Kili had become very focused, no longer as carefree as he had been. The knowledge weighed heavy on his shoulders. I felt truly awful to have been the one to put it there.
He had doubled down on the amount that he trained with his sword. I didn't want him to train all alone though. Often I would sit with him while he trained. Trying to make him smile or laugh. Anything to stop him from over thinking about things. Seeing him so sad was like a punch to the gut. Usually I was pretty good at making him smile again though. I knew how to make him laugh.
One time we were in the garden and I was trying to show off my own skills with sword fighting. Not with a real sword though, Kili refused to let me go near it after I nearly chopped off my foot trying to pick it up. That thing was heavy . So I had a big ass stick instead that I swung around with fluid grace. By fluid grace I meant that I was waving a stick around with reckless abandon. I wasn't really going for style points.
I tried to go for some sort of spin, where you throw it around your neck and catch it again.
"What in Mahal's name was that?" Kili said, leaning against his own sword.
The stick did not go all the way around my neck and kept falling behind my back before I could catch it.
"Sword skills, obviously," I said, attempting another go.
Kili raised his eyebrows, his eyes shining with laughter. "If you do that with a sword you won't have a head anymore."
"I will because I'm in complete control, no sword can harm me," I said with a lot of confidence.
"That's not quite how swords work," he said "And anyway you can't even get a stick to obey you never mind a sword"
Just as he said that I managed to swing the stick around and catch it. I brandished it before me in a 'Ha told you so' kind of way. Kili simply shook his head but he could not hide the smirk that peaked out.
"Are you serious? There's nothing you can do?" Mum's raised voice drifted through the kitchen window.
She paced with her phone to her ear and one hand was rubbing the bridge of her nose. This had been going on for over two hours and I still wasn't sure what had happened.
"What do you think is wrong?" I asked over my shoulder
"Work, maybe," he said, coming to stand next to me.
Mum stopped pacing and slammed her phone down onto the side. She took a deep, even breath to control whatever anger she had built up and turned towards the back door.
"Shit, she's coming out, act like we weren't watching her through the window," I said, looking away and leaning an elbow on Kili's shoulder.
"What are you doing?" he asked bemused.
"Acting natural."
"There's nothing natural about what you're doing," he said with a grin.
Mum made her way over to us wringing her hands together and trying to find the right words.
"Right, I've been on the phone for the past two hours because a band that was supposed to be playing at the Matisse wedding, decided to cancel three days before the wedding! Three days!" Mum's voice was increasing in pitch.
"Is that the one with the bridezilla?" I asked.
Mum nodded, confirming my suspicions.
Mum had been organising a wedding for work. For months she had been talking about an aggravating woman that never seemed pleased about anything. Everything had to be done her way and even when it was she wasn't happy with it. Mum had complained to me about her no end of times. She would come home to rant to me about it. I didn't mind though, it was fun listening to the drama. It also helped Mum get it out of her system.
"So is no one available at short notice?" I asked.
"Not as far as I can tell, everyone seems to be booked," she sighed "It doesn't help that it's currently wedding season."
Mum steepled her hands in front of her mouth and closed her eyes. "Leah I need to ask you the biggest favour. And you can say no. But I desperately need someone to sing at this wedding. The bride has somehow agreed to have a DJ for most of the evening but she won't budge on having a live singer for walking down the aisle and her first dance." Mum implored, her eyes begged me to say yes.
I had sung at events Mum had organised in the past; so it wasn't something out of nowhere. When I had dreams of becoming a big singer I had pleaded with Mum to let me sing in front of an audience. The first time did not go so great but the people were nice about it. I had done it a few more times since and had gotten better each time.
A wedding, however, was a pretty big deal. Having an angry bride shout at me would not be a fun experience. But I would do anything for Mum.
"Yes, I'll do it Mum," I said.
Mum let out the breath she had been holding. "Oh darling, you have no idea how much that helps me."
Mum reached over and gave me a hug. Her relief was palpable. After a tight squeeze she released me.
"Right now I just need to find a musician. The bride will only accept a pianist or a violinist." said Mum.
Kili's face lit up. "I could do it!" He said earnestly "I can play the violin!"
"Really?" Mum asked, sceptical.
"Tell her how long you've played the violin for Kili," I nudged him
"43 years."
"Almost as long as you've been alive Mum," I said
"Don't push it," Mum said, a small smile at the corners of her mouth. "I'd have to see you play first Kili. I'm not doubting your skills, I just prefer to be sure."
