Fili and Kili were surprised to see uncle Thorin waiting for them at home with dinner. Thorin seemed a bit stressed and his hawk eyes were watching them closely.
"Today Bilbo is coming over to talk with all of us." He informed them in a dull voice. "I'm leaving on Monday and I'm going to China for five days, during this time you both will stay at Bilbo's house." His voice was so firm both boys immediately sensed there was no point discussing. Thorin seemed irritated but they had no idea what could have caused such a foul mood. As Bilbo arrived later to their house and they were surprised to see Thorin sit down next to Bilbo and take his hand.
"We need to talk to both of you seriously." Bilbo gently told them.
"Just answer a simple question." Thorin's voice was like ice. "What's going on between you two?"
The boys just stared at him both pale and silent.
None of them said a word so Bilbo intervened. "Are you two in love?" He gently asked them, and both of them went even paler. "Please tell us the truth."
The way the boys gently shifted to be closer to each other, the way their hands immediately connected under the immense stress was living proof of Bilbo's conclusions.
"We already know." Bilbo told them gently. "So just try to tell us, to make us understand." Bilbo was trying to be as soft and delicate as possible, to compensate for Thorin's firm gaze.
Fili didn't break at all, but Kili after a while started shaking and crying. Fili just reacted and pulled him much closer and wrapped his arms around him securely. He looked down at Kili clearly very worried. "It just happened." Fili told them without going into denial. "I can't imagine my life without him." His voice was full of emotion and dept.
"But he's your brother..." Thorin spoke slowly.
"I don't fucking care about that." Fili told him. "It's like him being my brother makes him even more important."
"But he's only fourteen..." Thorin tried again. Fili just glared at him, showing for the first time that he could look alike to Thorin.
"Do you honestly think this could last?" Bilbo gently asked leading the discussion into a different direction.
"I believe this will last all our lives." Fili spoke confidently. "It's like we're two halves finally connected."
Kili looked at them with his teary eyes, it was evident he was taking this conversation badly. "I love you Fili." He spoke to his brother with conviction in his voice, and he held onto him desperately.
"And I'm not letting you go." Fili whispered back to him and gently kissed his forehead. The way he looked at Thorin was so firm and decisive that both Bilbo and Thorin could immediately feel that Fili would fight to be with Kili no matter the consequences. Bilbo gently nudged Thorin to say or do something.
"I'm not very enthusiastic about this." Thorin's voice was ice cold, and he immediately saw Kili lean into Fili even more desperately holding onto him. "And I hope with time you both will come to your senses." Bilbo gently nudged him again.
"He means, he doesn't plan to separate you for now." Bilbo told them. "But you must understand this kind of union is socially and morally illegal." His voice was kind and caring. "I hope you're not playing with Kili's emotions and fragility Fili. Being close to you is like an anchor in his life, but without you he's going to drown."
"I know that." Fili replied looking at Bilbo with strength in his eyes. "But I've made my decision, and nothing will change the way I feel."
"I'm not so sure." Thorin told him. "You both might meet somebody else in your life, and your breakup would ruin us as a family. If anyone finds out you might be faced with accusations of incest, and in Great Britain that's punishable by prison."
"Nobody is like Fili." Kili whispered in between the desperate sobs.
"As it seems there is nothing I can do to stop you both, I'm not going to interfere as of yet. But if you start hurting each other, or any legal accusation arises, I will step in to protect both of you." Thorin's voice was cold as steel.
"Please try to control yourselves around other people." Bilbo told them gently. "Spend some time with other people, have different hobbies and past times. Those things will help you keep balance in your lives. I'm going to be here for both of you, if you ever need to talk or if you ever need any support, even when it comes to dealing with your uncle."
"So you're not going to take Fili away from me?" Kili whispered to Bilbo looking at him with those beautiful teary eyes.
"No, we are not." Thorin admitted hesitantly. "Although as I said I'm not enthusiastic about this union and it will take a long time for me to get used to the idea as such."
Fili just glared at him, but the relief could be visible in his eyes. He pulled Kili even closer, and the boy rested his head in Fili's neck. Thorin and Bilbo left them that way, feeling they all needed some time to rethink what happened.
"Was it just me or did it seem to you that Thorin and Bilbo were holding hands as if they are together?" Kili asked Fili after calming down a bit.
"It seems there will be changes in our life." Fili gently nuzzled his hair. "They actually didn't forbid us to be together." Fili told him gently.
"But do you think they will ever accept us?" Kili asked.
"I'm not sure. But let's hope with time they will ease a bit." Fili told him and urged him to get up from the sofa. "Let's go run out this tension." He suggested.
Kili feared something would change in their life, but their next day was the same as their previous days, Frodo would come in the morning, they would drive to school, have lessons and lunch. They would listen to the gossip all around the school and joke about it. Some girls started to notice the connection between the three boys, and the gossip was going crazy. Many girls were still trying to hit on Fili, but he was colder to them than ever, and hitting on Kili was like hitting onto a wall. Kili got to know some of Frodo's friends, like Merry and Pippin, but they also spend lots of time during Fili's trainings. If Frodo knew anything about Fili and Kili being together he didn't show it.
The only person indicating something did happen was Thorin. He had problems dealing with it, and he was cold to both of them, despite the advice Bilbo gave him. He just couldn't choke down the fact that both boys were "together". Bilbo was talking to him about the way he should see this relation, but Thorin was strong willed and in his mind this was just wrong.
