"

Luke's voice snapped her out of her miserable daze and her shields rose to prevent a potentially emotional security breach. "Yeah," she said casually. "Do you mind if I get that?"

Both men nodded in slight confusion and watched as she clambered up the stairs.

Luke was the first to look away from her, and he let a big sigh watching his friend's gaze still pinned on the retreating figure. "On a scale from one to ten, how badly do you fancy her?"

Kili sharply turned to face him. "Who?"

The other's face fell. "The painting on the wall," he said dryly. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Kili, this is so playground!"

"I don't fancy her! I mean, one could say she's nice–"

"Thank god," he sighed. "At least you admitted that you know exactly who I'm referring to, that's something. With such baby steps you'll ask her out in approximately... what, a decade?"

"I don't fancy her, okay?" Kili grumbled. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"'Cause it's the bloody truth!" Luke cried in exasperation. "You know it, I know it, your brother knows it, the goddamn stones in the garden know it!"

"I don't think any of you know me that well–"

"We've known you since you were in diapers, and right now you act like you're in kindergarten. Remind me, when was the last time you ran around the whole town on a Sunday morning to find a bakery to buy doughnuts for a woman?"

Kili's eyes went wide before he realised his face was blushing. His ears were also blushing. Even his chest was blushing—well, that's new. And all his muscles had tensed up under his skin. They were probably fucking blushing by now as well.

"Oh, you thought nobody knew?" Luke quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

If someone had put bacon on Kili's head, it would be probably roasted by now. He was seething. How other living beings apart from himself had become privy to that information was beyond him. But no, he had no desire to demolish his pride and give his friend the satisfaction of being right.

"What were you planning to do, lure her with sweets?" Luke quipped and by this point, Kili positively looked like a panther baring its fangs.

Their voices quieted down as soon as footsteps were heard across the stairs. Upon her return she was wearing that deceptively deceptive, cold façade of hers that made Kili's forehead furrow in worry.

It was remarkable how well she had taken the news. Still in the first stages of denial, she had the bad habit of growing uncommonly and unreasonably angry even with the slightest provocation, however innocent and irrelevant might that be. It probably wasn't her best moment.

She approached the two men who barely noticed a flurry of a person past their shoulders and nodded something less than subtly at each other. "What are you two talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

Kili took a wild look around, caught a brief glimpse of a painting on the wall at the other side of the room, and reflexively blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Just that there's nothing sexier than a woman with legs that go for miles."

Arya seemed fairly unimpressed. "Sure," she agreed dryly, "if you have a thing for giraffes." And there it goes. Anger as smooth as velvet.

Kili studied her for a long moment, wondering what made her so edgy all of a sudden. She subsequently indulged in a brief staring contest with him that could roast alive whoever dared to stand in the middle. Until she apparently lost her interest and strolled off, his gaze following her as she mingled with the crowd and disappeared from sight.

Their little heated exchange made Luke feel like the third wheel, again. "This interminable bickering was amusing at first, but it's getting very stale and I suspect we still have a long way ahead of us till either of you grows a spine."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Why don't you go for a walk with her, keep her company... lure her with those sweets, maybe?"

"Piss off," the brunet grumbled with a tired sigh, almost downing the beer in one go.

"She already spent half the evening staring at you."

She did stare quite a lot, Kili had observed as well. It wasn't just in head, right?

"Not to mention the little jealous digs about whatever happened the other night at the pub and our supposed discussion of legs– Lame save, by the way," Luke went on and, at Kili's furious look, stifled a laugh. His friend had no saving grace. "Kili, why don't you just cut the horseshit and get to the part where you admit your feelings? It's okay, you like her. Worse things have happened."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, spare me, spare me, spare me!" his friend cried dramatically. "Yes, yes, she's a closed book, I know. You're not a mind reader. Probably thinking she's a real handful and you don't have the time or patience for that and, damn it, you just want something normal for a change, but admit it, you're really curious to know how good the sex would be."

"No, I'm not–" Kili protested.