You couldn't really argue with that.
I have no idea where Mum found one but after barely an hour she came home bearing a pretty decent quality violin. When I asked her about it she simply told me that 'She had her sources'. It made her sound like some criminal mastermind or something. Most likely, she was owed a favour by an ex-client or she had rented it from somewhere.
Kili picked it up by the neck and studied it. Hopefully, violins in Middle Earth weren't too different. He began tuning it and plucking the strings experimentally. I have no idea what he was listening for but he was very focused. After a few ministrations he seemed to be ready to play. He placed the violin under his chin and drew the bow across the strings.
My mouth dropped open in shock. It was beautiful. Kili's eyes were closed, just soaking in the music. His fingers moved with such precision I could never hope to replicate. The tune was wholly unfamiliar, it must have been a dwarven piece. That didn't detract from my enjoyment though. Seeing him so engrossed in his playing made a warm feeling sweep through my body and a huge smile spread across my face.
When he finished he dropped the violin away from his chin and looked up at us. His expression was a little shy. I broke into a round of applause and Mum followed suit.
"That was amazing, I think I'm gonna cry," I said, wiping a fake tear away.
"Isn't crying a bad thing?" Kili asked, uncertain.
"Not always, sometimes it's happy tears," I said
Mum was, thankfully, convinced by his performance which meant that we would be performing together. She told us what songs we needed to practise for the wedding. Fortunately it was only two and not a whole concert. We had to learn 'Can't help falling in love' by Elvis and 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri. I was grateful that I already knew the songs so I didn't have to worry about forgetting lyrics.
Kili and I practised together as much as we could. With the wedding only days away, we had to make sure we didn't suck. But I loved every second I spent practising with Kili. He could make anyone sound good when he played like that, when I stumbled I knew he had my back.
The day of the wedding came around and I was very nervous. I woke very early in the morning and could not get back to sleep. The actual wedding didn't start until 12 so it left a lot of time for me to overthink everything. Will I sound okay? What if I forget the words?
Kili was somehow, blissfully cool-headed. How he did it was beyond me. Why couldn't I be that relaxed? This whole restlessness did not help me at all. Especially when I was trying to get ready and my hair refused to play ball. I tried to braid it but then some hair would fall out or it wouldn't sit properly. The more irritated I got the more it went wrong. It was a never-ending cycle.
Heated frustration shone back at me through the living room mirror and I threw down another bobby pin. Giving up, I laid my forehead against the mirror, the glass cool against my skin. I would just have to show up with a bird's nest for hair. I'm sure that would go down well.
A hand pulled me away from my wallowing. I turned and saw Kili looking at me with an amused expression. Clearly, my pain was funny. He was already dressed for the wedding. He had a crisp, white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a blue waistcoat–which I was very appreciative of–and a tie. Though he was not best pleased about the latter, apparently it strangled him. But Mum was insistent, apparently, the bride was very particular about uniforms.
For that same reason, his hair was also up in a bun. Initially Kili was confused by the style, as dwarves never really put all their hair up, they normally just braided sections. But he relented in the end and threw all his hair up. I thought it suited him.
Kili gave me a pitying look. Then he looked away, suddenly nervous. "I can help you, if you would like."
"With my hair?" I asked, confused but also with increased hope.
Didn't dwarves have a thing about touching other peoples hair? I could not imagine he would offer something like this without deep consideration. But I desperately needed his help. He looked back at me, a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.
"Yes, you look like you're struggling," he said with a nervous laugh.
"What made you think that?" I laughed.
"Probably all the growls and banging your head against mirrors."
"Fine, I see your point," I said "I would really like some help please."
Kili nodded and looked at my hair. His hand hovered by my head, hesitant for a second but then dove straight in, starting with undoing the braid that was still in my hair. His deft hands made quick work of it. I felt his fingers graze my scalp and I suppressed a shiver. It felt good. Kili parted sections and braided down the side of my head. His speed was incredible, I'd never seen anyone braid so fast. I ended up with two braids on each side of my head that circled like a crown. The rest of my hair was left down. At the back Kili had arranged the braids to look like a flower.
"It looks amazing," I said, twirling in front of the mirror to see it all.
"Thank you," he said, looking shy. "Amad used to let me practise on her."
Mum entered the living room, hastily putting in a pair of earrings as she came to stand next to us. "Your hair looks lovely darling," she said while checking her outfit in the mirror.
