Chapter Five

Kili was vibrating with excitement by the time he and Bilbo got to Fili's apartment. He rolled his eyes as his dad straightened his jacket before knocking. He didn't understand why his dad was so focused on what his clothes looked like. He also didn't understand what was wrong with the first two shirts Bilbo had put on before settling on the one he was wearing. They all looked the same to Kili.

Fili opened the door almost before Kili's father got done knocking. The blond grinned as he grabbed Kili's hand and dragged him inside, leading Bilbo to follow at a more sedate pace.

"Uncle Thorin!" he called in delight as he pulled him into the small dining area where his uncle was putting a dish of lasagna on the table. "They're here!"

"Yes, I can see that," Thorin said drily, lips quirking up in a smile as he shared a look with Bilbo. Kili watched with interst as his dad smiled back with a slightly pink tinge on his cheeks. He looked to Fili in askance but the other boy just looked smug. Kili felt like he was missing something.

"I brought dessert," Bilbo said, holding up the bakery box he had brought.

Fili cheered, causing his uncle to chuckle. "I'll put this in the kitchen," Thorin said, taking the box before nodding towards the table. "Please, help yourself."

Kili caught Fili's eye and the two boys wasted no time in scrambling into chairs next to each other. Fili carefully put two heaping helps of lasagna on both their plates while Kili grabbed bread for them both. Neither of them bothered even looking at the salad that was also on the table. Bilbo just shook his head at them and poured water in their glasses from the pitcher on the table.

"This is really good, Mr. Thorin," Kili complimented around a mouth full of lasagna.

"Kili, don't talk with your mouth full," his dad scolded while Thorin just smiled.

"Thank you, Kili," he replied, taking the seat left next to Bilbo.

There was a stretch of awkward silence as they ate, broken up by Thorin and Bilbo's stilted attempts at small talk. Normally, Kili had no problem filling the silence with chatter when he was with just Fili, but Thorin was a new entity to him. He had heard a lot about him from Fili, but he hadn't really spoken to the intimidating man before.

It was Fili who finally got the conversation going.

"Uncle Thorin arrested a some bank robbers today!" he informed them with pride.

Kili's head whipped up. "Really?" he asked in awe. "How many were there? Did they have guns? Did you have a gun? How much money did they steal? How'd you catch them?"

Thorin chuckled as Kili ran out of questions to ask. "There were three of them," he answered dutifully, sharing an amused look with Bilbo. "And no, they did not have guns so I didn't have a reason to draw mine either, luckily. They were very smart. They managed to steal over three million dollars from nine banks over two months."

"That's a lot of money," Kili said, eyes big. "How'd they do that?"

"They did some very clever tricks with computers," Thorin replied, taking a bite of lasagna.

"If they were so smart, how'd you catch them?"

"Uncle Thorin is smarter!" Fili chimed in, knocking his elbow against Kili's with a grin. "They couldn't hide from him!"

The detective smiled warmly at his nephew. "In all honesty, it was more our computer forensics people than it was me," he stated. "All I did was put all the pieces together in the end."

"How?" Kili pressed, lasagna half hanging out of his mouth.

"Kili, eating is less messy if you keep the food in your mouth," Bilbo commented lightly but with a stern look. Kili dutifully stuff the lasagna all the way in his mouth and kept his lips shut as he chewed.

Thorin shrugged in answer to his question. "Using investigative tools," he said. "Asking questions, checking facts, looking for evidence, that kind of thing. Collecting all the information we can and then following it to the perpetrators."

"Wow." That was it, he decided. Thorin was his new hero. "That's so cool. I want to be a detective when I grow up!" Kili wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Thorin's cheeks redden slightly.

"I'm sure you can be whatever you want to be, Kili," his father said, smiling indulgently.

Fili, however, frowned next to him. "You shouldn't be a detective."

Kili gave him a hurt look. "You don't think I could do it?"

"Of course you could!" he insisted. "You'd be great at anything! But there are safer things to do. Being a cop is dangerous, right, Uncle?"

Kili rolled his eyes as the adults shared an amused look. Fili always tried to stop him from doing things he thought were "dangerous." Just last week, he had talked Kili out of trying to use a bedsheet as a parachute and jumping out of his bedroom window. In hindsight, though, Kili could admit that that probably hadn't een his best idea.

"There are risks associated with the job," Thorin admitted. "But it's worth it. Should I be offended, though, that you only think of the danger when it's Kili's hypothetical career? Not worried about your poor, old uncle?"

