Chapter Thirty Six

"You should eat," Kili said, nudging the box of pizza Thorin had brought home towards Fili. "You don't want to faint from hunger on stage."

Fili shot him a glare but grabbed a slice of pizza anyway and began nibbling on it.

"You two are backwards right now," Frodo pointed out with smirk as he watched Kili wolf down another slice of pizza. "Fili used to have to make you eat, Kili."

He frowned at that. "He never made me eat."

"He did so!" their little brother argued, picking a pepperoni off his pizza and popping it in his mouth. "You always used to just pick at your food unless he was watching."

Kili blinked at that. That couldn't be right. He ate just fine without Fili, right? He looked at Fili who just shrugged at him with a sheepish smile.

"You only did that when you were upset about something," he assured him.

Frodo snorted. "Then you've been upset for a while. Dad and Pop were worried. I heard them talking about it," he said matter-of-factly.

Kili was horrified. He hadn't meant to worry anyone. He lowered his half-eaten pizza and dropped it on his plate in distaste, stomach suddenly feeling like it was tied in knots.

"Hey, none of that," Fili said immediately, scooting his chair over and picking up the piece of pizza he dropped. He held it up to Kili's mouth with a smile. "No feeling guilty about being upset before. That's all over now, right?"

He smiled back at him and took the pizza from his hand before taking big bite. "I didn't realize what I was doing," he said after he swallowed. "I just… don't feel hungry when I'm upset. It feels like food will make me sick."

"And that's why you talk about it," Fili replied with an understanding smile, taking a bit of his "That way we can help you fix it."

Kili grimaced, not liking that he had apparently worried people without realizing it before, but on the bright side, Fili didn't seem to be stressing so much about his upcoming performance. He took another large bite of his pizza just to prove that he could.

"Fili!" Bilbo called. "Time to go!"

The blond blanched at that. "Why did I do this?"

"You're going to be great!" Kili assured him with a grin. "I can't wait to see it!"

"Yeah!" Frodo agreed with a smirk. "You're gonna look great in your tights!"

Kili kicked his little brother under the table as Fili sputtered, "They're not tights! They're leggings!"

Personally, Kili didn't care what Fili wanted to call them. He looked hot in them. Not that was going to say that in front of Frodo. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Fili with a smile.

"Break a leg, Fee," he murmured, kissing his cheek as he pulled away.

Fili's nervous expression softened into a loving smile. "Thanks, Kee. See you after?"

He nodded with a grin. "I'll find you backstage. Love you."

"Love you too," he whispered.

Frodo made a gagging noise from the table and Kili glared at him while Fili laughed.

"Fili!" Bilbo called again.

"Gotta go!" the blond said, dropping a peck on Kili's lips before dashing out of the kitchen and towards the door, where their dad was waiting to drop him off at school to get ready for his performance.

Frodo batted his eyelashes at Kili as he sat back down and made kissy faces at him. Kili scowled and threw his pizza crust at his little brother, which just caused him to laugh.

He sighed before pouting at Frodo. "Were Dad and Pop really worried about me?"

"Yeah, but they aren't anymore," he replied with a shrug, reaching for another slice of pizza. "They think you were depressed because you were in love with Fili and didn't think you could tell anyone. They also think that you two are sleeping together already," Kili almost choked on his pizza but Frodo continued without noticing, "and Pop's worried because he thinks you're too young. But I don't understand why he's so worried. You and Fili used to sleep together all the time and you were even younger then."

Kili took a moment to be grateful that apparently Frodo didn't understand the different connotation that "sleeping together" had. "How do you know all that?" he asked curiously.

"I listen!" he proclaimed with a proud smile. "And people don't always realize I'm around because I'm so little and quiet."

He gave the small boy a suspicious look. "You don't spy on Fili and me, do you?"

"Not anymore," Frodo said with a wrinkled nose. "You two kiss too much."

Kili made a mental note to check to see if Frodo was lurking around before he and Fili made out again with him in the house.

He stay sitting there picking at his last slice of pizza as Frodo bounded up to his room and his Pop strode in. He perked up, remembering the suggestion Fili had given him ages ago but that he had completely forgotten about.