"And Arya... Ha! Well, she's just a kid who'd rather act tough than show her true feelings, because the last time she opened her heart, she got hurt. Owie. And now, rather than admit these feelings, you keep dancing around one another with this mind-numbing and, frankly, boorish mating ritual. So, please, for everyone's sake, either quit your bickering, or lock yourselves up in a room, tear off those clothes, and get it over with already!"

Kili was left staring at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging slightly open. "You're vulgar," he huffed.

"Only sensible," the other happily corrected and left his friend to his own devices.

It took Kili approximately thirty minutes to make up his mind. He hadn't actually thought about what he'd tell her, until he came up with a half-decent starter. He didn't find her, though, and his spirits waned. So he went to grab another beer from the fridge, planning to go about his business and quit searching like an idiot.

On his way to the kitchen he passed by Fili, who seemed rather focused on chatting up his new passing fancy. Kili held back a snort. His brother had taken care of the playlist oh so well—the scheming little bastard. Every other song was just fitting for couples and slow dancing. All this at a bloody birthday party.

His leisurely pace came to an abrupt halt the moment he laid eyes on the lone figure that quietly sat beside the kitchen counter, picking at a cookie and drinking milk. His heart jumped a little, in an oddly pleasant manner. It had happened a few times when she was around—mental note, perhaps a visit to a cardiologist might be in order. She seemed lost in another world, maybe a little sad as well, although he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Arya was completely oblivious that she was just ambushed. All sorts of grim thoughts were roiling just beneath that unblinking exterior. They made her insides clench, despite her aunt's attempts to convince her that in that stage, the survival rate was high. Still, there was little she could do to dispose of her worry.

"Not with your date?"

Her downcast eyes snapped up at the sound of the voice, and she stared at the speaking person in confusion. "Huh?"

Aloof as ever, Kili casually rounded the counter to get to the fridge. "I just pointed out that you're not with your date."

"Yes, I heard you," she said blandly. "Who the hell is my date?"

"Luke," came his reply as he was preoccupied trying to grab a bottle from the bottom shelf. "Last I heard, you two were a thing. Shouldn't you be spending time with him at a party instead of sitting here alone?" Even if the room was poorly lit, he could discern her face changing colours.

Her hands defensively gripped the counter as he came to stand beside her. "I don't see how that's your concern."

"It's not, I guess," he shrugged, "but since we are on the matter... If you asked me, I'd never think he was your type."

Anger began to boil. "And if you asked me, I'd–" the angry voice suddenly drowned in her throat and she bit back the 'think that all those you shag are not your type either', instead going with, "I'd tell you to mind your own business."

The short pause did not go unnoticed, although Kili preferred not to dwell much on it. "He's a good bloke. You're lucky."

She had a look of befuddlement. "He is indeed," she agreed, mindful of what part of his sentence she chose to answer.

"And you two make such a lovely couple."

There was no mockery in his voice and it made her skin crawl with an unknown emotion, or rather a cocktail of several emotions, of which she lacked knowledge of the ingredients. Then her mind inadvertently pondered on how ridiculous his words sounded. They'd never been a bloody couple! They had gone for dinner or lunch a few times, there was the unfortunate incident with his sister and her boyfriend where he ended up spending the night in Arya's bed, while she spent half the night feeling uncomfortable and the rest of it fighting with Fili over a sandwich. And from one moment to another, her nerves regarding the damns she gave about what Kili would think had turned into the realisation that she had fallen bloody hard for him. It'd been more than enough to make her put an end to that little thing she had —or more accurately, hadn't— with Luke. He was such a nice man and didn't deserve to be fooled in his face. Despite her attempts to make herself feel something, anything, for him, her heart was already singing for another. It was so inconvenient.

"It's a shame you're not attracted to him at all, though," Kili said indifferently before taking a generous sip of his beer.

If she were more focused on their talk rather than her memory of that fateful night, she would detect the undeniably smug tone. But she was lost. And the only response she gave was a thoughtful nod of agreement before mumbling, "Yeah..."

A nerve shattering grin spread across Kili's face, the one he knew annoyed her.

Her eyes went wide. "You– Who told you that?" she exclaimed frantically. "Of course I'm attracted to hi–!"