She was wearing a long-sleeved, black t-shirt and a poofy, floral skirt that ended by her shins. Her hair was delicately twisted into an updo. It made me jealous that she was able to do that on her own when I flailed with mine.
"Thank you, mum," I decided not to out Kili as my hairdresser. He would probably get flustered if more people knew about it.
We had to rush out of the house not long after that. Even though the wedding didn't start until 12 pm we had to be there early to set up. Once we were at the church Mum had to argue with the priest about pretty much everything. The music, the camera placement and someone had moved decorations around. It wasn't the best start. Also apparently where Kili and I were supposed to set up wasn't suitable anymore. Which was bullshit because they had done a dress rehearsal and Mum said everything went fine then. I think the priest was just being difficult for the sake of it. I have no idea how Mum kept so calm.
After a lot of to and fro we managed to set up the instruments and microphones. Kili practised a little with his violin, as guests started to make their way inside.
"Are you excited?" I asked "You'll get to see how this world does weddings"
I paused for a moment, "Well how Christians do weddings at least."
"I am intrigued. I want to see if they're different to any of the ones I've been to," said Kili, looking out into the church. "So what should I expect?"
I gave him a brief rundown of your typical church wedding. Walking down the aisle, the rings, the vows yadda yadda yadda. After I finished my explanation, Mum came hurrying over and told us that the bride would be arriving soon. I was so into the conversation with Kili I hadn't noticed that the church was now full. Kili and I quickly got into our positions.
My palms were sweaty and I could feel my stomach doing little flips. This was not the best time to panic so I took several deep breaths to try and calm my nerves. Kili nudged me with his elbow and gave me an encouraging smile. 'You'll be great' he mouthed.
Kili started the song on his violin. Closing my eyes momentarily, I let the music wash over me. Then with one final look at Kili for courage, I began.
Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
I looked towards Kili, wanting to see him play while I sang. His eyes weren't closed like I expected them to be. Our eyes met and it suddenly felt like it was only us two in the room. Playing the song for each other.
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you
As the song came to its close, my thoughts drew inwards. The only person this song made me think of when I heard it was Kili. I can't help falling in love with you . I felt my stomach flutter at the thought.
Had I fallen for Kili? I couldn't even think of when I had started to feel like this. It happened slowly, with each smile, and each laugh. When he defended me and held me after my nightmare. He had thoroughly worked his way into my heart and there was no hope of ever removing him.
"Are you okay?" Kili asked, making me jump. "You sounded beautiful Leah, don't look so worried".
Looking up at Kili I felt my cheeks warm. "Yes I'm fine. Thank you" I muttered, very flustered.
Kili was very close, his shoulder was touching mine and he leaned closer to whisper into my ear, "So what happens now then?"
I felt his breath glance across my ear and I suppressed a shiver. My body was a jumble of nerves and my heart rate quickened. I couldn't form words for a second. Why did I have to have a revelation now? If I hadn't suddenly realised that I was falling in love with the dwarf, I would be able to have some semblance of thought.
Mum appeared next to us, saving me from fumbling my words. "Right, so this priest will probably waffle on for a bit and then they'll do their vows. Once they've finished you'll need to play them out Kili."
Kili nodded already knowing what he was supposed to be doing. Once she was sure, we all knew what we were doing she gave us a thumbs up and slinked away. When I looked back to Kili, I tried to smile without showing how much my realisation had floored me.
We had to shoot off very quickly after they left the church. Mum was needed at the venue to make sure everything was running smoothly. Kili and I went with her to help but we wouldn't be needed again until about 7 o'clock. That left a lot of spare time and we'd probably be super bored. We decided we would help out as much as we could. Moving tables and rearranging flowers etc.
Considering how demanding the bride had been in the run-up to this wedding she was surprisingly chilled out. Even when the florists mixed up the flowers and the caterers missed out one of the meals. She took it all in her stride and just smiled, happy to be married. Mum told us that she sees it a lot. Brides that were completely unreasonable suddenly become nice and polite. It also worked vice versa though. Apparently, some of the worst clients Mum had didn't become a nightmare until the actual day.
Every time I looked at Kili, my heart would beat faster and I would realise all over again that I liked him. How had it taken me this long to notice? It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world now that it had been pointed out to me.
Time for the couple's first dance arrived and we set up our gear on a little stage near the DJ. The couple wandered onto the dance floor hand in hand, having eyes for only each other. Kili took that as a signal to start playing.
The day we met,
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart
Beats fast
Colours and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone?
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
When we finished Mum came up to us with a big smile.