Fili and Kili didn't talk much about it, they were simply extremely happy. Their life was perfect the way it was. The pressure of being discovered was over, so now they just thrived on being together. Kili could feel the deep emotions and his insecurity problems were slowly vanishing. On some days when a girl would approach Fili too hard, Kili would become jealous, but later when being alone Fili would always make it up to him.
The week passed fast, and soon it was Saturday and Fili drove Kili to his archery training again. On the way home they ate lunch, and when they came home Thorin, Bilbo and Frodo were having fun in the swimming pool. They just stood and watched, but they decided not to join. Seeing them retreat Bilbo glanced at Thorin with a bit of anger.
"Start treating this normally." He told Thorin when Frodo was swimming a lap. "You're building a wall between yourself and them, and it's going to ruin your relation to both of them. The further from you, the tighter their bond will become. From a seemingly normal relation, we'll get something in between a toxic love affair, to an obsessive relation. I know it's difficult, but think on the positive side."
"The positive side?" Thorin scoffed.
"They can't get pregnant!" Bilbo joked and started swimming away.
On Saturday evening the boys packed their things and went to Bilbo's house. Bilbo just smiled at them and showed them to their room. Frodo seemed a bit surprised they would get only one room, but no one decided to elaborate on it.
The five of them ate dinner together, and Kili immediately was running around the kitchen helping Bilbo to the best of his ability.
"So will you call us when you arrive in China?" Bilbo gently asked Thorin as he was getting ready to leave.
"Of course I will. I'll call you as soon as I arrive, but that's going to be early in the morning are you sure you want me to wake you?" Thorin asked hesitantly.
"You can call even in the middle of the night; I don't sleep well if you're not there." Bilbo admitted with a voice full of emotion. "I was thinking, could I drive you to the airport?" Bilbo suggested.
Thorin glared at him, on other occasion it was always Fili to drive him off, but now he couldn't voice it. So he finally answered. "I'd like that."
As they were getting ready to leave the boys came down, they looked at Thorin clearly surprised he was leaving without even saying goodbye to them.
Bilbo was really worried how to tell Frodo about their guests. Finally he decided to let the boy work it out on his own. There was moment he considered the fact that Frodo might have a crush on one of them, but then he realized Frodo wasn't showing any symptoms of it. When Sam was in Frodo's life, Frodo was very happy, but when his friendship turned into a crush and Sam started going out with Rose, Bilbo easily made the decision to move to London to his family home. He loved Australia and New Zealand, and he had much family there, but he realized friends were slowly asking him question where his affluence came from, and Frodo was troubled with Sam and his broken heart. His parent's London home was a beautiful place, one of the few places in the world he felt truly comfortable. His mother's friend Gandalf helped them with Frodo's school and with many formal issues. And slowly both of them felt safe at this new place. Frodo made some friends at school, and Bilbo had peace and quiet for writing. In the last two weeks their lives flipped upside down. Gandalf practically forced him to take care of Kili's therapy. Because he met Kili be met also Thorin, and within several days he fell so deeply in love with the calm man that he couldn't recognize himself. Then it was dealing with this family's problems.
Frodo just made a funny face when he realized both boys got only one room, and when he looked at Bilbo, his uncle just whispered to him that giving them two rooms just doesn't make sense since they will spend time only in one anyway. With the following days Frodo was slowly realizing what kind of connection was between the brothers, and the obvious signs of affection at home, were slowly proof to their true feelings. At first he didn't want to believe his conclusion, he was too shy to ask neither Kili nor Fili about it, but Bilbo was a good psychologist and he immediately realized something was bothering the boy.
"Frodo what's troubling you?" He gently asked as they were alone in the evening.
"I'm not sure I should talk with you about it, it's rather personal." Frodo replied hesitantly.
"If you have a problem with something the only right thing to do is talk to me." Bilbo was subtle and caring. "I'll always help you with any problems you might have."
"The problem is it's not my problem..." Frodo replied blushing a bit.
"So you're thinking about Kili or Fili? Or perhaps both of them?" Bilbo asked the only right question.
"Both of them." Frodo admitted.
"So you finally noticed?" Bilbo wasn't surprised.
"You mean you knew?" Frodo as with bewilderment in his voice.
"Why do you think they got one room?" Bilbo was very direct.
"And you're not going to try to break them up?" Frodo was clearly surprised.
"Thorin has considered that." Bilbo admitted. "But finally I persuaded him to let it be."
"But they are blood related..." Frodo's voice was full of emotion.
"This kind of connection sometimes happens when siblings are divided in childhood and meet later in life." Bilbo gently explained to him. "Kili is very fragile, and Fili makes him strong and confident. Leaving them be was the only possibility."
"But it's like... you know I haven't even realized they were gay..." Frodo was very surprised. "The girls running around Fili at school are absolutely crazy... I thought..."
"Does this change anything for you?" Bilbo asked gently. "I hope you haven't developed feelings for either of them..."
"No, it's not that. I just had no idea how to talk to you about this, or if I should talk to you at all." Frodo was slowly regaining his composure.
"You can always talk to me about anything you need to." Bilbo gently told him.
"If so, can I ask you a personal question?" Frodo's voice was unsure.
"Just ask." Bilbo told him.
"What's going on between you and Thorin?" Frodo's voice dropped a bit when saying the name.
"I'm not sure yet." Bilbo admitted. "I can safely say we are attracted to each other."
"So there is something going on?" Frodo asked. "I had the impression he stayed overnight a few times."
"A few times yes." Bilbo replied without elaborating. "But I'm still unsure what will happen next."