"This is getting ridiculous" Fili growls, trapped in the theatre building on campus for the second time in a day by the paparazzi milling about outside. His instructor Bofur just shrugs, "Hey, it's been great for ticket sales, we've sold the house every night for Marat/Sade."
Fili huffs in annoyance at him but Bofur just laughs, "C'mon lad, I'll get their attention, you just go around the front way."
"I could kiss you if you weren't such a prick." FIli tells him and jogs down the hall, hearing Bofur calling out the door.
"I can get ya an exclusive interview if ya come back around 2:30 tomorrow, he'll be here to talk to ya then. I'm going to need all your names though, just ta be sure."
"I'm going to skin him." Fili thinks, sprinting to Gimli's car where it idles in the parking lot. He gets in without looking, too busy keeping an eye out for any camera that might catch what his ride looks like. Fortunately Gimli's windows are fairly darkly tinted.
"Kili's lucky I love him more than my own arm, Bofur just promised those vultures an interview with me. I hope Kee doesn't mind."
"He doesn't."
The blonde's head whipped around to find Kili grinning at him from the drivers seat, "You are extraordinarily inattentive, you know that?"
Fili gives him the finger but leans in immediately afterward for a quick kiss anyways.
"So why do I get the special treatment today?" He asks, Kili is rarely around this early in the day so he assumes there is something special happening.
Kili sighs, "Because we only have this week, we're going to be leaving again soon. We're up for an award at the Golden Gods and then we're overseeing the album release before we start touring again. I'll be gone for three months then we have a two week rest and then four months."
Silence settles between them as Fili processes the news, his stomach clenches and he has to swallow the lump in his throat.
"I see, well we knew it would happen sometime soon. At least we have the week together before you go…well I guess some of the week when I'm not in classes."
Fili keeps his voice even and tries to sound at least somewhat optimistic, he knows he doesn't entirely succeed but he thinks he does a decent enough job. Kili looks out the window, navigating traffic without much effort as he seems to come to a decision.
"I've got some final preparations to do and packing so that'll cut into our time together…I want to spend as much time with you as I can though. Do you mind if I come to class with you?"
Kili sounds nervous but when he glances at Fili he has to laugh, the elder looks like a gasping fish as he tries to respond.
"I know it'll stir up a lot of commotion at first if I'm recognized but I don't care."
Fili laughs too then, "Sure, my professors could use something to shake 'em up I'm sure."
Fili's first class of the day is Styles of Acting, he and Kili arrive first and take seats in the middle row. Kili leans into Fili, "Do you always have class onstage?"
He gestures to the space that is a round theatre and the blonde shrugs, "Just the acting courses really, the rest are taught in regular classrooms and sometimes the green room."
The professor is next, Thranduil Greenleaf who makes eye contact with Kili and just rolls his eyes. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Tell my son to call me sometime would you?"
Fili looks between his professor and his boyfriend, finally it clicks and he laughs at himself wondering how he didn't make the connection between the sassy blonde acting coach and Kili's best friend/bassist. Legolas is the spitting, if more reserved, image of his father.
The rest of the class files in, coming in groups of friends and the occasional single person who is immediately swallowed by a friend group. All of them are rather wrapped up in their own conversations and it isn't until one of Fili's friends, a tall and attractive blue-eyed young man, turns to say hello that anyone notices Kili.
"Hey Fili! So I was looking at the syllabus for Dr. .God." He cuts off his original thought entirely, his upbeat and carrying voice alerting the whole class to what it is that has drawn his attention.
Suddenly every member of the group is staring at Kili and Professor Greenleaf sighs, standing up. "Yes that is Kili, of musical related fame. Now if you all would pay attention over here I might be able to teach you things and you might, as a result, get to rub shoulders with more famous people. Better yet you might one day have a room full of people gawking at you in recognition."
This effectively re-focused the class and Fili mouths a thanks to his professor.