"You were great," she said, giving both me and Kili a hug "Thank you so much for doing this you have no idea how much you've helped."
We didn't have to stay much longer after that. The staff at the venue knew what they needed to do. Mum gave them a brief run down but they told her that everything would be taken care of.
Kili looked longingly at the dance floor. Mum had told him that he couldn't join in as he wasn't one of the guests. Apparently seeing everyone else dancing made him want to join in. We left not long after and Kili was still a little put out. Not wanting to see him sad any longer I came up with an idea. I asked Mum to drop us off in the middle of town. If Kili wanted to go out dancing then he would. He can get his first club experience.
I texted Anika to meet us there. She was very happy to do so. We decided that we would have a few drinks at the local pub around the corner before we went. It was only about 9pm so we couldn't really go clubbing yet. But by the time we made it to the club I was quite tipsy.
The music was so loud you could feel the bass reverberate in your chest. You couldn't really hear anyone speak. But music was music and Kili was happy to be able to dance. He dragged both me and Anika over to the dance floor.
"Come on! You've got to dance with me," Kili shouted over the music.
Who were we to refuse? All of us danced along to the music. Well I attempted at least, I can say with certainty that I was the worst dancer in our little group. All my rhythm must have been abandoned as a child. I was still having fun though. At one point the song 5678 came on by Steps. The cowboy one. I grabbed Kili and looped my arm through his, spinning in circles to the music. We would alternate between arms and swap partners.
My bootscootin' baby
Is drivin' me crazy
My obsession from a western
My dance floor date
My rodeo Romeo
A cowboy god from head to toe
Wanna make you mine
Better get in line
5, 6, 7, 8
By the time the song ended all of us were laughing and very out of breath. Kili's smile stretched across his whole face. He looked a lot happier now that he finally got to dance. Another song came on and we went back to our own individual dancing. Anika slipped out for a second to go and get us some more drinks.
"Kili you've got some moves," I yelled over the music "I didn't know how well you could dance."
He truly was quite a good dancer. Better than me by a long shot. Looking at me, he gave me a very amused grin.
"And you've got, whatever in Durin's name that is," He said motioning to my dancing.
How could he say anything wrong about these sick moves? My arms swung randomly and I managed to miss every beat of the song as I swayed.
"I'm dancing obviously. Maybe you've heard of it," I joked
Kili reached forward and took my hand, pulling me very close to him. His other hand grabbed my waist, I could feel the warmth of his hand through the thin material of my dress. My breath caught and I was captivated by his eyes. Coloured light blinked across his face, sending fractals of colour across his irises. He was so close, I could see every individual eyelash. I was overcome with the sudden urge to lean forward and place my lips on his.
"That is not dancing," he said into my ear "I'll show you how it's done."
And then we were off. Kili was in the lead, spinning me around, barely missing the other people. I laughed unguardedly as he led me around the dancefloor. When the song ended he dipped me very low. My breath came out in short pants as I gazed up at his face. My eyes flicked to his lips, the urge to kiss him was back. I saw Kili's gaze slowly drift to my own lips. His breath fanned across my face as he leaned forward so slightly. Our noses brushed and anticipation burned through me.
Did he feel the same thing?
Then Anika burst through a bunch of people, with drinks in hand. The moment was broken and Kili returned me to an upright position. He gave me a sheepish grin, as if I hadn't just been 5 seconds away from kissing him. Anika raised an eyebrow at me but I ignored it and grabbed my drink. I was too full of nervous energy and downed it in one.
Kili
It had been a very long day. Fun, but long. Seeing a wedding from this world was quite strange. It was so similar yet so different from one's he'd attended in the past. Rings were exchanged instead of beads and there were no swords to be found anywhere. Which was rather strange if you asked him. In a dwarf wedding hand forged weapons were exchanged between the bride and groom. It was supposed to symbolise how they would protect one another. The weapon depended on the individual but most of the time it was a sword.
When he played in the church he looked over at Leah, singing so beautifully. Her hair fell perfectly down her back in golden waves. Hair that he had styled himself. He could not believe he had done it. Touching her hair to comfort her was one thing but styling it and braiding it was another thing entirely. When he was braiding her hair, he was nearly overwhelmed. He tried to tell himself that the feelings were just from being close friends. Deep down he knew that was a lie. What he felt was no longer friendship. It was something much more.
She looked over to him as she sang, an astonishing smile on her lips. A smile rose to his lips unbidden, he couldn't help it.
