It was a cold evening in the Blue Mountains, the first snow hadn't fallen yet but Fíli was sure it would fall soon. The trees that surrounded him were a beautiful shade of yellow, well at least the leaves that were left on them were beautiful.

Kíli had been gone for some time now, and no matter where Fíli looked, he couldn't find his brother. "Kíli! Kíli, where are you?" He shouted as loud as he could but he was sure his voice died in the wind.

Fili called for his brother again and again, it seemed it had been hours since Dis made him go find his brother. He pulled his coat tighter around his cold body. Why was he always the one to find Kíli whenever he went missing? Why was it that he always had to look after his brother? Why-

Fíli's thoughts were interrupted when he tasted something fowl in his mouth, he quickly spat it out when he realized his nose was running. He muttered a curse while he wiped his numb nose with the sleeve of his fur coat. He wasn't in the best of moods, he had been having late nights for the last week from helping his uncle work in the forges.

"Kíli!" He realized his voice was growing horse, but at least he could hear it, which meant the wind was calming. But that didn't stop Fíli from feeling frozen.

All he wanted to do was find his brother, go home, smoke his pipe and sit by the warm hearth. Fíli let out a sigh and leaned heavily on a tree. Slowly sliding down until he felt the cold earth under his fingertips. He watched as leaves the shades of yellow, orange, and red fell to the earth, as beautiful as it was he never liked fall at all. He preferred spring when the flowers bloomed, it wasn't too hot nor was it too cold, feeling a soft breeze on his face, and not to mention he loved practicing with his blades in the fields, with the fresh green grass...

Fíli's head snapped up and he realized he was dozing off. He rubbed his tired eyes and slowly stood, once up he shook out his numb leg, sighing in frustration when it was asleep. Once the blood returned to his limb he resumed his search for his brother.

"For Mahal's sake Kíli! This isn't a game anymore! I want to go home!" The sun was setting and it was still cold. He continued to walk threw the forest, every so often kicking a pile of leaves in frustration, when something quickly moved from the corner of his eye. He froze in his steps and slowly reached for the place of his dagger, but mentally cursed himself when it wasn't there. None of his other knives where in there spots either. But he never left home without his weapons?

Fíli slowly turned toward the direction from where he saw the object move, praying to Mahal it wasn't an orc, or anything other than a rabbit...

"Kíli? Kee, is that you?" He started slowly walking forward when something suddenly swung down in front of him, startling him, and making him fall backwards into a pile of mud and leaves. He wasn't sure if he screamed out or not but that didn't matter right then.

Sitting up as fast as he could he rubbed the mud from his face with one hand to see his attacker, (cursing when some got into his eyes) and with the other he frantically searched the ground for anything he could use as a weapon. Once most of the mud was from his face his vision was a bit clouded but he managed to grab a stick and hold it out at the blurry figure.

Of course his hearing was fine, and the noise coming from the figure was not what Fíli expected... It was, laughter? He dropped his stick and tried to rub the mud from his eyes the best he could. Once his vision was clear enough he saw the source of the laughing. "Kíli?"

Sure enough there, hanging from a branch, upside down from his legs was Kíli laughing up a storm. "Oh Fíli! You should have seen you face!"

Fìli at first was relieved, not only because his "attacker" wasn't an Orc, but that his brother was safe. Then he felt something else wash over him. It wasn't necessarily anger, but it sure wasn't happy.

"Kíli! I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? We've been worried sick! You better be glad mum made me look for you! Mahal knows what would've happened if Thorin was the one to look for you!" He yelled as he tried to stand from the mess on the ground.

Kili continued to laugh as if he hadn't had a care in the world. If possible he laughed harder when Fìli slipped back into the mud and leaves.

"Fìli! Stop- stop making me laugh!"

Fìli rolled his eyes and got up again, careful not to slip. Once up he felt the anger he felt only moments ago drain from his body as he watched his brother laugh.

He noticed his brother was wearing his cloak, which meant he couldn't be that cold. Though the back of it was dangling behind his head along with his black hair, barely touching the ground. Once his laugher died down into a chuckle Fìli walked over to his brother's upside down body and stood face to face with him. He held the cloak that was dangling behind his brother's head, and Kìli rapped his own arms around Fìli's head.

Although Fìli looked unamused Kìli had the biggest grin on his face. Fìli, unable to hold it back, he rolled his eyes and a smile of his own grew on his face. He held the back of his brother's head and put his forehead against his own.

Kili was surprisingly warm, his face was red from his laughter, or because the fact that all the blood was draining into his head. "Fìli? Are you alright?"

"Yes my brother, I'm just glad that you are safe, I was beginning to worry." He slowly pulled his head away and looked into his brother's big, brown pools. They were so innocent and full of life, so young and unchanged. He snapped out of his gaze when he heard Kìli cough. "We better head home, it's getting dark and I don't have my weapons."