Fili scoffed at Thorin's teasing. "No one could hurt you, Uncle Thorin," he said confidently.

He laughed at that. "I wish that were true. Now, seeing as how we're all done with our lasagna, should we check out what Mr. Bilbo brought us for dessert."

"Just Bilbo, please," Kili's father said in a flustered tone, rising with Thorin to help him clear the table.

Kili turned to Fili as the adults were busy chatting over the dishes. "My dad acts weird around your uncle," he said in an undertone.

"Uncle Thorin acts weird around Mr. Bilbo, too," he whispered right back. "I think they like each other."

Kili furrowed his brow. "Of course, they do. So why are they acting weird."

"No, they like like each other," Fili said meaningfully with a smug smirk.

His eyes widened. "Like, they want to kiss each other," he hissed, both fascinated and a little disgusted by the idea.

Fili nodded enthusiastically. "We need to make sure they get together," he whispered seriously.

"Why?" Kili asked, wrinkling his nose.

He rolled his eyes. "Because if they got together and decided to move in together..."

"Then we'd move in with each other!" Kili finished in excitement. "We'd be like real brothers then!"

Thorin and Bilbo came back from the kitchen before Fili could say anything else, with Bilbo balancing four plates with chocolate cake while Thorin carefully carried four glasses of milk.

"Once you boys finish your cake, I thought we'd watch a movie," Thorin suggested as he sat back down at the table.

Fili and Kili grinned at each other and nodded, tucking into their cake with gusto. It wasn't long before they were racing each other to the living room as Bilbo cleared the remaining dishes and Thorin setup the DVD player. Fili made it the living room first, claiming the entire loveseat as his own by stretching out across the cushions and giving Kili a triumph look.

The younger boy was not detered though and only smiled michievously before pouncing on Fili.

"Ugh, Kili, get off," Fili laughed, tussling with the other boy but careful to ensure that he didn't follow off the loveseat.

"Scoot over!" he squealed back, wedging his legs under Fili's so that he couldn't be dislodged.

"Boys," Thorin said sternly, giving them a look that instantly stilled them.

Fili sighed as relented, moving to one end of the loveseat. Kili ignored all the free space and curled up right under Fili, wrapping his arms around the other boy's waist and leaning into his side with a soft smile. Fili grinned down at him before slinging his arm over Kili's shoulders.

Bilbo raised an eyebrow at their seating arrangment as he walked into the living room and looked at Thorin, who just shrugged and pressed play on the DVD player. He and Bilbo settled down on the couch together, both careful to keep a certain amount of distance between them.

Kili smiled as he realized they were watching The Incredibles. It was one of his favorite movies. As the movie progressed, the two boys ended up shifting on the couch until eventually they were both lying on their sides, Kili leaning back against Fili's chest with the other's arm thrown around him to keep him in place. Fili was snoring softly in his ear by the time the Parr family was escaping from the island in the rocket, and Kili had his eyes closed as he let the sounds of the movie wash over him.

"Do you think we should worry?" Thorin asked Bilbo quietly. Kili frowned but kept his eyes closed. What were they worrying about?

"I don't think so," Bilbo answered softly. "They're very attached to each other, yes, but it's understandable given everything."

Were they talking about him and Fili? Kili didn't understand why they'd be worried about them.

"You aren't concerned about them becoming... codependent?" Kili really wanted to ask what that meant, because Thorin said it in a disapproving tone, but he didn't want to be caught eavesdropping.

Bilbo gave a low chuckle. "They're too young for us to worry about that. Besides, they don't shut out other people. They have their own interests. They just love each other. There's nothing wrong with that."

Of course there was nothing wrong with him loving Fili, Kili wanted to snap. They had promised to be brothers. Brothers loved each other.

"And if that love ends up being a little more than platonic when they get older? You wouldn't be upset by that, would you?" Thorin asked. Kili didn't know what "platonic" meant, but he was very interested to know if it would upset his dad all the same. If it would upset Bilbo, Kili would have to make sure to avoid it.

"It would be a bit hypocritical if I were," Bilbo quipped. Kili relaxed. He knew what hypocritical meant. It meant that his dad couldn't be mad at him because he did the same thing.

"That's... good," Thorin said after a pause.

"Please tell me I haven't made that bad of impression that I came off as the type of parent who'd reject his son because of his personal choices?" Bilbo said lightly. Kili knew that if he opened his eyes, there'd be a smile dancing over his dad's lips.

