I usually do not write author's notes, I find them tiring.

This one time I do:

There will probably be many mistakes, I apologize. The reason apart from English not being my mother tongue is, that I dedicate this fanfic to my beloved beta-reader, and so I uploaded before I let her check, as a surprise.

I hope this makes you smile despite the hard and demotivating times you face now.

Thank you for everything, you will make it and you are a great person. I admire you, my dear friend.

Now on with the story...

»Fili? Are you awake?«

Now he was. Before his brother had clumsily climbed up the ladder into Fili's bed, he had been fast asleep.

A thunderstorm was shaking the whole house, and the lightning was white and bright and strong, it illuminated the room despite the curtains, painting the walls with scary faces.

Without a word, Fili pulled his brother under the covers and made sure he was tucked in.

Kili pressed his face against his brother's shoulder, sighing softly. He twitched and tensed with each rumbling thunder, his hands gripping Fili's shirt.

Sighing, Fili started to rub the back of his shivering brother. He made a mental note to kick Bofur's ass next time he saw him. Since he had told them about the stone giants and their thunder battles, Kili had started to fear thunderstorms.

No matter how often he had told the young boy that it was just a legend, that there was no such thing as stone giants, Kili could not defeat his fear.

»Don't be scared, Kili. There are no stone giants, Bofur just wanted to scare you.« and after a low chuckle, he added: »And if there were, do you really think I'd let them hurt you?«

Kili seemed to think about this, he tilted his head a little bit, dark eyes trying to make out the face of his brother in the darkness.

»Well... they are giants and you are just a dwarf. And they will crush you... they are stronger than you.«

»No way. I'd take your hand, and we'd run. We're fast and we can hide.«

»What if I fall?«

»You won't, I'll hold on to you, and I won't let you fall.«

»Or being crushed?«

»No way.«

For a while there was silence, and even the storm seemed to calm down after hearing that it the boy it so desperately tried to scare was protected by a mighty and determined older brother.

Feeling the warm, smaller body next to him made Fili sleepy again. Not because he felt exhausted, but because he felt calm and comfortable. Kili was always warm, his hands, his smile, his skin. Fili easily got cold, which was one of the reasons he always wore furry coats and thick gloves.

The other reason was: He liked the look.

Fili had almost drifted back to sleep, when he felt a small hand tug at the soft, few hairs on his chin.

»You've grown furry.«

»It's not fur, it's a beard.« Fili pouted, a little offended by his brothers remark.

He had just turned thirteen and was pretty late with growing a beard, so he was a little sensitive about this topic.

»Hm... will you look like uncle Thorin?«

No, he never would. Not with his blonde hair. Fili sighed, both his brother, mother and uncle had thick, dark hair. Why was he cursed with this... elvish mess on his head and soon in his face?

»I hope so.«

Kili shook his head and hugged him tight, closing his eyes. »I don't want to look like him. He's always grumpy... I want to look like you when I'm grown up. I want blonde hair.«

»Why?«

»Because it's pretty and special.«

Simple as that. For Kili, things were always that simple, he did not invest time or thoughts to things, he just accepted.

Fili smiled and held his brother a little closer while the boy fell asleep.

Yes, he would always take care of him and he would never ever let a stone giant or a thunderstorm or the difference of their hair color get between them.

Never.