Kili is pulled into the lesson as soon as they are on their feet and Fili laughs in delight as the brunette tries his best to embody the physical effects of fear, mostly because Kili has achieved looking like a startled fawn. His laughs fade a bit as Kili manages the effects and his eyes go wide, his breathing is coming faster and he falls, scrambling backward from the unseen enemy.
Even though Fili himself has done the exercise a hundred times it still feels wrong to him, seeing Kili like this. It must cause a similar feeling in Thranduil because he calls an end to it quickly and asks Kili to be happy instead. This Kili does in a heartbeat, easier than breathing, with his big smile and his bright eyes and Fili swallows the sadness that chokes him when he thinks about how long they are going to be apart.
They spend the day in classes and Kili gets to know a few of the theatre students a bit better. Fili's friends are upbeat and energetic though an undercurrent of tension is always there. Kili attributes it to the show that he knows is going on in the evening and he finds he is right when the friend who first noticed him falls into a seat beside him.
The green room is a hub of activity, Fili is working with metal so Kili is relegated here for the time being. "I'm Nick." The dark haired young man says, his smile bright and he seems to be vibrating with energy.
Kili smiles at him, "I'm Kili. You in the show?" Nick nods and his eyes widen in a expression of excited panic, "yeeeeaaah. Opening night, ya know? Preshow nerves are a bitch."
They laugh and share a few stories of panic moments before going onstage and Kili warms up to him in a heartbeat. Fili finds them talking cheerfully and claps Nick on the shoulder, "Trying to steal him away with your devilish charms?"
Nick laughs, his big friendly smile so genuine that Kili imagines a puppy for a moment, "Nah. I've got my man, this one's all yours golden boy."
He offers Fili a fist bump and goes full dork with an explosion afterward, sending Kili into a round of giggles. They leave for Kili's apartment to a chorus of goodbyes and general noisiness.
Kili's apartment is a haven, it's quiet and Fili spends the next few days there, without really meaning too he loses track of time entirely.
They sit quietly across from each other eating spaghetti that Fili made and smiling at each other occasionally.
"Fee…I love you, I need you to remember that when I'm gone."
Fili looks up, confused, "Of course I'm going to remember that. We didn't just spend all this time being together and we definitely did not go through the entire Star Wars saga making silly voices just for me to forget how you feel about me."
Kili laughs and throws a noodle at a mock offended Fili. "You know what I meant you twat. The magazines are after you right now because we're the juiciest gossip together. You ditched the interview and that was good but….Fee while I'm gone they're gonna be sharks."
The blond shrugs, "If I don't give 'em anything It'll be fine. I can handle it."
Kili sets his fork down and looks at Fili seriously, a feeling of dread settles in the elder's stomach, the time he's had with Kili has been like magic. The brunette is everything to him and he wishes he could just pretend the last two days are going to be how the rest of his life is. Kili waking him with soft kisses, coffee and video games, movies and dinner together, soft and happy.
"If you don't talk to them they're going to switch tangents, they're going to come after me and when I don't give them an inch they will start trying to smear me. You'll see things about me and random women…or men. I need you to know that if you react in any way to those they're going to hound you relentlessly."
Kili's eyes are wide and sincere and he is clearly distraught, "It would be so much easier for you if I'd never…"
Fili stops that thought before it can finish, "Kee, I can't imagine never being with you. You're fucking wonderful, my friends love you and just…you fit me." He sets his fork down and Kili seems to understand what he wants, needs right then.
Kili's lips are soft pressed against Fili's and he tastes like he did that very first time, the tang of something unknown and promising lingering between them. It's a little more bittersweet this time but Fili cannot say why as he leads the brunette to the bedroom, the hall light is off and the door already open.
Kili doesn't bother with words as he tugs Fili's shirt over his head and carefully removes his pants, each movement intentioned and followed by feather light kisses. When he is naked, Fili returns the gestures, shirt off easily and a slow unwrapping of the rest.
