Chapter 2

Fili had done as he promised himself and checked on Nala the next morning. He left Kili with their mother after breakfast who was still sulking over the events of the previous day. He rarely ever enjoyed his birthday.

Bola opened the door, munching on a green apple. "She's in her room," he answered the prince's unasked question. Fili raised his eyebrows momentarily in a quick gesture of thanks as Bola munched loudly on his fruit, swaying back around into the main room as Fili silently followed behind.

Fili placed a warm smile as Nala's father, Ganula, strode into the main chamber with his wife in tow. "Good morning, sir, mam," he greeted, clasping his hands behind his back. "Last night was wonderful, and my mother asked me to pass on her thanks for assisting in its organisation."

Ganula smiled broadly, not an uncommon sight on his face. "Ah! Tell Dis it was nothing, two of them are our children after all. And Kili is as close to family as it gets. You as well of course." Fili nodded in appreciation.

"You're here to see Nala I presume," Hervi said, latching onto her husband's arm.

"Well he's not here to see me," Bola snorted from his place on the couch, facing away so they could only see the back of his brown head. Fili huffed out a breath of laughter in agreement. Fili and Bola were never friends, but they had grown up with each other and never disliked the other. "She's probably still sleeping," Bola added. "Hasn't come out for breakfast yet."

"I'll drag her out," Fili jested. "If it's okay, I wanted to go to the markets today and I think Nala would like to come."

"Of course, of course," Hervi peppered. She began to walk forward, ushering Fili forward with his hands. "Before she sleeps the day away." Fili chuckled, marching forward and almost reaches the hallway but Hervi's hand latches onto his shoulder. The older woman smiles kindly, leaning in closer to his ear and Fili's smile drops. "She's probably tired from sneaking out late last night." Fili's eyes widened, weight shuffling from foot to foot with guilt. Hervi chuckled, patting his arm. "I don't mind since I know she was with you, but I would prefer her to have an escort in the middle of the night."

Fili's mouthed rounded, his reason for guilt morphing. "Of course, Miss Hervi. And my apologies. She had an argument last night and didn't want me to come back with her and I thought it would better to leave her to her thoughts. But I'll push next time."

"Kili?" Hervi guessed. Fili nodded, pursing his lips. "I don't know what it is with those two. For the first year after Kili was born, he never wanted to leave her arms then all of a sudden, he cried whenever she was near. Now of course she's grown to feel the same way. I'm sorry that you've been caught in the middle all these years."

Fili laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "I will admit, it has caused some difficulties but they're both kind people, just, not near each other it appears."

Hervi nodded slowly, squeezing the young boy's shoulder. Her mouth opened to say something more, but a younger voice cut her off. "Ma!" Nala cried from down the short hallway. "Let Fili go! You have no sense of when to stop talking."

Hervi's hand retreated back from Fili's shoulder to her hips. "Are you speaking to your mother like that?!" she called back down the hallway.

Instead of Nala's voice ringing back down, two voices in sync come from the opposite end of the house. "It's true!" the males of the household agreed. Hervi huffed indignantly but a smile threatened her lips. Fili held his own, not sure if he would be able to laugh at the situation.

"Right. It seems I should let you go then," she declared. Hervi turned, sauntering down the hallway with a melodramatic cry. "I'll just never speak again!" Fili could hear the sound of her husband replying and finally let a small chortle pass his lips before marching down the hallway.

He didn't bother knocking, only turning the knob and ramming his shoulder into the door to open it. "I've come to save you," he cried, parading into the room with his hands held in the air. Nala was still curled up in her bed, the light quilt pulled under her chin, but she smiled softly as her best friend's entrance. Fili's stance dropped. "You're not even dressed," he drawled.

Nala groaned, pulling the quilt up further so it covered her head. "I don't want to get up," she moaned through the material. Fili cocked his head to his shoulder with a sigh before slowly walking forward. He sat down on the middle of her bed, pulling his legs up to rest on the wooden board at the end – she would stab him with a spoon if he put his boots on her sheets. Silently, Nala opened her quilt and stretched her arm over Fili to engulf him in its comfort as well.

Fili watched her through the muted light under the sheet. "Don't let last night ruin today as well," he spoke quietly. "I know Kili won't apologise but he does feel bad."

Nala snorted, training her eyes on the sheet underneath her rather than on Fili's eyes. "He hates me." She shrugged a little, perking an eyebrow. "And it's fine, I hate him as well. I know that sounds awful since he's your little brother and I don't wish anything bad to happen to him or anything like that but he…he just makes things so hard and I don't know what to do." She pushed the quilt off, tightly shutting her eyes for a moment as the sun blared down on them. "I don't want to put you in a position where you feel like you have to choose between us and I don't want him to not feel like he can be around you because I'm there."

