It's been a little while... and I keep thinking that each chapter is going to be the last, but then it goes on! Haha
Enjoy. :)
Fili
"Fili?"
The blonde looked up from the sink, where he was washing his hands, getting ready to start working on his next client. Tauriel was standing in the doorway of their backroom, a confused expression on her face.
"What?" he asked, wiping his hands off on a rag that hung on the wall. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, long, red hair swaying, and walked towards him. She held a large, yellow envelope in her hand, which she gave to Fili, once she reached him. "Some random guy just delivered this package for you."
"Did he say who it was from?" he asked, turning the package over and over in his hands, finding no traces of who sent it or what it was.
"Nope. I just thought it was a little strange. Maybe you should open it, to make sure it's not an explosive or something."
Fili snorted and shook his head, before dropping the envelope onto the counter. "I have a client to go take care of. I'll look at it later. I'm sure it's fine."
Tauriel shrugged and left the room, leaving Fili to his own thoughts.
He definitely agreed that it was strange for a package to be delivered to him here, since that had never happened before. Although, he definitely didn't think he had to worry about explosives. However, he hadn't wanted to open the package in front of Tauriel. It was giving him a bad feeling, and he was usually one to follow his gut, so he gave the yellow envelope one last glance and also left the room, heading for his work area. For now he would let the matter be out of sight and out of mind.
A few hours later, Fili found himself standing in the foyer of his home, which was currently void of any people, save for himself. He clutched the envelope that Tauriel had given him, earlier that day, and breathed a sigh of relief that he was the only one home. It's not that he didn't want to see anyone, but he was curious about the contents of his package, and for some reason he didn't want anyone to be there when he opened it - not even Kili.
Fili hurried upstairs and into his bedroom, worried that if he opened it downstairs someone would come home and see. He tossed his things into the corner and then sat on the bed, holding the envelope in shaking hands.
No matter how many times he turned it over in his hands, he knew nothing would ever appear. It would never show outwards signs of who had sent it, or what was inside, so after a few seconds of staring at it, he threw caution to the wind and tore it open, dumping the contents onto the bed, his expression one of utter confusion.
All that fell from inside was a flash drive. There wasn't a note, nor were there any clues to point towards what was potentially on the flash drive. In the end, he decided that the only thing to do was plug it into his computer and see what came up, which seemed a little daunting to him, but he really had no other choice. It wasn't as if he could just ignore it. Just the thought of it drove him mad with curiosity.
Fili stood and walked to his desk, where his laptop sat, still open from the last time he had used it. He brushed his finger across the touch pad, to bring it back to life, and then took a seat before sliding the flash drive into a USB slot.
He held his breath.
Nothing happened for a few moments, and Fili was about to take it out and just forget about the whole thing, when a file folder finally popped up. There was only one thing in it, named 'Untitled,' so without further ado, he double clicked the icon, causing a video to pop up on the screen.
He didn't have to hit play for it to begin, and for a few moments he didn't have a clue what he was looking at. Leaning forward in his chair, he squinted at the low quality video, and as soon as he realized what was happening, his stomach seemed to lurch into his throat, and he gasped, his eyes growing rounder than they had ever been.
There, captured on a grainy video, were him and Kili in the middle of love-making - or rather fucking, since it was none too gentle - their shouts and moans grinding harshly in his ears.
It wasn't of their first time, which had been weeks ago, and far more tender, and for that he was thankful. That was an important memory to him - one which he didn't want spoiled by his crazy, stalker parents. No, this was far more recent. Fili remembered it clearly, having been only a couple days ago. Thorin and Bilbo had gone to have dinner with a few friends, and the two boys had taken the opportunity very seriously. Just looking at it brought a flush to Fili's cheeks.
He watched his own hands rake down Kili's muscled back, blood beading along the scratches. It looked painful, and Kili didn't even wince, just kept pounding into the blonde with seemingly endless endurance.
Fili, suddenly processing what he was truly seeing, slammed the laptop closed and pulled out the flash drive, unsure of what exactly to do with it.