They are unhurried with their kisses and lingering touches as Fili leads Kili to the bed, soft sheets a song against their skin. Kili is still loose from the night before but Fili takes his time preparing him anyways, fingers slow and methodic as he watches small sighs and pants fall from Kili's lips.
They kiss as the blonde sinks into the body beneath him, sighing together as they fit against each other. Kili's eyes meet his and Fili moves slowly, loving, against him. They are re-affirming their connection too each other.
Kili rolls his hips to meet every slow thrust and Fili kisses the small noises out of his mouth. He reaches between them, speeding up a little and palming Kili's erection as he does. The singer comes with a single loud moan and the whisper of Fili's name.
With a groan the blonde follows, spilling inside of Kili and kissing him softly as he withdraws. The bathroom is near enough he goes for a damp cloth to clean them off, caressing Kili's thighs as he wipes. He drops the towel beside the bed and pulls Kili close to him, their week is wearing thin and Fili has to return to his life tomorrow. Three days they've hidden together, not counting the day they spent in classes together, it is time for Kili to pack and he's sure his phone is going to explode when he turns it on. Frer is probably pissed at him.
None of that matters though as Fili rubs soft circles over his skin and he feels the tears before they come. Water streams down his cheeks and his breath shudders, he can't help it.
"Fee…I'm scared."
Fili's heart breaks with that one small admission and he hugs Kili tighter, wiping away the tears.
"Don't be my love, I'm here to kiss the fear away and when we're apart I'll kiss your picture goodnight to steal it too."
Kili manages a watery chuckle at that and leans up for his kiss, which Fili grants easily.
Legolas sits beside Gimli on the hood of his car, watching the sunrise. They have been responsible adults, thank you very much, and kept up with their lives outside of each other as the week has run out. After fighting on Tuesday about if they were a couple or not, more to the point if they were a power couple or not, they had decided that spending too much time together this early on was a terrible idea.
This is nice though, Legolas thinks as the red-head leans very lightly against his shoulder and they watch the colors chase each other across the sky. He drops a kiss into the wild hair and looks back up, quiet.
"It's too fecking early."
Well…almost quiet. He smiles ruefully down at Gimli, "Maybe if we'd brought the blanket I suggested you would not have that issue."
He is rewarded with a pinch to his leg in response, "If I just listened to my own reasoning we'd still be warm in bed, not freezing our asses off to see some pretty colors at feck-all-knows-what-hour of the morning."
Legolas tch's and gives Gimli a little shove, sliding off the car hood and going to rummage in the trunk. "I knew you were going to complain, so I brought this."
He hands Gimli a thermos which the shorter uncaps easily and takes a grateful sip. His eyes widen immediately.
Legolas can't help it, he breaks, laughing so hard he bends over.
"Schnapps! In warm milk. You're a devil." Gimli coughs out and chucks the thermos at him. Legolas catches it easy enough and grins at him.
"I believe that makes the score five to two, me."
Gimli levels a glare at him, "Oi, you just gloat now, I have all the time you're gone to prepare because I'm not going to be up late playing for crowds and partying with the energize bunny that is Kili."
Legolas pulls a comical frightened face, "ohhh…scary." He sobers after a second though.
"You'll be up all night keeping Fili sane after a while I'm sure. Most people ignore the bassist and if anyone even knows Frer's name I'll be is fascinatingly untouchable. Kili's the frontman so there's going to be a lot of gossip, if he so much as blows a kiss to the crowd it'll be all over."
Gimli makes a face, "Don't remind me. And don't think that just because the Pap isn't going to smother you I won't find out if you're chasing tail."
Legolas knows it's mostly in jest but he presses a single long finger under Gimli's chin, "Wouldn't be worth the beating you'd…attempt..to give me when I got back short stuff."
Gimli grumbles but allows Legolas to kiss him just the same. "We'd better head out soon, it's time we drag the lovebirds back to the real world after all."