"Is Uncle going to leave your house alive?"

Ovila smiled at Kili's genuinely worried question and she led the way out of the city with a mocking bow at the frowning gate guard. "Mother merely wishes to speak with Master Thorin," she stated calmly and Kili snorted.

"If your mother's anything like you, there will be more threatening of lives than talking," Kili shot back and Ovila swatted at him with a light smile. "What does she want to talk to him about?"

"How do I know? She doesn't tell me anything," Ovila sighed and turned to look at Kili, hands on her hips. "Now, shut it, or you'll scare the game away," she scolded and continued on towards the forest.

Kili laughed, quickening his pace to catch up with Ovila, and he caught her hand. It was small and work worn, but slid so easily into his own and fit against his palm and his fingers like a piece of a jigsaw matching another. She just leaned slightly closer to him as they stepped into the density of the forest and they followed the path marked into the earth. There were marks on the trees also, to prevent hunters from losing their way in the forest, and Kili and Ovila knew the woods well. They trod the paths confidently, moving quietly as possible, ears and eyes open for any sign of game, and she tugged him along by his hand.

The peaceful silence of the forest took the pair as they travelled through and small birds chattered and chirped in the trees. Squirrels ran over the tree branches and Kili longed to shoot one, but Ovila's glare told him they were a waste of time and arrows. They needed big game, deer if they could find it, perhaps wild boar, big birds like goose or pheasant, and she would not let him waste arrows on a stupid squirrel. He merely grinned at her expression, amused at her, and she released his hand and motioned for him to silence, her eyes on something just through the trees. He followed her line of sight to see a doe grazing in a small clearing and he silently drew an arrow and removed his bow from his shoulder.

Kili took his aim, Ovila stood behind him, and he prepared to let the arrow fly, but a sudden rumble had the deer lifting its head sharply and the crack lightning that split open the sky had it bolting. Seconds later, rain plummeted down to strike their skin as sharply as icy needles and they both swore, wrenching their hoods up over their heads quickly. They looked up at the sky, startled at the sudden storm that'd fallen upon them, and the sky was quite abruptly dark and dismal.

"Which would be quicker, home or the cave?" Ovila asked quickly, referring to the cave hidden well in the forest that they, Fili, and Ori had found many years ago, and Kili thought.

"Cave," he answered after a moment and they swiftly made their way down the path deeper into the forest as more thunder growled and lightning opened the sky once again. "Come on, 'Vila!" he urged, reaching back to grab Ovila's hand, and she clung to him gratefully as they clambered over an old log and she almost fell.

The rain was heavy, quickly soaking them through, and, ten minutes later, after much slipping and sliding, they were scrambling up the rock face towards the cave. Ovila went first, gratefully crawling into the cave, and Kili climbed in after her, both gasping for breath through the icy cold that'd assaulted them. The water dripped from them to create puddles on the stone ground and she was glad to see some supplies that Ori had left there from their last visit. It was a good place to come to escape the pressure the boys were under and the heaviness that filled her heart whenever they spoke of the quest that was just three months away.

"I'll start a fire," Kili said quickly, moving to grab the pack, and Ovila nodded, teeth chattering. "How long do you think it'll last?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I don't know, a few hours, probably more," Ovila answered, removing her pack and cloak, and her dress was soaked too. "Keep your back turned," she ordered and Kili looked at her, mouth slightly open, ears turning red. "Turn around, I'm not catching pneumonia because you wanted to catch a peek," she warned and he hastily turned his back to start the fire with the supplies Ori had stored.

Ovila watched Kili for a moment, making sure he wasn't getting any ideas, and then turned her back and started on the laces of her dress. The brown fabric fell to the ground with a wet slop and her underdress was wet too. She hesitated with that, taking the time to tie her long, wet hair up into a bun, and she glanced back at Kili again. She paused when she saw him removing his coat and tunic and she hastily turned around when her cheeks burned red at the sight of his leanly muscled back. Heat filled her face and she slowly dropped the underdress to the ground, glad to discover her remaining undergarments were still mostly dry.

"You want a blanket?"

"Are you looking?!"

"NO!"