Glancing around frantically, he opted for just tossing it in the trash, hoping no one would ever find it and see it. Had he been in his right mind, he would've destroyed it, but he wasn't thinking properly. The message they'd been trying to convey had been loud and clear. Fili now needed to focus his energy on keeping Kili safe, or else he wasn't sure what they would do to him, but it wouldn't be good.
The way they'd been getting into the house was a mystery to Fili. They were by no means stupid, but he couldn't believe that they would seriously go so far, and he didn't know what to do about it. So far, it seemed that they'd only been inside the house when nobody was home, but he didn't even want to think about them actually sneaking in while they were home. The though was far too chilling.
Just then, he heard the sound of the door opening downstairs, causing him to jump slightly, and then it was only a few moments and the sounds of pounding feet, before Kili was pushing open the bedroom door, a tired but happy look on his face.
"Fili?" he asked, when he saw the blonde's dark expression. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Fili mumbled, absently picking at a loose string on his shirt. "I just got home."
Kili gave him a suspicious look but continued his way inside the room, shutting the door behind him with his foot. Then he dropped his bag on the floor and collapsed on the bed, beads of sweat still visible on his face and neck.
"Getting a bit hot outside?" Fili questioned, trying to sound light, but he couldn't get the image of Kili's bared, muscular back and the sound of meeting flesh out of his head.
"A bit," the brunette sighed, throwing an arm across his face dramatically. "Pretty soon you'll be having to give me rides."
Fili forced a grin, even though the other boy couldn't see him.
There was a long silence after that, and Fili had actually thought that Kili had fallen asleep, before he suddenly sat up and began speaking again."
"Okay, I can tell something is wrong. I can practically hear your discomfort."
For a moment, Fili just looked at Kili, not exactly sure of what to say. He could just tell him the truth, even show him the video, but the thought gave him chills. He could also continue to lie, saying that everything was fine, but he knew Kili would never believe that, which would only result in an argument that neither of them could win.
In the end, he said, "I'm not sure we should stay together any longer."
Kili looked dumbstruck, his mouth hanging open and his brows furrowed, as if he couldn't comprehend what Fili had just said. "What?"
"Uh… uhm… I just think that, maybe for a little while, we shouldn't see each other."
"What's making you say such a thing?" Kili exclaimed, suddenly springing to life. He rose from the bed and crossed the room to where Fili stood, an expression in his eyes that was so pained, so disbelieving, that Fili suddenly wished he could take his words back and just forget the entire situation.
Instead of responding, Fili cast his blue eyes to the floor, unable to respond. It felt as if someone was squeezing their hands around his throat, attempting to stop the flow of words that he knew he would later regret.
"Fili, answer me," Kili urged, gripping the blonde's jaw in his hand so that he could force him to look up, to face the urgent plea in his expression.
"I-I," Fili felt like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. "I… I'm just worried about you."
"Worried about me? Why would you be worried about me? This isn't about those stupid notes from your old foster parents, is it? Because they can't do anything to harm me. We're safe here."
Fili shook his head, blonde hair flying from the intensity of it, and he stepped back, out of Kili's grip. "You don't understand," his voice caught, a thick lump of sadness suddenly forming in his throat. "They could do so many things to harm you, just to get to me. It's not safe for us to be together, and we both know it."
"I'm willing to risk it!" Kili nearly shouted, causing the shorter boy to flinch even further away. "How can you possibly be saying this? Just this morning everything was great. I was in love, unwilling to trade you for the world, and I thought you felt the same way."
"I do!" And he did. Fili wouldn't give Kili up for anything, except for his safety. In no way had he meant to make it sound like he no longer loved the brunette, but he was simply trying to keep him alive, which he didn't see a problem with. "Kili, I really, really do love you, but I'm just trying to look out for you, and it would be pretty hard to love you if you were dead. This doesn't even have to be permanent; just until I know everything we care about is safe."
The entire time Fili spoke, Kili simply shook his head, unwilling to hear Fili out. It was obvious that he didn't agree at all with how Fili saw things, but that didn't sway the blonde's mind. He was going to have to do what he had to do.
"Kili, I'm really sorry."
"No, Fili," Kili sobbed, finally breaking. "No, you can't do this."
"It's not forever."
"But what if it is?" he cried, sinking to the floor and burying his hands in his face.