"Lighten up, kid, I'm only teasing you," he sighed. "I know you two aren't going out anymore."

The disappointment at herself for having been played so easily was written all over her face. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, "True, but still not your concer–" She was intercepted by an arm stretching towards her and offering his hand. "What–?"

"There's a first," Kili said with unshakeable confidence. "Who knew a simple offer to dance would finally make you shut up?"

Arya was left staring at him in absolute horror. Between his awaiting hand and the bunch of people outside, she had half a mind to run away. "Thank you," she said gingerly, "but I'm not yet suicidal."

He leveled her with a deadpan glare. "That was insulting, at best."

"Hardly," she countered, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you plotting?"

"Uh, nothing?"

She was not even remotely convinced, despite how innocent his eyes looked in the dark. They made her heart beat uncommonly fast. "You can be so charming when you want something. The trick is finding out what."

"Bloody hell, woman, I just want you to dance with me," Kili cried in frustration.

"Why?!"

He let a long-suffering sigh, but still didn't admit anything. "Just put your hand on my shoulder, I'm not going to burn it," he coaxed. "And I'll take it from there."

Before her mind had time to process his reply she found her hand curled in his, her other hand on his shoulder, and his own on her waist again, drawing her close. And by way of some cosmic coincidence, blues started playing, and the voice inside Kili's head made a mental note to thank his evil genius of a brother later.

"See how easy that was?" he smiled. "No plot or conspiracy here. Enjoying ourselves?"

"Eh."

"It's a birthday party," he sighed. "What did you expect, Tomorrowland?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to misinterpret my words? I didn't–" She paused, then let a small sigh. "You know what, nevermind."

He frowned. "I thought you enjoyed dancing?"

"Generally, I do. Right now? Not so much."

Kili's shoulders fell. "Glad to rock your world there, babe." He realised he'd said that only after she flinched at the term of endearment. "Why do you sit here alone and sulking? Is it because of my uncle? I know he's not a man for pleasantries and might have come across as rude, but I'm sure he didn't mean to insult you."

A twinkle of disbelief made her eyes look older and tired. "Do I look like I care? Do you really think I care what anyone in this place thinks of me?"

The corners of his mouth curled, but he shooed the smile away from his face. "I doubt you care what anyone anywhere thinks of you."

"Do me a favour and stop patronising," she said wearily. "You barely know me."

He chuckled. "I know more than you'd like to think. For example, I know what a pain in the arse are affairs of this sort to you."

His quite grown stubble lightly scratched against her temple and he could sense the rigidness of her body. She was uncomfortable. He didn't like that; he wanted her to feel comfortable around him, with him.

"They always start with the prospect that maybe it's gonna be fun for once, but about half an hour in you just lose all hope and once again reinstate the rotten turn this world's taken. You think it's sad how shallow and pretentious we have become; you hate people who are too busy taking selfies all the fucking time to actually make meaningful conversation with another human being." He made a grimace of confusion, which she couldn't describe even if she tried. "Which is a little hypocritical, considering you choose to ignore that there are people out there having a good time, dancing and discussing about stuff that you're simply not interested in, as well as people in here," he nodded towards himself, "with honest intentions, who want to make meaningful conversation, but you see an ulterior motive for everything they do—as always," he finished with a wry smile. "So, in truth, it seems to me you're just looking for excuses to be alone."

Arya was left staring at him as he spoke with fake bedazzlement. When he finished, she snorted. "See, that is exactly the kind of brilliance that sounds deep and insightful, but you could say it about any person who doesn't pine for the social approval of everyone around them."

Kili laughed quietly. "Maybe I'm that wrong—god knows it's not going to be the first time," he said, and for a moment she thought there was an undecurrent of bitterness in his tone.

Her eyes peered at him curiously when she felt the tips of his fingers rubbing comforting circles on the small of her back. He pulled her even closer when he realised that she had moved a little away, and she found her face shoved into his neck. Bloody hell. Arya called up to arms whatever restraint was left in her. One could only resist so much before indulging. All it took for her inhibitions to fly out of the window was a breath. His scent put her mind in a coma. Not just his scent, actually; his arms, his hands, their proximity—or lack thereof.