Ovila turned her head sharply and relaxed a little when she saw Kili, ears still bright red, with his back to her and his head bowed over the fire. It took her a moment to register that he was only in his underwear and she turned her head away from him. An unfamiliar heat shot deep into her core and tightened in the deepest part of her stomach. It wasn't uncomfortable, the opposite, and her fingers brushed the bare, damp skin just above her thin underskirt. A shiver rolled down her spine, a sudden longing for warm hands on her skin and lips on hers seeping through her, and she closed her eyes and took in a steadying breath.

"Ovila, do you want a blanket?" Kili asked again and Ovila managed to answer with a soft confirmation, voice slightly breathless. "Here," he stated after a moment and she glanced back to find him holding out a blanket, eyes firmly closed.

"Thank you," Ovila murmured and took the blanket to wrap around herself, hiding her from view, while he was still most definitely almost naked. "Is there another one?" she asked and Kili cracked open one eye and then fully opened his eyes when he saw her covered by the blanket.

"I'll be fine," he promised and she sighed.

"Fool," she scolded and dragged him to sit by the fire. "Don't you get any ideas," she warned and wrapped part of the blanket around him.

Awareness shot through Ovila when Kili's bare skin brushed against her own and that heat spread through her. It was intense and burning and she wanted to both pull away and lean deeper into Kili, her body fighting with her mind. Her heart was pounding, her cheeks were flaming, and her hands threatened to tremble, so she just gripped the blanket tighter and stared at the fire. She swallowed roughly and Kili shifted beside her, his arm brushing hers and sending tingles careening through her body. Her self control had never been very good, but Thondi's lectures on propriety when she'd first started courting Kili rang through her mind and she struggled to remember those words about her honour and her virtue.

Kili moved again, elbow sliding across Ovila's waist, and she turned her head to him, wondering if he was doing it on purpose. He was picking at the corner of the blanket, elbow constantly touching her skin, and she grabbed his hand to still it. Startled brown eyes met burning hazel ones and she bit her bottom lip at how close their faces were. She longed to close the gap between their lips, to explore him in ways she hadn't dared to think of before, and she might not get the chance again. That thought was one that made up her mind and she silently leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his, one hand moving to rest on his bare shoulder.

"Ovila," Kili whispered a weak protest and Ovila looked at him.

"Shush, it's okay," she murmured and kissed him once more.

There was a moment where Kili was obviously debating whether or not to let Ovila continue and then he released a small groan and wrapped his fingers into her tied back, wet hair. He moaned when he felt her body shifted to touch more of his and he knew they should stop, but her kisses were addictive and sudden desperation gripped him. He could taste her pleading and her fear and he knew how scared she was about him leaving. He understood that she was scared for him, scared she would never see him again for whatever, and he felt that fear too. The thought of not seeing her again, of coming back to bring her to Erebor only to find that she no longer wanted him, of returning to find she'd stupidly attempted to follow them only to fall to an enemy, frightened him and his hands grasped her waist and dragged her into his lap.

Dis was frantic.

Thondi was panicking.

Fili was pacing.

Calim had closed the butcher's early.

Thorin was attempting to stay calm and not panic for the others, as was his responsibility.

It didn't change the fact that Kili and Ovila had gone hunting a mere hour before a terrible storm had hit and they hadn't returned after two hours. Kili and Ovila were sensible (sometimes), so surely they would've found shelter and would've hunkered down to wait out the storm...or they were caught in the storm and had been struck by lightening. Thorin sharply shook that thought away and looked out of the window, as though he could conjure them up just by thinking about them. There were no cloaked figures running towards the house, though, and Thorin frowned deeply with a fearful anxiety clenching at his stomach.

The storm continued to rage with the wind howling through the rest of the day and long into the night. When the morning came, however, the sky was bright and blue and clear and Fili immediately wanted to send out a search party. The women and Calim wholeheartedly agreed, volunteering themselves, and Thorin sighed, but agreed after a moment of thought. He, Fili, and Calim went to recruit vounteers and all of those that were going to Erebor immediately agreed to help. Ori looked frightened for his lost friends, gripping his slingshot tightly, and they all made their way to the gates.