"Of course not," Thorin was quick to assure. "I've just seen it happen before and would hate to see it happen to a kid as great as Kili."

Kili wanted to beam at that. Thorin thought he was a great kid. He pressed his lips in a firm line to keep from letting on that he was awake.

"Oh, Thorin, I'm sorry," Bilbo murmured, obviously catching something that Kili missed. "I had no idea."

"Well it's not something I advertise," he said dismissively. "I'm just angry that my father's actions indirectly caused Fili to spend two years in foster care without my knowledge. I didn't even know he existed, let alone that he didn't have anyone else."

Bilbo hummed in sympathy. "At least it gave the boys time to meet, though that's a small consolation, I guess."

"It's something, at least," Thorin conceded. "What about you? What made you want to adopt Kili?"

Kili listened very intently for an answer to that. He had wanted to know the answer for a while but had always been too afraid to ask.

"Well, I guess I saw a lot of myself in him," Bilbo admitted. "My parents died when I was seven and I was put into the system. Stayed in it until I graduated high school. And if it's tough being a foster kid in elementary school, it's so much worse in high school. Teenagers can suck sometimes."

"I'm sorry," Thorin said. Kili heard rustling and he cracked his eyes open a bit to see that Fili's uncle had shifted closer to his dad. He bit back a smile at that and closed his eyes again.

"Yes, well, it's in the past," Bilbo sniffed. "But I always said that I would save at least one kid from that. And when I met Kili, I knew it had to be him. He's just so special. I couldn't see that bright spirit crushed."

A warm feeling spread through Kili at Bilbo's words. His dad thought he was special with spirit.

"I think you are a very good father."

He was the very best, Kili agreed silently.

"You're not so bad yourself, you know. Fili absolutely adores you, and I'm pretty sure Kili is on his way to hero-worshipping you," Bilbo said with a laugh. "He was hanging off your every word when you were talking about your job. And Fili seemed very proud of you."

"Fili's just happy that I finally told him a story. I don't talk about my work with him too much," he explained. "Most of my cases are not suitable for young ears. I'd hate to give him nightmares."

"Well, as a citizen of New York and a parent, I would like to say that I am very grateful that someone like you is out there hunting down criminals that would give little kids nightmares," Bilbo stated sincerely.

"Thanks. It's nice to be appreciated."

The on-screen battle between the Incredibles and the robot got particularly loud at that point, causing Fili to stir behind Kili. "The movie over?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Not quite," Thorin replied. "But I think it's time for bed."

"Yes," Bilbo agreed. "And I think it's time we got home."

"No!" Fili cried, wrapping his arm tighter around Kili, who had stopped feigning sleep at that point and was pouting up at his dad.

"Don't wanna go," he grumbled before turning and hiding in Fili's arms.

"Kili..." Bilbo said imploringly.

"He could stay the night, if he wants," Thorin offered. "They can spend tomorrow together. Fili's been in your hair for weeks. It's only fair for you to have a day off."

"Are you sure?" he asked even as Fili and Kili gave him puppy dog eyes.

"It wouldn't be a problem," Thorin said with a shrug. "I'm sure Fili wouldn't mind lending him some clothes, though they might be a bit big."

"Pleeeeese, Dad?" Kili begged, still clinging to Fili.

"Yeah, please, Mr. Bilbo?" Fili pleaded as well.

Bilbo threw his hands up in defeat. "How can I resist those looks?"

The boys cheered as both adults just shook their heads.

"I'll bring him home some time tomorrow afternoon," Thorin told him.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. "I do appreciate it. I have some errands I need to run tomorrow and I'm sure Kili would have been bored tagging along."

"It's no problem."

"Do I at least get a goodnight hug?" Bilbo asked, turning to Kili. To his surprise, both Fili and Kili surged forward to wrap their arms around him tightly before dashing back to Fili's bedroom.

"Night, Dad!" Kili called as Fili pulled him into his room.

"You can wear these to sleep in," Fili said, shoving a pair of pajamas into his hands. "They're too little on me anyway."

Kili grinned, wondering how he was ever going to sleep when he was this excited to be staying with Fili.

And if his dad and Mr. Thorin did get together, they could do this every night.

That was enough incentive to get Kili to start scheming. When they were both huddled under Fili's covers, Kili told Fili his plans, to which the other boy agreed to with gleeful delight.

Kili couldn't wait until they were all a real family.

Tbc...

Sorry this took so long. I've been sick :(