"Hey, Pop, I have a question," he said as Thorin reached for some pizza.

The detective gave him a wary look. "Okay?"

"Do you think I could get a summer internship with Dr. Radagast?" he asked hopefully. For some reason, Thorin looked relieved at the question before he grinned. "Absolutely!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Well," he conceded. "I'll have to ask Rob and everything, but I'm sure he'd be happy to have you or, if he can't supervise you, can recommend someone who can. Still interested in forensics, then?"

Kili pursed his lips. "I like forensics, but I want to make sure I can do it before I apply for college, you know? If it's going to freak me out to see bloody pictures, I want to know now."

Thorin nodded with a small smile. "I understand. But I don't think you have much to worry about. You're stronger than you think."

"I don't feel all that strong sometimes," he confessed. "I feel… weak… most of the time."

"See, that's where you're wrong, Kili," his pop said confidently. "A weak person would not have been able to go through what you've been through and still trust Bilbo when he adopted you. A weak person could not have made Frodo smile and laugh right after he lost his parents. A weak person would not have stood up for Faramir when he was being abused. And a weak person would not have been able to love Fili the way you do with no fear of any kind of backlash."

Kili ducked his head shyly. "I didn't think those things made you strong."

"There are different kinds of strength, Kili," Thorin told him. "And believe me when I say your heart is stronger than most."

"Thanks, Pop," he said, feeling warm at the praise.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Now go upstairs to shower and dress. We've got to get to the school early enough to get good seats to see Fili sing."

He nodded and did as he was told.

#

It wasn't long before they were all seated in the auditorium, Kili practically bouncing in his seat in anticipation of seeing Fili on stage. They had great seats because they had gotten there so early. Front and center so they'd have a great view of Fili. Bilbo had been a bit concerned about being early with Frodo, but the eight-year-old was involved in a game on his iPod so it wasn't a problem.

People were slowly but surely filtering in. Kili waved as he saw Tauriel come in with her dad. He could see Thorin's mouth thin in distaste as he caught sight of Thranduil. Fortunately for his pop, the seats around them were already occupied so the Greenleafs were able to sit near them, a fact that Thorin looked disproportionately smug about, causing Bilbo to elbow him in the side.

He turned his head to scan the auditorium for his other friends as the lights flickered signaling the show would start soon. He spotted Eomer and Faramir sitting together a few rows back. And further back he saw that Ori had come with his dads and his grandfather. He grinned as he caught their eye and waved enthusiastically.

The music started up before he could scan the room for the rest of their friends, and Kili whipped around to watch the stage with rapt attention, eyes zeroing in on Fili as soon as he walked on stage.

God, he was gorgeous, Kili noted. His shoulder-length golden curls were pulled back in a low ponytail instead of Fili's customary bun. The deep red leggings he was wearing hugged his muscular legs in a particularly pleasing manner. Kili really wished he could see how they fit on his ass, but the white jacket Fili was wearing covered that up, unfortunately.

And of course, he sang like an angel. His voice was a smooth tenor, washing over Kili and making him shiver as he remembered that same voice moaning in his ear not even a week ago.

He didn't know what he had done to deserve such an amazing person, but Kili would be grateful for the rest of his life that Fili loved him.

When Fili wasn't on stage, Kili could admit that Eowyn was pretty good as well, though he wasn't sure how fake those hateful glances as Cinderella were. Had something happened between her and Lothiriel that he didn't know about? He'd after to ask Fili later.

The first act went by quickly enough, ending on Cinderella being sent off to the ball by her fairy godmother.

Kili didn't bother moving during intermission. There were so many people leaving the auditorium to no doubt go to the bathroom that he figured he'd avoid the crowd. Thorin and Frodo got up to head the bathrooms, though, and Bilbo went to speak with Dori.

Tauriel dropped down in Thorin's empty seat before he could get too bored waiting. "Your boyfriend is doing great," she said cheerfully. "Better watch out. There's going to be a lot of girls and guys out there with crushes on Fili after tonight."

"I'm not worried," Kili replied confidently. "Fili loves me."

She laughed. "When you're right, you're right." She gave him a smirk. "Did you see the way Eowyn was looking at Lothiriel?"