"We'll split into groups of five and search the forest," Thorin announced and looked at the group for a long moment. "Dis, Thondi, Balin, Oin, you're with me and we'll take the first path," he stated. "Calim, Ori, Fili, Dwalin, Dori, you'll take the path to the east. Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Gloin, Nori, you'll take the west path," Thorin declared. "We'll meet back here in two hours, with or without them."

"They might have gone to the cave," Ori said and everyone looked at him, realisation sparking in Fili's gaze.

"The cave we found a few years ago," he agreed and slapped Ori's shoulder with a relieved grin. "They would go there if the weather got too bad for them to come home!" he laughed and ran into the forest, dragging Ori along with him. "You're a genius Ori!"

"You couldn't have thought of this earlier?!" Dis shouted and stomped her foot. "I have mud on my dress Fili!"

"Blame Kili!" Fili shouted.

"They're going to need blankets, warm food, and hot drinks when they get home," Thondi stated and turned back towards the city. "Come on, you can all come to my house and have breakfast," she called and everyone, even Thorin, filed after her.

Meanwhile, Fili and Ori were trampling through the forest towards the cave, following the unique markers they'd placed on the trees, and Fili was feeling slightly less scared. Kili and Ovila were probably sat in that cave, just waiting for the storm to end, and they'd come across them heading back home. The worry grew when they got closer to the cave and there was no sign of Kili or Ovila. He comforted himself with the thought that the rain would've washed away the evidence of their being there and he paused when they reached the rock face they had to climb to get to the cave.

A noise caught Fili's attention, too faint for him to make sense of, and he quickly began to climb with Ori on his heels. The hand and feet holds were found easily and the soft noises began to sound like quick breathing, bringing a slight frown to Fili's face. He reached the entrance of the cave, heaving himself up, and he froze at what he saw, suddenly very grateful that Thorin and the others hadn't joined them, because Kili and Ovila were most definitely naked and twined together in a very intimate manner. Kili was settled between Ovila's legs, which were hooked either side of his hips, and one set of their hands was tangled together beside her head. Her free hand gripped his bicep, while his was planted against the stone ground to help him keep his balance, and their bodies were joined from lip to groin.

An internal battle began inside of Fili with one side warring for him to just sneak away and wait for them to be done and the other shouting at him to make them stop, just stop. His decision was made, however, when Ori caught sight of them, slipped, and tumbled the, thankfully, short distance to the ground with a loud shout. That made the couple aware of reality once more, staring in horror at the gaping Fili, and he quickly climbed back down to help the spluttering Ori. He could hear Kili and Ovila hastily grabbing their discarded clothing and speaking quickly, but their words were too quiet for Fili or Ori to make out properly. Eventually, though, the embarrassed, rumpled, yet defiant pair dropped out of the cave and Fili was finding it difficult to look either of them in the eye.

"Don't tell anyone," Kili ordered and Fili and Ori glanced at each other. "If you do, they won't let us see each other until we get married," Kili insisted, taking Ovila's hand, and she looked at him. "So, don't tell anyone."

"Kili," Fili hesitated and glanced at Ovila. She had moved so she was stood as close as possible to Kili, her head slightly bowed, and her free hand moved to grip his arm with loose fingers. "Oh Mahal above," Fili sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down his face, and Ori shifted awkwardly beside him.

"Thorin is going to kill you," Ori whispered and Kili and Ovila both flinched, grips tightening on one another. "And Miss Thondi," Ori added, eyes wide, and Ovila glared at him weakly.

"Yes, thank you, Ori," Fili growled and Ori flushed and silenced. "You can't - you have to - just be careful," Fili settled on with a heavy sigh and blinked when Ovila suddenly hugged him.

"You're the best, Fili," she breathed gratefully and Kili pointedly cleared his throat.

Kili was pointedly ignored.

Lectures and hugs were given freely when Kili and Ovila got home and Thorin noted that the two seemed closer somehow. It was usual for them to hold hands when they were near one another, but they were generally content to simply be in the same room to one another and merely shoot glances towards the other every once in a while. Now, though, as they were wrapped up warmly and plonked by the fire by their mothers, their bodies rested against each other's comfortably and they only seemed to have eyes for each other. They were curled together on the rug in front of the fireplace, clutching mugs of steaming tea, and they wore small, secret smiles.