Again, Kìli bursted into laughter "Oh Mahal Fìli! You've gotten slow!" He pulled himself up and reached into his boots and dropped one of Fìli's knives onto the ground. Soon all of Fìli's knives started to rain down and hit the ground. Kìli swung himself back again, with a smile looking to his brother. "Ta da!"

Fìli looked at the knives that littered the ground amazed. "But, h- how?" He looked up to meet his brother's gaze, still smiling while Fìli was still shocked.

"Let's just say your a heavy sleeper. Even when it was only for, what? Five minutes?" Kìli's grin stayed in its place.

Fìli, on the other hand, was still confused. Then it hit him. When he was looking for Kìli earlier and fell asleep against the tree. "You're a little snitch aren't you?" Fìli smiled and picked up his knives putting them back into there home. "Come now, get down and let's go home, it's still freezing."

Kìli looked up to his knees then back to his brother then back to his knees. "Umm Fee..."

"Yes Kìli?" He knew what his brother was going to say and a smile was playing on his lips.

"I- I need help... I'm stuck..."

Fìli bursted out into laughter, doubled over putting his hands on his knees. It was very rare for his brother to ask for help.

"Alright, alright! You've had your fun! Now come on, help me down!" Kìli crossed his arms and glared at his older sibling.

Fìli stood up straight, keeping his smile "I don't know Kee... You look pretty good as a tree decoration."

"Fìli! Come on! I can't feel my legs!"

Fìli, still with his smile walked behind his brother and pushed his back until he couldn't reach anymore and Kìli was sitting up straight on the branch. He could hear his brother let out a sigh of relief, feeling the blood return to his stinging legs. Fìli held his arms up to Kìli as if he was getting ready to catch him.

Kìli raised an eyebrow seeing his brother do so, then smiled "In your dreams Fee."

Fìli nodded putting his hands down and taking a step back. When he saw his brother about to jump off he spoke "Don't you legs still feel-"

Kìli answered his question by jumping off the branch and landing on this feet awkwardly. He fell backwards into the mud that Fìli fell into not ten minutes ago.

Of course, Fìli being the older, responsible brother bursted into another fit of laughter. Once again doubled over trying to catch his breath in the cold air.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Kìli's voice was full of sarcasm. "Now help me up."

Fìli wiped a stray tear that was falling down the side of his face and walked over to his brother holding out his hand for him to grab onto. It was then when Kìli did take hold of his hand he saw his brother's devilish smile. But by the time Fìli knew what his brother was thinking, Kìli already had him pulled into the mud right next to him.

"Kìli! That's not fair-" His voiced was cut off when Kìli reached up with a handful of mud and dumped it onto his brother's head, turning the top of his golden hair brown. Fìli looked over and playfully glared at his brother. He then proceeded to tackle him deeper into the mud.

After a few more mud chunks being thrown and much more laughter, Fìli was sitting on top of his younger brother's back.

"Who's the best brother ever?" He teased

Kìli was laughing so hard he could barley breath, and it didn't help the fact that his brother was sitting on top of him.

"Say it!"

"N,never!"

"So help me Kìli, if you don't say it I will lick you!" Of course he wouldn't. They were both covered from head to toe in mud, leaves, and Mahal knows what else. Yet again, there was the threat of it he could use against him. He leaned down close to his brother's face with his tongue sticking out. "Eh? Thay it Keelee!"

Seeing Fìli's tongue Kìli started thrashing from under him. "Alright! You! Your the best brother ever! Put that thing away!"

Fìli smiled with his victory and got off of Kìli. Once he stood up he looked over and saw the sun was almost completely gone. He looked back down at his brother who was still sprawled across the ground trying to catch his breath.

"We better head home. Mum's probably worried sick." Fìli tried to hold back a cough.

Kìli grunted as he turned onto his back and slowly sat up. "Oh, Fìli, you really need to loose some weight or something. I think you crushed my ribs!" He teased.

"Oh be quiet, you just need to toughen up!" He wiped one of his hands on his pants in a attempt to wipe the drying mud and held it out to his brother once more making sure he was secure so he couldn't be pulled back in again. When Kìli grabbed his hand he yanked him up and re-wiped his hand.

Kìli had a little bit of a coughing fit once up. Fìli had almost forgotten how cold it was, and cursed himself for not being responsible and taking care of his brother.

Kìli must have seen the look on his elder brother's face. He straightened up and smiled. "Let's go home. It's freezing!"

Fìli smiled and swung his arm around the dark haired Dwarf's shoulders. Kìli did the same and together they walked home, laughing and talking the whole way.