As they were approaching the kitchen the delicious smell was filling the air. Kili was just setting the table in the dining room, as if this was a natural everyday rhythm of things.
"I'm hungry!" Thorin announced as he grabbed his spoon and began eating the dish prepared by Kili.
"What is this?" Fili asked suspiciously looking at the soup.
"It's ramen." Kili replied quietly. He watched them analyze the dish and with a trembling heart waited for their verdict.
"It's a type of Japanese soup." Thorin informed him. "I always have it in Tokyo, one of my favourites."
"I'll give it a go." Fili suspiciously took a first sip, not to disappoint his new family member not for the sheer will to eat the liquid. "It's probably the best soup I've ever eaten." Fili finally admitted, and was rewarded with a huge smile from the cook.
"It's as good as any ramen in Tokyo." Thorin added to the compliment. "Where did you learn to cook it?"
"From a cookbook." Kili admitted, and saw the surprised glare from both Thorin and Fili.
"Well if you can make something as good as this just from a cookbook, then you really are a genius." Thorin added with a smile.
"It's nothing special..." Kili added not realizing they were honestly complementing the dish.
"Ok, then tomorrow cook us something special." Fili smirked at him, and to his surprise Kili replied with a smirk. "You're going to have to go shopping again."
"Anytime bro, as long as I don't have to cook." Fili joked back.
"Last time he nearly burnt the house down." Thorin whispered to Kili, and he noticed his eyes go wide in amusement.
"I didn't burn the house down uncle!" Fili gasped and stared at Thorin menacingly.
"Nearly, makes the difference." Thorin joked. "He was trying to make pancakes, and he forgot to pour the dough onto the frying pan, and the oil started burning."
"So he poured water on it?" Kili asked with a smirk.
"Yeah they kitchen nearly exploded." Thorin laughed and Kili. "So since then he's only allowed to makes sandwiches and use the fridge."
"Don't worry I'll be doing the cooking from now on, so you won't be hungry." Kili smiled at Fili warmly and without his normal restraint. Fili immediately noticed the difference, the light atmosphere and joking make Kili relax enough to show his real self, without the stress and tension and insecurity.
"So what else do you like cooking?" Fili asked with hope in his eyes.
"Lots of things. I love cooking Italian stuff like pizza and pastas; I'm good at Chinese as well." Kili replied with a smile.
"Carbonara?" Fili asked with hope in his voice.
"Yup, and Bolognese, Napolitano, and I've also learnt a tuna pasta from one book." Kili continued to please his brother's food gourmand.
"Careful there Fili, you'll have to spend twice as much time training and in the gym to lose all those calories." Thorin joked.
"Like he needs to worry about that." Kili noticed wittingly.
"He does. One day I'll pull out the old albums, he used to a cute little cherub." Thorin joked making Fili blush wildly. "He was a cute little plump angel with those golden locks of his. He would have his hair as long as you now and it would curl and create those funny locks like little girls sometimes have." Kili watched Fili with wide eyes taking in all the unexpected information, and he observed with amusement as Fili was mumbling about how uncle was evil to remind him that.
"I'd really like to see that." Kili noticed trying to imagine his perfect handsome brother with golden locks.
"I'll burn all those fucking albums!" Fili had enough and got up and left the room.
"He hates when people joke about him." Thorin told the startled Kili. "And he really hates those photos." Thorin giggled, but Kili looked worried at the door where Fili disappeared.
"You like Fili, don't you?" Thorin asked after a while, when it became evident Fili was not coming back soon.
"He's the best brother I could have ever dreamt of." Kili replied truthfully.
"He's not without faults, so when he does a scene like today just ignore it. He calms down as quickly as he explodes." Thorin explained glad that Kili wasn't hiding back in his shell. "You're really welcome here." He told him reassuringly. "And looking at you I wish you would have come here sooner."
"I wish so too." Kili replied slowly feeling his uncle wanted to hear a reaction.
"We're family, and I feel like I've known you all your life and that it's natural that you are here with us." Thorin added. "I hope this will feel like home for you."
"Maybe one day..." Kili replied, excused himself and rushed upstairs.
He hesitantly approached Fili's bedroom. He only had a short view of the room during the tour and he wasn't sure Fili wanted to see him. He stood there for a longer time, when the door suddenly opened and he had to grab onto the person coming out of the room not to fall down.
"What are you doing here?" Fili asked him, his voice still a bit irritated.
"Are you mad at me?" Kili asked his voice trembling again.
Fili just glared at him and took a deep breath. "Not really. I'm mad at uncle for telling you those embarrassing things." He admitted after a moment. He could feel his brother's fingers on his arm and back, and the sensation was burning his skin.