Something had happened in that forest during that storm and Thorin didn't know if he wanted to be enlightened as exactly what had happened. He had no doubt that Fili knew, of course Fili would know, and he watched as Ovila rested her head comfortably on Kili's shoulder and he slid one arm around her waist beneath their blankets to tug her a little closer. She murmured something that made him chuckle and she smiled at the sound, wiggling deeper into his side. He held her easily, resting his head against hers, and she laughed softly into his shoulder.

They looked softer than any of their family had ever seen them and Ovila fell asleep with her body weight rested fully against Kili. He soon fell asleep too, the empty mugs falling onto the rug, and they curled together easily beneath their blankets. Their bodies twined together, hands joined between them, and Thondi and Dis fussed over them, glaring at Thorin when he suggested moving them to beds. They looked far too peaceful to move them and so adorable that the womenfolk wanted to capture the moment in time and just save it. Their foreheads were pressed together and they were smiling, even in sleep, holding onto one another with all they had.

Their closeness was obvious, even after they awoke and the days continued on, and they were almost constantly together. Fili had lost count of the times he'd discovered them kissing, but the number shot up after the storm and even Thondi, Dis, and Thorin had caught them more than once. Every time their elders caught them, they were forbidden from seeing each other for a certain amount of time and Thorin gave them a long lecture as to why they couldn't keep acting in such an improper manner, especially if Ovila was coming part of the way on the quest with them. They just nodded with suitably contrite expressions and continued to see one another without their mothers' or Thorin's knowledge, mostly in the night when no one would catch them. Fili knew, though, and so did Ori, both knew what they were up to and both were growing uncomfortable with the knowledge.

"Kili, it's dangerous," Fili hissed as they made their way to the training area and Kili rolled his brown eyes expressively. "What if she gets pregnant?" the blonde whispered harshly and Kili shrugged.

"I'll marry her now rather than we get to Erebor," he answered carelessly, as though it really were that simple, and Fili was ready to smash his little brother's head in for his foolishness. "Stop worrying, alright? You're like an old woman."

"Dammit, Kili, you don't get it!" Fili exploded and many people looked at them, eyebrows slightly raised. "Ovila's a butcher's daughter and you're an heir of Durin, so what do you think people say if she becomes with child and you two aren't married?" Fili demanded in a low voice, dragging Kili along quickly, making sure that only his little brother could hear his words, and Kili frowned.

"Everyone knows we're betrothed," he argued and Fili glared at his brother in frustration. "I don't care what people say, I know Ovila and I know she'd never lay with anyone else."

"Kili, people already disapprove, especially now that we're going to reclaim Erebor, and do you really think sleeping with her outside of marriage is a good way for you both to gain the people's approval?" Fili snarled, glancing around them quickly, and Kili frowned. "I know you don't care what anyone thinks and I'm sure you mean it now, but how will you feel when she's shunned, branded a whore, and your child named bastard, Kili? Will you care then?"

"We'll get married-"

"And if she doesn't find out until after we've left? What will you do then?" Fili interrupted and Kili looked troubled. "Stop being a fool, Kili, and start thinking, if you're serious about marrying her, since you've already done enough damage."

"She started all of this," Kili snapped back quietly, indignant and angry, and Fili frowned at him.

"You could've stopped it," Fili retorted and Kili just snorted. "It stops, Kili, I can't keep covering for you two and, if Mother finds your bed empty, I'm not going to lie to her."

Kili glared at his brother, but part of him, he supposed, understood and the other part of him didn't care, especially when Ovila rounded the corner with Ori and she had that smile on her face. Her gaze found his and the smile grew a little and the part that understood where his brother was coming from flew out of the window. He loved spending the night with Ovila, even if he was dog tired in the morning, because he loved finding those hidden ticklish spots that made her squirm and giggle breathlessly, loved to feel her soft skin beneath his hands, loved to press kisses to her scars, as though it would make them disappear, and he especially loved the little noises she'd make. She give these little moans and breathy sighs of his name and he didn't want to give those things up, not for the world.

Oooh, drama-rama!