Tauriel unlocked the last of the dwarves' doors. Yuck. The young brunette dwarf strode out. She looked down at him. Damn it. He was tall for a dwarf. It was harder for her to look down her nose at him. He stuck out his tongue at her, and scampered off to his brother, who high-fived him and laughed. She didn't like doing guard duty for these dwarves. Oh well. At least she got to lock them back up when outside-time was over. They got half an hour to stretch their legs- no more, no less. The back in the cell they go.

That means half an hour of boredom.

At least, that's what she thought, until she saw the note.

It was scrawled, with a hand that was much messier than her own refined calligraphy.

meet me outside during the dwarfs free time under the tree.

Hmm. A secret admirer, hey? Tauriel smirked. Maybe this admirer wasn't so secret after all.

The courtyard where the dwarves were exercising had one large tree in the centre. Tauriel was wondering how on earth she was going to meet someone there without being seen when she saw an arrow whizz by her head and stick into the tree. Nothing attached. Just an arrow.

She examined it closer. It was rough, and crudely decorated. Orcs. Could it be...?

She heard his rough voice.

"Tauriel."

She had always loved the way he said her name.

She turned around. She could see his warty fingers over the top of the wall.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"I came to apologise." He rasped.

"For what?"

"Running away with the key and breaking your heart."

"You didn't break my heart." Tauriel said with defiance.

"Yes I did. Tauriel- I know you love me." The orc said knowingly.

Did she? Tauriel felt a rush of emotion. Yes? No?

She looked at him again. His beautifully scabbed nose protruded from between his watery blue eyes. His gorgeous smile consisted of yellowed, sharpened teeth and blistered lips. A strangely attractive scar ran down his face, infection distorting his features. Who was she kidding?

"Yes."

The orc smiled in his gross kind of way. He was so... beautiful.

"I love you too." He held out a misshapen hand, and she took it in her beautiful, slender one. The brick wall they were on either side of was thick, but Tauriel still felt like reaching out and embracing him. A horn sounded. The dwarves' free time was over.

"Until tomorrow?"

"Until tomorrow." She agreed, slowly parting with her... well, boyfriend, I guess.

She rounded up the dwarves with an irrepressible smile plastered on her face. As she herded them back into the building, she couldn't help humming a little. She had butterflies, not nervous butterflies, happy butterflies, in her stomach as she locked them back up in their dismal little cells.

It came to the last dwarf. The brunette one.

"What's wrong with you?" Kili asked as she happily slammed his cell door shut.

Tauriel couldn't help it. "I'm in love."

Kili made a disgusted face. She scowled at him.

"You wouldn't understand." She said as she turned and walked away, swinging the keys in her hand.