Leah was a little distant through the rest of the day. Too lost in her own thoughts. He would sometimes catch her staring at him. She would look away quickly when he caught her, cheeks turning red. He hoped she would tell him what was bothering her at some point.
Kili was rather jealous when he saw everyone dancing. It had been so long since he'd been able to. There was always something to celebrate back home, even when there wasn't anything, his people would make something up. There was always dancing and singing and feasting. All the dwarves would join in. It was a very merry affair. That's why he was very saddened when Ellen said that he could not join in. Leah had seen his mood and suggested that there was a way he could go dancing.
Kili was very eager and may have been a little over-enthusiastic. They went to a tavern first, the same one that they went to last time. This time he thankfully did not need to fight anyone. After a few drinks they had moved onto a 'Club' as Leah called it. Though the only club he knew of was the weapon kind. Apparently, it was some kind of dance hall.
When they finally got inside Kili was initially overwhelmed. The music was deafening and multi-coloured lights flashed across the room. But he recovered quickly and dragged both Leah and Anika onto the dance floor.
At one point Anika had gone to get some drinks which left him and Leah to dance. Her dancing was...something. He guessed what she lacked in dancing she made up for in singing.
"Kili you've got some moves" she yelled "I didn't know how well you could dance".
Considering how often dwarves danced it was not surprising that he had picked up a few things. After 77 years you expect to be somewhat proficient.
"And you've got, whatever in Durin's name that is," he said pointing to her as she waved her arms to the music.
She gasped at his accusation, making him crack up. "I'm dancing obviously. Maybe you've heard of it," she joked.
That's one word for it. Then a thought formed in his mind. He could show her how it's done. Without warning he grabbed one of her hands and the other found her waist. Having her this close he nearly lost his composure at the way her eyes shone in the coloured light and her breath hitched when he drew her close. Beautiful was an insufficient word for what she was. It took him a few seconds to regain his thoughts and then he started dancing. With him leading she was a lot better. Her exploding laugh sent warmth right through his chest. He didn't think he'd ever smiled so wide.
When it reached the end of the song he made a split second decision to dip her. The fall made her giggle and he held her with ease. He held her there, faces a mere inch apart and everything else seemed to fade away. It was only the two of them. Leah's pupils widened and he could feel her breath across his face. His eyes roamed her features and landed on her lips. Mahal, he wanted to kiss her, he had never wanted anything more. Kili moved closer, their noses brushing together.
Then Anika showed up with their drinks. He straightened Leah up quickly and tried to smile innocently. Durin's beard, what am I doing? He had nearly kissed her. What if she did not feel the same? He could have ruined their friendship. Kili berated himself after that and tried to act as if nothing had happened.
Leah ended up drinking way more than she should have done. He was not even sure how much she drank, every time he would turn she seemed to have a new drink in her hand. It was not like her and Kili knew she did not handle her drink very well at all.
At one point the guard on the door had seen her stumble and told them they should take her home. Advice he readily agreed with. Anika nodded his way and they each took one of Leah's arms and led her outside
The air was crisp and cool enough to clear his head slightly. He had drunk a fair amount of his own but he was a dwarf and he'd be damned if he couldn't handle his liquor. Once they were far enough away from the crowds of people, Kili relinquished Leah's arm and left her in Anika's care. She would not stop complimenting her or telling her how much she loved her.
"I loooove yoooou, babe. You are the best," Leah slurred, half stumbling over a bump in the street.
Anika just about caught her in time "Damn, you're like Bambi on ice."
Kili did not know who this Bambi was but Leah did sort of look like someone who was struggling to stand on a frozen puddle. Leah continued her drunken babbling to the amusement of Anika.
"I hear you, babe," Anika said, then she turned to Kili, "She should probably go home now."
"Agreed," he said. Sleep should hopefully help her get over the worst of it.
Leah whirled around at his voice, seeming very surprised to see him there even though they had spent the entire day together.
"KILI! When did you get here?" she yelled and launched herself at him.
He was unprepared as Leah wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his neck. For a moment it felt like he couldn't move. Every nerve ending was alight. She was so close, he could smell the scent of her hair soap.
"You're my favourite," she breathed against his neck.
He barely suppressed a shiver at the sensation. Anika gave him a knowing grin and he tried to school his expression. Kili ran a hand down her back as Leah did the same to him. One of her hands then started to drag its nails down his back. The sensation jolted through him and he stopped himself from making a noise. Mahal, that felt good. As if that wasn't enough, suddenly Leah's nose was grazing the skin of his neck. He couldn't breathe.