Surprise filled Kili when he felt her grip tightening. His own inhibitions weren't in a much better state. His face was leaning closer to her neck now that her head was practically shoved in his, and that fresh, flowery perfume assaulted all five senses.

"Point is," he said quietly as they swayed on the spot, perhaps a little inebriated by both the perfume and the booze, "whatever's got you like this, I'm here if you want to talk about it. And there's no ulterior motive for that, I promise."

The sincerity caught her off guard. The song was long over and they had ended up basically staring into each other's eyes like fools. It was unnerving, if anything. She took a step back to break that strange sort of embrace, but in a heartbeat she found herself once again trapped between him and the fridge. His hands came to rest on either side of her, bracing himself as if to keep at least some semblance of distance between them.

She looked at one arm, then the other, and finally at him, with a look that was equal parts dry and amused. "This is getting banal, don't you think?"

Kili didn't know why he'd done that. All reason seemed to have abandoned him. His eyes roamed over her face, neck, collarbones, and the top of the cleavage slowly. Hungrily. Eventually they locked on her lips. Yes, he had a fetish and he was at peace with it. He wanted to bite down at them. He momentarily felt so frustrated that it made him want to push her further against the fridge, just because he couldn't bloody help himself. And even if the worst hadn't happened yet —that in the south— his imagination was racing with images of all the things he secretly wanted to do to her if he could.

He almost groaned out loud. Perhaps everyone in the house should gather round and witness his tumbling immersion into the darker depths of perversion. Perhaps the shame he'd feel then would be enough to make him stop thinking of these things.

Her head tilted to the side to avoid his beard scratching against her face. It was a lost cause. He was like a giant black hole, pulling her towards him with superhuman force, and she could do nothing but surrender to his gravitational field. One more inch and she'd pass through the event horizon, and that would be the last of her sanity as she knew it.

Her hands crawled to each of the arms that kept her in captivity. Why? At this point, who even cared, really? It probably wasn't an attempt to shoo him away, though.

Oh, who was she kidding? It definitely wasn't.

Kili was rapidly breaking every record in existence. How he hadn't yet scooped her up to... kiss her to oblivion —because all of a sudden he fancied himself too gentlemanly to use a different verb, damn him— was a feat that should have earned him a gold medal. His hands were minutes away from forming a pit on the metallic surface of the fridge considering the force he applied to keep them there until he came back to his senses. The fact that she had his arms in a death grip didn't help any either. He couldn't tell how she wanted him to proceed. Obviously she wasn't trying to push him away, rather the opposite, but he still had qualms about it.

Suddenly more light spilled into the room as the door opened wide and–

"Ahem."

Oh for fu– Kili almost screamed that out loud as he turned towards the intruder, secretly wanting to make all manners of threats for them to bugger off and several other comments regarding privacy as well as the implications of a closed door, but the sight was as effective as a cold shower in his predicament. A tall figure loomed under the doorcase, which Kili immediately recognised as his uncle—possibly the last person he'd like to stumble upon in that very moment.

The flushed young man retrieved his arms swiftly, whereas Arya remained rooted against the fridge.

"Sorry if I interrupted," Thorin said curtly.

"Oh please," a feminine voice scoffed behind Kili's head —low enough to pretend it was meant for her ears only, loud enough for all three present to know exactly who it was meant for— and he could almost hear her eyes rolling. Part of him was pleased that she sounded almost disgruntled at having whatever that was cut short.

"Kili, your mother needs help."

"There are twenty people out there," the young one said with clipped voice. "I'm sure she didn't ask for me in particular."

"Don't make me say it twice," Thorin growled under his breath. "Go."

There was a sigh and an exasperated shake of a head. "Fine," the young one grunted and promptly grasped Arya's forearm, dragging her along with him as he hurried to the door, only to have her pull it away from his grip on their way there.

She could almost see him sweating on her behalf. "I am perfectly able to orientate around the house," she said calmly. "There's no need for a chaperon."