Fili thought over her words for a moment before deciding what to say. "I don't think you hate him," he eventually chose. "And I don't think he hates you." Nala glared at him with raised brows as though trying to determine whether his sanity was still intact. "He kept your gifts," he added. "Well, two of them. There was no saving whatever was made out of glass. In fact, the flute is on his nightstand as of this moment."

Nala only chewed her cheek, not sure what to make of the fact. First, he outright rejected her gift, knocked it out of her hands which broke the engraved glass panel she had commissioned and now apparently, he had kept it? "Does he think I'm stupid because the coat doesn't fit?" she questioned in a low mutter.

Fili shook his head with a smirk. "No," he chuckled. "I think he gets the idea." He slid out of the bed, holding his hands forward. "Now, enough about my brother. This is our day, and we are going to the markets. No mention of Kili from here on out."

Nala contemplated his demand – as though she actually had a choice. Even if she said no, her mother would drag her out by the ear. Hervi had always encouraged their friendship, always saying yes to visiting the other or going out exploring.

Xx

Nala fluffed a light purple shawl over Fili's head, covering it as a travelling woman would. Her eyes squinted, testing the colour against his complexion. Fili batted his eyes lashes in a feminine manner, reaching up to pinch the shawl under his chin.

"Am I beautiful?" he asked, raising the back of his hand to his forehead.

"Stunning," Nala agrees with a small smirk. "But I don't think purple is your colour. Definitely tan and green." Though the house of Durin usually was represented by the colour blue, most of the Durin line also had darker hair and a slightly different skin undertone. Taking the shawl back, she wrapped it around her own shoulders, striking a few poses. "But is it mine?"

Fili stepped back, resting his hands on his hips. "I think it is," he announced in a faux sincere manner. Nala chuckled, taking the shawl off and began to fold it back up for the display but Fili dug into his pocket, handing the merchant a silver coin before she even has the chance to refuse.

Nala dropped her shoulder, giving her friend a subtle glare. "Fili," she whispered. "Please don't buy me things."

"Who said it was for you?" Fili took the cloth out of her hands, wrapping it back around his head. "I thought you said I looked stunning?"

Nala nodded her head with wide eyes, playing along with his game. "Oh, forgive me. You look more magnificent than I could ever in that."

Fili played on his act for a few more moments but as the public's eyes moved towards him, he decided to end it. He folded it back up neatly so it would fit in her empty satchel. "Happy birthday, again."

Nala placed it neatly tucked away in her bag before winding her hand around his elbow. "Thank you. But now for your birthday I'm going to have to outdo you, that's just the way it is."

"My birthday has already gone though."

"They do come around each year."

"Well, you still don't have to."

Nala paused her walking, tugging on Fili to turn him to her. "We aren't short in money," she spoke quietly. "I know we don't have as much as your family, but we aren't struggling nearly as much as other families here. I can afford to buy myself, and you things." The Blue Mountains were not the most prosperous realm, not nearly matching the tales of Erebor but being on the wealthier side, her family got through comfortably. Her mother was a seamstress, working for the old nobles and the royal family themselves and her father was a toymaker. They got along without many worries, though they were always conscious of their spending. Her mother would give her a few coins for the market but often returned home with over half, if not all the money.

Fili nodded. "I know," he said. "But I like buying my friends things. And it's also a bit of an apology for last night. I know you spent a while choosing those things."

Nala smiled numbly. "Didn't exactly do what I hoped it would."

"I think it did more than you thought," Fili whispered into her ear. Nala gave him a disbelieving expression as they continue walking once more. "We aren't supposed to be talking about this. You and me day, remember?"

Nala pushed any thoughts of the youngest brother from her mind, giggling as Fili tugged her hand and they ran through the markets, barely missing a barrel being rolled along the ground. Someone shouted at them, but the voice muffled with the wind against their ears and their own laughter.

Xx

Thorin came home later that evening which of course called for a large dinner in welcome. Thorin sat at the head of the table, rejoicing in the company of his friends and family once again. Nala sits towards the middle of the long table, her mother and brother on either side, directly opposite Balin and Dwalin. A small smile stayed on her cheeks the entire night, happy for Thorin's return and the pleasant night after her wonderful day with Fili but her place on the table left her with little options to converse with as everybody else ventured in 'adult' topics and her lone friend was near the head of the table.

Bola seemed just as disinterred in the 'mining economy' as she was, lazily sitting back against his seat with a goblet balancing between his fingers. Nala gave him subtle glares, knocking his leg slightly at different points. Eventually, Bola tipped his head down towards his shoulder, giving her an exasperated expression. "Nala," he breathed. "Nobody here cares what we look like."

