Sunday- Man vs Wild AU!
(A continuation of Written in the Stars)
Tauriel had mentioned on their first date her love of nature and Kíli had smiled and nodded and not thought much of it. Later, when she had asked if he would like to go camping with her, he had pictured in his mind a romantic getaway and quickly agreed. As he wrestled with the unruly death trap that was supposed to be a tent, after their hour long hike to the camp grounds, he began to realize that watching nature specials on the television and wanting to be out in the wild were entirely different concepts.
She had offered to help when he had first started on their would-be shelter and he had declined, feeling the need to prove himself. She had gone to collect wood for the fire, returned, and set up camp, and he was still struggling with the impossible structure.
"You know," her voice was overly nonchalant and he glanced to where she sat watching him, "the weather should be perfect for star gazing tonight. If you don't mind, I think that I would prefer to leave the tent for another time and sleep under the open sky."
His hands stilled as he mulled the option over in his mind. He appreciated that she was trying to help, but defeating the canvas beast in front of him had become a point of pride by this time. He sighed and let the contraption fall into itself. He was here to spend time with Tauriel, not show her how bad he was at tent building.
He turned to her with a smile and her own brightened as she held out her hand to him. "Come on," she began to pull him towards another trail, "there's something I want to show you."
His feet were still sore from their previous trek through the woods, but he followed after her anyway, in awe of her boundless energy. They had been dating for just over a month now and he had never seen her quite so in her element. Her smiles were bigger and easier to come, and he contemplated the pros and cons of a home in the middle of nowhere. Anything, to see her so happy. Of course, first he would have to convince her to spend the rest of her life with him, but they would get to that eventually.
She led him down the path a ways and turned off of the trail at what seemed a random tree. He trusted her to not get them lost, though if they were still on a track of any kind, he could not tell. It was not long before she slowed and came out of the tree line at the edge of a steep precipice. He could hear water rushing down below, but was in no hurry to step to the ledge to see it.
Tauriel settled in the grass and he seated himself next to her, glad that the space was big enough for them to not dangle over the edge.
"I come here sometimes," she was looking out over the gap in front of them, not truly focused on anything, "when I need to get away." She turned to look at him through her lashes and he took her hand in his. "This is my very own safe haven."
"And you're sharing it with me?" He hadn't meant to sound so surprised, he was more touched by the gesture than anything else. At her nod he pulled her in close to his side and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. The sun was just beginning to set and they stayed there to watch the colors fade from the sky, content with just each other and the sounds of the forest around them.