"You smell so nice," She said "It's ilgal. Ile. Illegal...we need to run before the police find out."
He had no idea what she was talking about. However, she suddenly turned around in his arms and tried to run off. Kili grabbed her before she could and held her to him again.
"You don't need to worry about the police, Leah," Kili laughed.
"I've booked you an uber" Anika said with an amused grin. "It's on Leah's phone so it's already paid for," she said, handing him Leah's phone back. "My uber should arrive at pretty much the same time."
"Will you be alright on your own?" he asked. Surely she should not be travelling alone at night.
"I'll be fine Geri, and anyway I'd rather not have to share the backseat with that," she pointed to Leah "No offence."
Leah nearly tripped once more and Kili had to haul her upright. Her legs were like that of a newborn foal. Point taken, Kili nodded at Anika.
Leah continued to snuggle him as they waited for the uber. She seemed very reluctant to let go of him when the car arrived. Getting her to sit in it was a nightmare as she kept reaching for him and trying to get back out of the car. Eventually, he managed to buckle her into a seat.
"Are you okay from here Kili?" Anika asked
Kili nodded, a little out of breath, "I think so."
"Well, make sure she doesn't hurt herself and get home safe," Anika gave him a quick hug goodbye before getting into her own uber.
Then he was left all alone with a very drunk, very cuddly Leah. It took a few moments but once Leah realised that he was next to her and her face lit up. Then she reached over and firmly attached herself to his arm. She looked up at him with such light in her eyes he couldn't help but smile back.
Her hand reached up and he felt her fingers gently caress his face, "You're so pretty."
Her fingers stroked through his beard and Kili froze, inhaling sharply. In dwarven culture, touching the beard of another was significant. Especially when it's someone you have feelings for. It was a symbol of undeniable trust and devotion to the other.
Mahal, he could not cope with this.
Then as if that was not enough one of her fingers started to trace his bottom lip. "Pretty smile," His mouth fell open in a gasp. Her touch was like lightning, he could feel his heart pounding against his chest. She almost poked him in the eye when he wasn't paying attention "And pretty eyes."
He caught her hand just in time and held it to prevent her from poking him further. Did she truly think him pretty? After so long being considered an unattractive dwarf the thought was inconceivable. But the way she looked up at him, with that something burning in her eyes he knew she was being truthful.
Kili dropped her hand when it looked as if she would not poke him again. But she did not remain still for long and started to wander again. This time it was to his hair. Time seemed to stop as she ran her fingers through it. He stopped breathing. His heart stuttered in his chest. Her ministrations sent tingles across his scalp and down his back. He couldn't suppress a shiver this time.
"Your hair is so soft Kili" she murmured, "It's nice to play with."
"Th-thank you," said Kili breathlessly.
She did not stop playing with his hair for the rest of the journey. He almost thought his heart was going to burst from his chest. Mahal, have mercy.
Soon the house appeared in front of them and Kili hastily opened the door. He just about managed to unbuckle her as she inelegantly and unceremoniously fell out of the car. Kili just about managed to get her upright before he thanked the driver and turned towards the house.
Leah did not look very stable on her feet as she stumbled down the pathway. He was proven right a few seconds later when she tripped over nought but air and nearly crashed to the floor. Kili grabbed her before she could do any damage and after deliberating for a few seconds, decided that it would be easier if he carried her. Swiftly, he lifted Leah into his arms and made his way inside.
He traversed the stairs as quietly as he could, trying not to wake up Ellen. She probably would not appreciate being disturbed. They were just outside her bedroom door when he heard her speak up again. "You're my knight in shining armour."
Kili gave a breathy laugh at the statement. "No problem my lady."
One of Leah's hands found its way to his cheek, pulling insistently. Kili assumed she wanted to tell him something so he allowed her to tilt his head downwards. He was wrong. Her lips moulded over his before he could even register what was happening. They were so soft against his own. All rational thought left his mind. At once a strong, overpowering sensation exploded within his chest and he nearly dropped her. Time stretched and rippled, an unspooling that had his insides swooping.
Leah gave him a sleepy smile and promptly fell unconscious.
Kili's mind was a swirl of chaotic thoughts and sentiments. The sensation that had ripped through his chest was not simply his reaction to being kissed. It was so much more than that.
Amad always said that you just knew but he never understood what she meant.
But now he did. It was undeniable.
Leah was his One.