He knew his sister's tendencies – her concerns. And it wasn't that he didn't entirely care, but he just had a more defined sense of when it seemed important to be well behaved and noble appearing. And he was capable of putting on the face, but with the company they were in – he didn't see reason to.

Nala ducked her head, fiddling with the ring. "Habit," she excused. "But at least sit up straighter, you're going to have a sore back."

Bola chuckled, doing as she requested and places his goblet on the table. He wraps a hand around the back of her shoulder with the same laziness that he sat with. "Always looking out for me," he taunted. "How was your day?"

"Good," she beamed with honesty. "Fili bought me a nice scarf as an extra present and we had these sausages covered in melted cheese for lunch. Oh! And we visited Mister Frior down at the forge. He has these new knives that Fili couldn't take his eyes off of. I think I know what to get him next year for his birthday."

"And that reminds me – how did Kili take your gift?"

Nala dropped the back of her head onto the spine of the chair with a long sigh. "He knocked it out of my hands and it fell from the tree."

Bola sent a glare towards the dark-haired Dwarf sitting next to his mother at the head of the table. "Rotten brat," he growled.

Nala quickly smacked his leg under the table, eyes darting around for listening ears. "Shut up," she warned. "You can't talk about the Prince like that so openly. Besides, Fili told me that he kept the flute and coat. Not sure whether I believe him on that, and it doesn't seem to have changed anything."

"You've done all you can," Bola said, changing back to his soft tone which was only reserved for Nala and their mother. "He's the one with the problem. But on a positive note, he hasn't said anything to you tonight. Usually there's at least one passing remark."

Nala snorted into her goblet, risking a glance down to said Dwarf's end of the table. She watched him for a moment, observing one of those moments where he has no idea of her presence and behaves how he usually does. Carefree and friendly. Yet as soon as she was in his sights, his face turned stony and cold and everything that came from his mouth was said with such snark that she wondered how he never tired from keeping it up.

As though feeling her eyes on him, Kili's head turned towards her and for a pure blissful moment, they just looked at each other with nothing but contemplative lines in their face. But Nala quickly righted herself, snapping her eyes to the other end of the table. She barely held herself from muttering an apology as though she was to blame for his sour mood that was sure to spring on him any second.

After another few moments, an unearthly curiosity overtook her and without consent, her eyes drifted back over to him. Kili wasn't looking at her, only staring blankly at the bowl in front of him. His cheek rested against his fist while his other hand swirled his spoon around whatever food was left in a manner similar to Bola's laziness.

Kili watched the small chunk of meat push the remnants of stew around, feeling suddenly put out. The evening had been going nicely until he felt eyes on him, and he just had to look up. He doesn't even know why it set him off entirely – she wasn't vying for Fili's attention, nor was she glaring at him. She was just looking and he looked back.

"So, tell me," Thorin said, wiping his hands on a thick white napkin. "How was last night?"

Kili straightened, the attention of people close-by turning to him. "It was great," he replied, only partially lying. "The party was fun and Dwalin gave me a new bow and I got a new pair of boots and a flute, and-"

"A flute?" Dis intervened with new interest. "I don't remember seeing you receive one." She had been there for most of the gift-giving and he had numerous gifts, but none of them was a flute. Kili opened his mouth, but the words stuck to the side of his throat for a reason he could not conjure.

"Nala gave it to him," Fili answered smoothly instead. "And a coat."

"Nala did?" Dis questioned, briefly glancing over in the young girl's direction. Kili shifted uncomfortably, not sure how his mother would take this information. Dis, of course, knew the pair didn't get along and never forced them to try and get over it as long as they didn't have a screaming match in either of their homes. Some people were just destined to never get along. "How kind," she murmured. "You remembered to say thank you, of course?"

"Yes," Kili lied. Fili held back a roll of his eyes but kept his mouth shut as the circumstances weren't exactly in his brother's favour. Dis muttered a 'good'. Kili had interrogated his brother last night after they returned home, demanding to know whether he knew about the gift and if it was some kind of plan that she was setting up. Fili told him the exact truth.

Xx

Another week passed over since Thorin's arrival home and Nala was in a terrible mood that unfortunate day. She had gone out into the fields outside the halls to collect some flowers for their home – not that they would survive long without the sun, but it would brighten the main chamber. But clouds had quickly formed overhead and poured down on her before she could reach the cover of the mountain.

Soaking wet, and flowers lost, Nala marched through the halls of Ered Luin with nothing else on her mind but reaching her home and changing into something warm and dry. But more unfortunate than getting caught in the rain, was her path of choice and the events that happened next.

Kili walked around the halls with a small but delicate package in his hands. He was alone, not even with his brother in tow and he wasn't sure if that made him more nervous or if he was better off without him.