"Yeah, what was up with that?" he asked.

"Lothiriel took her on a date just to make her old girlfriend jealous," Tauriel told him before giving him a sheepish smile. "I'm not happy that she was hurt or anything, but I'm glad that whole thing is over and I can have another shot. This time, I won't just wait around too long before asking her out."

Kili's eyes widened. "How's Eowyn doing?"

Tauriel snorted. "She was more pissed than anything. Pretty sure she slapped Lothiriel as soon as she realized what was going on."

Kili believed that. Eowyn was not the type of girl who went home and cried into her ice cream. "Just be careful with her, okay?" he told Tauriel.

"Eowyn's got a soft side under that tough exterior."

Tauriel did, too, he knew, but in a different way. While Tauriel's softer side was where she shoved all her emotions to keep from being hurt, Eowyn was gentle under her ferocity, which just happened to overshadow her more gentle side rather than purposefully hide it. The two girls were similar in a lot of ways, but different in others.

"I will," Tauriel said softly. "She's a good friend, and I wouldn't hurt her for the world. Even if she doesn't want to be my girlfriend."

"Good," Kili stated as the lights began flickering. "Better get to your seat."

She nodded and got up. "See you after."

Kili couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at the sight of Fili dancing on stage. He didn't love the fact that Fili was waltzing with all those girls. And he definitely didn't like him holding and nuzzling Cinderella when she came on stage, but he knew it was just acting. He wasn't lying to Tauriel when he said he wasn't worried about Fili and anyone else.

Fili loved him and nobody would ever take him away.

Of course, that didn't keep him from folding his arms in annoyance as Fili's prince kissed Cinderella near the end of the show. It was just a chaste press of the lips, but Fili's kisses were his, he thought petulantly.

He stood and cheered as the actors took their bows. Fili caught sight of him and grinned when he and Lothiriel took their final bows, dispelling any irritation Kili felt over that stupid pretend kiss.

"I'm going to meet Fili backstage," he told Thorin as soon as the actors had left the stage, darting off as soon as his pop nodded.

He managed to get out of the auditorium before the crowd waiting in the aisle became too thick. The door backstage was around a couple of corners, nearly hidden unless you knew where it was. Thankfully, Kili had been to enough rehearsals with Fili to know exactly where he was going.

Before he could reach it, though, he was grabbed roughly from behind and a hand was slapped tightly over his mouth.

"UMH!" he tried to yell, as he struggled to get free. He tried turning his head to see who was holding him, but the grip keeping his mouth muffled was too tight for him to move his head.

Remembering something he had heard a while back, Kili let his body go limp, forcing his attacker to support his entire dead weight. He heard a low oath behind him as whoever it was struggled to keep Kili from sliding completely to the ground while dragging him backwards.

They didn't go far, just around another corner to a more isolated part of the school where no one could see them. The hand was removed from his mouth and he was dropped unceremoniously to the floor.

"H—"

His cry for help was cut off as two hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed as a body straddled his own. Drake Smaug's face swam in his blurry vision as he tried desperately to draw a breath, hands coming up to try and pry the other's fingers away. Smaug's grip was too tight though.

He couldn't breathe.

"You ruined my life," the older boy hissed softly, a deranged look in his eye. "I was all set for a full ride at Virginia and you ruined that. You took my life from me. Now, I'm going to take yours."

Kili tried in vain to gasp in air as the words slowly sunk in. Oh, God. He was going to kill him. He was going to die.

He blinked away tears as black began to creep around the edges of his vision as his hands fell limply to his sides.

He thought he heard a roar in the distance, but that must have been the blood pounding in his ears. No one was coming to save him.

This was the end.

At least he had gotten a chance to be with Fili before he died...

Blessed air rushed into his body as the weight on top of him was suddenly gone.

He coughed as his head swam, trying and failing to sit up. There were more hands on him and he whimpered and shied away, thinking they were Smaug's hands returning to do more damage.

"Shh, Kee, it's me," Fili's voice soothed as he helped him sit up.

Kili sobbed and turned in Fili's arms, burying his face in the blond's shirt as he cried, sobs interspersed with coughs as every breath he took made it feel like he had swallowed glass.