He fixed her with a pointed look, praying that she'd take the hint and tag along without a word just so he could save her from the wolf's claws. He had no problem getting into an argument later, if it meant that she'd be spared.

However, Thorin was not one to tolerate the wait. "I said that your mother needs you."

"Yes, I heard it the first time," Kili said in annoyance. All joking aside, his uncle had grown grumpier than usual over the past few months. Dwalin could well attest to that.

"Then off you pop and go outside. You've been delayed long enough here." The glare he sent to the woman at the last two words was nothing short of murderous.

The young one clearly fought a war within him. His eyes landed on her again.

"I doubt I can be of any help out there," Arya dismissed. "Don't know the first thing about that stuff."

Kili looked at her for a moment that stretched stubbornly, if only to reassure that she'd be fine, even though she looked sadder than when he first found her in the kitchen. Hesitation was evident in his very posture, but he eventually retreated from his guarding post with every intention of returning to it later. With a subtle nod of affirmation, he exited the kitchen.

She was already on her way out as well, quite eager to put as much distance as she could between herself and the minion of the antichrist. The man could easily pass for a demon, if someone considered the icily blue eyes and the inherent hostility he harbored for every human being within earshot—apart from his family and closest friends, of course.

"Do you have a moment?" his voice made her feet stop dead in their tracks. "I'd like to talk to you."

Inwardly cursing, Arya let a resigned sigh and turned around. "A few hours ago you told me to take a tranquillizer to calm down and now you're in the mood for a chat? Talk to me about what?"

"Don't act surprised and ignorant," he advised. "You know why." Only a blind man could not have seen how Kili had sandwiched her between himself and the fridge, or how he behaved around her the rest of the day.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," she corrected. "I really don't know."

"I warn you, I am not one to play games with," he growled under his breath, eyes simmering with distrust. "I hoped it to be false alarm, but I can no longer turn a blind eye to what happens right before me. Is there something going on between you and my nephew?"

She almost laughed at the absurdity of his question. "Beg your pardon?"

"I observed your interactions all day long and assumed that there's something going on. Although I wouldn't want to offend him and his taste in women by believing this to be possible right away, I have to make my thoughts known."

The profound insult was intentionally brushed aside for the sake of her already destroyed nerves, and she calmly crossed her arms over her chest. "If you thought it to be impossible, I wonder why all the fuss."

"To hear it contradicted."

"Making such a fuss over it rather shows that these are not just assumptions, but confirmed facts."

"So you deny it?" No answer. He didn't appreciate that. "Am I mistaken?" he demanded then, more persistent. "Can you give your word that I should have had and in the future will have no reason to believe this?"

"Of course I won't," she blurted out. "What I do in my personal life does not concern you. What Kili does in his life doesn't concern you either. So I suggest, kindly, that you keep your nose out of other people's lives and mind your own business."

Thorin was seething. "And I suggest, less kindly, to watch your mouth," he spat out scornfully. "I shouldn't expect anything better from one of your class, though." Then he let a dark laugh and looked at her with all the disdain in the world. "I repeat, are you two together?"

Arya stared back at him with that unruffled look she had perfected over the years, which could make people with anger issues go berserk. "Only a minute ago you said it was impossible."

"Answer the bloody question!" he barked, swatting his hand on the counter for more effect, which elicited nothing more than a dull roll of her eyes. "Of course my nephews' lives concern me, you foolish girl!" he suddenly snapped. "You've already managed to lure Fili into sharing his house with you, do you think you'll have Kili as a fallback and pursue him if that falls through? You think I'll let either of them be with a woman who's very likely after their money? Do you think I'll let you taint our family name?" He didn't give her any time to reply. "Tell me once and for all, are you and Kili in a relationship?"

"No," she said starkly. "Now, as exciting as this trial has been, I actually have more serious things to attend to."

On cue, she stormed out of the kitchen, trying with all her might to get her rage to die down. As if her own troubles weren't enough, now she'd had to face Thorin and his wild imagination.

Said man remained behind, murmuring inaudible curses under his breath as he paced furiously up and down the kitchen floor.

Drama to be continued. See ya!