Fili stared down in horror at the shivering figure, unsure of how things had gone so horribly wrong. He hadn't meant to be so harsh. Hell, he hadn't even known what he was going to do or say. It had all come out so quickly, but now that it was out, he couldn't take it back, nor did he want to. He believed that what he was doing was right, and it was the best option.
"It's not," he whispered, kneeling down to lay a gentle hand on Kili's shoulder. The younger boy only shrugged it off, and Fili felt hot tears run track down his own face as he dropped his hand in defeat.
When Kili gave him no response, Fili sighed and stood, wiping at his face and trying to school his features into one of more confidence. They were going to get through this; they had to. This was not the end, and as soon as things were fixed, he and Kili would be able to live a happy and normal life together.
"I'll be back, Kee."
"Where are you going?" Kili's head suddenly snapped up, his bloodshot eyes gazing up at Fili through more, unshed tears.
"I just need some air. I'm going to take a walk."
"I'll come with you."
"No," Fili spoke firmly, gesturing for the brunette to remain where he was. He couldn't have Kili with him. Right then, he needed some alone time to think and formulate a plan. Something needed to be done.
"Fee…" Kili pleaded helplessly, but the blonde stood firm.
"I'll be back soon."
Ignoring the fresh tears that fell from Kili's wet eyelashes, Fili turned and fled the room, as quickly as he could, not even bothering to grab his phone. The only thing he had in his pocket as he walked out the front door was a key to the house and his wallet. He wouldn't be gone long, though. He just had to breathe.
Kili
It was a long time before Kili could make himself get off of the floor. He was having a moment of weakness, pitying himself more than he ever had, and though he knew he was being unreasonable and selfish, he couldn't bring himself to care. Fili had literally just walked out on him, and that felt worse than all the times he went without food or kindness, during his orphan childhood, put together.
He wiped at the snot running from his nose and cringed at his stiff face. He never looked pretty when he cried, but he didn't really care. Nobody was even there to see him in such a depressed state, and he planned on keeping it that way.
After forcing himself to stand up, his knees wobbling slightly, he stumbled out of the room and down the hallway, into the bathroom, intending on taking a shower. Usually the pound of the hot water did a pretty good job of relaxing him and helping him to think, which was precisely what he needed at that moment.
He turned on the water and stripped off his clothes, trying not to look at himself in the mirror. He knew that if he did, he'd only hate himself more, and at the moment, that was definitely not what he needed. So, once he was clad in nothing but his skin, he stepped under the steaming gush of hot water and shut the curtain, effectively shutting out all the chaos that was in his head, leaving him in a calm, invigorating place.
And at last, Kili was able to think.
Fili, in his opinion, was being completely unreasonable. He knew the danger he was in, and he was willing to risk his life to be with the older boy. He meant more to him than anything else in his life ever had, and he obviously wasn't realizing this. It frustrated Kili to no end. And Fili hadn't even heard the voicemail that these insane people had left on his phone. If anything, Kili was more aware of the danger of their relationship than Fili was, but he could've very well tell him that, knowing the knowledge that he'd kept that from the blonde would really hurt his feelings, and then Kili would really feel like an ass.
But then again, who cared? In this situation, Fili was the one being an ass. He hadn't even given Kili a say in the matter, and wasn't it his safety that was in question? Wasn't it kind of his decision about whether they split up or not. Honestly, the blonde was being such a hypocrite, since only a few weeks ago he'd been complaining about how Kili wouldn't have sex with him, because he was worried about hurting the blonde. And now he was doing the exact same thing!
Kili huffed and sat down in the bathtub, letting the water run over him in hot sheets, melting away all of his sorrow and anger, until he felt as though he was nothing more than a puddle of numbness. He knew he'd soon have to get out and face the world once more, but first he had to make sure he had his head on straight, and this was the best way to do so.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but it was far after his skin had pruned and his back was a deep red from the boiling hot water, that he finally stood and got out of the shower, wrapping up in a warm, fluffy towel. He definitely felt a lot better than he had before, and now he was ready to face Fili once again, and tell him what was what. There was no reason for them to split up, if only temporarily, and he had every intention of convincing Fili of that.