"Would you like to go running with me?" Fili proposed. "It always calms me down." Kili just nodded and swiftly went to his bedroom to change his clothes. Fili just stood there thinking about the feeling the touch of his own brother caused in him, and he was terrified. Living together was going to be living hell, if just a look or a simple innocent touch was going to turn him on like that. He was just seconds away from leaning into his own brother and kissing him, and he deeply regretted not doing it.
When Kili showed up dressed and ready Fili guided him out of the house, first they did a lap around the house and then later around the neighbourhood. Fili wasn't surprised Kili was fit and in shape, he had already seen those muscles while swimming. He could easily keep up and after some time gently changed the pace for faster. They came home almost two hours later both not really tired but they decided it was enough for the first day.
"So will you be running with me?" Fili asked Kili with a smile which made the younger boy's heart jump.
"If I'm not going to bother you." Kili shyly noticed replying with a smile.
"You're never going to bother me." Fili added suddenly becoming serious. This boy was slowly becoming something more than a brother and the feeling of having him in Fili's life was exhilarating.
"Really?" The boy looked up to him with hope in his eyes and with a deeper feeling in them.
"Really." Fili answered. "I'm going to take a shower, come to my room in twenty minutes or so."
Kili looked at the now closed door and decided to take a shower as well.
He came to Fili's room nearly twenty minutes later, but he could still hear the water running in the bathroom, he felt unsure what to do but under the impulse he decided to sit down on Fili's sofa and wait for him. He wanted to be closer to him, and taking a look around his brother's room alone was a chance he wasn't going to miss.
Suddenly the bathroom door opened and Fili walked in wearing just a towel on his hips. He stood there surprised to see Kili for a moment but then he looked at the clock.
"Sorry I took so long." He told the boy, he could feel those eyes on him again but he could not decipher the emotion in them. It was like those brown eyes were drilling a hole in his soul, and he liked the feeling. He took too long in the shower, and he came out frustrated not finding a release, and now the reason for his sexual frustration was sitting on his sofa looking at him deeply. And Fili was just dressed in a towel.
"I'm sorry I came in without you here." Kili eyes suddenly became apologetic and stressed.
"You can come in here whenever you want, if I'm here or if I'm not." Fili told Kili firmly reassuring the boy his presence was wanted.
"Really?" The boy asked yet again.
"Of course." Fili replied trying to find some clothes in his wardrobe. "Give me a minute!" He rushed into the bathroom to get dressed.
Hearing the door close Kili finally took another breath. Seeing his brother yet again almost naked drove him crazy. His body was so perfect; he was so fit and muscular. Kili in comparison was too lean and he never had a chance to get that kind of muscle mass. He wanted to touch him, to rip that towel off him and touch his whole body. To kiss a trail down his chest and trace the tattoo with his fingers. The view of his own brother was giving him crazy ideas he never had before.
Fili came back wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but Kili still couldn't stop thinking about the sight of his brother half naked. Even with the t-shirt on his muscular arms were clearly visible. Fili sat down next to him and turned on the TV, he reached for the game console under the TV and handed Kili the controls.
"A race?" He suggested with a smile, and Kili just nodded still unable to breathe or speak normally in his presence.
Thorin came by nearly two hours later to find both boys playing and chatting about the game. He was glad they were bonding so fast, but something about it made him feel uneasy. As if there was something wrong about the way they were bonding. He was worried that if Kili got too attached to Fili, that it would cause Fili to be held back at home. He wanted Fili to go to university next year, and he feared separating the boys might have devastating consequences for Kili.
"I'm just finishing dinner, come down in ten minutes." He told the boys and received two smiles as an answer. "We'll be there." Fili answered for both of them, Kili as always went silent and passive.
When they came down there was a tasty smell in the hall, but the dining room was empty. "On the terrace!" Fili noticed and pulled Kili by the hand that direction. Somehow grabbing his hand felt so natural and right, he wished he could entwine his fingers with Kili's and hold him like that always.
"Roast chicken!" Fili smiled to Kili seeing the table. "My favourite!"
"Come on and sit down!" Thorin greeted them. They boys sat down and in front of their plates.
"I've had a call from Gandalf, we're going to meet the psychologist tonight just after dinner." Thorin informed them. "It's just three houses away, so I'll walk you there Kili."
"Do I really have to go?" Kili asked with fear in his voice.
"Gandalf insists. He said he agreed only because he owes Gandalf and he normally doesn't take patience anymore. He said it's more like a friendly help, than actual doctor patient relations. He's the best in the field." Thorin slowly explained.
"If he's a neighbour why haven't we met him before?" Fili notice immediately.
"Gandalf said Mr. Baggins focused on writing books and stopped working full time as a councillor. He now mostly stays at home and writes." Thorin explained.
"What does he write?" Kili surprisingly asked.
"I have no idea, why don't you ask him later tonight?" Thorin suggested. Kili just looked down back to his plate.