He kept going over words in his head, deciding what would sound best coming out of his mouth. In all honestly, he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to do this, but it just felt like the right thing to do and he had spent the past week thinking it over.

So, when he rounded a corner, Nala appearing only a few steps away, his nerves exploded in his stomach. "Nala." Nala barely gave him a fleeting glance, continuing in her strides with a strong determination to pass right by him without so much as muttering a 'hello'. Kili's mouth hung open slightly, turning on the spot as she marched right past him. "Nala," he called out again with more intention.

Nala huffed a heavy breath of air through her nose, pulling to a stop. "Kili," she responded with harsh disinterest. What could he want now? If he has just pulled her to a stop to send her an insult, then she isn't sure she could stop her throat from screaming.

Kili's mouth opened and closed again, not being able to form the words that had been running through his head only seconds ago. Knowing he would never get the words out, he held out the small package. It was awkwardly wrapped, despite the twenty or so minutes he spent trying to make it look decent. "Here."

Nala's eyes dropped down to the package, staring at it for a few moments through thick silence. She had no idea what it was supposed to be? Mail? A trick? Some sort of revenge for something she did? "I don't want it," she declared, repeating his words from that night.

"I-I bought it for you," Kili stuttered, stepping closer. "As a birthday gift."

Maybe under a different circumstance, she would have taken it – even thanking him. But today was just the wrong day for Kili to have tried. "I. Don't. Want. It." She knew he remembered his own words and she was glad. He hurt her and she wanted to hurt him back. Fair was fair. She didn't want anything from him anymore.

Kili's demeanour changed, becoming rigid defensively. His arm holding out the package dropped back to his side. "You're a real snobbish piece of work, you know that?"

Nala's jaw clenched together, mimicking Kili's stance. Even two years younger he stood taller than her. "Save me the effort and toss it off the mountain yourself," she snapped, not having any care how hard she sounded. Fili would be scolding the both of them if he were there. "I don't want anything from you – not your comments, not your opinions, not whatever this is. I'm almost certain that Fili made you buy it as well. Tell him thanks, but he's already given me enough."

His nose flared, the paper of the package crinkling under his tightly clenched fingers. He was angry, oh so angry. But he was upset more so. Though he knows his attempt seemed pathetic, it was the best he knew how to do, and she didn't even consider it for more than a second, if at all.

Before she could see any of that raw emotion surface onto his face, he turned the way he was originally walking and marched off. Nala watched him only for a second before turning around as well and making her way back home, albeit more slowly than before.

Xx

Fili sat with Nala in front of the couch in her home, not being able to deal with his brother's sooky attitude any longer that night. The fire burned in front of them through the darkness of the home, the rest of her family in bed hours before.

"You're in just as bad a mood as Kili," he noted tiredly. Nala only gave a grunt in response, staring into the flames. Fili exhaled, turning to his side. "He was stressing all week you know?" Nala turned her head, raising a brow in silent questioning. "Kili. He didn't know what to get you, but he saw this necklace and thought it was perfect. Had to ask mother for some more money," he chuckled softly, shaking his head. "And he's really upset that you didn't take it."

"Well he knows how I felt then," she replied bluntly, turning her eyes back towards the fire. "I don't want anything from him. I'm sure he can keep the necklace for someone else."

"He didn't pick it out for someone else," Fili protested. "He picked it out for you. He tried, just like you did but now you're both being immature. I know that you're upset about what happened last week, but this was his way of saying sorry."

"I don't want his apologies," she says through a shaky breath. "I don't want anything from him except for him to not hate me. I don't care if he never speaks to me anymore. I just want him to pretend that I don't exist."

Fili kept his mouth shut, sucking on his lips. Digging into the pocket of his coat, he brought out something small enough to fit in a closed fist. Nala watched from the edge of her vision as he opened his palm. Sitting inside was a silver chain, a small pendant threaded on it. Admittedly it took her interest and her head turned towards it. The pendant was a blue stone, possibly lapis lazuli, held in place by three silver prongs that swirled around it gently. It was truly very beautiful.

Sniffing, she turned her head back forwards to not let herself be drawn to it more than she has. Fili leaned closer, pushing it back into her vision. "Do you want it?" Nala's eyes kept flickering down to it. She wasn't usually this easily taken with beautiful things. She had a small box full of things but this one seemed special. Like it was different from the rest. Fili took her face of adoration as a yes and picks up the ends between his fingers. Nala doesn't protest as he wound it around her neck, clasping it together. As soon as it is there though, she tucks it under the material of her dress which is easily done with the length of the chain.

"Can I come to your session with Balin tomorrow?"

Fili nodded, leaning back against the front of the couch. "That man loves you," he chuckled. "Just don't cause a ruckus."