"H-He…" he hiccuped painfully in a hoarse voice.

"No, don't talk," Fili murmured, pulling him closer and tucking Kili's head under his chin. "Not before a doctor checks out your throat."

He nodded, feeling safer and less shaky in Fili's warm arms. He dared a look around the hallway and saw a large crowd of people gathering around the corner and peering at them. Smaug was being held down by Eomer and Legolas as Tauriel and Eowyn tried to keep people away.

A couple of police officers was suddenly shoving through the crowd, taking in the scene before them as Tauriel rushed over to them and began saying something to them, pointing angrily at where Smaug was being held down and then gesturing towards Kili.

"KILI!" he heard his dad's voice yell as his parents suddenly pushed through the crowd, tears pouring down Bilbo's face as he rushed to Kili's side. Thorin barked something at the officers before hurrying over as well.

"What happened?" Bilbo asked gently, reaching out to stroke Kili's hair.

"We found him on the ground with Smaug choking him," Fili ground out in a pained voice. "He tried to kill him, Dad."

Kili frowned as he felt a drop of water hit his forehead and looked up to see Fili crying. He reached his hand up to brush away his tears and opened his mouth to tell him he was okay, but Fili's finger on his lips kept him from talking.

"Your throat is hurt enough without you talking," he muttered.

"We need to get him to the ER," Thorin said, scooping Kili into his arms and standing up. Kili cried out as he was torn from Fili. "I'm sorry, Kili, but it's easier if I carry you," his pop whispered, sounding heartbroken.

Kili shivered in his pop's arms but nodded. He was still trembling when Thorin placed him in the backseat of the car and Fili immediately climbed in after him. He wrapped his arms around Fili's waist, clinging to him in an attempt to calm down. He tried taking deep breaths, but they just made him cough more.

Bilbo had gotten into the front with Thorin and they were quickly on their way to the hospital, Kili vaguely wondering who Frodo was with as he coughed some more.

Fili rubbed his back soothingly, looking more scared than Kili had ever seen him. "It's okay, Kee, we'll be there soon."

He wished he could say something to reassure Fili that he was okay, but settled for squeezing closer to him instead.

"Kili, you're shivering! Are you cold? Dad, Kili's cold!" Fili said worriedly.

"Here," Bilbo said, shrugging out of his long coat and struggling with it for a moment before handing it back to Fili. "Cover him with this."

Kili sighed as the warm coat was draped over him, snuggling up to Fili's body heat as his trembling slowly subsided. Exhaustion was hitting him like a sack of bricks. He was quickly losing the battle to keep his eyelids open as they pulled up to the hospital and Thorin stopped at the entrance to the ER.

"You carry him in," he heard his dad's voice say. "I'll park the car."

He felt his pop's large arms pick him up once more before lowering him a few moments later onto a somewhat uncomfortable surface. Fili was quickly as his side, though, pulling him into his arms and letting him rest against him.

He dozed off for a while before he heard a voice call his name and he was being scooped up again.

"Fee," he murmured, wincing at the pain in his throat.

"Shh," his pop's deep voice said.

He tried to stay sleeping, but he kept being disturbed by doctors that wanted him to open his eyes so they could shine a bright light into them, and to open his mouth so they could look at his throat. He whimpered as he was wheeled into another room by himself as they took x-rays of his throat.

He weakly reached out for his pop as soon as they brought him back, curling into Thorin's warm arms. He wanted Fili, but his pop would work. He closed his eyes once more and was finally allowed to sleep without interruption.

He woke up to them coaxing him into a wheelchair and wheeling him into a private room, where Bilbo and Fili were waiting for them.

He gave an involuntary cry as he reached for Fili, who wasted no time in curling onto the bed next to him as gently as possible. Kili turned in his arms and buried his face into his neck, sighing as he relaxed for the first time since he had been grabbed.

"Just sleep, Kee," Fili murmured. "I'll be here. I love you."

Kili wanted to say that he loved him too, but both his exhaustion and his soar throat kept him from responding. Instead, he just kissed the skin under his face before he faded back into sleep.

tbc…