After drying off and dressing, Kili made his way downstairs quickly, noting that it had now grown dark outside and Thorin and Bilbo were both home. It was clear that Fili wasn't downstairs, and he considered turning and heading to their room instead, assuming he'd be there, but if he was, then it was obvious he needed a bit more time to cool down. Kili was willing to give him that.
"Kili," Thorin greeted when he walked into the kitchen, where Bilbo had begun to prepare dinner. "How was today, nephew?"
Kili shrugged, taking a seat on the barstool, next to his uncle. If he was honest, it had been a pretty shit day, but he didn't want to go into the details, so he kept it to himself. "It was fine."
"Do you know if Fili will be joining us for dinner?" Bilbo questioned, turning from the stove to look at him.
"I suppose I could ask him," he replied slowly. Couldn't Bilbo just ask him, himself?
"Well," the small man continued, turning back to his precious food. "I can't get ahold of him, but perhaps he's ignoring me for some reason. You could give it a go."
"Wait." Kili shook his head, not understanding. Fili had to be back by now. He'd been gone for long over an hour, and it was far too dark to be out wandering around. "You mean he's not here?"
Thorin shook his head. "We thought maybe you'd seen him."
"He went for a walk…" Kili muttered, shaking his head and pulling out his phone to dial the blonde's number.
Something wasn't right, Kili just knew it. As he listened, waiting for Fili to pick up, with every ring his stomach sank a little lower. When the voicemail picked up, he couldn't even bear the sound of Fili's voice, so he quickly shut it off, still shaking his head.
"He didn't pick up."
Without waiting for a response, Kili hopped off the stool and ran out of the room before rushing up the stairs and into their bedroom. He searched futilely, looking for any kind of sign that would tell him what exactly was wrong with Fili, or where he went, and after minutes of stomping around the room, tearing things apart, the only thing he'd found was Fili's phone, which didn't exactly help ease his panic.
He stood in the middle of the room, panting, a hand held over his forehead in frustration as he glanced around helplessly. Holding back another bout of tears, he focused entirely on the task at hand. He had to find Fili and make sure he wasn't doing anything he would later regret, but try as he might, nothing gave him any idea of where he would go.
Suddenly an idea hit him, and he could've slapped himself for not thinking of it before. He pulled his phone back out and flicked through his contacts, until he found Tauriel's number. It only rang a couple of times before she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Tauriel. It's me, Kili."
She laughed, a sound that seemed so foreign to him at that moment. "I know. I have caller ID. Is something wrong? You sound pretty upset."
"Is Fili with you?" he asked, without even bothering to answer her question. Her response was all that mattered.
"No," she spoke slowly, almost tentatively, as if she could tell something had happened to him. "What happened?"
"What about Legolas?" Kili continued, ignoring her once again.
"He's with me."
Kili swore under his breath, his eyes darting around the room once more. He had absolutely no leads, except for the fact that Fili had walked, so he couldn't have gotten too incredibly far on his own. The image of Fili, lying dead in a ditch, kept popping into his mind, even though he knew it was an unreasonable way to think.
Finally, he asked, "Did he seem weird at all today? Like, was he acting different?"
"No," Tauriel replied. "Actually, he seemed to be in a better mood than usual. I did receive a package for him today, though, and that was a little strange. I don't know what was in it. He didn't open it here."
Finally, he had something! He thanked Tauriel and hung up, not bothering to wait to hear her goodbye. He felt a little bit bad about it, but now that he had some information to go off of, he had to focus, and he felt as though he didn't have a whole lot of time.
Trying to put himself in Fili's shoes, he imagined all the places the blonde would hide something that he didn't want Kili to see. Based on the way he'd treated the brunette that afternoon, Kili had a good idea of who had sent the package, but he needed to know what had been in it. Maybe it would help him.
It was a few minutes before he turned to the almost empty trash can, after scouring through the desk and dresser drawers, and spotted the little, black flash drive. Since there wasn't really any reason to throw such a thing away, Kili had a strong feeling that it was exactly what he was looking for.
He dug the little device out and wasted no time in plugging it into the laptop, and what he saw sent the worst chills down his spine, and his hands turned into fists at his side.
Fili was definitely in trouble, and Kili had to help him.
As always, thank you so much for reading. Comments and critique are much appreciated!
